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Pistons (Early) Week in Review

1/29/2018

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By: Bogart Lipe

Andre Drummond, who is playing like if a lovechild between Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash existed, can shoot free throws now. To celebrate, we’ll have an article every week whose length is based on Andre’s free throw percentage. For example, 0.500 from the line calls for a 500 word article, 0.700 is a 700 word article, and so on. So here we go. Andre Drummond is shooting 0.625 from the free throw line, so here are 625 words on the Pistons’ week.

*Takes a deep breath.*

*Takes another, longer, deep breath.*

Woah.

Where do we start? From what has seemed like out of nowhere, Stan Van Gundy just made what feels like another stunning attempt at saving this Pistons team. Earlier this evening, it was announced that the Pistons are trading Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, a protected 2018 first round pick, and a second round pick to acquire Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, and Willie Reed from the Los Angeles Clippers. Let’s try our best to make sense of it all.

First off, this is what SVG needed to do. He had three (but really only two) options leading up to next Thursday’s trade deadline: 1) sit back and see where this team goes (bad idea, considering the Pistons have lost 8 straight and had no sights on ending the streak anytime soon), 2) blow it all up, or 3) try to make a move for a star. SVG chose the third option, essentially betting it all on Griffin. Blake is a bona fide star when healthy, but has his well-documented health problems. Regardless, Van Gundy has now acquired the brightest league-wide star the Pistons have had in at least a decade and arguably much, much longer.

So what’s it all mean? Avery Bradley seemed more and more of a long shot to resign, and didn’t appear worth it for the Pistons to even extend him a potential max offer at year’s end. Boban, although a fan favorite, was not as effective an experiment as the team had hoped. The loss of Tobias Harris stings the most, as he has given the Pistons as much as they could have asked in the nearly two years that he’s been on the team. All things considered, however, this is a risk that makes sense for the Pistons. Griffin is averaging 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists a game, and now will combine with Andre Drummond to create one of the more potent frontcourts in all of the NBA. The only questions that remain are whether Blake will positively acclimate to Michigan life after spending his last nine years in LA (iffy) and whether he will stay healthy (really iffy).

Best case scenario: Blake and Dre connect, Blake stays healthy and taps into his uber-special 2015 playoffs potential, and the next four plus years he helps finally propel the Pistons into Eastern Conference contention and possibly more. Worst case? Well, it certainly can’t be worse than the recent Pistons performances. The Pistons have their backs against the wall, and a makeover like this one may prove effective. Stanley Johnson will likely once again step into a starting role, joined by Reggie Bullock, and hopefully sooner rather than later a healthy Reggie Jackson. Until Jackson’s return, whenever that may be, Blake can also handle some ball handling duties. He has a history of shining in that role, and Point Guard Blake involved in a two man game with Dre could spell misery for opposing defenses.

Stan Van Gundy the GM deserves the benefit of the doubt, as he has rarely, if ever, lost a trade. It’s difficult to trade for a star, and objectively the Pistons may have acquired Griffin at a reasonable price. Like anything in life, Blake Griffin provides high risk (with his injury concerns and 5 year $170 million contract), but with it comes ultra-high potential rewards. Blake has a potential impact worlds larger than anyone the Pistons gave up, and now provides a go-to scorer that the Pistons have been searching for what seems like years. Tonight marks yet again a new era in Detroit Basketball, regardless of outcome. Tomorrow at 8pm on TNT the Pistons take on the Cavaliers and well, everybody…here we go.
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Pistons Week in Review

1/24/2018

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By: Bogart Lipe

Andre Drummond, who is playing like if a lovechild between Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash existed, can shoot free throws now. To celebrate, we’ll have an article every week whose length is based on Andre’s free throw percentage. For example, 0.500 from the line calls for a 500 word article, 0.700 is a 700 word article, and so on. So here we go. Andre Drummond is shooting 0.629 from the free throw line, so here are 629 words on the Pistons’ week.​

We’re not going to talk about the way the Pistons have played basketball. Let’s not talk about how they’ve gone 8-17 over their last 25 games. Let’s not talk about it culminating in a perfect, romantic Spencer Dinwiddie Athletic But Also Ugly As Hell buzzer beater to help the Nets beat the Pistons by one on Sunday. Let’s not do that. Let’s talk about the mini drama with Andre Drummond being left off the All-Star Team and who SVG needs to trade for.

Andre Drummond is averaging 14/15/4/1.5/1.2. Sure. He’s likely the best rebounder in the game based on recent statistics. Sure. Andre Drummond should probably be upset that he won’t be an All-Star for the second year in a row (and he made it clear he is). Sure.
Picture
Via @AndreDrummond on Twitter
Is Dre more deserving than Al Horford, who is averaging 13, 7, and 5 this year (gulp)? Probably. But the way the Pistons have so quickly and explosively receded, it shouldn’t come as a shock to Pistons fans that Dre was left off the team. The days of the possibility of Tobias Harris being an All-Star left weeks ago. Dre was the only player with a real chance, but when you have an arguably better known big man on the best team in the conference in Horford, bias (albeit likely unfair bias) is going to come into play. It definitely sucks. It’s fantastic seeing your hometown team represented in the mid-winter shootout. Under other circumstances, Dre not making the cut would get under my skin. But there’s more pressing issues if the Pistons are going to do anything this year other than pseudo-tank.​

