Pacific Northwest Sports

Welcome to Pacific Northwest Sports!

2010-03-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for checking out our site. If you want to find past stories about your favorite team or sport, look in the list of links to the right. If you would like to post a comment but arent a member, just select "anonymous" when sharing your opinions. Enjoy and thanks for the support!

If Moevao's ready...he needs a shot...

2009-09-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

After attending three Beaver home games and watching the other away game, I have come to the conclusion that if Moevao is healthy, Riley needs to give him a start. As many have read, there is plenty of blame to go around. I am not writing this because I think Sean Canfield is the only reason why the Beavers are struggling. Surely one can point out the lack of a pass rush (two sacks in four games...ouch!) Or the fact that Suesi Tuimaunei couldn't cover a grandma with a walker if she ran a route (and if she caught it he'd miss the tackle). Or the fact the offensive line has played horribly and shown no noticeable improvement. I'm writing this simply because Moevao has one clear advantage over Sean Canfield: he gets rid of the ball quickly.

Put aside the fact that Moevao is 11-4 as a starter. Or that he's just a natural-born winner and natural-born leader. From very minute Sean Canfield arrived on campus, he has consistently struggled to make quick decisions and proper reads. Matt Moore had a similar problem in 2005, and it took five games into the 2006 season to finally get it. Sean Canfield has had five years. And with no noticeable improvement in his decision making, it is time to give someone else a chance.

Canfield continues to hold onto the ball too long. This puts added stress on the young offensive line. While Canfield has dropped some weight in the offseason and has surprisingly showed some mobility (see Arizona) his pocket presence is still suspect. He still refuses to step up in the pocket and when plays call for him to roll out of the pocket, his accuracy steeply declines. There has been a lack of a deep threat and many have acclaimed this to route running...or could it be that Canfield simply doesn't look for the route period? Several times against Arizona, Canfield missed open receivers downfield because he never looked off his first read. This happened several times on third downs.

With Canfield not looking downfield for long and even middle-range passes, the safeties have been able to come up and play closer to the line of scrimmage to help with the run (Quizz hasn't eclipsed the 100-yard mark for two straight games.) If nothing changes, Beavers' opponents will continue to stack the box and force Canfield to throw. With Canfield's immobility, also look for teams to blitz a lot more since Canfield really struggles under pressure.

I understand Riley likes to stick to his quarterbacks. Too many times in the past have I leaped to conclusions and wanted to bench our starting qb in hopes that the back up would somehow magically be that much better than the starter. This year is different however. With another proven winning qb and another fifth-year senior at that, Moevao needs an opportunity to see if he can rally the troops and light a fire under their bellies. Otherwise, look for the Beavers to struggle even more in the near future. They play at ASU this coming weekend where they haven't won since 1969. ASU also almost beat (and should've beat if they made a field goal in the end) Georgia in their house. The Beavers also still must play Stanford, at USC, at Cal, and at UO. Plain and simple, this is Moevao's team. In five years, Canfield is still making the same mistakes he made in his early days. With this lack of progess, he needs to sit because it only gets harder from here.

College Football Predictions

2009-08-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted anything, but here is a quick look at how I see the conference races panning out this season. I have picked each of the 6 BCS conferences winners, and their overall/league records. I cant wait for college football to start this Thursday!! Let me know what you think.

SEC - Florida 12-0 (8-0)
Pac 10 - USC 10-2 (8-1)
Big 10 - Penn State 12-0 (8-0)
ACC - Virginia Tech 10-2 (7-1)
Big East - Rutgers 10-2 (6-1)
Big 12 Texas 11-1 (7-1)

BCS National Championship Game - Florida -vs- Penn State
BCS Champion - Florida Gators

Doak Walker Award Watch List

2009-08-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

It may come as no surprise to most of you reading this blog (since most of us are Pac-10 fanatics) but I thought it should be mentioned that five running backs from the Pac have made the Doak Walker Watch List. As most probably know, the Doak Walker Award goes to the nation's best RB. The five RB's that made the list (out of 44 RB's nationwide) from the Pac-10 are: OSU's Jacquizz Rodgers, UO's LaGarrette Blount, Cal's Jahvid Best, Stanford's Toby Gerhart, and Arizona's Nic Grigsby.

I must say, both Best (my pre-season favorite) and Blount have the best chance of getting the award should it go to someone from the Conference of Champions. Best is going to be a terror to stop, particularly since I believe Kevin Riley is going to have a very solid year this season. Blount...well...defending him is like trying to stop a cement truck with a full load. I think with the graduation of Jeremiah Johnson, it will be Blount's time to shine, even if LaMichael James develops or not. For those who think that Blount can't do it without the "lightning"...we'll just see what Masoli has to say to that argument.

One very very large surprise to me was that Penn State's Evan Royster was left off the watch list. Last year he was a semi-finalist so I'm absolutely shocked that he is left off the list for this year. Just some food for thought anyway.

Beavers Receive Two New Verbal Commits

2009-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Update: According to various recruiting services, the OSU Beavers have received two new verbal commitments for this upcoming recruiting class. The first player was Michael Bibbee, a 6'3" 225 lbs. MLB. He committed on 6/28. According to Scout.com, he has run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. Riley may convert him to a defensive end. The latest to commit is Tyler Perry, who recently participated in Oregon State's summer football camp. He's a 6'5" 240 lbs. TE who runs the forty in 4.8 seconds. He committed on 6/29. Supposedly, he's got plus hands and solid blocking ability. This should bring some size to the TE position that Oregon State has missed since graduating Joe Newton to the Seattle Seahawks.

This brings the total commitments to four for next year's recruiting class. Riley has stated that since there will be a small graduating class this year, he expects to only sign around eight players. This, of course, does not include the many greyshirts expected to enroll this winter, including highly touted JC wide receiver Reggie Dunn.

The other players committed to the Beavers are Roman Supolu, a 3-star 6'3" 255 lbs. OL and Sean Mannion a 3-star 6'5" 205 lbs. pro-style quarterback. Supolu attended Edison High School in Huntington Beach, CA and Mannion attended Foothill High School in Pleasanton, CA.

Ducks New Uniforms...from a Beaver's perspective

2009-06-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Ducks revealed yet another new design for its uniforms for this upcoming football season. Aside from marketing and the now 80 uniform combinations the Ducks can now deploy, they also are 25% lighter than last year's. Key changes made are all the uniform tops will now have the wings on the shoulder pad area and the Ducks have added another non-school color in gray that they're coining as "steel". A carbon-gray helmet will replace the lightning yellow helmet and the steel bottoms will be worn with the alternative white tops.

So, from a Beaver fan's perspective how do we view all this? Yes, it's just another uniform change and more money poured through UO's athletic department thanks to Uncle Phil. It's a great marketing tool however I think it's very unnecessary and a foolish way to spend money. Personally, I think it's gotten out of hand. Do the new uniforms look cool? Absolutely. As much as I can't stand the Ducks, I have to say I really do like the look of these new ones, especially the "carbon" helmet. I don't like how they're incorporating black and gray (Duck fans, these aren't your colors) but if it looks good with the green and yellow, then why not, right?

Backing up a little bit here, why do I think it's gotten out of hand? Well, UO is going to use the argument that it's a great marketing tool and that it has its performance benefits. First of all, Chip Kelly said it best in today's conference: they were a 10-win team and finished no. 9 in the nation. That is your best marketing tool. You can have the weirdest, ugliest, or most unique uniforms in the nation but if you're not winning football games then no one cares. Actually, it probably makes you look worse when you do lose. Whether you agree with me or not, I do promise you this: a high school football player would much rather play for a winning college football team than a losing team with a good fashion statement.

Now for the second part. Utility. Nike is priding itself on the ability to create cutting-edge performance enhancing uniforms. That sounds cool. But let's take a little bit of a closer look here. Nike claims they shaved these new uniforms down from 7.46 oz. to 5.5 oz. Cutting-edge performance enhancing uniforms? You think a Pac-10 caliber football player is really going to notice that 1.96 oz of difference? Now I get why they used that 25% figure. That sounds a lot better than a seemingly unnoticeable difference of under 2 oz. Cutting-edge? Disagree.

I will admit, as stated earlier, I really like the new "steel" color. That carbon helmet is just downright awesome and yes, from a Beaver fan's perspective is there any envy involved? Of course. I can admit that. Those helmets are cool. Really cool. But as I bring this blog entry to a close, let me ask you Duck fans this one question: Is this something you'd want your athletic department to spend money on if these weren't donated? I know it does give UO some more spotlight time but from an outsider's perspective it's getting old and out of hand. Why out of hand? Nike is giving UO thousands of dollars worth of new uniforms while departmental budgets are shrinking, professors/teachers are losing their jobs or taking cuts, and the economy is still in a slump, significantly affecting the university and its academics. I don't just call that out of hand. I call that absolutely ridiculous.

Breaking News: Reggie Dunn to Greyshirt

2009-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Since Reggie Dunn was addressed in a previous post, I thought I should comment on the situation of incoming sophomore recruit Reggie Dunn from Compton Community College. Dunn was expected to make an immediate contribution to the Beavers upon his arrival in Corvallis this fall. As it turns out, he won't be graduating from Compton CC until August 22nd, putting his graduation date just a couple weeks before the opening day kickoff on September 5th.

Riley explained that he didn't think Dunn would be ready, both physically and mentally, to make an early contribution. The good news for Beaver Nation is that he'll still have three years of eligibility. He won't have that fourth year as a redshirt year because of the delayed enrollment, but he'll still be an eligible sophomore pending his arrival.

Dunn was one of the fastest, if not the fastest, player in JC this past season. He sat out a year to work on his academics coming out of high school. He was expected to make an early contribution on special teams at the very least. He was a dangerous return man and most certainly would've seen immediate playing time had he qualified.

For all you Beaver fans out there, this may not be as bad as it seems. First, with the emergence of Darryl Catchings, Jordan Bishop, and the return of a healthy James Rodgers, it could be said that Riley may have redshirted Dunn this year anyway. With Dunn greyshirting, this will give him a year to develop and ease into Riley's system. It should be a much smoother transition than if Dunn hadn't redshirted. With all that said, it is still disappointing that Beaver fans will have to wait yet another year to see this explosive WR in action.

A Look Ahead: The Oregon State Defense

2009-06-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

As promised, I will continue my pre-fall camp analysis with the Beavers’ defense. While many will say next season looks grim, the cupboard isn’t totally bare for Mark Banker and the Beaver D. While we may not have the speed on the defensive line like we had last year, this is still going to be one of the fastest all-around defenses since the 2000 season. While inexperienced, there is a lot of potential here.

Defensive End: Replacing the best DE tandem Oregon State has ever seen (a combined 22 sacks between Slade Norris and Victor Butler) will be very difficult to do, however not impossible. I’m telling you, the cupboard is by no means bare. Ben Terry was the first man off the bench last year and is in the same mold as Victor Butler at 6-3 and 240 lbs. According to OSU, he also possesses similar speed (4.6 forty range) and look for him to wreck havoc on passers next season. On the other side will be Kevin Frahm from Central Catholic High School in Portland. While not as fast as Terry, he has good size (6-2, 255lbs) and great strength. We’ll see if his dominance on the scout team will translate into on-field production next year. He has been known as one of the hardest workers in the weight room.

OSU, as of recent, has been known to get production by committee on the defensive line, sometimes rotating as many as eleven guys per game last season. Another name to look for at the DE spot this spring is Taylor Henry, who seemed unstoppable in the spring game. He’s undersized at 6-2, 222 lbs. but is the fastest defensive lineman on the team. He even had an interception (with a very nice return) in the spring game. Look for him to contribute significant minutes and will most likely be used as the third down pass rusher like Victor Butler was in his first year.

Matt LaGrone, a junior-to-be transfer from the University of Nevada-Reno, is also going to be in the mix. While most probably haven’t heard of him, especially because he sat out spring with an injury, his physical attributes have the coaches excited. He’s 6-6 and 240 lbs. and supposedly very athletic (played basketball for the Wolfpack). His brother Josh is a safety for the team. While he has no game experience, coaches say he’s a tear on the field for the scout team. This could be the year he breaks out and look for him to come out of nowhere. He’ll likely be used in third down situations as well.

Finally, Gabe Miller, the converted tight end, made his move this spring. Starting out last on the depth chart, by spring’s end he was listed number two behind Ben Terry. Coming out of high school, many coaches wanted him on the defensive side of the ball (Oregon’s Defensive Player of the Year his senior year at Lake Oswego) but Riley thought he’d best be used at tight end. He’s got the size and speed OSU looks for in their DE’s at 6-3 235 lbs. We’ll see how much he’ll contribute this year at his new position but the potential is there.

Defensive Tackle: OSU possesses one of the best, if not the best, defensive tackles in the conference in Stephen Paea. Coming out of nowhere last year, he wrecked havoc on opposing quarterbacks (five sacks his first year starting) and spent most of his time in the opponent’s backfield. While he may not get five sacks this year because teams will start to key on him more, this junior-to-be will plug the gaps (yes, gaps not gap) that the OSU defensive scheme requires.

After Paea, the DT position will be handled by committee. There are a lot of options that DL coach Joe Seumalo could use. Last year, former walk-on Brennan Olander started most of the games. He may be used again this year but his production just wasn’t there (five total tackles last year, no sacks). Mitch Hunt is the slated starter at the other DT position right now but in my opinion look for Sioeli Nau to grab the other spot. He attended the same junior college as Paea (Snow College in Ephram, Utah) and he possesses great size (6-2 312 lbs.) and excellent strength like Paea. While he’s not as fast as Paea, he’s still very aggressive and will certainly plug gaps on the line. Other names that may be called throughout the year will be Jesse Fifita (6-1 276 lbs.), a converted defensive end, and Latu Moala (6-1 294 lbs.). All have at least one year of playing experience under their belts.

Linebackers: If there’s one bright spot on the OSU defense for next season it will be at linebacker. Based on experience and athleticism, there’s no doubt in my mind (and the mind’s of analysts who make a lot more money than I do) that OSU will have the best linebacking corp. in the Pac-10 conference. Yes, USC will have a ridiculous set of their own thanks to their consistent 5-star talent, but based off of experience one has to give the slight edge to the Beavers. Arguably the best returning linebacker of the Pac-10 in Keaton Kristick will man one of the outside spots. He’s able to play all linebacker positions so look for Banker to move him around to create mismatches.

On the other side, both Keith Pankey and Dwight Roberson will share the “starting” spot. Pankey, at 6-0 208 lbs., is the speed backer while Roberson, at 6-0 235 lbs., is the power backer. My personal opinion is to play Roberson more. Pankey wasn’t big enough to get off blocks, particularly on plays like inside zone running plays, and often got jammed. In the same amount of playing time last season (Pankey actually got a little bit more) Roberson recorded 61 tackles and 2 sacks while Pankey accounted for 43 tackles and 1 sack. Something else to keep in mind is Roberson also had 7.5 tackles for loss. While I say Pankey is the linebacker with speed, Roberson also possesses great speed, agility, and quickness and with his size and strength, in my opinion, he is better suited to Banker’s system.

Finally, at the MLB position will be a new face: David Pa’aluhi III. He’ll be replacing Bryant Cornell (thankfully) and be using his 5-11 225 lbs. frame to man the middle. He’s certainly got the size and strength but what most people may not know is that he’s the fastest linebacker on the team as well. According to Riley and company, Pa’aluhi ran the forty-yard dash this spring at 4.45. Once again, we’ll see if this potential turns into production but with the experience on either side of Pa’aluhi, look for him to have a very solid year. His role last year was the blitzing MLB last year in the nickel packages.

Cornerback: Replacing current NFL players Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes will not be an easy task, especially when taking into consideration the style of defense Mark Banker runs. With the cornerbacks often up at the line of scrimmage jamming the receivers, they are often left on an island. If they’re inexperienced, they often struggle (see the 2005 season). While many will reference this, keep in mind the two players replacing Lewis and Hughes will not be freshmen and do have quite a bit of playing time between them unlike the 2005 situation.

