Preview for June

The month of June in Major League Baseball has started off hotter than an individual wearing a black shirt in the middle of July on a sunny day in Tempe, AZ. Especially is the black shirt had the Houston Astros logo on it, because man are they playing out of this world (get it? ;) ). Here's just a rundown of the events that occurred just on Saturday:

• There were 7 grand slams hit. That's right, SEVEN (7). It was definitely a Major League Record. Perhaps the most notable #PapiSlam was hit by Angels 1B Albert Pujols. It marked the 600th homer of his career! He is the only player to hit his 600th home run in the form of a grand slam (Ryan Spaeder). 

Iconic photo of Pujols admiring his 600th career home run

• Marlins veteran starter Edinson Volquez tossed the first no-hitter of 2017 against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday afternoon. He struck out 9, including striking out the side in the ninth to secure the no-hitter and a Marlins win. Edinson was former teammates with Yordano Ventura, who would have been 26 on Saturday. He never played with the late Jose Fernandez, however, he dedicated the performance to both Fernandez and Ventura. 
• The Los Angeles Dodgers capped a 6 run comeback against the Milwaukee Brewers by scoring 1 in the 8th and 5 in the 9th. The first game of the series took 12 innings to decide. NL Rookie of the Month of May Cody Bellinger hit the game-winning solo homer in the top of the 12th.

As we enter the third month of the year for Major League Baseball, things are starting to get a little more serious with the division race. We'll see if these unexpected teams at the top of their divisions such as the Twins, Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks, will stay at the top for another month. 

Not only is this the same for teams, but also players who are at the top of the league in statistical categories. 10-year veteran Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is perhaps having the best year of his career. His .372 average and 48 RBI's are the best in baseball. Yankees rookie OF Aaron Judge leads the league in homers with 18. Dallas Keuchel won the 2015 AL Cy Young Award, but the following year he went 9-12 with a 4.55 ERA. Hitters had a .259 average against him. This season, in 11 starts, he is 9-0 with 1.67 ERA, which is the best in the league. Hitters have just a .183 average when facing Keuchel. All-star closer Greg Holland, who missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, leads the league in saves with 21. He is a big part of the Rockies success this season. 

Holland dapping up C Tony Wolters after completing one of his 21 saves of the season.

So what's going to happen in June? Will these teams and players stay atop of their divisions/stat categories? Here's what I've got:

• The Minnesota Twins will not be leading the AL Central come July first. In fact, they will be in 3rd place. I expect the Indians and Tigers to have better months. The Indians will be the division leaders at the conclusion of this month.
• The Milwaukee Brewers will also lose their lead by the end of the month. Their bullpen was a huge question mark the start of the season, and it seems to be collapsing quickly. The Brew crew has had 29 opportunities for a save, and have only recorded 18 (worst in the league). The division race is so close between all of the teams, they could drop to last if their bullpen fiasco continues. The Cardinals and Cubs will be the only teams that surpass them.
• The Rockies and Diamondbacks will stay at the top of the NL West. Currently, the Rockies first and the Diamondbacks third, only 2.5 games behind. These teams are for real, and I expect Colorado to remain in first and Arizona to remain in third, only 3 games back at most.
• Ryan Zimmerman will remain at the top of the league in batting average but will lose his RBI lead to Paul Goldschmidt, who will capture the NL Player of the Month honor. 
• Aaron Judge has some competition below him for the lead in home runs, but I think he stays hot and will retain the lead. He will hit 10 home runs in June to keep his lead.

When you have your own cabinet

Here's some other events I've got for June:

• Charlie Blackmon will be the only player in June to hit for the cycle.
• Jake Arrieta, Dallas Keuchel, Chris Sale, and Andrew Triggs will all throw complete game shutouts in June.
• Not only will Arrieta throw a CG SO, he will also hit a dinger in June. Mike Foltynewicz will be the only other pitcher to go deep in June.
• The longest game will be between the Orioles and Indians. It will go 14 innings in the O's favor.
• The team with the best record in June will be the Washington Nationals. They were the best team in April, and I believe they will be the best team in June. Strasburg will help and will be the NL Pitcher of the Month.
• Chris Sale will win AL Pitcher of the Month and Jose Altuve will win AL Player of the Month.
• A team other than the Astros are going to get hot in June. I want to go on a limb and say Oakland, but I think that's too risky, however, their offense has been hot lately. Texas has the talent to do so, but I'm going with Seattle. I think they win 16 games in June (won 3 already). Plus King Felix is slated to come back pretty soon.
• I'm not sure if this trade will happen this month or next. but the Nats will acquire Kelvin Herrera from the Royals. Their bullpen is their weakest link, and are desperate for a veteran closer since they were unable to get one in the offseason.

We are another month closer to October. Can't wait to see what June has for us!

These Stats May Be Surprising

My predictions for May did not turn out too well. Let's take a look at what I had:

Have you Met a better mascot?

