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Monday, April 2, 2007
15 to watch in 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Any ranking of next season’s best teams is based on assumptions, only some of which will be borne out.
Example: If Florida’s frontcourt of Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer returns to school yet again, the Gators would be No. 1 yet again. But the guess is that all three will leave, which is why Florida doesn’t appear on this list.
1. Kansas
Assumption: That Brandon Rush and Julian Wright will return.
Prognosis: The Jayhawks were the nation’s most talented team this season and will be again.
2. North Carolina
Assumption: That only Brandan Wright will leave early.
Prognosis: The Heels were the nation’s second-most talented team this season and will be again.
3. Ohio State
Assumption: That only Greg Oden will leave early.
Prognosis: Mike Conley Jr. will vie with North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough for player of the year.
4. Memphis
Assumption: That no one will leave early.
Prognosis: The hugely gifted Tigers will get a major boost from incoming point guard Derrick Rose.
5. UCLA
Assumption: That Arron Afflalo will again return.
Prognosis: The offensively-challenged Bruins should find a scoring option in 6-foot-9 signee Kevin Love.
6. Southern Cal
Assumption: That Nick Young will return.
Prognosis: Even if Young leaves, the Trojans’ ascent will continue with the arrival of O.J. Mayo.
7. Louisville
Assumption: That Rick Pitino won’t take the Kentucky job.
Prognosis: Whoever coaches Kentucky will have the second-best team in the Commonwealth.
8. Georgia Tech
Assumption: That Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton will stay.
Prognosis: If the Yellow Jackets lose 12 games next season, someone will have gone wrong.
9. Tennessee
Prognosis: That Bruce Pearl won’t take the Kentucky job.
Assumption: The young and swift and dauntless Vols are growing up around Chris Lofton.
10. Kansas State
Assumption: That Bob Huggins won’t scare anybody off.
Prognosis: Rising program gets a double boost from arrival of Michael Beasley and return of Bill Walker.
11. Georgetown
Assumption: That Roy Hibbert will leave but Jeff Green will return.
Prognosis: The huge Hibbert would be missed, but Green started as a low-post player and could return.
12. Villanova
Assumption: That Jay Wright won’t take the Kentucky job.
Prognosis: Smallish Scottie Reynolds could be the Big East’s leading scorer next season.
13. Texas
Assumption: That Kevin Durant will leave early.
Prognosis: D.J. Augustin figures to be Mike Conley Jr.’s only rival as the nation’s leading point guard.
14. Duke
Assumption: That Josh McRoberts is gone.
Prognosis: Kyle Singler, another blue-chip Duke recruit, actually might not be overrated.
15. Arkansas
Assumption: That Frank Broyles won’t coach the team.
Prognosis: Dana Altman, named Monday as Stan Heath’s successor, will inherit a roster laden with size and seasoning.
The next wave 16. Indiana, 17. Maryland, 18. Michigan State, 19. Washington State, 20. Alabama 21. Marquette, 22. Oklahoma State, 23. Stanford, 24. Nevada, 25. Georgia.
Next year’s George Mason (Even though there really wasn’t one this year): Davidson. Sophomore-to-be Stephen Curry stands to lead the nation in scoring before he’s through.
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Simply put, the Braves are back
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Philadelphia - The bullpen was as wonderfully scary as advertised. That’s enough right there for the rest of the National League East to shiver for a 15th season out of the past 16, especially whenever they see somebody with a tomahawk across his chest.
Simply put, the Braves are back as the bogeymen of the division. They haven’t a glaring weakness, and they have more than a few strong points. They also have a chance to go 162-0 after resembling some of their forefathers by finding ways on Monday at Citizens Bank Park for a 5-3, 10th-inning victory over the supposedly improved Philadelphia Phillies.
“Dang. First loss of the year. Guess our season is over,” said Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, joking. His team is expected to join the Braves and the New York Mets throughout the summer in a cozy NL East battle. It’s just that the Braves are suggesting they’ll spend more time having chasers than doing the chasing.
And, yes, this was only one game to start the year, but this was a telling game for so many reasons beyond the Braves having a bunch of relievers who finally get it.
There were those timely hits, punctuated by the second of Edgar Renteria’s home runs. With teammate Kelly Johnson at first base, this one settled among Philadelphia’s lovely boo birds behind the wall in right-center field. Just like that, the Braves were a perfect bottom-of-the-10th away by reliever Chad Paronto from victory.
That was after Paronto’s predecessors - holdover Bob Wickman, along with newcomers Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano - kept the Phillies scoreless for the previous three innings.
Then there was John Smoltz starting and dominating with his Hall of Fame arm for much of his outing. It also didn’t hurt the Braves’ cause that Brian McCann is hinting at making his third season in the major leagues look as potent as his previous two. Among his three hits was a two-run homer that gave the Braves a start toward where they finished.
“I don’t know if my home run had anything to do with what we did today, but I just know that coming from spring training, everybody had that attitude back,” said McCann, the All-Star catcher, in a relatively businesslike clubhouse filled with quiet confidence.
Just like old times for the Braves. He was among the 18 rookies who helped the Braves win their 14th consecutive division title in 2005 before their bullpen-related crash to third last year.
Added McCann, “This division is up for grabs, and we know that. We know we have to play good every night, and I think our ballclub is going to do that.”
Generally, these Braves will do that after last year’s taste of mediocrity gave them a collective tummy ache. They began their healing process with their version of baseball ecstasy for a day.
It began with the weather. Give or take the ones likely invented by Ben Franklin, this was the prettiest April afternoon ever between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers. The bluest of skies. Temperatures in the low 70s. No clouds within a few fungoes.
It also was opening day, sports’ first unofficial holiday, and it was all enough to make those eternally in love with baseball even more so. Thus the extra giddiness for the 65-year-young Bobby Cox, starting his 26th season as a manager in the major leagues.
“You still get the butterflies and the goosebumps. All the ceremonies. The flyovers,” said Cox, the Braves’ accomplished leader. He also could have mentioned the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Men’s Chorale singing the national anthem, the U.S. Navy Parachute team delivering the first pitch and the Phillie Phanatic turning back to green after becoming red during what was called “Paint the Town (Phillie) Red” week.
Suddenly, Philadelphia was blue. As in the Braves’ dominant colors. As in those lovely boo birds watching the Phillies already losing to the team to beat in the NL East this season.
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