Group Info
Wofford 6. George Washington 11.
SAN ANTONIO -- Early Sunday evening, LeBron James will gather his Miami Heat teammates around him and offer a few final words of wisdom before they try to extend their reign as NBA champions. Authentic Nate Thompson Jersey . James never rehearses the speech, but already knows what the gist will be. "It would be in the range of, Why not us?" James said Saturday. "Why not us? History is broken all the time. And obviously we know were against the greatest of odds." Against the greatest of odds, against maybe the greatest of San Antonio Spurs teams, too. Both are very much against the Heat now, and both are winning. The Spurs are a victory away from their fifth championship, and will go for it at home Sunday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs are the 32nd team in NBA history to hold a 3-1 lead in the finals. All 31 of the previous teams have won the title. "History is made to be broken, and why not me be a part of it? That would be great," James said. "That would be a great story line, right? But well see what happens. Ive got to live in the moment, though, before we even get to that point." The Spurs have the same way of thinking. They took command of the finals in stunning fashion by not just winning in Miami, but winning twice -- and winning big. San Antonio won Games 3 and 4 on the road by a combined 40 points, never trailing by more than two in either contest and running out to 25-point leads in each. "Weve got to act like were coming into it like its a road game," Spurs guard Danny Green said. "Its a mentality thing. We have to come up with the same mentality we do on the road and try to protect home court and play with desperation." There was no talk from the Spurs on Saturday about closing in on a title, or anything remotely close to that topic. They thought they had it wrapped up with 28 seconds left in Game 6 last season against Miami and saw it slip away -- so even with a 3-1 lead and being at home instead the road for this potential clinching situation, its pretty clear that San Antonio isnt willing to leave anything to chance. "Theyre going to come out and give us their best punch possible," Spurs star Tim Duncan said. "We know that theyre back-to-back champs and theyve been in this situation before and they have all the confidence in the world that they can win these games. So we have to do just the same. Come out there and say, hey, were going to take it little by little, quarter by quarter, and see what happens." That all sounds good, and he meant every word. Thing is, the Heat -- these Heat, anyway -- havent been in this situation before. Since James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up, the Heat have never trailed 3-1 in a series. Until now. "Were not so entitled or jaded that were above having to fight for it, and thats what it is right now," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Its competition. So weve got to find a way to fight and get this next game, and thats what its all about." Miami took a day off Friday. Mario Chalmers played with his son, James watched some film and rested at home, Udonis Haslem tried to relax with family. Wade, who missed nine of his first 10 shots -- raising questions about his health -- went a different way. He went into the gym, by himself, looking for answers. "I have very good reason that everything could change," Wade said. "As I continue to say throughout the season, its a game-to-game thing." Wade was down 2-0 in the 2006 finals, and trailed by 13 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of that series against Dallas. The Heat won that championship in six games. "You have to pull from your experiences," Wade said, "and know where you came from to know where youre trying to go." That also applies to the Spurs. Losing the last two games of the finals last year still stings San Antonio. That series was portrayed widely as the Spurs last hurrah -- an aging team with old stars, theres no way they could come back from something as devastating as letting the 2013 championship slip away, right? Wrong. The Spurs finished with the best record in the regular season, and are one win shy of just being the best team, period. "Whatever success anyone has is due to a lot of factors," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Some of it is not even your doing. Sometimes things just happen. So success is a pretty complicated thing." So are comebacks. But James is eager for the chance. "For me, its like you either dont make the playoffs or you win a championship," James said. "Theres no in-between."Authentic Kyle Clifford Jersey . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday. Cheap Los Angeles Kings Gear . