Quick Hits: Utah Jazz, BYU Football, Utah State Football, MLB Playoffs, and More...

A quick look at many sports stories...

Could Andrei Kirilenko work? - Maybe.  It will all depend on AK's attitude.  Something that is very hard to judge until you see how Andrei plays on the court.  If AK doesn't feel like he is being snub by the move to the bench, then you might be looking at the sixth man of the year award winner.  Sure it stings a little to have your highest paid players be coming off the bench, but look at Manu Ginobili to see what AK could become.  The Spurs, like the Jazz, run a set offense that is based around the pick and roll.  Tim Duncan needs to be feed the ball early to get his game going, just like Carlos Boozer on the Jazz.  The problem in the past with AK has come with getting him touches early in the game.  Bringing him off the bench would solve that problem.  When Manu enters the game for the Spurs the post has normally been established, and the Spurs are looking to expand their offense.  That would be the same principle applied to AK and the Jazz.  It would be easier to get AK involved later in the first quarter keeping him happy.  A happy AK, is a great AK.  The Jazz struggled last season when Deron left the floor.  AK would be a stabilizing influence on the court with the younger/newer back-up point guards the Jazz have.  AK also plays well with Millsap, with both of them being active play makers that create instant offensive opportunities.  AK would also be playing more with Korver than Brewer.  That would help open up the Jazz offense.  Last season teams would pack their defenses into the paint knowing that neither Brewer or AK would beat them from the outside.  Korver being on the court would make the other team more honest, and AK would make-up for Korver's lack of defensive abilities.  Having AK come off the bench makes a lot of sense; however, it all hinges on Sloan selling AK on the idea.

BYU's defense yet to face a solid quarterback - This Saturday BYU face the New Mexico Lobos, and another quarterback that is sub-par.  New Mexico's quarterback Brad Gruner has yet to throw for more than 100 yard in a game.  His high came against Tulsa with 98 yards.  He has just 55 yards against New Mexico State, and 33 yards passing against Wyoming. Gruner doesn't look to be a quarterback that will challenge the secondary of the Cougars.  The poor level of opposing quarterbacks has made it is hard to judge just how good/bad BYU's defense is at this point in the season.  Sure, you could make a valid argument that Jake Locker is a good football player, and he was the quarterback of Washington.  Yet, Locker isn't a good quarterback, he is a good athlete.  His athleticism is what gave BYU problems.  IF Jake Locker had been able to complete a pass BYU's defense would have been in real trouble.  Looking ahead TCU's quarterback is not a great passer, and BYU's first real test will come against UNLV's Omar Clayton.  How much a test Clayton will be is debatable, but the Mountain West Conference is not a quarterback strong conference this season.  

Will Utah State carry away the momentum from the end of the BYU game - If the Aggies played the way they did in the fourth quarter against BYU every game, then they could compete with any team that they have left on their schedule.  It will be important for the Aggies to play well against San Jose State this weekend.  The Spartans are the first major non-ranked conference opponent that the Aggies face this season.  (Lets face it Idaho is not good at all. UNLV was a non-conference)Borel showed that he has the ability to move the Aggies' offense, and the defense proved they are able to get key stops against a good offense.  The Aggies are 1-4 right now, but they aren't going to be a cellar dweller in the WAC.  Winning on the road at a tough place to play (San Jose State's field is the worst kept field in all of college football.  It might be easier to play a football game in three feet of mud, because that is normally less mud than there is on San Jose State's field.) would help the Aggies going forward.

