Fantasy Baseball: Taking you through all 21 rounds.

-Keefe

Just a few days before the start of the season let’s take a look at an actual fantasy draft. How will these teams do? We won’t find that out until the games are played, but that doesn’t mean I can’t evaluate the picks right now. Pretty basic set up as you start one player at each position in the field, one utility, and a total of seven pitchers, two must be starters, and two must be relievers. This is a 10 man league, and for those of you keeping track at home my team is Speaker City. I’ll try not to gush over my picks too much… even though they were really good. Ok, here it is. Border Patrols with the first pick in the 2007 MLB Fantasy Draft…

Round 1
1. Albert Pujols Border Patrols
2. Johan Santana Everyone Dies
3. Alfonso Soriano Kahuna Burger
4. Ryan Howard jag swamp
5. Manny Ramírez Jack Gordon
6. David Ortiz Speaker City
7. Álex Rodríguez Team Battle
8. José Reyes kef
9. Carlos Beltrán Jack Nasty
10. Miguel Cabrera Killer Bees

A couple of great players here who I think went a little higher than they should have. First, I don’t think Ryan Howard can duplicate his numbers from his MVP season from a year ago. (.313, 58 HR, 149 RBI) Who’s hitting behind him? I’ll tell you Pat “the Bat” Burrell and Wes Helms. Come on, would you pitch to Howard? It’s not for a lack of talent, but this guy will win walks for you more than the power numbers. Manny might be a little high here too, been going in a lot of second rounds this year. But if he plays more than 150 games (which he did in 2003-2005), he is as good as anyone in the game.

Round 2
1. Vladimir Guerrero Killer Bees
2. Lance Berkman Jack Nasty
3. Chase Utley kef
4. Carl Crawford Team Battle
5. Grady Sizemore Speaker City
6. Joe Mauer Jack Gordon
7. Dontrelle Willis jag swamp
8. David Wright Kahuna Burger
9. Mark Teixeira Everyone Dies
10. Travis Hafner Border Patrols

The second round is highlighted by outfielders with both speed and power. Crawford and Sizemore, particularly look like good picks. In leagues with a number of offensive categories these guys become extremely valuable. Crawford hit over .300, had decent pop (18 HR and 77 RBI), but his 58 steals make any fantasy owner happy, not to mention 16 triples last season in Tampa. He is only getting better too at just 25 years old. Not to be outdone Sizemore (24 years old) is a definite MVP candidate. 30-30 potential as well as a run scoring machine, 134 in ’06. Should hit .300 for the first time in his career this year. Also in round 2 a rare D-Train sighting. Interesting choice… it took until just the 17th selection to ask the owner of jag swamp if he was in fact attending the draft… appears not, more on this in the later rounds.

Round 3
1. Chris Carpenter Border Patrols
2. Vernon Wells Everyone Dies
3. Hanley Ramírez Kahuna Burger
4. Ichiro Suzuki jag swamp
5. Miguel Tejada Jack Gordon
6. Jimmy Rollins Speaker City
7. Derek Jeter Team Battle
8. Carlos Lee kef
9. Andruw Jones Jack Nasty
10. Jason Bay Killer Bees

The third pitcher taken in the draft (counting Willis) goes with the first pick in round three. Doesn’t take long for the ’05 NL Cy Young winner to go. Last years NL Rookie of the Year, Hanley Ramirez, goes here as well, despite a lot of promise (100+ runs last year and 46 SB) surprised he’s selected ahead of other SS like Tejada, Rollins, Jeter, and Young. Teams also appear to be going hard after OFs as Wells, Ichiro, Lee, Jones, and Bay all fly off the board. Six OF (seven counting Berkman) go in rounds 1 and 2 while five get picked in round 3 alone.

Round 4
1. Joe Nathan Killer Bees
2. Roy Oswalt Jack Nasty
3. Justin Morneau kef
4. Derrek Lee Team Battle
5. Matt Holliday Speaker City
6. Francisco Rodríguez Jack Gordon
7. Robinson Canó jag swamp
8. Roy Halladay Kahuna Burger
9. Aramis Ramírez Everyone Dies
10. B.J. Ryan Border Patrols

The first closer picked starts the round, which prompts two more within the next nine picks. Definitely three of the best in the game, but maybe a little soon for closers. Urbina was not available. I checked. Oswalt and Halladay go after Dontrelle? You won’t see that in many drafts this year that don’t involve the Willis family. Also the gap in 2nd basemen this year shows some as Utley went early second round while Cano goes late fourth. Probably could have waited even longer for him.