The number one cornerback for next year will be senior-to-be Tim Clark. His claim to fame is probably the 2007 game at Cal when he held DeSean Jackson to four receptions for five yards. Keep in mind, this was no fluke. The previous week Jackson had 11 receptions for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns against Oregon. Clark didn’t have as productive year last year as 2007 (many coaches thought he didn’t try as hard because he knew he wasn’t starting) but this past spring he was the best cornerback on the field. He’ll take the reigns as number one and will be looked upon to have a solid senior season against each team’s number one wide receiver.

The other cornerback spot will be manned by either senior Patrick Henderson or junior James Dockery. Many people are throwing sophomore and special teams standout Brandon Hardin’s name in the mix but in my opinion Riley and Banker won’t rotate more than three guys at CB this coming season. Look for the two seniors to be the starters and receive most of the playing time. Patrick Henderson is somewhat small for a CB (listed at 5-10 185, probably closer to 5-9 or 5-8) but very fast. He’s very physical and strong and fits the press cornerback mold that Banker looks for. With his past experience and Dockery’s injury last year that put him out for the season, I say Henderson will get the nod to take over the other CB position. While replacing two starting cornerbacks is never a good thing on paper, the likes are the Beavers will be replacing them with two seniors, both with significant playing time. While magazines and analysts will say the cornerback spot is a big weakness for this Beaver defense, I say it may not be as bad as people think.

Safety: I guarantee safety will be the weakest part of the Beaver D next year. They are both young and inexperienced. One slated starter will be Suaesi Tuimaunei and he will be looked at as the one to replace Al Afalava. He struggled mightily to get off blocks last year in run support (remember Stanford?) and his pass defense was suspect at times. Coaches have been trying to get him more aggressive and to gain confidence. Perhaps a year under his belt will help these because the Beavers will be leaning on him heavily as the leader of the safeties.

The other safety position will be manned either by Lance Mitchell (the slated starter coming out of spring camp) or Cameron Collins. They battled it out closely last spring and fall looks to be no different. Collins has the size (6-2, 215 lbs) but Mitchell seemed to be more of the playmaker. Coaches have said despite Collins size, he really needs to get more aggressive in order for him to fit in with how OSU likes to use their safeties, which is in heavy run support (Greg Laybourn was the team’s leading tackler last year with 113) and press coverage just like their cornerbacks. While Laybourn was effective against the run, he was very suspect against the pass and OSU would certainly like to see someone who has the ability to cover as well as support the linebackers in running situations.

Two other players, redshirt freshmen Josh LaGrone and Anthony Watkins, will push the other safeties for playing time but will most likely fight for the back up spots and will be large contributors on special teams.

Many publications and analysts will choose the Beavers’ defense as a significant weak spot. While they may be somewhat inexperienced, they have the athleticism and speed at all positions that hasn’t been seen since the 2000 season. No, I’m not saying this Beaver D will be as good as 2000’s but athletically they have the same potential. We’ll see if that potential can turn into on-the-field production for the 2009 season.

Finally, one major thing to keep in mind is the schedule. For the first time in a while, the Beavers have a chance to start fast. Their defense will have no LSU’s or Penn State’s or Utah’s to go to early in their schedule and that will allow them to mesh and gel without those rude awakenings (although Stanford didn’t exactly scream hard matchup last year either). If the Beavers can start off with a winning record in their first five games it should instill some confidence in them as opposed to playing catch up like they’ve been forced to do in the past.

If they can get some initial confidence going while the team works out its early season kinks (and still wins), this could be a special year for Beaver football. Potentially, the Beavers could be 6-0 going into the game at USC with the first six games being Portland St. at home, at UNLV, Cincinnati at home, Arizona at home, at Arizona State, and the revenge game against Stanford at home.

NBA Draft: Power Forwards

2009-06-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of debate surrounding the Trail Blazers' needs this off season. Fans are chomping at the bit for further success in the playoffs, and everyone has their own opinions concerning the draft, free agency, and possible trades. Kevin Pritchard has a lot on his plate and one way he may look to bolster the rotation is through the draft. Also, many would like to see Portland address the back-up power forward position. Channing Frye's future with the club is murky at best and a more physical bench player at the four spot would be an intriguing option for Nate McMillan and the coaching staff. Let's look at some of the possible options at the power forward position in the upcoming draft. Notice I left out players like Blake Griffin, Jordan Hill, and DeJuan Blair. These three are most likely going to be lottery picks and will be unavailable when the Blazers pick, barring a collosal move by Blazer management (though one should never rule this out considering the way our drafts have gone in recent years).

Gani Lawal - Georgia Tech

Lawal has improved a lot and as a sophomore last year averaged over 15 points and nearly 10 rebounds in just under 30 minutes a game for the Yellow Jackets. He has good size and plays with a lot of energy. He is still raw in many aspects of his game however and would probably struggle to find many minutes in the rotation for his first couple of years. If the Blazers pick him, I would expect them to be patient with him and allow him time to develop in practice before putting him out on the floor in meaningful stretches. Many mock drafts have the Blazers selecting him with their pick at 24, which means nothing really. If anything, I expect the unecpected when it comes to Portland and the draft. Lawal would be intriguing but I wouldn't lose any sleep if some other team called his name on draft night.

Earl Clark - Louisville

Earl Clark is one of those guys who intrigues scouts with his talent, size, and quickness. He stands over 6'10'' with shoes and weighs around 230 lbs. His body is NBA-ready and he could potentially cause a lot of mismatches for opponents with his athleticism and ability to handle the ball out on the perimeter. He can also effectively defend the pick-and-roll, using his length and lateral quickness to step out on screens. This all sounds great right? Well there is a downside. Clark often seems to disappear when you watch him on TV. He becomes virtually invisible for stretches of games. He often hangs out on the perimeter but his shooting percentages aren't really very impressive. He doesn't have the mentality to be a go-to scorer like Rick Pitino would have liked at Louisville, but maybe he can become a solid contributer in the NBA, where he will be asked to fit in as part of a unit rather than carry his team through stretches of games. He probably won't be available at the 24th pick but he could be had in the late teens or early 20s. He seems like a huge boom or bust type of prospect and if the Blazers select him in the draft it should be an indication that they believe they can bring out all of the potential that so many scouts see in him.

Tyler Hansbrough - North Carolina

I will probably get teased for saying this, but I don't think Psycho T is a bad pro prospect when all is considered. Yes, I got tired of the Dickie Vs of the world raving about his "heart" and "tenacity", but it's not his fault that he was such a polarizing player for the premiere college basketball program in America. Hansbrough will almost certainly never be an all-star player but he has a lot of things that could allow him to contribute in the NBA. Many people assume that he is undersized but he measured up pretty well at the pre-draft camp in Chicago, standing over 6'9'' and weighing 235 lbs. His offensive moves look kind of herky-jerky and unorthodox, but they were effective. The guy could flat out score at UNC, he put up over 18 points a game for 4 years, topping out at over 22 a game during his junior campaign. His rebounding did dip during his senior year, which raises some questions about whether or not he will be a good rebounder in the league. Also, his attitude and work ethic appear to be top-notch, something that we know Pritchard looks for in potential draft picks. Many of us as fans love to hear stories about Jerryd Bayless working meniacly on his game, and I think Hansbrough brings a lot of those same qualities. You can never have enough of these guys as far as I am concerned and if Portland selected Hansbrough in a few weeks, I would feel confident knowing that he was going to do whatever the coaches asked of him and probably much more. I think the guy could be an effective role player, playing 10-15 minutes a night, bringing energy and toughness to a second unit that needs a little more muscle. I never thought I would write this but I am kind of intrigued by the thought of adding this all-american to our roster.

Game 1 Preview

2009-06-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

My plan was to write a more in depth analysis of the Finals earlier this week. However with class starting in less than 40 minutes, and school actually taking up the majority of my time, here are a few quick thoughts on tonight's game 1 in Los Angeles.

Lamar Odom has to make Lewis and Hedo work on the defensive end. This means Odom needs to stop shooting threes, and become more aggresive in the paint. Many feel that Odom's defense on these two players will be the key to the series, and while I do agree, I believe it is even more imporant Odom makes them work on the other end of the floor.
Rafer Alston must look to to get his teammates more involved. To often Alston falls in love with his perimeter shot (I dont know why), but the Magic will be nearly unstopable if Alston takes advantage of Fisher by penetrating and then kicking out to the to shooters like Hedo, Lewis, and Pietrus.
Magic.....dont play Jameer Nelson! I understand Nelson wants to play, and that he had his way with the Lakers in the regular season, averaging 27 a game in the two previous match ups. However the Magic are in a groove with Alston playing the majority of the minutes, and Anthony Johnson contributing a solid 12-15 per game. Stan, keep it that way.
Kobe needs to do what he has been doing all postseason, and that is reacting to what the defense gives him. If Orlando is double teaming him, Kobe must trust that his teammates will make shots. Kobe's game has evolved over the years, he now understands the type of game he needs to play in order for his team to win.
Prediction: Lakers 103 Magic 94

Oregon State Football: Looking Ahead at the Offense

2009-06-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

This article was written by a friend and fellow Pac-10 football fan Matt, who has far greater insight and knowledge of Oregon State Football than I do. Enjoy.

With spring ball finally completed, fall training camp lurks just around the corner. Once the new recruits enroll they are pushed through a crash course in terms of getting acquainted with college life and the small-town atmosphere of Corvallis, while also trying to memorize Oregon State’s thick offensive and defensive playbooks. Fall is a time when returning players look to polish their skill sets and put their hard work in the spring to good use. Here is an in-depth, position by position look at OSU’s offense once fall hits. Defense to come soon!

Quarterback: Just as Lyle Moevao did last year, Sean Canfield has returned the favor as solidifying himself as the clear number one QB going into fall camp. Both players and coaches said he controlled the offense with a new found, vocal leadership that was seen from Moevao all last season. He really hit his stride this spring finding a new favorite target in Darrell Catchings. He did struggle in the spring game but it was by far his worst performance. If anyone knows Lyle Moevao, he will be the first to tell you not to count him out. Known as a fierce competitor, look for Moevao to hit fall camp hard and really push Sean for the number one spot. Coming off of shoulder surgery, Moevao is expected to be fully recuperated and healthy, something that he hasn’t seen since Dexter Davis sacked him in the ASU game last season.

Running Back: Everyone knows who the starter will be. The question remains as to who will back up Jacquizz Rodgers, the reigning PAC-10 player of the year. Jovan Stevenson, the grey shirt from Arizona, emerged this year as a potential back up showing a good burst with quick feet. His hands were solid but questions surround his size (185 lbs) and blocking ability. Ryan McCants is coming off of a very disappointing first season. While he showed flashes of his potential last year, he struggled to hit the hole and had some fumbling issues as well. If he can gain some more confidence and return from his knee injury hungry, then he will receive the most reps as Quizz’s back up. This would also allow Jovan Stevenson to redshirt. Should McCants not live up the hype again, incoming true freshman Ashton Jefferson, another Texas RB, will get a serious look at the back up role in spelling Quizz.

Wide Receiver: Starting off as one of the biggest question marks before spring, this might have just gotten interesting with several key players stepping up. First, Darrell Catchings seemingly came out of nowhere, completely dominating the spring as the number one go-to receiver. He will start and will have a chance to be the next OSU great. Casey Kjos started off as the incumbent to Shane Morales however look for Jordan Bishop to overtake this spot. He’s got the size (6-3) and athleticism (one of Oregon’s top high school track athletes coming out of high school) to make his mark as a freshman. He showed solid hands and precise route running all spring. The third receiver spot will be manned by James Rodgers, the Beavers’ explosive deep threat and fly sweep man. This should open things up by keeping the safeties and linebackers honest. Finally, the x-factor in all of this is Reggie Dunn, the touted incoming JC receiver. He was one of the fastest guys in JC and one of the most sought-after WR’s coming out of high school. If our current crop of receivers is able to step up, this would allow Riley to redshirt him since he has four years to play three.

Offensive Line/TE: Perhaps the biggest question entering fall camp will be the offensive line. Nagged by injuries throughout the spring, the offensive line depth is a major issue. Gregg Peat, Mike Remmers, and Alex Linnenkohl all return with significant starting experience. The question remains as to who will step up in the other two offensive line positions. Wilder McAndrew’s career has been nagged by injuries, and he re-aggravated his wrist injury this spring. Brent McNeil, a JC transfer last year, has solidified himself as one of the strongest run blockers on the team but still struggles in pass blocking. Timi Oshninowo (his brother is Babatunde Oshinowo from Stanford who’s currently in the NFL) made significant strides but went down with a knee injury of his own in the spring game. Geoff Garner has the sought-after size and strength that Cavanaugh wants in an offensive lineman but just recently got back from a Mormon mission and is trying to play catch up with both the playbook and getting back into playing shape.

Tight End returns great depth with three year varsity letter winner Howard Croom manning the one spot. Brady Camp often comes in as the H-Back in blocking situations while John Reese is the most athletic pass catcher. John Reese will often line up in the slot when OSU goes into their 5-wide receiver sets. While no one has separated themselves as the clear number one option, TE will be looked at as a committee to get things done depending on the situation.

Oregon State Football Recruiting: Who redshirts? Who doesn’t?

2009-06-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

By national standards, Oregon State pulled in yet another mediocre recruiting class. By Coach Riley’s standards it is one of the best classes he has ever gotten. Highlighted by Michael Phillip, the nation’s number one offensive guard by most publications, this class is filled with something the Beavers have lacked in the recent past: speed. While Riley has slowly been building depth at each position allowing most of his classes to redshirt, there will be around three or four players that will be looked at to contribute immediately.

Michael Phillip, 6-3, 320 lbs, 4-star by Rivals.com. Listed as the number offensive guard in the nation, O-line coach Mike Cavanaugh is anxious to see if Phillip is mature enough to fill one of the tackle spots vacated by Andy Levitre. He’s got the size, speed, and athletic ability but everyone knows the offensive line position is one of the hardest to grasp for an incoming freshman. With numerous injuries accumulated in the spring, Phillip will get a serious look at contributing early.

Reggie Dunn, 5-11, 185, 3-star by Rivals.com. Coming out of high school Dunn was one of the most explosive and sought-after receivers on the west coast. After growing three inches (was listed at 5-8 in high school) Dunn has matured into more of a go-to receiver while still being one of the fastest players in JC. With the losses of Sammie Stroughter and Shane Morales, Dunn will get a quick look to immediately contribute. He will have four years to play three.

Ashton Jefferson, 6-2, 195 lbs, 2-star by Rivals.com. Most haven’t heard of Jefferson but with the thinning depth at running back (McCants’ spring knee injury) serious concerns have forced Coach Riley to give this Texas native a look to help keep Quizz healthy all season. He’s got great upside with his combination of size and speed (they say he’s closer to 210 lbs now) and Riley said he flew under the radar because he really broke out his senior year. Time will tell if Riley has found yet another hidden gem in the longhorn state.

Pac-10 All Decade (2000-present) Team

2009-05-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

1^ST Team

QB- Matt Leinart, USC- The 2004 Heisman, two national tittles, and a Vince Young touchdown run way from a third, speak for itself.

RB- Reggie Bush, USC- Bush was the most dynamic college football player of my lifetime, and possibly ever. Winning the 2005 Heisman capped of his amazing career as a Trojan.

RB- Steven Jackson, Oregon State- The Jackhammer was a lethal threat rushing, receiving, as well as returning kicks. Players with his combination of 4.4 speed, 235 pound bruising frame, and soft hands come along about once a decade.

WR- Reggie Williams, Washington- Could beat you deep, over the middle, out routes, talking trash…you name it, Williams had everything in his arsenal.

WR- Mike Hass, Oregon State- Hass won the Biletnikoff award as a senior, putting up gaudy numbers and catching everything that came his way. The Beavers have put out great receivers of late, but Hass easily tops them all.

TE- Zach Miller, Arizona State- Miller was Andrew Walters go to target, forming one of the best QB to TE combos we have ever seen in this conference.

2^nd Team

QB- Joey Harrington, Oregon- Posted a 26-3 record as a starter, lead the Ducks to 3 top 15 finishes, capped off by a #2 ranking in the 2002 final polls.

RB- Maurice Drew, UCLA- Drew, or Jones-Drew, whichever you prefer, battled injuries throughout his time at UCLA, but his 322 yard performance at Husky Stadium was one of the best rushing performances I have ever seen.

