College Basketball Previews: Previewing the Pac 10

College basketball season has just started to get under way, so it's time to preview the major conferences. First up is the Pac 10.

Conference Review
In 2009, the Pac 10 had a very down year. Traditional powers such as Arizona and UCLA struggles mightily, and the conference had just 1 NCAA Tournament bid (Washington). This year, however, the conference looks to be on the rise again.

Predictions

1. Washington (Last Year: 26-10, 11-7)
Washington is the clear favorite in the conference this year. They lost top scorer Quincy Pondexter to the draft, but return Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Freshman Terrence Ross should provide a solid scoring option on the wing. Washington was a surprise Sweet 16 team last year, and could make it there again this year.

2. UCLA (14-18, 8-10)
Yes, UCLA was much worse than they usually are last year. However, this year, the team looks to have a solid chance at getting back into the NCAA tournament. G Malcolm Lee showcased his potential last year for the Bruins, F Tyler Honeycutt has been predicted by many to be a lottery pick and 1st Team All-Pac 10 member, and F Reeves Nelson is returning from a season in which he earned a starting job. Freshman C Josh Smith should give the Bruins a low post scorer that they sorely missed last season. The big question for the Bruins will be at PG. Junior Jerime Anderson has not lived up to the expectations, and after him they senior Mustafa Abdul-Hamid and JUCO transfer Lazeric Jones. If UCLA can solve the PG problems, watch out.

3. Arizona (16-15, 10-8)
Despite missing Nic Wise from last year's 4th place finishing team, Arizona has a very solid team that should compete in the Pac 10 this season. Sophomore Derrick Williams is coming off a freshman season in which he averaged 15.7 PPG and 7.1 RPG. Kyle Fogg also returns after scoring 11.1 PPG last year. Overall, Arizona has a pretty good team, and could be the 3rd Pac 10 team in the Big Dance.

4. USC (16-14, 8-10)
USC had a rough season last year after announcing self-imposed sanctions in the middle of the season, banning the team from postseason play. This year, the ban has been lifted, and the team is looking to get into the tournament. USC returns F Nikola Vucecic (predicted by many as a 1st Team All-Pac 10) and Alex Stephenson, who both should provide good scoring for USC. Overall, this is a team that might be on the bubble come March.

5. Arizona State (22-11, 12-6)
Arizona State finished 2nd in the conference last year, but lost their best big man Eric Boateng. Arizona State doesn't seem to have any replacements for Boateng, and their low post and rebounding play should suffer. Arizona State is an average team, and I don't think they will make the tournament this year.

6. Washington State (16-15, 6-12)
Washington State finished last in the conference last year, but returns three stellar scorers. Klay Thompson led the league in scoring last year, and they also return Reggie Moore and DeAngelo Castro. The Cougars probably won't do much in the national spotlight, but should improve this season.

7. California (24-11, 13-5)
Cal was one of the best teams in the conference last year, and won the regular season championship, but lost 4 of their top players. Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Jamal Boykin, and Theo Robertson all graduated and have left Cal, and now this team is left with a team that probably won't compete this year.

8. Oregon State (14-18, 8-10)
Oregon State made some strides last year (they were winless in conference the year before) under Coach Craig Robinson, and should continue to get better this year, but won't be one of the top teams in the conference.

9. Stanford (14-18, 7-11)
Stanford will have one of the youngest teams in the Pac 10 this year, with 9 freshman on their roster, and 0 seniors. Stanford doesn't seem to have the talent to compete with the rest of the Pac 10.

10. Oregon (16-16, 7-11)
Oregon's basketball team is not doing as well as their football team is this season. This team lost multiple players from last year, and are also in the middle of an NCAA investigation over improper benefits received by former players. In general, the Ducks basketball program is a mess.

The Pac 10 should improve from last season, but still is one of the worse Big Six conferences.

Halladay Throws a No-Hitter in the NLDS; Is He the NL Cy Young Winner?

In a great pitching performance, off-season acquisition Roy Halladay led the Phillies to a 4-0 victory over the Reds in game 1 of the NLDS with a no-hitter. Halladay threw 5 perfect innings, then gave up a walk to Jay Bruce, but still finished with a no-hitter. Halladay was 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA this year for the Phillies. Is Roy Halladay the favorite for the NL Cy Young?

Halladay had a very strong season, but there are a couple of pitchers who are also legitimate candidates for the award. Let's take a look at the each pitchers case for the award.

