Memphis Tigers, Who are These Cats?

Tigers win Conference USA Tournament, and extend wining streak to 22 by disposing of Houston 71-59

Last season, Memphis reached the Elite 8 as a number one seed before falling to UCLA 50-45. This season's crop of Tigers remembers their exit vividly.

After taking down Houston 71-59, Memphis wrapped up their second consecutive Conference USA tournament title, as well as finishing the season 30-3 and 16-0 in conference play. The Tigers will enter the NCAA tournament as the only representative from their weak conference. However, don't be fooled by the lack of competition within Conference USA. Whenever a team wins 22 games consecutively and nine straight on the road they're a force to be reckoned with.

Leading the way for this year's squad are guards Chris Douglas-Roberts and Jeremy Hunt. Douglas-Roberts is averaging 15 points a game, while Hunt is averaging 14. Both players create constant match-up problems for opposing teams due to their huge physiques at the guard position, Douglas-Roberts is 6-6 and Hunt is 6-5. In case that doesn't scare the opposition enough come tourney time when back court play is emphasized, the Tigers have plenty of muscle in forwards Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey. Dozier averages 10 points and six rebound a game, while the man-child Dorsey averages nine points and 10 rebounds. Dorsey also puts fear in the eyes of opponents with his jaw-dropping, powerful dunks.

Watching Dorsey rock the rim is a scary sight due to him having the physique of a NFL linebacker. There is one thing this year's Tigers are not lacking and that is size, height and strength.

Over the last two seasons, head coach John Calipari has led the Tigers to a 63-7 record and back-to-back conference titles. However, the Tigers have not played anyone worthwhile. Their best win came against Kentucky all the way back on November 22nd. Meanwhile, they have lost to Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and Arizona this year. Their last lost came against then no. 9 Arizona on December 20th, 79-71. At the time that lost looked understandable, now it is unacceptable as Arizona finished the season unranked at 20-10 overall and 11-7 in Pac-10 play.

Despite these glaring weaknesses, Memphis can not change the fact they play in Conference USA. They can not change the fact that four teams left following the 2004-05 season to join the Big East. These teams include Louisville, Marquette, DePaul, and Cincinnati. If those four teams would have stayed then may be Memphis would get more respect or may be they would not even be in this position. However, there is no way to determine that and Memphis will enter this tourney with little idea of how good they really are.

Regardless of that, winning 22 straight shows consistency, discipline, and a hunger. A tiger in the wild is a tenacious and deadly hunter, these Tigers on the court have the same characteristics. With their run and gun style they can bury any team in minutes and have done so with 15 of their 30 wins coming by 20 or more points.

Whatever their seeding come Sunday, the Tigers are a team to watch because no one knows what they are truly capable of. That unpredictability alone puts fear in the opposition.

Clemson's Historic Collapse Complete

A Late Free Throw By Thornton Leaves Clemson Speechless, Florida State Prevails 67-66

Game after game the streak contiuned...8...9...10, next thing they knew it was 15...16...and 17. The Clemson Tigers started the season 17-0 before falling 92-87 at then no. 25 Maryland on January 13th. It was not a drastic lost by any means. Winning on the road in college basketball is tough no matter what conference you play in, especially the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Unfortunately, the Tigers had no idea what would follow.

In an instance their Tiger instinct had been snatched from their claws. At 17-1, the Tigers would begin one of the biggest collapses in NCAA history. Clemson proceeded to go 4-9 in their last 13 games, including the controversial lost at then no. 10 Duke 68-66 on a last second shot by Dave McClure. The clock was set to 4.4 seconds when it should have been set closer to three seconds. This error enabled McClure to hit the game-winning lay-up as time expired. This time keeping error may have a part in the biggest collapse in NCAA, but so does the phantom call that cost them their most recent game against Florida State. There is no way that Al Thornton was fouled, but Clemson put themselves in that position with an undisciplined over and back call in the final seconds of the game.

Luckily for the 2007 Clemson Tigers they are a young bunch with only two seniors. However, the two seniors: starting guard Vernon Hamilton and back-up guard Chris Poole will never forget this forgettable season. It is hard to completely understand a collapse of this proportion. The Tigers were the last undefeated team in division I NCAA basketball at 17-0, yet they finished their season at 21-10 and 7-9 in the ACC.

Yes, they suffered from poor calls, timing errors, and close, heart wrenching losses, but the real question is how did they allow themselves to even get mentioned as a "bubble" team.

Having to play in the ACC doesn't help the Tigers, as it has become arguably the toughest conference in college basketball. Yet, starting the season 12-0 at home and then finishing 3-4 down the stretch is not acceptable. However, may be this squad of Tigers is too young to understand the magnitude of their collapse. At least that is what we all hope because starting a season 17-0 and failing to make the tournament will go down as one of the greatest collapses in sports history, college or professional.