RB- Marshawn Lynch, Cal- Names like Stewart, Arrington, Simonton, Foster, Harrison, and White could just as easily be in this spot. However, I just loved the versatility Lynch brought to the table for the Bears. He was also a decent golf cart driver.

WR- Dwayne Jarrett, USC- Yes, Jarrett has been a bust in the NFL, but his college career was surpassed by few. The 6’5” matchup nightmare helped Lienart, Bush, White, and co. light up defenses for three straight years.

WR- Mike Thomas, Arizona- Thomas holds the record for most receptions ever by a Pac-10 receiver with 258 grabs. Thomas was never a household name because of the underachieving teams he played for, but anytime this wily wide out touched the ball special things were sure to ensue.

TE- Rob Gronkowski, Arizona- Another year down in Tucson, and Gronkowski could be on my first team. I believe he is the most dangerous tight end the Pac-10 has ever seen, and a 1^st round pick in next years NFL draft.

Beavers Best (Modern Era)

2009-05-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

Much like I did with the Ducks last week, here is my list of top 3 Beavers at each of the offensive skill positions (my era, from about 1997-present day). These rankings are not based off NFL careers; instead they reflect who I would want on my team if I was constructing it for next season.

Quarterback

Derek Anderson 2001-2004 – DA put up video game type numbers over the course of his Oregon State career, passing for over 4,000 yards as a junior. While DA never lead the Beavers to a top tier bowl game, and often threw untimely interceptions early in his career, his progression throughout this three years as a starter has cemented him at one on my list.
Jonathan Smith 1997- 2001 - Smith will be remembered for taking the reins against Washington as a freshman in 1998, passing for over 400 yards that night at Husky Stadium. Smith was small in stature, and lacked the monster arm and the quick feet that so many college quarterbacks have today. However, Smith led the Beavers to their best season ever, going 11-1 in 2000, beating Notre Dame in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
Matt Moore 2005-2006 – Moore took a beating from Beavers fans throughout his junior season, and rightfully so. After the 2005 disaster Moore lead the Beavers to their first 10 win season under Riley in 2006. Though Moore never put up gaudy numbers, he managed the game as a senior, landing the Beavers in the top 25 come seasons end.

Running Back

Steven Jackson 2001-2003 – This is a no brainer for me. Aside from Reggie Bush, Jackson was the most complete running back the Pac-10 has put out over the last decade. Jackson was a true threat to score anytime he touched the ball. His career was capped off with a 5 TD performance in his hometown of Las Vegas, as the Beavers rebounded from a disappointing 2003 campaign, beating New Mexico handily in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Ken Simonton 1998-2001 – Simonton ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, putting him second all time in the Pac-10 rushing record books. Kenny will always be remembered by Beaver fans for his 1998 Civil War touchdown run, which brought fans flooding down onto the field (for the 2^nd time that game!). Simonton brought Beaver football back to respectability, and will never have to buy another drink whenever he visits Corvallis.
Jaquizz Rodgers 2008- present – I badly wanted to put Yve Bernard on this list, but what Quiz did last year was special. Rodgers became the first ever true freshman to claim Pac- 10 player of the year honors, after tearing up USC’s NFL defense on that memorable September night this past fall. This native Texan should break all of Simonton’s records, and go down as one of the Pac-10 greats.

Wide Receiver

Mike Hass 2001-2005 – It didn’t take long for me to figure out who deserved the #1 spot on this list! Hass owns nearly every Beaver receiving record, and won the Biletnikoff award as a senior, with 1,532 receiving yards that season. Hass was not the fastest or most flashy receiver, but I don’t recall ever seeing a ball he didn’t catch. Three straight 1,000 plus yard seasons is just something you don’t see in college football anymore.
James Newson 2001-2005 – I thought about putting Sammie at #2, but there was something about Newson’s game that I really enjoyed. Much like Sammie, James was the emotional leader of his teams and was one of the toughest competitors I have ever watched. I still remember him keeping his balance after getting tripped up in the 2004 Insight.com Bowl, and them sprinting to the pay dirt. Newson and Hass formed one of the best one two punches in the conferences history.
Sammie Stroughter 2004-2008 – If this was an all purpose list Sammie would be right up there with Steven Jackson fighting for the #1 spot. The sight of Sammie brining that punt back in the 2006 USC game will be a fixture at Beaver games for the next 50 years. Had Sammie not gotten inured in 2007, he could very easily be #1 on my list.

All Time Oregon Ducks

2009-05-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

I love ranking players, and rankings in general. So is here is my list of the best Duck players of my lifetime, or since I really started following (1998-present). These rankings have nothing to do with NFL careers, instead they are just simply based on what I saw at during their time at Oregon (QB’s and RB’s today, more to come later).

Quarterback

Joey Harrington 1997-2001 – A 26-3 record as a starter speaks for itself. Harrington didn’t have the strongest arm, or quickest feet, but he managed games and was a perfect for Oregon’s offense at the time. Harrington lead the Ducks to 7^th and 2^nd end of season national ranking his last two seasons.
Akili Smith 1997-1998 – The Juco transfer from San Diego shared time with Jason Mass his junior season. Smith had a breakout 98’season, shattering nearly every passing record in the book while claiming the Pac 10 offensive player of the year award. His 1998 season was the best individual season I have even seen from a UO signal caller.
Kellen Clemens 2001-2005 – Clemens could easily head this list, had he not posted a losing record as a junior. The perfect combo of arm strength and speed for the newly implemented spread offense, Clemens was having one of the best seasons ever for a Duck QB until that unforgettable October night down in Tucson. Posting a 20-11 record as starter, the Burns native was always a fan favorite.
Dennis Dixon 2004-2007 – Dixon captivated college football fans throughout the nation during the 2007, leading the Heisman Trophy race, and putting the Ducks smack dab in the middle of the National Championship hunt before his torn ACL against Arizona State. Dixon had an amazing 2007 campaign, but the 2006 season must factor in…putting him 4^th on this list.

Running Back

Reuben Droughns 1998-1999 – Droughns made quite the splash in his first season, posting 200+ yards in thee of the first 5 games, before breaking his ankle at #1 UCLA in October of 1998. #1 could easily go to a number of former Ducks, but I believe he was the best running back the Ducks have had in my era.
Jonathan Stewart 2005-2007 – Stewart has the best individual rushing season ever for the Ducks, grinding out 1,722 yards on the ground in 2007. His combination of speed, size, and power made him nearly impossible for defenses to stop.
Onterrio Smith 2001-2002 – In my opinion Smith was the most talented running back to dawn the green and yellow. While the off field issues were certainly concerning, his on field production was never in question. Do yourself a favor and YouTube his 2001 game at #10 WSU where he rushed for a school record 285 yards on 22 carries. Had Barry Sanders like moves, making Duck fans hold their breath every time he touched the ball.
Maurice Morris 2000-2001 – Often overlooked, Morris put up back to back 1000 yard seasons in his only two seasons with the Ducks. His 2001 run against Colorado in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl will be seen on Duck vision for the next 50 years. Maurice was a constant workhorse, but never spectacular, putting him 4^th on this list.

Wide Receiver

Keenan Howry 1999-2002 – After much internal debate, I had to give the #1 nod to Howry. A four year contributor for the Ducks, Howry wasn’t the fastest or the biggest, but always came through with a big play when his team needed it most. Whether that was his 4 touchdown effort against ASU, nearly 400 all purpose yards (a UO record at the time, only to be surpassed by Onterrio the next week at WSU) in the 2001 loss to Stanford, or the 2001 Civil War punt return for a TD, Howry shined the brightest in biggest moments.
Sammie Parker 1999-2003 – Parker was often looked by Howry, but many don’t know he lead the team in receiving yards in the Fiesta Bowl season. Parker too lived for the big moments, gaining 179 yards in the Fiesta Bowl, and capping off his college career with 16 catches and 200+ yards against Minnesota in the 2003 Sun Bowl.
Demetrius Williams 2001-2005 – I feel D-Will was the most complete receiver the Ducks have had. He had the size to out jump defensive backs, the speed to run the deep fade, and the hands to go over the middle. Williams put up huge numbers in his sophomore and senior seasons, teaming with Kellen Clemens, forming one of the best duos the Ducks have ever seen.
Tony Hartley – Admittedly I don’t remember Hartley as well as the aforementioned players, but I do recall his 242 yard performance against the Huskies in 1997. I too remember him being suspended for the 1998 Aloha Bowl loss, possibly costing the Ducks a top 25 finish that year.

Tight End

Ed Dickson 2005-present – Dickson’s best is still ahead of him, but the last two seasons he has been the Ducks go to receiver in pressure situations. I know there are many other names I could put at the top of this list, but Dickson has the tools and the work ethic to easily secure the #1 spot come seasons end.
Justin Peele 1998-2001 – Peele played a huge role in the Ducks finishing in the top 10 in both 2000 and 2001. His 2000 game at Arizona State will go down as one of the best performances in Duck history. Always a solid and at times spectacular tight end.
Tim Day 2001-2005 – Day was a star in 2003 and 2004, becoming a household name for Duck fans after his 2003 game saving touchdown catch and run against Cal (remember the game when the lights went out in Autzen). His production dropped dramatically after Oregon switched to the spread in 2005, making me think he should have turned pro after the 2004 season.
George Wrighster 1999-2002 – George left early, along with Onterrio after the 2002 season. Had he stayed for his senior season, he would certainly be #1 on this list, as his 2002 season was the best I have ever seen from a Duck tight end (you remember all the brilliant 1 handed catches that season?!?!).

Former Duck Leading Rockets

2009-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Even with many Oregonians paying less attention to the NBA playoffs due to the Blazers first round exit, former Oregon point guard Aaron Brooks has once again excited the Northwest basketball community because of his dynamic postseason play for the Houston Rockets. Who would have thought the Rockets would take the #1 seeded Lakers to 7 games without the services of their two best player, T-Mac, and Yao Ming? Aaron Brooks, that's who. The diminutive point guard from Seattle has been on a tear in recent weeks, posting a career high 34 points in a game 4 Rockets victory, as well as 26 points on only 13 shots last night, forcing a game 7 back in Los Angeles Sunday.

I'm not ready to put Aaron Brooks in the elite point guard class yet, but he is quickly climbing the latter. Taken with the 26th pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the national media expected little from Brooks, saying that he was a second round talent, and that Houston reached taking Brooks that high. Houston obviously had other ideas, as they traded veteran point Rafer Alston midseason, entrusting the team to the second year Brooks. That move has paif off, as AB has proven he can lead a team to victories, even with a depleted roster. I think, along with everybody else, that the Lakers will advance Sunday night, but with AB, Yao, McGrady, Battier, Artest, Luis, and an extremely underrated bench the Rockets could make some serious noise next season. It has been a blast watching the 5'10" Brooks glide through defenses, cross defenders over, and connect on half court lobs. Brooks was overlooked his senior year at Oregon, and throught the draft process...but now it’s his time to shine in the national spotlight!

A Look Back, and a Glimpse Forward

2009-05-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Blazers magical season came to an unfortunate end Thursday night in Houston. The Rockets finished off the best of seven series in six games, leaving myself and many other Blazer fans longing for October to get here ASAP! I, like others, was frustrated with how the season ended, but now I would like to take a quick look back at this magical season, and ponder the bright future these Blazers have in store for us.

Throughout the season I saw a true NBA superstar emerge in Brandon Roy. Roy was the heart and soul of this team; making last second shots, locking down other teams stars, and giving his all every time he took the floor. The NBA’s MVP went to LeBron James this year, but if you really consider what the MVP award means, shouldn’t Roy be a leading candidate, if not the front runner? I honestly believe that no player meant more to their team than Roy did to the Blazers, and Roy finishing 9th in the MVP voting is insulting. Roy doesn’t have the flashy moves of a Chris Paul, the breath taking athleticism of King James, or the resume of a Kobe Bryant. Nationally, Roy may never be viewed in the same light as these aforementioned superstars, because he doesn't have a "look at me" type of personality. Houston’s Ron Artest recently stated that Roy was the hardest player he has ever defended. Artest is perennially regarded as one of the best defenders in the league, and giving a third year player that type of praise is unheard of. Roy may never truly be appreciated by the common NBA fan because of his old school approach, and team first demeanor, but this young star has earned the respect of his colleagues, and teammates throughout the NBA.

With Roy playing “Batman” for the Blazers, his partner in crime LaMarcus Aldridge, aka “Robin” has transformed himself into the most feared young big man in the league. Who else currently possesses his combination of raw athleticism, deadly mid range jumper, emerging defensive presence, and up and coming back to the basket game? After watching Randy Foye put up meaningless (and honestly underwhelming) numbers in Minnesota, and Tyrus Thomas flail around like a chicken with his head cut off this postseason, I have to believe Kevin Pritchard has a decent understanding of what he is doing. If you were to plug Foye and Thomas into the current roster, the only excitement in the Rose City this offseason would be the debate of who we should take with the first pick in this June’s draft. KP has given us two franchise bookends, and filled in the gaps with some extremely exciting prospects.

As I look into the future, I believe this youthful team has most of the pieces in place for a 6-8 year championship window (Rudy, Batum, Martell, Joel…Outlaw, though I would like a more veteran/cerebral presence at the 3), similar to what the Spurs had earlier this decade with Timmy, Parker, and Manu. Not to rain on the parade (referring to my prior two paragraphs), but Greg Oden must show significant improvement next season if the Blazers are going to dominate the NBA landscape for the better part of next decade. I understand Oden was a rookie this year, coming off a devastating knee surgery, but 8 points, 20 minutes, and 5 fouls isn’t going to cut it next season. GO did impress me at times in the Houston series, but was that due to my lowered expectations (or possibly Mike Rice and Barrett assuring me that the refs have it out for Greg)? I was getting excited when GO was able to play 3 minutes without picking up a silly foul, or missing a dunk. There were minute flashes of brilliance this year…the put back dunks, weak side blocks, etc., but the Blazer organization clearly expected more than one rim rattling dunk a game from Oden when drafting him. Greg was however drafted into the perfect situation, because of All Star players like BRoy and LA, GO has been able to mature at his own pace, however slow that may be. If GO was on the Thunder, he would be getting crucified on a national scale, and deemed a bust by NBA analyst from coast to coast. I do concede that maybe I have been to impatient and critical of GO at times, like I stated earlier KP hasn’t let us down with any of moves thus far, so time will be the deciding factor.

At the beginning of this season Blazer fans would have settled for any type of playoff appearance. Instead they were able to win 54 games, tie Denver for the Northwest Division Title, and secure a fourth seed in the daunting Western Conference. I think this team is still a piece or two away from representing the west in the finals next year. I would like to see the team add someone like an Udonis Haslem or Brandon Bass to the frontcourt, and maybe try to move Outlaw while he has some trade value. Another key will be the return on Martell Webster, in 2007-2008 Webster showed significant improvement, and if he can build on that the Blazers may have their small forward of the future. All in all, this was an amazing season for the Blazers, exceeding everyone’s expectations. This off season KP will make the necessary adjustments, ensuring the team contends for the foreseeable future. GO BLAZERS!!!

Game 7 in the Rose City?

2009-04-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Blazers will return to Portland later this week, the question is whether or not they will be hosting a game 7, or planning their summer vacations. I'm not 100% sold on the Blazers chances entering game 6, but I do believe that all of the pressure is squarely on the Rockets shoulders. Houston has gotten bumped in the first round every year since drafting Yao Ming back in 2002. Unfortunately for Yao, the pressure of making it into the second round is solely his, as T-Mac wont be their to take the blame for another Rocket collapse.

The Blazers have been so close to victory in the last two games in Houston. Taking my Blazers bias out of the equation, I still see this series coming back to the Rose City for game 7. With Deke tearing up his knee in game 2, Yao has shouldered even more of the load, playing nearly 40 minutes a night the last three games. The Blazers must get off to a fast start tomorrow, if that happens Yao will be sucking wind by halftime, making him a non factor in the second half.
Prediction: Blazers 89 Rockets 87

I hope this prediction is better than my game 3 one...(if you looked at my game 3 prediction, you know not to put any money on my picks, haha)

A Must Win Tonight?