Ha, good ole Mr. Met at it again. Here's how I did:

• Charlie Blackmon ended up hitting less than 10 homers, 25 RBI's and stole less than 10 bases. Plus, his hitting streak of 14 games actually ended the day before I posted that article (thanks a lot, ESPN :) ). Despite Chuck Nazty having lower numbers than I thought, he still won NL Player of the Month, as I predicted! Here's how he did it:
• In 28 games in May, Blackmon hit 6 home runs with 22 RBI's while swiping 6 bags. His 5 triples were the most in May, bringing his total for the season at 8, which is more than 14 teams. 
• Although his 14 game hitting streak ended April 30th, Charlie only played in 5 games in which he did not score a hit. He recorded multi-hit games in half the games he played in May (14 games). In fact, he led the league in hits and extra base hits for May and currently leads the league in those categories.
• Chuck Nazty had one of the best averages in the month at a .359. His 47 RBIs currently leads the league, and he's the Rockies leadoff hitter. 

Flowlicious

• Ivan Nova actually won NL Pitcher of the Month in April. Winning that award for two consecutive months is hard to do. I said he would win 5 games in May. Nova only won 2.
• This next prediction was one of my far-fetched ones: I said Orioles 1B Chris Davis would break out against the Royals and hit 4 homers while driving in 8 runs- in one game. 
• He did not accomplish this feat (lol), however, he did manage to hit 2 home runs and knock in 3 runs in 2 games vs the Royals, and the next game against Detroit, he crushed 2 homers (in extras by the way), while obtaining 4 RBI's. This totals up to 4 home runs and 7 RBI's. I was right on Davis heating up, but I should have spread it out in more games instead of just one. 
• The closest pitchers to no-hitters in May were Chase Anderson for the Brewers and Zach Greinke for the Diamondbacks. I predicted Kendall Graveman of Oakland would throw the first no-hitter in May. Still no, no-hitters in 2017.
• Until today! Edinson Volquez tossed a no-hitter today against the Diamondbacks!
• Ervin Santana won 3 games instead of 4, close enough. His 1.75 ERA is the best in baseball.
• I said the St. Louis Cardinals would be the hottest team in baseball in May. Their 13-13 record in the month proved they were perhaps the most mediocre team. Houston was the hottest team in May, winning 22 of their 29 games, including a current 7 game winning streak.
• The longest inning game was not between the Marlins and the Braves, it was against the Reds and Giants, which went 17 innings and ended on a Buster Posey walk-off moonshot. 

Posey in the clutch

• The Houston Astros were by far the hottest team in baseball in May. They scored 180 runs in the month. I predicted the Nationals to lead in runs once again. Houston now leads the league in runs, only by 6 to those Nationals.
• No cycles were hit in May. This was the only prediction I got right!

Despite my predictions being almost entirely wrong, for the most part, May brought us a solid month of baseball. The Houston Astros look to be the team to beat and currently lead their division by 12 games. Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers combined for 7 wins and no losses. McCullers had an ERA of 0.99 in 6 starts in May, which was the best among qualified starters during that span. Carlos Correa and Marwin Gonzales had the best averages in May (minimum of 75 at bats) at a .386 and .382. Jose Altuve only struck out 11 times in 115 at-bats in May. Mind. Boggling. 

The defending champion Chicago Cubs had a rough May, going 12-16. Their team average fell from a .255 in April, to a .216 in May. Despite their decline, they are just 3 games back of first place Milwaukee.

You read that last sentence correctly, the Milwaukee Brewers are in first place in the NL Central and it's June. The Colorado Rockies are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the NL West. The Minnesota Twins are just a half game back of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the AL Central. Which of these teams will stay at the top of their divisions come July? 

Red Sox SP Chris Sale and Dodgers SP Alex Wood won 5 games in May. The Philadelphia Phillies won 6 games in May. The Phillies also only recorded 1 save in May. The lone save came from relief pitcher Hector Neris, who also notched 2 of their 6 wins. 

Phillies hat giveaway in June

Reds CF Billy Hamilton stole 18 bags in May, which brings his total to 28 for the season. This is more than 17 teams in the league. 

Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel dominated hitters last month. In 12.2 IP, he recorded 25 strikeouts, did not give up a run, and collected 7 saves. Kimbrel held batters to just a .025 batting average!

Giants starter Jeff Samardzija struck out 49 batters while only walking 1 in 6 starts. Walked just 1 batter in 40.2 IP!

A.J. Griffin, Scott Feldman, Ervin Santana, Brian Johnson, and Robbie Ray all had one thing in common: each threw complete-game shutouts. Who would've guessed that from these guys?

Jacob deGrom was deGrominant at the plate in May. He hit for a .500 (7/14), pretty solid for a starting pitcher. Perhaps he can help the Mets as a pinch hitter one game?

Here's a look at the leaders for the top pitching and batting stats at the end of May:

Pitching                               Hitting
ERA- Ervin Santana 1.75       Average- Ryan Zimmerman .368
Wins- Dallas Keuchel 8         HR's- Aaron Judge 17
Saves- Greg Holland 20        RBI's- Charlie Blackmon 47       
Strikeouts- Chris Sale 110    SB- Billy Hamilton 28

June predictions will be released very soon, stay tuned! 

May the Month be in Your (Team's) Favor

The month of April was one of the most exciting opening months the MLB has seen in a while. Why you "May" ask?

