Tonight at 10pm CST, the 20 Creighton Bluejays (4-0, 0-0 Big East) take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-0, 0-0 Pac-12) in a quarterfinal of the Wooden Legacy at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. The Jays come into the first round of this tournament after defeating Tulsa 82-72 at home on Saturday night. National Player of the Year candidate, Doug McDermott, scored a team-high 33 points to lead Creighton. McDermott, coached by his father, Greg, leads the team with an average of 27.5 points per game. He also paces the Jays with 8 rebounds a game. Arizona State enters this game after squeaking out a 79-77 win at home against 25 Marquette on Monday night. Sophomore sensation Jahii Carson had 23 to lead State to the upset win. Carson is averaging 23 points per game, good to lead the team. Jordan Bachynski has an average of 11.8 rebounds per game to lead the Sun Devils, and he also has 29 blocks through six games. This should be a shootout as McDermott and Carson, two of the best scorers in the country, due. Look for the depth of Creighton as well as the red-hot shooting of McDermott to hold off Carson and the Sun Devils in the second half and earn a résumé-building win.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
20 Creighton vs. Arizona State Game Preview
Tonight at 10pm CST, the 20 Creighton Bluejays (4-0, 0-0 Big East) take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-0, 0-0 Pac-12) in a quarterfinal of the Wooden Legacy at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. The Jays come into the first round of this tournament after defeating Tulsa 82-72 at home on Saturday night. National Player of the Year candidate, Doug McDermott, scored a team-high 33 points to lead Creighton. McDermott, coached by his father, Greg, leads the team with an average of 27.5 points per game. He also paces the Jays with 8 rebounds a game. Arizona State enters this game after squeaking out a 79-77 win at home against 25 Marquette on Monday night. Sophomore sensation Jahii Carson had 23 to lead State to the upset win. Carson is averaging 23 points per game, good to lead the team. Jordan Bachynski has an average of 11.8 rebounds per game to lead the Sun Devils, and he also has 29 blocks through six games. This should be a shootout as McDermott and Carson, two of the best scorers in the country, due. Look for the depth of Creighton as well as the red-hot shooting of McDermott to hold off Carson and the Sun Devils in the second half and earn a résumé-building win.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Oral Roberts at 12 Wisconsin Game Preview
Tonight at 7:30pm on the Big Ten Network, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (2-0, 0-0 Southland) visit the Kohl Center in Madison to take on the 12 Wisconsin Badgers (5-0, 0-0 Big Ten) as part of the Cancun Challenge. Oral Roberts enters this game after being defeated at Saint Louis 72-55 in their opening game of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday night. ORU took a 31-28 lead into halftime, but was outscored 44-24 in the second half en route to a blowout loss. Shawn Glover led the team with 18 points. Obi Emegano leads the team with an average of 19 points per game, and Korey Billbury is the team leader in rebounds with 8.5 per game. Wisconsin enters this contest after starting the season 5-0, with their latest triumph being an 88-64 decision over Bowling Green on Thursday night in their opening game of the Cancun Challenge. Ben Brust led the team with 19 points, as the Badgers scored 44 points in each half on their way to the victory. After scoring a Wisconsin single-game record with 43 points on Tuesday night in a win at home against North Dakota, and a strong follow-up performance on Thursday night, Frank Kaminsky leads the Badgers with 16.6 points per game, as Brust leads the team with 6 rebounds a game. This should be an exciting game, as the Golden Eagles give up on average 69 points per game, while the Badgers score to the tune of 81 points per game. Look for Wisconsin's offense to test the ORU's defense. Even though they are known for their methodical offense under Bo Ryan, I think that the Badgers will continue to score at a blistering pace and win this game easily at home.
