HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!
Hands off the Boggs Lite, sonny, this is going down the trap-shoot!
(drinks entire beer, spits dip of Skoal cherry into red plastic cup)
Ben vernidos, hombres! Name of Greg. Big Greg. When you'ns google for "Big Greg", my picture comes up. So I'm going to write on this blog now, and then I'm going to go shit in my pants. TRY AND STOP EITHER ONE!
You needed some new blood around here, and I'm it. You have all fallen into complacency.... Dave Bliznawski mostly writes about athletes being tased and/or hit with paternity suits, Trip Darvez sees the game from the angle of "how many used Subarus can the coach of Utah State sell you before the deadline?", Dickfer can only stammer out rose-colored memories of Miles Tarver, and the only time Drew Boatman writes anything of value is when he stays up until 5am writing about the Bows (and even then, he just researches Barry University until he falls asleep at his desk). SO HERE I AM! BIGG GREGG WITH YOUR TOURNAMENT PREVIEW!!!!
Now, I come from Granbury, TX, which leads the nation in back-scratchers and boa-skin boots. And as such, I don't come here to talk about the Ohio States and Pittsburghs. Hell no. HOW'S COASTAL CAROLINA GOING TO DO, GREGG??? is what you are asking me and yourself right now. So let it begin:
Let's start with the Chanticleers. They're pulling an RPI of 60 despite a 22-2 record. They are undefeated in the Big South, which features other stalwarts such as Gardner-Webb and Radford. But they won at LSU... and took out East Carolina (who are both in better conferences). So, does Coastal have what it takes? Well, they ain't lost in conference yet, and they've swept 2nd place Liberty this year. They don't play another ranked opponent the rest of the way... and they should walk in their tournament. They are just ranked outside the top 25, and if they run the table they should sniff it by the end of the year. But they haven't played much top-shelf competition, and that makes them unpredictable. GREG SAYS THIS NEEDS MORE RESEARCH.
Everyone's talkin' San Diego State this year, but how about St. Mary's? I watched these guys pull a non-cover against St. John's (who has since gone on to win their banquet game), but that was early. They have an RPI of 35 and they are very close to being ranked. BUT HOO BOY, LOOK AT THAT SCHEDULE COMING UP. Of the 6 games remaining, they've got Santa Clara, San Francisco, Gonzaga (those are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in conference) AND they have to play Utah State. Time is going to tell on the Gaels... they've got massive potential, and if they can go 4-2 down the stretch, with a good tournament run, they'll pull a 5 seed. They love to score, and they can hang with any team come tourney time. BIG GREG SAYS GO GAELS IF THEY DON'T STUMBLE.
There is some HOT action in the Missouri Valley Conference (isn't there always?) Wichita State and Northern Iowa are going to be fucking DANG-erous if they sneak in. The Shockers have an RPI of 38, and they'll definitely go if they can not pee the pants. The rest of their schedule looks easy, but that tournament may not be. Northern Iowa is of course a fan-favorite 'round these parts, and with good reason. They are yanking a 63 RPI, but this Saturday, they go head to head with Wichita State. HUGE. If they can pull that out, or can get George Mason on the 19th, look for them to shoot up into contention. They are more of a grind-it-out team this year, but they make their throws and don't turn the ball over. BALL CONTROL = TOURNAMENT SUCCESS. BOOK IT.
I have to go change now. Goin' to Spanky's for pizza buffet. Bye.
