Final Four

This weekend's Final Four is being hyped as one of the greatest in the recent history of college basketball. That may prove to be true -- and I for one hope it does -- but until all three games are played, let's not put this group on the same plane as the Final Four's of 2005 (North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan State, and Louisville), 1993 (North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Indiana), 2003 (Syracuse, Kansas, Marquette, Texas) or 2001 (Duke, Arizona, Maryland, Kansas). Yet the potential is there for this edition of the Final Four to capture the moment and permanently etch itself into the memories of even casual college basketball fans forever. Years from now, local NBA beat writers will have many easy nights as they will be able to revisit matchups from this weekend before they are played out again in profesiional basketball. The amount of potential players who will see some time on an NBA roster in their career is amazing. Ohio State (Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Ron Lewis, Daequan Cook), Florida (Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green), Georgetown (Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, DaJuan Summers), and UCLA (Arron Afflalo, Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) are all loaded with the kind of talent needed to make Final Four weekend stand out throughout time. Here is how I see the weekend playing out: SATURDAY Georgetown-Ohio State: This is being promoted as a "Battle of the Big Men" with OSU's 7-foot Greg Oden squaring off with G-Town's 7-foot-2 Hibbert but keep an eye on Ron Lewis and Jeff Green. Both have come up with season saving shots (Lewis' 3-pointer at the end of regulation to tie Xavir in the second round and Green's up-and-under hoop to beat Vanderbilt in the Sweet Sixteen) and could be called upon again to save the day. With the Hoyas running a version of the old Princeton/backdoor offense, Ohio State may struggle to keep up on defense. Therefore, I see Oden's college career ending with Georgetown winning 78-69. Florida-UCLA: A rematch of last year's championship game. Florida won big last year and should win again this year. As good as the Bruins are -- and they are as good an overall team as you will see in college hoops -- they do have one weakness ... they lack a great big man. Look for the Gators to use the 7-foot Noah, the 6-foot-10 Horford and 6-foot-10 Chris Richard to wear down UCLA inside. When the Bruins try and double down in the post, Florida's Lee Humphrey should get more than enough open looks to bury 3-point shots, ending UCLA's year. 82-71, Florida. MONDAY Florida-Georgetown: The Gators will be the first team since Duke in 1991 and 1992 to repeat as National Champions. The Hoyas will be looking for the school's first National Championship since Patrick Ewing and coach John Thompson won it all in 1984. And even with Ewing's son Patrick Jr. in a Hoya uniform and Thompson's son John III on the sideline, Georgetown won't have enough to match the experience, talent, and hunger that Noah and the Gators will bring to the table. In what could be coach Billy Donovan's final game at Florida (that Kentucky situation has been awfully quiet since Tubby Smith left for Minnesota), the Gators will repeat by a score of 77-73 in a great game. Hopefully for all of us fans, all three games will be instant classics and we will all remember the 2007 Final Four as one of the all-time greats.

Random Thoughts

I will have my Final Four breakdown posted by Thursday or Friday. I am salivating over the Saturday night games. The Ohio State-Georgetown game gives us Greg Oden v. Roy Hibbert in a battle of college hoops top two centers and the Florida-UCLA game is a rematch of last year's championship game, the first such game since Duke met UNLV in the national semi-final back in 1991... How did UNC blow that game yesterday? Did Roy Williams know he had timeouts in overtime? Tar Heel Nation can't be too happy this morning... More important than their loss to Georgetown, North Carolina lost 21-year-old Jason Ray, who plays the school's mascot ,Rameses, to injuries suffered when he was struck by a car outside his New Jersey hotel prior to Carolina's game against Southern California... Craig Hansen got beat up by the Reds today. He lasted only 2/3 of an inning and allowed five runs on two hits, two walks and he hit two batters. Hansen will almost certainly start 2007 at Pawtucket. The good news from the 5-0 loss was that Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five scoreless, hitless innings, striking out six (but he did walk five batters) and Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect inning in relief... My annual baseball preview should be finished later in the week... Some of the best news of the day comes from ESPN. They are making a quarterback switch, so to speak, on Monday Night Football that will work out for viewers like the Brady-for-Bledsoe deal worked for Pats fans. Mr. Negative, Joe Theismann, is out while Ron Jaworski is in for MNF starting this season. Jaws joins Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser in the booth. I love this move... Now that Papelbon is closing, rumors of a potential trade of Joel Pineiro are starting. I say hold on to Pineiro until teams start begging for bullpen help so that the Sox can sell high on a low risk offseason signing... Hope that Laurence Maroney's shoulder surgery doesn't hold him back as the Pats are counting on him to be their featured runner in 2007. Obviously, the news of this surgery coupled with his rib cartilage tear during the season are explanation enough for his lack of production down the stretch and in the playoffs... Will the Pats use one of their two first round picks in April's draft on a running back? I'll unveil that prediction in my next Mockery of a Mock Draft...