2009-04-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

After squeaking one out against Houston in the Rose Garden on Tuesday night, the Blazers must win one of the next two in Houston. I like our chances tonight, even though Deke didn't play a huge role for the Rockets throughout the season, his absence gives the Blazers a significant size advantage whenever Yao is out of the game. I also think that we need Travis, Rudy, or Blake to become that third scorer we have so desperatly been needing these last two games (I know, what great insight...not like that's what every Blazer fan is thinking too!). I have a gut feeling Travis will show up tonight, and that Rudy will provide the team with some timely three point makes. Portland settled down in game 2 (after the nighmare of game one, anything would have been an improvement), and I look for this new found confidence to travel with the team to Houston this weekend. Game 3 Prediction: Blazers 94 Houston 89

2009 Western Conference Playoff Preview

2009-04-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here are my 2009 NBA Western Conference postseason predictions. As the playoffs progress I will analyze each math up more thoroughly.

First Round

1) Los Angeles vs. 8) Utah – Talk about a rough draw for the number one seeded Lakers. Just look at the eastern side of the bracket and see the cakewalk (aka Detroit) the Cavs have in the first round. I expect Bynum, Gasol, and Odon to present numerous match up problems for the Jazz throughout this series. Prediction: Lakers in 6

4) Portland vs. 5) Houston – As a fan of the NBA, this series intrigues me most out of all the first round series. Houston beat the Blazers 2-1 in their regular season match ups, but Portland is playing its best basketball of the season right now. While Artest and Battier should do a formidable job on BRoy, I expect LA and the ever improving second unit to send Houston home early (T-Mac wont be there to take the fall this season). Prediction: Blazers in 7

2) Denver vs. 7) New Orleans – Like most NBA fans I expected New Orleans to contend for the title this year. I also expected Denver to be on the outside looking in once postseason play started…shows you what I know. However with Denver landing Mr. Big Shot in the early season Allen Iverson, the Nuggets have become legitimate contenders. Prediction: Denver in 6

3) San Antonio vs. 6) Dallas – While most experts eagerly dismissed the Spurs after losing Manu, I expect Timmy and Tony have different ideas. With these two future Hall of Famers knowing what it takes to win in the playoffs, I expect the fragile Mavs to get bounced early. Prediction: Spurs in 5

Western Conference Semifinals

1) Los Angeles vs. 4) Portland – At the beginning of the season, Blazer fans were content with their team just making the playoffs. However the previous two meetings with the Lake Show (both wins in the garden) have given these young Blazers reason to be optimistic about their chances. Portland will certainly protect their home court, but winning a game seven is Los Angeles is an entirely different story. Prediction Lakers in 7

2) Denver vs. 3) San Antonio – Billups home coming will be enough to get the Nuggets into the conference semifinals. Running into a written off Spurs club is extremely dangerous, and honestly I just don’t trust Melo in the crunch. Fair or not, I often compare Melo with his 2003 draft class mates, LeBron and D-Wade. Those two have won big time games before, as has Timmy and co. Prediction: Spurs in 6

Western Conference Finals

1) Los Angeles vs. 3) San Antonio – If the Lakers can get past their most formidable opponent, the Blazers, they should stroll through this series (see last years match up, Lakers in 5). The Spurs have the brains to beat a club like the Nuggets, but the Lakers bring both brains and athleticism to the party. With Manu out, the Spurs have nobody to check Kobe… unless you are a Portland State homer and like Ime Udoka’s chances. The Lakers want this series to be a speedy one, because the Cavs will be game planning (or at least rehearsing their latest on court celebration routine for introductions in game one of the NBA finals). Prediction: Lakers in 5

2009 Oregon Football Season Preview

2009-04-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

New head coach Chip Kelly will lead the Ducks into the 2009 season, hopefully picking up where Mike Bellotti left off. I honestly thought Bellotti would give it one more season, in a final attempt to lead the Ducks to the “Promised Land”. At least with Kelly taking charge there won’t be the transition phase that there would have been if the Ducks hired from outside the program. And who am I to say Kelly won’t lead the Ducks to new heights in his first year! Here are my off the cuff predictions at how the Ducks will do this season (yes I understand it is far too early…but none the less, here are my picks).

9/03 @ Boise State (L) – The national media will stay up late to see this classic. Oregon looks to make amends for last years thrashing in the Autzen Zoo, but Chris Petersen and the Bronco crazies will be to much for the Ducks to handle in this early season contest.

9/12 Purdue (W) – Purdue wasn’t much to write home to Mom about last season, and this season could be even worse with the departures of quarterback Curtis Painter and head coach Joe Tiller. Oregon squeaked out a victory at Purdue last season, but they should continue their Big 10 dominance with a thrashing of the Boilermakers at Autzen this year.

9/19 Utah (W) – The defending Sugar Bowl Champions visit Eugene for the first time since 2005. Utah won’t be nearly as impressive this year, but they still pose a formidable threat to the Ducks. Look for the Ducks to break this open in the 4^th, giving Utah their first loss of the season.

9/26 California (W) – Oregon continues their current home stand, hosting the Bears for the second time in three years. Oregon has lost the last three contests to the Bears, and Jeff Tedford will certainly have his team ready to play against his former employer. I look for Best to exploit the Ducks “green” defensive line, running for over 150 yards. With that being said, TJ Ward will get enough licks in on Kevin Reilly to throw off the Bears passing game, as the Ducks squeak by for their third straight victory.

10/3 Washington State (W) – I expect the Cougars to once again be the cellar dweller of the Pac 10, and possibly the nation. This game deserves no further comment (even from a very, very, very amateur writer like me)

10/10 @ UCLA (W) – With UCLA still in the rebuilding mode, I think this game could be a joke. UCLA played the Ducks close in Autzen last year, but Masoli was only a shell of the player he was yet to become. Will this rivalry lose it’s intensity with Bellotti vs. Slick Rick no longer a main storyline? I think not, as the Ducks do a number on the rebuilding Bruins!

10/24 @ Washington (W) – Oregon has not lost to Washington since the 2003 season, but only one of those wins has come in Seattle (2007 Storm Trooper attack). I like the intensity “The Shark” brings to a depleted fan base, but intensity won’t win you many games with the current talent on that roster.

10/31 USC (W) – This will likely be a match up of top 10 teams, and a Rose Bowl bid may well be on the line. To say USC is vulnerable would be an overstatement, but the Trojans will be breaking in many new faces that have never experienced the Autzen crowd (on Halloween at that). I just hope I have the energy to make it into the stadium that Saturday, because I know sleep will not come easy for me on the eve of this epic battle.

11/7 @ Stanford (W) – Oregon must avoid a letdown, after the previous weeks win over Troy. This game scares me to death, because I expect Stanford to be one of the more improved teams in the PAC this year. I see Oregon fighting from behind all game, but squeaking out the victory late in the fourth.

11/14 Arizona State (W) - A bye week would sure be nice right about now! Dennis Erickson looks to beat the Ducks for the first time since joining ASU. After what the Ducks did to the Devils down in Tempe last year, I see no reason why they shouldn’t win this game. This game won’t have the national “Game Day” hype of the 2007 match up, but it will have BCS implications for at least one team.

11/21 @ Arizona (L) – Playing for the 5^th time in 5 weeks won’t bode well for the Ducks as they enter Tucson. It’s likely that Arizona will be playing for a bowl bid, and they have had the Ducks number of late (winning two of the last three games, and ruining Oregon’s championship dreams in 2007). Oregon will be handed their first Pac 10 loss, and have a much needed bye week to prep for the Civil War.

12/3 Oregon State (W) – The Ducks look to end the trend of the away team winning the Civil War each of the last two years. While the loss to Arizona will have taken the Ducks out of the national title mix, there is still plenty to play for, in the form of a Rose Bowl bid. Masoli had his way with a veteran Beaver defense last year, and with a young secondary, the outcome could be even worse for Beaver Nation this year…if that’s even possible. Oregon wins back to back Civil War’s, and is headed to sunny Pasadena to break in the New Year.

Portland wins in San Antonio

2009-04-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

I wasn't very confident that the Blazers would pull out a win tonight in San Antonio, even with Ginobli on the shelf and Duncan clearly hobbled with injuries. The first quarter did nothing to squash the idea that the Blazers simply couldn't get over the hump on the road against Western playoff teams. Roger Mason was raining threes like O.J. Mayo the night before and the Portland offense was sloppy as the Spurs seemed to be two steps ahead of the Blazers. It seemed like the scoreboard showed the Blazers with six points for about 15 minutes. Then an amazing thing happened. Portland woke up and proved just how big of an idiot I am for doubting them. This team continues to surprise and delight its fans, winning 6 of their last 7 to jump into a three-way tie for 3rd place in the conference. Now the team will finish with 3 of their last 4 games in the Rose Garden as they try to secure the best possible playoff seed.

Some individual thoughts....

Welcome back Greg Oden! Greg was active tonight, finishing some nice passes with thunderous slam-dunks. He also added 8 boards in his 22 minutes of work. He still picked up some fouls, but am I alone when I question the legitimacy of some of the calls that go against the big fella? I understand he has deservedly earned a bit of a reputation as a guy who will pick up some fouls, but it's gotten to the point where other players will flop when they are anywhere in his vacinity and the men in stripes will whistle him for an infraction. He still needs to be smart and move his feet, but he is getting jobbed by the officials often times as well.

Brandon struggled early on with turnovers but he really carried us through that 2nd quarter surge, like LaMarcus did in the 3rd (more on him later). He scored 26 and noted after the game that this was the first time in his career when he felt like he played well in San Antonio. It was kind of funny and refreshing for a two-time all-star to make a statement like that on national television. Reason #754 why I love this guy.

LaMarcus was captain of the ship in that 3rd quarter. He was hitting jumpers and converting offensive rebounds into points. His confidence and aggressiveness is a nightly thing at this point and it's showing us just how important he is to the team. Beast-Mode LaMarcus = Portland victories.

Joel Przybilla deserves a whole lot of credit for the win too. He didn't play as many minutes in the first half because Oden was playing so well but he was a monster on the glass throughout the second half. He also had many of the key stops that allowed us to take back the lead and build one of our own. My man-crush on the Thrilla continues on with absolutely no end in sight.

The bench as a whole played a critical role throughout the game. Rudy hit some timely threes and though I didn't hear it mentioned by the broadcasters, I thought he did a suprisingly credible job guarding Tony Parker in that 3rd quarter. Rudy can drive you crazy with his gambling on-the-ball defense sometimes but he stayed in front of Parker as well as anyone and forced him to take some tough shots. Sergio was also good tonight, getting into the lane and either finishing or finding Greg for a slam. Without him the team might have gone into the half staring at a much steeper deficit.

Other quick thoughts: Blake's buzzer beater was a real lift (duh), I still don't understand how Outlaw finishes some of those crazy, leaning jumpers, and a really don't get how Nate didn't pick up a technical or get tossed as that first quarter was going on. He is a much cooler and more patient guy than me because I was berating my T.V. like I was Christian Bale on the set of a movie. Anyway, good win for the team and let's all hope they can continue their strong play into their first postseason since 2003.

2009 National League Central

2009-04-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

A look at the central, a division won last year by the lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs....

The Basement:

The Pirates and Astros appear to be the weaklings of the group. The Pirates best hitter last year (of the guys they didn't trade to the American League East midseason) was Nate McClouth. What a great story. He was selected to play in the midsummer classic and won a gold glove for his work in centerfield. The 27-year-old appeared to really come into his own, hitting over 20 HR and stealing over 20 bases while posting an OPS of .853. For the stat junkies he was estimated to be worth about 3.6 wins to his team last year, more than some better known CF like Curtis Granderson and Torii Hunter. The problem, he was actually a pretty bad defensive CF. You may ask, "Then how did he win a freaking gold glove?!?!" My answer is this: I have no clue. Most of the advanced defensive metrics have him as one of the three worst defensive CF for guys who played out there for at least 300 innings. It blows me away to think of the guys who vote on these awards and how little they care. Anyway, the rest of their lineup has a few bright spots for Bucs fans to look forward to. Ryan Doumit is a very good hitting catcher when healthy. Andy Laroche was rated as the 19th best prospect in the game by Baseball America in 2007; the Pirates got him from the Dodgers last season. The rotation is led by Paul Maholm and Ian Snell. Neither got to double digit wins last season but Maholm had a sub-4.00 ERA and Snell won 14 games and struck out 169 batters in 2006. If these two guys can pitch healthy and effectively all season, the Pirates could avoid the division cellar, but there is virtually no chance they contend for the Central crown.

The Astros appear to be pretty bad as well. They have the familiar sluggers in Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee and the dependable starter in Roy Oswalt, but little else. Miguel Tejada actually saw his defense bounce back in 2008, but his hitting suffered. Throw in the question marks surrounding the steroids and perjury and the Astros probably don't even know what to expect from Miguel this season. The rest of the rotation is pretty mediocre to downright bad. The Astros will struggle in 2009.

The Dark Horse

Cincinnati is a team with some good young position players and some pitchers whose careers are on the rise. Edison Volquez was a Cy Young candidate last year, going 17-6 and striking out over 200 hitters. Expect him to give up a few more homeruns this year considering his home park and propensity to give up the fly ball, but also expect him to win games and strike a lot of guys out. Johnny Cueto is another young arm who struggled last season at times, but he has good stuff and should improve in 2009. If veterans Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang give the club meaningful contributions this season, it's not inconceivable to think the Reds could have a decent little starting rotation. Jay Bruce was a huge outfield prospect who came up last year and could improve this season if he can get on base more often. He does have power as well; he hit 21 homers in just over 400 AB last season. Joey Votto is their young 1B who excelled last year, posting an .874 OPS with 24 HR. He probably won't ever be an elite power hitter but he will hit for average, get on base, and play solid defense at 1B. All in all the Reds have lots of younger talent and could grow up and improve as the season goes on.

Contenders

The Cubs are the favorites but the Brewers or Cardinals could challenge them for division supremacy. The Cardinals have an offense built around the great Albert Pujols, but a starting staff that will rely on the return of a healthy Chris Carpenter. The Brewers have all kinds of good young position players but very little starting pitching. They relied very heavy on CC Sabathia down the stretch last season and I just can't see them making up for the loss of the big fella. The point of all this is that the division is certainly the Cubs to lose. They have a strong lineup and a good pitching staff, although they are depending on the glass arm of Rich Harden, just ask Billy Beane and the Oakland A's how far that will get you. They saw a resurgence from Ryan Dempster last season and Carlos Zambrano won 14 games. Repeating these performances may not be all that likely however. Zambrano has pitched loads of innings year after year and may see his decline after the all-star break last year continue into this season. Dempster was a reliever for four years until last season and nobody knows how that increased workload will affect him in this year's campaign. The Cubs are certainly the odds-on favorite but I don't see them as the lock that many do to take the Central. We must always remember that they are the loveable losers, and after collapsing in the playoffs last year I am curious to see how they approach this season.

CY Young Winner

While I suppose Zambrano, Volquez, Harden, and the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright are all possibilities, I will give this one to Roy Oswalt. He has been a model of consistency through the years, making at last 32 starts six out of the last seven seasons. He won 17 games and struck out 165 hitters last season on a bad Astros team. I see no reason why he can't do it again.

MVP

Albert Pujols every day of the week. The guy probably the best hitter in baseball and should go down as one of the all time greats when he hangs up his cleats. He has played for eight seasons and finished in the top 4 in MVP voting seven times. The other season he finished ninth. The guy is a machine. There is no reason to think he won't post another 1.000 OPS and hit .330 with 35 HR. It's what the guy does.

The Division Winner

The Cubs. I hope it works out for them. Their fans deserve a winner and the post-season is always more entertaining when they are prominently involved.

2009 Beavers Football Predictions

2009-04-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

With spring practice in full swing, and many exciting position battles to ensue for the Beavers, it’s a little difficult to predict how next season is going to turn out. Regardless of kickoff being roughly 150 days away, here is an extremely premature look at how I believe the 2009 Oregon State Beavers will fare. (I will certainly go into each match up in more depth as the season progresses, but here are my off the cuff predictions).

