Game-Planning 2

Well, for the second edition of Game-Planning I will be doing individual games which should be the norm for a while.


1st Quarter- Arizona at Kansas

Winner: Kansas

Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks look great this year. They are poised to take the Big 12 crown this year and early season tests such as Arizona are good for them. However, I still don't think Arizona will win. They've got Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless back but not much else. Kansas has everything and everyone back except Julian Wright. They're 4-0 right now and haven't scored less than 85 points in a game. Sherron Collins is scoring 16 points a game while adding a team-high 5 assists. Four other players are also averaging double-figures. Now, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1. They suffered their first loss to Virginia by three points. Since then they've been killing their opponents but I guess that doesn't mean much when they've only played UMKC and Adams State in that time. Bayless (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) are the lead men for this team. Knowing this, I got Kansas.

When To Watch: Sunday, November 25th at 8pm eastern time on ESPN.


2nd Quarter- Wisconsin at Duke

Winner: Duke

Why They'll Win: The Blue Devils are 5-0 and fresh off a Maui Invitational championship. They're looking great out there and Wisconsin shouldn't be much of a problem. The freshman sensation Kyle Singler is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds. Six players are averaging 20+ minutes per game. Now, the Badgers are 4-0 and, to me, seem underrated. Yes, they lost Alando Tucker, but that doesn't mean they're a bad team. Trevon Hughes is scoring 20 points while grabbing 5 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Down low, Brian Butch is putting up 16 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds per contest. Also, don't discount Derrick Rose's high school and AAU teammate, Michael Flowers. He's averaging 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists as a freshman. In the end though, Wisconsin just doesn't stack up against the big bad Blue Devils.

When To Watch: Tuesday, November 27th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time.


Halftime Thoughts-

Michael Beasley. I honestly can't believe it. It seems we have this year's Kevin Durant. Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds while leading his team to a 3-1 start. My only gripe? His shooting 69% from the line. Of course, I guess he makes up for it by 63% from the field and 44% from deep.

The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 right now and Chris Lofton ISN'T the main reason. He's averaging a paltry 12 points per game and hasn't taken more than 13 in a game. This tells me a couple of things. First, Lofton isn't forcing shots because most defenses are keying in on him. Second, his teammates must be stepping up somewhat to make up for his struggles. Now I wondered, "who is that teammate(s) stepping up?" Well, JaJuan Smith is scoring 17 points a game. The other two Smiths are both averaging 12 per contest. I guess for Coach Pearl it doesn't really matter who's scoring just as long as someone putting the ball in the hoop.

Gonzaga will be facing their first real test of the season tonight against Texas Tech. The Bulldogs are ranked 14th with a record of 4-0 thanks in large part to Austin Daye (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Jeremy Pargo (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Matt Bouldin (12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have impressed me so far and will need to keep up with other improving mid-majors such as Davidson and George Mason.


3rd Quarter- NC State at Michigan St.

Winner: Michigan St.

Why They'll Win: I know this isn't what you'd call a "marquee" matchup but the early season isn't very good and this will have to do. Anyways, NC State, fresh off a win over South Carolina, is somewhat strong this year. They are predicted by some to finish as high as third in the ACC. But let's not forget how they surprised everyone late in the season last year. They'll probably give MSU a game (within 10 points) but they won't be able to pull it off. Tom Izzo knows how to get his team to play hard out there and win when the going gets tough. They are a top two team in the Big Ten and are led by senior Drew Neitzel who's putting up a solid 15 points and 4 rebounds.

When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.


4th Quarter- North Carolina at Ohio State

Winner: North Carolina

Why They'll Win: This game doesn't really bode well for the Buckeyes. I mean, Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb) will match up well with Kosta Koufos (20 pts, 8 reb) and I really haven't seen Koufos go up against a really good big man yet--although I will tonight. Also, Jamar Butler (16 pts, 6 ast) is overmatched by Ty Lawson (10 pts, 6 ast) at the point. Then you have to consider the Tar Heels' depth and how great it is. They have eight players logging 15 minutes or more each game. But one guy UNC must watch out for is Jon Diebler. He's a freshman and has a beautiful tough from deep. He's had a rough start to the season but should pick it up eventually. As a side note, he was Ohio's Mr. Basketball last year.

When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.


Overtime- Oregon at Kansas State

Winner: Kansas State

Why They'll Win: To me, this game is very, very intriguing. The Ducks are a top team with a lot of experience and Kansas State is completely led by freshman. As I mentioned earlier, Michael Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds. However, another freshman by the name of Bill Walker is no slouch either. He's contributing a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Wildcats. But after those two there really isn't anyone that will hurt the Ducks (trust me, it's enough). Now, Oregon is still regrouping from their disappointing loss to St. Mary's...who? They are led by Malik Hairston (20 pts, 5 reb) and Maarty Leunen (16 pts, 11 reb). As a team they are shooting 51% from the field and are averaging 90 points a game. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out.

When To Watch: Thursday, November 29th on ESPN2 at 9pm eastern time.


In addition, I think you should check out this video about the most exciting team in the entire nation, the Memphis Tigers.