Round 5
1. Michael Young Border Patrols
2. Billy Wagner Everyone Dies
3. Víctor Martínez Kahuna Burger
4. Brian McCann jag swamp
5. Carlos Zambrano Jack Gordon
6. Brandon Webb Speaker City
7. Daisuke Matsuzaka Team Battle
8. Bobby Abreu kef
9. Chone Figgins Jack Nasty
10. Rafael Furcal Killer Bees

One of the questions entering the draft is answered here in round 5. When would Matsuzaka go? He is picked right after two proven all-stars (Zambrano and Webb). For 103 million he better pitch like those guys. Team Battle may be rolling the Dice-Kay on Matsuzaka, but pitching for the Sox, if he’s healthy it would be a real disappointment if he didn’t get at least 15 wins.

Round 6
1. Jason Varitek Killer Bees
2. Troy Glaus Jack Nasty
3. Garrett Atkins kef
4. Mariano Rivera Team Battle
5. Jermaine Dye Speaker City
6. Carlos Delgado Jack Gordon
7. John Smoltz jag swamp
8. Jake Peavy Kahuna Burger
9. Johnny Damon Everyone Dies
10. C.C. Sabathia Border Patrols

It was probably the 11-14 record Peavy posted last year that made him slide all the way down to the eighth pick of round 6. But the 10th starter taken? He should rebound this year, and having Hall of Famer Greg Maddux on the team can’t hurt. Speaking of bounce back years Varitek certainly needs one. Anyone want someone who will hit .250 with 150 strikeouts? Troy Glaus is your man. I know he’ll get 35-100 but good lord.

Round 7
1. Adam Dunn Border Patrols
2. Dan Uggla Everyone Dies
3. Paul Konerko Kahuna Burger
4. Gary Sheffield jag swamp
5. Jonathan Papelbon Jack Gordon
6. Brian Roberts Speaker City
7. Matt Cain Team Battle
8. Hideki Matsui kef
9. Trevor Hoffman Jack Nasty
10. Richie Sexson Killer Bees

Good news. If you missed your chance on Glaus, I found someone just like him… Adam Dunn. Except .250 might be a stretch if you look at last years numbers, but don’t fret he struck out more than Glaus. An incredible 194 times Dunn walked back to the dugout shaking his head. (One K shy of tying his career high… or low, I’m not sure which.) For a guy who has hit 40 or more HR three times in his career, he has only toppled the 100 RBI total twice, and barely, 102 in ’04 and 101 in ’05. He’s good for HR and walks, but will hurt you everywhere in between. Make sure you have good speed and average guys to team him with. Two more closers off the board (Papelbon and Hoffman) If Papelbon is healthy he’s one of the best. All-Star as a rookie last season, but fell a part in the second half.

Round 8
1. Bronson Arroyo Killer Bees
2. Juan Pierre Jack Nasty
3. John Lackey kef
4. Huston Street Team Battle
5. J.J. Putz Speaker City
6. Torii Hunter Jack Gordon
7. Carlos Guillén jag swamp
8. Ben Sheets Kahuna Burger
9. Jeremy Bonderman Everyone Dies
10. Dan Haren Border Patrols

After seven rounds everyone checked out their team and realized they had no pitching. Seven out of ten selections are for arms, with a mixture of starters and closers. Pierre might only hit a couple more HR than you or I, but his stolen bases make him a good guy to have. (58 in ’06).

Round 9
1. Ryan Zimmerman Border Patrols
2. Édgar Rentería Everyone Dies
3. Julio Lugo Kahuna Burger
4. Justin Verlander jag swamp
5. Curt Schilling Jack Gordon
6. Scott Kazmir Speaker City
7. J.D. Drew Team Battle
8. Félix Hernández kef
9. Iván Rodríguez Jack Nasty
10. Kenji Johjima Killer Bees

Both Red Sox key acquisitions, not named Matsuzaka, get picked up here. Lugo, if he remains at the top of the lineup should score 100 runs, but watch for Crisp to move up if he struggles. J.D. Drew has a lot of potential… has since ’98. Only knocked in 100 runs once in career, last year (exactly 100), and that was in a contract year. With that said, I still would have taken a chance on him… thought I had another round or two.