Time to jump on the Rays' bandwagon - As a Mets fan I find only one team left to rout for in the playoffs.  The Tampa Bay Rays.  Red Sox have won too much lately (which is a big difference from my Mets).  The Phillies are a divisional rival (I don't get people that cheer on teams inside their favorite teams division, after their team has been eliminated.  I hope the Phillies crash and burn!).  Their is too much history between the Dodgers and Mets to hope they win it all (Although I am hoping they destroy the Phillies and make it to the series).  The Rays are fun to watch, they are young, and the franchise has never done anything in the past.  Plus, I don't feel the guilt with jumping on the bandwagon, because if you watched a Rays' home game this season they had about 10-20 loyal fans in the stadium.  The rest of the people at the game were cheering for the other team.  All their fans are bandwagon fans!  It is cool because it is like seeing a fan base being born.  Go Rays!!!

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Quick Hits: The Return of the Blog

So much to talk about in the world of sports...

Well school was pretty intense over the summer, and it took priority over writing. Also I needed to walk away from writing for a few days to reset for the next semester. Enough about the excuses of why I haven't been writing, here are a few quick hits...

Men's 4 x 100 Relay Best Swimming Race Ever - The race had everything. The US men's team set a world record in the preliminaries. The record lead the French team's anchor Alain Bernard to announce they would "smash" the Americans in the finals. A finals team that would include Michael Phelps, who didn't swim in the preliminaries when the US set the world record. Phelps gave the United States a lead over the French (although the US trailed the Australian team, who would later fade to third). Over the next two legs of the race the US lost the lead to the French, and in the first half of the fourth and final leg the French swimmer, Alain Bernard, had a full body length lead on American anchor Jason Lezak. Then Jason Lezak turned it on. In the final 50 m he ran down the French anchor, who is also the world record holder for the 100m free style. Leading to a split-second finish as both swimmers hit the wall within .08 of a second of each other. What amazed me more was how pumped up I was during, and following the race. Watching it at my parents house it sounds like, from what I've read this morning, we repeated a scene that happened in houses across America. Anger over the French quote. Worry that Phelps didn't give the US a large lead going into the second leg of the race. Dread as the French took the lead during the next two and a half legs of the race. Then pure passion as we scream at the TV as Jason Lezak made his move on Alain Bernard, trying to will him to victory from the other side of the globe. A moment of silence as the two men touch the wall, waiting to see who touched first. Then pure joy, rivaling the joy experienced after a Jazz playoff victory, as the results show that Jason Lezak touched first and the US took home the gold. Amazing doesn't do the race justice, it will be a race remembered for quite a while.

HA HA The French Lost - Man it is great to beat the French. I think that is why we, as Americans, enjoy Lance Armstrong so much. Not only is he an amazing athlete that beat cancer, but every time he won the Tour de France, he was humiliating the French. In the 4 x 100 relay, the same thing happened again to the French. The smugness was washed away, as the Americans celebrated the victory. Alain Bernard, not a good idea to pump up the Americas by dropping smack talk before the race. Next time you want to do something like that, go grab a stick and poke a bear the same results will happen. This was another classic French blunder, and it was great to watch.

Who Has Control of the i-pod in Beijing? - Beach Volleyball has been great to watch. Although, if you get a chance listen to the music in the background played between points. It is hilarious! The music is the oddest assortment of songs. Ranging from hip-hop to classical. From Techno to the Beach Boys. It wouldn't be as odd, if the music at the other venues didn't follow suit. The venues are amazing, but the music could be improved.

How Old are the Chinese Gymnasts? - I don't really care; however, there is no way that half of the female Chinese gymnast team is over 16. (The age requirement to compete in the Olympics.) It is also funny that the IOC, notorious for claiming to be so strict on rules, is turning a complete blind eye when the age difference is obvious. Especially after the huge scandal that occurred during the 2004 Olympics with Paul Hamm and his individual all-around gold medal over a complete technicality. Gymnasts and ices-skating the two most corrupt parts of the Olympics people just can't watch enough.