Stan Van Gundy needs to call Michael Jordan. And when he calls Michael Jordan, he needs to bring up Kemba Walker. And when he brings up Kemba Walker, he needs to trade anyone not named Tobias or Andre (or Anthony) to get him. MJ recently came out and proclaimed his adoration for Kemba, and that he would not trade Walker except for an All-Star player. And, as previously discussed, the Pistons once again have no such players. However, the Hornets suck. The Pistons suck. The two teams could benefit greatly from doing business with each other, exchanging valuable players who may simply need a change of scenery. It would require likely quite a bit from the Pistons end, with Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson, another rotation player, and maybe a first round pick being necessary. It doesn’t matter what SVG has to do, as long as he does so while retaining Tobias and Dre. Kemba and Dre have a Connecticut connection, and Kemba may be one of the few point guards in the league that Dre could stomach replacing Reggie Jackson, one of his best friends, long term. Avery Bradley would likely not be involved in a trade, as there is no shot he signs long term in Charlotte, so a hypothetical Pistons lineup would be as follows: Kemba, Avery Bradley, Reggie Bullock, Tobias, and Dre. (Is that not a top East lineup? Am I still crazy? Don’t answer that.) The bench will have to be diminished sure, but SVG has proven his ability to replenish the bench at a cheap cost before and may be able to do so again. Kemba in a Pistons uniform may currently be a pipe dream, but for SVG and these Pistons, an ultimatum is nearing. Either make a big move to try to salvage this core’s potential, or become sellers at the trade deadline and start over (again). Can SVG survive a rebuild this early in his tenure as the head of the Pistons? If not, then he only has a few options: once again run it back (if able to resign Avery) or make big news before the trade deadline.
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Flaherty Leads Wolverines to Victory Over Spartans

1/24/2018

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Every sporting event against Michigan State University is thrilling for both the teams competing and the fans alike at the University of Michigan. Coming off of the Michigan Men’s Basketball team’s upset over MSU, the excitement was felt inside of Crisler Center when the Michigan Women’s Basketball team took on the Michigan State Spartans Tuesday night. After not beating MSU in the last four games played against them, the team was riled up and ready to take them on at home. They battled through four quarters of great basketball with the Wolverines coming out on top with a 74-48 win over MSU.
 
Right from the beginning the Wolverines showed their skills on the court and foreshadowed a win against the Spartans. After Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty hit two 3-pointers in a row in the beginning of the quarter, the team got fired up and was able to build off of the momentum to maintain the lead throughout the rest of the game. Once Michigan was ahead, MSU could never recover and the 1st quarter ended 25-11.
 
Throughout the rest of the game the Wolverines dominated. They forced numerous turnovers resulting in 15 points that showed the crowd the team was not afraid to get aggressive defensively in order to beat MSU. Michigan’s overall shooting stats showed how accurate they were throughout the game, shooting 50% from 3-point range and making 49.1% of field goals compared to Michigan State’s 31.1% of field goals made.
 
Even when Michigan State came close to closing the 10-point gap in the middle of the 3rd quarter, Junior guard Nicole Munger sunk a 3-pointer and from there the Wolverines scored the remaining 30 points needed to seal the victory over the Spartans, who only scored 17 the rest of the way. The major difference in the teams seen in the matchup Tuesday night was the Spartans’ injury ridden roster. With only eight players dressing, the team’s flow wasn’t quite there from the start of the game. This led to them never getting ahead in the game, giving Michigan the upper hand throughout the whole game and ending the game with a Michigan win 74-48.
 
Katelynn Flaherty is the team’s leading scorer and just surpassed the school’s record of all-time leading scorer among both men and women’s basketball programs. Flaherty is not only the team’s top scorer but is also supportive of her other teammates in their goal to get into the NCAA tournament this year. Against Michigan State, Flaherty racked up a total of 26 points followed by Nicole Munger with 13 points and Freshman forward Hailey Brown with 10. The whole Michigan team works well together using Flaherty’s power and skill as the driving factor in their 5th consecutive win. Even when Flaherty gets double teamed, she uses that to her advantage, finding the open teammate, passing, with a majority of the time resulting in points scored.
 
Michigan is currently ranked 19th in the top 25 teams in the country, while Michigan State remains unranked. They are #2 in the Big Ten conference behind Maryland who they won’t play until February 22nd at Crisler Center. This matchup is their last game of the season before the Big Ten Tournament and hopefully the NCAA tournament.
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What if The NBA All-Star Team Was Made Up of Fictional Basketball Players?