• Three players hit for the cycle: Padres 1B Wil Myers, Nationals SS Trea Turner, and Rangers OF Carlos Gomez. 
• One of the league leaders in home runs did not play in a Major League Baseball age since 2012 (Brewers 1B Eric Thames). The other leader, who also leads the league in batting average and RBI's, is 4 HR's and 27 RBI's shy of matching his totals from last year in Nats 1B Ryan Zimmerman.
• If the season ended today, Zimmerman = 👑👑👑 
• The league leader in saves, who set a new franchise record for the most saves in the month of April with 11, missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery (Rockies RP Greg Holland)
• Twins veteran SP Ervin Santana, who is in his 12th season, currently leads the league in ERA. He has only given up 3 earned runs in 35 innings pitched. Santana owns hitters, who only have a .116 average against him this season (best in MLB).
• On June 29th, 2016, reigning AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros recorded his 5th win of the season. On April 30th, 2017, Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros recorded his 5th win of the season.
• The Washington Nationals recorded 170 runs in April, including 23 runs yesterday against the injury-prone Mets. this is 107 more runs than the Kansas City Royals, who are last in runs with 63. 
• Not only is Ryan Zimmerman 4 HR's shy of matching his 2016 total, but he is also the same amount shy of sharing HR totals with the Boston Red Sox. 
• No one on the Orioles has a triple
• Orioles back-up C Caleb Joesph hit a 2 run home run on Saturday vs the Yankees. That was his first RBI(s) in 596 days.
• None of the standings are too shocking, except the Rockies atop of the NL West. The tightest race is in the NL Central, where the last-place Pirates are only 2 games back of the first-place Cubs
• Justin Turner of the Dodgers has the highest hitting streak of the season at 16 games (snapped last night).
• Probably the most staggering stat of the month of April" There have been 21 grand slams. TWENTY-ONE! Papa Johns has been INSANELY busy this month (40% off pizza if GS is hit).Players with #PapaSlams this season:
• Trevor Story
• Mark Trumbo
• Matt Carpenter
• Joc Pederson
• Andrelton Simmons
• Andrew Romine
• Jacoby Ellsbury
• Maikel Franco (twice)
• Ryan Zimmerman
• Bryce Harper
• Adam Duvall
• Logan Morrison
• Lonnie Chisenhall
• Marcell Ozuna
• Nomar Mazara
• Brandon Belt
• Kendrys Morales
• Francisco Lindor
• Taylor Motter
• Ryan Rua

If May can live up to the hype April did, we are in for a treat- literally, more pizza! With that being said, here's what I think is in store for the month of May:

• Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon is currently riding a 14 game hitting streak. He will extend his streak as far as 33 games. During the month of May, he will hit 10 home runs, knock in 25 RBI's, and steal 10 bases, earning the NL Player of the Month Award.
• Ivan Nova will win 5 games in the month of May and will be the NL Pitcher of the Month. He has only given up 6 earned in 36 innings, and since joining the Pirates at the trade deadline last year, he hasn't allowed more than 4 runs in a game (16 starts). In the same span, he has thrown 4 complete games.
• Orioles Chris Davis will slug 4 home runs and 8 RBI's in a game in the series vs the Royals. He is due to break out and I think this month he will get hot. 
• Oakland A's SP Kendall Graveman "May" throw the first no-hitter in 2017. He came close in a start last year and this year. All 5 of his starts this year have been quality starts. Just a random guess that I-don't-know-but-May-be will happen.
• Ervin Santana will stay hot and win 4 games in May.
• The St. Louis Cardinals will be the hottest team in the month of May, winning 17 of their 27 games in the month, including an 8 game winning streak. I feel the Cardinals have a decent schedule in May. Matt Carpenter is starting to pick up the pace.
• The longest game inning-wise will come between the Braves and the Marlins, and it will go 15 innings. It's fun to watch these two teams play. Let's see some free baseball from them!
• The Nationals offense stays hot and will lead the league in runs once again for May. I do not see Harper, Murphy, Turner, or Zimmerman slowing down now!
• No player will hit for the cycle this month (3 in April). I'd say each season averages 2-4 cycles, so to have 3 in the first month is very rare.
• Only 7 players will hit grand slams in May. I haven't found out if 21 grand slams are the most grand slams hit in a month in Major League Baseball, but I feel like it's at least top three. No way will this month repeat that odd statistic, unless perhaps it's the year of the hitter👀?

I hope that Maybe this month will be in your (team's) favor.

Thinking #CapsOn ! Predicting 2017

Spring is easily the best time for the world of sports.

Major League Baseball just finished up their spring training. The NFL has had one of the busiest and interesting offseasons in a while with players switching teams and teams switching locations. The NBA and NHL regular seasons are winding down with the postseason just around the corner. Men's and Women's March Madness never fails to disappoint- except to everyone's brackets. Who knew the South Carolina Gamecocks would be this year's Cinderella team? Golf is getting back into the swing of things themselves with the Masters coming up in a few days. The World Baseball Classic took place not too long ago, and each game had a playoff-like atmosphere. What a time it has been for sports the past couple of weeks and weeks to come.

The World Baseball Classic was an incredible segway for the 2017 regular season for Major League Baseball. Retired players like Eric Gange and Ryan Dempster laced up their cleats to play for perhaps one more time, while others such as Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel were managers. Israel turned the heads od many as they made their debut in the WBC and won their pool. The Dominican Republic rocked Marlins Park, as the crowd seemed to be chanting louder for them than they were the United States, despite the game being in Miami, Florida. Adam Jones, otherwise known as Cap10 America, may have already captured the best catch in all of baseball for this year! There were many memorable moments in this year's World Baseball Classic.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR_lYZ9uH5Y0erSHhLvsAkY6ANdvegXECXM0e9HTzXp7uq6ulO0M9gcJZIL

And now, we are here. Only a couple more days stand until the start of the 2017 MLB season. What can we expect from this season? Will we see another Cubs-Indians World Series? Will there be any surprise, or MLB's own cinderella, teams that will make substantial noise? Who will be the breakout and breakdown players this season? I will give my best insight on these questions with what I think could occur during the course of the season.