Brett Favre - Wow! I just don't get it. I understand that Favre put the Packers in an awkward position with his retirement/un-retirement. Yet, if would be like Stockton saying he was finished after the Kings series, retiring, and then saying he wanted to come back right before training camp the following year. Only to have the Jazz tell him, and the fans of the Jazz, no we decided it is time to move on and Carlos Arroyo is our future. Kevin O'Connor wouldn't make it to his car after that press conference without an armed escort. That is what happened in Green Bay. They decided to let go of the quarterback that took them to the NFC championship, and within one pass of the Superbowl. Instead they are going with Aaron Rogers, an unproven commodity that is in a lose/lose situation. It is only a matter of time before Rogers has broken down in a fetal position on the fifty yard line, while Packer fans boo him into oblivion. Rogers really is the only man that I really feel bad for in this whole situation, because he seems like a good guy and he is facing the end of his NFL career. Good luck Rogers, you are going to need it, and get out of Green Bay ASAP.

O'Neill Chambers Speaks Out - Fall camp for BYU is going strong. Besides injuries (which may be cause for concern) and the terrible student ticket policy (which I am reserving judgment on until Aug 20th when the seats are assigned), Chambers comments is the talk of the fall drills. The blue chip recruit when interviewed by ESPN.com made some critical remarks of the other receivers/secondary on the team. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/others/0-0-134/Chambers-learning-BYU--playbook.html I don't have a huge problem with the remarks. I am a little more concerned with the reporter who wrote the blog entry. Does she have the right to report what Chambers said, of course she does, and it was a good lesson for Chambers to know when to keep his mouth shut. Yet, I agree with Dick Harmon's view on this story. http://deseretnews.com/blogs/1,5322,19,00.html?bD=20080806&sc=dmn (Which is odd because I am a devout BYU football fan, and even I think Harmon is over the top in his Cougar bias.) As a reporter you need to understand that you are dealing with an 18 year old athlete. Not a professional athlete! You should give the 18 year old time to collect themselves, and inform them of what is and isn't on the record when you get an interview.

Fantasy Football Season is Here - It is again time to prepare for another fantasy football draft. Here are some videos for motivation.

NFL Fantasy Football File: Chris Chambers


NFL Fantasy Football File: Marques Colston


NFl Fantasy Football File: Braylon Edwards


NFL Fantasy Football File: Andre Johnson


NFL Fantasy Football File: Neil Rackers


NFL Fantasy Football File: Mike Nugent


NFL Fantasy Football File: David Akers

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Quick Hits: Riley Nelson, NBA Playoffs, Sports Dead-Zone....

Quick thoughts on a variety of issues...

Riley Nelson Transfers to BYU, Why? I am not saying that what Nelson did was right or wrong, just as I didn't try and place blame when Ben Olsen left BYU. Yet, the move doesn't make a lot of sense from a football point of view. On the surface, Nelson was the golden child of Utah St. football. The team is just treading water at the quarterback position until Nelson returns form his mission. The program is on the rise, and would be set to exit the basement of college football when he returns. He would be the starter, and he would get serious playing time at a quality division one university. Meanwhile, BYU is stacked at the quarterback position. Right now Hall is the man at the quarterback position, and barring injury he will be the starter for the remainder of his BYU career. Behind Hall is Munns, Lark, Covey[I put Doman in the original version...my bad. Scott called me on this.], and Gaskins. Gaskins should be done at BYU when Nelson arrives, and Lark just left on a mission so he should be return the year after Nelson arrives. So that leaves Munns(although he is thinking of a mission as well) and Covey(depending on his mission plans) competing for the starting job. Both would have far more experience with the offense, which makes a huge difference with the Cougar offense, and they are both bigger quarterback. Munns is a mini-mountain that has a cannon attached to his body. Nelson, unless he grew a foot or two isn't that big. He is a gamer, and will find ways to win, but on paper his games doesn't fit with the current Cougar offense. BYU knew this when he came out of high school, and didn't offer him a scholarship. Lark and Nelson was in the same recruiting class and BYU thought Lark was a better fit. Nelson can do what he wants to do with his life, and if he thinks it is a better fit at BYU, more power to him. He may be the next great BYU quarterback. Yet, on paper it doesn't look like a smart decision from a football point of view.