1/24/2018

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 By Teddy Gutkin

This year the NBA All-Star Game will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Of course, one can’t think about LA without thinking about movies and the thousands of stars that reside there, which begs the question that you probably have never asked yourself: what would an NBA All-Star team look like if all the players were from basketball movies? We’re about to find out…
Starting 5
    Point Guard: Calvin Cambridge (Lil’ Bow Wow, Like Mike)
    I mean, come on! He’s a ten-year-old kid with the talent of Michael Jordan in his prime. With a great shot, spectacular passing ability, and the ability to dunk despite being shorter than Isaiah Thomas, Calvin would no doubt make the 2018 All-Star Game one of the most exciting in recent memory.
    Shooting Guard: Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen, He Got Game)
    Considering he’s played by Ray Allen, the best three-point shooter in NBA history, Jesus Shuttlesworth is one of the best players on this team. Jesus is a stellar shooter, and his talent earned him a scholarship to Big State.  He also beat his estranged father Jake, the man who also murdered his mother, in one of the most tense one-on-one basketball games in cinematic history.  Jesus easily earns his spot here, and I would argue that he is the best player on the entire roster.
    Small Forward: Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson, White Men Can’t Jump)
    Hoyle made every white guy’s dream come true with his thunderous dunk against King and Duck in the finale of the classic basketball flick. He’s a cocky player who isn’t afraid to go against anyone, making him a perfect addition to the All-Star team.  Harrelson, the actor who played Hoyle, also played veteran Ed Monix in the basketball comedy Semi-Pro.  Which brings us to...
    Power Forward: Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell, Semi-Pro)
    Former ABA owner, star, coach, and halftime show performer Jackie Moon would bring loads of excitement to this team, and his ability to contribute in a multitude of roles makes him one of the most valuable additions to the squad.  
    Center: Neon Boudeaux (Shaquille O’Neal, Blue Chips)
    Played by Shaquille O’Neal himself, Neon is a tough big man who is a defensive force and converts nearly every shot attempt he takes from inside five feet (seriously, I’m pretty sure the dude doesn’t miss a single shot the entire movie). He’ll help to provide the inside presence that this team desperately needs.
Bench:
    Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes, White Men Can’t Jump)
    You can’t have Billy Hoyle and not include his partner-in-crime Sidney Deane. Deane is a great ball-handler, and his ability to throw perfect lob passes is sure to excite the crowd at Staples Center.
    Troy Bolton (Zac Efron, High School Musical)
    He can sing, dance, and flat out shoot the ball. The best player in East High history has a knack for hitting big shots, and his impressive career even earned him a chance to play college ball at Cal. Plus, he helped his school win a state championship while performing in his school’s musical at the same time. How many NBA players can say they’ve done that?
    Lewis Scott (Damon Wayans, Celtic Pride)
    Lewis Scott shot 50 times a game. In the NBA. Those are stats that even make LaMelo Ball blush. Scott is an excellent driver and a volume shooter, and I imagine that he will be a more willing passer when he has actual teammates to pass to. It should also be noted that he single-handedly helped the Jazz, yes, the JAZZ, to an NBA title at the end of the movie, overcoming a 3-1 deficit.
    Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler, Grown Ups)
    The main character of Adam Sandler’s only decent movie of the decade is one of the best shooters you’ll ever see. Feder hit the game-winning shot in his middle school basketball championship (for perspective, LeBron missed the game winning shot in his), and has a bank-shot so automatic that it makes Tim Duncan jealous.  
    Bugs Bunny (Space Jam)
    Oh yeah, cartoons count for this team too. Bugs was instrumental in leading the Tune Squad in the greatest upset in sports history over the Monstars, and also helped jumpstart the legendary comeback by giving his team “Michael’s Secret Stuff.”  That could come in handy if this team struggles in the first half.
    Lola Bunny (Space Jam):
    Arguably the best player on the Tune Squad not named Michael Jordan, Lola is a tenacious defender, great shooter, and willing passer. As long as no one calls her “Doll,” Lola should have a great game.
    Bill Murray (Space Jam)
    Bill Murray doesn’t play defense, and everyone knows that the All-Star game features virtually no defense, so this is a match made in heaven. He assisted on Jordan’s game-winning dunk, and after the game ended Jordan even said that he believed Murray could play in the NBA, which easily validates his inclusion on this roster.
    Butch McCrae (Penny Hardaway, Blue Chips)
    Played by Penny Hardaway, McCrae was a tremendous offensive talent who could bury threes and drive to the cup at will.  =He and Neon Boudeaux combined to create one of the most fearsome 1-2 punches in the college game, and fans will surely be excited to see their reunion with both of them on the roster.  
    Aaron Connors (Bill Hader, Trainwreck):
He’s a sports surgeon, but he scored on LEBRON JAMES. Enough said.  
Air Bud (Air Bud):
Air Bud is obviously the most talented dog to ever play the game of basketball. Can you imagine how many views the All-Star Game would get if a dog played in it? I know I’d watch it.   
Brian Newell (Taylor Gray, Thunderstruck):
    Playing with the talent of Kevin Durant, Newell is pretty much just a white knockoff of Calvin Cambridge. However, he’s still an entertaining player, given the fact that he’s literally KD, and he would no doubt be a welcome addition to a team that could use another kid with superhuman basketball skills.
    Coach: Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson, Coach Carter)
    No-brainer here. Carter gives some of the best pump-up speeches you’ll hear in your entire life, and he’s played by SAM FREAKING JACKSON.  The dude has literally made a living off of yelling, so there’s no doubt that he’d crush it leading this team.

​
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Pistons Week in Review

1/17/2018

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By: Bogart Lipe

Andre Drummond, who is playing like if a lovechild between Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash existed, can shoot free throws now. To celebrate, we’ll have an article every week whose length is based on Andre’s free throw percentage. For example, 0.500 from the line calls for a 500 word article, 0.700 is a 700 word article, and so on. So here we go. Andre Drummond is shooting 0.630 from the free throw line, so here are 630 words on the Pistons’ week.

Some people have seasonal depression. The weather turns cold, they stay indoors all day, and get bored and upset. I don’t personally suffer directly from seasonal depression. I, as many Pistons fans do, writhe from a similar condition, though. We just call it the NBA season. The Pistons turn cold from the field, injuries keep key players on the bench, and we get frustrated and upset. And it’s only half way through the season.

Right now at this moment, in this exact time in the universe, I can’t imagine the Pistons making the playoffs. Regardless of the mess that is the Eastern Conference, the Pistons currently sit at 22-20 and somehow are still the 8th seed in the conference. This is the result of back to back losses to…gulp…the putrid Bulls and the lackluster Hornets. The ending of the Bulls game was a mess, where allegedly the referees missed two straight foul calls according to the NBA’s last two minute report. The Hornets game was a mess, where allegedly Andre Drummond played 33 minutes, but only had 3 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists to show for it as Dwight Howard put up 21 and 17. The team is a mess, not allegedly, but with absolute certainty.

As the trade deadline continues to approach, it seems more likely that Stan Van Gundy will have to make a trade. Whether the Pistons will prove to be buyers as usual or start selling key pieces is yet to be seen. No matter what SVG chooses, something must be done. The offense is more stale and harder to swallow than a reheated Olive Garden breadstick. The defense at times looks like more of an imitator than Burger King’s chicken fries. The overall attitude is worse than a customer after eating Taco Bell.

The team has been dealt a terrible card, of course. Reggie Jackson’s importance to this team has been unequivocally proven. The team looks lost and as previously mentioned, uninspired. As a diehard, unconditionally loving fan, the recent stretch has been aching. There’s no consistency. There’s not a single play they can run to get a basket in a key spot. There’s no heart many nights. It’s truly stunning. But as mentioned above, the season is now just over half way through. There’s obviously an abundant amount of time left for the team to right their ways, but it feels as if fans have been saying that for weeks on end. The entire psyche of the team must change now, and if it doesn’t, Stan Van Gundy will change it himself. SVG can’t afford to have this team miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year, which would undoubtedly spark murmurs of his termination as one or both of his current positions in the Pistons’ brass. It’s unfair we haven’t been able to see the team at full strength for any extended period of time during Van Gundy’s stay, but this is how it goes.