Round 10
1. Scott Rolen Killer Bees
2. Randy Johnson Jack Nasty
3. Aaron Harang kef
4. Ramón Hernández Team Battle
5. Chipper Jones Speaker City
6. Melvin Mora Jack Gordon
7. Barry Zito jag swamp
8. Jim Thome Kahuna Burger
9. Brad Lidge Everyone Dies
10. Corey Patterson Border Patrols

If we weren’t sure if jag swamp was in the house before, I think it’s safe to say he’s not. At least I hope. After 10 picks, he now has 4 starting pitchers. FOUR. (Willis, Smoltz, Verlander, Zito) For those unfamiliar with the league you start: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, UTIL, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P. Pitching does win championships. Not sure if you can say that about fantasy. Jag swamp is going to try and prove me wrong, and he has a chance week 1 where he kicks off the season against Speaker City. He better beat me in the pitching stats, my bullpen is pretty lonely thru ten rounds.

Round 11
1. Eric Gagne Border Patrols
2. Todd Helton Everyone Dies
3. Bill Hall Kahuna Burger
4. Bob Wickman jag swamp
5. Rickie Weeks Jack Gordon
6. Francisco Cordero Speaker City
7. Brett Myers Team Battle
8. Rocco Baldelli kef
9. Felipe López Jack Nasty
10. Tadahito Iguchi Killer Bees

This was my favorite round. Look at some of these picks. I don’t even know where to begin. Fine, I’ll start at the top with Eric Gagne. 11th round? He’s had 9 saves in the last two seasons. Not sure if he’ll be the same… or even the closer for the Rangers, who still have Akinori Otsuka (32 saves in ’06) on the roster. Then Gagne gets lit up like a Christmas Tree in spring training, and now will begin the season on the DL. I’d say more but round 11 brought so much. Second pick of the round was former all-star Todd Helton, whose batting average and home runs have declined in each of the last four seasons. Nice. Throw out the 35 games he played in ’97, last year Helton had his worst avg., .305 and fewest HRs, 15. Don’t count on him for anything other than a good name. After Team Battle selected Brett Myers I quickly checked to see if hitting your wife in public was a category… it’s not.

Round 12
1. Magglio Ordóñez Killer Bees
2. Nomar Garciaparra Jack Nasty
3. Jered Weaver kef
4. Prince Fielder Team Battle
5. Mike Piazza Speaker City
6. Raúl Ibañez Jack Gordon
7. Joel Zumaya jag swamp
8. Chad Cordero Kahuna Burger
9. Chris Young Everyone Dies
10. Alex Gordon Border Patrols

Draft more than half over, I’ll keep it short and sweet here on out. I like Piazza, not just cause I picked him, but because he’s DHing with C eligibility. Joel Zumaya may throw 103 mph, but if he’s not closing I’m not sure how valuable he is, especially in the 12th round. Who picked him? Damn it jag swamp… he’s shooting for the best staff ever. He’s building a MLB team, not a fantasy team. I better beat him. Side note: anyone realize Ibanez’s numbers last year, .289, 33 HR, 123 RBI? Yikes. He had more RBI than Manny, ARod, Vlad, Tejada, Hafner, Beltran, Wright, Lee, Dye, Delgado… Good for him. Who knows if he does it again, but in the 12th round, great stuff.

Round 13
1. Coco Crisp Border Patrols
2. Willy Taveras Everyone Dies
3. Tom Gordon Kahuna Burger
4. Tim Hudson jag swamp
5. Chris Ray Jack Gordon
6. Bobby Jenks Speaker City
7. Armando Benítez Team Battle
8. Cole Hamels kef
9. Josh Beckett Jack Nasty
10. Brian Fuentes Killer Bees

Couple of guys in their second season for my Red Sox. I like both picks as I believe both Crisp and Becket will rebound from disappointing starts in Boston. Crisp may move back to the lead off spot if he shows promise in the bottom of the lineup and Lugo struggles. But he may run more hitting 7th or 8th, since Ortiz and Manny aren’t coming right up.

