UNC threads the needle, wins on last-second heroics by Lawson

What a scramble the Tarheels experienced in hostile territory last night against Florida State. Saving the game at first was Danny Green, who made a great move to come up with a steal and convert on a 3-point play. This forced a 77-77 tie with around a minute or less to play in the second half. With the Seminoles leading most of the game, it was an uphill battle for UNC. Ty Lawson, with full momentum dribbled the ball upcourt with a couple seconds to spare and drilled a buzzer-beater to end the game, 80-77! The odd part was he was supposed to call a TO yet didn't didn't take the option with the time restraint.

The comeback was big for the Tarheels, who actually shot a mere 38% from the field compared to Florida State's 47%. The dispersement in rebounds favored UNC though as they grabbed pulled down 10 more than the Seminoles (39-29). Tyler Hansbrough didn't have one of his best games, being held to 8 points. This is why having his teammates made valuable contributes paid off in the end. Danny Green busted out with 20 points (4-of-7 3P), 7 rebounds, and 6 steals. I'd have to get the nod to Ty Lawson for player of the game. His 21 points on near flawless shooting and ability to find teammates was a major boost to vamp the Heels' comeback.

The slick, quick point guard didn't appear to feel the pressure as he sunk a running 3-pointer just before the game clock expired. He compiled only 4 assists yet sprung up so much energy for North Carolina in the second half. Combating the efforts from FSU's Toney Douglas who scored 32 points, Lawson made the difference. This contest gave the no. 5 team a scare. UNC will have to learn to cut down on turnovers as they prepare to face the rest of the ACC contenders remaining on their schedule. I know those 21 turnovers last night were a rare occurrence. The Tarheels will have to bring their game face as usual leading up to the tournament and be on the ball!

Clemson shell shocks Georgia Tech with 73-59

In another scrappy ACC encounter the Clemson Tigers continues to prove why they're one of the top contenders in the conference. Without much flash from the scoring department the squad clamped down on defense, pressuring their opponent to take risky, low percentage shots from the outside. From the field Georgia Tech actually shot better at 40% compared to Clemson's 37.5%. The high scorer for the Tigers, Terrence Oglesby finished the game with 18 points. He nailed 5 three-pointers yet experienced an off-game due to a dreadful cold. The stifling defense was enough to give Clemson the edge.

Going through a rough spell now the Yellow Jackets have fell to 9-10 without much support at times from their bench. They were no match for Clemson's high-octane outside shooting and relentless measures in the back court. Trevor Booker is a big part of their success around the post. He grabbed 11 rebounds in Sunday's win. So far things are looking good for the Tigers as they own a 17-2 record. No team looks forward to facing them on their home turf and will pose a major challenge in the ACC tournament. If the Tigers can get K.C. Rivers and Raymond Sykes more involved they'll boost their overall performances I think. In the coming weeks this sparkling team will meet up with Duke, VT, and Florida State.

The Lebron vs. Kobe duel

I have to admit it was an impressive display by both Kobe Byrant and Lebron James the other night in L.A. With an injured-laden squad the Cavs were making the most out of a bad situation. Without two key pieces to their lineup, Cleveland hung with the Lakers for most of the game. Unfortunately, the 105-88 outcome went in the Lakers' favor. The contest got away in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter as Byrant nailed a couple high-degree difficulty shots which couldn't be defended as better. Lebron James had his own as usual putting together a 24 point performance. He also collected 9 rebounds with 4 assists.

Having the upper hand in this particular matchup, Kobe showed why he's one of the top players in the NBA and just how potent the Lakers are at home. He delivered 20 points and 12 assists in the victory. With the win they escalated their record to 32-8. Only losing 3 games at home L.A. is the team to beat in the West. Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom are co-existing well and give the team so much depth and versatility. Plus they have a few good jump-shooters who can get hot and take pressure off Kobe at times. I'd like to see the Cavs and Lakers have a few epic battles later in the year. Lebron must be saving up one of the best performances for such an occasion.