AL East

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The Boston Red Sox sure do look like the team to beat. They have been favored before to take away the division many times because of moves they made in the offseason and ended up not living up to expectations. Their rival the New York Yankees, who are believed to be partially rebuilding due to their young team, had the best record in Spring Training. They seem to be clicking on all cylinders and could sneak their way into winning the division. Their only concern is their pitching staff. The Blue Jays lost Edwin Encarnacion this season in free agency but look to Kendrys Morales and Justin Smoak to fill the void of power and RBIs. Toronto's pitching staff has risen to be one of the top rotations in baseball. Baltimore is always predicted to finish last, but prove people wrong just about every year. The squad the O's bring with them in 2017 is quite similar to their 2016 team. If their starting staff can stay consistent and last about 6 or 7 innings each game, they will have a solid year, but that's a big "if." Many are predicting Tampa Bay to arise from last year's poor season. It's the AL East, it's anyone's to win...

But it's Boston's.

1) Red Sox 94-68
2) Orioles 86-76
3) Yankees 85-77
4) Blue Jays 84-78
5) Rays 77-85

AL Central

This division seems to be the Indians favorite- according to everyone. Do not be surprised if the Tigers give Cleveland a run for their money. Kansas City was unhealthy all season, but are looking healthy at the start of this season and look to bounce back. The defending World Series champs from just two seasons ago have a decent majority of the same players from their 2015 run. They look to dedicate this season to the late "Ace" Yordano Ventura. Chicago and Minnesota are in rebuilding stages and will probably not win the division, but could potentially give contending teams problems as the season unfolds. 

"Cleveland vs Everybody" would be better stated as "Cleveland with Everybody" as they are also my pick to take the division title once again.

SamLeeSportEdits.com/fakewebsite

1) Indians 95-67
2) Tigers 87-75
3) Royals 81-81
4) White Sox 63-99
5) Twins 60-102

AL West

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This may be the most underrated division in the MLB in terms of the division race. Texas always has a strong team and will again this year. Houston will bounce back from a disappointing 2016 season. Seattle has improved each season since 2014, will this be the year they reach the postseason for the first time since 2001? The Angels, like the Astros, will also have a bounce back year. They are not expected to bounce back into playoff contention like Houston is expected to, but I would not rule out Mike Trout and his Halos. Last but not least, who knows what Billy Beane has put together out in Oakland. A player who I think has potential to be their next Josh Donaldson is third baseman, Ryon Healy. Last season, Healy made his major league debut in August. In just 72 games, he hit for a .305 batting average with 13 home runs and 37 RBI's, only striking out 21% of the time. Healy, along with some other youngsters on this A's team could lead their team to early success.

Houston, we have a solution.

1) Astros 91-71
2) Mariners 89-73
3) Rangers 87-75
4) Athletics 76-86
5) Angels 74-88

AL Wild Cards

In the Wild Card race, I have the Mariners as the first place Wild Card and a tie between the Tigers and the Rangers for the second wild card. There has never been a tie for the second wild card, so my assumption is they will take the series winner between the two teams, or perhaps play in a Game 163 🤔? My hope is for the second option, but I think the Tigers will earn the second wild card. Last year their bullpen was an embarrassment, but this is a new year. As for Seattle, they have been clawing their way for a playoff spot for the past 2 seasons, and I think they have the team to make it this season. 

NL East

This is most likely a two-team divisional race. The Phillies are still rebuilding. The Braves could be a fun team to watch with everyone's favorite player in Bartolo Colon, and other veteran's such as Brandon Phillips and R.A. Dickey. They also have one of the best young and electrifying rookies in the game in Dansby Swanson. I don't expect them to contend in the NL East, but hey, new ballpark, some fan favorite veterans, I'll be watching Atlanta Braves games this season.The Miami Marlins could be the sleeper team in the NL East. The fish can get it done with the bats, but the starting staff is somewhat of a question mark. Then we have the heavyweights of the division: the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. These teams matchup almost evenly. Both have strong pitching staffs and solid offenses, producing hits and runs on a consistent basis. Which of these heavyweights will be crowned the champion of the NL East?

The "Metrobrawlitans" win the fight.

1) Mets 92-70
2) Nationals 86-76
3) Marlins 81-81
4) Braves 66-96
5) Phillies 61-101

NL Central

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Everyone is saying the Cubs will take the division again, without a doubt. It is certainly likely, but it's worth mentioning the other teams in the division. Cincinnati and Milwaukee are rebuilding and will most likely not contend because of each team's inexperience. Joey Votto could possibly lead the Reds, but the Reds starters and bullpen would have to REALLY step up their game from a season ago. St. Louis is looking to come back with a vengeance after a down year for them last season. In recent years, St. Louis has been a playoff team. They could give the Cubs a tough time. The other team in that division that could give the Cubs a tough time is the Pittsburgh Pirates. I am pretty high on Pittsburgh this season. Their young talent seems to be coming together. McCutchen is projected a big year, and their starters are looking to maintain consistent health for this season. "Arghn't" you glad I warned you before it was too late? 

