Feast Week Recap

Happy Thanksgiving from Mack is Berning. It is very clear that I have a lot to be thankful for right now: The Jazz are in first place, Kentucky just got ran off the court, and Intramural Basketball season is right around the corner. But most importantly, college basketball is finally hitting its stride. Early season tournaments are some of my favorite games of the season. There's no other time to see big time non conference games on sick neutral site courts, other than March, of course. So, from the opening tip-off with Bill Raftery letting me know Michigan St was going mantoman, to the trophy awarding after the final buzzer, this has pretty much been a perfect week. I'll go through what I have learned from the first stretch of college hoops.

#1 Duke is still the team to beat.

Things were looking a little dicey when the Blue Devils couldn't seem to put Marquette away, the same Golden Eagles team that struggled earlier with juggernauts like South Dakota and Wisconsin-Green Bay. They turned it around, though, by putting a beatdown on a very solid Kansas St squad in what was essentially a

home game for the Wildcats (Kansas City). If Kyrie Irving keeps playing like he is now, and Mason Plumlee continues to control the paint, I definitely see Duke riding Kyle "Andrei Kirilenko" Singler to a repeat as NCAA Champions.

#2 The Big East is still on top. Everything started at the Square, where Pitt was crowned champs of the 2K Sports Classic. It wasn't exactly what E. Gordon Gee would call a gauntlet that they ran through, but they beat solid teams in Rhode Island, Maryland, and Texas. What impressed me the most about the Panthers was their rebounding. No team crashes the boards harder than Pitt, particularly Nigerian freshman Talib Zanna. Georgetown looks solid also, having beaten Old Dominion on the road and North Carolina St in the final of the Charleston Classic. Interesting fact is that the Hoyas are ranked in the top 25 of 3 Point % but 244 in free throws. Next up is Villanova, who really impressed me in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Wildcats are just a well-coached, fundamentally sound basketball team that takes care of the ball, knocks down their free throws, and boxes out the shooter. As you know, I really respect that brand of basketball. Finally, we have UConn, who made a big time statement winning it all in Maui. The Huskies edged out a very good Michigan St team, and absolutely annihilated Kentucky in the final.

Kemba Walker emerged as a true leader of this team, and they will go as far as he takes them. There were talks about Kemba possibly being the best player in college right now, and rightfully so with his 30 PPG. Personally, though, I'd have to pick Jimmer Fredette of the Mormons, but regardless, Kemba is a hell of an athlete, and Connecticut has the horses to hang with anyone, and could be one of the big surprises of the season.

Changing of the guard on the West Coast? One team that did not rise to the occasion this week would be the Zags, who got exposed defensively in losses to San Diego St and Kansas St. Unless they step up the pressure on D and have someone emerge as an offensive threat other than Steven Gray, it's gonna be a sub-par year in Spokane. It's going to have to happen quickly, too, as Illinois, Washington St, Notre Dame, Baylor, Xavier, Oklahoma St, and Wake Forest loom ahead on a brutal non-conference schedule.

While this is bad news for the Bulldogs, it is great for the team that blew them out of the gym in last years WCC Championship, oh yea, and advanced a round further than them in the NCAA Tourney. The Saint Mary's Gaels lost big man Omar Samhan, but have playmakers all over the perimeter with Clint Steindl, Matthew Dellavadova, and the superstar, Mickey McConnell. Saint Mary's can go shot for shot with anyone in the nation, and is claiming its spot among the top mid-major programs. The Gaels have chances to prove themselves against Texas Tech, San Diego St, Vanderbilt, and of course the Zags, before they try to make another run in the NCAA Tournament.

The Final Four...It's Finally Here

Well here we are. In October, 347 Division 1 teams tipped off the season with dreams of making it this far, and only four now remain in the hunt to be the best college basketball team in the country. We've come a long way in the past two weeks as we watched one seeds fall and Cinderellas outgrow their slippers. Only the best are left, while the John Wall Dances and the LaceDariuses watch from home. But who will bring home the title? Here's El Fuerto's take.

Most of the country wrote off Michigan St when Kalin Lucas went down, but Tom Izzo has his Spartans in yet another Final Four. The team did not even miss a beat thanks to the rest of the team stepping up teamed with exceptional coaching. Senior leader Raymar Morgan coolly nailed a game winning free throw in the Elite Eight win over Tennessee, and Super Sophomore Korie Lucious drilled a three to knock off Maryland. These two, along with Durrell Summers and Draymond Green lead the way for a Spartan squad that is more than familiar with NCAA Tourney runs. One major question is how Michigan St will potentially deal with facing an ACC power in the title game, after last year's embarrassment against the Heels.

The sentimental favorite Butler will be playing in the friendly confides of their home state, but we all know how that worked out for Michigan St last year. They are the only mid-major in the Final Four, and are also the only team whose coach gets carded when he buys alcohol. I'm not sure what that means, but it's definitely significant. Regardless, this team is not a fluke. They took out the top two seeds in their region in Syracuse and Kansas State, and also beat Ohio St, Xavier, and Siena in the regular season. Gordan Hayward is possibly the best player left in the Final Four, and Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are both capable of making plays. While they are the biggest long-shot left, these "Hoosiers" still may have 2 more wins left in their Hickory High-esque run. (Sorry, I had to.)

