NHL First Round Playoff Predictions Part II: Eastern Conference

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Last post, I talked about the NHL's playoff scenarios, and offered my predictions for the Western Conference series' in the first round. Today, I'll take a look at each of the four match ups taking place in the Eastern Conference, and preict who will emerge victorious from each series.


#1 Washington (54-15-13) vs. #8 Montreal (39-33-10)

Head to Head: 2-2 (Washington: 1 OT Win)

Players to Watch:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin- Is there any other player you'd rather keep your eyes on in this series? I didn't think so. The Washington captain lit the lamp 50 times this year, and could net a decent amount more against a weakened Montreal defense.

Montreal: Tomas Plekanec- When you think of the Canadiens, you might think of ex-Devils Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, both of whom have a good amount of playoff experience. However, Plekanec did not lead the team in goals or assists, but ended up with 70 points, more than any of his other team mates. Could be a dangerous weapon to watch out for.

Analysis: The Capitals' offensive attack is relentless, as they have scored 318 goals this season, far surpassing the #2 seeded Devils, who only netted 222. Offense isn't everything come playoff time, but if the Caps get clicking early, the Canadiens won't have a shot to win this one.

Winner: Washington in 4.

Not even the raucous Montreal crowd will be enough to get the Habs a win over the far-superior Washington squad. Ovechkin should light the lamp in and around five to six times, and the Caps will breeze by their first round opponents.




#2 New Jersey (48-27-7) vs. #7 Philadelphia (41-35-6)

Head to Head: 5-1 Philadelphia

Players to Watch:

New Jersey: Ilya Kovalchuk- Kovy has found himself in the center of some harsh criticisms since joining the Devils, with some claiming that he 'doesn't fit in with the team' and that 'New Jersey can't find a place for him'. Having seen the past few Devils' contests, I feel like just the opposite is true, as it seems as if Kovalchuk is starting to find his groove with this team. He'll be one to watch out for.

Philadelphia: Brian Boucher- Perhaps criticized just as much, if not more than Kovalchuk is the Flyers' goltending situation. They started with ex-Senator net0minder Ray Emery, then went through a laundry list of goalies before settling in on Brian Boucher, who spent a few years with the team in the past decade. Boucher may not be the best goaltender on paper, but the way he played against the Rangers Sunday afternoon has to have sparked some confidence. If he can play well, Philly has a great shot to win the series.

Analysis: It's been all Philadelphia in the season series this year. Regular season games may not mean a lot when the postseason rolls around, but one has to feel like the Flyers have that extra mental edge over New Jersey from having beaten them in all but one game this year. The Flyers are also riding high on the momentum built up from their emotional win over the Rangers on Sunday. The Devils have played well in their last few contests as well, including a beatdown over the Islanders, a team New Jersey has its fair share of struggles against, and a thrilling victory over Buffalo Sunday night. It's sure to be a good old-fashioned Atlantic Division Showdown.

Winner: Devils in 7.

This series always has the potential for an upset, as seedings often never matter. For that reason, I believe the Flyers will give New Jersey all it can handle in round one, and will make it very tough for them to win on the road. New Jersey is good at home too, however, and it could be a series in which neither team takes a road victory. Either way, it's sure to be an exciting, back-and-forth series which I think New Jersey will emerge victorious from.



#3 Buffalo (45-27-10) vs. #6 Boston (39-30-13)

Head to Head: 4-2 Boston

Players to Watch:

Buffalo: Ryan Miller- The Sabres' goaltender has been the center of attention in upstate New York all year long, due mostly in part to his stint in the Olympic Winter Games. Miller has been outstanding so far this year, with a 2.22 goals against average, and it will be up to him to shut down the Bruins' offensive unit.

Boston: Tuukka Rask- The other goaltender in this series, Rask snuck up and stole the starting job away from Tim Thomas mid-season, and has been phenomenal since. He has played in 45 games, and has an astounding 1.97 goals against average, and could be the deciding factor in this one. Buffalo may not have enough offense to stay in this.

Analysis: Another division rivalry brings more intrigue to what is otherwise a bizarre first-round match up. The Sabres were nowhere near being the favorites to win the Northeast Division this year, and the Bruins were among the top two in the division predictions. However, despite records and seedings the Bruins have beaten the Sabres 4 out of 6 times this season. It probably doesn't seem fair to give them the edge based on that, since I gave the Devils the nod over Philly, who has beaten them 5 out of 6, but the Bruins have a much stronger defense and a young goaltender who can really get the job done. If he plays half as well as he has since taking over, the Bruins will dominate this series.

Winner: Bruins in 6.

The Sabres have been a good, but not great team all year long. Looking at the four match ups on the east in search of an upset, I see this series as the most likely to produce such an outcome. It will be an interesting series to watch, but look for the Sabres to get bounced in the first round.



#4 Pittsburgh (47-28-7) vs. #5 Ottawa (44-32-6)

Head to Head: 2-2

Players to Watch:

Pittsburgh: Evgeni Malkin- Not Crosby? Well, of course Crosby will be his usually productive self, so there's really no worry there. Where there may be a bit of concern is with Malkin, who has been rather quiet this season. Sure, he amounted 77 points this year, but he has hid in the shadows behind Sid the Kid all year long. Ottawa may fall into the trap of focusing too much in on Crosby and fall victim to the Russian.

Ottawa: Daniel Alfredsson- What does it say for a team when a 38-year old leads his squad in assists, as well as total points, while not being too far behind in the goal-scoring category? Alfredsson is a legend in Ottawa, and he may be the only chance the Sens have to stay alive in this series.

Analysis: The two teams split the four games they played against one another this season, although the last time they faced off was in late January. Both teams have stumbled a bit into the playoffs, although the Pens were just a game shy of matching the division-winning Devils' record. Ottawa won just three less games than Pittsburgh, as well, so the two are very evenly matched.

Winner: Pittsburgh in 5.

I don't think the Penguins will repeat as champions this year, and it may also be said that they won't get out of the second round. However, their overall talent level combined with the huge advantage in experience should be enough to give Pittsburgh a relatively easy pass through round one.


That does it for all of my first round playoff predictions. To quickly recap, I'm taking the Sharks over Colorado, Chicago over Nashville, the Canucks over LA, Phoenix over Detroit, Washington over the Canadiens, New Jersey over Philly, Boston over Buffalo, and Pittsburgh over the Senators. All of the action begins tomorrow night, beginning with the Sens and Pens at 7, followed by Jersey and Philly at 7:30. Later tomorrow night we will see Detroit and Phoenix battle it out in the desert at 10PM, and at 10:30 the Sharks will face off against Colorado. Enjoy!

Let the Games Begin: NHL Playoff Match Ups Set

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Last time, I broke down Major League Baseball and how things would work if the divisions were to be realigned, and promised you a part II to that story. Do not fret, that analysis will come some time during this month, but today the NHL's playoff match ups were determined, and nothing gets me more excited than hockey's post-season. Let's start with a quick recap of what took place today.

The Flyers and Rangers battled out in Philadelphia for the final playoff position in the east, with Philly edging out New York 2-1 in a shoot out, eliminating the Rangers from playoff contention and locking up a #7 seed in the east. The Devils and Sabres faced off for the 2nd place spot in the east, with New Jersey emerging victorious 2-1 and setting up a first round series with the Flyers, while Buffalo will play host to Boston. Also, the Red Wings continued to roll today as they beat the Blackhawks 3-2, giving Chicago the #2 seed while San Jose locked up #1. In Colorado, it was the Los Angeles Kings topping the Avs to move ahead of Nashville in the standings and clinching the #6 seed in the west. LA will take on #3 Vancouver in round one, while the Preds will head to Chicago to face their division rivals, the Blackhawks. When it was all said and done, we finally had our playoff match ups set, and it appears this year's post-season is sure to be a fun one. All the action begins Wednesday night, so what I'll do is break down the match ups in the Western Conference today, and then the Eastern Conference predictions will be up on Tuesday night. So here we go...





#1 San Jose (51-20-11) vs. #8 Colorado (43-30-9)

Head-to-Head: 2-2

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Joe Thornton- Marleau's the big-time scorer for this team, but Thornton needs to step up and lead a team that has struggled in the playoffs over the past few years.

Colorado: Paul Stastny- May be the only shot the Avs have offensively to keep them close against a high-scoring San Jose club.

Anaylsis: Here we are, once again, with the Sharks sitting pretty in the #1 slot in the west with yet another underdog headed to the Shark Tank. And yet, it's very tough to feel any sort of confidence eminating from California, as the Sharks have struggled mightily in the past few post-seasons, regardless of seeding. After an embarrassing performance against the 8th seeded Flames last season, the Sharks are looking to restore some of the respect they've worked so hard to gain. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are back in the playoffs after a rough patch, and looking to make a little noise. The Avs stumbled into the playoffs this year, losing their last three in a row but still managing to clinch a spot regardless. Meanwhile, the Sharks finished rather impressively, winning 8 of their last 10, and gaining at least a point in all but one of those contests.

Winner: San Jose.

I like this match up, and I think it's going to be a great series. However, I don't think the Avs have the goaltending to stop the high-powered Shark offensive attack. I think San Jose avoids a second straight year of embarassment and takes this one in 6 games.