Spurs Get A Bitter Taste of NBA Officiating. HA HA HA! As a bitter Jazz fan I am happy that the Spurs got the shaft from the officials at the end of game four. Derek Fisher jumped on the back of Brent Barry as if he was trying to ride him out of the arena. There is no question that this was a foul at the end of the game, but the officials did nothing. Ironic that the Spurs are done in by poor officiating in game four of the Western Conference Finals, a year after Steve Javie single handily gifted the series to the Spurs during game four in Utah. It sucks when you are on the other end, doesn't it San Antonio. HA HA HA!

Sports are Dead in Utah. There is a little over ninety days until the start or the college football season. Until the start of college football, Utah is in a Dead-zone in regards to sports. There are no sports that require appointment viewing. Bees/Owls/Raptors games are fun to go to, but there is no point in following a minor league team. Real Salt Laaaaaaaaaakkee (sorry I fell asleep just typing the name) is awful. I am not anti-soccer. I am just anti-American soccer. It is slow, it is boring, and once anyone gets good they go to Europe to play for the big money. Until a team gets smart and buys an entire Brasilian soccer team, there is no point in wasting your time on this lesser sport. There is arena football. I would rather watch a pick-up game of backyard football, because that in a nut shell is a good description of Arena football. You go for it on fourth down, you can be at your own one yard line and throw it into the end zone, and there are restrictions placed on the defensive players for strategies that they can employ (much like an alligator/Mississippi rule for rushing a passer in backyard football). Maybe it is just me, but I can't stand all of the scoring. Watching an arena game just reminds me of all the good elements of actual football.

Utah Jazz: NBA Draft. What should the Jazz do with their draft pick? Option 1 - Trade out of the first round. A late round draft pick hardly bares any fruit, and you are locked into a guaranteed contract with the player you select. Trading down into the early second round would be the best move for the Jazz. It would allow the Jazz more flexibility with the player they select, and it would give the Jazz future picks that they can use in the trading and acquiring of players(that is how the Jazz were able to move up and select Deron Williams). Option 2 - Draft based on a need. The Jazz need another big coming off the bench. Roy Hibbert seems to be the name that the national analysts are agreeing would be available at that stage of the draft, and would fit that need. I can't say I don't like the selection, but it seemed that Hibbert maxed out his talent in college. People were always projecting him to take the next step and have a break out year. While he did post big stats in college, he never did take that next step to become a dominating presence. He is big; however, he is slow, doesn't have great hands, and got into foul trouble early and often. Sounds like Ostertag version 2.0. Option 3- Invest in an International player. The Jazz don't have room on their roster for another player to develop. The solution? Draft a player under contract with another team, and allow them to develop overseas. This strategy can go either way. You can get an Andrei Kirilenko or a Raul Lopez. There are so many factors that go into allowing a player to develop overseas that can go wrong, that these picks often don't turn out. Yet, if they don't turn out the team is better off than taking a domestic player. The team didn't need to give up a roster spot, the team didn't spend money on keeping the player, and there was no ill effect to chemistry. Going International is like picking up a lotto ticket, if you don't win then you are out the price of the ticket (draft pick in NBA terms). If you do win, then you win BIG (hidden International Gem in NBA terms).

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Quick Hits:Utah Jazz, Agent Zero's Blog, and American Gladiators

Quick thoughts before game six tonight...

Utah Jazz: Fans step away from the panic button.
Tonight's game is big. There is no need to panic if you are a Jazz fan...yet. After the butt kicking that Houston laid on the Jazz Tuesday, the panic bug started. Yet, there is no reason to worry. The Jazz have put themselves into a position to advance to the next round of the playoffs on their home court. That is why they went to Houston and won the first two games. Thanks to that effort at the beginning of the playoff series the Jazz had a mulligan that they could play on their home court. Sure it would have been easier for the Jazz just to show up and win game three and sweep the series. Sure the Jazz could have at least made the game respectable on Tuesday. Even with that in mind, the Jazz are a force when they play on their home court. Also the blowout loss should have refocused the Jazz for tonight's game.

