And the Strapping Jock Award Goes to...

Only this month’s Strapping Jock could make a sweatband look that sexy. Yes, ladies, we’re talking about Celtics’ starting point guard, #9, Rajon Rondo. Leaving the University of Kentucky for the NBA after two years, Rondo was named one of the top 5 most improved players in just his second pro season. Need more proof? Take the fact that he broke the record for the most steals in a single season (168), tied the franchise record for most assists in a single season and became one of three players in the history of the NBA to have 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a playoff game. All in one year. Yea, exactly. While some might argue these qualify as some of his greatest accomplishments, I’d like to think joining CCUB’s hall of Strapping Jock fame gives those endeavors a run for their money… And considering Rondo signed for $55,000,000 last year, that’s a pretty bold statement.

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And the Strapping Jock Award Goes to...

Even though he lost the chance to make it into the Final Four, John Wall still wins our heart for Strapping Jock of the Month AGAIN, and trust me this is no sympathy vote. (This is a pretty big deal too, since no athlete has EVER been crowned SJTM twice!) If you have been hibernating for all of winter, John Wall is currently a freshman playing for the University of Kentucky Wildcats and, as of now, is ranked the #1 top prospect for the 2010 NBA Draft.

In my opinion, John Wall is the next big thing. At first glance, I thought "him?" He is no Shaq in size, has no signature dunk like Michael, but rather, speed is his secret weapon. As he flies down the court plowing through defense, he scores, and follows through with his own "John Wall Dance." That's when I get it. This kid is going to take over the basketball world. He has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, won ESPN player of the week in his first collegiate week, and broken nearly every UK record. Not to mention, he has his own alcoholic beverage named after him: a shot of blue raspberry vodka, sour mix and sprite. Mmmmm almost as delicious as he is!

With having the looks and speed to kill, it's no wonder John Wall may leave UK to enter the NBA draft. He has taken the entire sports world by charm. UK's Coach Caliapri calls him the "perfect player" that is just a "good guy." I don't know what more we can ask for in an SJTM. Possibly date one of us? I guess next time I'm down in Lexington "visiting my boyfriend" I'll do some serious stalking and go in for the kill myself.

In Kentucky, They Love Their (DeMarcus) Cousins

I'd say the incest stereotype is pretty unanimous with the south, but it seems they finally found a way to put a spin on it. While we might rip on them for getting a little to friendly with their closest relatives, they're damn proud of their Cousins (And I guess if I had a relative as hot as DeMarcus, I might be too). Check out these t-shirts available for only $10.

The Final Four...

Wow. Yesterday had to one of the best days for college basketball in a long time. Their was a bit of everything: overtimes, big-time upsets (sorry Hoya and Vandy fans), and game-winning shots (Hello Ali Farokhmanesh, Ishmael Smith, and Danero Thomas). Thankfully I didn't lose any of my Final Four teams yesterday (which would have made this post a little more embarrassing/awkward). So without further ado, here is how I think (know) things will play out in Indianapolis:

On the left side of the bracket, we have a familiar matchup in Kansas vs. Kansas State. Look for both team's fans to make the trip to see this rivalry game play out on the big stage. Kansas has won all three games this year, but it's the Final Four now, so none of those really matter. Kansas St. was definitely not expected to reach this point, so they will really be playing with nothing to lose. Kansas would be disappointed if they don't have a chance to get back to the title game, with all the preseason hype and them being the #1 overall seed. All these factors that put the pressure on Kansas point to the potential for a K-State upset right? Wrong. Kansas is not going to get nervous being on the big stage, having been in the same situation two years ago, and having gone through a humbling experience losing to Michigan St last year. They are ready to seal the deal once again, and look for them to come out fighting and jump on Kansas St. before holding on to win.