#2 Chicago (52-22-8) vs. #7 Nashville (47-29-6)

Head to Head: 4-2 Chicago

Players to Watch:

Chicago: Patrick Kane- This guy can do it all, and he proved it in the olympics. He might just bee too much for the weakened Nashville defense to handle.

Nashville: Pekka Rinne- The Preds only have one 30-goal scorer this season, and it's safe to say their offense isn't exactly a powerhouse. For that reason, the goaltending is going to have to be top-notch for Nashville to have any chance in this one.

Analysis: Since last year when the Blackhawks re-entered the playoff picture, Chicago has looked very impressive. In fact, they actually accumulated more wins than the #1 seeded Sharks, but fell due to a three less overtime losses. Chicago could well be the #1 seed, and are looking qute good right now. They fell today to the ever-so-quiet Red Wings, but had won six in a row before that. Nashville has won three of their last four, but has not performed well against teams in this year's playoffs.

Winner: Chicago.

I just don't see any way for Nashville to keep up with Patrick Kane, and they don't have the offense to stay in this series. I'll be generous and say this one goes five games since it's a division rivalry, but it won't go past that.




#3 Vancouver (49-28-5) vs. #6 Los Angeles (46-27-9)

Head to Head: 3-1 Vancouver (1 OT Win)

Players to Watch:

Vancouver: Henrik and Daniel Sedin- The main talk in Vancouver is the goaltending of Roberto Luongo, but it's the Sedin brothers who will have to keep playing at a high level to propel the Canuck offense. Between them, they have 197 points, and each has 29 goals on the year.

Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar- You might be asking- who? Kopitar may not be a household name, but the guy leads LA in both goals as well as assists, achieving 34 and 47 in those categories, respectively. He may be the only offensive chance the Kings have.

Analysis: Vancouver has never stood out to me as the strong team they're built up to be, but they still find a way to win their division and play well in the post-season. The Kings have been away from post-season contention for a few years now, and it's tough for me to see them hanging in this one with Luongo in the other goal.

Winner: Vancouver.

I think the Kings will play well enough to get a win out of this series, but the Canucks are the far more experienced team, and I like them to take this one in five games.




#4 Phoenix (50-25-7) vs. #5 Detroit (44-24-14)

Head to Head: 2-2 (Pho: 2 OT Wins)

Players to Watch:

Phoenix: Ilya Bryzgalov- The Phoenix goaltender is going to have to be on his A-game if he wants to knock off the defending Western Conference champions. The Wings are starting to look normal again, and if Bryzgalov doesn't step up, Detroit will run away with this one.

Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk- If this guy gets going early, it could be a long series for the Coyotes. Datsyuk leads the Wings in goals with 27 and in second in assists with 42. Phoenix will need to shut him down if they hope to survive this series.

Analysis: It's been a magical ride for Phoenix thus far, and a lot of people may speculate that it's all but over for the Coyotes now that they've matched up with Detroit. I don't like their chances either, but one truly never knows what can happen when the playoffs come around.

Winner: Phoenix.

Why? Well, for two reasons. #1, I think there will be at least one upset in this Conference Quarterfinals, and despite their seedings you have to label Phoenix over Detroit as an upset. The second reason I like the Coyotes is the passion and energy the crowd is going to bring. A team that appeared to be awfully close to moving back to Canada has suddenly rejuvenated its city, and I think the Coyotes can win this one in 7 games and move onto the second round, even if that's as far as they go.




So there you have it, I'm going with the San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, and Phoenix in round one of the Western Conference playoffs. Stay tuned on Tuesday as I break down the Eastern Conference and give my predictions as to who will win each series. Until then, keep on reading sportz freaks.

Looking Ahead: Realigning MLB's Divisions (Part I)

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. I've been feeling particularly overwhelmed with an abundance of sportz information with which I could blog about this week. The other day, my friend and I were discussing the possibility of Major League Baseball reshaping the way all of its divisions are set up. This, of course was brought up due to the rumors that have been going around that these changes might take place as soon as the 2011 season. The idea they are pitching is to eliminate National and American leagues, and to restructure the league so that it is more similar to the NHL and NBA, in that it will have Eastern and Western conferences. While my friend and I aren't too keen on the idea of baseball changing a system that has worked for a number of years, we thought it'd still be fun to try and map out just how the MLB would split the map into Eastern and Western clubs. What I'd like to do now is share with you which teams would go where, and to offer a brief explanation as to why.



West

The Whole California Bunch
This, of course, would include the Dodgers, the Angels, the Padres, the A's and the Giants. Pretty easy to figure out that all teams from California would be considered "west".


The Rest of the West
Any teams remaining from the current AL and NL western divisions would be included in this group. That would include the Colorado Rockies, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Texas Rangers, and the Seattle Mariners. I think that we can also agree that Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and Seattle are all far enough West that they can be grouped in with the aforementioned California ballclubs.


Houston Astros
I'm not into the whole idea of splitting Texas every which way, such as in football where the Cowboys are magically a part of the NFC East (or worse yet, back when the Cardinals were in that division as well) For that reason, I think the Astros should join their Texas counterparts in the West.


Minnesota, St. Louis and Kansas City
Taking a gander at a map of the U.S. http://www.kidney.org/about/images/usMap550px.gif you can sort of see where the East-West split happens, with states like Minnesota and Missouri falling right in the middle. However, they are the two remaining states that are farthest west, therefore I believe the Twins Royals and Cards should all be placed in the West.


The Windy City
Again, this is tough because looking at the map, Illiois is where it really begins to lean East. However, I felt that teams from the same state should share the same conference. Since we needed 2 more teams to fill the Western half, we figured why not go with the Cubs and White Sox? The only other team you could feasibly place there that lies directly in the middle would be Milwaukee. However, for the reason that we need KC and Saint Louis together, as well as the Chicago clubs, that leaves no room for the Brew Crew in the western half of the League.



East

All 10 Eastern Division Teams
The Yanks, Mets, Phils, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Nats, Marlins, O's, Braves, and Rays are all in the AL and NL east right now, and deservedly so. In fact, the team furthest west out of all of those is Atlanta. Just as their west counterparts, they will remain in their respective half of the country.


The Ohio Players
Looking once again at the map, you'll see that Ohio is definitely far enough east to be grouped in with the others mentioned above, and as a result the Indians and Reds will tag along as members of the Eastern Conference.


Milwaukee Brewers
See "Windy City"


Detroit Tigers
Detroit is a universal city in sportz, as it has four major franchises, all of which fall under different divisional titles. In baseball, they're considered central. In hockey, they're west, but in basketball they're east. They're not any of those in football, as the Lions are classified as 'North'. We're not really sure why it's so all over the place when it comes to this city, but it's clear to me that Michigan is a state on the eastern half of the country, and should be treated as such. The Tigers join the Easterners.


Pittsburgh Pirates
Cards with the Royals, Yanks with the Mets, Chi Sox with the Cubbies, and Indians with the Reds. You'll notice a very nice pattern evolving in that if you play in the same state as another team, you should play in the same conference. Besides, Pittsburgh may be western PA, but it is by no means a western city. The Pirates join Philly in the east.


So there you have it, the MLB split between Eastern and Western conferences. Stay tuned in the next blog, however, as I kick it up a notch and try to predict just how a system like this would work, how many teams would make the playoffs, and which teams would benefit/suffer from this type of change.

Put Up or Shut Up: Duke, Butler Collide For National Title

Welcome back, sportz freaks to a very special edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Three weeks ago, 65 NCAA basketball squads were entered into the tournament we all know as March Madness. Tonight, the final two will take the floor in Indianapolis with the same goal: winning a national championship. For Duke, it would be their fourth, their last since 2001. For the underdog team from Butler, it can truly be a historic night, as the Bulldogs could very well win their very first championship. It's been a wild ride in this year's NCAA tournament, and the finals is truly indicative of that.

On one hand, you have a Duke team who has been riddled with post season failure in the past ten years, but is still considered a national powerhouse none the less. The #1 seed from the South Region, the Blue Devils got a free pass to the round of 32 after beating down Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Then, Duke went on to face the #8, #4, and #3 seeds in succession, defeating California, Purdue, and Baylor, respectively. Saturday evening, Duke finished their run to the title game with a rather impressive victory over what was then a red-hot West Virginia club.

Then there's Butler. What can we say about those Bulldogs? Well, I know for myself personally, these guys have proven me wrong time and time again. I have counted them out a number of times this season, and they have proved me wrong every step of the way. It started with a victory over #12 UTEP, a game in which I had selected the underdogs and was incorrect from the start. From there, Butler went on to defeat the 13 seeded Murray State, and while the wins were coming, the decent opponents were not. That didn't last long, though, as Butler shocked the world in the Sweet 16 by eliminating the #1 seed in the West when they beat Syracuse 63-59. With my champion erased from the brackets, I still didn't have much faith in Butler's chances to make it to the Final Four. In their Elite Eight match up, however, the Bulldogs prevailed again in another shocking victory over #2 Kansas State. Then on Saturday, facing the defending runners up, Butler faced one last test against the gutty, gritty Spartans of Michigan State. Butler pulled it off again in thrilling fashion, knocking off MSU with a 52-50 victory.