Another failure to reach the postseason will result in serious questions about SVG and every player’s future with the team. Another failure to reach the postseason will implant ideas of blowing it up, and rebuilding once again (remember Josh Harrellson?). Not to mention as this season starts to appear to get off the tracks, the chances of Avery Bradley resigning diminish further and further. Regardless of how he has played of late (which is to say, underwhelming), he remains the number one priority for the Pistons this offseason.

An immense amount of the Pistons future rides on the next 40 games, with the Raptors tonight and the Wizards and Nets upcoming. And frankly, the only reason I may tune in is to see Anthony Tolliver play basketball at an impeccable level.

This is where we’ve ended up.
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The Inaugural WCBN Sports Australian Open Women's Preview

1/14/2018

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Picture
By: Alex Drain

Well, tennis fans, the layoff is over! Despite the dead of winter, the first Grand Slam of 2018 is here from sunny Melbourne, Australia. It’s everyone’s favorite sporting event that’s best moments occur after 4 am in the morning. And this year the obscene time change serves another purpose: adjusting your sleep schedule to be ready for the Winter Olympics a week later, which takes place in a time zone just two hours different. Alas, despite the strange timing, there will be some high quality tennis and both brackets are pretty wide open. Thus, it’s time to dig in to WCBN Sports’ inaugural Australian Open preview.


Women’s Draw:

Once again, the full draw is here. The 2017 women’s season was rocked by Serena Williams’ pregnancy after the Australian Open. She was the dominant force that kept the WTA tennis world together. With her gone, a massive power vacuum opened. And what ensued was immense uncertainty, allowing new players to rise up. Three different players won the remaining three Grand Slams, and 6 different players won the 8 big non-Slam tournaments. It was wide open, and with Serena still not fully back, it remains wide open. So let’s dig into this draw.

The most brutal draw no question is Garbiñe Muguruza’s quarter. In her eighth alone, there is herself, former world #1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and one-time Grand Slam finalist/former world #2 Agnieszka Radwańska. Just brutal. Radwanska isn’t what she once was, as she hasn’t made a Grand Slam quarter since the Aussie in 2016, but she’s always dangerous. But Kerber is the true wild card. She entered 2017 as world #1 after taking home two GS titles in 2016, but she had a confoundingly horrible 2017. She didn’t even make the quarters of any slam last year, losing in the first round twice! She also made just one semifinal of a major non-slam tournament and her ranking has tumbled all the way to #16. But she has so much talent that she is a force. In the other eighth, it’s mostly unproven names who hold high seeds (Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia) and Madison Keys, who finally had her breakout at the 2017 US Open. As a whole, her 2017 was pretty unimpressive but she needs to show the US Open wasn’t a fluke. I’m not sure who’s going to come out of this draw, but my pick is probably a big bounceback from Kerber. She just won Sydney, which included wins over Cibulkova, Safarova, and Venus Williams. I like her chances.

No doubt the player I’m most interested in watching is Sloane Stephens, whose 2017 was something of a fairy tale. Once a rising star, Stephens fell on hard times and was well out of the top 100 before she reached the semifinals of both Toronto and Cincy before winning the US Open, catapulting her all the way up to the Top 20. Since then? She’s lost 7 straight matches. Which Stephens is the real one? This tournament will tell us. She’s in the same quarter as Venus Williams, who has the #5 seed, chugging along as an ageless wonder and a legitimate contender. The #4 seed in the quarter is Elina Svitolina. The 23 year old Ukrainian had one of the better 2017 campaigns despite not winning a slam. Williams and Svitolina are only 1-1 against each other career. I’m feeling like Venus is going to come out of this quarter.

The most uncertain quarter is Caroline Wozniacki’s. The 27 year-old Dane’s career has been defined by playing a lot of tournaments but never really winning that many. 2017 was similar, with only one main tournament title to show, the WTA Finals London title. That gives her momentum entering Melbourne, but she’s never reached the finals here and her last semi was 2011. She has to deal with Jelena Ostapenko in this quarter, and the 20 year-old Latvian stunned the world by winning the French Open last year but outside of that, she hasn’t done much at the major tournaments. Maybe this will be her breakout showing Down Under? I wouldn't bet on it. Instead my pick in this quarter is #10 seed CoCo Vandeweghe. She didn’t do much in the smaller tournaments but she brings her A game to the Grand Slams, reaching the semis of the US Open and the Australian Open in 2017, along with a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon. She’s a big gamer and has a more proven Grand Slam track record than Ostapenko or Wozniacki.

World #1 Simona Halep anchors the final quarter, but boy does she have a tough path to the Round of 16. In the third round, she may have to take on former world #2 and two time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. The Czech lefty had a horrifying 2017, that saw her miss the Australian Open after she was brutally stabbed during a home invasion. She was sidelined  until the French Open and has a low seed, but got better as the year went on, losing in the quarters of the US Open to Venus and the semis of Beijing. Karolina Pliskova is also a force in this quarter, and she had a very solid 2017, making the semis of the French Open and the quarterfinals here in Australia and in the US Open, along with 3 smaller tournament titles. My bet to come out of this quarter is still Halep but I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these players, along with Jo Konta reach the semis.