Friday, November 1, 2013
1 Prairie Farm vs. 1 Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran WIAA 8-Man Football State Championship
Tomorrow at 7pm at D.C. Everest High School, the 1 Prairie Farm Panthers (8-0, 8-0 Lakeland) take on the 1 Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran Blazers (9-0, 6-0 Great 8) in the 8-Man Football State Championship. Prairie Farm comes into this game well-rested, as they had a forfeit win over Winter two weeks ago. Their last game was a 52-0 win over Bruce on Homecoming three weeks ago. Coach Steve Schaaf and the Panthers have not lost an 8-man game yet, as they won the championship last season and are undefeated heading into the championship game this season. Quarterback Josh Seibert has thrown for 599 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Seibert also leads the team in rushing yards with 659 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nathan Moen has caught five passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns this season, while Denver Moen has caught six passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns. N.E.W. Lutheran won the Great 8 Conference after beating Gibraltar 55-44 in the conference championship game two weeks ago. Coach Dick Hasseler led the Blazers to their first undefeated regular season in school history this past season, and are looking for their first state championship. Quarterback Noah Gosse led the team with 418 passing yards this season and 8 touchdowns. Running back Brett Patzke had 681 rushing yards to lead the team, while Gosse had 11 rushing touchdowns, the most on the team. Receiver Nathan Toenjes had 14 catches for 293 yards and 8 touchdowns to lead the Blazers. This should be a great game to end the 2013 8-man football season. Look for the speed of both the offense and the defense to carry N.E.W. to their first state championship.
2 Menomonie at 3 Hortonville WIAA Division 2 Level 2 Playoff Game
Tomorrow at 4pm at Hortonville High School, the 2 Menomonie Mustangs (9-1, 6-1 Big Rivers) take on the 3 Hortonville Polar Bears (10-0, 8-0 Bay) in a WIAA Division 2 Level 2 playoff game. Menomonie earned the right to advance to Level 2 after narrowly escaping 7 Marshfield in a Level 1 game last weekend at Menomonie 7-3. Quarterback Nate Stanley scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 6:18 left in the third quarter to propel the Mustangs to victory. He leads the team in passing yards with 1005 and passing touchdowns. Derek Kahl is the workhorse for coach Joe LaBuda, as he leads the team with 1081 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Receiver Luke Stanley has 25 catches for 603 yards on the season for 9 touchdowns. Hortonville, the Bay conference champs, defeated Superior 47-0 in their opening round game last weekend at D.C. Everest. Coach Andy Kolosso led the Polar Bears to the conference championship by ending West De Pere's run at the top of the conference by one game. Hortonville knocked off WDP on the road in overtime, 31-28, to claim conference. Quarterback Andy Thompson has thrown for 1658 yards on the season to go along with 23 touchdowns. Alex Lasinski has rushed for 1297 yards and 23 touchdowns, while Mitch Lillige has caught 16 passes for 484 yards and 7 TD's on the season. Tristyn Guyette has caught 16 passes for 321 yards and 8 touchdowns to form a nice 1-2 receiving punch for the Polar Bears. Look for the home-field advantage of Hortonville to play a major part in this game. Look for the defense to show up in a big way and provide critical stops on critical drives during the game for Menomonie, as I think Hortonville will put together a complete game on their way to their 11th straight win on the season.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Week-By-Week Best Matchups WIAA 8-Man Football
Stiehm Stadium: Site of 2013 8-Man Football Jamboree
My best matchups of the WIAA 8-Man Football season week-by-week:
Week 1: Valley Christian at Sevastopol (August 23) - The home Pioneers play their first 8-man game ever against a Warrior team that is eager to improve on last season's one win record.
Week 2: Luck vs. Gibraltar (at D.C. Everest, August 29) - This game is being played at a central location due to the distance between the schools; Gibraltar is a sleeper in the Great 8 this year in their first season of 8-man football. Luck won the matchup of the 2-seeds in the jamboree last season, which was also held at D.C. Everest.
Week 3: Luck at New Auburn (September 6) - An interesting matchup between the runner-up in the North division and the third-seed team in the North from last season.