Some things in the world just don't go together. Lamb and tuna fish, Cleveland Browns and winning, and Bob Huggins and NCAA Tournament runs. But somehow, the last one actually happened. Now, many people on here probably hate West Virginia and Huggy Bear and are viciously rooting against them, but I have two reason to love this year's Mountaineers squad. 1)They beat Kentucky. No John Wall dancing or shady looks from Calipari thanks to the efforts of Da'Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Joe Mazzulla, and the rest of the team. 2)Deniz Kilicli. Straight outta Istanbul, he was suspended the first 20 games because he played professionally in Turkey before coming to the mountains. He has facial hair that can only be matched by Lucas O'Rear, and also, I'm pretty sure he doubles as the mascot when he's not in, which is kind of cool.

Finally, we have El Fuerto's pick from the beginning, the Duke Blue Devils. Experienced, battle-tested, and well coached, they are finally back in the Final Four. Coach K's squad flew under the radar while the other top dogs fell like toy soldiers throughout the last two weeks. They knocked off Baylor and Purdue squads that were playing their best ball of the season. (Even though Hummell was out)Duke countered the Bears' flash and athleticism with disciplined and fundamentally sound basketball, which is always a championship recipe. Finally, remember that article about the High Energy White Guard? Well, who is an idiot now?

El Fuerto’s Tourney Preview (Part 2)

East

Teams To Beat

(1)Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats are 32-2 and have future NBA picks John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson, but have some major questions. Most of this team has never played in the NCAA Tournament and they are prone to playing their age, as they average over 20 turnovers a game. Also, none of the other top seeds have a loss as bad as the South Carolina nightmare. While this team has Final Four potential, they could also find themselves heading back to Lexington before the weekend is over

(3)New Mexico Lobos
Steve Alford's squad is much more than the typical MWC pushovers of the past. They beat Cal, Texas A&M, and Dayton outside of conference and swept the Mormons in the Mountain West. I'm already looking forward to the Sweet 16 game between the Lobos and West Virginia, which would pit the nation's two worst NCAA Tournament coaches together, with Bob "Two and Out" Huggins vs Steve Alford, who lost to Northwestern St his last time in the Dance.

Sleeper Team

(8)Texas Longhorns
Its hard to remember, but this is the same Longhorns team that started off 17-0 and destroyed Pitt and Michigan St. They are led by hungry seniors Dexter Pittman and Damion James, and have one of the best coaches in the country in Rick Barnes. Plus, 2008 Memphis proved that you don't have to knock down free throws to win games. This is a dangerous squad who is definitely more than capable of giving Kentucky an early exit.

Upset Special
(13)Wofford Terriers over (4)Wisconsin Badgers
I know this is very unlikely (I actually have Wisconsin in the Final 4), but St X grad Brad Loesing will come ready to play in the Terriers first ever trip to the Big Dance. But seriously, try to find an upset in this region. A lot of people are taking Cornell over Temple, but mainly because the 5-12s suck and they feel an obligation to pick one. There's not going to be one.

Cinderella Spotlight

(15)Morgan St Bears
Any time a MEAC team avoids the play-in game it's cause for celebration. The Bears can score (81 points against Louisville, 97 against Arkansas) but gave up 80 points in a fourth of their games.

South

Teams To Beat

(1)Duke Blue Devils
There is a lot to like about Duke. They are ranked first in the Pomeroys, have the best coach in the country, are led by three seniors and two juniors, and have the NCAA's most efficient offense. Consider it a major surprise if the Blue Devils don't make it to Indy.

(2)Villanova Wildcats
They have been slipping lately, but look for Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher to get the team back on track. With an absolutely terrible region, the Wildcats could turn things around and make a Final 4 run.

Sleeper Team

(9)Louisville Cardinals
I think its safe to say that any team that sweeps Syracuse can make a run, and the Cardinals are definitely more than capable. With Edgar Sosa and the white Kyle Kuric, Louisville's backcourt can matchup with anyone. If Pitino's boys get hot, they could turn some real heads this week.

Upset Special

(13)Siena Saints over (4)Purdue Boilermakers
Honestly, is this even an upset? Purdue minus Hummel reminds me of Cincinnati minus K-Mart. Also, the Saints are very underseeded at 13. Eddie Ubiles, Alex Franklin, Ryan Rossiter, and Ronald "Onions" Moore are part of a solid group of upperclassmen that knocked Vanderbilt and Ohio St out of previous tourneys.

Cinderella Spotlight

(14)Sam Houston St Bearkats
The Kats are led by junior swingman Gilberto Clavell. I honestly know nothing about this guy, except he wear safety goggles which instantly make him 14 times cooler.