Five Thoughts On College Basketball Heading Into Conference Play

Wisconsin's Other Star

Nigel Hayes
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Heading into the season, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky was the big name in college basketball and a Wooden Award favorite. While Kaminsky has been great, his teammate Nigel Hayes has also been fantastic. Hayes, a sophomore and 2013-14 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, has taken advantage of his inclusion into the starting lineup to become a double-double threat along with Kaminsky. Hayes averages 12.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. Hayes is the key to the team's success. In the Badgers' one loss against Duke, Hayes struggled from the field and was in foul trouble. Hayes is a great player who works very well with Kaminsky. The two of them, along with Sam Dekker and Treavon Jackson, will look to bring Wisconsin back to Final Four.

Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference currently has two team ranked in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll (Wichita State Shockers and Northern Iowa Panthers) along with two other ten win teams (Evansville Purple Aces and Loyola Ramblers). These four teams all have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, along with a possible dark horse team who may win the conference tournament. While Wichita State is the more well known team, Northern Iowa has been the better team so far. The Panthers only loss was a double overtime loss against VCU. However, they will have a major challenge forthcoming, as the Panthers first two conference games are against Evansville and Loyola.

Syracuse

Jim Boeheim and Rakeem Christmas
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Jim Boeheim's Orange are currently at 8-4 (with one more game before conference play). Those four losses are the most for the Orange to start a season this century. This is the first season in a while in which Syracuse is not a guarantee for the NCAA Tournament. That does not mean that it would be shocking if the Orange missed the Tournament. They have missed the tournament three times this century (2001-02, 2006-07, and 2007-08). This team does have the potential to make it the Tournament. Senior Rakeem Christmas has taken his game to a whole new level this year. Christmas's point average has increased by about 11 points from this year to last (5.8 to 16.5). His major offensive improvement, along with his ability to rebound (8.7 per game) and defensive presence (2.3 blocks per game). Christmas and Chris McCollough (11.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game) form a very good big man partnership. The Orange have talent, but they will need to win games to be successful. 

Kentucky 

The hype is real for this year's Kentucky team. They are loaded with talent and have looked unbeatable. Not only have the won all 13 of their games by more than eight points, but they have defeated three teams who were ranked within the Top 6 in the AP Poll at the time they faced them. Even with the loss of junior Alex Poythress, the Wildcats have a great players. They have big men, point guards, and wing players. There is a strong possibility that Kentucky will go undefeated throughout the SEC and possibly the rest of the season. With all of their talent, they can win while three, maybe four or five, of their best players have an off day. If a team defeats the Wildcats, it will be a shocking upset.

Deleware and Central Arkansas 

Kyle Anderson
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The Delaware Blue Hens and Central Arkansas Bears are the only two Division I teams left with losing records. Both programs currently sit at 0-10. Delaware has had more chances to get rid of the zero in the win column. In Delaware's most recent game against Robert Morris, the Blue Hens had a come back at the end, but still lost 84-81. Central Arkansas, on the other hand, has had only one of it's loss margins within ten points (74-68 loss against Southeast Mississippi State). This season has to be a disappointment for Delaware more-so than Central Arkansas. The Bears have never had a winning season since becoming a Division I program. Delaware not only had a winning record last season, they made the NCAA Tournament. With that being said, Delaware did lose it's top four scorers from last year (three graduated, one kicked out of program) and it's fifth leading scorer (and only senior this year) Kyle Anderson was injured for the first seven games of the year. While I do not expect either of these teams to remain winless, I do not expect them to be close to breaking .500 either. 

The 2016, Not 2015, Chicago Cubs Will Be Great

Jon Lester
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Much of the hype this winter around the hot stove has been about the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs signed up ace Jon Lester, traded for quality catcher Miguel Montero, and hired well-liked and respected manager Joe Madden. With these moves, their World Series odds rose from 50-1 to 12-1. While those three moves are major for the ball club, calling the Cubs World Series contenders in 2015 is very optimistic. The Cubs are still a year away from being contenders.

When a team signs a clutch playoff performer like Jon Lester, they are immediately put into the spotlight and become bandwagon favorites. However, it has been the little moves they have made that will set them up for success. They signed Jason Hammel, who they traded in July, but had pitched very well for the Cubs in his time at Wrigley. Ryan Lawarnway, a former top 100 prospect, was claimed off of waivers and could find his way into a important bench role. And, in an extremely underrated move, the Cubs signed Jason Motte for one year and four and a half million dollars. Motte saved 42 games in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John in 2013 and struggling in 2014 for St. Louis. If Motte proves to be successful, he could be a major cog in the Cubs bullpen in future (or they can trade him at the 2015 deadline for prospects). All of these players can have major impacts on the Cubs next year.

Kris Bryant
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However, even with these big moves, the Cubs have to be prepping for the 2016 season. By 2016, 2014 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Kris Bryant and 2014 Oakland A's Pre-Season Top Prospect Addison Russell will be in the majors, solidifying what will be the best infield in baseball (with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez). Baez, who struck out at an astronomical rate last year, will have a full season under his belt where he can learn to be more selective. Arismendy Alcantara and Jorge Soler will also have the benefit of being in the majors for a full season. Also, most of the players on the Cubs roster have never been in a playoff race, and the experience they will gain on being on a competitive team in 2015 will help them in 2016.