Other reasons for Jazz fans to be optimistic about tonight's game. Boozer. The lone bright spot about the end of game five was the recognition of Boozer that he is a low post beast. He took the ball to the basket, and their wasn't a single person on Houston that could stop him. Hopefully, the break between games five and six doesn't cause Boozer to forget this fact. There is no reason to panic...although if the Jazz drop the game tonight save me a spot on the ledge.

Agent Zero's Blog
I was late coming to this party, but Gilbert's blog is AWESOME. I read over three month's worth of entries yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised about the quality that Arenas puts into all of his blog entries. What also shocked me was all of the negative criticism that comes from the media in relation to the Blog. It is a little understandable for the local media to be upset, because Arenas openly bashes the media in his post. Saying he will not talk to media members after games, and breaking news on his own, bi-passing the need to talk to the media.

This is especially interesting after watching Costas Now. On the program Bob Costas had town hall style panel discuss the merits of media coverage of sports. It was interesting to see all of the negative feelings towards Blogs that media members have. They openly wondered how a person without any formal training could think to write information about sports. Well...it is called an opinion. Speaking for myself I don't try and break news, or get close to knowing about players. I don't always agree with what the news media says about a certain situation.

A good example of the media bias was the Wallace situation in Portland. The media in Portland black listed Sheed, and called him a head case and a thug, why? He wouldn't do any interviews with the media after games. That is right, he was helping in the community and was a positive influence in the locker room, but the media painted him as Mr Hyde. Did Sheed lead the league in technicals? Yes. Yet, they never talked about his passion for playing the game. You could never say that Sheed didn't do everything he could to win a game when he was on the court.

I don't think that the print media should be done away with. That is just dumb! There needs to be someone there covering the stories, and interacting with the players. Someone that can try to be unbiased. Yet, to turn their backs on blogging make absolutely no sense. Welcome to the Internet my friends...and guess what, I think it is going to be a big deal.

American Gladiators
It looks like the producers of the show on NBC have made some changes for the second season that is coming later this month. Hopefully, they have made the changes for the better which I already went over in my first piece about the program. I also like that they are coming up with new events that are completely original. This is the make or break season for the show. I am pulling for this show to work out.

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Quick Hits: Jazz Lose to Spurs, NBA Playoffs, NHL, and More...

Last night may have been the best loss of the season for the Jazz...

It seemed a very unfavorable time to take a break from writing on the Blog for the last few days; however, my wife had her Wisdom Teeth pulled and I have been taking care of her. That has really cut into my blogging time. She is doing much better now, and so I am now able to touch some topics I would have liked to have written a full entry on.

The Spurs Flexed Their Muscle Against the Jazz Last Night -- Wow! The Spurs shut down everything that the Jazz were trying to accomplish last night. Sure Deron Williams wasn't going at a hundred percent, but he was completely useless last night. Parker made him look terrible for the entire first half. Yet, it was nothing in comparison to the egg that Boozer laid last night. Letting Tim Duncan go coast-to-coast, was just another highlight on the Defense-by-Boozer highlight real. Though, his offense might have actually been worse last night. He was passing on wide open shots. He wasn't going to the rim. When he would get the ball in good position under the hoop, it seemed he would panic and try to outlet the ball to the outside as fast as he possibly could. His lack of an inside game caused multiple turnovers which the Spurs capitalized on. The Spurs were better at every position last night.