#FlyTheW, Chicago Cub

1) Cubs 96-66
2) Pirates 90-72
3) Cardinals 85-77
4) Reds 66-96
5) Brewers 66-96

NL West

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The NL West could be more competitive than people think. The heavyweights are the Dodgers and the Giants, but could the Diamondbacks or Rockies make a case to be a heavyweight contender this season? Arizona acquired Taijuan Walker in the offseason to help their starting staff, which was a solid improvement. Their rotation could fly under the radar with Zach Greinke and Shelby Miller looking to bounce back after down seasons. The Colorado Rockies starting staff was one of their best starting staffs they have had in a while. They're bringing most of their starters back along with some guys from the minors that earned a spot in spring training. A minor injury bug has hit the Rox as they start the season without Ian Desmond, David Dahl, and Chad Bettis, as Bettis is undergoing chemotherapy (praying for you Chad!). As for the Padres, if they win more than 65 games I will be surprised. Dark days are going to settle in for San Diego this season. The Giants and Dodgers are similar to the Mets and Nationals: both teams have top pitching staffs in all of baseball and are efficient offensively.

Give me LAyeeeee

1) Dodgers 93-69
2) Rockies 87-75
3) Giants 86-76
4) Diamondbacks 77-85
5) Padres 58-104

NL Wild Card

My wild card teams are the Pittsburgh Pirates as the #1 seed and the Colorado Rockies as the #2 seed. The Rockies arguably have the best offense in the league. This is partly because of their location, but also for their talent. I think they have the pitching to get them to the postseason for the first time since 2009. As I mentioned earlier, I am all in on this Pittsburgh Pirates team. They have the best outfield in all of baseball with McCutchen, Gregory Polanco, and Starling Marte. Their starting pitching with Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Ivan Nova, and either Chad Kuhl, Trevor Williams, top prospect Tyler Glasnow for the final spot has the chance to be dangerous. 

Postseason

AL
1) Cleveland vs 4) Seattle (W)/Detroit
2) Boston vs 3) Houston

1) Cleveland vs 3) Houston 

AL Champs 1) Cleveland

NL
1) Chicago vs 4) Rockies (W)/Pirates 
2) Dodgers vs 3) Mets

4) Rockies vs 2) Dodgers

NL Champs 2) Dodgers

World Series: Dodgers over Indians in 6 games
MVP- Clayton Kershaw

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are my pick to win this year's World Series. They are due to win a World Series title and I think this year will finally be the year. Clayton Kershaw and their offensive are too good to not be a championship team. I expect Yasiel Puig to mature this season and be one of the major factors to this team winning it all. Los Angeles will not win it all unless Puig is playing at his highest potential. Cleveland, to me, is still the best all around team in the American League. The tribe has perhaps the best all-around pitching in the league; best starting pitching and best bullpen Michael Brantley is coming back from a long sustained injury and looks to contribute to their already stellar offensive. 

Just like my bracket, I am probably going to be a little (extremely) off, but hey, it's all for the fun of it. The one time I have the Orioles missing the playoffs will be the one time they win the World Series. Predictions for end of the year awards and other things that I think could occur throughout the course of the season will come later this week. Enjoy Opening Day today! 

One Shining Broment- Picking My Bracket

Sam Lunardlee's Bracketology:

Sam Lunardlee is my alternate name I use whenever the calendar flips to March. Just wanted to make that clear to everyone reading this.

Every year I already have in mind a couple of contenders for the National Championship. In 2011, it was Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies, which proved to be one of my best predictions ever. Last year, it was Michigan State, who was stunned by Middle Tennessee State in the first round. Both years, and every year since I started doing brackets, I always have great confidence in my pick to win the title. This year, however, I was found myself struggling. Because I felt there are multiple legit contenders, I did not have the confidence I usually have when filling out my bracket. 

When filling out brackets, I always have a system:

• First Bracket
• The one I rely on the most. Always done old fashioned style- on paper.
• Coin flip bracket
• I have flipped the correct champion 3 of the last 4 years (2013: Louisville, 2014: UConn, 2015: Harvard (LOL), and 2016: Villanova). Pretty amazing, huh? Arkansas, don't let me down!
• Upset Bracket
• A bracket with some probable and somewhat farfetched upsets. I usually do not pick crazy picks such as a 16 seed advancing as far as the Sweet 16. Because we all know that won't happen... right?
• Duke Bracket
• Always have to have a bracket with your favorite team winning it all right? 
• Other brackets include other possible teams I feel can win it all. 

My Pick to Win the Big Dance:

I've got the Duke Blue Devils. It feels right, because they are playing out of their minds their past four games, but feels wrong because it is my favorite team, and this comes off as if I am biased. 

Breaking Down My Bracket

East Region

This region is stacked with talented teams that are capable of making Final Four runs. Teams of this bracket consist of the last two teams win the National Championship in Villanova and Duke, to Baylor, Florida, Virginia, SMU, Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech. Each of these teams came into the tournament with impressive resumes. Which will come out on top? 

Wisconsin as an 8 seed is wrong. Minnesota, a 5 seed, finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference. Wisconsin finished second. How does that make sense? The Badgers put the first three letters in their team name to close out the season, after starting the season 21-3. They ended the regular season losing 5 of their last 7. 