Random Thoughts

Friday night's college basketball was not as exciting as Thursday but there were still four very good games played. Defending champion Florida got past would be Cinderella story Butler (if you saw Butler play this year you would know how good they are) in the Midwest Regional, 65-57. Just like in their second round win against Purdue, Florida struggled into the second half but used their talent and experience to get the victory. Al Horford, the Gator power forward, had 16 points and 7 rebounds and took control in the closing minutes to help his team advance to the Elite Eight. In the other Midwest game, Oregon slipped past upstart UNLV 76-72. Not many will give Oregon a chance against Florida -- I didn't see them advancing past UNLV for that matter -- but Aaron Brooks, Malik Hairston and 5-foot-6 freshman guard Tajuan Porter can play and Ernie Kent can coach. Porter hit an NCAA regioanl record eight 3-pointers and finished with a game high 33 points to lead the Pac-10 tournament champion Ducks to the Elite Eight. Over in the East Regional, top seeded North Carolina outlasted surprising Southern Cal. USC, not known for its basketball, led UNC 49-33 with under 18 minutes to play before the loaded Tar Heels kicked it into gear. Freshman Brandon Wright (21 points, 9 rebounds) and Wayne Ellington (12 points) led Carolina. Keep an eye on USC next year, they will return starters Taj Gibson, Nick Young, Daniel Hackett, and Gabe Pruitt to a recruiting class led by the nation's best prep player, OJ Mayo. Also in the East, Georgetown needed a last second basket by Jeff Green -- who clearly traveled but no call was made -- to sneak past Vanderbilt. Green led the Hoyas with 15 points and 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds despite foul trouble. Georgetown will now meet UNC in a rematch of the famous 1982 National Championship game won by then freshman Michael Jordan on a 17-foot jumper. Patrick Ewing, the freshman center at Georgetown in 1982, will be watching his son -- Patrick Ewing Jr. -- try and get revenge for his Hoyas. In todays Regional Finals, I think Ohio State will knock off Memphis in the South to reach the school's 10th Final Four and first since 1999. The '99 team had a Boston connection as it was coached by former Boston College player and coach Jim O'Brien and was led on the floor by Salem product (and BC star under O'Brien) Scoonie Penn. In the West, Kansas should outlast UCLA and their great defense. The Jayhawks should have too many weapons for the Bruins... The big talk around the Red Sox is that new/old closer Jonathan Papelbon will be severly restricted in his use this year due to some lingering concerns about his shoulder. If that really is the case -- and I think if they need him three times against the Yankees on September 14, 15 and 16 they will use him -- then why not move the one-time closer of the future Craig Hansen, starting pitching prospect Kason Gabbard and reserve outfielder Wily Mo Pena to the talent starved Washington Nationals for their closer, Chad Cordero? Cordero could then become the dominant eighth inning setup man this team still lacks as well as the fill-in closer when Paps can't go. In return, Washington gets a potential closer, a much needed starter and an outfielder that their general manager Jim Bowden loves (from their time together in Cincinnati) who can play every day, something he will not do in Boston. Just an idea... Congratulations to UMass-Amherst for knocking off top seeded Clarkson in the East Regional for their first ever NCAA Hockey Tournament victory. The Minutemen will face Hockey East rival Maine for a spot in the Frozen Four... My bit of advice for Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers today is to sit Paul Pierce out for the rest of the season. This has nothing to do with losing to improve the C's chances at landing the No. 1 pick -- although that is an added bonus -- and it isn't to find time to develop Gerald Green -- who I think will be much improved next year. My reasoning for sitting Pierce is to allow his body to recover from whatever is troubling him in a year in which the Celtics are not contending. Give him time now, give him some more talent to play with next year, and hope the Celtics can make some noise...