The second matchup is also not without it's share of intrigue. Kentucky's diaper dandies have relied on talent and not experience to get to Indianapolis, while Baylor is in completely uncharted territories. Baylor can match Kentucky's three-some of Wall, Cousins, and Patterson with it's less heralded, but immensely talented trio of Tweety Carter, LaceDarius Dunn, and Ekpe Udoh. And the Bears also have some frontcourt depth to bang with the Wildcats, having two other seven footers on their roster that get playing time. But as we saw yesterday in the Kentucky game, Kentucky has so many more scoring threats such as underrated guard Eric Bledsoe (who made 8 three-pointers yesterday) and Darius Miller. Baylor doesn't have the ammunition to keep up for a full fourty minutes in this one. It should be a close game until the end, with Kentucky pulling away to seal the win and meet Kansas in the final.

Kansas vs. Kentucky. Two of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball. The top two teams this year. Self vs. Calipari part 2. Future NBA draft picks all over the floor. It's the game that everyone has been waiting for. Honestly at this point, you'd have to nitpick pretty hard to extract any kind of difference in talent between the two teams. So the deciding factor has to be experience. Kansas has this, while only Kentucky's coach has it. The Baby Wildcats have grown up mightily throughout the tournament, but this is the biggest of big in college basketball. They are too talented to not keep the game close, but I see this game being eerily similar to the Kansas-Memphis game two years. Look for suspect free-throw shooting from Kentucky down the stretch to put Kansas over the top.



Must be nice to be a Kansas basketball fan.

March Madness: East Region Preview...

Besides Kansas, there isn't a team in the country as talented as the Kentucky Wildcats. The three-headed monster of John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson is as good, if not better than any other threesome in the nation. Their road to the Elite Eight shouldn't be that difficult either. They'll face the winner of the Texas-Wake Forest game (the only important aspect of this game is that we find out which team wins the Choke of the Year Award). Then, in the Sweet 16, they will play powerhouses such as Temple, Cornell, or Wisconsin (sorry Wofford, it's nothing personal). Maybe one of these teams plays with the Wildcats for a half. But there are no gamebreakers that can steal a game's momentum like those that Kentucky has. The bottom half of this region should be a little more interesting. West Virginia is a very dangerous team that is not only capable of knocking off Kentucky, but winning the whole tournament. They were the first #2 seed, meaning that they will be motivated to prove to the committee that winning the Big East Tournament should have been enough for a #1 seed. A potential Kentucky-WVU Elite 8 matchup would certainly give the fans their money's worth.

Other observations on the region:
-Wow, a week ago, people were thinking that Washington might not make the tournament. Now, they have a fairly easy road to the Sweet 16. Washington has always had many athletic players such as Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas, but has struggled against teams with size. Neither Marquette nor New Mexico has much height, so in battles of fairly equivalent athletic teams, it might be wise to go with the one playing in a relatively familiar area (San Jose) that isn't miles across the country.
-Everyone loves picking those 5-12 upsets, but don't get too excited about this one. Temple coach Fran Dunphy used to coach at Penn, so he knows all about Cornell and what they are capable of. His team has also proved that they are quite the formidable opponent, beating Villanova earlier this season and winning the A-10 regular season and conference titles.

For many people, it's pretty set in stone that Coach Calipari and Coach Huggins will get an opportunity to renew their old C-USA rivalries. The questions is, who do you pick? Both teams have clutch players (Wall and WVU's Da'Sean Butler) and solid supporting casts. Both are also pretty young teams that are coming off of thrilling conference championship victories. But Kentucky has already grown up so much this year that I think by this point they will be cohesive and too much to handle. And that's bad news for a somewhat under-sized WVU team. Plus, the John Wall dance must live on!

DeMarcus Cousins' Digits Distributed

Like Tim Tebow a few years back, Kentucky Wildcats' DeMarcus Cousins' phone has been blowing up with texts and calls since his number was released this week. Unlike Tebow, though, Cousins isn't being a pussy about it. While Tebow had his phone disconnected after receiving mean voicemails from fans of opposing teams, Cousins hasn't even bothered to turn off his phone after more than 100 phone calls and 1,000 texts. He commented, "I'm going to change it after the game, I want to see what they have to say." Way to man up about it, DeMarcus.