So what kind of final does this add up to? I picked Venus, Halep, Vandeweghe, and Kerber to reach the semis, Which means that Halep would play Kerber, while Venus Williams plays Vandeweghe, which I see meaning a Halep vs. Williams final, in which case I lean on the younger player with more stamina. Halep is my pick to win it all.

image credit: https://img.vavel.com/halep-surgery-delay-6003281548.jpg

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The Inaugural WCBN Sports Australian Open Men's Preview

1/14/2018

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Picture
By: Alex Drain

Well, tennis fans, the layoff is over! Despite the dead of winter, the first Grand Slam of 2018 is here from sunny Melbourne, Australia. It’s everyone’s favorite sporting event that’s best moments occur after 4 am in the morning. And this year the obscene time change serves another purpose: adjusting your sleep schedule to be ready for the Winter Olympics a week later, which takes place in a time zone just two hours different. Alas, despite the strange timing, there will be some high quality tennis and both brackets are pretty wide open. Thus, it’s time to dig in to WCBN Sports’ inaugural Australian Open preview.


Men’s Draw:
For reference, here is the link to the full draw. Injuries have beset the men’s stars thanks to the fact the old guard is now all over 30, with Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray withdrawing. Additionally, the younger players have yet to establish themselves, though 2018 could be the year to do it.

Last year was perhaps the most improbable season in tennis history, with Roger Federer becoming the best player in the world again for the first time since 2009, a day that Roger diehards like myself never thought would happen. He has essentially waited out the primes of his main rivals and while they struggle with injuries, he has perfected a Tim Duncan Schedule of his own that preserves his stamina and keeps him healthy. In 2017, Federer went 52-5, the highest win percentage of any major player on the circuit, winning this tournament and Wimbledon for his first season with 2 Grand Slam titles since 2009. Federer played 12 tournaments, winning 7 of them, and most importantly, he went 4-0 against arch-rival Rafael Nadal. And when Federer wasn’t playing, like the clay court season, Nadal was dominating. The Spaniard played 17 tournaments, winning 6 of them and finishing 67-11. It was return to the Big 2 era.

So how does this draw shape up? Nadal is the 1 seed, Federer the 2. Outside of that, it’s a big drop off. The most brutal quarter is no doubt Dominic Thiem/Alexander “Sascha” Zverev’s quarter. Thiem is the #5 and Zverev is the #4. But also tossed in there is a pair of former champions who are lower seeds due to injuries in 2017: Stan Wawrinka (#9) and Novak Djokovic (#14). Both players haven’t played since Wimbledon, with the Nole coming off an elbow injury and Stan dealing with a knee injury. There’s a lot of uncertainty in this draw and no one is sure how healthy Djokovic and Wawrinka actually are. I’d be inclined to go with one of those young stars, but Thiem is a clay court player. Thiem went 24-7 on clay with 1 title and 2 other finals in 2017, but just 25-20 on hard court. And Zverev? He’s climbed through the rankings mostly through playing tournaments and not actually doing all that well in them. The 20 year old German has freakish potential (he needs to bulk up to reach it) but he needs to start showing more results in big tournaments. Between the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 tournaments, he reached the quarters just twice in 13 tries and still has never made the quarters in a slam. Maybe this will be his breakout? But I can’t bet on it to happen until I see it. I honestly have no idea who comes out of this quarter. I could easily see it being Djokovic reclaiming his past glory, but that injury, along with the fact he wasn’t all that good before he got hurt, makes me question him.

Nadal’s draw is the most favorable. There are questions about his health, but I struggle to see him not coming out of this quarter. Marin Cilic is his top opponent and that’s not a super formidable challenger. Maybe John Isner could be an issue? Again, weird things happen, but it’s hard to see it happening. Federer’s quarter is also pretty nice. Against the seeded players he might have to play to reach the Round of 16, he’s 48-5. David Goffin is the main seed in the quarter but he’s more of a pretender than a contender. I think it’s more likely that Roger plays Berdych or Del Potro in the auarter if he is to get there. And against those foes? He’s 8-0 in his last 8 against Berdych and 5-1 in his last 6 against Del Potro. So I think it’s likely that the Big 2 reach the semis.

The last draw is pretty intriguing to me. The #3 seed in the tournament and the anchor of this quarter is Grigor Dimitrov. The 26 year old Bulgarian is a player I’ve liked since he nearly knocked off Rafa at this tournament a year ago in the semifinals. His 2017 outside of that run wasn’t too great, but he closed strong, winning in Cincinnati and London, and making the quarters of Shanghai. He could meet the ever polarizing Nick Kyrgios, who has the weight of the home country on him, in the 3rd round, which would be brutal for both players. Kyrgios made the finals of Beijing in late 2017 and won Brisbane to start the year, so he enters 2018 with confidence. This could be the year where he puts it all together, but don’t bank on it. Also in this quarter is the American with the best chance, Jack Sock. Sock went 38-21 and won 3 titles (albeit small ones) in 2018. I still favor Dimitrov to come out of this quarter and think he’d have a great shot at Nadal in the semis.

So does this add up to a Rafa vs. Roger final? Perhaps. That would certainly set up for another epic, but don’t count out the old faces on Federer’s side, Djokovic and Wawrinka, nor Dimitrov and Kyrgios on Nadal’s side. And there’s the chance with age and injuries mounting, that their could be just a total wipeout of big names like in Wimbledon last year. Anything could feasibly happen, so let’s wait and see. If I had to make a prediction though, I’d probably be a homer and take Federer. He was the best player in the world last year, on a surface he’s comfortable with. He’s took a few months off to rest his back and returned in Perth two weeks ago and played well, going 4-0 and defeating Sascha Zverev and Jack Sock. He has the least injury concerns and the most proven track record. He’s my pick.

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Pistons Week in Review

1/10/2018

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By: Bogart Lipe

Andre Drummond, who is playing like if a lovechild between Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash existed, can shoot free throws now. To celebrate, we’ll have an article every week whose length is based on Andre’s free throw percentage. For example, 0.500 from the line calls for a 500 word article, 0.700 is a 700 word article, and so on. So here we go. Andre Drummond is shooting 0.623 from the free throw line, so here are 623 words on the Pistons’ week.