9/05 Portland State (W) – I like the fact that Oregon State will start the season against a relative cupcake, as opposed to LSU, Stanford, etc. in years past. Beavs win this one easily.

9/12 @ UNLV (W) – The Runnin’ Rebels did win at ASU last September, but struggled mightily the rest of the season. I expect UNLV to keep it respectable in the first half…but the talent gap will become evident early in the second, as the Rodgers brothers should have a hay day against this lower tier Mountain West opponent.

9/19 Cincinnati (W) – The Bearcats won the Big East last season and nearly upset Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. However this year’s team will have a completely different look as they graduated nearly all their contributors from a season ago. It should be an entertaining non conference matchup, but the Beavers, and more importantly the Pac 10 will get a much needed win.

9/26 Arizona (W) – Arizona will be out for revenge after last season’s thriller in Tucson. I expect Arizona to be decent this year, but the Beavs will catch them before their newly appointed quarterback is in any sort of a comfort zone.

10/3 @Arizona State (W) – Things were awful down in Tempe last season, and in my opinion its not going to be any better this season. Their will be a new quarterback for the Sun Devils, who also return nearly all of an underwhelming defense. The Beavers inexperienced defensive backs shouldn’t be tested much at all by Erickson’s bunch.

10/10 Stanford (W) – Oregon State will bring a top 20 ranking into this match up with the much improved Cardinal. However, I expect the Beavers will get their retribution after what happened on “The Farm” last season. Oregon State is slowly creeping onto the national radar.

10/24 @ USC (L) – Even with the losses of Sanchez, Cushing, Big Ray, and Matthews, Troy will once again be the class of the Pac, and possibly the nation. Pete Carroll was quoted saying this defense may even have more speed than last years group….that’s frightening. Once again the old revenge card plays a part, as the Trojan’s dismantle Oregon State in the Coliseum.

10/31 UCLA (W) – Slick Rick leads the Bruins into the Corvallis for the first time since his Washington days. While UCLA has to be improved (they couldn’t get much worse in all honesty), the young Beavers defense will come of age on this Halloween night, giving us all a glimpse of what the future may hold.

11/7 @ Cal (L) – The Beavers have had success against Cal in recent seasons. Cal and Oregon State will both be playing for the rights to a big time bowl game. The nation will be watching…unfortunately so will the Heisman committee…which means Jahvid Best will put up video game numbers.

11/14 Washington (W) – Dad’s weekend welcomes the Huskies to Reser Stadium. I expect Oregon State to rebound nicely from the Cal game and put a number on the ever so slightly improved Huskies.

11/21 @ Washington State (W) – Everybody will look forward to playing the Washington school’s this season. Fortunately for Oregon State they get the weaker of the cream puffs on the road (no need to waste a home crowd on Wazzu), as the crowd will file out early to go do whatever you do in Pullman on a Saturday night (my guess would be drink heavily).

12/3 @ Oregon (L) – The Civil War once again takes center stage as these old rivals go at it in Eugene this season. Similar circumstances to 2008 may be on the line, as the Ducks could be in the thick of the Rose Bowl race. I look for Masoli and crew (well not really crew...just Masoli) to give the Beavers young defense all it can handle, and more.

2009 National League West

2009-04-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here is our first preview of the 2009 season. I know these are a little late but we will start out with the National League West and work our way through the divisions as the week progresses.

The Basement

I really don't see San Diego or Colorado contending for the division this year. Colorado should be encouraged by the return of Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop but they also lost their best hitter in the offseason, Matt Holliday. Jeff Francis, the ace of their 2007 staff during their run to the world series, is hurt again in 2009 and Colorado just doesn't have the pitching to compete with the stronger teams in the division. San Diego has a poor offense and if they struggle out of the gate like I think they will, ace right-hander Jake Peavy could be traded to a contender. They pose no real threat in my eyes.

Might Surprise

San Francisco should be improved behind phenom Tim Lincecum and a group of quality starting pitchers. Matt Cain strikes people out and would have a better record over the past few seasons if not for the Giants' pathetic offense. Jonathan Sanchez is a lefty who won 9 games with an ERA of 5.01 last year while striking out nearly a batter per inning in nearly 160 innings. His control is an issue but he was somewhat unlucky last year, giving up a high batting average on balls hit in play. That number should come down, and if it does, his ERA will come down as well. The immortal Randy Johnson is certainly a question mark at this point in his career but if he can come close to replicating the season he had in 2008 for the Diamondbacks the Giants' starting pitching could be very good. All of that said, I don't feel like they pose a threat to Los Angeles or Arizona, but I do think they finish 3rd ahead of Colorado and San Diego.

The Contenders

Los Angeles ended the Manny saga early in the spring, bringing back the mercurial slugger for two more seasons in Dodger blue. While he almost certainly won't duplicate his 2008 second half, he solidifies the offense built around young players like Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin. If Rafael Furcal can return to form coming back from injury, I think the Dodgers could roll out the top offense in the division.

Arizona has two studs at the top of their rotation in Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. Doug Davis and Max Scherzer will probably be their #3 and #4 starters. Doug Davis is a pretty mediocre veteran. He should post an ERA somewhere around 4.50 and win 8-10 games. Max Scherzer is much more compelling to me, despite dealing with a hurt shoulder this spring. He struck out over 10 hitters per nine innings last year out of the bullpen and if he can continue some of that success while starting games and staying healthy he should be another solid member of the rotation in 2009. The Diamondbacks also signed Jon Garland but he sucks and is a waste of $12 million in my eyes. The offense is very reliant on young players, but the hitters have talent. Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson were probably their best hitters last year, and both are young so they could see improvements in 2009. Stephen Drew could stand to cut down on his strikeouts and try and draw a few more walks. His defense at SS is fairly underwhelming as well. I really like Conor Jackson at 1B, despite the perceived lack of power. He should post a good batting average and OBP while hitting 15-20 HR. Chris Young in CF is guy who won't put up a high OBP or batting average, but should hit 20 homeruns and steal 20 bases. His defense seems like it should be better in CF considering his athletic ability, but the metrics show him to be pretty average out there. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds are some other intriguing names on the roster. Upton is super young and talented. He is much stronger than his brother B.J. and could put up 20 HR. He turns 22 in August, so that is some pretty impressive power potential. Mark Reynolds has a lot of power potential as well. He hit 28 HR last year and could certainly build upon that again this year, but he will certainly strike out a lot and hit for a low average. All in all the Diamondbacks have a lot of talent but the uncertainty is just high enough for me to go with the Dodgers to win the west.

MVP

I think Manny Ramirez will be the MVP of the division; the guy was born to hit and shows no signs of slowing down. He will probably hit .300 with 30 HR and 100 RBI in his sleep. With an OPS that will creep toward .1000, he is simply the best hitter in the division.

CY Young

This one is tougher than the MVP choice. For me it comes down to Brandon Webb and Tim Lincecum, just like the NL Cy Young race last year. I will go with Lincecum because despite San Francisco's poor offense, he should still win 17+ games with a ton of strikeouts and a dazzling ERA.

The Pick

Los Angeles Dodgers

Kent Given One More Year

2009-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Oregon basketball coach Ernie Kent has been given at least one more year at Oregon. This will be Kent's 13th season at the helm, as he is coming off only his second losing season ever with the Duck's. I feel that Kent will be given the same ultimatum that Bev Smith was prior to this most recent reason....That is, make the NCAA tourney or go home. However, by bringing Kent back for next season, one could argue that Oregon is committed to him for at least two more years. Would they really fire him after next season, the year before the new arena opens? In my opinion Ernie has earned the right to have another go around with this team. Last years team was young and immature ....and if you recall Ridnour and Jackson rebounded from a disappointing freshman season, only to win the PAC 10 as sophomores the following year!!

On a side note: I know this has nothing to do with Oregon bball, but while watching the 11 o'clock news last night I saw Mike Bellotti roaming the sidelines. At the time I was unaware he was helping out with the QB's this spring, so I thought I must have been dreaming. However, it was not a dream, and nothing the AD department does surprises me anymore. I just wanted to express how fortunate Oregon is to have an iconic figure willing to put his ego to the side, and do whatever he can to assist the football program. This also will allow coach Kelly to take his time while looking for potential assistant coaches.

New Boss in Town

2009-03-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly officially took the reigns today, as spring football began without Mike Bellotti at the helm for the first time since 1995. I want to talk a bit about the Kelly anointment in this piece, as well as what it means to the program. As many of you know Kelly came to Oregon from little known New Hampshire prior to the 2007 season. Kelly was actually recommended to Bellotti by previous offensive coordinator Gary Crowton (who later took the same position at LSU). Bellotti took a chance on the little known Kelly and brought the offensive guru west, to lead the Duck’s spread attack. Under Kelly Oregon’s offense has lead the conference in scoring (over 40 points per game), as well as rushing yards, in both 2007 and 2008.

College football fans throughout the country have had various takes on Kelly getting the head coaching job at Oregon. I believe the two reasons people have questioned this hire are….1) The current trend of the “coach in waiting” process at places like Texas, Florida State, and Purdue has rubbed many the wrong way. The reason these football programs have been favoring this anointment process is because it makes the transition easier when the Bobby Bowden’s, Mack Brown’s, Joe Tiller’s, and most recently Mike Bellotti’s step down at their respective schools. The knock on this reasoning is that the “coach in waiting” process essentially eliminates many minority coaching candidates, and therefore these coaches are not given the opportunity of their voices being heard. 2) I have heard this next argument from all types of college football fans…. “Oregon has the name, recent tradition, and resources that they could have gone after nearly any coach they wanted to”. While I certainly agree with this statement, I find it to be non applicable to the situation at hand. Without a doubt Oregon could have wowed big name head coaches with proven track records (I think names like Jeff Tedford, Chris Peterson, Mike Leach, and even Steve Spurrier are candidates that would have thrown their name in the hat).

The reason I believe this is the right hire is because of the confidence and vote of approval Mike Bellotti has given it. As is stated in a previous article a few weeks back, Bellotti was the one who built Oregon into what it is today. He isn’t going to hand the keys to the kingdom to an irresponsible individual. With Bellotti moving on to the AD position he obviously still has some vested interest in the athletic programs, and he must truly believe that Kelly is the person that can, and will lead Oregon to even brighter days ahead. I must admit, as a Duck fan my initial reaction to this hiring was pure shock. Never once did I question that Kelly couldn’t be a great head coach like many others what I did question initially was the dozen or so other big name candidates that would have been considered for the position. However after thinking it over a bit, I came to my senses and realized Kelly must be the ideal fit for the job…the person that knows the job better than anyone (Bellotti) felt so. Bellotti is much closer to the situation than any of us, and he must know this Kelly fellow is the real deal.

I can’t wait for this next chapter of Oregon football to unfold. I feel like the sky is truly the limit, and behind the relentless work ethic of Coach Kelly great things will undoubtedly happen. Mike Bellotti stated numerous times that his goal was to bring a National Championship to Oregon…his dream will still become a reality in the next few years, but he will be hoisting the Sears Trophy as the AD, and not before Kelly is done gazing at it. (Please let me know what you, Duck fan or not, think of this hire. Thanks!!)

Last In, Last Standing

2009-03-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Wildcat's are the last Pac 10 team standing in the NCAA tourney, and will take on the number one overall seed, the Louisville Cardinals this Friday. I'm giving Arizona a shot in this game. I feel that if Jordan Hill, Nic Wise, and Chase Budinger can get a little help from the the Wildcat's supporting cast then the Cardinal will be in for a much tougher match up than your typical #12 seed would present. Arizona has the starting 5 that can compete with anyone in the country...and they should match up nicely with the likes of Louisville's Clark, Williams, Sosa, and Samuels.

Regardless of the outcome of Friday's game, I expect this to be the end of Arizona's amazing run of 25 straight NCAA appearances. Because of the turmoil and uncertainty of the head coaching position over the last couple of years, Arizona has essentially lost out on its last two recruiting classes. If Budinger and Hill leave, as I expect, then the talent level in Tuscon will be as barren as the Southern Arizona landscape. Arizona will bring in a big name coach next year (potentially Rick Pitino).. but the next few years could be rough for Wildcat fans, so they should enjoy this 2009 NCAA tourney run to the fullest.

Ernie Kent: It is Kilkenny's Call

2009-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

In the next couple of weeks Oregon AD Pat Kilkenny will be faced with a difficult decision; whether to retain or release Oregon Basketball Head Coach Ernie Kent. Kilkenny and crew are much closer to the situation than I am, so instead of me telling you what I think Oregon should do, I will instead present both sides of the argument and let you make the call.

Those who want Kent gone: It has long been said that Kent isn’t a top of the line in game coach, and that he doesn’t make the proper adjustments following halftime. I have seen the Ducks look confused, uninspired, and at times completely lost in second half’s, so maybe there is some merit to these remarks. Another common complaint used when describing Kent’s coaching, is that his players don’t develop over their four years on campus. I believe this argument has the most merit, looking at the careers of players like Malik Hariston, Bryce Taylor, Chris Christofferson, and many others. Not one of those players was significantly better on senior night than they where when they first arrived in Eugene. Due to the new arena, that is currently being built as we speak, the expectations will be raised for Oregon basketball, and losing seasons will not be acceptable. Along with these raised expectations, financial pressure could soon follow, because nobody in this economy is going to pay top dollar to see a .500 team. Many Duck fans feel Kent’s time is up, and he isn’t the man to lead them into Matthew Knight Arena. These fans have been longing for Mark Few to come home to rest in the Willamette Valley and lead the Ducks to the bigger and better things. Oregon fans feel like they could get something better (Few, Tubby Smith, etc.)...I just want to remind them to be careful what they wish for.

Those who want Kent around: Emotions certainly play a role for all of us when looking at the Ernie Kent situation. The 2008-2009 season is still fresh in our minds, and if it weren’t for the 2008 Beavers, Oregon’s season this year would be one of, if not the worst in Pac-10 history. So I ask you to step back from the fire, and look at Kent’s body of work. He has the most wins in Oregon history, and has lead his teams to the NCAA’s 5 times, two of them being Elite Eight trips. The only other school on the West Coast to do that this decade is UCLA, and sorry Duck fans Oregon isn’t exactly on UCLA’s level when it comes to basketball tradition. The reason so many Duck fans are on Kent’s ass is because of the expectations he has created. Ernie is the only coach I have known as a Duck fan, but I am very familiar with Oregon basketball history, and to be honest there is very little of it. Pick up a media guide and take a look at the top career stats for Oregon players. The record books are littered with players Kent recruited. Names like Ridnour, Jackson, Jones, Brooks,and Luenen will live on forever. Teams like the 2001-02, and the 2006-07 were legitimate national title contenders. This is Oregon basketball folks, and the only reason people around the country know anything about it is because of the players and teams Kent has assembled.

Conclusion: I understand that for every great season Oregon has had, there have been two disappointing ones to follow. That must change because Oregon can’t go into the new arena with a team that makes the tourney every two or three years. Let me know what you think about the Kent situation. I tried to be impartial and present both sides to the argument; I hope I was successful at doing so.

Cavaliers 97, Trail Blazers 92

2009-03-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

I wish I could look at this game more rationally. I wish I could relish the fact that the Trail Blazers battled the Cavaliers, owners of the NBA's best record, into overtime on their home court. I wish I could put all of this in perspective, especially considering the Blazers were without two of their starters, including red-hot LaMarcus Aldridge. I can't. I don't like taking pride in moral victories. I have heard all of the doubts from around the NBA centered around the fact that Portland has struggled on the road against the upper echelon of the league and I badly wanted to place this one up on the mantle along with the wins in Orlando and New Orleans to show just how well this young franchise is developing. Sadly, the Blazers can only take a lesson or two from this victory, rather than taking a valuable win away from one of the toughest arenas in the league. But enough with the doom and gloom, the team has a lot to be proud of after tonight's game so let's take a look at some of the things that went right.

-The Blazers out-rebounded Cleveland by 10, even with one of their stronger rebounders on the bench with a concussion. Cleveland has the 4th best rebounding rate in the league this season, so beating them on the boards was quite a feat and helped them stay in the game from start to finish.

