The Devil's in the Details

Professional sports are largely played in incredibly small margins. Those margins become even smaller when the talent gap closes. A receiver running a route at the proper depth could be the devilish detail that decides the Super Bowl.

Last night in Cleveland, I watched as the Cavs consistently failed to execute a number of small things, leading to a heartbreaking home loss. The Celtics stole a game they had no business winning at the buzzer as Avery Bradley hit a three for a 104-103 win.

Many Cavs fans pointed to the missed free throws as the reason their team lost. That’s certainly a part of it. Cleveland missed 14 free throws in a one point game, shooting just 21-35 from the line.

Others donned in wine and gold lamented a late foul on JR Smith. They too were correct. When three points is the only thing that can hurt you, you have to defend like it. Run any player off the three-point line and then let them go. Even if there wasn’t much of a foul (the NBA league office said there was no foul on Saturday), there’s no chance it’s called if Smith does his job.

The mistakes didn’t stop there though. Timofey Mozgov, who is a literal giant at 7’1”, can’t let Marcus Smart, a 6’3” point guard, beat him on a free throw boxout. Smart should be applauded for making a great play, but Mozgov simply has to execute a basic basketball play.

So does Iman Shumpert on the ensuing inbounds. He ball-watched, letting Bradley free for the game winner.

All of those details led to a loss. Listening to radio today was interesting as Cavs fans seem to think the solution is tinkering with the roster, whether by shuffling the rotation, or changing the parts altogether.

The reality is, there’s no magic button to press that will give the Cavs a chance against Golden State. There is no move to be made. The move is to play better.

What makes Golden State (and San Antonio) great, is they don’t make those mistakes. They execute the gameplan at a higher level than their opponents nearly every night. They make the right pass. They hit the shots they’re supposed to. They don’t make defensive mistakes.

The goal for Cleveland, Oklahoma City and any other contender, should be to simply find what makes them their best, and then drill that as much as possible to give themselves the best shot. As of now, it doesn’t look Golden State is losing. That would involve them losing at home. The Warriors never lose at home.

However, sports are unpredictable, predictably injuries. If the Warriors lose Steph Curry or Draymond Green, the entire equation changes.

Instead of looking outside for a solution, the Cavs need to look within, clean up the mistakes and forge forward. The margins are small on a championship level. There are no shortcuts. There’s merely execution at the highest level.

11-8 Mavs Magazine

11-8 Mavs Magazine:

Seg 1: Why Parsons to Dallas was good for everyone, including Houston
Seg 2: David Thorpe, ESPN
Seg 3: Marcus Smart, Celtics and assessing the early season
Seg 4: Emptying The Notebook

Why The 76ers Plan Isn't About Losing

The 76ers Plan: "Don't be good, be great"

The jokes flew Thursday night as the Philadelphia 76ers picked Joel Embiid at number three and Dario Saric at number ten in the 2014 NBA Draft. Embiid is a 7-foot center out of Kansas who has drawn comparisons to Hakeem Olojuwan. Saric was the best European player in the draft and many think he could be one of the top 3 players in this draft when it's all said and done. Seems smart, right?

So why the jokes? Neither player will play this season. Saric won't even be in the United States. He just signed a new deal with his Turkish League team that not only will keep him away this year, but the next year as well. Embiid has a broken navicular bone in his foot, an injury that has crippled more than a few big men over the years. It is highly unlikely he plays this season. 

So the worst team in the league had two picks in the top 10 and took two guys who won't play this year. And it was absolutely the right thing to do.

There is no one in the draft that could make the Sixers remotely competitive this upcoming season. That includes Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker who came off the board before Philly was on the clock at number three. In fact the only way the Sixers win anything next year is if LeBron likes he has an irrational love of cheesesteaks. However the Sixers brass has figured out what the rest of the league either refuses to acknowledge or is scared to: there is no point in being on the upper echelon of terrible.

With that knowledge in mind, the Sixers moved to the next step of their plan which was to aim as high as possible when they are ready to be good.

The NBA is the ultimate star driven league. You can make the playoffs without a superstar, but your'e not winning a championship without one. It's happened once since 1980 and that was a 2004 Pistons team that started 5 all-star caliber players in the primes of their careers in the absence of one of the league's best players. Not exactly a bunch of bums. The Sixers know they need stars, so they've drafted guys with the highest upside possible, no matter their floor.