There’s a thrill associated with the unknown. The anxiety that comes with not knowing whether something will be brilliant or dismal. Whether your expectations will be shattered through, or whether you’ll be disappointed you ever let yourself get so emotionally involved. The kind of thrill when you step inside a Little Caesars, and valiantly propose that the worker hand you a Hot-N-Ready pizza. The still-ridiculous price of $5 (and still standing as the best value in America, no matter how hard Wendy’s tries) does give you a rush as you feel like you’re committing robbery, sure. However, there’s a factor of unknown. You don’t always realize it, but there’s always the sense of adventure when your soon-to-be pizza gets chosen. You hope it’s truly hot as well as ready, instead of lukewarm and ready-four-hours-ago. This excites you. But troubles you. Especially, because at the end of the day, you realize you care too much about something that is terrible for your well-being.

I’ll admit it. I have no idea how good or bad the Pistons are. I don’t know if this team is going to win 35 games this year or 50 anymore. I don’t know if this is the end of the Pistons roster as we know it, or if the team is going to push through injuries and excel if or when the injury plagued contributors on the team return.

This was a weird week. The Pistons lost to the Heat by 7, the Sixers by (gulp) 28, beat the shorthanded Rockets by 7, then lost to the Pelicans by 3. It simply doesn’t make much sense. Of course, being a team now forced to thrust many former role players into larger shares of responsibility and time could help explain it. Bench players are habitually streaky, as is the nature of the position and rank. But the variability with which the Pistons are playing as of late is downright confusing. The team went into the fourth tied with the Heat and lost. The game against Philadelphia was over the second the Pistons got off the team plane at the airport. They showed heart and grit in the Rockets game to pull out the victory. And finally they fought back from 14 down against the Pelicans just to have another late game abomination as the buzzer sounded.

By virtue of having only 623 words, let us get to the point. Stan Van Gundy is not doing his best coaching job in key moments. Once again, the Pistons failed to execute when down 3 in the waning seconds against the Pelicans. Instead of the usual Pass To Tobias Harris And Let Him Airball A Contested Three At The Buzzer play call that SVG has proven to love, he pulled another, different rabbit out of his hat. Andre Drummond and Ish Smith were both on the court. Ish, who is simply atrocious from three, inbounded the ball to Avery Bradley. As previously mentioned, Ish is dreadfully benign from beyond 20 feet. So, the Pelicans didn’t even bother guarding him. Avery Bradley caught the inbounds pass, struggled to create any space, and threw up a shot that never had a chance. All while Ish hovered around the wing, unguarded, and Dre was in the paint. While down three. With seconds left. I don’t know.

The Pistons need to start playing decent basketball like they’ve shown they can, but at a much more consistent level. With games against the Nets, Bulls, and Hornets this week, the Pistons once again have an opportunity to string together any amount of wins together in order to play with some momentum, as that is when the team seems to be at their best. Will they though?

I have no idea.

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The Case for UCF

1/6/2018

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The Case for UCF
By: Daniel Thompson and Lucas Vargas

Daniel Thompson:
The CFP has failed. The next step in the evolution of an end all be all system to determining a college football champion took just four seasons to fall short of its promise. We have a shared national championship in 2017. Shared national titles are more or less an inevitability in college football. The BCS failed in 2003 when the AP and Coaches Polls picked USC and LSU as their respective national champions. The CFP is the best hope at producing an undisputed champ, but the committee got in the way of that vision this year. FBS football is the only subdivision of an NCAA sport without an NCAA sanctioned championship. This opens the door for just about anyone or anything to claim or declare a champion, even Richard Nixon once awarded Texas a championship. In 2017, UCF should have gotten the opportunity they deserved from the CFP, should be recognized as the national champs by organizations that keep track of national championships, and has already claimed this year’s title.
College football should be about winning. Every week should be a playoff week. The most widely agreed upon criterion for selecting the four playoff teams has become selecting the four best teams. In principle, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But there’s a huge issue with this criterion. What if we’re wrong? In 2016, Ohio State was deemed by the committee to be better than the Big 10’s conference champion Penn State Nittany Lions. They turned out to be embarrassingly wrong about that. In 2015, the committee picked Michigan State, even though just about everyone thought Ohio State was better than Michigan State. So clearly there isn’t even consistency on whether or not the primary criterion is selecting the best team. But as seen with Clemson’s 31-0 rout of Ohio State, despite the Buckeyes being a 3 point favorite, we don’t really know who is the best. No one agrees on what makes a team the best. Is it record? Is it advanced stats? There’s plenty of ways to answer this. But there’s no consistent way and, “the eye test” is just a pass for the committee to get away with whatever ranking they put out there.
And in 2017, boy were we wrong about UCF. UCF was a 15 point underdog vs. Auburn and they led nearly the whole game. In hindsight, it’s a tragedy that undefeated conference champs UCF weren’t deemed to be better than Alabama, given that UCF actually beat Auburn. SEC fans might be quick to say that Auburn wasn’t giving it their all in the Peach Bowl. Meanwhile, UCF’s Scott Frost was busy working his full time job as Nebraska’s new head coach while preparing for the game, and being too busy to make any excuses in the possibility his team got outplayed. The fact that Auburn beat Alabama by two scores should beg the question, “Could Alabama beat UCF?” There is no other way to put it, UCF got robbed of a chance to play in the CFP. But even if UCF had been blown out by Auburn, they still deserved the final playoff spot in place of Alabama, Ohio State, or USC. Making the playoff should have as little to do with the committee as possible. Football isn’t about impressing 12 people, with varying experience in football, in a room in Texas every week; it’s about winning. There were four teams in the country this year that didn’t do anything to disqualify themselves from the playoff, and UCF was one of them. College football shouldn’t be about the committee, it should be about winning. It was the committee’s responsibility to get out of UCF’s way and give them a chance. Unlike Alabama, they earned it.
Whether or not UCF’s championship season is remembered as one depends on trusted sources declaring them champs. One well trusted source with a potential audience of millions already has done so. UCF football’s Twitter account changed their username to, “2017 National Champions” following their victory in the Peach Bowl. This will be seen by far more people than any banner in their stadium ever will (UCF has also announced they will be hanging a banner). Twitter is such a large and important platform in today’s day and age, it’s hard to argue UCF hasn’t already claimed the title. This isn’t just a viral marketing campaign either. UCF put its money where its mouth is and paid national championship bonuses to all of its coaches. If the AP or Coaches Poll voters were to go rogue and vote UCF number one, it would ensure UCF’s 2017 team will be immortalized as champions. Even if that doesn’t happen, the bar is set pretty low for claiming a national championship. The number on Alabama helmets for College GameDay is presently 16, for the 16 national titles Alabama claims. But anyone beside Alabama fans will tell you this number should be lower. The most ridiculous claimed title by the Crimson Tide is the 1941 national championship. That season the Tide went 9-2, Minnesota went 8-0, finished 20th in the AP Poll, but first in a mathematical ranking system. So if Alabama can get away with it, I say UCF can too. Congrats, Knights.