Here is the Cubs' possible starting lineup in 2016

LF - Arismendy Alcantara - S/R - 24 - 2014 #100 Prospect according to Baseball America
2B - Javier Baez - R/R - 23 -  2014 #5 Prospect according to Baseball America
3B - Kris Bryant - R/R - 24 -  2014 #8 Prospect according to Baseball America
1B - Anthony Rizzo - L/L - 26 - 2014 MLB All-Star
RF - Jorge Soler - R/R - 24 - 2014 #41 Prospect according to Baseball America
SS - Addison Russell - R/R - 22 - 2014 #14 Prospect according to Baseball America
C - Miguel Montero - L/R - 32 - 2014 MLB All-Star
CF - Albert Almora - R/R - 22 - 2014 #36 Prospect according to Baseball America

That is one stacked line-up, top to bottom. And that does not include 24-year-old three-time All-Star Starlin Castro, who the Cubs have locked up until 2020, or 2014 1st Round Pick Kyle Schwarber. Castro is major trade bait, but if Theo Epstein can not get the players he wants in a trade for Castro, he can move Castro, a mediocre-at-best defensive shortstop, to third base or the outfield (much like what Boston is doing with Hanley Ramirez). That lineup will not be as developed in 2015 as it will be in 2016, with players like Chris Coghlan (rWAR in 2014: 0.2) or Junior Lake (rWAR:-1.5 /fWAR: -1.0) filling in until all the top prospects reach the big show.

CJ Edwards
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The 2016 rotation also looks very good, headlined by Lester, Hammel, and Jake Arriata. I have confidence that the Cubs rotation in 2016 will be above average. Pitching coach Chris Bosio is one of the best in the game right now. He has taken below average pitchers that last few years and made them above average, even potential stars. With Bosio on the staff, the Cubs can trust that they will get the best out of their starters. Their bullpen will also have some good pitchers, headlined by Hector Rondon (29 saves and 2.42 ERA in 2014). In 2016, the Cubs will also most likely have top pitching prospects CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson in the MLB as important contributors.

While it is early to be making predictions, withstanding any more major developments, here is my prediction for the Cubs in 2015. They will start off slow, as players like Baez and Soler, are still getting themselves adjusted. By mid-May, the Cubs bandwagon is a lot lighter than it is now. However, they show improvement and by July 1st, Baez is fully adjusted and Bryant is up in the bigs. The Cubs play very well, albeit under the radar, for the last few months of the season. The North Siders finish the season with a record around 80-82. 

2016: They are my early, way, way-too early, World Series favorites.

Was the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series successful?

2014 Japan All-Star Series logo
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A Major League Baseball All-Star Team traveled and played an All-Star Series against the Japanese National Team, called Samurai Japan over a ten day stretch that ended last week. The MLB All-Star Team played seven games, six against Samurai Japan (five competitive and one exhibition game) and one against a combined Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants team. Samurai Japan also played an exhibition against a combined Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters team. In the competitive games, the MLB All-Star Team lost the series three games to two. The games, played in six different stadiums, drew great crowds. The question is, was the MLB Japan All-Star Series successful

For the Japanese National Team and Japan, it was the equivalent of a no doubt homer. The National Team got in six games against great competition that will no doubt help them when the World Baseball Classic rolls around in 2017, which was their hope. Also, they won the series, beating the MLB All-Stars in three series games and a final exhibition. Any time a tema can beat a team of MLB players, the winning team's confidence grows.

Not only did they win the series, they also no-hit the All-Stars in the Game 3 of the series. Pitchers Takahiro Norimoto, Yuki Nishi, Kazuhisa Makita, and Yuji Nashino combined to throw nine innings of no-hit ball with 13 strikeouts and only three walks. That game was the highlight of the Series for Japan.

The attendance at the games was good, with the Game 2, 3, and 4 of the Series having the best crowds; all four games were at the Tokyo Dome, the country's most famous baseball stadium. The crowds of the some of the games could have been better, but it did not help that Japan won the series in three games. The Japanese baseball fans are some of the best in the world and deserved to get to see MLB players live. And they showed up in large numbers.

Now, on the Major Leaguers side, where the answer is not so black-and-white. Losing to Samauri Japan does not help the case for the trip being successful. MLB had made ten trips to Japan before this year and lost only one of those series.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Santana
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However, very few of MLB's best players went to Japan. Of the 62 players at this year's All-Star Game, only four made the trip: Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, Salvador Perez, and Yasiel Puig. While there were some former All-Stars, rising stars, and very good players who went to Japan (f.e. Chris Carter, Hisashi Iwakuma Evan Longoria, Carlos Santana, and Matt Shoemaker), only a few of the game's best attended. If a few more of the greats in the MLB made the trip, I think they would have won the Series. 

The one huge problem with losing the series is that it ruins MLB's brand. You cannot claim to be the best baseball league in the world when your All-Star team loses to other leagues (even if few All-Stars attended). While few Americans will remember the Series by next July, the Series will be remembered in Japan and it will affect Major League Baseball's brand there.

In conclusion, the MLB All-Star Series was a major success for Japan, while it was a borderline success for the MLB. While all signs point to the trip being a failure for the MLB, the players did get some good work in and represented the league very well. Also, it is tough being the team to travel across the world. If there is a next time, however, the MLB All-Star team will need a series win to call the trip a success.