More Random Thoughts

Yesterday's "Random Thoughts" turned out to have some substance. Paul Pierce supported Doc Rivers' decision to stay with the bench during Wednesday's loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Pierce didn't like seeing the C's blow an 18-point lead but he understands that the young guys need to learn how to produce. I bet they'll be more competitive -- while losing -- tonight against the Mavericks... And a closer they have found! Jonathan Papelbon, All-Star closer in 2006, will return to the end of the bullpen immediately after preparing to be the No. 4 starter this spring. This is a tremendous move for the Red Sox, Pap's gives them a true CLOSER, not just some also ran middle reliever who tries to finish games. Papelbon went to Terry Francona and Theo Epstein and stated his desire to be the man who takes the ball in the ninth inning -- as reported by Peter Gammons on Mike Felger's ESPN Radio show yesterday, and he told the media he wants to do for the Red Sox what the great Mariano Rivera has done for the Yankees... How long until the Red Sox and Curt Schilling battle over Curt's new blog, 38pitches.com. I enjoy reading what the opinionated Schilling has to say but I get the feeling that Dr. Charles Steinberg and the rest of the Sox p.r. staff might not like Curt writing freely. I can't wait for him to mention his First Amendment rights... Both NCAA Tournament games I told you would be keepers -- the South Regional matchups between Ohio State-Tennessee and Memphis-Texas A&M -- were thrilling games. In the early game, Memphis bounced back from a 42-37 halftime deficit to beat the Aggies 65-64 on two made free throws by Lynn native Antonio Anderson. A&M's star guard Acie Law IV will be having nightmares over his missed layup with under a minute to play. In the nightcap, No. 1 seed Ohio State bounced back from being down as much as 20 and dealt with Greg Oden's foul trouble for the second straight game to beat Tennessee 85-84. Oden may have struggled but he blocked a potential game winner by Ramar Smith at the buzzer to seal the win... In the West Regional, No. 1 seed Kansas survived a very tough Southern Illinois team, winning 61-58. No. 2 seed UCLA held off No. 3 Pitt in a meeting between mentor (UCLA coach Ben Howland) and protege (Pitt's Jamie Dixon), 64-55... In other college basketball news, Tubby Smith walked away from Kentucky after 10 seasons and a National Championship in 1998. However, the '98 Championship was his only trip to the Final Four and the Wildcat faithful expect more from their coach then good teams with good players and a clean program ... they expect the absolute best on the court. Smith decided his time was up and has accepted the University of Minnesota job. The circus that will be the search for the new Kentucky coach has already started. Names like Billy Donovan of Florida (a former UK assistant under Rick Pitino), Billy Gillispie of Texas A&M, John Calipari of Memphis, Tom Crean of Marquette, Travis Ford of UMass (a former star at UK under Pitino), Thad Matta of Ohio State and Rick Barnes of Texas will be thrown around. Donovan is probably Kentucky's top choice. He already has two Final Four appearances (2000, 2006) and a National Championship (2006) and his current team is a leading contender to become the first team to win consecutive National Championships since Duke turned the trick in 1991 and 1992. He has ties to the school, coaching under his mentor Pitino. He also has beat up on Kentucky, winning six consecutive times against the Wildcats. The question isn't whether or not he is qualified, it is if he will leave Florida or not? I say he stays at Florida -- he has built an Empire in Gainsville and that should keep him a Gator. If Donovan turns down UK, the rest of the mentioned candidates would all be good choices. Personally, I believe Calipari would make Kentucky a true national power within two years if he moves from Memphis, Tennessee to Lexington, Kentucky. Calipari is a proven winner on the college level, having built UMass from a constant loser to a Final Four team in 1996. He has also rebuilt Memphis into a contender for the first time since the 1980's. There is also the very remote possibility that Kentucky would turn to Pitino himself. Pitino saved the Kentucky program once, coming in from the New York Knicks in 1989 to a program that was crushed by the NCAA penalties imposed due to the actions of his predecessor, Eddie Sutton. He led the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1993, 1996 and 1997, a National Championship in '96 and a trip to the championship game in '97. He also gets credit for building the 1998 championship team that Tubby coached. After failing miserably as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, Pitino returned to college as coach of Kentucky's arch-rival, the Louisville Cardinals. However, Pitino has made Louisville a contender, making the Final Four in 2005. I bet Kentucky people are already secretly speaking with Pitino's people about a return to Lexington. It may be a longshot -- bet on Donovan if he'll leave Florida or Calipari after that with A&M's Gillispie running third (his defeat of Louisville/Pitino in the second round of the NCAA's at Kentucky's Rupp Arena has to count for something) -- but it will make for interesting conversation... I know that college football is months away but watch out for the Oregon Ducks. They will be the highest scoring team in the Pac-10 under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, formerly the offensive guru at UNH...