- Brandon Roy was excellent like always. He was being checked by Lebron often times, especially down the stretch, and he put up 24/7/7 while going 11-11 from the charity stripe. He didn't shoot particularly well (6-16), but he was aggressive in the face double teams and did all the little things to help the team compete without his #1 sidekick.

- The centers were solid tonight; they kept Lebron out of the highlight reels for the most part and generally controlled the paint well. Greg's attitude and energy were solid, although he rushed a few shots in the paint (as pointed out by Doug Collins roughly 67 times). Joel was a man as always, scoring 13 points to go along with his 11 rebounds in 35 tough minutes.

- Channing started and played 34 minutes with Aldridge out, and he chucked up shots early and often. He hit 7 of his 15 attempts, boosting us in key stretches in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. It's good to see him get a little bit of confidence. I wish he was a little tougher on D and on the boards but I guess Channing is what he is and he was certainly valuable to the team tonight.

- Travis was Travis, putting up plenty of the shots that make fans cringe but hitting enough of the big ones to warrant his 4th quarter go-to status. For all of the flack he catches from fans and media regarding his defense, I thought he did a respectable job on Lebron James, keeping him out of the paint for the most part until the overtime period when no one on the planet could have kept that freight train out of the lane.

- Was anyone else annoyed by Cleveland's act before the game? For those who didn't catch it, they had an entire choreographed routine centered around Lebron and company posing for imaginary photos. I like Lebron and Kobe Bryant generally gets on my nerves, but I couldn't help but think that even Kobe and the Lakers wouldn't act like that before a game at Staples, much less a professional team like San Antonio. Maybe its just sour grapes coming from a Blazer fan after a tough loss or maybe that's just what the Cavs have to do to get up for a game against a Western playoff contender on national TV. I was glad to see Joel, Brandon, and the rest of the crew focused and ready on the court waiting for the tip-off while this sideshow was going on.

All in all it was a disappointing loss but hopefully there is no hangover on Saturday as Portland tries to finish this 5-game trip with a winning record against Milwaukee. As always, thanks for reading and I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments.

NCAA Tourney: Possible First Round Upsets

2009-03-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Sports junkies and casual fans come together and go toe to toe to determine who is the king of the bracket. Many of you are probably like me, agonizing over your brackets, hashing and re-hashing all of the 5-12 match-ups along trying to decide who belongs in the final 4. I really shouldn't make some of these thoughts public record because I am sure my bracket will be an epic failure by noon on Friday, but it's all for fun and who knows, maybe I will get lucky this year and identify a few sleepers in this year's field. Please do not wager on these. I prepare for these picks by looking at stats, rankings, and by watching games, but nothing can replace those guy instincts so many of you feel around this time of year. Here are some of the possible first round upsets I think we could see this week.

#11 Temple over #6 Arizona State

I saw Arizona State and James Harden play several times this year while I have only seen Temple play one game, so this upset possibility is based more on statistics than on what I have gathered from the eyeball test. Temple has a better RPI, strength of schedule, and non-conference strength of schedule than Arizona State. Temple has won 10 of their last 12 games, while Arizona has won 8 of their last 12. Both teams are known for their zone defenses and they shoot almost identically from 3-point range, so that's a wash. Arizona St. does have a better scoring margin for the season, even when it is adjusted according to the competition. This makes me hesitate and I would advise you to with your gut on this pick, but remember that these teams are much more evenly matched than their seeds would indicate.

#11 Utah State over #6 Marquette

Utah State has been a solid team all year, albeit in a smaller conference. They take care of the ball extremely well, boasting one of the nation's stronger assist/turnover ratios. They beat Utah this year and lost a heart-breaker to BYU by five on a neutral floor. Marquette has struggled without Dominic James, losing 7 of their last 12 games down the stretch. Marquette is certainly battle-tested this year playing in the Big East, but they are undersized on the front line and Utah State has a 6'9'' forward named Gary Wilkinson who is averaging nearly 18 points per game. He could pose a problem for Marquette on the block.

#10 USC over #7 Boston College

USC was a fashionable pick to make a decent run in last years field until Kansas St. and Michael Beasley put to bed that nonsense in the first round. USC lost O.J. Mayo to the NBA but returns experienced players Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett, and Dwight Lewis. Freshman DeMar DeRozan wasn't living up to the hype early in the season, but he looks to have turned a corner with his impressive play as of late. They weren't a tournament team however until they streaked to the Pac-10 tournament title last week. Boston College is a team that can beat anyone on any given day but struggles with consistency. They have wins over Duke, Florida St., and at North Carolina(!!!), but have lost to Miami twice, NC State, St. Louis, and Harvard (ouch). USC is ranked higher in almost every category including RPI, strength of schedule, adjusted scoring margin, and both non-conference RPI and SOS. Look for USC to ride their recent hot streak to a possible first round victory.

#12 Wisconsin over #5 Florida State

Wisconsin over Florida St. is more of an instinct pick compared to the others on this list. Florida St. has a much higher RPI than Wisconsin and has played better in their last 12 games, including a run to the ACC title game where they lost to Duke. If the game turns into a track meet look for Florida St. to roll, but Wisconsin could muddy up the waters and turn the game into a bruising, ugly slug-fest. The Seminoles rely heavily on their leading scorer, Toney Douglas, and if the Badgers can knock him off his game a bit, they should have a chance to keep the scoring low and possibility of an upset high.

NFL Draft Prospects: Oregon State Beavers

2009-03-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a rundown of Oregon State football players with a chance to hear their name called during the NFL Draft in New York on April 25th-26th. A few projections are provided along with some general thoughts on how these prospects will fit into the NFL's big picture.

Andy Levitre, OG

Levitre was considered a solid prospect throughout the 2008 season and is now considered anywhere from the 1st to 5th best guard prospect in this years draft. He started in 39 games throughout his career at right and left tackle, but his relatively short build has him projected as a guard at the next level. An All-American and All-Pac-10 first teamer in 2008, Levitre has also been labeled as a team leader and model student-athlete during his time on campus. Equipped with good strength and a knack for understanding blocking schemes, Levitre should be able to succeed inside at guard, covering up some of his weaknesses, namely his quickness and ability to play in space.

Projections: Both Scouts Inc. and NFLDraftCountdown grade him as a 2nd or 3rd round pick, and if he goes that high, the team who picks him is undoubtedly hoping he becomes a future starter.

Sammie Stroughter, WR

Stroughter has been a very productive receiver and return man for the Beavs during the past few seasons. He had a breakout year in 2006, amassing just under 1300 yards receiving. He was also a premier punt returned, scoring three touchdowns on punt returns, the most memorable being his 70-yard punt return for touchdown in upset win over USC. He earned third-team All America status that season as a punt returner. He missed most of 2007 due to personal issues and a lacerated kidney, but was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA. Bouncing back in 2008, Stroughter once again had over 1,000 yards receiving, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a wide receiver. Stroughter was a little underwhelming at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in the mid-4.5 range, which left some scouts questioning his ability to stretch the field with his vertical speed. Despite these questions, his quickness, versatility, and productivity could lead to his selection in April.

Projections: Scouts Inc. has him rated as a 5th round prospect, so hearing his name called on draft day is a possibility but not a certainty.

Keenan Lewis, CB

Lewis is a big corner with a ton of experience in the Pac-10, a league known for having teams with deadly passing attacks. He started 45 games in his career, and quieted some concerns about his high-end speed with a sub 4.50 40-yard dash time at Oregon State's pro-day. While this isn't an eye-popping number, it is solid with a corner of his size. He is a decent tackler and is adept at jamming receivers off the line. While some scouts tout his instincts and awareness, I have seen too many instances in which he loses the ball in the air and cannot react properly. He must work on this if he wants to become a long-term contributer in the NFL.

Projections: Most websites have him listed as the 10th-15th best CB in the draft and expect him to be picked in the 4th or 5th round.

Brandon Hughes, CB

Hughes is another experienced Beaver CB, starting 40 games after making the position switch from receiver early in his college career. He had a solid showing at the combine, putting up one of the top 40 times for a CB with a 4.50. Many still question his speed however and he doesn't have the size that projects to the NFL like his teammate Keenan Lewis, but many Beaver fans will tell you that they felt more comfortable when opponents threw to Hughes' side of the field than when they were airing it out in Lewis' area.

Projections: Projected at around #20 for CB, late round draft pick or undrafted free agent.

Other Prospects

Victor Butler, OLB, Slade Norris, DE, Al Afalava, S

These guys are rated as anything from a late round prospect to a possible undrafted free agent. Butler certainly possesses athleticism and pass-rush skills; he totaled 25.5 sacks during his career at OSU. The inevitable position change from DE to OLB will be tough, but he could get a chance to prove himself in some team's training camp workouts this summer. Norris had a good year opposite butler in 2008, but his workout numbers won't jump off the page, so expect him to go undrafted. Afalava is a safety who wasn't invited to the combine and while he was known for delivering the knockout hit on unsuspecting receivers throughout his career, he didn't show elite speed on the field. I am told that he impressed scouts with his speed at OSU's Pro Day, but I would look for him to go undrafted as well.

All in all this is a solid class of draft prospects for the Beavers coming off a 9-win season. Let's hope some of them can stick in the NFL and make a name for themselves playing on Sundays.

NBA's Best (top 7)

2009-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to do a piece on what NBA star I would want on my franchise if I was starting a team. The constraint to this argument is that it’s just for one season, not who to build the franchise around for the long haul (clearly James would be the choice). Here are the players I would want on my team if I was making a championship run this season.

1. Kobe Bryant – Simply put, the best player in the game. Has everything in his arsenal; superior ball handling skills, ferocious defense, unlimited range, and the ability to get to the rim at will. I’m not putting Kobe on the same level as MJ quite yet, but he exhibits the same will to win that MJ had, and that is something you can’t teach.

2. LeBron James – James is certainly the future of this league (total dominance for the next decade), in the mean time being 1B to Bryant is nothing to complain about. James has the ability to make everyone on the court better (take a look at the roster). The NBA, or any pro sport for that matter has never seen and athlete with the speed, size, and power of a LeBron James.

3. Chris Paul – You could make the argument that Dwayne Wade should be #3, and I respect that. However Paul’s court vision is what sets him apart in this league. His supporting cast is nothing to get excited about, and any accolades they receive is due solely to Paul’s brilliance. On a side note, Paul doesn’t average 25 plus a night like the others listed, but lets be honest he could get 30 a night without breaking a sweat if he wanted to.

4. Dwayne Wade – What Wade is doing in Miami this season is nothing short of amazing. When your second best player is a broken down, washed up Jermaine O’Neal, and your team is in the playoff hunt, then you are doing something right. Wade has improved his overall game, and every night he is performing like he did in the 2006 NBA finals. If you don’t recall Wade single-handedly carried that team to the NBA championship over Dallas, while overcoming an 0-2 series deficit.

5. Dwight Howard – Howard is a bit of an enigma to me. One night the guy is getting 35 and 20, and the next 15 and 7. His level of consistency isn’t near the others on this list, however he is the most dominant big man in the league and gives the Magic the inside presence they so desperately need.

6. Deron Williams – An under rated player in my opinion, Williams has the overall game to possibly surpass Paul if this list were to come out two years from now. He is playing the John Stockton role in Utah to perfection, while having no Karl Malone sidekick anywhere in sight on that roster. When healthy, Williams is what makes the Jazz tick, and they could sneak up on the Lakers this year in the West playoffs.

7. Brandon Roy – “The Natural”, Roy’s game isn’t flashy, and it often looks like he is playing in slow motion. He has the blazers vying for home court advantage in the first round, and without him this team would be vying for the first pick in the NBA draft. This level headed star will be an All Star for the next decade, but unfortunately may never get the national attention he deserves because of his team first mentality.

March Madness Begins

2009-03-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Many analysts across the country felt the Pac 10 was only a shell of the league it was last year. While the conference did lose first round talent such as OJ Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Jared Bayless, and the Lopez twins to the NBA, it was still able to get 6 teams into the NCAA tournament. USC got the conferences automatic bid after winning the Pacific Life Pac 10 tourney, something they had to do if they wanted to take part in March Madness. Washington, UCLA, ASU, California, and Arizona will also represent the conference in the NCAA tourney. Looking at the match-ups I feel the only them that will make it past the first weekend and into the Sweet Sixteen is Washington. The Huskies will be playing in Portland for the opening rounds, meaning the crowd will be extremely pro-Husky. What separates the league this year from last, is the inability of the other 5 teams (Washington aside) to make a deep tournament run. Stay tuned for more March Madness coverage.

Injury Woes in Blazerland

2009-03-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

I sort of promised myself that I wasn't going to go here, but now I would like to touch on an issue surrounding our favorite NBA franchise. Along my stroll through the interwebs this week, I found Trail Blazer fans in a couple of places discussing the truth behind several players' injuries and the trust that the fans currently have in the organization regarding the reporting of injuries. Many are frustrated with the Greg Oden situation and now there are some whispers surrounding Rudy Fernandez and the injuries he suffered in the Laker game on Friday night. People wonder why these two aren't playing yet and it seems that some people feel like the organization is being dishonest and sugarcoating the details of these injuries. The team is in the thick of the playoff race right now, so I understand why fans are on edge and caught up on every detail surrounding their favorite team.

The questions surrounding the injury to Fernandez seem premature and a little paranoid to me. He took a pretty nasty fall following that dunk attempt last Friday. Thankfully the injuries were listed as relatively minor and the team announced that he would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. It's only been a week and he has said he expects to play Sunday. If he does indeed play against Atlanta tomorrow, then the two games he missed would be in line with the signals that the organization was sending to the fan base. It seems unlikely that he will be on the shelf for much longer than that, so let's all give our rabbit's foot a little more attention tonight and thank our lucky stars that his injuries weren't more severe.

The Oden situation is a little more tricky than that. He banged knees with Corey Maggette on February 12, just before the All-Star break. The team talked Blazer fans down from the ledge by announcing that the chip in his knee cap was a minor injury and claimed he would be evaluated on a game by game basis upon the teams return from the break. The games came and went as fans grew more anxious awaiting Greg's return to the court. On March 2 the team announced that Oden had been evaluated and would be out for at least another 7-10 days. The media and fans began to take out some of their frustration on Greg himself, questioning the merit of his injury and also his desire to play and help the team win games. As it turns out, it was reported that the Blazers and their training staff knew at the time of Greg's injury that his symptoms could linger and keep him out for a month. This particular injury heals in different ways and there was always the possibility that Oden could miss significant time. As it turns out, this is exactly what happened.

It seems to be that the team would have been better served had they been more honest and forthright with the media and the fans from the start. If fans knew of the possibility that Greg's injury could take about a month to heal they would have been more discouraged initially, but the backlash felt by Oden could have been far less severe. Oden has proven he is a hard worker that will rehab relentlessly, doing whatever necessary to get back on the court and contribute.

Let's hope Greg is out there soon as Portland comes down the stretch and pushes toward that playoff berth that everyone in Portland so desperately wants.

Bellotti's Legacy Remembered

2009-03-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Let me start out by stating I am extremely bias towards Mike Bellotti, and consequently that affects how I will be recapping his career in this piece. Call it a blind trust if you will. I have never questioned his decisions on the gridiron, and have always stated that he leaves on his terms. To the shock of many, I have mentioned Bellotti in the same breath as Bowden and Paterno, college football legends. Bellotti built Oregon from the ground up, and made them a major player nearly every year on the job. Much like Bowden and Paterno, Bellotti’s image is larger than that of your typical head coach; he is the face of University of Oregon Athletics

I was not around during the Rich Brooks era, but every Saturday in the fall my eyes lay witness to the sign in Autzen that reads “Rich Brooks Field”. I have no quarrel with this symbol, however if Oregon named their field after Brooks, then the whole Oregon athletic department should be named in Bellotti’s honor this fall. Bellotti’s tenure at Oregon is the reason there are such high expectations throughout the whole athletic department. In his tenure, Bellotti regularly turned in top 25 finishes (5 of which were #12 or higher), entertained nationally ranked recruits, expanded Autzen, and built strong relationships with boosters and blue collar fans alike. In the beginning critics said, “Washington owns the Northwest; you can’t win at a place like Oregon”. Bellotti wanted no part of that nonsense, he quickly changed the culture of Oregon athletics and in the process stole everything the once proud Huskies had, and brought it down I-5 to Eugene.