Lucas Vargas:
In a system that promises every Division 1 FBS school an opportunity to compete for one of the 4 coveted spots in the College Football Playoff, the season to uphold this promise was the present. An Ohio State team that suffered their second defeat on a 31 point loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes surely didn’t deserve a spot. A 2 loss USC team with a 35 point loss to Notre Dame didn’t help their post bowl-season argument of deserving the 4 seed by proceeding to put in a lackluster performance against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. So that left the Alabama Crimson Tide and the UCF Knights.

The Alabama vs. UCF debate came down to “strength of schedule.” The clashing argument that every game matters meets the idea that a couple of games may not matter depending on which conference you play in. So let's examine each team’s regular season schedule:


Alabama:

Picture
  • Florida State, the preseason #3 team, beat Southern Miss in the Walk-On Independence Bowl and needed to beat Delaware State and Louisiana Monroe to get to 6 wins and clinch bowl eligibility.
  • Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Arkansas went a combined 2-22 in SEC play
  • Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Tennessee all fired their head coaches
  • Auburn won the SEC West
  • Mississippi State, Auburn, and LSU were ranked in the AP poll released before Bowl Season
  • Bowl Record of Opponents: 3-4
  • Mississippi State beat Louisville 31-27 in the Taxslayer Bowl, only team to beat a Power 5 opponent in a bowl on Alabama’s schedule
  • Auburn went on to lose to UCF in the Peach Bowl

​
UCF:

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  • Beat a Big 10 Maryland team on the road 3 weeks after the Terrapins had beaten the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas
  • Gave Memphis their only 2 regular season losses, The Tigers lost to Iowa State in the Autozone Liberty Bowl
  • Games against Georgia Tech and Maine were cancelled due to a hurricane
  • 11 straight weeks without a bye
  • Undefeated Conference Champs
  • Memphis and South Florida were ranked in the AP poll released before bowl season
  • Opponent Bowl Record: 3-3
  • Navy beat Virginia 49-7 in the Military Bowl
  • Navy had the longest home winning streak at 17 games going into the UCF game
  • South Florida beat Texas Tech 38-34 in the Birmingham Bowl

When comparing the 2 teams and their schedules, Alabama’s schedule is “stronger” because it carries name recognition from the SEC conference. Alabama lost to the best team they played, Auburn, following a game against the Mercer Bears. UCF’s schedule is criticized but Alabama has no excuse to be scheduling Mercer in one of the last weeks of the season. The Crimson Tide had essentially an off week before their most important game, while The Knights played 11 straight weeks after overcoming a hurricane. Both schedule’s had an equal number of bowl winners, with UCF’s schedule arguably having opponents with stronger bowl wins as well. While the comparison of these resumes does factor in some of the outcomes from bowl season that would not have been examined by the committee, it shows that UCF had a schedule that was severely underrated. The committee handed UCF #12 in their final rankings, disregarding their claims that every game is important and that conference championships are valued. UCF is not Western Michigan, the American is the closest conference to the Power 5 and its coaches are constantly poached by hungry Power 5 schools because the capabilities of the conference are recognized. UCF beat Auburn 34-27 to become Peach Bowl Champions. UCF beat an Auburn team that defeated both Alabama and Georgia during the season. Along with Houston’s win over Florida State in the 2015 Peach Bowl, UCF has proven that the American Conference can compete. Forget the 8 team playoff that college football so desperately needs, UCF made a case for the #4 Seed. And all season long, The UCF Knights made their case for the 2017 National Championship.
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NFL Wildcard Weekend Preview

1/6/2018

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By Teddy Gutkin and Eric Margolin


(5) Tennessee Titans vs. (4) Kansas City Chiefs
Kickoff Time: 4:35, Saturday January 6, ESPN


What to Expect

Teddy: Despite all the buzz around Marcus Mariota leading up to this game, the Titans’ defense will be the deciding factor in this game against a surprisingly dangerous Kansas City offense. Despite the daunting task, this Titans defensive unit, coordinated by veteran Dick LeBeau, is more than up to the challenge, trotting out a lineup that features an excellent LB tandem in Wesley Woodyard and Brian Orakpo and NFL interceptions leader Kevin Byard. Tennessee’s offense isn’t a slouch either, with Jack Conklin and Taylor Lewan leading an offensive line that blocks for one of the best running back tandems in the playoff field in the form of Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray. That being said, the Chiefs boast an impressive offense that includes All-Pro TE Travis Kelce, rookie RB Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing, and Alex Smith, who passed for 4,000 yards for the first time in his career this season. The Chiefs have won 4 straight games heading into the tournament, and look like a team that nobody wants to play, especially in front of their home fans at Arrowhead Stadium. However, they also sport the worst run defense in the entire NFL, and I don’t think that they can move on when they have few weapons in the secondary to speak of with the exception of Marcus Peters. The Titans stun the Chiefs on their home field and move on to the Divisional Round.