It started last year with Nerlens Noel. He was coming off a torn ACL and didn't play all of last season, but in the worst draft in over a decade, why not take a player with the potential to be one of the best rim protectors in the league? They struck again at #11 with Michael Carter-Williams, a 6'6" point guard with loads of raw skill and a killer instinct. He was raw, but he turned into the rookie of the year (not something to brag heavily about in that rookie class, but something nonetheless). 

That brings us to Thursday where they took Embiid and Saric. If Embiid gets healthy, his unquestioned best case scenario is hall of fame center who plays both ends of the court in a dominant fashion. Talk about a high ceiling. Saric is a very skilled offensive player who makes plays for himself and others. He's not a great defender but on a team with Embiid, Carter-Williams and Noel that shouldn't be a problem. The Sixers also took high upside guys in the 2nd round including Jerami Grant, Carter-Williams teammate at Syracuse who would've been a lottery pick in many drafts with his elite athleticism and KJ McDaniels, a hyper athletic forward out of Clemson who could be a defensive stopper for years to come. They also took a few more European "draft-and-stash" players who they hope will develop into something in the future.

Of course it could all go wrong and in the short term, it's pretty brutal for the fan base. The team they put on the floor I'm not entirely sure could beat some of the all-time great college teams because it included guys who just weren't NBA players. In order to have a shot at the best talent, you have to be really bad and the Sixers took being really bad really seriously.

Long term, Carter-Williams could be soured by all the losing in the short term, develop bad habits and leave Philadelphia to try and reclaim his career. Noel and Embiid could have injury problems or just never be the same players. Saric could decide to stay Europe longer than expected and throw the timing of the whole plan off. There are possibilities in between too, but the Sixers have given themselves a chance.

Few organizations have the patience to do what Philadelphia is doing, but they're doing it right. They know they're not going to be good, so why try to be mediocre? Give yourself the best chance possible to great. That involves multiple shots at getting elite players which means being as bad as possible a few times, and more importantly swinging for the fences on draft picks. They've swung. Come back in three years and let's see if they've made contact.

Other Notes:

The Top - Congrats Cleveland!! You didn't eff it up! The Cavaliers got the player that best fits them, wants to be there and has been thought to be the best prospect in this draft for three years. Clearly the trade for Aaron Afflalo, the number four and number twelve picks was never on the table because there's no way in hell Orlando trades Afflalo for Evan Fournier and a 2nd rounder when they could've gotten #1. In hindsight for Cleveland if they wanted Embiid, that worked out because he wouldn't have been there. Which leads us to...

Things I like

I love what Orlando wound up doing at number four. They add Aaron Gordon there and Eflrid Payton at number ten (via trade with Philadelphia for Saric) to last year's first rounder Victor Oladipo and they're gonna be terrifying defensively if still together in a few years. I don't know how they score outside of transition but good luck scoring on them. I know a lot of Magic fans wanted Dante Exum, but if they now have a terrific base to build around.

My favorite draft of the night was the Celtics. Boston got Marcus Smart, which allows them to eventually trade Rajon Rondo after Smart learns the tricks of the trade from him, and then stole James Young at 17. Opposing point guards are going to hate playing the Celtics. The worst defender you might see all night is Rondo. Smart and Avery Bradley both need to become better shooters if they Celtics are going to win big with them as a backcourt, but they're going to be sensational defensively. Young has every raw skill you want and will get better in Boston under Brad Stevens.

The Bulls got a shooter and cleared cap space. Every bit of cap space is critical in the pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, but even if they don't get him they made their team better.

I liked what a lot of teams did which is kinda the point. It was hard to screw up last night because there were so many options both in players and trades. If you couldn't get what you reasonably wanted, you probably shouldn't have a GM job.

Things I don't like:

The Thunder were one of two teams where I went "what the hell are you doing?" Mitch McGary is a top 10 pick last year, a lottery pick this year if not for injury. That said, they passed on guys who can start for them this year and provide shooting where they DESPERATELY need it in favor of him. Why not draft PJ Hairston? He's their starting two-gaurd next year. Without question. So is Rodney Hood. At best McGary is a backup for Ibaka and Steven Adams. I guess they have Jeremy Lamb, but they still tons more shooting. Fisher's gone. And they were playing Derek freaking Fisher.

The other was the Raptors. When they selected Bruno Caboclo the universal "wtf?" was loud and in unison. Apparently they feared he'd be gone at 37 when they came around again so they took him at 20. ESPN's Fran Fraschilla said on the telecast "he's two years away from being two years away." Well then if someone wants to take him, go right ahead. They must REALLY like him. It's the ultimate upside pick. Maybe Raptors GM Masai Ujiri knows something we all don't. It wouldn't be the first time. However the value they go seemed to be terrible so no matter how good the pick is, it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't trade back at least a few spots. 