By the numbers Kobe and Lebron are near identical as far as scoring is concerned: both averaging about 27 ppg. They have a keen sense too for knowing where teammates are on the court and getting them involved. Seeing those clutch shots by Kobe kind of gives him a slight edge in hitting those shots during crunch time. Yet that's where experience goes into play. Trust me King James will be right there as well as he gets more games under his belt. Fans can't expect him to waver in closing moments during big games. Plus taking into consideration the hard shots and bruises he takes makes him a strong player with great will power. Another duel in store may unveil Lebron and Kobe shooting lights out in a overtime thriller!

Overtime thriller shows Terps overtaked 76-73 in Florida

What a tough break for the Maryland Terrapins Sunday in Tallahassee. Springing up and down the court it was hard-nosed battle. Florida State pulled out the overtime win, however outplaying Maryland in the waning minutes. The 76-73 final pushed up the confidence level for the Seminoles as they progressed to a 15-3 record overall. Most of their scoring came from guard Toney Douglas who drilled home 25 points along with 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Only one other player for Florida State hit double figures in scoring.

Junior Landon Milbourne was the leading scorer for the Terps with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. With low field goal shooting percentages on both sides this was a duel mainly determined by defense. Maryland out rebounded their opponent on the road 38-35 yet in OT failed to stop Douglas who had 7 points in the extended frame. Usually Maryland is good at shutting off the inside. Since this game was in Florida the Terps found themselves at a disadvantage of course. They drop to 12-5 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. Their next games will come against UVA, Duke, and Boston College. At the rate they're going it's a good possibility they'll hang near the top of the conference and bid for a tournament call this year.

UNC tramples over UVA in 83-61 victory

The Tarheels geared up for another ACC match-up last night after starting off 0-2 in the conference. With another strong effort from Tyler Hansbrough the Heels didn't have any trouble in Charlottesville. His teammates went the extra mile as well enlisting their contributions on both sides of the court. Running the show, Ty Lawson notched 19 points and had 9 assists. With UNC leading by as many as 27 points in the game there still to be no answer to cut off their inside/outside arsenal. UVA tried with earnest efforts to stop the streaky shooting, but to no avail. Hansbrough lead the way with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

With the absence to point guard Sean Singletary UVA doesn't have real experienced player to run the offense. Despite that the Cavs possess a 7-7 record and are 1-2 in the ACC. The up tempo, hard-driving style by North Carolina was too much for them to handle Thursday night. No one actually expected UNC to fall 2 straight games against conference rivals. Without their top defensive specialist in Marcus Ginyard the Heels are still flying high with 15-2 mark. A healthy starting five is important to their basketball program yet their talented bench will pick up the pieces at times.

Tyler Hansbrough is on his way to have another record-breaking season. His double-doubles are among leaders in Tarheel history. He's giving tremendous strength to the team while increasing his trips to the free-throw line at times as a senior. With the sharp-shooting Wayne Ellington on cue and an all-around gem in Danny Green the Heels will definitely have their share of epic battles late in the season. Their upcoming encounters will be against Miami, Clemson, and Florida State. The Tarheels will jockey for position to get ahead in the ACC.

Lebron wills triple-double in Cavs 102-87 victory

Yesterday was all show and no tell for the Cleveland Cavs' Lebron James. He stuffed down 30 points while collecting 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Grizzles. To make an empathetic statement for a somewhat stifled bench due to absences Lebron put on a show as usual. As a whole the Cavaliers shot 53% from the field in the game. With Big Z and Ben Wallace out of action it took a good team effort even against the struggling Memphis Grizzles. Delonte West aided the scoring caused by dropping 19 points while dishing out 4 assists. With momentum in their favor Cleveland jumps to 30-6 on the season.

The bench contributed 28 points for the Cavs. No one will be a bigger threat when they're hot in my view within the Eastern conference this year than those determined Cavaliers. With a long schedule still remaining they will have upcoming encounters with the Hornets, Kings, Raptors, and Lakers. There is no question about what King James brings to the table on any given night because his heart, will to win, and fierce competitiveness make him a strong candidate once again for MVP honors. That will come later in the year. The focus now for the Cavaliers is staying healthy and grinding it out for the rest of the way. Good luck to the Cavs in their pursuit for a top spot in the Eastern conference.