Round 14
1. Mike Mussina Killer Bees
2. Todd Jones Jack Nasty
3. Jorge Posada kef
4. Rich Harden Team Battle
5. Delmon Young Speaker City
6. Mike González Jack Gordon
7. Mike Cameron jag swamp
8. Nick Swisher Kahuna Burger
9. A.J. Pierzynski Everyone Dies
10. Álex Ríos Border Patrols

Delmon Young could be a sleeper, and he could be back in the minors, but in the 14th round not a bad choice. He went after Gordon and Matsusaka, two other rookies receiving a lot of press this spring. Mike Gonzalez? Not in Pitt anymore, and like Zumaya, setting up ball games. “Holds” aren’t a category in this league…yet. The commissioner picked Gonzalez.

Round 15
1. Howie Kendrick Border Patrols
2. Jason Schmidt Everyone Dies
3. Barry Bonds Kahuna Burger
4. Adrián Béltre jag swamp
5. Eric Chávez Jack Gordon
6. Mark Teahen Speaker City
7. Ken Griffey Jr. Team Battle
8. José Valverde kef
9. Jeff Francoeur Jack Nasty
10. Jason Isringhausen Killer Bees

Bonds falls all the way into the 15th round. At this point a good time to take a risk on guys, that’s why you see Griffey and Francoeur also get snagged.

Round 16
1. Pedro Martínez Killer Bees
2. Derek Lowe Jack Nasty
3. Joe Borowski kef
4. Jason Giambi Team Battle
5. Adam LaRoche Speaker City
6. Kevin Youkilis Jack Gordon
7. Scott Podsednik jag swamp
8. Nick Markakis Kahuna Burger
9. Jeff Kent Everyone Dies
10. Bartolo Colón Border Patrols

Seeing Pedro and Lowe go back-to-back makes me think of the ’04 Red Sox. I know Pedro is hurt, but maybe if they still had both of those guys they wouldn’t have felt the need to trade Hanley Ramirez away, as well as everyone else from that championship team. Unreal. Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena was a good deal. Jesus. Speaking of the Sox I think Youk will have his best season to date.

Round 17
1. A.J. Burnett Border Patrols
2. Ryan Dempster Everyone Dies
3. Roger Clemens Kahuna Burger
4. Matt Capps jag swamp
5. Erik Bedard Jack Gordon
6. Dave Bush Speaker City
7. Freddy Sánchez Team Battle
8. Josh Barfield kef
9. Rich Hill Jack Nasty
10. Shea Hillenbrand Killer Bees

Man, more former sox. (Clemens, Sanchez, and Hillenbrand.) Kahuna Burger has himself a nice clubhouse with Bonds and Clemens. Goodluck with that. “Mmm that is a tasty burger.”

Round 18
1. Pat Burrell Killer Bees
2. Morgan Ensberg Jack Nasty
3. Hank Blalock kef
4. Luke Scott Team Battle
5. Brandon Phillips Speaker City
6. Mark DeRosa Jack Gordon
7. Joe Crede jag swamp
8. Takashi Saito Kahuna Burger
9. Moisés Alou Everyone Dies
10. Michael Barrett Border Patrols

Backing up my point that followed round 1, Ryan Howard goes #4 overall, and the guy hitting behind him… 171. Think about that for a second.

Round 19
1. Jon Garland Border Patrols
2. Ryan Shealy Everyone Dies
3. Chien-Ming Wang Kahuna Burger
4. Stephen Drew jag swamp
5. Paul Lo Duca Jack Gordon
6. Orlando Cabrera Speaker City
7. Chad Tracy Team Battle
8. Chris Capuano kef
9. Octavio Dotel Jack Nasty
10. Akinori Otsuka Killer Bees

Hey it’s the SS from the 2004 Boston Red Sox, Orlando Cabrera! Also a number of pitchers taken, could be some steals.

Round 20
1. Bobby Crosby Killer Bees
2. Kenny Rogers Jack Nasty
3. Nick Johnson kef
4. Ian Kinsler Team Battle
5. Frank Thomas Speaker City
6. Adam Wainwright Jack Gordon
7. Ervin Santana jag swamp
8. Ray Durham Kahuna Burger
9. Ryan Freel Everyone Dies
10. Adrián González Border Patrols

Remember when Bobby Crosby won rookie of the year? Do you remember when he was healthy? I don’t. Hey Ryan Freel you get to take over CF for the best guy ever to play there in our life time. Don’t worry he’ll be watching you from Right. No pressure.