In most sports, winning early becomes a means to an end; however, with these Tigers the only result of Thursdays lost to Florida State was the end of their NCAA tournament dreams. In one whistle, Clemson's worst nightmare had become a reality. Come selection Sunday, the Clemson Tigers have no need to watch, their season ended when they lost their killer instinct.

Headline Swings and Misses

Villanova Wildcats slip by the DePaul Blue Demons 75-67 Wednesday night in first-round Big East action

Being a Chicago suburb-native (Arlington Heights) I had to respond to a headline I saw on my favorite sports website: ESPN.com. The headline reads, "Reynolds sparks first-round Villanova rout of DePaul," describing a game that was decided by a mere eight points. Now, I have used the term rout plenty of times in descriptions of sporting events, but never when a team hits clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the game.

The ESPN Associated Press even used the lead "Scottie Reynolds hit free throw after free throw down the stretch, showing the poise of a postseason-tested veteran." If that is how you lead a story then there is no way the game was a rout. Having played basketball since I was around six years-old, I have been on both sides of a rout. This game was not a rout and is a slap in the face to the DePaul players who gave their all in hopes of increasing their chances of getting into the NCAA Tournament. (DePaul now is a huge bubble team at 18-13 overall and 9-7 within the Big East.)

Looking into the term rout, dictionary.com defines it as, "any overwhelming defeat." Furthermore, overwhelming means, "so great as to render resistance or opposition useless." Dictionary.com even gives the example, "a rout of the home team by the state champions."

Applying these definitions and breaking down the game between Villanova and DePaul, shows that this game was not even in the same realm as a rout.

Instead, it was a competitive and extremely entertaining contest. Villanova led by only two at half, 28-26. Their largest lead was only 11 points, 39-28 thanks to an 11-2 run to start the second half. However, the Blue Demons chipped away throughout the second half and pulled within three points on three separate occasions. In the last five minutes, DePaul found themselves only down five, 57-52 with 4:48 remaining and then only down four, 59-55 with 2:57 left. The ESPN article highlighted all of these aspects of the game; however, for some reason the word rout was used.

In my knowledge of sports, which I considered vast, the term rout should only apply to games that are decided by at least 15 points. DePaul lost by eight points, they didn't even lose by double-digits.

Usually this type of error wouldn't bother me so much, except the fact that it was the first-round of the Big East tournament in which both squads, especially DePaul needed a W. If I was a player on the Blue Demons I would be extremely upset upon seeing the headline for this article. If the Wildcats don't shoot 33 of 38 from the charity stripe this game could have gone either way. The headline should read, "Reynolds' clutch free-throws help Villanova hold of DePaul in first-round of Big East tourney."

DePaul knew what was on the line and played their butts off. There is no reason to state they were routed because it is a blatant lie.

Check out the article on ESPN at: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270660305

Dallas Mavericks Entering Elite Class

Mavericks win 16th in a row, improve to 51-9

After going up 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, the Dallas Mavericks seemed to have everything in order. That was until the superhero "Flash," better known as Dwayne Wade cut, slashed, and willed his Heat to victory.

Two things are for sure though, the 2006-07 Mavericks have not forgotten and have their sites set on the number 70. Seventy wins has only been eclipsed once and that was by Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who finished the regular season 72-10 and then cruised to another NBA Championship.

After disposing of the New Jersey Nets 102-89 Tuesday night, the Mavs extended their current winning streak to 16 games, and their home-winning streak to 23 games. The current 16 game-winning streak is their third of 12 games or more this season. In the process, they clinched a playoff birth on March 6th with an astonishing 22 games remaining. The Mavs are more than capable of surpassing 70 wins since they have won 37 of their last 39 games and have more firepower than the opposition can handle.

Starting with MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have five players making huge impacts including Nowitzki that are former first-round draft picks. Nowitzki was drafted 9th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks and is averaging 25.4 points per game, while grabbing close to 10 rebounds a contest. Another first-rounder and major steal of the class of 2003 is Josh Howard. Howard was drafted 23rd overall by the Mavs out of Wake Forest and continues to display his versatility night in and night out by averaging 19 points a game, and snatching seven rebounds. Following in Howard's versatility is former no. 10 pick, Jason Terry. Terry has been on fire of late increasing his average to 16 points per, while dishing out 5 assists and shooting close to 43 percent from 3-point range.

In case Terry needs a break, the Mavs have two super players coming off the bench in former 2004 5th overall pick, Devin Harris from Wisconsin, and the ever consistent Tar Heel Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse and Harris provide ample bench play by averaging right around double-digit points (Harris 9.7, Stackhouse 11.1). Stackhouse rounds out the five former first-rounders who are making a major impact on this squad by being drafted 3rd overall in 1995 by the 76ers. (It should be noted that the Mavs are responsible for drafting only Josh Howard and acquired the other four via trade or free-agent signing. This further demonstrates the great organization the Mavs have become from top to bottom)

With this amount of scoring possibilities it is hard to believe that the Mavs will let up anytime soon. They are simply on a mission: to get back to the NBA Finals, but this time win it in convincing fashion.