Final Score: Titans beat Chiefs 23-16  

Eric: A playoff game at Arrowhead? There shouldn't be a question who will win this game. After a mid-season slump, the Chiefs are back, finishing the season with a 10-6 record. By the end of the season Andy Reid’s team showed they were able to win close games, run the ball with Kareem Hunt, and minimize turnovers (with only 11 on the season). Tennessee on the other hand, barely got into the playoffs and is a totally different team on the road (3-5 in games away from Nashville). The Chiefs are going to cruise to an easy victory behind Kareem Hunt’s offense, Marcus Peters’ defense, and Tyreek Hill’s special teams play.
Final Score: Chiefs beat Titans 28-13


(6) Atlanta Falcons vs. (3) Los Angeles Rams
Kickoff Time: 8:15, Saturday January 6, NBC

What to Expect:

Eric: As a Saints fan, I hate the Falcons with a burning passion, but I can’t help but feel like they have a shot. Atlanta is 5-3 on the road this season, and the LA Coliseum is not the most intimidating venue. Besides that, the Rams are a young team that will make the playoffs for many years to come, but is the big stage too big for this inexperienced group? They only have 6 players with playoff experience on the entire roster, and none have been in a Super Bowl. If the Falcons from last year’s playoffs show up, this game could turn ugly very quickly. Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Julio Jones have the opportunity to tear apart a young, overaggressive defense. If the Falcons can survive LA’s initial surge, this game should go to the Falcons with ease.
Final Score: Falcons beat Rams 34-24

Teddy: The Rams had an incredible season this year, winning 11 games and seeing Jared Goff and Todd Gurley transform into bonafide superstars to give the Rams their most potent offense since the days of the Greatest Show on Turf. Goff has a stable of trustworthy targets in his arsenal too, with Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, and surprise rookie Cooper Kupp putting together breakout years in Sean McVay’s offensive scheme.  As good as the Rams have been on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, where they sport a stout unit led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aaron Donald, I can’t bring myself to pick them here. Despite squeaking into the postseason as a 6 seed, the Falcons are a sneakily dangerous squad, and the Matt Ryan-led offense looks hungry to avenge their crushing Super Bowl 51 defeat this year.  I think Julio Jones, one of the most consistently excellent playoff performers in the league today, will feast against a young Rams secondary, and the Dirty Birds will roll to a win to set up a trip to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.  
Final Score: Falcons beat Rams 37-20

 
(6) Buffalo Bills vs. (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
Kickoff Time: 1:05, Sunday January 7, CBS

What to Expect:

Eric: Neither of these teams was supposed to be in the playoffs this year. Buffalo slipped in due to some very fortunate circumstances, and many predicted Jacksonville to finish near the bottom of their division. Yet, both are here now. The best way to explain the outcome of this game is through one of the oldest sayings in football, “Defense wins championships.” Blake Bortles may not be the best quarterback. Buffalo may have some explosive playmakers on offense. But the “Sack-sonville” defense is going to take this game over, proving to everyone that they are legit contenders this season.
Final Score: Jaguars beat Bills 21-7
    
Teddy: Nope, this isn’t a typo. The Buffalo Bills are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, and they will look for their first playoff win of the millenium when they travel to take on the AFC South Champions...the Jacksonville Jaguars?! Yeah, this has been a weird season. Anyway, I expect this game to be a low-scoring affair, with viewers being treated to an old-fashioned defensive smackdown. The Jaguars have become one of the best defensive units in the entire NFL, with Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and AJ Bouye putting together incredible seasons, but their offense remains a huge question mark, with quarterback Blake Bortles playing extremely inconsistent football all season long. The Bills should feast against the struggling signal-caller, using a ferocious pass rush and an upstart secondary featuring star rookie CB Tre’Davious White. Despite their excellent defense, the Bills’ offense has been one-dimensional, living and dying by RB LeSean McCoy, who suffered an ankle injury in a Week 17 victory over the Dolphins. I’m sorry, Bills fans, but I can’t see you facing the “Sack-sonville” defense without McCoy at full strength and coming away with a victory. Jacksonville heads on to Pittsburgh.
Final Score: Jaguars beat Bills 13-7


(5) Carolina Panthers vs. (4) New Orleans Saints
Kickoff Time: 4:40, Sunday January 7, FOX

What to Expect:
    
Teddy: This is easily the most enticing game of Wild Card Weekend. The Saints are coming off a last-second loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but still won the NFC South by virtue of a Panthers loss on the road to the Falcons. Despite recapturing his MVP form midway through the year, Cam Newton has regressed dramatically in the last two weeks, throwing 4 interceptions and failing to cross the 200-yard mark through the air. This doesn’t bode well at all against a Saints secondary that ranks among one of the best in the entire league, and rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore should shut down Newton’s favorite target in Devin Funchess to help expose Carolina’s otherwise weak receiving corps. On the offensive side of the ball, the Saints saw Drew Brees set an NFL record for completion percentage.  Meanwhile, Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara combined to create a smash and dash ground attack that is reminiscent of the Panthers’ dominant 2008 backfield that featured a young Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Ultimately, the Panthers need Cam Newton to play out of his mind if they want to come out of New Orleans with a win, and I don’t think such a performance is in the cards against a resurgent Saints defensive unit.
Final Score: Saints beat Panthers 24-13

Eric: I am going to try to be as unbiased as possible when talking about the Saints, but let's face it, their odds are looking pretty good this year. Drew Brees broke the NFL record for completion percentage in a season, the thunder-and-lightning duo of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara has looked unstoppable all season, and the new look defense is 10th in the league in preventing scores. New Orleans is 7-1 in the Superdome this season, with their only loss coming against the Patriots in Week 2. The Saints have also beat the Panthers twice this season. Carolina has been one of the most inconsistent teams all season. They beat the Patriots and Vikings, but only score three points against the Bears. The Panthers’ offense lives and dies with Cam Newton, who has turned the ball over 22 times by himself. The Saints should easily take care of business at home and move on to the divisional round for the first time since 2013.
Final Score: Saints beat Panthers 27-17


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