Round 21
1. John Patterson Border Patrols
2. Brandon Inge Everyone Dies
3. Jim Edmonds Kahuna Burger
4. Eric Byrnes jag swamp
5. Michael Cuddyer Jack Gordon
6. Salomón Torres Speaker City
7. Tom Glavine Team Battle
8. Mark Prior kef
9. Corey Hart Jack Nasty
10. Marcus Giles Killer Bees

And it’s over. Mark Prior will be on the DL or in AAA, but who cares, most of these guys taken in the last round will get dumped the first week of the season for someone who came out of no where, or someone we just forgot. Glavine needs 10 wins for 300, after he gets them he may just hang em up, that night.

That’s it. Can’t wait for the season to start on Sunday night. Everyone is just hoping that their players make them look smart. Maybe Willis will be worth a 2nd round pick? Maybe Gagne will be back this year… well, what can you do?

If you want to comment on this draft, or something I wrote, send me an e-mail at sportsbrief@gmail.com. Check back soon as Besse, Shark, and I will make our MLB predictions on who’s making the playoffs, winning the World Series, as well as winning all the awards: MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie.

Rich Keefe

Rick Pitino as GM of the Texans?

Figuratively speaking, we may not be that far from it. After seeing the atrocious deal laid down by Rick Smith last week, you have to wonder if Charlie Casserly is pulling a Theo Epstein and still acting as a “consultant” for the Texans’ front office.

The trade for Matt Schaub was a major mistake. Not to discredit the backup QB of three years at all, but David Carr was not the problem in Houston – the offensive line was, still is, and will continue to be the Achilles heel of a franchise that is as pitiable as any in sports.

If the Texans were going to trade for a quarterback, Michael Vick is the only guy they should have gone after. He has been the leading rusher of all NFL quarterbacks for four of the last five years (he was injured most of 2003). But Carr is no slouch when he tucks the ball either. He ran for 308 yards in 2005, averaging over five yards per carry, good for 2nd among all NFL quarterbacks behind Vick. Those aren’t astonishing figures by any means, but beggars can’t be choosers.

But let’s be honest, a trade involving Vick was never even a consideration.

Which begs the question, unless you run a freakish 4.2 in the forty-yard dash, can any quarterback scramble away from 246 sacks in five years?

Matt Schaub certainly won’t do it. This is the Matt Schaub who ran a 4.9 at the combine in ‘04. This is the Matt Schaub who has two career starts, both losses. This is the Matt Schaub who rushed 132 times for a whopping 58 yards over his four-year career at Virginia. When you’re as effective a pocket passer as he was in college, why run, right? But it corroborates my point: a pocket passer is a deer in headlights behind that Texans’ O-line.

Nonetheless, let’s take a more in-depth look at the logistics of the trade and the implications for each team:

For Atlanta, this shows that in the couple months Bobby Petrino has been at the helm of the Falcons, he is obviously impressed and convinced that Michael Vick can continue to develop into the star they thought they drafted out of Virginia Tech back in 2001. It eliminates any quarterback controversy that may have evolved in training camp, and it certainly shows that the Falcons didn’t consider Schaub to be the golden boy that the Texans are now crowning him as. At least not to the tune of $48 million.

Meanwhile, by swapping first round picks with Houston, the Falcons will make the 8th selection in this year’s draft (Houston will select 10th). With that pick, the Falcons could address a serious need at defensive end, especially after one-time Pro Bowler Patrick Kerney defected to Seattle this off-season for a lucrative deal. An attractive pick in this slot is Arkansas’ Jamaal Anderson, the SEC First-Team selection who registered 13.5 sacks in 2006.

And with the Texans’ second round draft pick included, the Falcons will have comfort and flexibility of three of the first 45 selections. Only the Texans themselves could screw that up.

As far as those bumbling Texans, they cut ties with the face of their franchise since its inception in 2002. And their new field general? He signed that modest six-year, $48 million deal that guarantees $20 million over the first three years, followed by a $10 million team option that will trigger the final three years of the deal. Gil Meche, anyone? Way to open up your coffers for a guy whose is 0-2 in three seasons and has completed only 52.2% of his passes.