This team has experience in the postseason. Bronson Koenig and Zak Showalter are among players that were on the 2015 team that lost to Duke in the National Championship game. Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ have been vital factors to this team's success this season as well as last season. Picking them over Villanova may be pushing it a little bit, but in March, one must make bold picks. It should be a relatively close game since both teams have experience and play similarly.

Midwest Region

Nothing too crazy here. Rhode Island is coming into the tournament pretty hot and playing a beatable Creighton team. Is the #11 over #6 the new #12 over #5 🤔? Michigan is another hot team in this region that is coming in hot, however, I think they will lose to an experience and underrated Oklahoma State team. Kansas has one of the better complete teams in the country and I expect them to play like it and reach the Final Four. Oregon, Louisville, and Iowa State are teams that Kansas could run into and cause them trouble. 

West Region

Again, nothing too crazy. This is either Gonzaga or Arizona's year to reach the Final Four. Both have had great teams but have failed to reach the tournament in a while, or at all (in Gonzaga's case). I do have #11 Xavier in the Sweet 16. Florida State started the season off hot, and looked like one of the better teams in the nation. However, they began to play with some inconsistency. When the Noles would have an off game, it would be a REALLY off game. I expect them to bring their inconsistency to the dance and fail to reach the Sweet 16. I wanted to pick Notre Dame over Gonzaga because of Notre Dame's recent success in March, but Gonzaga has them outmatched greatly in rebounding, and that will be the difference in the game.

South Region

This region, along with the East region, may be the toughest one to predict correctly. UNC, UCLA, and Kentucky are the favorites to reach the Final Four, and all have great potential to win the National Championship. I would put my money on a team in the South Region to win it all out of any of the other regions. UNC, with the exception of Kansas, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Duke, Wisconsin, and Villanova have the most complete and experienced team in the nation. Carolina has most of their team from just a season ago, where they finished as runner-ups to Villanova in the championship. Despite these reasons, UCLA has been the team I have felt most of the season to win it all. I think they have what it takes to knock off Carolina. 

I noticed I put Wake down to beat Cincinnati in the first round because I really thought they were going to beat Kansas State. In place of Wake, I will have Kansas State winning over Cincinnati, since I technically did not have to pick a winner to the Wake Forrest-Kansas State play-in game. 

I have Wichita State reaching the Sweet 16 over Kentucky, which may be stretching it. I believe Gregg Marshall will remember how it felt in 2014 to lose in the second round as an undefeated team, to a scrappy Kentucky team that had just barely made the tournament that year, and eventually went as far as the championship. The tables have turned, and now Kentucky is in a similar situation as Wichita State was in in 2014. The Shockers will live up to their name and tame the Wildcats.

Final Four

Duke vs Gonzaga & Kansas vs UCLA. This will probably be wrong, but hey, it looks nice. If these are the matchups, Duke would have to be on their A-game rebounding the ball. Gonzaga is tied for 13th in the nation in rebounds per game. Kansas is a more experienced team than UCLA, and I feel like that is the advantage they have over UCLA. 

As I mentioned earlier, Duke won four games in four days to snatch the ACC Tournament Title. They played like the team everyone thought they were going to play like all season. Luke Kennard shot 50% from the field this season and has been the backbone of the team. His consistency has been one of the vital factors to Duke's success this season. Jayson Tatum has been the most impactful freshman out of the highly recruited freshman class that enrolled into Duke this year. The other freshman has had good seasons as well, but in particular, Tatum has had the best scoring the ball and playing consistently. With Kennard, Tatum, and Allen all scoring the ball efficiently lately, I do not see a team that could stop them. I do worry about their rebounding. That is perhaps their weakest link. This is where players such as Harry Giles will have to step up.

I was unable to submit this bracket online in time, so this is my way of submitting my picks to the world, you know, in case I am right and I could say, "I told you so." Kidding. Unless Duke does indeed win it all 👀. Good luck to my audience and your brackets. May the Madness bring about Gladness (unless you picked UNC to win it all ;)).

Under the Table, Table Runners

WE ARE HERE

Finally, we are here! We have arrived at the best time of the year, March Madness. The results of the regular season and conference championships have provided us a good idea on who to pick in the tournament. We have seen each teams strengths, weaknesses, if they are entering the tournament hot or cold, and which players/coaches have stepped up this season. While most teams have received national attention from the media, there are some teams in the dance that have not. Teams such as Middle Tennessee State, Bucknell, and Florida Gulf Coast have people scratching their heads when filling out the bracket. Most people are unaware of these teams strengths, weaknesses (other than playing in a non-power conference), and players that can light it up scoring. Even though these teams usually do not go as far as the Final Four, they may knock out a team that is expected to go to the Final Four, and maybe your pick for National Champions. 

Table Runners

I tried to catch as many college basketball games this year on TV as I could. If I missed games, I at least tried to keep up with each team in each conference. About every week or two, I would glance at the nation's leaders in rebounding, points per game, etc. A couple of teams and players caught my eye, and I would check up on their game-to-game performances and how each player played. All of this keeping up will hopefully help me out but could be useless if those teams/players are done after the first round. Some obvious table runners include Lonzo Ball from UCLA, Luke Kennard out of Duke, ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson, and Kansas guard Justin Jackson. Here is a list of guys who are underrated "under the table" table-runners: 

Mike Daum, #16 South Dakota St

https://mgtvwcmh.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/url-11.jpeg

The "Dauminating" sophomore has led his Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Daum has done had a "daum" good season. In player efficiency rating, he ranked third. He was second in the nation in scoring, averaging 25.3 points per game. The Summitt League Conference Player of the Year scored 30 points or more in 12 games this season, including one game which he dropped 51 points in a win over Fort Wayne. 51 points were the most points scored in a Division I Men's basketball game all season. Daum also led the nation in free throws attempted and made. It is no secret he can score, but can he lead his Jackrabbits to a win over one of the nation's best teams in #1 seed Gonzaga? No #16 seed has defeated a #1 seed, could Daum and the Jackrabbits be the first?