Week 4: Oakfield at Abundant Life (September 14) - A rookie team to 8-man ball in Oakfield takes on the defending South champs from last season in Abundant Life.
Week 5: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah (September 20) - The defensive combination of Nathan Toenjes and Luke Lana leads the Blazers into Elkhart Lake for a midseason contest.
Week 6: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Abundant Life (September 28) - This is a rematch of a game last season at Abundant Life in which the road Blazers lost 56-54. The home Challengers ended up winning the South because of that win, as the Blazers finished with one conference loss, and the Challengers went undefeated in conference play.
Week 7: Prairie Farm at Luck (October 4) - A game between the top two teams in the North last year; the defending 8-man champion Panthers visit the host Cardinals.
Week 8: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Bowler/Gresham (October 11) - One of the most underrated games of the 8-man season, N.E.W. visits a very up-and-coming Panther team looking for a signature win in their inaugural season of 8-man football.
Week 9: Oakfield at Three Lakes (October 19) - A critical season finale for both teams. A win could clinch a spot in the jamboree for one of these teams, as both could be on the bubble. A loss could possibly put that team out of the jamboree.
Week 2: Luck vs. Gibraltar (at D.C. Everest, August 29) - This game is being played at a central location due to the distance between the schools; Gibraltar is a sleeper in the Great 8 this year in their first season of 8-man football. Luck won the matchup of the 2-seeds in the jamboree last season, which was also held at D.C. Everest.
Week 3: Luck at New Auburn (September 6) - An interesting matchup between the runner-up in the North division and the third-seed team in the North from last season.
Week 4: Oakfield at Abundant Life (September 14) - A rookie team to 8-man ball in Oakfield takes on the defending South champs from last season in Abundant Life.
Week 5: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah (September 20) - The defensive combination of Nathan Toenjes and Luke Lana leads the Blazers into Elkhart Lake for a midseason contest.
Week 6: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Abundant Life (September 28) - This is a rematch of a game last season at Abundant Life in which the road Blazers lost 56-54. The home Challengers ended up winning the South because of that win, as the Blazers finished with one conference loss, and the Challengers went undefeated in conference play.
Week 7: Prairie Farm at Luck (October 4) - A game between the top two teams in the North last year; the defending 8-man champion Panthers visit the host Cardinals.
Week 8: Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran at Bowler/Gresham (October 11) - One of the most underrated games of the 8-man season, N.E.W. visits a very up-and-coming Panther team looking for a signature win in their inaugural season of 8-man football.
Week 9: Oakfield at Three Lakes (October 19) - A critical season finale for both teams. A win could clinch a spot in the jamboree for one of these teams, as both could be on the bubble. A loss could possibly put that team out of the jamboree.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Packers at Rams Preseason Game Preview
Tonight at 7pm on NBC, the Green Bay Packers (0-1) visit the Edward Jones Dome to take on the St. Louis Rams (0-1) in a preseason contest. Green Bay enters their first road game of the preseason after being defeated by the Arizona Cardinals 17-0 last Friday at Lambeau Field. The Packers had a total of 223 yards of total offense, while the Cardinals racked up 355 yards of total offense. Backup quarterback Graham Harrell was 12-19 for 76 yards and an interception, while starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 3-5 for 62 yards. Running back James Starks rushed for 68 yards on 12 carries, while rookie running back and third round draft pick Jonathan Franklin had 6 carries for 14 yards. Receiver Ty Walker had 5 catches for 41 yards, and defensive back Chris Banjo had 5 total tackles. Green Bay is in the middle of a competition. Incumbent Mason Crosby is battling Giorgio Tavecchio for the full-time kicking duties on the team. St. Louis was edged in Cleveland last Friday by a score of 27-19. Although the Rams had 396 yards of total offense and the Browns only had 320 yards of total offense, St. Louis was unable to pull out a victory in their preseason opener. Backup QB Austin Davis was 9-16 for 96 yards, while starter Sam Bradford was 6-13 for 112 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Zac Stacy ran for 23 yards on 7 carries. Receiver Chris Givens caught 3 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Defensive back T.J. McDonald had 6 total tackles in the game last week. This should be a high scoring affair, and look for the Packers to come out with a win because of their running game and defense. (Note: All stats are preseason totals for each player.)
