BJ Ward

NCAAB

College Basketball: Duke Battle FSU in ACC Showdown

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: February 23, 2012

March Madness is nearly here and we’re starting to get a better idea of who the real contenders will be in the NCAA Tournament. One of the most important regular season games of the year takes place in Tallahassee tonight. Al Dannity takes a closer look at Duke’s clash with Florida State. No shaking these...

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College Basketball: Spartans and Badgers Battle in Primetime

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: February 16, 2012

It’s a big night in NCAA Basketball with four games featuring ranked teams. The headline match-up is in East Lansing where the Spartans host the Badgers. Al Dannity breaks down this Big Ten battle and the rest of Thursday’s big games. It beginning to look a lot like Sparty Starting 0-2 against Duke and UNC...

NCAAB

Gaels at Gonzaga in a Battle for the West

• Zach Rance

• Last Updated: February 9, 2012

Is there a changing of the guard in the West Coast Conference? Zach Rance previews St Mary’s at Gonzaga tonight! For the past decade, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have dominated the West Coast Conference, winning the regular-season conference championship in each of the last 11 seasons. However, their dominance is now being threatened by the St....

NCAAB

Duke Takes on North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Zach Rance

• Last Updated: February 8, 2012

It’s time for the greatest rivalry in college basketball. Zach Rance takes the temperature on Tobacco Road. There is no bigger rivalry in college basketball – and perhaps in all of sports – than North Carolinaand Duke. The two colleges will play for the 233rd time on Wednesday night when the Blue Devils make the...

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College Basketball: Hoosiers and Wolverines Have Plenty to Prove

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: February 1, 2012

Indiana and Michigan have both exceeded early expectations and should go to the Big Dance. How well they will be regarded in March Madness is another matter entirely. Al Dannity examines the issues facing both programs ahead of their meeting tonight in Ann Arbor. Just win on the road It really is that simple for...

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College Basketball: Gators and Tar Heels Have Different Agendas

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: January 26, 2012

Two of the most perplexing teams in the rankings are in action tonight. The #7 North Carolina Tar Heels can re-assert their presence in the ACC regular season race at home against NC State. Over in the SEC, the #14 Florida Gators face a tricky road test at Ole Miss. Al Dannity looks at what...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Duke and North Carolina Looking for Answers

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: January 19, 2012

The Blue Devils are off to an unbeaten start in ACC play but still have their doubters. North Carolina have the top scoring and rebounding team in the nation but just got ripped apart at Florida State. Al Dannity tries to make sense of where the powers of Tobacco Road and headed as we near...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Mixed Fortunes for Power Programs

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: January 3, 2012

The traditional powers of College Basketball are experiencing dramatically different fortunes as major conference play gets into full swing. Al Dannity assesses the movers and shakers, including who to watch out for on the road to March Madness. Big push by Big Ten Yesterday may have been one to forget for Big Ten Football but...

NCAAB

College Basketball: UConn Dominate Butler to Win NCAA Title

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

One of the worst NCAA Championship games in living memory delivered Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut Huskies their third NCAA title. Al Dannity looks back on a dominant night for the UConn defense and a woeful shooting performance from the Bulldogs. Let’s start with the positives One bad game does not spoil an excellent tournament....

NCAAB

College Basketball: Butler and UConn Battle for NCAA Championship

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

After Jimmer-mania, Isiah Thomas being “cold blooded”, the fall of Duke, and Shaka Smart’s Cinderella story, it all comes down to this. Two teams nobody expected to be in Houston will play for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The drama is only getting started. One last push UConn head coach Jim Calhoun said Kemba Walker...

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College Basketball: Huskies and Rams Can Win in Final Four

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

This has been a March Madness for the underdogs and Al Dannity likes that trend to continue in this weekend’s Final Four match-ups. Shaka has the smarts Let’s skip over the romanticizing of VCU. We all know the #11 seed Rams are the ultimate underdog that shocked us all. The real issue that needs to...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Butler, UConn, Kentucky and VCU in Final Four

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

After as dramatic a weekend as we’ve ever seen in March Madness, Al Dannity reviews how four unlikely contenders made it to the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament. From First Four to Final Four The NCAA couldn’t have asked for a better validation of the new series of play-in games, known as the First...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Kansas Jayhawks on Sweet Sixteen Upset Alert

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

If Kansas make the Final Four they will have faced just one single-digit seed along the way. Al Dannity says the Jayhawks are far from a lock for Houston. It’s a trap! Somebody dial up Admiral Ackbar because the Jayhawks are facing not one but two trap games this weekend. Having defeated #16 seed Boston...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Will Hard Road Help Duke?

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

Coach K’s Blue Devils may have the toughest road to the Final Four of all three remaining #1 seeds. Al Dannity says the difficult path could get Duke’s players in the right frame of mind should they make it to Houston. Wolverine Awakening After coasting past Hampton in their first game, Duke got a shock...

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College Basketball: VCU and Butler Lead Cinderella Stories

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

Cinderella brought a wrecking ball to the Big Dance as four double-digit seeds forced their way into the Sweet Sixteen. For all the non-believers out there The ‘they don’t respect us’ card has been played to death in sports but no team has used it with such swagger as the #11 seed VCU Rams in...

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College Basketball: March Madness Will Open With a Bang

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

Having looked at each of the four regions, Al Dannity makes his picks on what will happen over the course of the three weekends of March Madness. Upset alert The Southeast region is loaded with potential early upsets. College Basketball betting fans are particular fond of eyeing an upset in games between #5 and #12...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Kansas Will be Wary of Soft Road in Southwest

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

Once again the Jayhawks have a #1 seed and an apparently safe route to the Final Four. This time however Kansas will be on full upset-alert. Statement of intent The Jayhawks’ run through March Madness ended in disappointment last season. A loss to Northern Iowa in only their second game meant Kansas went home after...

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College Basketball: Ohio State Should Roll Through East

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

It won’t be easy but the #1 seed Buckeyes should make it to Houston without too much drama according to Al Dannity. Young, gifted, and flawed North Carolina, Syracuse, and Kentucky took the #2, #3, and #4 seeds in the East region of the NCAA Tournament. All three have the talent required to make a...

NCAAB

College Basketball: UCLA Can Shock in Southeast Region

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

Al Dannity’s ready to make his first surprise call of March Madness. He says the Southeast will be the region where anything can happen, especially when it comes to winning through to the Final Four. Belmont can play early Cinderella The Belmont Bruins hold the #13 seed in the Southeast and it’s safe to say...

NCAAB

College Basketball: Duke’s Tough Road Through West Region

• Al Dannity

• Last Updated: October 4, 2017

The path back to the Final Four will be tough for the Blue Devils. They may have a #1 seed but Coach K’s charges also have a mountain to climb if they are to win the NCAA Tournament yet again. Not an easy regional Duke received plenty of criticism over their soft path to the...