Roy Halladay, Phillies
Halladay came to the Phillies in an off-season trade with the Blue Jays and was a huge success for the Phillies. Halladay was 21-10 this season with a 2.44 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He threw a perfect game earlier in the year against the Marlins on May 29, and threw a no-hitter in his first playoff appearance against the Reds today.

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Wainwright is a little bit of a long shot due to his late season arm injury, he did have a solid year that including a 20-11 record. Wainwright had an ERA of 2.42 and a WHIP of 1.05. Wainwright's batting average against is lower than Halladay's at .224 (Halladay's is .245). Wainwright's Cardinals did not make the playoffs, which may lower his chances of winning, but Wainwright definitely had a solid season.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez started off the season booming, throwing a no-hitter against the Braves on April 17. At the All-Star break, Ubaldo was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA, and looked like the sure Cy Young winner. However, Jimenez really started to fall off a little bit in June, with 4.41 ERA, and then a 6.04 ERA in July. His final post All-Star game stats are a 4-7 record with a 3.80 ERA, which is nowhere near the dominance of his start to the season. He finished the year with a 19-8 record and a 2.88 ERA. His WHIP finished at 1.15, and a BAA of .209.

Overall, while all three of these pitchers had great seasons, I think the final rankings are:
1. Roy Halladay
2. Ubaldo Jimenez
3. Adam Wainwright

It's been a great first day in the playoffs so far, with a 5-1 win by the Rangers over the Rays, and the 4-0 no-hitter victory for the Phillies over the Reds. The Yankees-Twins game starts in about 10 minutes on TBS.

MLB Playoffs: Twins Are the First to Clinch

As we come down the stretch of the Major League Baseball season, the pennant races are really beginning to heat up. The first team to clinch a position in this year's postseason is the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. Let's take a look at the Twins season, and how they may fair in the postseason.

Hitting
The hitting for the Twins has been pretty good, despite the loss of Justin Morneau. Denard Span leads the team with 24 stolen bases. Orlando Hudson has been decent in the 2-spot, hitting .271. Joe Mauer has hit well despite a power outage (just 9 HRs this year), but he has a .331 batting average. Jason Kubel has hit out the cleanup spot much of the year, hitting 19 HRs this year. Michael Cuddyer has 14 HR and 78 RBI for Minnesota, and Jim Thome has been spectacular hitting 25 HR to lead Minnesota. Delmon Young has had a breakout year, with 18 HR and 105 RBI. Danny Valencia has been playing 3rd Base for the Twins, hitting .328 in 76 games. J.J. Hardy has been decent at SS for the Twins, hitting .274 in 97 games. While Justin Morneau may not return for post season play, IF Nick Punto (.249 in 84 games), IF Alexi Casilla (.277 in 63 games) and OF Jason Repko (3 HR in 50 games) round out the bench for Minnesota.

Starting Pitching
The ace of this Minnesota pitching staff has clearly been 26-year-old Francisco Liriano. Liriano has a 14-9 record, a 3.48 ERA, and a 1.26 WHIP. Carl Pavano has won 17 games this year, and has thrown 2 shutouts this year. He has a 1.16 WHIP and has thrown the most inning of anyone on the staff this year at 210 innings. Scott Baker has been injured been hurt, and has a record of 12-9 with an WHIP of 1.33. Kevin Slowey has an impressive 1.27, with a record of 13-6. Nick Blackburn has started 24 games, and thrown 149.2 inning. He has been one of the weaker pitchers for the Twins, with an ERA 5.23.

Bullpen
The bullpen was hurt at the beginning of the year with the loss of all-star closer Joe Nathan, but the bullpen has been good enough for Minnesota this year. Brian Duensing has been great for them, starting 11 games, and coming in for relief in 40 games. He has a WHIP of 1.13 and a 2.19 ERA. Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain have combined for 131 innings. Jose Mijares has also contributed 29 innings. The closer this year is Jon Rauch has 21 saves, which isn't exactly spectacular, but he has been serviceable.

Overall, the Twins have a decent team, but I don't think they are favored over the Yankees or Rays, whom they will probably face in the playoffs.

Predicting the American League Playoff Race

After finishing up the National League earlier in the week, now it's time to look at the American League.