Now it's David vs. Goliath for about the 400th time this season. But this one feels different. This one feels special. Butler will be playing tonight in front of a crowd that will be vastly behind them, considering they are just miles from their home court. Duke is a tough challenge, no doubt. But so was Syracuse... and Kansas State... oh, and Michigan State also. So what makes the Blue Devils any different? What makes Coach K's squad the team that will finally put an end to this Cinderella story? Maybe the better question is: will they?

When the field was released back in mid-March, I had Duke and Syracuse facing off in the finals, and while I'm happy with getting half right, I'm also quite certain that there weren't too many people who took Butler this far either. The problem I have now is that I never had Duke winning it all. I had the Orange taking home the trophy, and the Blue Devils falling just short. This story is quite different than Duke-Syracuse. Butler is on the ride of their lives, and who's to say the party's going to end tonight? Last year, I thought Michigan State would pull off the upset against UNC, virtually playing at home as Butler is tonight. UNC took the game with ease, making one wonder just what makes Butler any different. As an avid Duke fan, I am here to tell you that this is completely different from last year's title game, and that the Blue Devils are on major upset alert.

If Duke can shoot like they did on Saturday, the Blue Devils will walk out tonight as national champs. One slip back to the slop they played in the middle rounds and Butler will walk all over them. Duke seems focused, almost too much so. Will they finally choke the way Tar Heel fans have been waiting for all tournament?

I believe they will. And it may not be so much on Duke as it is on a fired up Butler team, looking to defy all the odds. I'm a huge fan of underdog stories, even if the underdog is facing my favorite team. Sometimes miracles happen, and sometimes teams leave with no championship, but great memories are left behind. Tonight, I believe the Bulldogs pass the test, and as a result we will be faced with the inevitable 96 team tournament next season. Before we worry about next year, though, let us all enjoy what I expect to be a phenomenal match up tonight, and watch as a champion is crowned.

Marching Fourward: 2010 Final Four Predictions

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Three weeks ago, the NCAA tournament began with 65 different collegiate teams vying for a chance to be named national champions. Today, that number is down to four. And it's a rather peculiar final four, if I do say so myself. Let's be honest, thousands of people filled out brackets before the tournament began, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who predicted that Duke, West Virginia, Michigan State, and Butler would all make it to this point. Sure some, like myelf, had one or two of these teams reaching the Final Four, but throw in a Cinderella story in Butler, and a reprise from last year's Final Four in Michigan State, and we have one of the strangest semifinals in the tournament's history.

Tonight, things might only get crazier. Just imagine a championship game with Butler involved. It's certainly not impossible, especially considering that the Bulldogs are practically playing at home, just miles away from their own court. Of course, the Spartans will have something to say about that as they look to get back to the tournament finals for the second consecutive year after a disappointing loss to UNC in last year's finale. On the other side of the bracket, we have the lone #1 seed left in Duke taking on a red-hot Mountaineers team from West Virginia. There's no telling what may happen, but one thing's for sure: when it's all said and done, we will have our championship match. And what kind of sportswriter would I be if I didn't offer my take on each of these two semifinal match ups? I won't name a champion just yet, but I will give you my predictions for the games being played later tonight. So let's get started, shall we?

First up....

#5 Michigan State vs. #5 Butler (6:07 PM EST)

If there's one lesson I've learned in this tournament, it's that anything can and will happen this year. The other lesson I've learned is to never doubt Tom Izzo. After having predicted that the Spartans would win the whole tournament last year, I eased off their bandwagon this season and only took them into the Sweet 16. However, Izzo's squad has proven me wrong time and time again. On the flipside, Butler has done exactly the same. Every time I think the Bulldogs have a snowball's chance in Hell, it comes back to bite me. I thought for sure last week that it would be Syracuse who would knock them off, but the Orange fell. Then it was the Wildcats of Kansas State to the rescue, but Butler knocked them off as well. Now, as I look at this match up, I see a Spartan victory forthcoming, but does that mean it'll actually happen? Butler has the home crowd on its side, and a world of momentum to work with as they face last year's runners up. Michigan State is banged up, but I feel like the Spartans have just enough juice left to get back to the championship game.

Winner: Michigan State


#1 Duke vs. #2 West Virginia (8:47 PM EST)

I took the Blue Devils straight to the finals when I first filled out my bracket, and even had them over West Virginia to get there. As I sit here and look at the game in question, however, it's hard not to like the Mountaineers' chances. Coach Huggins has West Va. on one heck of a run, and it's going to take a much stronger effort from Duke than they've given in their past few contests to make it to the finals. Da'Sean Butler is a strong leader, and West Virginia is riding on a tidal wave of momentum, but Duke has quietly slipped through the cracks as the only #1 seed remaining in the tournament. Coach K seems to have the Blue Devils focused right now, but if they continue to play sloppily as they have in their past two games, the Mountaineers will pick them apart. I like West Va, but I'm also a man of my word. I'll stick with Duke for now.

Winner: Duke

So there you have it. Duke vs. Michigan State for the championship! Of course, knowing my luck (and the way this tournament has gone thus far), I will go a whopping 0-2 tonight and we'll see the Bulldogs and Mountaineers duke (pun intended) it out for NCAA supremacy. Until then, enjoy the games!

Nine Wins With Nine Left: Sizing Up the Nets' Chances to Eclipse the Sixers

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. It's been another crazy weekend in the NCAA Basketball world, but I will go more into that in the second post this week. Until then, I'm going to focus on the pros. I haven't spoken about the NBA in a while, and that's probably because I'm a Nets fan. Let's face it, when your favorite team plays 73 games and only walks out of nine of them with victories in hand, it's a pretty sore subject to talk about. However, I write today's blog with the utmost optimism. As you may already know, the New Jersey Nets recently tied the 1972-1973 76ers' record for least wins in a single season at nine. It's been an ugly road up until now, but somehow New Jersey was able to claw their way through nine victories and avoid being known as the team with the smallest amount of victories in the history of the NBA. The question now is whether or not the Nets can get one more win, get that one last victory that will put them at ten wins and erase all notification as one of the two worst teams in history.

The Nets have just nine games left in the season to accomplish this feat. While it's not exactly a goal New Jersey strived for at the beginning of the season, win number ten will go a long way in taking the spotlight off the Nets, while also assuring that they will not go down in the record books in such a negative fashion. Taking a look at the remaining schedule the Nets have, it is my belief that New Jersey has two very good chances to earn victories in the next nine contests, as well as two other decent shots. Let's take a look at each of the final nine teams the Nets will face off against and I'll let you know whether or not the bottom-dwellers of the NBA will be able to pull off an upset (which would be the case no matter who they played).

March 29th: vs. San Antonio

Ok, I'm not even going to touch this one. Just having seen this exact match up take place at the Izod last year for my own eyes, I can tell you that the Nets are a long, long ways from ever becoming competitive against a team like San Antonio. Tonight is not the night for #10.

March 31st: vs. Phoenix

This is another case of David vs. Goliath. The Suns are 47-26 this season, and are currently ranked second in their division. The Nets and Suns met on January 20th in Phoenix, a game which the Suns took handedly in a 118-94 rout. Now the desert dwellers will head to the east coast to take on the low of the low in New Jersey, and I don't see too much of a different outcome occuring. The Nets won't get their tenth here, either.

April 3rd: vs. New Orleans

So this is one of those decent shots I was talking about earlier. The Hornets are nowhere near the talent level they had last year. Currently, New Orleans is dead last in the Southwest Division, posting a 34-40 record. It's nowhere near 9-64, but it's not great either. The Nets also faced the Hornets back in January, and the Hornets nearly escaped at home with a 103-99 victory. If the Nets show up to play that night, even after most likely losing the prior two games to western power houses, I believe New jersey can get the job done.

April 4th: @ Washington

It is my opinion that the Nets' greatest chance in the next month to garner one more victory will take place on Easter Sunday when they head down to D.C. to take on the miserable Wizards. Washington isn't much better off than the Nets this season, winning just 21 games and losing the other 51. The Wizards have won all three of their contests with the Nets this season, by scores of 123-104, 81-79 and 89-85, respectively. However, the Wizards have not done much else this season, and should the Nets come ready for action in Washington, the Wizards could be forced into humilation at home. This could very well be the night the Nets get it done.

April 7th: @ Milwaukee

Every game the Nets have left provides them with a chance to get their 10th victory of the season, and as an avid sportz fan I know that anything can happen on any given night. Unfortunately, I don't think the Nets match up very well with the Bucks, and the two clubs are headed in totally opposite directions. It's not impossible, but it's not likely either.

April 9th: vs. Chicago

The Nets just lost to the Bulls on Saturday night, so maybe it isn't all that crazy to believe that New Jersey could bounce back in 2 weeks when they play Chicago again. After all, the Bulls are just a mediocre 35-38 this year, and are only third in their division. This isn't one of the four games I think the Nets have a decent-to-good shot of winning, but I'll label this one under "Possibly".