Random Thoughts

Everyone understands that the Celtics have put the focus on the future because the 2006-07 C's were a disaster. But Doc Rivers and the players should be applauded for playing hard (for the most part) during a dismal season. They were without Paul Pierce for 24-games, Wally Szczerbiak played sparingly before shutting down his year following ankle surgery, and the remainder of the roster is so young, it could be playing in the Sweet 16 this weekend just as easily as they could be hosting the Dallas Mavericks. For the most part, they have been competitive, even without Pierce and Szczerbiak. Al Jefferson has blossomed into a legitimate low post threat and has played like an All-Star since January. Delonte West continues to develop into a solid NBA guard. Rookie point guard Rajon Rondo has shown promise with his defense, energy, and grasp of what it takes to lead an NBA team. Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, and Gerald Green all have had flashes of success that give a fan some hope. And even with that on the table, people are still criticizing Rivers this morning for keeping his bench in even as the Charlotte Bobcats were turning an 18-point Celtic lead into a 92-84 Charlotte win. The loss gives the Celtics five more losses than the Bobcats, an important fact in the race for the No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft (aka The Greg Oden/Kevin Durant sweepstakes). So, Doc, did you "tank" last nights game for better draft position? I doubt it. With Paul Pierce sitting on the bench for the final 16:02 of last night's game after getting poked in the eye, Rivers decided to sit Jefferson and most of the other regulars as well -- going with a lineup of Sebastian Telfair, Allan Ray, Green, Gomes, and Leon Powe. Rivers' explanation: "I got to the point where I thought, 'What do we get if we win this game, if we put Paul and Al back in? What do we get out of this game?' ... At some point, those other guys have to be able to play a little bit." Maybe I'm being nieve but I'll take Doc at his word on this one. He made another point about Phil Jackson and championship coaches being able to make a point with his lineup during the season but teams heading for the Lottery have to play their best every night or they're considered to be losing on purpose. If Doc was trying to "tank" the season, would his team have fought so hard in Dallas (in a losing effort) last Friday? Or would they have beaten the Spurs in San Antonio the following night? The answer to that is NO.... With the Red Sox about to break camp and start their season, a huge question lingers throughout Red Sox Nation. Who is the closer? The bullpen is the weakness, on paper, for this team. Their middle relief/setup men -- Brandon Donnelly, Julian Tavarez, JC Romero, Hideki Okajima, Mike Timlin and Craig Hansen/Manny Delcarmen -- are decent but don't quite inspire confidence. Joel Piniero, a former starter with Seattle, was imported as a closer candidate but hasn't quite earned the job. Timlin was expected to take the job but will start the year on the DL due to an oblique strain. That leaves Tavarez in the role for now. For a team with a payroll well north of $150-million, that is not acceptable. Of course, there is a solution. Jonathan Papelbon, last years closer and an All-Star to boot, was moved from his job as shut down closer into the starting rotation. The reason behind the move was a concern about Papelbon's shoulder being durable enough to withstand the rigors of not having a set throwing schedule (he missed last September with shoulder tenderness). But now there are reports that the medical staff believes the shoulder should be fine in the closer role. So move him, his 35 saves and 0.92 ERA back into the closer role, making the Sox a complete team. As for his spot in the rotation, Kyle Snyder is a decent option as a No. 5 in April, Jon Lester could be back in Boston by May, and a certain former Red Sox/Blue Jays/Yankee/Astros starter with some Hall-of-Fame credentials could be an option in June if necessary.... Excited about the Patriots offseason acquisitions of LB Adalius Thomas, WR's Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Kelly Washington, TE Kyle Brady, and RB Sammy Morris? I know I am. If you are on the fence, read Peter King's article in Sports Illustrated this week (with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the cover) to get inspired... Although when I say this I'm usually wrong ... but I have a feeling tonight's South Regional semi-final between Ohio State/Tennessee game will be wild. Tennessee's guard Chris Lofton is a star and coach Bruce Pearl will have the Vols ready for Greg Oden and the Buckeyes. The other game in the South Regional tonight between Memphis and Texas A&M should be a keeper as well...