The Good News The Jazz Avoid the Spurs in the First Round--Before the game yesterday, the Jazz fans seemed to be ingesting large amounts of liquid courage. With this courage they were calling for the Jazz to play the Spurs in the first round. Forgotten were the Western Conference Finals of last year or the fact that 1999 was the last year the Jazz won a game in San Antonio. Forgotten, that the Jazz have NO answer for Manu Ginoboli. All of that didn't matter because the Jazz were playing far better basketball over the last five game than the Spurs. The game last night was a giant wake-up-call to Jazz Nation...THE SPURS OWN UTAH! That fact makes the loss last night bearable. With a win the Jazz would have been facing the Spurs in the first round, a very challenging match-up against a veteran team. Instead, the Jazz face the Rockets and Tracy (My hands influence the course of the universe, but I can't get out of the first round) McGrady.

The Greatest Fear All Jazz Fans Should Have Right Now!--How injured is Deron Williams? After Carmelo Anthony took Deron to the ground, Deron has been playing awful. The game against Houston was the first indication that Jazz fans should worry. Bobby Jackson...YES...Bobby Jackson gave Deron Williams problems the entire game. One could have made an argument that this one game was a abnormality, but Parker's schooling of Williams last night proved he is more injured than he is letting on. Why is this a HUGE problem? Deron Williams is everything for the Jazz. Take away Williams and Boozer and Okur become very average players. No one can create their own shot on the Jazz besides Williams. No one can create shots for other people, if Williams isn't orchestrating the offense. Take away Williams and the Jazz wouldn't even be sniffing the playoffs this or any season with the current lineup.

NBA Officiating in the Playoffs -- One more quick thought on the NBA Playoffs. I think it will be interesting to see one year removed from a major officiating scandal how the NBA will deal with the "Star Treatment" that has been present in the playoffs since Jordan. The series that will point out if this is an issue for the NBA is the Wizard Vs. Cavs. This is the third year in a row that these two teams have faced each other in the first round of the playoffs. The past two the Cleveland LeBrons have narrowly won the series, thanks in large part to suspect officiating. If this continues for a third season, the NBA might have a much larger officiating problem than the scandal of last year. This will be an interesting unspoken subplot in that series to keep an eye on.

NHL Playoffs -- Yes, the NHL playoffs are going on right now. This could be shocking to most people considering they get the same exposure as the Mountain West Conference. The shame of the non-exposure for the NHL is the fact that they now have an enjoyable product to watch. I can't name a single player on Detriot's or Nashville's roster; however, it was very enjoyable to watch their game last night between commercials of the Jazz-Spurs. The new rule changes make the game more open, and more athletic. There are players now that have serious talent. Crosby on the Penguins is really amazing. If you have a minute and Versus, you might want to think about giving the NHL Playoffs a look in from time to time.

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Quick Hits: Utah Jazz, Spring Football, MLB's Second Opening Day and More

Quick thoughts on the Jazz, baseball, spring football...

Utah Jazz Drop Key Game in Minnesota. At the end of any sports season people always look back and point out games that the team should have won. This year there are a few games that jump out of the loss column for the Utah Jazz: two games at Minnesota, on the road against the Heat, and dropping one in New York against the Knicks. After looking at these games the blame starts, the blame that the team wants to put on those games for not finishing higher in the standings. It is difficult to blame the lower finish of the season on these few games. Yes, the lose against the Timberwolves wasn't good for the Jazz; however, last night they weren't the better team on the court. The Jazz had key injuries to Okur, Kirilenko, and Brewer. Yet, flat out the team on the court last night for the Timberwolves wanted the victory more then any of the Jazz players on the court. Reality is any team in the NBA can beat any other team in the NBA on any given night. The games that people should point out at the end of the season are game when the Jazz just didn't show up at all. The December 29th loss to the Celtics at home, the January 17th loss at Denver, the February 29th blowout loss at the Hornets, and the March 20th egg laying against the Lakers. Those are all games that the Jazz just didn't show up to play, and could have had a much great impact on the final standings then loses against lower level teams.