April 10th: @ Indiana

This is the other game I think the Nets have a great opportunity to win. The Pacers have been terrible all season long, and have posted just a 27-47 record. The Pacers have won five out of their last six, and they have defeated the Nets all three times this season. However, the two clubs haven't met since mid-January, and the Nets are actually a bit different than they were back then. They seem to have a bit more confidence than they possessed in the first few months of the season. Indiana is a team that if you jump on them early, they're not going to recover. Put this game up with the Wizards in terms of the Nets' chances to win.

April 12th: vs. Charlotte

This will mark the end of the Nets' season at home, and what better game for New Jersey to get its *illustrious* 10th victory? The Bobcats aren't much of a threat, but when matched with the Nets, any team can be seen as unbeatable. True, Charlotte is 38-34 this season, but they're still not quite up to par with the rest of the Eastern powers. The Nets won't have a great chance to win this one, but they do have a decent shot.

April 14th: @ Miami

New Jersey ends its season inn sunny South Florida, where it will take on the Miami Heat, a team who is struggling to find its identity this season. The Heat are 40-34, 3rd in the Southeast, and yet we still don't know just how seriously we can take the 2006 NBA champs. Miami has won five in a row, and has lost only three times this month. They may just be getting hot at the right time as they look to make one last surge at the playoffs. As a matter of fact, this final game with New Jersey could make of break the Heat's chances of heading to the post season. If such is the case, I don't give New Jersey a snowball's chance in Hell.


The Nets are down to their final nine games, and need just one more victory. They have to win one of those, right?

Stockton Sportz Talk: Great Week for Osprey Athletics

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. It's been a while since I've updated you on the athletic on-goings here at Stockton. However, today may be as good a day as ever, since this past week was nearly flawless for the hometown Ospreys. Out of the eight games Stockton competed in this week, Stockton won all but one.

Dating back to the 19th, the Osprey softballers swept a double-header over Hamilton (11-3 F/6) and SUNY Oswego (3-0). Joey Afflitto went 6-8 with a double, two triples and a home run. Kelly Dodd was 4-7 with two home runs and six RBI. Brittany Giacomelli tossed a shutout vs. Oswego as the Ospreys took both games in the double-header.

March 20th was packed with action, as the Ospreys took part in the Stockton Amanda Williams, Demetrius Rooks, Chris Huch and Ben Hammond all won events. The Ospreys also won the women's sprint medley and women's distance medley Invitational Track and Field event, in which four Stockton athletes won events. Stockton's baseball squad went 2-0 on this day, beating the Baruch Bears twice by a total of 16 runs. The lone loss of the day came at the hands of the lacrosse team, who fell 11-9 in a close game against Moravian.They rebounded, however, when they took on Neumann and put a hurting on the Knights with a 19-10 victory on Wednesday.

Finally, the Softball team was back in action Thursday night in a double-header against Arcadia, one which the Ospreys swept with victories of 6-0 and 10-2, respectively. That brings the girls' overall record this year to 8-4.


Things are just beginning to warm up this Spring at Stockton, and this weekend is loaded with sporting events to keep up the Osprey spirit. Saturday's festivities include a Rowing match at Bryn Mawr, the Widener Invitational in Track and Field, Baseball at home against Penn State Abington in a double-header, and Lacrosse at Vassar at 3:30. The women's softball game vs. Staten Island was postponed.

This week, the Ospreys will not be slowing down, as the baseball team competes at home again tomorrow at 12 against Haverford in a double-header, and then against Arcadia Tuesday at 3:30. Both of those games will be played here in Pomona. The boys also head to Kean University on Thursday for an NJAC showdown with the Cougars.

Also this week, the Lacrosse team will do battle with Catholic University on Wednesday night at 7:30 here at the G. Larry James Stadium, and the Softball team will be home against Baruch College on Thursday afternoon (3PM).

The Ospreys are off to a great start in all sportz, and we hope they continue with their success as they get further into their individual seasons. That does it for me today. Thanks for tuning back into Z Money's Sportz Talk. Be sure to check back here during the week for my NCAA Final Four predictions!

Oh, Sweet 16

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. As you know, we are smack-dab in the middle of March Madness, and the tournament has certainly lived up to the 'mad' part of the name thus far. We've seen upsets and shockers, injuries and heartbreak. We've had seasons end weeks before they were supposed to, and seasons still strong that should have been over a month ago. In light of it all, the Sweet 16 is set to go, and it's only going to get crazier from here. In last week's edition, I discussed all of the upsets that have happened so far, and highlighted the match ups that will now be taking place as a result. And, as promised, I will be giving my predictions for the round of sixteen. Without further a due, let's get started.

Midwest Region

#5 Michigan State vs. #9 Northern Iowa

Well, raise your hands if you had this match up written down on your bracket. Yeah, didn't think so. Michigan State is back in the Sweet 16 after a run to the championship game last year. Many wondered if they could come back this year with the same energy, but coach Tom Izzo has gotten the Spartans back in the mix of championship contenders. Meanwhile, Cinderella Story Northern Iowa is still on cloud 9 after knocking off the #1 overall Jayhawks of Kansas. The question now is whether or not the Panthers can regroup from such a big win to eliminate the defending runners up. Normally, I'd go with experience over the unknown, but the key factor in this game is going to be the loss of Junior Guard Kalin Lucas. Lucas, who led the team in points per game (14.8) as well as assists per game (4.0), is out for the rest of the tournament with a torn Achilles tendon. If UNI can exploit this weakness early and often, the Panthers could well find themselves dancing into the elite 8. I'll go on a limb and take them in a close victory.

Winner: Northern Iowa


#2 Ohio State vs. #6 Tennessee

The Buckeyes came into this tournament on the outside of a #1 seed, looking in. Some argued that Ohio State deserved one, but it hasn't mattered to this point. The Buckeyes have cruised past both of their first and second round opponents en route to a Sweet 16 match up with the Vols of Tennessee. The Volunteers, who have struggled in NCAA tournament play as of late, have been a bit of a surprise this season, and perhaps a #6 seed was too low for the men in orange. Tennessee squeezed out a win over San Diego State in round one, and then put a beatdown on the Bobcats of Ohio in the round of 32. The momentum train has started though, and let's not forget that Tennessee defeated not only Kansas earlier this season, but Kentucky as well. This is a strong team who can make a strong case for the Final Four should they win Friday night. I'll take the Vols in another close game.

Winner: Tennessee


West Region

#1 Syracuse vs. #5 Butler

To me, Syracuse has looked like the strongest team thus far in the tournament, followed closely by Kentucky and Cornell (more on those two later). I didn't have Butler going this far initially, but the Bulldogs have found their way into the Sweet 16, albeit via wins over the 12th and 13th ranked teams in the region. Butler has a strong defense that can shut down the Orange's hot-handed shooters, but I don't see a way for them to stay in this game very long. I think 'Cuse takes this one in rather easy fashion

Winner: Syracuse


#2 Kansas State vs. #6 Xavier

Often overlooked, Xavier has once again been a pleasant surprise in the NCAA tournament, and had a couple of tough teams to beat to get to this point so far. Granted, Minnesota is no powerhouse, but the Golden Gophers are still a strong team, and Pittsburgh is no softy either. The Musketeers have built a bit of momentum and could definitely pull the upset over the Wildcats. I'll admit, I jumped right on board the 2007 train when I picked Florida to win two games over BYU and Kansas State, and it's safe to say that prediction has not fared out well. But since K State has advanced and beaten North Texas, as well as BYU, it's hard not to argue in favor of these guys. They've won btoh of their games with relative ease, and now that archirival Kansas has been ousted from the tourney, there has to be a sense of euphoria in the locker room. Although I actually have Xavier moving on at this point in my bracket, I took them over Florida, and this is clearly a different scenario. I like the Wildcats in a thriller.

Winner: Kansas State


East Region

#1 Kentucky vs. #12 Cornell

Well, I hate to say "I told you so", but... I told you so. Cornell cruised past their first two opponents in the tournament, as they ousted Temple and Wisconsin in laughable fashion. Meanwhile, back in the hunt for college basketball supremacy, the Kentucky Wildcats have found their way back to the Sweet 16 after wins over East Tennessee State and Wake Forest, both in blowouts. Cornell is clearly the underdog here, despite their overwhelming confidence. In fact, I feel the Big Red may be just a bit too confident at this point, and may not realize what lies ahead of them. If John Wall gets going early, it could be a long night for the Ivy League saviors. I think Cornell will battle, but that the magic bus ride stops in Syracuse.

Winner: Kentucky


#2 West Virginia vs. #11 Washington

Another surprise, and one whom is far less talked about, is the Washington Huskies. It has been my experience that every time I fall in love with these guys during March, they undoubtedly get booted from the tournament in the first round. As a result, I had them one-and-done this year, and sure enough they kicked me right in the behind. I did, however, take West Virginia this far, and have the exact match up with Kentucky going down on my bracket. I think Washington will hang tough for a while, but the Mountaneers are far too strong for the Huskies to hang with them. I'll stick with my original pick.