The Mavs traded both of their picks to the Knicks in the Tyson Chandler deal. The first pick turned into Cleanthony Early who could've been the backup small forward last year as an upgrade over Jae Crowder. I knew I didn't like those picks being in that trade.

On To Free Agency

Free Agency is going to be absolute madness. Look forward to it. Tomorrow I'll post on how the Mavs can take advantage of teams who are big game hunting. Until then, tweet your thoughts on this column to me @craighoffman and if you liked it, share it with a friend. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow.

2-22 Hoffman and Platt

Jeff and I are live Saturdays at 2 pm CT on 103.3 FM in Dallas and online at KESN1033.com. Follow along on twitter @craighoffman and @jeffplatt. We'll also be taking calls at 855-787-1033 and you can text the show at 64636. Type "ESPN" and then your message. Here's what we're doing on Feb. 15th:

2:00 - Mavs discussion

• The Mavs get LeBron'd, survive a turnover plagued first half to beat Philly and get ready for Detroit
• Dirk Nowtiski sits down with Bill Simmons - watch here.

2:15 - Cowboys - Keeping up with the Joneses

• The initial installment of "Keeping up with the Joneses," trying to make sense of the senseless statements made by Stephen and Jerry Jones.
• Just as senselessly, Jason Garrett tries to explain the Cowboys off-season thus far

2:30 - Richard Durrett live from Surprise

• It was a bad, injury plagued week to open Spring Training. We get the latest from ESPN.com's Rangers insider.

2:45 - Best of the Six Pack

• The top "other" stories from the week in sports and entertainment.

3:00 - Amin Elhassan/"Things that make you go hmm"

• ESPN NBA Insider Amin Elhassan joins us as the "smart basketball guest of the week"
• The opposite of smart is dumb. We look at some of the things that made us go "hmm" this week.

3:15 - Johnny Manziel/"Talk To Me"

• We discuss Johnny Manziel's day in front of the microphone at the NFL Combine
• The most fun we have all day, "Talk to Me" - you call, we answer and that's about it.

3:30 - Mavs at the deadline/"Hoffman’s Guide to college hoops"

• The Mavs stand pat at the trade deadline. How close were they? Will they add players as contracts around the league are bought out?
• Your weekly look at college hoops, "Hoffman's Guide to College Hoops" has its eyes on Syracuse/Duke, Kansas/Texas and Marcus Smart's return

3:45 - The NFL Combine - Platt Style/"One Last Thing"

• If you can bet on something, Jeff knows about it. You can bet on the NFL combine. We'll look at some of the fun you can have.
• My final take on a topic we saw this week. This week? How to properly use the NFL combine.

We hope you'll join us!

Marcus Smart - Misplaced Outraged and Actual Accountability

Putting your hands on someone typically escalates a problem, not solves it.

However Marcus Smart didn't punch anybody and he certainly didn't shoot anybody and it's about time we started acting accordingly.

Marcus Smart is 19 years old. He is black. Texas Tech super fan Jeff Orr is roughly 50. He is white. According to Smart, Orr used the racial slur everybody who speaks English knows is unacceptable. It's one I've written about extensively. It's one that should never be uttered by anyone under any circumstances directed at another person because there is no way to use it outside of hatefully.

In the moment immediately following this, Smart gave Orr one good shove. He then walked away. This moment was at the very end of a very close basketball game meaning Smart was hopped up, much like Richard Sherman, on incalculable amounts of testosterone and adrenaline.

Orr has denied using the term, but Smart was telling his coaches he did immediately after. It's a lot easier to deny using it out of the moment than to make up that he used it in the spot Smart was in to his coaches. Unless someone else said it and Smart misheard before turning around and confronting Orr, it's a pretty safe bet that he did. And as long as the story from Smart is straight, that aforementioned context is beyond important.

Marcus Smart's 19 years old and was full of adrenaline/testosterone. If dude said THE word, he's lucky he's not gettin his jaw reconstructed
— Craig Hoffman (@craighoffman) February 9, 2014

Jeff Orr is lucky he doesn't have a broken jaw. Marcus Smart is going to be lucky to not be suspended for multiple games. Both are at fault to varying degrees, but one is at fault understandabl ewhile the other is so far removed from reality he might as well be in a movie.