AL West: Texas Rangers
I really can't see any way the Rangers do not win the division in 2010. The A's are a distant 8 games back in second place, and the Angels even further at 10.5 games back. Josh Hamilton has returned to his MVP-type hitting, leading the team with a .362 batting average and 31 HR. The RBI leader has been free agent pickup Vladimir Guerrero, who came over from the Angels in the offseason. Guerrero has shown that he still can hit, and he has provided the Rangers with another threat alongside Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Young. The pitching is a little less stable, with mid-season acquisition Cliff Lee struggling and possibly missing a start with back injuries. Lee has been listed as questionable for a start Tuesday, and was unable to throw a bullpen session Saturday. CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis lead the team in the major pitching categories, and Rich Harden is off the DL and has looked pretty good so far. Neftali Feliz is looking like a definite AL Rookie of the Year candidate with his 34 saves in 37 opportunities. Overall, while the Rangers may have some questions regarding the rotation, barring a complete collapse, I think the Rangers will cruise into their first postseason since 1999.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins
The Twins have had a stellar year in the AL Central, and with a 79-57 record, they are 3.5 games up on the second place Chicago White Sox. Joe Mauer has carried the offense, and Delmon Young is having a breakout season knocking in 93 RBI. Justin Morneau was placed on the 60-Day DL with a concussion, but with Jason Kubel and Jim Thome, they are making up for the loss of Morneau's power. Carl Pavano has been the surprise leader in wins for Minnesota, accumulated 15 so far this season. Francisco Liriano is having an impressive season with a 3.27 ERA and 178 strikeouts. He has thrown a career high 165.1 innings so far (his most prior to this year was 136.2). They have a pretty decent schedule going into September, playing Kansas City twice, Cleveland twice, Oakland once, Toronto once, Detroit once, and a big series against the White Sox starting September 14. The Twins are a very good team, and are definitely in the hunt for another postseason birth.

AL East New York Yankees
The Yankees have been battling it out with the Rays for most of the year, and have barely pulled away now with a 2.5 game lead over Tampa. Robinson Cano is having a brilliant season, with a .318 batting average, 26 HR and 91 RBI. Mark Teixeira has 30 HR and 99 RBI, and the team has been going without Alex Rodriguez, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a calf injury. He may be activated Sunday, the first day of his eligibility. C.C. Sabathia has been great for the Yankees, with 19 wins, a 3.02 ERA, and 165 strikeouts. Phil Hughes was an All-Star this year, but has struggled in the second half. The Yankees have a pretty tough schedule in September, playing Baltimore twice, Texas once, Tampa Bay twice (one is a 4 game series), Boston once, and Toronto once. The Texas and Tampa series are very important, and Boston is dangerous, but they are pretty much out of both the wild card and division races.

AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays definitely have a shot at winning the division, but if they lose to the Yankees in that race, I don't see them failing to win the wild card. Carl Crawford is hitting .298, and Evan Longoria has 19 HR and 90 RBI. David Price is having a remarkable season, with 16 wins, a 2.92 ERA, and 161 strikeouts. Matt Garza has been good in the rotation, while Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann have had their moments in the rotation. Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano have helped out in the bullpen for Tampa. Soriano has 41 saves to only 2 blown saves. The Rays definitely have the talent to make the playoffs, it seems like it's more a question of whether they win the division or the wild card.

Predicting the Playoff Teams in the National League

With the season winding down, and the calendar turning to September, it's time to start predicting the final four teams in each league. First, let's look at the National League.

NL West: San Diego Padres
The Padres have the best record in the NL, and currently lead the NL West. They have a 4.5 game lead over the Giants. The schedule down the road will be tough, as they play the Rockies twice, the Dodgers twice, the Giants once, the Cardinals once, Cincinnati once, and the Cubs once. Only the Cubs, who they close out the season with, are below the .500 mark. The Padres have a very good bullpen, and their starters have been solid this season. If Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Ludwick can power the offense, the Padres pitching can lead them deep in the playoffs.

NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are another surprise team in the NL, and have proven that they can definitely stick in the playoff race. They currently lead the Cardinals by an astounding 7 games, considering the fact that the last time the two teams met, the Cardinals swept the Reds. The Reds have an easier schedule than the Padres do, as in September they play the Cardinals, the Rockies, the Pirates, the Diamondbacks, the Astros (twice), the Brewers, and the Padres. The Pirates, Diamondbacks and Astros are all below .500, and those three teams account for about 43% of the team's games in September. The only questions I have about the Reds concern the health of Edinson Volquez, and how the bullpen holds up. Rookie Aroldis Champan has just been called up and will likely pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the year, and is postseason eligible. In his first start, he reached 102 MPH. The offense led by Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips should be solid.