Winner: West Virginia


South Region

#1 Duke vs. #4 Purdue

This is most likely the game where fans will begin to wonder: is this the game Duke blows it? That question is not unwarranted, as the Blue Devils have had many a struggle in the past few years when March has rolled around. True, they've dominated both of their first round opponents, but Duke hasn't proven much of anything yet, and the red-hot Boiler Makers are charged and ready for an upset special. Purdue is riding high after a thrilling 65-63 victory over #5 Texas A&M in overtime, and there's no telling just how much momentum these guys truly have now. Truth be told, as you saw several posts ago, I had the Boiler Makers out in round one to perennial upsetter Siena, and that did not work out so well for me. Do I think Purdue has a good shot to knock off Duke? Absolutely. And they just might. However, I think this might be the year Duke actually has their act together, and I also would not like to stray away from my original pick to go to the finals. I'll take the Blue Devils in a war.

Winner: Duke


#3 Baylor vs. #10 Saint Mary's

This game is interesting on so many levels. Let's start with the fact that Baylor, while a #3 seed, was not given much of a chance to go deep into this tournament. Yet, here they are. Saint Mary's upset Richmond as I had predicted, but then surprised the world and myself when they continued on to beat #2 Villanova. I think the Gaels definitely have a shot to upend the Bears, but so far to me, Saint Mary's has yet to be truly challenged. That may sound crazy, but facing a #7 seeded Richmond team who was more than likely ranked higher than they should have been, followed by a sputtering Wildcat team out of Villanova despite their #2 rank. I think SMC will hang tough, but Baylor looks determined right now and I'm not sure Saint Mary's has enough gas left in the underdog tank to pull off the upset. I like Baylor.

Winner: Baylor



So there you have it. My predictions for the Elite Eight are as follows:

#2 Ohio State vs. #9 Northern Iowa
#1 Syracuse vs. #2 Kansas State
#1 Kentucky vs. #2 West Virginia
#1 Duke vs. #3 Baylor

Out of UNI, Cornell, Washington, and Saint Mary's (a.k.a the upset crew), just one of them seems destined for Elite Eight glory. Tune in Thursday and Friday night to find out just who has what it takes to move on!

'Madness' Opening Weekend Marked by Upsets, Shockers

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Well, March Madness certainly lived up to its name this past weekend, as the opening two rounds of the NCAA tournament were filled with upsets galore.

It started rather quickly, when Old Dominion (seeded 11th in the South Region) knocked off #6 Notre Dame early on Thursday. From there, the chain of underdog victories began to grow, and teams destined for glory found themselves on a long bus ride home. Just how many upsets did we see in rounds one and two? Well, if you consider an upset to be a victory by any lower seeded team over a higher ranked opponent, then there were exactly 15 upsets out of the 48 games played. Thats roughly a third of the matches. Teams like Cornell (#12, East), Saint Mary's (#10, South), and Northern Iowa (#9, Midwest) all took down teams rated higher than them in round one. The reason I've singled these three out, however, is the fact that they not only upset their first round opponents, but the Big Red, the Gaels and the Panthers all followed up these victories with wins over even higher ranked opponents.

After knocking off #5 seeded Temple, Cornell went on to defeat #4 Wisconsin in rather easy fashion earlier this afternoon. Saint Mary's also shocked the country when they not only took down 7th seeded Richmond in round one, but then proceeded to eliminate 2nd ranked Villanova, ending the Wildcats hopes of dancing in the Sweet 16. Northern Iowa defeated UNLV in the #8-#9 match up in the first round, which is an upset we see all the time in this tournament. However, what came next for the Panthers was far more impressive. Fresh off their victory over #16 Lehigh, number 1 overall Kansas was ready to steamroll through their next opponent en route to a Sweet 16 birth. Northern Iowa had other plans. The Panthers gave up an early 2-0 lead, but then erased it and took a lead of their own, one which they would never relinquish.

These three teams aren't the only ones who pulled off major upsets in the first round of the tourney, but they're three of the four low-seeded teams remaining in the field of 16. (#11 Washington is the other).

So now with the #1 overall team in the nation sitting at home, the question remains as to who will walk away as the champion of this rather peculiar tournament? Three #1's remain, along with the aforementioned upset specialists. All I know is, I've got just nine out of the sixteen left from my original bracket prediction. They are:

#1 Syracuse
#1 Kentucky
#1 Duke
#2 Ohio State
#2 West Virginia
#3 Baylor
#5 Michigan State
#6 Xavier

and yes,

#12 Cornell

I took 'Cuse, Duke, and West Va. to the Final Four, so that's still pretty strong, although my 4th finalist was Kansas, whom I already spoke about.

The match ups in the Sweet 16 only get crazier from here on out, as pairings of #1's and under dogs with double-digit rankings still remain evident. Since I did so poorly in the first two rounds, I won't be trying to redeem any of my picks. However, I will try to give you some insight as to who I will believe will win these next eight games. I like to keep my audience waiting, though, so my predictions for the Sweet 16 will come sometime during the next few days. Until then, keep on reading, and keep on watching as March Madness gets even madder.

Let the Madness Begin: NCAA Field of 65 Selected

Welcome back, sportz freaks to the March Madness edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. I've been waiting patiently for two months since the debu issue of this blog was posted to be able to finally talk about March Madness, and finally my waiting has paid off. About four hours ago, the NCAA Men's basketball selection commmittee released its 65 teams who will be playing for a chance to call themselves National Champions. There were some predictable moments, such as Kansas receiving the #1 overall seed. There were also some shockers, such as Wake Forest and Utah State getting into the tourney, while bubble teams like Virginia Tech and Illinois were left out of the mix. But when it was all said and done, the committee stuck by their decision that they had selected the best 65 schools in the country, and while many have argued their though process, the decision is final.

Let's now forget all about what teams should have gotten into the field of 65, and which teams made it who didn't belong. Let us instead focus only on the sixty-five schools who did make it, and what could possibly result from all this madness. As I mentioned above, the Kansas Jayhawks received the #1 seed in the nation, and as a result will play in the Midwest region, and will go up against Lehigh in the first round. 16th seeded Lehigh enters the tourney by virtue of their Patriot League Conference Championship. I believe in miracles here, but there's not a chance that these guys get by Kansas in the first round. Taking a look at the rest of the Midwest region, I like the Rebels of UNLV to win a tight one against Northern Iowa, the Michigan State Spartans to advance over New Mexico State, and the Terps of Maryland to take down the Houston Cougars. Also in this region, i forsee an upset of the Tennessee Volunteers by San Diego State and the Aztecs. I also predict that Georgetown will be successful over Ohio, Oklahoma State will squeak out a close one over Georgia Tech, and that Ohio State will roll over UC Santa Barbara.

I will eventually make my entire field picks, but first I am going to move to the West Region, where #1 Syracuse will look to win their section of the bracket and advance to the Final Four. They get Vermont in round one, and I see no way the Orange will lose this one. Gonzaga and Florida State should put on a good show, but I'll go with the Bulldogs here. Butler and UTEP are also set for an intriguing matchup, and we could possibly see a big upset here. I'll take my chances on the Miners from El Paso. Vanderbilt also finds itself in a trap game against Murray State, but I like the Commodores in a close one. I'll take Xavier over Minnesota, as well as Pittsburgh over Oakland. I believe Florida gets its NCAA groove back in a win over 7th seeded BYU, and to finish out the first round in the West, I like Kansas State over North Texas.

In the East region, the Kentucky Wildcats are looking to rebuild their reputation as a national powerhouse, and will try to do so in a first round matchup against East Tennessee State. Wildcats win big in that one. Texas has fallen off a bit since they grabbed hold of the #1 seed in the nation a little over a month ago, but a first round match with the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest should get them back on the right track. I like the Longhorns in that one. Cornell is my bracket buster this year, so look for them to take down Temple and possibly surge into the later rounds, while I believe Wisconsin will squeeze out a victory over 13th ranked Wofford. On the bottom half of the region, I like Marquette over Washington, Montana to upset New Mexico, Clemson over Missouri, and West Virginia to cruise by Morgan State.

Finally, looking at the South region which is headed by the Duke Blue Devils, I see the #1 seed beating whomever comes out of the play-in game (for argument's sake, I'll go with Winthrop). Cal and Lousiville should battle it out in Houston, but I like the Bears to walk out with this one. Texas A & M should easily defeat Utah State, and I believe Purdue will be stunned early on by 13th seeded Siena. In the bottom half of the South, I like Old Dominion in an upset of Notre Dame, Baylor over Sam Houston State, St. Mary's over Richmond, and Villanova over Robert Morris.

That of course sends us back to the Midwest, where we would begin the field of 32 teams. I like Kansas to continue its winning ways against UNLV, the Spartans to upset the Terapins of Maryland, Georgetown to end the run of San Diego State, and Ohio State to continue on past Oklahoma State.

Heading back to the West region, I believe Syracuse will be given all it can handle against Gonzaga, but that they will find a way to win and head off to the Sweet 16. I'll take Vandy again, this time over UTEP, as well as what will be an upset of Xavier over Pitt. Finally, I like Florida to continue as somewhat of a Cinderella Story over Kansas State.

In the East, Kentucky should be given a test against Texas, but I see them passing with flying colors as the cruise to the Sweet 16. My Bracket Buster should be able to find a way past Wisconsin, should it win its first round matchup. That's why I like Cornell to advance over the Badgers. Marquette will halt Montana in its tracks, while West Virginia should continue to strol along against Clemson.

