NBA & College Basketball Predictions (Part 2)

Well here's Part 2 of my NBA & College Basketball Predictions.....

College Basketball is finally here! The season was underway last night as the top teams such as North Carolina, Connecticut and Gonzaga put on a show against Cupcakes from mid-major conferences. Top teams are supposed to do that right? Here's a breakdown of what will happen during March Madness:

Naismith Player of the Year: Stephen Curry

This has to be the boldest prediction of all. Yes, Tyler Hansbrough is leading the #1 team in the nation and he is arguably the best big man and overall player in the country. Look at it this way, nobody thought Stephen Curry was going to blow up in the tournament last year! NOBODY! People knew Davidson was good, but not good enough to go to the Elite 8 and almost shock Kansas. Curry's numbers have improved each year and his junior year could be his best one yet. He has the best stroke in the country and I believe this underdog will get noticed and get the recognition he needs to get this award. Plus, Hansbrough is injured right now. Who knows when he will return to the lineup?

Coach of the Year: Roy Williams

I would say Coach McKillop from Davidson, but North Carolina could possibly go undefeated with the team they have this year. Davidson won't get enough recognition for this award. With that being said, Coach Roy is going to get this award. The only team that can beat North Carolina is themselves. The starting five of Hansbrough, Lawson, Green, Thompson, and Ellington along with the dangerous bench makes this team unbeatable for the most part. Duke could give them a run at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but other than that North Carolina is going to run the table. Roy Williams is one of the best coaches in NCAA Basketball History with his style and game-planning of up-tempo offense and full court pressure defense.

First Team All-Americans

C Hasheem Thabeet- Connecticut (SWAT TEAM! SWAT TEAM!)

F Tyler Hansbrough- North Carolina (Best Big Man in the country)

G Stephen Curry- Davidson (Best shooter in the country)

G Patrick Mills- Saint Mary's (He could be another Stephen Curry)

G Darren Collison- UCLA (Best PG in the country)

So Close...... G Ty Lawson- North Carolina

Who's going to Detroit? Final Four:

North Carolina (Overall #1)

Connecticut (I'm still shaky about them being a disappointment again. As long as they got Thabeet on the block, there is no reason that this team can't make it to the Final Four. Jeff Adrien is getting better and I like the guard play of Jerome Dyson and A.J. Price)

Louisville (This team is ridiculously talented. They just need to get rid of the Turnover Syndrome)

Gonzaga or Davidson? It's hard for me to decide this one. The Zags have the talent this year to finally get over the hump, but Stephen Curry and Davidson are more hungry than ever to make an encore run at the Elite 8 and get to the next step. I have to go with Davidson on this one. As long as Stephen Curry is on the floor, you have a chance to win the ball game. I have yet to see any team contain this guy. Davidson has most of its team from last year. Andrew Lovelace is a good second option. The Zags starting five is one of the best in the country. Jeremy Pargo is one of the best point guards in the nation, Josh Heytvelt has a nice post game, Austin Daye has burst on the scene as a legit player in the West Coast Conference, and Micah Downs is starting to develop. I just have a feeling that the Zags won't be ready for Primetime again. Davidson will be the hungrier team if they face off in a possible Elite 8 matchup. Curry will have a monster game and lead the troops to its first final four in school history.

So who wins?

National Title Game: North Carolina vs. Connecticut

North Carolina wins it all and cuts down the nets. They are either going undefeated the whole season or lose one game during the regular season (Duke). All 12 men on this team are too talented from top to bottom for any team to matchup against them. Hasheem Thabeet could be a problem for Hansbrough, but on the flip side, Hansbrough could get him in foul trouble and make him not be a factor throughout the game. Without him on the floor, Jeff Adrien's post game could be vulnerable. UCONN's guards, A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson better be ready to run up and down the floor with Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Frasor, and Marcus Ginyard. These guys could wear them down and if that happens, it's going to be a long day for UCONN as North Carolina will be able to do whatever they want. The first half is going to be close, but the second half will get ugly. North Carolina wins this game by 15 and Ty Lawson gets the MOP as Coach Roy Williams wins his second title as a head coach.

Extra Stuff: Missouri and Kansas

Kansas

The defending champs are in a rebuilding stage as they are building the team around Sherron Collins. This team will make the tournament but will get bounced in the second round. The young guys of Aldrich, Morningstar, Releford, Morris, and Teahan are not ready for primetime yet. They will finish third in the Big 12.

As for Missouri....

Yes, the basketball program has been in shammels since Kareem Rush, Rickey Paulding, Clarence Gilbert, Wesley Stokes, Arthur Johnson, and Brian Grawer have left. Missouri is still in a rebuilding stage, but I see some improvement this year. Former Prep Star Marcus Denmon will be the main focus of the Freshman class. He has a scorer's mentality and can make any shot on the court. DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons, Matt Lawrence and J.T. Tiller are the key players that are returning. Six freshmen on the team with a lot of potential can have some growing pains, but they should help improve this program. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Missouri finishes 6th in the Big 12 and wins at least 20 games which would be a huge improvement from last year's 10th Place finish with a 16-16 record.

The Border War: Both teams will split games this year.

*That's all I got*

More blogs to come, so stay tuned for Blog #9........