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Michigan State, Michigan, Syracuse and Florida were supposed to have down years. But this down? Meanwhile, defending champion Connecticut, SMU, Nebraska and UCLA have also started slowly after being ranked in the preseason polls. Only two of the eight teams listed above made my initial NCAA Tournament projection bracket (listed below), but the start of conference play will allow these squads to play themselves back into the tournament discussion. And why cant they? Seven of these teams sport upper-tier head coaches, with several of them Hall- of-Famers or future Hall-of-Famers. Nebraskas Tim Miles is the lone omission. Theres still plenty of time to fix the kinks. And if any of these teams play their way into the tournament dont be surprised if any of them makes a run. Since the tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011, five double-digit power conference teams have reached the Sweet 16 -- Stanford (10 - 2014), Tennessee (11 - 2014), Oregon (12 - 2013), North Carolina State (11 - 2012) and Marquette (11 - 2011). Double-digit power conference teams are also 13-13 in the second round. Although the Big Ten is down, if Michigan State, Nebraska and Michigan can finish around the 9-9, 10-8 range in conference, that should get them in, although the Spartans are in a better position than the Wolverines and Huskers. The same could be said for ACCs Syracuse, SECs Florida and Pac-12s UCLA. Connecticut and SMU may have a tougher task. Theyll most likely have to sport better in-conference records because the league theyre in arent as deep as the Big Ten, ACC, SEC or Pac-12. Connecticut and SMU might have to get to 12-6 or 13-5 to receive an at-large bid. The Mustangs went 12-6 in the AAC last season and werent selected into the tourney field. Michigan might be the most erratic team of the bunch. John Beilein had to replace four major components and the top two scorers from last years Elite Eight team, but the Wolverines still have versatile scorer Caris LeVert and the 3-point shooting ability of Zak Irvin. They were a top-20 team in the preseason polls, but a mid-December swoon has Michigan scrambling for answers. The Wolverines had a fine showing at the Legends Classic in late November at Barclays Center, narrowly falling to Villanova in the title game. But they dropped four straight coming off a home win against Syracuse on Dec. 2. Michigan suffered a head-scratching home loss to NJIT (RPI 190) before following with another clunker in Ann Arbor to Eastern Michigan. Michigan was routed at Arizona and fell to SMU on Dec. 20 at Crisler Center. The Wolverines opened Big Ten play with a home overtime win against Illinois, but followed that up with a road loss at Purdue. The Spartans are without three starters and the top two scorers from their Elite Eight squad a year ago. Coach Tom Izzo said before the season that his team has upside, but theyve yet to play up to it. That was evident in a 71-64 overtime loss to Texas Southern (RPI 124) on Dec. 20. The Spartans began their league slate with a double-overtime loss to Maryland in what couldve been a solid win to put on their resume. Jacob Kurtzs accidental last-second tip-in of Devon Bookerts miss in a loss to in-state rival Florida State on Wednesday has exemplified Floridas season. Also Wednesday, Daniel Hamiltons trio of free throw misfires in the waning seconds of UConns loss to Temple in overtime was a perfect description of the Huskies year. They just havent been able to close. UConn had Texas beat until Jonathan Holmes knocked down a left corner 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to lift the Longhorns on Nov. 30. The same result happened in its next game when Jack Montagues late triple lifted Yale past the Huskies. The Gators and Huskies clashed Saturday in Gainesville, with the Huskies picking up a much-needed victory. The quartet of Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather, Will Yeguette and Patric Young set a school record with 120 career wins, 13 NCAA Tournament victories and four straight Elite Eight appearances -- 2013 Final Four visit. But those are four stalwarts Florida no longer has. The Gators have looked a lot better since a 3-4 start, rattling off four double-digit victories in a row prior to the FSU and UConn defeats. They dropped a 69-67 decision to in-state rival Miami-Florida in their second game of the season and lost a pair in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament -- Georgetown and North Carolina. UF also held a 39-24 halftime advantage against Kansas, but was outscored 47-26 over the final 20 minutes en route to a 71-65 defeat. Florida has a trio of talented guards in Kasey Hill, Eli Carter and Michael Frazier to go along with Dorian-Finney Smith. Its the development of former McDonalds All-American Chris Walker, though, that might propel UF into the Big Dance. Hes yet to show the potential, but its time for him to make his mark. He was suspended for three games earlier this year for a violation of team rules after having to wait until the conclusion of the first semester to see court time last season. A year removed from a postseason ban due to poor APR scores, Connecticut quickly made up for lost time by hoisting its fourth NCAA Title since 1999 last season. But gone is Shabazz Napier. The Huskies still have Napiers runnning mate from a year ago, Ryan Boatright, and the shot-swatting presence of Amidah Brimah. Los Angeles Kings Jerseys China. NC State transfer Rodney Purvis is also a key cog. Due