Then, back in the South Region, I like Duke over Cal, Siene to keep surprising over texas A&M, Baylor to enter the Sweet 16 by way of a victory over Old Dominion, and Villanova to win a tough test against St. Mary's.

Onto the Sweet 16, I see Michigan State putting up a huge fight against the Jayhawks, but falling just short as Kansas moves onto the Elite 8. I also believe Ohio State's run in the tournament will come to an end at the hands of the Georgetown Hoyas. Syracuse should keep winning, as they get by Vanderbilt, and should run into Xavier, who will put an end to Florida's winning ways. Cornell will battle heavily against Kentucky, but I believe the Wildcats will march into the Elite 8 despite their overwhelming youth. I also like West Virginia to keep winning as they take down Marquette. The final two teams into the Elite 8 should be Duke and Nova, who will beat Siena and Baylor, respectively.

That leaves the final eight teams as Kansas, Georgetown, Syracuse, Xavier, Kentucky, West Virginia, Duke, and Villanova.

Kansas should have a tough time against the Hoyas, but Georgetown will simply be overmatched and the Jayhawks will get back to the Final Four. Syracuse and Xavier will battle, but if the Orange can get back to midseason form, there's no way they can lose this one. I'll take Syracuse here. Moving onto Kentucky and West Virginia, I believe this is where the first of the top 4 teams will fall, as the Mountaneers take down the Wildcats. Finally, in a rematch from last year's tourney, I like Duke to avenge the loss to Villanova.

Then it's onto the Final Four, where I've bravely selected 3 #1 seeds and a #2. (I know, I'm a daredevil). I think that if Syracuse can keep the ball rolling that they can give Kansas a run for its money, and although the Jayhawks are a much stronger team, I like what will be the underdog in this one. Syracuse to the National title. Then it's my personal favorite Duke, going up against what should be a very scary team in West Virginia. I don't think Duke will really be challenged in their region, but if they should make it to the Final four they'll have to face the likes of a Kentucky or a West Virginia, and I'm not so sure they can handle it. However, I think Singler and the Blue Devils find a way to get themselves back in the National Championship game against the Orange.

So then who wins it all? Well, the debates started right away after the tournament bracket was released about why Syracuse should have been ranked higher than Duke (In this case, Duke is the 3rd #1 seed, while Syracuse is the 4th). Many argued that the Orange played a tougher schedule in a tougher conference, and that even though they didn't win the Big East tourney, that they were still more impressive than the Blue Devils. Should this end up being the championship game, this will be the opportunity for Syracuse to prove all these critics right, and show that they did belong in a higher spot than Duke. I believe that if these guys get started fast in the early rounds, and can grind out big wins in the later ones, that Syracuse is the favorite to take it all this year. Syracuse has beaten far better teams than Duke has, and despite an early exit in the Big East Tournament, I still feel like they're one of, if not the strongest team in the field. I'll take the Orange Men over my boys from Duke in a 77-74 thriller.

2010 National Champion: Syracuse

Stockton Sportz Talk: Spring is in the Air at Stockton

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Before we set the stage for some serious March Madness discussion, we have just one day left of Conference Championships so we can't quite go into detail about all that yet. However, I'm in need of another post this week and luckily for me Spring sportz have just gotten under way here at Stockton. I'll take a look into the teams that will be representing RSC this coming Spring season, starting with baseball.
The Osprey sluggers are looking to turn around what was a relatively ugly season in '09, where they went a mediocre 15-17 with an appalling 4-14 record in the NJAC. So far, however, they're off to a not-so-hot start. Stockton has played four games htus far, and come away with just one victory. They opened up with a thrilling 11-10 victory over Shenandoah, a game played at Myrtle Beach, SC. The Ospreys then followed up with a game that same night and fell 3-1 to Bates College. Then, somehow, Stockton fell twice in a double header against the same Shenandoah squad it had faced just the day before. A few games were supposed to be played after that stint in South Carolina, but weather forced them all to be postponed. The team will now travel to Cocoa Beach, FL for another tournament, where they hope to begin turning their season around before it's too late.
The softball team faired much better last year, going 27-15 overall, despite just an 8-10 record in the conference. The Osprey ladies qualified for the '09 ECAC tournament, where they went 2-2 in four games. This year, the team looks to build off that strong season in hopes of a possible NJAC Championship. The season hasn't actually gotten under way yet for the softballers of Stockton, but you can be sure that the girls are ready to go, as they get set for their opening game. That contest will take place in Fort Myers, FL on this coming Monday, the 15th against Wisconsin-Superior.
The lacrosse team is excited to get started as well, as they have already defeated the College of Wells by an impressive 19-5 margin. Their next contest comes this Tuesday, March 16th at home against Plattsburgh State. The Osprey lacrosse squad went 9-5 last year, but lost just one out of five games in the NJAC. The Ospreys are looking to keep the momentum going from a strong finish in '09 to hopefully rise up in the ranks of the NJAC.
That's not all going on here at Stockton, though. The Ospreys still have the Rowing and Track and Field teams to watch out for, as each of them looks to make a mark, while also looking to boost the overall athletic status of the Ospreys.
The Spring season is just getting started here at Stockton, and it's only going to get better from here on out. So be sure to come out and support your Osprey teams as much as possible!

Champs Thumped: Duke Beats UNC 82-50

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. As I noted in my last post, I will be doing two blogs tonight in order to make up for the lack of postings this week. Tonight I discussed Stockton's basketball season coming to an end, but I will now take a look at something else that has clearly come to an end: North Carolina's reign over the NCAA.

It was no surprise to many this year when the Tar Heels of North Carolina came into the season with substantially lowered expectations. This was to be expected, as they lost their main man in Tyler Hansbrough, as well as Ty Lawson. The core of their championship team from a year ago had gone on to the NBA, and the Heels knew that it wouldn't quite be the same this year.

However, no one saw this coming. The Tar Heels have fallen off in a bad way, having lost a mind-boggling 15 games this year, the most losses UNC has suffered in recent memory. And speaking of losses in recent memory, the Tar Heels capped off a miserable regular season plagued with injuries, with an 82-50 thumping suffered at the hands of arch-rival Duke. Now, as someone who follows sports religiously, I know that a game between Duke and UNC is never a sure bet, no matter who is favored, who is ranked in the top 25, and who has had a terrible season. The fact of the matter is that it's a major rivalry, one that some would put up there with the Yankees-Red Sox, and so all bets are off when these two teams face one another. That being said, I knew that the Blue Devils were in for a battle tonight when they hosted Carolina for Senior Night.

Or so I thought they were. Duke got off to a fast start, nailing three 3 pointers in a row, as well as three free throws off a foul outside the arc. Quickly it became a 20-7 game, and the Blue Devils were looking strong. Again, however, my sportz instincts kicked in. I figured that they'd cool off eventually, and that North Carolina would slowly climb their way back into the contest. Again, I was wrong. Duke continued to pour it on in front of the "Cameron Crazies", and put a beatdown on the defending NCAA Champions the way the #4 seed in the nation should.

But Duke has had its fair share of troubles in big games as well, and so a loss tonight would not have come as a surprise to anyone. Nor would a defeat somewhere in the early rounds of this year's NCAA tournament. That is why tonight's drubbing can be seen as more than just a big win over a huge rival, but perhaps such a large deficit can help to prepel the Blue Devils into March Madness with enough momentum to make some noise. With the win over Carolina, the Blue Devils now head into the ACC tournament with the #1 seed and should they win it, would almost guarantee them a #1 seed in the NCAA as well.

UNC, however, has just one path to the NCAA tourney, and that is by way of an ACC tournament championship. The Tar Heels will enter an astounding #10 seed, and will have to battle their way through a conference full of tough teams in Duke, Maryland and the suddenly surging Hokies of Virginia Tech. If the Heels want any chance to defend their crown, they're going to have to win the ACC.

Stay tuned next week as this conversation will get much more interesting. Once the Conference champions have been decided, we will finally get to see the field of 64 who will vie for this year's NCAA Championship. You can be sure that Z Money will be here to bring you every detail of the bracket, as well as my predictions for each one of the first-round matchups. Until then, keep on following here on Z Money's Sportz Talk, and be sure to come back next week as we get set for March Madness!

Stockton Sportz Talk: Ospreys' Season Ends at St. Mary's

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. It's been a long week and so I apologize for the lack of postings. For this reason I will be pulling double duty so right after this blog I will follow it up immediately with another one. We'll start things off on a sad note, as the men's basketball season here at Stockton has come to a close in a rather anticlimactic fashion.

It's tough to label a team that finished the season 20-8 as a disappointment, but unfortunately that seems to be the most fitting adjective to describe the season the Ospreys had. Coming off their best year in school history, capped by a trip to the NCAA DIII Championship game, Stockton was amped to make another deep run in the tournament. They began this year pre-ranked as the #2 team in the country, and deservedly so. Let's face it: Other than Jerome Hubbard, Stockton lost vitrually no one from last year's magical squad, and returned a core of players that were sure to bring the same level of play that last year's version of the Ospreys did. With Santini Lancioni and Omar Smith returning for their senior seasons and seeming to really step up to the next level at the end of last season, there was no doubt that Stockton was going to be just as good, if not better than last year.

