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.