The next phase of the “Bellotti Legacy” leads him to the Athletic Director position. He is the perfect hire for this position, leading by example and continuously raising the bar higher than it was the previous year. It will certainly be a different position for the coach, but without a doubt he will be able to adapt. Bellotti faced numerous challenges when he took the job at Oregon, but he faced all of them head on because failure was not an option in his book. I look for Bellotti to have that same mentality as the AD, Bellotti knows you can win at Oregon, he proved that season after season going 116-55 in his time roaming the sidelines. I expect all athletic programs at Oregon to accept this stance, because anything less will be unacceptable under his reign. Oregon football took a back to seat to no one under Bellotti, his teams were entertaining, his coaching style innovating, and his ability to motivate players was incredible. Coach, thank you for what you did, as well as what you are about to do.

Seahawks Mock Draft Rounds 1-3

2009-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Seahawks are entering the 2009 draft from an unfamiliar position. The earliest pick they have owned entering the draft in the last five years is the 23rd selection. They fell from their perch atop the NFC West in 2008, finishing 4-12 and earning the 4th pick in this years draft. Using the picks they have to bolster the roster is imperative if they want to reclaim the division crown from the Arizona Cardinals.

Several team needs can be identified when analyzing the Hawk's current roster. Some younger, fresher legs at free safety would be nice to replace Brian Russell, who disappointed in 2008. A left tackle for the future would be great as well considering Walter Jones' age. Another cornerback or pass rusher would help slow down the passing attacks of division rivals like St. Louis and Arizona. Seattle helped fill some of these needs through free agency. They added WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (exciting), DT Colin Cole (exasperating), and re-signed OL Ray Willis (encouraging). This means they should be able to take the best player available rather than reaching for a player to fill a need. Let's go through the picks and look what I feel are some of the best case, worst case, and most likely scenarios to potentially unfold on draft day.

Pick #4

Best Case: I don't see a perfect fit for Seattle at the #4 pick this year, so trading down and adding another pick or two would be fantastic in my opinion. Unfortunately they will probably have trouble finding another team willing to trade up for the pick, as this year's draft appears to be a little thin on talent at the top. I think the pick is Eugene Monroe, the OT from The University of Virginia. He could become the perfect replacement for Big Walt when he decides to hang up his cleats and enter the Hall of Fame. Some might argue that Jason Smith from Baylor has the higher upside, but knowing GM Tim Ruskell's track record of drafting players with tons of experience from proven programs, I would bet on Monroe here. The reputation Virginia has developed as a school that produces good offensive tackles (D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Branden Albert) doesn't hurt either.

Worst Case: The Hawks pick up Chris Wells from Ohio State or some other such nonsense. I hate picking up RB this early and thankfully I think there is zero chance something like this happens.

Most Likely: Eugene Monroe. He is quite possibly the best fit and should be available.

Other Possibilities: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech or B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

Pick #37

There are many more possibilities as we get to this point of the draft, so here is a list of guys I think could be good for Seattle here:

Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
Max Unger, C/G, Oregon
Alex Mack, C, California
Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

A lot of these guys are projected first rounders but I think they would all be valuable to Seattle and I am betting that at least one if not several of these guys will be available at pick 37.

Best Case: Alex Mack. I realize Seattle just spent a first rounder on Chris Spencer a few years ago but he has been unimpressive thus far and Mack could be a starter for years at the center position.

Worst Case: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech or Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma. Both of these guys have some red flags that would scare me and hopefully Ruskell as well.

Most likely: Max Unger, C/G, Oregon. Seattle gets another potential starter at C who might not be as good as Mack but could become a starter sooner rather than later.

Pick #68

This post is already really long so I will make this short and sweet. I really think there may be a few safety prospects available here that can step in and take the place of Brian Russell. Michael Hamlin from Clemson and Rashad Johnson from Alabama are possibilities but Hamlin feels like more of a Ruskell guy to me. He was a team leader in college, comes with loads of experience and has a high football IQ. Johnson might be rated a little higher by most teams but he has gotten into trouble off the field on a few occasions and Ruskell has shied away from guys like that in the past.

Other possibilities: Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa, Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn, Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon.

Best Case and Most Likely: Michael Hamlin, S, Clemson

As always thanks for reading everyone and a special thanks to anyone who stuck with me and read this entire thing. Even if you enjoyed reading it I promise you I got more enjoyment out of writing it. Share your thoughts in the comments and be on the lookout for rounds 4-7 in the next couple of days.

Mike Bellotti Moves On

2009-03-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it that Mike Bellotti has made the decision to step down after 14 seasons as the Oregon Ducks head football coach. While this cant be confirmed by the Athletic Department yet, stay tuned as I will certainly be paying Bellotti the respect he deserves once this becomes official. All Duck fan's should be excited about new head coach Chip Kelly, but Bellotti was an icon around these parts, and what he did for U of O athletics will be felt for years to come. Thank you Coach.

Oregon Pro Day Results

2009-03-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Ducks held their pro day this week for NFL scouts, and here is a quick look at some of the results. Defensive End Nick Reed ran a stunning 4.71 in the 40, and benched 225 lbs. 24 times. Not bad numbers for a guy who wasn’t even invited to the NFL combine. Receiver Jaison Williams ran the fastest time of the day, a 4.47 forty, hopefully good enough to overcome his dismal week in Indianapolis last month. Other participants were Jeremiah Johnson (4.57), Jerome Boyd (4.53), and Terence Scott (4.56). Expect more to come about the Oregon prospects as the NFL Draft nears.

ODEN vs DURANT

2009-03-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

These two young players will forever be linked as the #1 and #2 picks of the 2007 NBA draft. While their young careers have certainly taken different paths up to this point, I was a proponent of the Blazers drafting Kevin Durant long before they selected Greg Oden #1 on that fateful June afternoon nearly two years ago. Of course you say, “Oh Tyler that is easy for you to say now after Oden has been hurt and Durant is averaging 25 plus”. However you would be wrong if you alleged that is how I came to this conclusion.

When the Blazers drafted Oden they saw a young big man with Patrick Ewing like shot blocking ability, and lift like a youthful Shaq. I too saw many of those things, but I also understood that drafting a big man on raw talent alone didn’t always pan out. I looked back at past draft selections like Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, and Sam Bowie (sorry for bringing that up), and figured that the risk would not be worth the reward. You counter saying, Greg Oden lead his team to the Final Four, and lost to the mighty Gators, I say so what. Oden’s team had NBA players on it to, like Mike Conely Jr., and Daquan Cook. What Oden did in college was impressive, but by no means was he the lone piece that kept that ship afloat.

What Kevin Durant did in college was unbelievable. He wasn’t playing alongside future lottery picks, he single handedly lead that team to victory night after night without the supporting cast Oden had. Don’t get me wrong, Texas basketball has more talent than say a Washington State, but Durant was that team, and was the face of college basketball for the 2006-2007 season. It was evident to me that his game would translate nicely to the NBA. With a skill set similar to a 23 year old Tracy McGrady, his mark on the NBA would be felt within minutes of him taking the court. Maybe the Blazers expected Oden to turn into the next David Robinson, and I can’t completely fault them for that. All too often we pick the beautiful and crazy girl knowing that it will be fun for a few months, though truly understanding nothing will ever come of it. It should have been clear to many that Durant was going to be a perennial All Star, not on some “tickle me elmo” fad that lasts for a Christmas season. The Blazers however rolled the dice, and it bit them.

I understand Oden has been hurt, but honestly the Blazers have been a better team this season with Joel at the 5, and Oden playing his 20 foul prone minutes a game. I don’t believe the Blazers drafted Oden with the number one pick thinking “he is going to be a great hustle man in this league”. However if that was the case they should have committed their future to players like Udonis Haslem, Kenderick Perkins, Joe Smith, or Drew Gooden. All of whom have proven track records as “nose to the grind stone” type of players. While Durant is averaging 25 down in OKC, albeit on a bad team, Blazers fans have to honestly be asking themselves if their team made the right choice. Roy, Durant, LA and the crew sounds like a lineup that could win the west every year; while Roy, LA, and crew sounds like a franchise that is satisfied with hosting two playoff games every April or May.

Pop-Culture and Sports: Michael Jordan and The Godfather Trilogy

2009-03-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

My mind works in very strange ways and I usually find myself daydreaming about sports or something else when I should be focusing on more important things. I also like to read stuff written by Bill Simmons, a popular writer for ESPN.com. He often takes different items from popular culture and relates them to sports in some way, and I find myself trying to come up with things like this. I guess part of me selfishly does it to try and get included in his mailbag someday, but another part of me just really likes being in that trance and blocking out whatever may be going wrong at the moment. So from now on when one of these pop-culture/sports comparison ideas hits me I think it might be decent or fun or entertaining or whatever, I will share it on the blog. Feel free to leave a comment telling me how interesting or awesome it is or how big of a tool I really am. Either way I would like to know what you guys think. So here is entry number one:

Michael Jordan and The Godfather Trilogy

Here are some of the reasons I feel these two can be compared:

- Michael Jordan is generally considered one of, it not the best basketball players to ever lace ‘em up. The Godfather Trilogy is generally considered one of the best cinematic accomplishments of all time. Parts I and II are ranked #2 and #3 on IMDB’s list of all-time highest rated movies. All of this is a simple comparison that probably needs no explanation for most people but I included it anyway.

- Michael Jordan’s first name is Michael. Michael Corleone, the lead character in the Godfather, is also named Michael. Simple. Let’s move on.

- This is where it gets fun. The Godfather Trilogy is made up of The Godfather Parts I, II, and III. Michael Jordan’s NBA career can also be split up into three distinct parts. Part one ran from 1984 to 1993. He then retired from the NBA for the first time. Part two ran from 1994 to 1998 when he retired for a second time. Part three ran from 2001 to 2003. This was the part when MJ came out of retirement again to play for the Washington Wizards.

- The three distinct parts of both the Godfather and Jordan’s career also share some similarities. The Godfather I was a huge success and won three Oscars. The first section of Jordan’s career was also incredible, including three NBA championships, three league MVP Awards and three NBA Finals MVP Awards. Lots of threes there. Strange but not earth shattering I suppose. The second sections of each are great as well. Both are right on par with the first sections in terms of greatness. MJ wins another three championships and Godfather wins six Oscars. The Godfather III is similar to Jordan’s stint in Washington. Neither could live up to the standard set forth by the previous two sections but people still loved to see them anyway. I would also argue that the sexual tension between Andy Garcia’s character and his cousin in part III was awkward and uncomfortable for people, just like seeing Jordan in anything other than a Bulls jersey.

- Another eerie comparison between the two: both Michaels must deal with the death of their fathers at the end of the first stages. Vito Corleone dies in the garden and Michael becomes the new Don of the family. Michael Jordan’s dad dies and Michael makes the switch to baseball. Kind of creepy.

So all of this explains why I feel Michael Jordan compares to the Godfather trilogy. I welcome you guys to add anything I missed in the comments. Give me something to waste time thinking about as finals are fast approaching.

Oregon Ducks PG, SG, and SF Preview

2009-03-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Ducks finished their season Wednesday night in LA with a loss to the Cougars. As a Duck follower, this season was more agonizing to watch than any other I can recall. However when Thursday or Saturday night rolled around, I was always there in front of the TV or radio following this team till the bitter end. I don’t want to talk about the future of Coach Ernie Kent right now, his future will be evaluated by people much closer to the situation that I am. I will instead break down the team, position by position and give you my quick analysis of this team’s future.

Point Guard: Duck fans often like to blame Tajuan Porter for the team’s struggles. I understand he isn’t the ideal point or shooting guard, but I love the kid’s intensity and mindset. Tajuan wants to be the one to take the last shot, or have the ball in his hand at the end of the game, and I appreciate that. Most players don’t share the same will to win that Tajuan does. On a side note, Porter may end his career as the Ducks all time leading scorer, so maybe some duck fans should back off him a bit, he has done a lot for this program. Freshman Garrett Sim certainly tailed off toward the end of the season, but he has the potential to be the Ducks starting PG for the next 3 years. Kamyron Brown either needs to make great strides this off season, or find himself a seat next to the coaches. Brown’s development has been slow to non existent and his erratic play makes it hard for his teammates to get in any sort of a rhythm throughout the game.

Shooting Guard: Freshman Matthew Humphrey improved as the season progressed, and if that continues I find it hard to imagine he wouldn’t be vying for more minutes next fall. Humphrey reminds me of a more energetic Bryce Taylor, the emotion Humphrey shows on the court was clearly contagious in wins over Stanford and Oregon State. Junior to be LeKenderic Longmire was the teams best defender, and plays with an intensity I truly enjoy. While his offense is still raw, he shooting improved over last year, and I look for him to develop his ball handling skills this off season to make him a more complete player. Freshman Teondre Williams didn’t play much this year due to injuries, but his athleticism is second to none, and he has the potential to be a big time player for the Ducks next year. This group has an array of talented players; I think the big key at this position will be finding someone that can score consistently throughout the season instead of in a game here or there.

SF: The small forward position is one of great intrigue for the Ducks going into next season. Big time recruit Jamil Wilson from Wisconsin will be a contributor immediately. From what I have seen of him, he appears to have a good stroke, and bounce similar to that of an Alex Scales (I’m not just saying that because their both from Racine, Wisconsin). Drew Wiley came on strong at the end of the year, and he has the three point ability to really stretch a defense. Wiley must improve his own defense, and inside game but that should come with more time in the weight room this spring. Incoming freshman EJ Singler and Jeremy Jacob could also see minutes next year, although I would expect at least one of them to redshirt. Once again the small forward position will be young, but the talent is in place for years to come.

Mavericks 93, Trail Blazers 89

2009-03-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

I don't really have a lot to say about this loss because it just ended and it was very painful. Portland struggles against Dallas for some reason and it frustrates me to no end. Seeing Dirk tug on his jersey in celebration on the Rose Garden floor makes me sick. I hope the Blazers take some things from this game however and come out ready to play on Friday against the Nets.

Thoughts.....

- Aldridge played well on both ends, especially defensively in the 2nd half. He seemed to be the most intense Blazer on the floor on a night when Brandon seemed unusually flat. I couldn't move for a good three minutes after that dunk over Dampier in the 3rd quarter, I was just too weak physically. Incredible plays paralyze me for some reason. It was the Best dunk of his career that I can remember.

- Outlaw picked up the scoring slack in the 4th quarter and he almost willed us to a win down the stretch. You almost never see Jason Kidd get his pocket picked like that during a crucial 4th quarter possession but Travis did it. His defense and intensity seem to be getting a little better.

- B-Roy looked a little off all game but he still put up 22 points and 6 assists. He did take 20 shots however and couldn't get it going like he usually does down the stretch of a close game. I suppose it happens. Forget it and move on.

-Przybilla was his usual self. He really has to cover up so many other people's defensive mistakes it's amazing he is in position for so many rebounds and avoids fouling out by the 2nd quarter. I love Joel.

- No one else really stood out to me too much. Batum played with good energy overall and did a reputable job on Kidd. Those blocks on the fast break just keep getting better and better. Steve Blake kept us in it with his shooting in the first half but I fear that all I will remember is that turnover he committed following the Outlaw steal at the end of the game. That hurt me. Frye had a few decent plays defensively but when Dallas was in that zone it would have been nice to get a couple of made shots from him on the perimeter. Sergio aired two threes and was generally uninspiring. Bayless didn't do anything worth mentioning that I can remember.

That game felt a little like a punch in the gut but Portland can't let this single loss become a losing streak, especially when facing a very winnable game against New Jersey in the garden on Friday night. I expect a bounce-back effort.

Beaver Season Recap

2009-03-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

The Beavers season came to an end on Wednesday night, but the loss to Stanford certainly does not define this team’s season.Oregon State was picked last in the Pac 10 at the start of the year, and they exceeded any imaginable expectations Beaver Nation set forth before the year. With all the Beavers accomplished on the hardwood this year, the lasting effects of this season will be felt next October when they gear up for the 2009 campaign. This team returns nearly everybody, and Robinson has a top 25 recruiting class coming to Corvallis for the first time since Corey Benjamin laced them up for the Beavs.