But then the season got off to a shaky start. In the season opener at Big Blue, Stockton fought an epic battle with Baruch which came down to the wire, a game the Bears would eventually take on a last second three-pointer at the buzzer. I don't know if that shot was what sucked the life from Stockton, but things just seemed to go wrong from there. Sure, they won twenty games this year, but in tough NJAC games that they were able to win with eas last year, the Ospreys struggled mightily and never truly returned to the same form they had a year ago.

However, despite a tougher season than they experienced last year, the Ospreys still found t hemselves way above .500 at year's end, and climbed right up to #1 in the South half of the NJAC. They earned a bye and then took down Rutgers-Newark in the first round of the tournament. Then they ran into Wiliam Paterson, who was far superior, and it was then that we could finally see that this was not going to be the same great championship run that Stockton had in '09. That became extremely apparant when the Ospreys stepped onto the floor at St. Mary's (MD), and fell to Virginia Wesleyan, 85-82. The loss ended Stockton's season in a rather lack-luster fashion, and it's safe to say that a first round exit in the NCAA tourney was a major disappointment.

Looking at the bright side, Stockton still ended up with twenty wins, a second place finish in the NJAC, and a third straight trip to the NCAA's to boot. Most schools would be happy just to have one of those.

But now it seems as if the Ospreys could be in for a decline in the next few seasons. Seniors Lancioni and Smith will be headed off into the real world as they finish their 4-year careers here at Stockton, and that leaves a fresh core of young talent to take over the realms. The Ospreys have a few key players stepping up for them now in Pat Kelly (Soph.), DiAndre Brown (Soph.), and Micchael Farrow (Jr.). These players are definitely talented, but many questions are left unanswered for now as we aren't quite sure if they will ever be able to play at the level of the Lancionis and Hubbards of the world. But that's the funny thing about sports: You just never know in any given season just who might surprise you. For now, let's remember this season as one that may not have been as great as we had hoped, but still proved that Stockton basketball always brings it.

Stockton Sportz Talk: Ospreys Look For Third Straight NJAC Title

Welcome, once again sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. One of my favorite times of year has come around once again, and that is the beginning of the NCAA Basketball Playoffs; more specifically, the Division III tournament. For the past two seasons, the men's basketball team here at Richard Stockton College has captured the New Jersey Athletic Conference title and moved onto the NCAA DIII tournament. This year, the Ospreys (19-6; 9-4) will look to repeat once again as division champions, and that run to the top begins Wednesday night at 7PM here at the Big Blue sports complex.

Stockton is more than prepared to tread the NJAC tourney waters as they have a ton of experience and are on a bit of a hot streak as of late. Santini Lancioni recorded his 1000th point last week against the Lions of TCNJ to cap off another winning season for the Ospreys, and Omar Smith has been a huge presence as well. Combine that with a ton of young, fresh talent and you have a recipe that could prove to be very dangerous throughout the rest of the season. While this year's version of the team is nowhere near at the level we saw last year, the Ospreys still managed to win nineteen games and win the south half of the NJAC during the regular season. Whether or not they are strong enough to get far in the NCAA's, or if they can even get through the NJAC, has yet to be seen.

Up first for the Ospreys is the same team Stockton defeated last year to win their second straight NJAC Championship: Rutgers-Newark. The Scarlet Raiders come to Stockton Wednesday night to try to exact revenge on the foe who kept them one game shy of the NCAA tournament just a season ago. In a 62-54 thriller at "Big Blue", the Ospreys scratched and clawed their way back from an early deficit against a strong Rutgers team. Eventually the home team pulled away, and headed off to the DIII tournament, where they made it all the way to the championship game, a game which they lost by just nine points.

The Ospreys haven't looked like that same team this year, despite losing just two key seniors from last year's squad. It all started in the season opener against Baruch, where the Ospreys and the Bears fought back and forth in a highly-competitive game right up until the end, a game Baruch would take on a last-second three-point shot at the buzzer. Since then, the Ospreys haven't had that same luster, but despite their decrease in perfomance, they have lost just five times since then. One of those losses, however, came at the hands of their soon-to-be opponents: Rutgers-Newark. The Raiders took down Stockton 64-53 in Newark, which also happens to be the last time the Ospreys have suffered a loss. Since then, Stockton has gone 4-0, defeating their opponents by almost 15 ppg.

Should Stockton escape Wednesday night, they'll take on either Ramapo or William Paterson, both of whom defeated the Ospreys earlier in the season. Of the two, Paterson is clearly the mush scarier foe, as they are the best team in the NJAC by a landslide, having gone 23-2 overall with an 12-1 record in the conference. The Pioneers beat Stockton 63-57 back in mid-January, a game also played away from "Big Blue". Should the Roadrunners pull off the major upset up in Wayne, Ramapo can also boast that it has already defeated the Ospreys, as it did so by a score of 85-84 on Jan. 23rd. So the Ospreys have found themselves in quite a situation, facing one team that beat them already this year, with two more opponents who did the same waiting if they win.

So the question is, will the momentum carry Stockton to its third consecutive NJAC crown, or will Rutgers turn the tables from last season's season-ending loss here in Pomona? Head on over to the Big Blue sports complex this Wednesday night at 7PM to find out!

Bogey or Bogus?: Taking a Look at Tiger Woods' Press Conference

It's been almost three months since the infamous Tiger Woods scandal, and today golf fans across the nation waited in anticipation for what they were hoping would bring some closure to this situation. Earlier this morning, Tiger spoke in front of the press for the first time since the incident occured back in November. In doing so, he looked to restore his grand legacy as well as his reputation as the well-liked golf phenom we all once knew him to be. And so Tiger Woods, world-renouned golf legend, headed out to his podium, looked out into the room full of reporters, and then spoke from his heart.. err uh, his note cards.

That's right. Note cards. Here is a man who has, on more than one occasion, been unfaithful to his wife and kids, and a man looking to right his wrongs. Here's a man who had multiple affairs, lied about them all and disappeared from the golf world. Here is a man who let his family and his fans down, and who wanted to win them back. And he came out with a stack of note cards. Now I'm not saying that Tiger wasn't genuine in everything he said this morning (although I'm not saying he was either), but a general rule of mine when it comes to public apologies has always been that people who bring notes with them to make ammends are truly not as sorry as they claim to be. That's not to say that Tiger can't actually be remorseful, but his monotonic, robotic speech was less than overwhelming, and I couldn't get a sense of true regret.

Did Tiger say all the right things? Absolutely. He took all of the blame for each and every one of his actions. He apologized deeply to his wife and his kids, as well as all of the other people that he had let down. He spoke about how his wife was never in the wrong, and that no violence had ever occured within their household. Yes, Tiger hit all the right notes, and he pressed all the right buttons. But in a situation where he holds a press conference where no one can ask him any questions, and where he read off his apology like the morning school announcements, it is very difficult for me to believe that Tiger Woods is truly genuine.

As a writer, it's inevitable that something I post will always repel the opinions of someone who reads it, and I'm sure that will be the case here. Many have quickly jumped to the defense of Tiger Woods, claiming that he "is human" and that everyone makes mistakes. I couldn't agree with that more. However, these same people also say that Woods (and professional athletes in general) is not supposed to be a role model, and that his job is simply to go out and be the best at what he does: play golf. But whether they like it or not, and whether he likes it or not, Tiger Woods is in a position where millions of kids around the world look up to him. The same goes for anyone else who is in the spotlight. When you decide that you're going to be famous, whether it be as a golf player or a movie star or a country singer, you automatically sign that imaginary contract that states you will exemplify good behavior, and will be an idol which kids can look up to and admire. It comes with the territory, and while fame and fortune is undoubtedly fun for stars like Woods, there comes with it a great deal of responsibility. Woods sure did make a mistake, but it was not only his extra-marital affairs. No, Woods made the much bigger mistake of thinking the rules didn't apply to him. He believed that a man in his position had the right to do whatever he pleased. And whether or not he learned the lesson that he can not do whatever he wants is debatable, but the fact remains that the legacy of Tiger Woods has been eternally tarnished.

While I know that people are bound to disagree with my views on today's press conference, I also believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. So make the decision for yourself. But whether you believe that Tiger was truly genuine in what he said or not, the fact remains that he has one hell of a battle to fight to win back the adoration of his friends and family, as well as his fans.

Stockton Sportz Talk: Men and Women's Basketball Sweep TCNJ

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. While the world of professional sports has come to somewhat of a standstill while the Olympics go on, that doesn't stop our amazing athletes here at Richard Stockton College from competing. Last night both the men's and women's basketball teams were in action, both with a lot on the line. The women came into their game with TCNJ with a 12-12 record, and a 6-6 record in the NJAC. The lady Ospreys needed a victory over the Lions in order to clinch a playoff berth in this year's NJAC Tournament. Meanwhile, the men, having already clinched a playoff spot as well as a first round bye, still had something to prove. Last year's NCAA Division III runners-up were looking to build momentum toward the NJAC playoffs, with the hopes of returning to the NCAA tourney. In addition to that, senior Santini Lancioni came into the game just ten points shy of his 1000th career point. Needless to say, excitement filled the air as "Big Blue" was jam-packed with hundreds of the Stockton faithful.