That man is Orr. He's a 50 year old man, who according to a profile by Texas Tech, traveled over 30,000 miles supporting Texas Tech basketball in 2008. That isn't school spirit. It's obsession to the point of insanity. There's no way to do that unless "being at every Tech basketball game" is your number one priority. Not family. Not a job, neverthelessea career. Texas Tech basketball.

This is not his first incident either. Not by a longshot. Immediately following the incident with Smart, former Big 12 players from a number of schools came forward on Twitter saying Orr's said awful things to them in the past. Video of past incidents also surfaced within minutes. He's a grown man who acts like an 8 year old at his big brother's game and doesn't know any better. He went after a kid.

Smart, again, is 19 and made a heat of the moment decision he likely regrets. It's very easy with a cool head to say "you can't react like that" but Marcus Smart didn't have a cool head. That's the lesson he has to learn moving forward. It's not 'what to do' that is the problem. He knows what to do. It's doing it. It's being able to realize that you're entering or are in a state of mind where you're not thinking rationally and snapping out of it before you do something you regret.

The next time someone says something, Smart should be prepared. He'll start towards the person and before his foot even leaves the ground, he'll turn the other way; perhaps towards a security guard to escort the incredulously out of line fan from the building forever. Again, the lesson isn't teaching Smart what he's supposed to do, which is much of what's being debated and will be until some new controversy steals the headlines. He knows what he's supposed to do. It's teaching him when to do it, suppressing the same emotion that has given him a reputation as one of the hardest working players in the country in favor of the rational response to adversity.

Smart shouldn't have done what he did, but I'm not going to pretend to be outraged over it because I'm not. Quite frankly, I'm surprised at how many people are. We're all scarred from "The Malice at the Palace" but comparing the two situations is by no means justifiable for a number of reasons starting with Marcus Smart isn't Ron Artest. Artest is a borderline crazy person. Smart's character on many scouting reports was "beyond reproach" before a chair-kicking incident a few weeks back that was more frustration with himself than anything else.

If you take these same two people out on the street and play out the same result, most people would agree that Orr is lucky to not have had his clock cleaned, and many would probably say he'd deserve it. Now that we're on a basketball court where the antagonized is already high strung, he's supposed to show more restraint? It's just not realistic.

Violence isn't the answer. The high road is. So is proper accountability which is why I am upset. However it's not with Marcus Smart. It's with Jeff Orr because when I was 19, I sure as hell didn't have life figured out yet and my emotions weren't exactly always in check. I'm going to take a wild stab that yours weren't either. For Marcus Smart, this shove is nothing more than a really valuable learning experience in which, luckily, no harm was really done.

And that's okay.

The Ultimate Tourney Primer

The other night I had what I think is a pretty good idea. Give one fact on every game in the tournament. It's part a challenge for me because I'm doing this with what I know,  and little to no further research (only valid research is stats to supplement an already known nugget). I'm writing this intro before starting so there's no promises you get something insightful but I've watched a ton of hoops this year and think for 32 first round games I can probably come up with something. Think of this as a guide for your average college hoops fan to sound smart as they watch the games with their buddies because I have no friends and watch way too much basketball.

Midwest Region:

1 Louisville vs 16 Liberty/North Carolina A&T

• Louisville is the top overall seed thanks to their demolition of Syracuse in the Big East Tournament final.  The game turned in the 2nd half when the Cardinals turned up the press which is their biggest weapon. It allows them to score in bunches which is important because they can struggle offensively when the game slows down.
• BONUS: Liberty is the reason the NCAA needs to change the rules for conference tournaments. If the tournament champions are going to get the automatic bids, you can't let every team in the conference tournament. Liberty lost 20 games playing in the Big South and has zero business being in the tournament. The regular season has to mean more.

2 Duke vs 15 Albany

• Duke is my pick to win it all because I think they're the most stable team. They're going to defend and they have multiple scoring options in seniors Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee as well as freshman Rasheed Sulaimon

3 Michigan State vs 14 Valporaiso

• The Spartans have one of the best backcourts in the country in junior Keith Appling and freshman Gary Harris but their biggest difference maker might be down low in Adreian Payne. The 6'10 junior averages 10+ points and 7.5 rebounds per game and along with Derrick Nix is a lot to handle inside.

4 St. Louis vs 13 New Mexico State

• St. Louis is playing with an interim head coach in Jim Krews who's done an outstanding job after the death of legendary coach Rick Majerus. The Billikens are the best team in the Atlantic 10 which is one of the best leagues in the country and got 5 teams into the tournament.