Conner Frankamp and Landry Shamet, #10 Wichita State

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pAy4A0YsG6SgqLljyK6sLRIA2hA=/0x0:3481x2316/1200x800/filters:focal(1463x880:2019x1436)/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53549243/usa_today_9919970.0.jpg

Ever since Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, and coach Gregg Marshall put Wichita State on the map in 2013 by reaching the Final Four, I have kept track of them. Baker and VanVleet were two of my favorite players to watch in college basketball. Gregg Marshall is one of the better coaches in Division I Men's basketball. Wichita State has developed into a powerhouse basketball school.

There really isn't a true star to this Shockers basketball team. The case can be made for Shaq Morris or Landry Shamet, but overall they play together as a solid, consistent basketball team. However, I think these two lethal shooters will step up big for the Shockers. Frankamp, a former Kansas Jayhawk, has experience in the NCAA Tournament with both Wichita State and Kansas. In a second round tournament game in 2014 vs Stanford, Frankamp hit 4 three-pointers, including two clutch 3's in the final 30 seconds. Unfortunately, the video only shows one of his clutch three's. I can see Frankamp being a Ryan Arcidiacono 2.0.

Shamet, a true freshman, has shown flashes of stellar shooting. The Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year ranked 3rd in field goal percentage (47.5%) among all guards in the conference. He was tied for 5th in overall offensive efficiency with 133.7, which ranks higher than players such as Luke Kennard and Lonzo Ball. Both Frankamp and Shamet shot 45% from the three. During a 5 game stretch in the season, the two combined for 27-47 behind the arc. If these scrappy guards shoot the ball the way they have during the regular season, they may just sneak into the Sweet 16. 

Devontae Cacok, #12 UNC-Wilmington

http://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/uncwsports.com/images/2016/1/30/cofc6.jpg

The Seahawks from UNCW find themselves dancing for a second straight season. Coach Kevin Keatts has received much of the attention for their success, as he should. He has revamped the UNCW basketball program into a successful program that has great consistency in scoring the basketball. His Seahawks ranked 10th in the nation in scoring with 85.2 points per game. This wouldn't be possible by the contribution of sophomore Devontae Cacok. 

The Forward flirted with averaging a double-double in points per game and rebound per game with 12.3 PPG and 9.6 RPG. Despite coming close to averaging a double-double, Cacok penciled in 12 double-doubles of the season. Of those double-doubles, two were video game-like performances. He recorded 24 rebounds in one, and in another, he put up 34 points and 19 boards. Cacok has had one of the best seasons of any college basketball player this season. His 79% field goal percentage and 146.5 offensive efficiency rating ranked first in the nation. Okay, we get it, he's an offensive machine! How is his defense 👀? Just as good; he was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Defense Player of the Year. UNCW is favored as a potential #12 over #5 seed upset since there has been at least one in recent year's tournaments. Could Cacok and the UNC Dubs keep dancing into the Sweet 16 or Elite 8? 

Angel Delgado, #9 Seton Hall

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The nation's leading rebounder comes into the tournament with a vengeance. Angel Delgado and his Pirates lost a heartbreaker to the defending national champs Villanova, on a missed layup at the buzzer in the Big East Conference Tournament. Some say he has been the "Angel" to the Seton Hall Pirates this season. In 32 games played, he recorded 26 double-doubles. Of those games with double-doubles, there were 12 in which he recorded 15 or more rebounds. Not only does Delgado lead the nation in rebounds, he also leads in offensive rebounds. There have been rumors surrounding Delgado and Dyson Vacuums regarding a potential sponsorship, because of his vacuum-like ability to suck in rebounds. We shall see if the human vacuum can be top of the line, such as Dyson Vacuum Cleaners are. 


These student-athletes have great potential to make a name for themselves, for their teams, and for their schools in the next couple of days. Will these players come through for their teams and do the unexpected? Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Sources:
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2017.html
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/team/145
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/statistics

ACC Tournament Predictions

Is There a True Favorite?

The Atlantic Coast Conference is one of the top conferences in Division I basketball. Each season, around 6 or so teams are selected to dance in the NCAA Tournament. The talent is rich in the conference. Teams such as UNC, Duke, UVA, Miami, and Notre Dame have been the most consistent participants from the ACC to play in the NCAA Tournament. Every season or two, a surprise team will arise from the conference and become one of the top teams. This season it was Florida State, as they improved from going 8-10 last year in the ACC, to 12-6, finishing in 2nd place.

Upsets tend to happen in every conference. They are decently consistent in the major conferences (PAC 12, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, etc). In the ACC, they are quite common, especially this season. Teams such as Georgia Tech, Wake Forrest, Syracuse, and Miami all have multiple, quality victories against some of the top teams in the conference. 