Celtics/NCAA Tournament

While the Boston Celtics were putting on an impressive showing this weekend in Texas (pushing the Mavericks to the limit on Friday and beating the Spurs in San Antonio for the first time since 1990), the immediate future of the franchise was possibly being decided in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. That is because the promise of landing one of the top two picks in the NBA Draft has Danny Ainge following Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden and Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant. In the case of Durant, Ainge was following too close, as he was fined $30,000 by the NBA for improper contact with the mother of the nation's best player during last weekend's Big 12 Tournament. So as Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Rajon Rondo, and the rest of the Green were battling in the Lone Star State, the expected saviors of the Boston NBA entry were playing in their first March Madness. Oden and Ohio State, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, made their way past No. 16 Central Connecticut on Thursday before surviving against No. 9 Xavier on Saturday afternoon. Oden struggled against Xavier and fouled out with under :10 seconds with his team trailing by two points. As a (miserably) diehard Celtic fan, I was at a loss for words because I could really envision Oden returning to THE Ohio State University to take care of some "unfinished business" if the Buckeyes lost. Thankfully, senior Ron Lewis nailed a game tying three-pointer and OSU rolled in overtime, extending Oden's season ... and hopefully hastening the process towards him declaring for the NBA. Meanwhile, Durant saw his season (and career?!?) end last night as No. 4 Texas lost to No. 5 Southern California in the East Regional. Durant had 30 points and 9 rebounds -- another great game for this extremly talented forward -- but it wasn't enough as they fell by an uneven score of 87-68. Was it Durant's final run as an amateur? We'll all find out soon enough. It is my opinion that both Oden and Durant will skip out on term papers and community bathrooms to enter the NBA. I usually like to see college stars hang around but this is a special case ... both players are certainly ready for the NBA and it just so happens my team could use the services of either. So, let's pull for Ohio State to make the Final Four and for Durant to say good-bye to the Longhorn faithful. Oh, and for the C's to yank the No. 1 pick in the Draft. And then let the debate begin. Oden v. Durant -- the decision that will decide the Celtics fate for the next 15 or so years.