to being in a poor league, UConn scheduled a tough non-conference slate that included Duke, Texas, Florida and Stanford. The Huskies have to beat Stanford later this month to get some resume credibility with a lack of opportunities in the AAC. Two years ago Michael-Carter Williams led Syracuse to the Final Four and Tyler Ennis helped the Orange to a 28-6 mark a year ago. Thats a pair of NBA first- round talents. This season at point guard? Well, another freshman, but Kaleb Joseph still has a lot to learn. Joseph had his best game of the season Dec. 20 in an overtime loss to Villanova. He recorded 10 points and 10 assists, but that was after an eight-turnover performance against Louisiana Tech. The Orange dont own any bad losses like Michigan or Michigan State and a victory over Iowa may turn into something by seasons end. In potential games to boost their resume, Syracuse fell to California in the semifinals of the 2K Classic, at Michigan, at home to St. Johns and at Villanova. The expectations for the Mustangs in June were a lot higher than they were in early November. That was before Emmanuel Mudiay, arguably the No. 1 point guard in the country and a top-five pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, decided to take his talents to China. In September, it was found that Texas Tech transfer Jordan Tolbert would lack the necessary hours to graduate from SMU in one year. He will not play for the school this season. SMUs starting big man Markus Kennedy was then ruled ineligible for the first semester in mid-November, but was cleared to return on Dec. 19. The talent is still there to make the tournament. Nic Moore, Sterling Brown and Keith Frazier make up a formidable backcourt. Like Syracuse, SMU doesnt have any bad losses. The Mustangs began 2-3 with losses at Gonzaga, at Indiana and home against Arkansas, but it ripped off eight consecutive victories prior to losing at Cincinnati -- a critical chance in conference to put a top-50 win on the resume. For the last two seasons Kyle Anderson was a 6-foot-9, do-everything guard/forward for UCLA, leading the team in rebounds (8.8 rpg) and assists (6.5 apg) to go along with 14.6 points per game. Zach LaVine and Jordan Adams were also NBA first-round picks that the Bruins had to replace. UCLA, which advanced to the Sweet 16 in coach Steve Alfords first season, is led by his son Bryce. The Bruins are also guided by senior Norman Powell and talented freshman Kevon Looney. UCLA has yet to post a signature win and lost the first two games of its Battle 4 Atlantis tournament to Oklahoma and North Carolina. The Bruins have also recently lost to Gonzaga at home, Kentucky in Chicago, at Alabama and suffered a 71-39 blowout loss to Utah in the early stages of Pac-12 play. Nebraska was predicted to finish last in the Big Ten last season but instead ended fourth in the standings. With loftier expectations this season, its been a different story. The Huskers dropped a home game to Incarnate Word on Dec. 10 and fell to Hawaii in the Diamond Head Classic. Nebraska also has losses at Rhode Island and home to Creighton. Its lone key win was a double- overtime thriller against Cincinnati on Dec. 13. Nebraska has the talent to make a move in the Big Ten, Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields make up a solid duo, but this is uncharted territory for the program. Ultimately, five of the eight teams listed could make the tournament. Just too much talent and coaching experience for these squads to not make the Big Dance. I also think the bubble could be rather weak this season. Nebraska, UCLA, Connecticut and SMU could be in trouble. Nebraska isnt used to being in this position, while the Bruins, Huskies and Mustangs may have problems because the conference theyre in. But UConn is likely the best team in the AAC and should get in by winning its conference tournament. Notes: RPI rankings are as of Jan. 4. Projected bracket features predicted conference champions. MIDWEST 1. Kentucky 16. New Mexico State/Coastal Carolina winner 8. UNLV 9. Ohio State 4. Seton Hall 13. Georgia Tech/SMU winner 5. Oklahoma 12. Wofford 6. George Washington 11. BYU 3. Utah 14. Northeastern 7. North Carolina 10. Old Dominion 2. Kansas 15. Murray State SOUTH 1. Virginia 16. Florida Gulf Coast 8. Dayton 9. Georgetown 4. Iowa State 13. Stony Brook 5. Stanford 12. Harvard 6. Arkansas 11. Oklahoma State 3. Maryland 14. Syracuse/California winner 7. Colorado State 10. Temple 2. Villanova 15. St. Francis (PA) EAST 1. Duke 16. UCSB/Alabama State winner 8. LSU 9. Northern Iowa 4. Texas 13. Buffalo 5. VCU 12. Stephen F. Austin 6. Butler 11. Green Bay 3. Wichita State 14. NC Central 7. Baylor 10. Iowa 2. Arizona 15. Iona WEST 1. Wisconsin 16. Florida Gulf Coast 8. San Diego State 9. Cincinnati 4. West Virginia 13. Georgia State 5. Notre Dame 12. Providence 6. Washington 11. Penn State 3. Louisville 14. Northeastern 7. St. Johns 10. Georgia 2. Gonzaga 15. American Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots JerseysCheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '
- Created: Nov 16 '18
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