- #11 seed Georgia Tech has defeated UNC, Notre Dame, and Florida State.
- #10 seed Wake Forrest has wins over Louisville and Miami
- #9 seed Miami has dubs against UNC, Duke, and UVA
- #8 seed Syracuse has upset Duke, UVA, and Florida State

The playing field in the ACC is nearly even. You can trace last-place Boston College to first-place UNC. In fact, let's do that real quick:

- Boston College defeated Syracuse.
- Syracuse defeated Duke.
- Duke defeated UNC.

The funny thing is, that is not the only path that can be traced to Boston College and UNC! Now, am I saying Boston College can beat UNC? Ye- hold up. There is NO WAY Boston College can defeat the ACC Regular season champs. Have you looked at the calendar to see what month it is 👀? 

As crazy as the ACC is and the month of March is, this scenario is very unlikely to happen. Boston College would first have to win 4 games in a row against teams they have lost to some more than once this season. It would be amazing to see, but highly unlikely. Here is what the 2017 ACC Tournament Bracket look like:

http://raycomsports.com/sports_labs_docs/m-baskbl/2017_mbb_bracket.pdf?utm_source=all&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=mbb&utm_content=17tourney

First Round

#12 Clemson vs #13 NC State

Clemson has had a frustrating year in the ACC. Eight of their 12 ACC losses have been decided by 5 points or less. Do not sleep on the hunger of the Tigers. I see them knocking off an out of sync NC State squad and move on to face Duke in the second round.  

#10 Wake Forrest vs #15 Boston College

Wake Forrest is playing some hot basketball right now; Roll Deac's!

#11 Georgia Tech vs #14 Pitt

I've got an upset in this one. I'm picking Pitt to upset Georgia Tech. I feel the veterans on Pittsburgh will have a big day scoring the basketball and lead their team into the next round. This may burst Georgia Tech's chance on dancing in the NCAA Tournament if they lose here.

Second Round

#8 Cuse vs #9 Miami

This may be the best matchup of the tournament. Tough pick for sure, but give Syracuse in a close one!

#12 Clemson vs #5 Duke

I rather have Duke lose in their first round of the ACC Tourney than in their first round of the NCAA Tourney. Clemson will give them a hard time, but I'm taking the Blue Devils.

#10 Wake vs #7 Va Tech

I'm feeling aWake right now, despite it being late, and a Wake win. This potential matchup also has the makings of being the best of the ACC Tourney. It has high potential to come down to the wire. It's hard to go against Virginia Tech, and I'll honestly probably regret it.

#14 Pitt vs #6 UVA

Pitt has taken down UVA before, earlier in January, but not so recently. UVA avenged themselves on London Perrantes' senior night. The Cavaliers shouldn't have a problem, unless Jamel Artis, Sheldon Jeter, and Michael Young are all feeling it.

Third Round

#1 UNC vs #8 Syracuse

UNC has taken care of Syracuse their last couple of matchups. They'll probably do it again. If Syracuse defeats Miami and losses here, I still believe they will sneak into the NCAA Tourney.

#4 Louisville vs #5 Duke

A potentially solid matchup. A strong guard matchup between prolific scorers and playmakers Donovan Mitchell and Luke Kennard. I'm going to have to go with the Blue Devils here, and I am leaving bias out of it. 

#2 Florida State vs #10 Wake Forrest

I want to go with Wake because they are a hot team right now, especially if they go as far as I have picked them. Florida State has been a weird team this season. They looked as if they were the team to beat in the ACC early on, but they have bad losses to Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh and can be inconsistent at times. However, it's Bacon time! I expect Dwayne Bacon to step up in the ACC Tourney, and against the Demon Deacons.

#3 Notre Dame vs #6 Virginia

This is another matchup that may go down as the best the ACC Tournament will see this season. I have more faith in a coin deciding this game than me choosing it. I'm going to pick Notre Dame because I feel they have more weapons on offense than UVA's efficiency to stop them from scoring.

Semifinals

#1 UNC vs #5 Duke

Well, well, well, what do we have here. A tie breaker to see who wins the season series between Carolina and Duke? This would be epic, and I hope this happens for the sake of the ACC, fans, and so I would be correct. The likelihood of this happening seems to be more in favor than not in favor, I believe. Really trying not to be biased here, I am going with the Blue Devils. Grayson and Kennard will shoot as good as they did when they first played Carolina.

#10 Wake Forrest vs #3 Notre Dame

Yeah, I know I mentioned Florida State would win and it was "Bacon time," but I feel like there is going to be one team that reaches the semifinals that is not ranked as a top 6 seed in the ACC Tournament. As crazy of a run, this would be for Wake Forrest, it would end here. Mike Brey's squad is going to click on every cylinder and they will move on to the ACC Championship.

ACC Championship: #5 Duke vs #3 Notre Dame

Notre Dame wins the 2017 ACC Tournament for the second time in three years. I predict they beat Duke only by 5 points or less. Notre Dame has one of the highest potentials of any team in the ACC not just in the ACC Tournament, but also the NCAA Tournament. Mike Brey has had recent success in the month of March the past couple seasons. He has the majority of the players he had last year, and I believe that same core will once again lead him to an ACC title. 

I am excited for the ACC Tournament and plan to watch as many games as I can. This week starts the beginning of the madness this month brings. I am overjoyed with the hype college basketball brings this time of year every year!