2007 NFL Mock Draft -- Part 2

With the NFL Draft well over a month away, here is my updated Mock Draft. 1. Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU Russell is considered the best quarterback in this draft and the Raiders are desperate at that position. Don't count out Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson or a trade. 2. Detroit Lions: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame Matt Millen has messed up this organization so much (three straight WR's taken in the Top 10 - Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, with only Roy Williams working out) that he will probably pass on Calvin Johnson. Don't be shocked to see a trade. 3. Cleveland Browns: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma The Browns did just sign free agent Jamal Lewis but the former 2,000-yard rusher isn't the future for this franchise. Peterson will split time with Lewis in '07 before taking over in 2008. Like the Raiders and Lions, a trade is a high possibility. 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech With the possibility of trades in the Top 3, Johnson may be gone here but if he's still on the board, I doubt Jon Gruden can pass on him. 5. Arizona Cardinals: Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin Thomas is rated as the best offensive lineman in the draft and the Cards will be very happy to get him to protect Matt Leinart. 6. Washington Redskins: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas Anderson, like Clemson's Gaines Adams and Georgia's Charles Johnson, is considered the best of the pass rushing ends in this draft. The 'Skins will gladly add him to their defensive line. 7. Minnesota Vikings: Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio State The Vikings are desperate for playmakers and Ginn is an explosive receiver and return man. 8. Houston Texans: Levi Brown, OT, Penn State This could be a little high for Brown but the Texans offensive line is terrible and they have to build it up to have any chance in the AFC South. 9. Miami Dolphins: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan The Dolphins could be a player for Brady Quinn but if they stand pat at No. 9 and Quinn is gone, Branch would be an upgrade for the interior of their defensive line. 10. Atlanta Falcons: LaRon Landry, S, LSU 33-year-old Lawyer Milloy is not the answer. 11. San Francisco 49ers: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson Mike Nolan continues to build through the defense. 12. Buffalo Bills: Leon Hall, CB, Michigan After losing Nate Clements to free agency, the Bills need a cornerback. 13. St. Louis Rams: Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia After taking a cornerback last year, the Rams continue to rebuild their defense with Johnson, a terrific pass rusher at Georgia. 14. Carolina Panthers: Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss With the questionable health of Dan Morgan, the Panthers need to find a new middle linebacker. 15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska With Joey Porter gone to Miami and the defense possibly shifting from a 3-4 to a 4-3, the Steelers need a defensive end that can rush the passer. 16. Green Bay Packers: Marshawn Lynch, RB, California With Ahman Green now in Houston and Brett Favre in the final year(s) of his great career, the Packers need playmakers. Lynch isn't a great blocker or pass receiver but he can run. Favre will like play action with Lynch. 17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami (FL) The Jags have one of the best defensive lines in football so their focus on D needs to be in the secondary. A cornerback is also an option. 18. Cincinnati Bengals: Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas Houston's stock exploded at the NFL Combine and he can team with last year's top pick, Jonathan Joseph, to give the Bengals a very talented and very young duo at cornerback. 19. Tennessee Titans: Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU Like they're not going to give Vince Young some weapons. They'll need them with the departure of Drew Bennett. 20. New York Giants: Aaron Ross, CB, Texas The G-Men need help in the secondary (who doesn't) and Ross will provide them with needed depth. 21. Denver Broncos: Daymeion Hughes, CB, California Even with the acquisition of Dre Bly from the Lions (who wants a trade to Washington), Denver needs more depth at CB. 22. Dallas Cowboys: Reggie Nelson, S, Florida The ball hawking Nelson will pair together with the hard hitting Roy Williams to give the Cowboys the top young safety tandem in the NFL. 23. Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC Anyone who watched the Chiefs get rushed out of the playoffs by the Colts knows they need help on offense. Jarrett, who has seen his stock drop since the end of the college season, is a proven player from his days as a Trojan. 24. New England Patriots: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State Even with the free agent acquisition of Adalius Thomas, the Pats still need to get younger and deeper at linebacker. Posluszny looks like a Patriot type of player -- tough and smart. 25. New York Jets: Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio State As Eric Mangini continues to build "PATRIOTS SOUTH" in New Jersey, Gonzalez fits in as a smart, playmaking wideout. 26. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Griffin, S, Texas With the loss of Michael Lewis, the Eagles need a safety. 27. New Orleans Saints: Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (FL) Olsen is another weapon to add to the Drew Brees/Deuce McAllister/Reggie Bush arsenal. 28. New England Patriots: Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida And the NFL continues to try and solve the mystery of how the Patriots always manage to stay on top. 29. Baltimore Ravens: Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State The Ravens will gladly add Timmons if he happens to fall this far to help replace Adalius Thomas. 30. San Diego Chargers: Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee New coach Norv Turner will push for a WR to complement Vincent Jackson so that opponents will have to pay attention on the perimeter, hopefully opening up room for LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates in the middle of the field. 31. Chicago Bears: Jon Beason, LB, Miami (FL) What a Super Bowl hangover. The Bears trade Thomas Jones for spare change to the Jets, may be losing Tank Johnson to suspension for his prison sentence and star linebacker Lance Briggs has stated he will holdout due to his unhappiness with the Bears placing the "franchise" tag on him (for $7.2-million dollars). Beason is insurance in case Briggs is traded or actually follows through on his holdout. 32. Indianapolis Colts: Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State The Super Bowl champs try and replace the departed Nick Harper.