Through 60 games, Dallas is tied for the 4th best record in NBA history at 51-9. Only the Chicago Bulls of 1995-96 (54-6) and 1996-1997 (53-7), and the Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 (52-8) hold better records through 60 games. Also, the Mavs have lost only two times since December 12th, while reigning Coach of the Year, Avery Johnson has composed a mind-blowing regular season record of 111-31 in his first two seasons with the club. That record of 111-31 translates to a 78 percent regular season winning percentage, which is simply incredible.

Now, I am not trying to say that the Dallas Mavericks are by any means better than Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls' teams, but I am saying that the Mavs can win 70 games this year. If they do so they will join a list of two: the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks.

However, with a superb regular season comes the highest of expectations. A failure to win the NBA title and the Mavericks could soon be labeled "a team that couldn't win the big one," much like a football player.

Yet, there is something in this 2006-07 squad that makes you think otherwise. May be it's the fact that they could taste victory last year. May be it's because of their offensive firepower. Better yet, may be it's in the fiery head coach, Avery Johnson and charismatic owner, Mark Cuban. Whatever the case may be, these Mavericks are set to soar to new heights in 2006-07 and imprint their names in NBA history.

Thomas Jones Departs the Windy City
Chicago Bears Trade Jones and a second-round pick (63rd) to Jets for a second round pick (37th)

It was only a matter of time before the Chicago Bears got rid of the only man in Bear's history that can say he is in the same class as Walter "Sweetness" Payton. That honor is enshrined in the fact that Thomas Jones is the only other Bears running back to run for a 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Jones is also a former 7th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2000.

At only 28, Jones still has plenty left in the tank thanks to splitting time with Cedric Benson this past season. Despite splitting time, he still managed to run for 1,210 yards and six scores. The Bears will now turn to the unproven Benson, who managed 647 yards and six scores in limited action. Benson was a former 4th overall pick by the Bears in 2005 from the University of Texas. However, in today's NFL the two-back system has become more popular like Julius Jones/Marion Barber in Dallas, Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville, and Joseph Addai/Dominic Rhodes in Indianapolis. It wasn't a coincidence that the two teams in Super Bowl 41: the Colts and Bears, both featured two-back systems. Therefore, I am extremely confused as to why Jones was traded, and for so little.

The Bears should have simply followed the advice from Teddy KGB in the movie Rounders, "Pay him...pay that man his money." Jones has averaged 4 plus yards a carry the last four seasons and as truly blossomed the last two in the Bears run-dominated offense. Yet, for some reason the Bears felt they could not shoulder the contract. I think this is crazy for a franchise that simply banks from games, team apparel, and advertising. The Chicago Bears are a priceless franchise, and therefore should be willing to shell out some hard-earned cash to a determined and talented individual in Thomas Jones. I understand that the Bears also have a significant amount of money tied up in Benson, but why not have two great running backs with an average quarterback in Rex Grossman.

Well Bears nation, it's not the money that is the problem, it is the egos of the two players. Neither wants to share the load and win, they want to be "the man" and not be as good a team. Although, both will most likely prosper in their upcoming seasons, they would have been able to hold up longer in the NFL in a two-back system than being the brunt of the punishment some 30 plus times a game.

Despite the fact that the Bears should have paid Thomas Jones, that is not the biggest issue on the table. The fact that the Bears gave up Thomas Jones and their second-round pick (63rd) for the Jets second-round pick (37th) is preposterous. That is the biggest steal I have witnessed in a long time. Jones is coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in which he ran for 1,335 in 2005, and 1,210 this past season. It blows my mind that Jones and a second-round pick were only worth a second-round pick that was 26 spots better. The Bears do not need to add their second-round pick, and Thomas Jones should be worthy of first-round consideration. His numbers the last few seasons do not lie and his overall athletic ability is phenomenal.

I do not know what the Bears were thinking with this trade, except that they significantly undervalued a man who has been undervalued the minute he got to Chicago. Well Bears fans, you are going to miss a great running back and an even better teammate, while the "J..E..T..S, JETS JETS JETS!!!" are simply going to love him.

Daily Blog Starts Now

Well, it has been far too long, but I am back for a daily dose of Rodell's rambles. This will be a daily blog that will focus on anything sports related. It could range anywhere from March Madness, cinderellas, puzzling trades, overpaid players, lack of hustle, etc. This blog holds no bounds. I will attack and support people as I see fit. However, one thing is for sure, a lot of sports knowledge will be dropped on a daily basis, so be sure to check back daily for my take on the sports world.