NL East: Atlanta Braves
The Braves are 3.5 games up on the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves have done this with a combination of solid hitting and good pitching. Rookie Jason Heyward has been on a tear late in the season here for Atlanta, struggling with some injury issues in the middle of the year. Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus are on the DL, and the team has acquired 1B Derrek Lee. Tim Hudson has been phenomenal for the Braves this season, with 15 wins and an impressive ERA of 2.24. In September, the Braves will take on the Mets (once, but finish up a series against them the first two days of September), the Marlins (twice), St. Louis, Washington (twice), and then what could be a crucial series against the Phillies in the second to last week of the season. I think the Braves definitely have the talent to win this division.

NL Wild Card: San Francisco Giants
The Giants currently are behind the Phillies by 1.5 games, but I think their pitching will lead them to the postseason this year. Tim Lincecum obviously hasn't been himself in August (0-5, 7.82 ERA), but I think Lincecum can bring himself back in September. Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez also give them a three-deep rotation that can match any in the NL. Buster Posey is showing how much of an impact he can make in the majors (a big one, 9 HR and 40 RBI in the last two months) and is really giving the Giants an offensive force. If the offense holds up, the Giants could make the playoffs. The schedule, as it is for most of the NL West teams, will be tough due to the fact that the 4 top teams play each other almost constantly down the stretch in September. They play LA twice, Colorado, San Diego, Arizona, Milwaukee, and Chicago. The last three aren't as strong, but Arizona had a great August and the Brewers have Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, a very dangerous combo.

Taking a Look at the NL West After the Trade Deadline

After the trade deadline in baseball, we can now take a much more accurate look at the division races. We'll start with the NL West, where the Padres have surprisingly taken over the division, with the Giants, Rockies, and Dodgers not far behind. The Diamondbacks have had a very disappointing season, and were sellers at the deadline.

1. San Diego Padres (64-46)
The Padres have been the surprise of the National League, and boast the best record in the NL. Adrian Gonzalez has been very good for the Padres, leading them in all three offensive categories (BA, HR, RBI). The staff has been led by Mat Latos, who also leads the team in each of the three major pitching categories (Wins, ERA, Strikeouts). At the deadline, the Padres acquired OF Ryan Ludwick (from the Cardinals) and SS Miguel Tejada (from the Orioles). I think the Ludwick trade was a great move for San Diego, as they are able to provide a solid hitter behind Adrian Gonzalez. However, the Tejada move doesn't really do much for the Padres. Tejada played third in Baltimore, a position held by Chase Headley, and the SS spot is taken by Everth Cabrera. Tejada is not an everyday starter and clearly doesn't have his old hitting ability (he's hitting just .267 with 8 homers this year), so I don't see where he can help the Padres. Overall, the Padres will need their pitching to stay consistent to maintain their division lead in the the tight NL West.

2. San Francisco Giants (63-49)
Coming into the season, everyone knew that the Giants pitching would be fantastic, as their staff contains Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Barry Zito. But the biggest question mark about San Francisco surrounded their offense. Who would be their big hitter? Aubrey Huff had been brought in, and Pablo Sandoval showed promise last year. Huff leads the team in HR's with 20, but Sandoval has really gone downhill. He's hitting .263 with 6 HRs. Buster Posey, the rookie catcher for the Giants, has been sensational, hitting .342 with 8 HRs in 61 games in the majors. Another surprise has come from Andres Torres, an outfielder who is hitting .289 with 11 HRs and 45 RBI. The Giants added bullpen pieces at the deadline (Ramon Ramirez from Boston, and Javier Lopez from Baltimore), but many expected them to heavily go after a big bat. With Adam Dunn being placed on waivers by the Nationals, expect the Giants to go after him.

