Rocky Toppled @ Vandy

On Monday, I expressed my doubt in Tennessee as a #1 ranked team. I mentioned various teams I felt could beat the Vols in the NCAA tournament. Well . . . we can add Vanderbilt to the list. The Commodores played with energy and emotion all night. Tennessee looked a bit flat from the opening tip, and never was able to regain their trademark "swagger".

Tennessee New #1

The Vols have found themselves in the #1 poll position for the first time in school history. The great thing about NCAA hoops is that the polls really don't matter. What matters, is who can beat who, come March 17th. This leads to the question, is Tennessee truly the best team in the nation? The answer is simply, NO! I would favor UCLA, Texas, North Carolina, and Kansas over the Vols on a neutral floor. And that only covers teams in the top 10. I could see Tennessee also losing to Xavier, Butler, and Purdue.

The key to defeating the Vols is solid defense, ball security, and tempo. All seven teams previously mentioned can control the tempo, play D, and equal (if not surpass) Tennessee on the glass. Bruce Pearl's squad is highly entertaining, but I don't see them getting it done in March.

Trade Crazy

So, it seems just about every team in the NBA has made a move over the past few weeks.  The question is: who got the best of all the player swapping?

Top 5 Acquisitions

1. Pau Gasol to Los Angeles

Pau Gasol is absolutely perfect for this team.  Gasol and Kobe play off each other well, and there seems to be plenty of shots to go around.  To top it off, LA didn't give up much to land Pau.

2. Mike Bibby to Atlanta

Atlanta is in the playoff hunt, and Bibby is a PG that can get them over the hump.  Atlanta parted with Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, and a 2008 second round draft pick.

3. Jason Kidd to Dallas

Devin Harris is not a championship caliber point guard, and the Mavs are looking to win now.  Jason Kidd is hungry, unselfish, and a good fit in Dallas.  The Mavericks won't win it all this year, but Kidd improves their chances.

4. Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix

This trade changes the Suns drastically.  Shaq showed me a lot in his Phoenix debut, playing 29 solid minutes.  Phoenix would not have won a championship with Marion.  Will they win it all with Shaq?  I don't think so, but they're a more dangerous team with O'Neal in the middle.  The downside to this deal, comes next year.  Shaq will continue to decline, and he will lock up a ton of cap space.  If the Suns want a championship, it needs to come this season.

5. Shawn Marion to Miami

Wade and Marion make a solid one-two combination.  The Heat are still horrendous, due to their terrible supporting cast.  If Marion chooses to re-sign next year, Wade gets healthy, and if Miami can make some off-season moves, they can be contenders in the East again.

5 Reasons a Mid-Major Can Win It All

1. More "At-Large" Mid Major Teams

St. Mary's, Butler, Xavier, Rhode Island, Davidson, Gonzaga, Drake, St. Joe's, South Alabama, and Western Kentucky are all vying for At-Large berths into the NCAA tournament.  With a few upsets in conference tournament play, we could see the largest field of mid majors ever.

2. Widespread Talent Among Major Conferences

With superstars like Michael Beasley (Kansas St.), DJ White and Eric Gordon (Indiana), and DJ Augustin (Texas), their is talent spread across the country.  This could lead to top teams going down in the 2nd round of the tournament.  With powerhouses (UNC, Memphis, Tennessee, etc . . .) eliminated, it could open up the road for a mid-major.

3. Eric Maynor (VCU)

While his stat line isn't overly impressive (17.9 PPG, 5.3 AST, 4.1 REB), Maynor is one of the most electrifying players in the country.  Currently VCU is sitting atop the CAA.  Maynor has the ability to carry VCU to a few wins come tourny time.

4. Improved Strength of Schedule

The Mid-Majors have stepped up their level of competition during the regular season.  Xavier, Dayton, Drake, and Gonzaga are all in the top 100 of schedule strength.  Add to that, teams such as St. Mary's, Butler, Rhode Island, Davidson, St. Joe's, and S. Alabama, who have all played some tough competition as well.  These tough games will prove very beneficial when March 17th rolls around.

5. Stephen Curry (Davidson)

He's averaging 25.8 PPG, and shooting 43% from behind the 3 point line.  Curry is one of the best scorers in the nation, plus, he has a good supporting cast to play with.  If Curry is hot, he can carry Davidson past a top tier opponent.

College Hoops All Stars

The Premise: Build the best starting 5 possible from the east and west.  This idea came from today's ESPN Gameday.  The following are my East and West All Stars.

Eastern All Stars

PG

Greivis Vasquez (Fr, Maryland)

17.2 PPG, 6.7 AST, 5.5 REB

SG

Stephen Curry (Soph, Davidson)

25.6 PPG, 4.9 REB, 2.7 AST

Guard

Mike Green (Sr, Butler)

15.5 PPG, 5.0 AST, 6.4 REB

Forward
Shan Foster (Sr, Vanderbilt)

18.9 PPG, 4.9 REB

PF

Tyler Hansbrough (Jr, North Carolina)

22.8 PPG, 10.7 REB

Western All Stars

Guard
D.J. Augustin (Soph, Texas)

19.2 PPG, 5.8 AST

SG

Stefon Jackson (Jr, UTEP)

23.8 PPG, 5.3 REB

Forward

Michael Beasley (Fr, Kansas St.)

25.1 PPG, 12.4 REB, 1.7 BLK

PF

Jon Brockman (Jr, Washington)

17.9 PPG, 11.6 REB

Center

Kevin Love (Fr, UCLA)

17.5 PPG, 11.0 REB