NCAA Opening Weekend Review

I just looked over my NCAA picks. Ouch. No major upsets (sorry Duke and Notre Dame, VCU and Winthrop weren't that big of underdogs) in the first round. Seven of the top eight seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (bye-bye Wisconsin). For the first time since the high school kids started skipping college for the NBA, the favorites are loaded across the board and are beating up on the little guys. Of course, with a majority of the top teams rolling, this makes it easier to fill out a bracket. The pools I am in are being led by a lot of people who just took the higher seed. So be it. Before I reform my predictions, let me review my picks from last week. MIDWEST REGIONAL: BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (6) Notre Dame v. (11) Winthrop ACTUAL BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (7) UNLV v. (10) Georgia Tech SLEEPER: (12) Old Dominion ACTUAL SLEEPER: (7) UNLV POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (3) Oregon ACTUAL EARLY EXIT: (2) Wisconsin REGIONAL FINAL: (1) Florida v. (6) Notre Dame ACTUAL REGIONAL FINAL (NEW PREDICTION): (1) Florida v. (7) UNLV GOING TO ATLANTA: (1) Florida (NO CHANGE) WEST REGIONAL: BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (4) Southern Illinois v. (13) Holy Cross ACTUAL BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (6) Duke v. (11) Virginia Commonwealth SLEEPER: (11) Virginia Commonwealth (NO CHANGE) POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (6) Duke (NO CHANGE) REGIONAL FINAL: (2) UCLA v. (9) Villanova ACTUAL REGIONAL FINAL (NEW PREDICTION): (1) Kansas v. (2) UCLA GOING TO ATLANTA (NEW PREDICTION): (1) Kansas EAST REGIONAL: BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (7) Boston College v. (10) Texas Tech (NO CHANGE) SLEEPER: (14) Oral Roberts ACTUAL SLEEPER: (6) Vanderbilt POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (5) Southern California ACTUAL EARLY EXIT: (3) Washington State REGIONAL FINAL: (2) Georgetown v. (4) Texas ACTUAL REGIONAL FINAL (NEW PREDICTION): (1) North Carolina v. (2) Georgetown GOING TO ATLANTA (NEW PREDICTION): (1) North Carolina SOUTH REGIONAL: BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (6) Louisville v. (11) Stanford ACTUAL BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (8) BYU v. (9) Xavier SLEEPER: (13) Albany ACTUAL SLEEPER: (5) Tennessee POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (5) Tennessee ACTUAL EARLY EXIT: (4) Virginia REGIONAL FINAL: (1) Ohio State v. (3) Texas A&M (NO CHANGE) GOING TO ATLANTA: (1) Ohio State FINAL FOUR: I know that my updated Final Four has all of the No. 1 seeds making it to Atlanta but in a year that has seen very little upsets, don't be surprised if all the No. 1's take care of business. The only No. 1 to truly struggle so far has been Ohio State and the Buckeyes could be vulnerable against Tennessee and the Texas A&M/Memphis winner. UNC will also face a tough game in the Regional Final if they meet up with Georgetown. In the Final Four, I will take Florida over Kansas and UNC over Ohio State with the Gators defeating the Tar Heels to claim their second straight National Championship. Anyways, here is how I see this weekend playing out. MIDWEST REGIONAL: (1) Florida over (5) Butler (7) UNLV over (3) Oregon (1) Florida over (7) UNLV WEST REGIONAL: (1) Kansas over (4) Southern Illinois (2) UCLA over (3) Pittsburgh (1) Kansas over (2) UCLA EAST REGIONAL: (1) North Carolina over (5) Southern California (2) Georgetown over (6) Vanderbilt (1) North Carolina over (2) Georgetown SOUTH REGIONAL: (1) Ohio State over (5) Tennessee (3) Texas A&M over (2) Memphis (1) Ohio State over (3) Texas A&M