The Women tipped off at 6PM, and from the start you could see determination in their eyes. The girls knew a playoff spot was on the line, and they played like it. The Ospreys started the game on a 30-7 run, and never looked back. By the half, the girls had jumped out to a 40-13 lead, and the Lions never got back into the game. Noelle Hogan. Ailyah Nelson, and Aspen Price-Perry each netted 13 points, as Price-Perry was on fire from outside the arc. The women didn't let up on the gas pedal, as they cruised to a 73-44 victory over their NJAC South rivals, and in the process secured a berth in the playoffs. The lady Ospreys will head to Montclair State University this Saturday, the 20th, to take on the Red Hawks in the first round of the NJAC tournament. Should they win, the girls will then head off to Kean University to take on the #1 seeded Cougars.

Shortly after the girls' victory, the guys came onto the floor and gave their seniors a warm welcome, as this would be the final regular season home game for the three veterans. Santini Lancioni, Omar Smith, and Steve Sheck were all honored for their contributions to the team over their tenure here at Stockton, and the Ospreys looked to close out the regular season with a "W". Lancioni came out firing, knowing full well that he needed just 10 points to get to 1000. He quickly reached 7, and then fired up a few three-pointers to try and lock it up. He missed both of those, but by the time the clock read 4:00 in the first half, Santini drained a three from just outside the arc to seal the deal, and the game was stopped momentarily to honor him. Lancioni would net twenty-one in his final regular season game. Omar Smith was a huge factor as well, as he led the team in points with 26, as well as in rebounds with 13. The Ospreys got out to an early 36-26 lead, but the margin narrowed quickly. Midway through the second half, the Lions took a one point lead, their first of the game, and it seemed as though all momentum had been lost. The ever-resilient Ospreys clawed their way back and eventually got their lead up to twenty, a deficit TCNJ would not be able to overcome. The men went on to win it 99-85. The Ospreys, #1 in the South region of the NJAC, will sit and wait as Rutgers Newark (#2 in the North) will take on Kean (#3 in the South). The winner will take on Stockton, with the winner of that heading to the finals.

Last night was a huge night for both the men's and women's bball squads, and things are only just starting to get interesting as both teams head into the playoffs. Come out and support the men next Wednesday night as they'll host either Rutgers Newark or Kean here at "Big Blue"!

Stars Aligned for NBA All-Star Weekend

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition on Z Money's Sportz Talk. It's been a crazy week weather wise, but the weekend is sure to be even crazier, but not because of any implication of snow. No, this is a much different kind of crazy, as the 2010 Winter Games are now officially under way, and we are all set for the NBA's latest performance of their annual All-Star game. But anyone who follows basketball knows that basketball provides us with far more than just your basic five on five game between the league's best. Oh, no, far more goes on during the NBA All-Star Weekend spectacular. For instance, the ever-popular Celebrity All-Star game. The game this year has already been played prior to this posting, but with the likes of Dr. Oz, Chris Tucker, and even Mark Cuban out on the floor, you can bet it was exciting. I won't spoil the finish for you, so I urge you to go to youtube or to ESPN to check out the highlights. Also tonight we had what has also become quite an intriguing aspect of the NBA's mid-season break in the Rookies vs. Sophomores Challenge, which the Rooks took home this year to end what was a long winning streak for the second-year players.

But things have only just begun this weekend, as Saturday night is jam packed with plenty more events that are sure to thrill basketball fans across the country. The first of these events is one called "Haier Shooting Stars", in which some NBA legends fuse with current NBA and WNBA players in a three-on-three style game of basketball. Some of the players involved include the likes of Dirk Nowitzki(Dal), Pau Gasol(LAL), Becky Hammon(SA;WNBA), and Chris Webber(Sac;Legend). After that we will see even more action as they move into the Skills Challenge, headed by Steve Nash(Pho), Brandon Jennings(Mil), Deron Williams(Utah), and last year's champion Derek Rose(Chi). The passing, dribbling, as well as the shooting of these four stars will be put to the test as they all go head to head to head to head to determine the overall skills competition champion.

We then come to my personal favorite event, that being the three point shooting contest. I'm no basketball player, but if ever there was a type of shot I do best, three pointers would be it. This year's version of the downtown showdown will not disappoint, as players such as Paul Pierce(Bos), Stephen Curry(GS), and Chauncey Billups(Den) will air it out to determine the best three-point shooter in the game today. Daequan Cook(Mia), Channing Frye(Pho), and Danilo Gallinari(NY) will also take part in the contest.

And then, of course, the NBA saves its most cherished event for the end, and that my friend would be the Dunk Contest. Last year's champion Nate Robinson(NY) will look to defend his crown against fresh challengers such as Gerald Wallace(Cha), Shannon Brown(LAL), and DeMar DeRozan(Tor), who won a dunk-in over Eric Gordon(LAC) earlier this evening to round out the final four. It should be interesting and extremely entertaining to see what these four professional athletes try to pull off in order to become the next Dunk-Off champ.

And as if all that wasn't enough for all of you basketball enthusiasts, the NBA finishes off this fun-filled weekend with the game these two days are dedicated to, and that's the All-Star game. This year the game should be just as exciting as any other, although recent news has broken that Allen Iverson(Phi) and Kobe Bryant(LAL) will be sitting out the contest due to injury. However, stars like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki will steal the show and make the NBA All-Star game the thrilling event it always turns out to be. While nothing more than bragging rights between the Eastern and Western Conferences is on the line here, the game still provides for a fun-filled atmosphere, and an overall exciting weekend for the NBA players and its fans.

So if you're not into last night's topic of the Winter Olympics, there's plenty more sportz to be watched as the NBA is bringing what should be an extremely entertaining weekend your way. And if you can't choose, just flip the channels. That's what I'll be doing. For Z Money's Sportz Talk, I'm Zach Abbott. Have a great weekend everyone.

Things Heating Up In Time For Winter Olympics

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. My sincerest apologies for making you wait this week for my latest posting, but the combination of homework, meetings, and the nuisance we have all come to know as snow, it's been very hard for me to keep up. As a result, my faithful readers will be treated to a new post today as well as tomorrow, the 12th. So without further a due, let's get down to business. Now that football season is officially in the books, we can all start to look forward to the many gifts we sports fans receive in the next few months. Things like March Madness, the NHL and NBA playoffs, and the start of Spring Training are all on the horizon, but before we get to any of that, we will have the pleasure of watching a special event that comes to us only once every four years. Of course, I'm referring to the Winter Olympics, which will begin tomorrow evening from the Canadian city of Vancouver. I, for one, am extremely excited as I always am when the Olympic season comes around. I felt like the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing were fantastic, and with stars like Michael Phelps representing the U.S., you could really feel a unity within the country, as practically everyone with a television set tuned in to watch him break record after record. If this is any indication of the pride and excitement that wil be flowing through our great country in the next two weeks, then we are in for one heck of a ride. And just as in the Summer, the U.S. has a lot of thrilling events headed by some major stars to look forward to.

The biggest event of the Winter Games, at least in my eyes, is that of the International Hockey Tournament. For this two week session of Olympic proportions, the National Hockey League shuts itself down, and the stars of the game leave their regular teams ot represent their respective countries in an international showdown. Players seen as hated rivals are now forced to join together in order to represent their home land to the best of their ability. Canada is one of the strong favorites yet again this year, as they are lead in by future Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur (NJ), not to mention that the tournament will be taking place on their home ice. Led by goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) and legendary forward Petr Forsberg, Sweden is also seen as a big threat, as they walked away with the 2006 crown. The United States will try to make a name for itself as well, as stars by the names of Zach Parise (NJ), Chris Drury (NYR) and goaltender Ryan Miller (Buf) will unite to represent the stars and stripes. The tournament is certainly up for grabs, and the thrill of each and every game will be felt whether you are there live, or watching from a distance on your television sets. You'll most likely find yourselves rooting for players you wouldn't normally cheer for otherwise, but it's all for the pride of your country. Crazy things can always happen, and let's hope for our sake that they do.

In addition to hockey, the US will also be cheering representatives in such other sports as Skiing, Bobsledding, Snowboarding, and Figure Skating. Fast-rising Lindsey Vonn is the odds-on favorite to take Women's skiing, while the "Flying Tomato", Shaun White looks to repeat as Olympic champion in Snowboarding. Sasha Cohen won't be competing for the U.S. this year in the world of figure skating, but new blood is coming up and ready to fight for the gold. Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, first and second place, respectively at the US figure Skating Championships, will be headed to Vancouver and hope to contribute to the Gold Medal push being given by the Americans. But whether it be skating, skiing, hockey, or even curling, you can bet that people across the nation will be cheering on their fellow Americans in all aspects of the Winter Games, and we can only hope that our fine representatives can dominate the way we know they can. As a nice bonus this week, not only for the Olympics, but since you've been so patient with me, I've included a wonderful highlight package of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice", the infamous year that the United States hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviets. It's moments like those which are so special that pose the question legendary commentator Al Michaels once asked: "Do you believe in miracles?" Hopefully, the US will experience yet another 'miracle' in the next few weeks. Enjoy the games, everyone, and be on the lookout for my next post, which will be updated tomorrow evening. Last but not least, God Bless America.