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Week-by-Week Best Matchups WIAA Football
My best matchups of the WIAA Football season week-by-week:
Week 1: Kenosha Bradford at Arrowhead (August 23)- The season opens with the last two Division 1 champs facing off in Arrowhead, the defending champs.
Week 2: Arrowhead at Homestead (August 30)- These former D1 powerhouses met annually in the state championship from 2006-2008. They now face off as defending state champions, as Homestead has moved to D2.
Week 3: Pulaski at Bay Port (September 6)- Gary Westerman, second year head coach of Bay Port, faces off against his former team for the second time. He was the head coach of Pulaski before he took the coaching position at Bay Port. Westerman got the better of his former team with a 56-35 trouncing last year on the road.
Week 4: Kewaunee at Wrightstown (September 13)- Two former Division 4 state champions meet in a critical Olympian-Packerland contest, with Kewaunee now in Division 5. The Tigers trounced the Storm 30-7 last year in Week 1; Wrightstown hosts this game for the second year in a row.
Week 5: Brookfield East at Brookfield Central (September 20)- Bragging rights in Brookfield will be on the line as these teams always produce an entertaining contest. East beat Central 37-14 on the road last year and will try to do it again this season.
Week 6: Sun Prairie at Madison Memorial (September 27)- Athletes will be all over the field in this Big 8 matchup. Sun Prairie shut out the Spartans 35-0 in the regular season last year, then the Cardinals bounced Memorial in Level 1 of the playoffs 45-20. Memorial looking for the upset this season.
Week 7: West De Pere at Seymour (October 4)- One of the favorites to dethrone WDP from the top of the Bay Conference, offensive lineman and Wisconsin recruit Jon Dietzen leads a powerful Thunder offense looking for a signature win.
Week 8: Regis at Fall Creek (October 11)- A critical matchup in the race for a Cloverbelt championship, Regis advanced to the Division 6 State Championship Game last season before falling to two-time champ Saint Mary's Springs.
Week 9: Owen-Withee at Athens (October 18)- Almost a guarantee this game will decide the Cloverwood champion. The Blackhawks handed the Bluejays their only regular season loss in the finale last year; Owen-Withee came out with a 22-7 win. Athens advanced to Level 2 last year, while Owen-Withee quietly had a terrific season. They were eliminated in Level 3.
Week 5: Brookfield East at Brookfield Central (September 20)- Bragging rights in Brookfield will be on the line as these teams always produce an entertaining contest. East beat Central 37-14 on the road last year and will try to do it again this season.
Week 6: Sun Prairie at Madison Memorial (September 27)- Athletes will be all over the field in this Big 8 matchup. Sun Prairie shut out the Spartans 35-0 in the regular season last year, then the Cardinals bounced Memorial in Level 1 of the playoffs 45-20. Memorial looking for the upset this season.
Week 7: West De Pere at Seymour (October 4)- One of the favorites to dethrone WDP from the top of the Bay Conference, offensive lineman and Wisconsin recruit Jon Dietzen leads a powerful Thunder offense looking for a signature win.
Week 8: Regis at Fall Creek (October 11)- A critical matchup in the race for a Cloverbelt championship, Regis advanced to the Division 6 State Championship Game last season before falling to two-time champ Saint Mary's Springs.
Week 9: Owen-Withee at Athens (October 18)- Almost a guarantee this game will decide the Cloverwood champion. The Blackhawks handed the Bluejays their only regular season loss in the finale last year; Owen-Withee came out with a 22-7 win. Athens advanced to Level 2 last year, while Owen-Withee quietly had a terrific season. They were eliminated in Level 3.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)