3. Colorado Rockies (58-53)
The Rockies have had a decent season, but are in third in the NL West coming into August. Carlos Gonzalez is having a great year offensively for the Rockies, hitting .327 with 25 HRs and 77 RBI. The Rockies pitching was led in the first half by Ubaldo Jimenez, who threw a no-hitter earlier in the year and was one of the leading candidates for the Cy Young Award. However, after the All-Star break Jimenez has not pitched as well, which could be a cause for concern for Colorado, as they will definitely need the hard throwing righty down the stretch. The team did not make any moves at the deadline. The Rockies can definitely compete, but will need Jimenez, and a healthy Troy Tulowitzki to win this division.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (58-54)
The Dodgers are probably the team in the division with the most question marks coming down the stretch. Is Manny healthy? Is GM Ned Coletti searching for his next waiver jackpot? The Dodgers have made back-to-back NLCS appearances, but they might not even make the playoffs this year. Andre Ethier started off the year very well, but has fallen after his batting practice injury to his hand earlier in the season. Matt Kemp has had disappointing numbers, especially when some thought this would be his breakout year. James Loney leads the team in RBI with 68. Young Clayton Kershaw is having a solid year, leading the team in all 3 major pitching categories (wins, ERA, strikeouts), and is showing signs of future greatness. Chad Billingsley has recently come on strong, and Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla have been decent. The biggest problem for LA has been the fifth starter spot, which they hope has been filled up with the acquisition of LHP Ted Lilly from Chicago along with IF Ryan Theriot (in exchange for IF Blake DeWitt and two minor leaguers). There are also rumors that the Dodgers have claimed Adam Dunn off of waivers. Overall, I'm not sure if the Dodgers have enough in the tank for a run at the postseason.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks (44-69)
The Diamondbacks were thought by many to be ahead of San Diego coming into the year, and maybe even a wild card contended. However, the team has struggled this season with pitching issues, especially in the bullpen. Kelly Johnson has been a good pickup offensively at second base, providing them with a good hitter, and Chris Young was an All-Star. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds have had decent years. On the pitching side, the year has just been miserable for Arizona. Brandon Webb still has not returned, and Dan Haren was traded to the Angels. Edwin Jackson, who hurled a no-hitter against Tampa Bay earlier in the year was traded to the White Sox in exchange for RHP Daniel Hudson, who has been good in his first few starts in a D'Backs uniform. The bullpen has just been terrible, causing fits for D'Backs fans and coaches. The team traded away Haren (LAA), Jackson (CWS), closer Chad Qualls (TB), and C Chris Snyder (PIT). This has been a tough year for Arizona, and they are obviously out of contention this year.

So with the NL West done, stay tuned for a look at the NL Central this week!

Which NBA Team Has Improved the Most This Offseason?

Many teams this season have made some important transactions in the free agent market. Obviously, the Heat have improved a lot with LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining, so I won't include them in this list. Teams I will look at will be the Bulls, Lakers, Jazz, and the Celtics.

1. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have almost become the Utah Jazz East, signing three former Utah players (F Carlos Boozer, G/F Kyle Korver, and G Ronnie Brewer). These three players, along with G CJ Watson, and F Kurt Thomas, have greatly improved the Bulls team. Also, they fired coach Vinny Del Negro, and hired Tom Thibodeau. They did lose Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich, but Boozer can fill the hole in the post nicely for Chicago, and Watson, Brewer, and Korver can fill in there. Derrick Rose is a very good young PG, and Joakim Noah is a solid rebounder and post player. The Bulls will definitely be playoff contenders next season.

2. Los Angeles Lakers
Yes, the defending champs have improved. They not only kept coach Phil Jackson and PG Derek Fisher, but they also signed G Steve Blake, F/C Theo Ratliff, and F Matt Barnes. Barnes is the key signing for the Lakers, giving them a top defensive perimeter player off the bench. Ratliff is also a good shot blocker and a decent back-up in case injury strikes Andrew Bynum again. They lost Jordan Farmar (to the Nets) and Josh Powell (to the Hawks), but Steve Blake can run the point with the 2nd unit for the Lakers, and Ratliff can replace Powell.

3. Utah Jazz
The Jazz did lose several players (Boozer, Brewer, and Korver as mentioned before, as well as G Wesley Matthews), but the sign and trade deal with Minnesota that landed them Al Jefferson was huge. Jefferson will be a great fit in the Jazz offense, and Raja Bell is a great defender, and has a history of matching up against Kobe Bryant.

4. Boston Celtics
The Celtics had a great offseason in terms of keeping their team together. There were rumors that Ray Allen might leave, or that Paul Pierce would go elsewhere, but the Celtics were able to retain these two, as well as G Nate Robinson and G Marquis Daniels. Coach Doc Rivers also has agreed to return to the team. F Rasheed Wallace retired, and F Tony Allen signed with Memphis and F Shelden Williams signed with Denver, but these three losses shouldn't hurt the Celtics that much. F Jermaine O'Neal was the Celtics only major free agent signing, but he can replace Wallace (and Williams, who didn't contribute much to the team), but Allen could be missed as a spark off the bench.

Overall, I think the Bulls made the most improvements, followed by the Lakers, the Jazz, and the Celtics.