5 Oklahoma State vs 12 Oregon

• Everyone's focused on Oregon because they got screwed seeding wise but the guy to watch is Marcus Smart for Oklahoma St.  With a outstanding tournament, he could be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft.

6 Memphis vs 11 MTSU/St. Mary's

• For now my fact will be about St. Mary's although they might not make it to the round of 64 at which point I'll change my fact here. Matthew Dellavedova is the reason they got in and while they barely made it in the field, this team is dangerous because 6'4" senior puts up 20 point games on the regular (11 this season).

7 Creighton vs 10 Cincinnati

• Speaking of guys who can put up points, Doug McDermott is one of my favorite players to watch in the country. The way he moves without the ball is textbook. McDermott's dad, Greg, is his head coach.
• BONUS: I spelled Cincinnati correctly on the first try for the first time in my life typing the heading for this.

8 Colorado State vs 9 Missouri

• Much like Michael Carter-Williams for Syracuse, Phil Pressey can shoot Missouri out of games or pass them into wins. The last 4 games are a perfect example. Pressey took 1 and 3 shots in the Tigers two wins. He took 12 and 16 in the two losses. He played 30+ minutes in every game.

West Region

1 Gonzaga vs 16 Southern

• I thought Miami (FL) deserved the #1 seed but the Bulldogs are a really really good. They're best player is Kelly Olynyk, a 7 foot center whose versatile game has him in position to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft. He's aslo Canadien. Eh.

2 Ohio State vs 15 Iona

• Easy to tell you Aaron Craft is the best on-ball defender in the country and he's white and everyone else's fans hate him. However how about an Iona nugget? Lamont "Momo" Jones is a transfer from Arizona and was part of the team with Derrick Williams that beat Kyrie Irving's Duke team two years ago. Irving scored 28 and went #1 in the draft. Williams went #2. 

3 New Mexico vs 14 Harvard

• New Mexico wing Tony Snell can flat out ball. He's the one with the dreads. That's all you need to know. Watch him every chance you get.

4 Kansas State vs 13 Boise State/La Salle

• K-State's Rodney McGruder is one of the best scorers in the tournament. He put up 30 in their first tourney game last year. The whole offense is designed around him moving off the ball. Keep your eye on #22.
• BONUS: La Salle's coach has a doctorate. Dr. John Giannini

5 Wisconsin vs 12 Marshall Henderson

• Lots of studying of Wisconsin as I prepare to cover them, but this nugget goes to Marshall Henderson. He's brash. He's in your face. He gets buckets. He's great at beer pong. He likes Coors Light. He doesn't like the other coaches in the SEC for not voting him player of the year. He's white. People hate him. Confidence is not a problem. It's wildly entertaining and I cannot wait to cover him.

6 Arizona vs 11 Belmont

• I actually know very little about these teams. Knew it would happen eventually. Arizona at the end of games is a mess. Belmont shoots a lot of threes and does so well. Popular upset pick. Belmont's in Nashville. Arizona is...well...in Arizona. #Knowledge

7 Notre Dame vs 10 Iowa State

• Notre Dame's got a great inside/outside combo in Jack Cooley (inside) and Jerian Grant (outside). The most fun story is Garrick Sherman who had basically fallen out of the rotation until he was literally needed against Louisville. After not playing in all of regulation he came in and dropped 17 points in the 5 overtimes and has been in the rotation ever since.

8 Pittsburgh vs 9 Wichita State

• Pittsburgh is ranked 7th in the KenPom.com rankings yet is an 8 seed. Needless to say that's the biggest disparity of any team. Their point guard Trey Woodall seems like he's been at Pitt forever because he kinda has. He and I graduated high school the same year. I've gone to two schools, graduated, got a job and got fired. He's still there.

South Region

1 Kansas vs 16 Western Kentucky

• Watch #23 for Kansas. His name is Ben McLemore and he can fly. He's also one of the best shooters in the country, but more fun is to watch him dunk. He jumps easier than anyone I've ever seen.
• BONUS: Another entrant in the "he's still there?!" department. Western Kentucky Senior Jamal Crook was playing there when I was at Middle Tennessee covering the Sun Belt. 

2 Georgetown vs 15 Florida Gulf Coast

• Otto Porter for Georgetown might be the best player in college basketball. He can do everything and he does. He nearly beat Syracuse single-handedly 3 times. The Hoyas also defend harder than anyone else in the country except maybe Louisville. They give your guards zero airspace.