The reason the Beavers experienced success this year was because they bought into Robinson’s system. Robinson was the first to admit his team was outmatched athletically nearly every time they took the floor, however his players accepted their roles and grew into them as the season progressed. The Beavers smothering 1-3-1 defense was able to keep them in games by slowing their opponent’s tempo this year. Scoring was where Oregon State struggled, and incoming recruits Roberto Nelson and Jared Cunningham should give the team an immediate shot in the arm on offense.

Big Rue returns to run the point/center position once again; if he can become a more physical presence on the inside the sky will be the limit for this talented European. Gunner Calvin Haynes should once again lead the team in scoring, and I’d imagine he will be scoring his points as a starter, not reserve next season. With valuable pieces such as Seth and Josh Tarver, Daniel Deane, and Lathan Wallace all coming back I expect the Beavs to make strong push for the postseason next year, with the NCAA tournament a real possibility. Beaver Nation hasn’t sniffed March Madness in nearly two decades, but if the Beavers progress like I expect them to, the March Madness dreams may come to fruition sooner than anyone ever expected.

Trail Blazers vs. Mavericks Preview

2009-03-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Dallas Mavericks into the Rose Garden tonight in a battle of Western Conference playoff contenders. Portland is sitting in 5th place in the tight conference race while Dallas is in 8th, but the teams are only separated by a game and a half. Portland really needs this win to keep pace in the West and Dallas is undoubtedly looking to build on a win in Phoenix last night. There are some good and bad things to consider for Portland when dissecting this game. The good news for the Trail Blazers is that they have been impressive at home all year and even more devastating on the home court as of late. The bad news is that Dallas has owned Portland in the last few years and they are one of only five teams to win in the Rose Garden this year. The Blazers should win this behind the rowdy Blazer faithful, but a let-down following the big win over the L@k*rs on Monday night is a definite possibility. Let’s look at some of the keys to the game:

- The Blazers need to come out with energy early and often. The Mavs are coming off a game last night in Phoenix and their tired legs should be no match for the younger, fresher Blazers.

- Nowitzki is obviously the lynchpin of the Dallas attack and keeping him relatively in check will be a key to Blazer victory. Teams have great success when they can limit Dirk to under 20 points. The Blazers accomplished this in their loss at Dallas last month but still lost by five. I will take my chances if the Blazer defense can manage to do this again on the home floor.

- Portland needs to establish dominance inside like they did against the Lakers on Monday night. Dirk is not a banger and Dampier is slow and foul-prone. I like it when Portland looks for Przybilla in the offense even if he isn’t the most dynamic scorer. Forcing the Dallas defense to worry about the paint should give the Blazer shooters plenty of open looks.

- Outlaw, Batum, and Przybilla need to rebound on both ends of the floor. Przybilla always does this and Batum will usually try to get involved on the boards, but Outlaw needs to scrap for second-chance opportunities and defensive rebounds as well. LaMarcus Aldridge will most likely be paired up with Nowitzki, whose perimeter game should neutralize much of Aldridge’s ability to get rebounds.

Overall Blazer fans should be hoping for intensity and passion from both the players and the crowd as the team tries to get a game from another playoff contender. A let-down after the L@k*r game is possible but coming down the stretch of the season the Blazers need to realize that EVERY game is important and play accordingly. A loss tonight would erase a lot of the good feelings from Monday’s thumping of K*be and Lake Show.

Prediction: Blazers 102 Dallas 95

2009 Mariners Outlook: Erik Bedard

2009-03-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks I will be breaking down the Mariners roster as I try to forget the painful memories of the 2008 season. The Mariners should be improved, but it will take a magnificent turnaround to completely destroy the stench created from a year ago (a stench made worse by the Sonics debacle, the Seahawk's injury woes, and Washington's ineptitude during the 2008 Pac-10 football season. If you run into a Seattle sports fan on the street, give him a hug.) I will be going through and previewing some of the Mariners’ key players for 2009 and giving you a little preview of what you might expect this year. First up is everyone's favorite Canadian, Erik Bedard!

Erik Bedard:

The Erik Bedard trade before the 2008 season was supposed to make the Mariners contenders by giving them two front line starting pitchers. Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I was opposed to this trade from the moment it happened. I didn’t want the Mariners give up such a good package of players for someone who no one else appeared to be bidding on and who could leave in free agency in a couple of years. I am also very high on Adam Jones, the CF prospect in the center of the Orioles’ package. He Seattle also gave up George Sherrill along with three minor league pitchers to get their hands on Bedard. Chris Tillman, one of the minor league pitchers that went to Baltimore in the deal, had a great year in the Orioles farm system and now looks like a possible future #2 or #3 starter. All of this negativity aside, there is one huge positive for the Mariners in all of this; Erik Bedard can pitch! No matter how you slice it, Bedard was good in 2006 and even better in 2007. Old-School fans with an appreciation for traditional statistics should have liked Bedard’s 2007 campaign. He went 13-5 on a Baltimore team that lost 93 game. He also posted a 3.16 ERA and a whopping 221 strikeouts. The nerds who play in their table-top simulation games in Mom’s basement were also impressed by Bedard’s 2007 campaign (BTW, I am pretty much a perfect fit in this category). The advanced stats showed that Bedard was worth an estimated 5.4 runs to the Orioles in 2007. This ranked him 6th in the league just behind names like Sabathia, Halladay, and Beckett. So what did all these good feelings lead to in 2008? A year that saw Bedard hampered by injuries and the Mariners out of the race in May. He was hurt much of the season so he only made 15 starts and pitched just 81 innings. If he can return to anything close to his 2006 or 2007 form however, it would ease much of my pain from the trade and 2008 season.

Bedard Projection:

Stephen’s Dream Scenario: 30 starts, 185 IP, 200 K, a K/BB over 3.5, and GB% in the high 40s…pretty much his 2007 campaign in Baltimore.

Worst Case Scenario: see 2008 only more injured and less effective. I just threw up.

Likely Scenario: ~25 starts, 140 IP, 150 K, and a K/BB ratio around 2.5. I want Adam Jones back.

Coach of the Year Controversy?

2009-03-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Pac 10 handed out their end of the season awards this week, and one name many Beaver fans expected to see was head coach Craig Robinson as Pac 10 Coach of the Year. Washington’s Lorenzo Romar got the honor instead, after his team won their first conference title since 1985, leading the Huskies to a 14-4 conference record. What Robinson has done at Oregon State in less than 12 months is nothing short of a miracle. Last year they finished 0-18 and were competitive in only a handful of games. With essentially the same lineup the Beavers finished this year with a 7-11 record, and were ready for action in nearly every game.
With that said, I understand why the coaches did not vote Robinson in for the award. His team certainly improved over the year, and his 1-3-1 zone troubled every coach in the Pac on a weekly basis. However the bottom line is that his team finished 8th in conference, and regardless of how much the Beavers improved, 8th place is still 8th place. If Robinson stays in Corvallis for the long haul, Beaver Nation could be in for something special. With a recruiting class that includes a couple of four-star recruits in Roberto Nelson and Jared Cunningham, the Beavers will have talent like they haven’t seen since the Payton era. Robinson accomplished what many Beaver foes have long feared, he has “Rallied the Legend”, and brought life and excitement back into a depleted fan base. Robinson may have missed out on the Coach of the Year award this year, but his time will no doubt come.

Pacific Life Pac 10 Tourney Predictions

2009-03-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Games:
#8 Oregon State vs. #9 Stanford – It’s extremely difficult to beat a team three times in a season, and OSU will find that out the hard way.
#7 Washington State vs. #10 Oregon – Oregon hasn’t been competitive against the Cougs all season, little will change in a Cougar blowout.

Thursday Games:
#4 ASU vs. #5 Arizona – The Wildcats need a win to secure their spot in March Madness, but Harden and company will be to much once again for Jordan Hill and crew.
#1 Washington vs. #9 Stanford – The Huskies will blow away the hapless Cardinal, behind All Leaguers Brockman and Dentmon.
#3 California vs. #6 USC – USC has the talent to win this game, but Cal is a better team top to bottom.
#2 UCLA vs. Washington State – The Bruins will be looking for revenge after WSU knocked them out of at least a share of the conference title with a win at Pauley last month.

Friday Games:
#1 Washington vs. #4 ASU – The Huskies beat the Sun Devils twice in the regular season. ASU looks to change that trend, and they knock off the regular season Pac 10 Champions.
#2 UCLA vs. #3 Cal – UCLA’s defense will bother the Cal three point shooters, and the Bruins will move on to the Championship round behind the All-American play of point guard Darren Collison.

Championship game:
#2 UCLA vs. #4 ASU – While UCLA didn’t win the regular season conference title for the first time in three years, a conference tournament championship will have to do as they look to enter March Madness on a high note.

Pac 10 Football Preview

2009-03-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

2008 ended with USC once again claiming its 7th consecutive Conference Championship, as well as Oregon State Coach Mike Riley and freshman running back Quizz Rodgers winning both Conference Coach/Player of the Year awards. With the conference coming off a 5-0 bowl season, the PAC 10 looks to be one of the premier conferences, in my opinion. Here is a brief overview of each team, and where I anticipate them finishing the 2009 season.

1. USC – The loss of Mark Sanchez hurts the offense as Coach Pete Carroll expected him to return for his senior season, but a number of 5 star recruits will compete for his vacated spot. The defense graduated numerous stars, but the return of All American Safety Taylor Mays should enable the defense to pick up where it left off last year. USC plays at Ohio St. early in the year which would be challenging. I feel USC will without doubt win the PAC once again, and should challenge for a spot in the National Championship if they approach every game with the same intensity as they do “big” games.

2. California – Every year people say this could be the year Cal knocks off USC…well its not going to happen, but second place isn’t bad as the Bears look to build on a 9 win season. Running back Jahvid Best is the best player in the Conference, and could be a dark horse for the Heisman. The defense lost a lot in the front seven, but Cal has accumulated the talent to reload, not rebuild. “Strawberry Canyon” is undergoing a much needed face lift, which could give the Bears even a great home field advantage.

3. Oregon – Jeremiah Masoli came on strong at the end of last year, and teamed with LaGarrette Blount (temporarily suspended) the offense is capable of putting up 50 points any given Saturday. The defense lost some key play makers, and the uncertainty of Mike Bellotti’s future could mess with team chemistry. With all the big games in rowdy Autzen Stadium this year, Oregon should once again finish with a 10 win season regardless of who is at the helm.

4. Oregon State – Player of the Year Quizz Rodgers returns along with brother James, forming the most explosive duo in the PAC without question. Lyle Moevao is a senior and the conference title is often decided by Quarterback experience, which he has. The defense lost the entire secondary, and All Conference performers on the D-Line. Coach Mike Riley's team should get off to a better start this year, and that could mean big things because OSU always plays there best come seasons end.

5. Stanford – With the return of Tavita Pritchard and Toby Gerhardt the Cardinal should surprise a few teams this year, and contend for a bowl for the first time since 2002. Coach Jim Harbaugh landed the 2nd rated recruiting class this year in the PAC this year, and there is reason for optimism on “The Farm” this year. He had them headed for bowl contention last year, until the wheels fell off in the later part of the season.

6. ASU – Ranked Pre-season top 10 last year, and then a 5-7 finish isn’t exactly what Coach Dennis Erickson had in mind. 4 year starter Rudy Carpenter is gone, as are many from the offensive side of the ball, but a change of scenery may be a good thing down in Tempe as they have underachieved for the better part of a decade. Much of the defense returns, and playmakers are a plenty down in the desert.

7. Arizona – Coach Mike Stoops directed Arizona to their first bowl since 1998, and it’s a good thing because the heat was on after 5 underwhelming seasons at the helm. This years team losses quarterback Willie Tuitama, but returns an array of skill position players, headlined by All American tight end Brad Gronskowski. Coach Stoops may need this team to be playing post Christmas in order to keep his job in Tucson.

8. UCLA – Any type of offense this year would be an improvement over what Bruin fans witnessed last year. I believe Coach Rich Nuehisel will have this team contending for the conference in a few years, but as of now the talent or chemistry isn’t there for them to be a factor in the postseason. With spots 5 through 7 crowded in the conference, maybe they will spoil another teams postseason dreams, because their own are non existent.

9. Washington – After a miserable season finishing 0-12 and being the only winless team in college football change was needed, that change come in the form of giving the ax to Ty Willingham and bringing in “The Shark” Steve Sarkisian from USC. The Shark was able to convince numerous USC assistants to travel North with him to Seattle and instill energy back into a depleted fan base. The Shark does inherit Tim Tebow 2.0 in Jake Locker, but he doesn’t have much help in the Emerald City. Husky Stadium will come alive in the near future, just not this September as they host LSU, and USC.

10. Washington State – Never has there been a more over matched team in the history the PAC 10 as the Cougs were last year. Giving up 60 plus points 5 times, and being out of games immediately following kickoff made for a dreary winter up in the already chilly Palouse. A late season miracle win over Washington eased some of the pain, but the roster is completely void of anything resembling football talent, as second year Coach Paul Wulff has a long road to hoe in order to get the Cougs back to respectability.

Oregon Ducks Football Preview: Skill Positions

2009-03-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Ducks certainly have momentum going into 2009 season after a strong finish to the 2008 campaign. Here is a brief look ahead at where the Oregon offense looks to be headed entering the 2009 season.

Quarterback:

It took nearly half of the season last year, but the Ducks finally found what they were looking for in sophomore QB Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli struggled in the early part of the year, but took control of the offense in a fourth quarter comeback against Stanford and never looked back. After that memorable 4th quarter drive against the Cardinal, Masoli lead his team to three very impressive offensive performances, and the Ducks finished the season in the top 10. It would appear Masoli will be entrenched as the starter entering the spring. He does however have worthy competition in juniors Nate Costa, Justin Roper, and possibly sophomore Darron Thomas, although the Ducks would like to redshirt him after burning his redshirt last year in the loss to Boise State.
Conclusion: Oregon appears to be in good hands with Masoli under center. If he can continue to build on what he did in his last four games then Masoli, then the sky is the limit in terms of what this team can accomplish going into 2009. Remember that it took Dennis Dixon 5 years to show the potential that Masoli did in a half season under the helm. Masoli must gain more confidence in his arm, because running 127 times again may be to much to ask.

Grade: A-

Running Back:

Senior LaGarrette Blount has been suspended indefinitely by the team, and if he can get things in order it would appear that he will be the Ducks workhorse entering the 2009 season. Blount does provide the thunder, but lightning counterpart Jeremiah Johnson has departed, and Oregon needs to find another back that can help ease the pain of his graduation. Senior Andre Crenshaw, and Junior Remene Alston do return, and have game experience in the Pac 10. It is yet to be seen as to whether one of them can fill Johnsons void, but Texan Freshman LaMichael James wowed the scout team last year and could be the ideal compliment to Blount with his blazing speed and stop on a dime jukes.
Conclusion: Blount set a school record with 17 touchdowns last year, and rushed for over 1,000 yards. Oregon has had its best teams however when there is a two headed monster in the backfield, look for James or possibly Crenshaw to fill the void left by Johnson and spell Blount for a few series each game.

Grade: B

Wide Receivers:

With Jaison Williams and Terrance Scott both graduating, the Ducks are looking to gain more consistency at the receiver position this spring. By no means is the cupboard bare, but much of the talent is unproven and young. Junior Jeffrey Maehl returns as the most experienced player, with 39 receptions and a team leading 5 touchdowns. Others expected to contend for starting spots are Juniors Drew Davis and USC transfer Jamere Holland. Davis and Holland have the physical tools to make a big time impact, but Davis suffered a torn ACL last year, while Holland has been slow to pick up the playbook. Quarterback turned receiver Chris Harper could be the wild card of the group, as he has the athleticism and size to give defensive coordinators nightmares whenever he lines up in the slot.
Conclusion: Similar to the last the start of last season the Ducks receiving corp once again has many questions to answer. If either Davis or Holland can emerge as a big play threat them the offense has the potential to be more explosive than last season. That however has yet to be seen by either of them.

Grade: C