NCAA Tournament

I'm a day late (or two) in my NCAA Tournament preview but in my defense, this year's March Madness was harder than those in recent past to predict. In most years, there is at least one or two teams that stand out from the others and although there are no guarantees those teams will win the National Championship (or advance even as far as the Sweet Sixteen), at least the process of filling out the brackets becomes easier when those top teams exist. The problem with this year's tournament, there are at least nine teams that an argument could be made for them winning the whole thing. Start with defending champion Florida and then go through the rest: North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio State, Kansas, Texas A&M, Memphis, and Texas. All of these teams can make legitimate claims as to why they could be the last team standing in college basketball. With that many teams near the top, filling out the bracket became harder than ever. And though my bracket and your bracket may be a wreck by Saturday, this promises to be as exciting a tournament as there has been in a long time. I am going to go through the tournament, region by region, and try and make sense of the whole thing. MIDWEST REGIONAL: Florida is the No. 1 seed in this bracket and on paper they have the easiest road to the Final Four of any of the top seeds. The leadership and experience of the five returning starters from last year's championship -- Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Lee Humphrey, and Taurean Green -- can't be matched by anyone else in the country. They shouldn't be challenged until the regional final. Wisconsin, the second seed in the regional, is missing their best big man Brian Butch and finished the season 3-3 after starting the year 26-2. Even with All-American Alando Tucker, the Badgers could be in trouble without the inside presence of Butch. Other teams to watch are Notre Dame, Butler, and Georgia Tech. BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (6) Notre Dame v. (11) Winthrop SLEEPER: (12) Old Dominion POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (3) Oregon REGIONAL FINAL: (1) Florida v. (6) Notre Dame GOING TO ATLANTA: (1) Florida WEST REGIONAL: Top seeded Kansas are stuck in a bracket with UCLA. The second seeded Bruins won't have to leave California to reach the Final Four in Atlanta. Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Duke, Kentucky, and Villanova also inhabit the West Regional. This is not going to be easy for the Jayhawks. The potential second round matchup with the Villanova/Kentucky winner could be the end of the line for Kansas. They also have a potential meeting with a Virginia Tech team that beat North Carolina twice this season and won at Duke. UCLA will probably have to get by Pittsburgh to make it to the regional final which will be tough for the Bruins because of Pitt's 7-foot center Aaron Gray. BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (4) Southern Illinois v. (13) Holy Cross SLEEPER: (11) Virginia Commonwealth POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (6) Duke REGIONAL FINAL: (2) UCLA v. (9) Villanova GOING TO ATLANTA: (2) UCLA EAST REGIONAL: If you think the West Regional is tough, take a close look at this region. Top seeded North Carolina. Georgetown. Texas. Michigan State. Washington State. BC. Texas Tech. Vanderbilt. The winner of this bracket will be more a survivor than a conquering hero. UNC, Georgetown, and Texas are all legit championship contenders. There are at least six potential future lottery picks among these three teams (UNC's Brandon Wright and Ty Lawson, Georgetown's Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, and Texas' Kevin Durant and DJ Augustine). The eyes of college basketball will be fixed on this regional. It promises more excitement than any of the others. BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (7) Boston College v. (10) Texas Tech SLEEPER: (14) Oral Roberts POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (5) Southern California REGIONAL FINAL: (2) Georgetown v. (4) Texas GOING TO ATLANTA: (4) Texas SOUTH REGIONAL: This is the most confusing regional. No. 1 seed Ohio State looks to be the best bet to make the Final Four but because they rely on so many freshman they could be vulnerable to a tight game. No. 2 seed Memphis looks like they're loaded but playing in the weak Conference USA has not tested John Calipari's Tigers. Keep an eye on Texas A&M. Acie Law IV, the Aggies point guard and leader, could explode in the tournament. Louisville is also a team to watch as is Nevada. BEST FIRST ROUND GAME: (6) Louisville v. (11) Stanford SLEEPER: (13) Albany POSSIBLE EARLY EXIT: (5) Tennessee REGIONAL FINAL: (1) Ohio State v. (3) Texas A&M GOING TO ATLANTA: (1) Ohio State FINAL FOUR: To be honest, I am in five pools and my Final Four for each is slightly different. For my official TheBostonInsider prediction, I have gone with Florida, UCLA, Texas, and Ohio State. Imagine a Saturday night Final Four matchup of Florida and UCLA in a rematch of last year's championship game and a meeting of Kevin Durant (Texas) and Greg Oden (Ohio State), the two most influential freshmen in college basketball since the Fab Five led Michigan to the championship game in 1992. I'll take Florida over UCLA and Ohio State over Texas and then Florida to repeat as National Champions.

NCAA

I will have a preview of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament either later tonight or tomorrow. Here are my predicted No. 1 seeds: Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Georgetown.