3 Florida vs 14 Northwestern State

• One of the streakiest players in the tournament is Florida's Kenny Boynton. When he's on he can score with the best of em. When he's off, he can shoot them out of games. The Gators do have balance though with Patric Young inside and Mike Rosario (Rutgers transfer) to supplement Boynton on the perimeter.
• BONUS: I didn't know Northwestern State existed either. Further research shows it's in Natchitoches, LA.

4 Michigan vs 13 San Diego State

• If Porter from Georgetown isn't the best player in the country it's probably Trey Burke. The Michigan point guard is a playmaker on both ends of the floor who can score, help others score and prevent his man from scoring. Kinda all you want in a point guard.

5 VCU vs 12 Akron

• I didn't watch enough of VCU this year to know em real well but they're style is signature. They press full court, making them a popular upset pick over Kansas in the Sweet 16 because KU doesn't have a true point guard to handle the pressure. I don't think they're gonna get passed Michigan though making that a mute point.

6 UCLA vs 11 Minnesota

• The most popular upset pick in the tournament is this game. Why? Minnesota has an NBA quality big in Trevor Mbakwe on it's front line and crashes the boards with reckless abandon while UCLA doesn't ever box out anybody. The Bruins are also now without Jordan Anderson who might've been their best player. 

7 San Diego St vs 10 Oklahoma

• This is pathetic but I'm punting here. I should know more about both teams. I covered the Big 12 yet know nothing about OU. In my defense, I was fired before conference play started. Syracuse beat San Diego State to start the year on a boat. That was a long time ago and I don't remember a thing about them. So there's your fact. SDSU lost on a boat to start the year.

8 UNC vs 9 Villanova

• You'll get two facts here to make up for the prior punt. This is a good one too. UNC has been very good down the stretch of the season and is under-seeded. The change in play was sparked after Roy Williams changed his starting lineup and basically went "screw it" and started his best 5 instead of worrying about positions. It's a small lineup featuring 6'9" James Michael McAdoo at the center spot and it almost beat Miami for the ACC tourney title. 
• BONUS: Also watch Reggie Bullock for UNC. The guy can flat out shoot and he's got a sick mohawk.
• BONUS BONUS: Speaking of shooters, watch Ryan Arcidiacono for Villanova. Also don't get confused by his name when they say Arcidiacono every time. It's his last name. Not "Archie Diacono." He's only a freshman but Jay Wright has admitted he's petrified to take him on the floor. He's that important.

East Region

1 Indiana vs 16 LIU-Brooklyn/James Madison

• Let's not get cute. Victor Oladipo is as fun to watch as any player in the country for Indiana. He's a 6'4" junior who'd basically been a good wing defender and that's about it. Now he does everything and man can he fly.

2 Miami vs 15 Pacific

• Again, let's focus the spotlight where it belongs. Shane Larkin has gone from "Barry Larkin's son" (as in the Hall of Fame baseball player) to one a name on his own as one of the best point guards in the country.

3 Marquette vs 14 Davidson

• Popular upset pick because Marquette hasn't that great away from home. When you say "what do they do really well?" there's not really an answer. They're just solid all-around. Lots of good. Nothing great.

4 Syracuse vs 13 Montana

• Pick your Syracuse fact I could throw at you. Key to everything is Michael Carter-Williams. If he gets steals and gets the Orange in transition, they're as good as anyone. If the offense gets bogged down in the halfcourt, MCW tends to turn it over and bad things happen. Montana is very capable of pulling this upset. Veteran team who shoots the 3 well.

5 UNLV vs 12 Cal

• Keep your eyes down low on Anthony Bennett for UNLV. He's a top 5 pick in the June NBA Draft.

6 Butler vs 11 Bucknell

• Butler has tournament experience and the capability to beat anyone. They beat Indiana earlier this year. Can they put it together for 6 games and win it all? Probably not, but they're never an easy out because they're super well coached. They've got a couple of excellent players including Rotnei Clarke (scorer) and Roosevelt Jones both does a little bit of everything.

7 Illinois vs 10 Colorado

• If Colorado wins don't be surprised because they're ranked higher in the BPI. However the best player on the floor will be Brandon Paul from Illinois who single-handedly beat Gonzaga earlier this year.

8 NC State vs 9 Temple

• NC State was the favorite to win the ACC in the preseason and has a ton of talent but keep your eyes on Khalif Wyatt for Temple. He's not hard to find. He shoots a ton and makes a ton and single handedly beat Syracuse and almost did it again to Kansas a week later.

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