Who Do the Jazz Want to Play in the Playoffs? - Here is the rankings from DON'T want to play to DO want to play:

Want to avoid at all cost
1)Spurs - When was the last time the Jazz won a game at San Antonio? 1998
2)Lakers - These first two could be interchangeable, but the injuries the Lakers have made them the better match up for the Jazz.
Would prefer not to play.
3)Suns - The Jazz match up well with the Suns, but they have the playoff experience to make the Jazz worry.
4)Mavericks - The Mavericks are slipping and might not make the playoffs, but they still have player the Jazz don't match up well with. Howard, Nowitzki, and Dampier have all had career games against the Jazz.
Tough series but they would be manageable.
5)Nuggets - If the Nuggets ever decided to play defense they would be a scary team to face. The key word though is, "if."
6)Rockets - No Yao Ming, big advantage to Utah. Yet, last year in the series against the Jazz, the Rockets almost played better in the series when Yao was on the bench. Just a thought to give pause to Jazz fans seeing this match up.
Bring Them On!
7)Hornets - Deron Williams owns Chris Paul. If somehow Chris Paul won the MVP, what more incentive would Williams need to humiliate Paul in a series.
8)Warriors - Baron Davis wake up screaming Boozer's name at the mention of another series against the Jazz.

Spring Football Panic - Fans seem to always panic when hearing reports about spring practices/games. Everyone just take a deep breath. Most of the key players are held out. The spring is an opportunity for coaches to teach schemes to new players, and set up an off season routine so players are ready in the fall. Calm down! Just enjoy watching and learning about the future stars of your team.

The Real Opening Day for MLB - Hoorrrrrrrrrrrray!!! Memo to Bud Selig: It isn't hard to do opening day right. Just plan games all day, in the United States, open the stadiums and enjoy. Yet, you even managed to get this wrong. No one else could have blown it worse than you did this year for opening day... oh wait, Craig Thompson just called and assured me he could have screwed it up much worse, point conceded. PLAY BALL!!!

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Quick Hits: BYU, Utah and Utah State's Tournament Births

Thoughts on tournament selections...

BYU - Once again the failure of the Cougars to win the conference tournament kills the seed they could have received in the NCAA tournament. An eight seed (or a nine seed) is the kiss of death in the tournament. The committee matches up two teams that they think are even, and the winner has to play a rested one seed in the next round. Texas A&M is arguably the best nine seed in the tournament this year. The only thing working for the Cougars in the first round is the location, Anaheim is a much better location for the Cougars than going back East; however, if they do get by A&M the location turns against them when they will have to face UCLA in the second round. The Cougars still have to play the games, but the outlook doesn't look good for their first tournament win in fifteen years.

Utah - CBI. Before yesterday not many people in Utah knew what it stood for, but the Utes are headed for the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. Yes, there is yet another post season tournament. A chance to play for the right to be called the 97th best team in all of college basketball. The tournament will be held on the home courts of the teams. The significant change from the NIT and NCAA tournaments is the addition of the best of three format in the finals. While that is a progressive and interesting idea for college basketball, isn't the addition of another tournament watering down the basketball postseason in the same way the excess of bowl games waters down the football season? The post season should be something earned, the CBI rewards mediocrity. The Utes open the tournament Wednesday at UTEP.

USU - Jaycee Carroll won't get to showcase his talents in the NCAA tournament in his senior year. Carroll has carried the Aggies this entire season, to a share of the WAC regular season crown. The Aggies didn't have enough to beat the Boise St. Broncos in the Wac tournament. Carroll does have the chance to try and lead the Aggies to New York in the NIT. Making a run in the NIT would cap a great finish to a season that the Aggies began 3-4, and the college career of Carroll. Illinois State 24-9 will be a tough opening round game. The Redbirds only loss at home this season was #18 Drake, by just three points. Carroll really has his work cut out for him to make some noise in the NIT.

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