UCLA cranks out tight win against USC

Sunday it was a battle between several top ranked teams in college basketball. UCLA went toe-to-toe with the USC Trojans in a tenacious exchange. The final score was 64-60 in favor the Bruins. These two California rivals probably had a strong feeling it was going to be an intense battle on the court. This game came down to defensive stops. Obviously, there wasn't a breakout individual scoring performance as the top scorer for UCLA, Darren Collison finished with 18 points. His crafty 6-of-9 shooting from the field enabled a flurry of offensive support when needed while also contributing with 5 free-throws.

The major difference which enabled the Bruins to prevail was at the free-throw line. UCLA shot 70% to to USC's lackluster 60% from the charity stride. No one off the bench for the Bruins managed to contribute much, but in the end that proved to be irrelevant as the no. 7 team knocked off another powerhouse in the West. Scrappy, pressure defense got the job done for UCLA. Don't think for a minute that those Trojans will take the defeat lying down and not come out to fight another day. With the victory, UCLA improves to 13-2 on the season. I look for more impressive positives to generate from this team in the near future.

Off-season trades and signings: what's right from wrong

With the winter season settling in, baseball is far from most sports' fans mind these days. Ready to make transactions in the off-season both the Braves and Cubs have swung deals to make changes within their rosters. Atlanta vying for a run in 2009 let John Smoltz depart to the Boston Red Sox where he was a staple for that franchise. Not only did the Red Sox get lucky, but also reeled in other players such as Brad Penny, Rocco Baldelli, and A.J. Burnett. Pitching is what Boston has their mind on right now. They've made wise acquisitions before Spring Training starts.

Unfortunately, as f---ing usual the Chicago Cubs have made the wrong decision in signing on outfielder, former Texas Ranger Milton Bradley. I'm very unsatisfied with this out-of-the-blue type of settlement. Bradley had a good season in 2008, but isn't worthy in my view to receive a contract for 3 years for $30 million. Then to have him sport no. 21 on his jersey doesn't seem to fit right at all with the Chicago fans. Instead of scouting the markets for a top tier player who can have an impact the franchise as usual took the easy road. Rather the Cubs should have found the right talent who will have great chemistry with the rest of the team.

In comparison the Red Sox, who served as contenders in the past couple years have made wise investments while to my dismay at this time the Cubs have used their intellectual club resources the wrong way. This means Bradley may not be the best fit to play in the outfield. Why does it have to be this way every year for the Chicago Cubs? One of the smartest things this franchise can do is learn from their mistakes in the past and refrain from their old ways of thinking. A new age is on the horizon and if older, less modernized strategies aren't used than it's going to be another disappointing season in the NL Central. That's a what is seen as a forewarning by this loyal, unhappy Cubs fan.

Oklahoma whips up on Maryland Eastern Shore in 100-64 wallop

Yesterday the fighting force within the Oklahoma Sooners came out in collective strength in easy victory over the Maryland Eastern Shore. In a 100-64 ass-whooping the Sooners made light work of a less developed team, but displayed a commendable team effort. Their spirit was apparent on the court yet it was just another win to add to their rising season with more good things to come in the near future. In just 22 minutes on the hardwood Blake Griffin lead a head of steam for Oklahoma finishing the game with 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field. He was a beast on the court snatching up 16 rebounds! Fueling the way also with a nice secondary effort was Tony Crocker who contributed with 15 points and 2 assists.

Why has college hoops at times neglected giving credit to surprising contenders such as Oklahoma who have seemily come out of no where with a 14-1 record. Way to go Sooners! You team spirit is shining through with true colors. As a college basketball fan I know this up and coming elite team will be on a roll for the season and have their work cut out for them later in the NCAA tournament come March Madness. Thinking ahead they will have to prepare for challengers such as Texas, Kansas State, and Nebraska. For the month the Sooners have to hang around with the top runners up in the Big 12 because at the moment this gutsy team from the Mid-South will have their share of memories and take on all obstacles in their path.

Luckily Kansas is playing a little coy this season, but will look to make a run in late season. That I feel will be their toughest opponent in the Big 12. This motivated group of college athletes on this squad will toward better days. They must remember laying their morals by the book and remain from any type of distraction will be in their best interest for a great season. Dealing with issues on the court and away from the game will enhance their play while keeping their chin up. Working their butts off in practice will make all the difference when it comes to crunch time later this season. Good luck the rest of the way for the Oklahoma Sooners!