Look, I realize David Carr wasn’t Gary Kubiak’s guy, but Matt Schaub shouldn’t be either. This isn’t like the Broncos system, where you or I could go in and rush for 1,500 yards and half a dozen scores, then have some cashier from Starbucks do just as well the following year. Unless the Texans inspire Disney to film, “Angels in the Backfield,” it will take nothing short of such a divine intervention for Schaub to turn around this franchise that has been stuck in neutral for five seasons.

The point is, this was a clearly a better move for the Falcons than it was for the Texans. Three draft picks, a controversy eliminated and $2.3 million off the books versus an unproven quarterback and a shoddier draft position. Rick Smith should be charged with robbery, because for the Falcons, that was an absolute steal.

-Bess

AP All-American Team

Well today the 2006-07 AP All-American teams were announced. No real surprises here, but certainly some arguments could be made. None of these guys were on the preseason All-American list. I'll take you through the first teamers with some observations of each guy.

The players (in order of first-place votes):

Kevin Durant- Texas, (72 first-place votes) Fresh., 25.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg.
Unbelievable talent. He's been stealing the headlines all season long from Greg Oden. Out of all the tremendous freshmen playing this year, he was the best. Look at the numbers he put up, and remember he did this on a Texas team that somehow got him the ball even less than they should have. He was the only guy selected unanimously, and his mom got to sit next to Danny Ainge during the Big 12 Championship game. So that's fun. She didn't even know who he was, but he certainly paid for it. He wasn't alone either as a number of NBA higher ups have been fined for discussing Durant. I think we learned the first rule about Kevin Durant... you do not talk about Kevin Durant. But people have been all season long, and it is well deserved. Unfortunately for the fans his Longhorns were upset in just the second round of the tourney to Tim Floyd's USC squad, robbing everyone a chance to watch this guy play on the main stage. I don't even have to say it but he will be either the first or second pick in this year's draft... if he declares. Come on, like he's staying?

Alando Tucker- Wisconsin, (64) Senior, 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg.
Tucker doesn't exactly wow you, but he had a great senior season and led his Badgers to a #2 seen in the dance. Were they seeded too high? Maybe as they lost in the second round to 7th seeded UNLV, who haven't won a second round game since Grand Mama was playing for them. He was on the second best team in a weak conference, but they would have been much lower if not for his play. Tucker had a huge game against Pitt this year posting a 32-10 night, but had only 10 points in a tough loss to rival Ohio State back on March 11. 6'6'' but doesn't shoot the 3 ball well, and not sure what position he will be in the pros. A good college basketball player in the Big 10, so was Shawn Respert. Both deserved to be All-Americans, but an NBA game... we know about Respet, we will see with Tucker. For some reason he has "last guy left in the green room," written all over him. But he did receive the 2nd most first place AP votes! (Morrison and Reddick were unanimous... really? Well it's hard to be a good college basketball player.)

Acie Law IV- Texas A&M, (59) Senior, 18.1 ppg, 5 apg.
Law had been a good player in hist first three season with the Aggies, but this year he became a great player. With a number of solid point guards, Law has cemented himself in the top tier. In early February during just a three day span A&M defeated both Kansas and Texas. Law hit for 23 points and 7 assists AT Kansas followed by a 21 point 15 assist night against Texas. Fun to watch, and hit countless big shots. How bout that double OT game against Texas where he went off for 33, and single handedly kept the game going. Depending on what other point guards enter the draft (i.e. Conley, Lawson, Collison...) Law should be a middle of the first round draft choice, and I was surprised he didn't get more first place vote than Tucker. Of course I don't get a vote, and just write a blog that no one will read... so take it or leave it.

Aaron Afflalo- UCLA, (52) Junior, 16.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 37.7 3pt %.
Afflalo declared himself for last years draft, but ultimately decided to come back to UCLA after the team made it all the way to the championship game, where the Bruins took a dump to the Gators. (So did Afflalo going 3-10 from the field with just 10 points.) His back court partner and classmate Jordan Farmer remained in the draft and went to the Lakers. Afflalo came back to school and is now playing in consecutive final fours. Solid shooter, better scorer, but maybe a step slow for the NBA. Has a decision to make of whether to comeback for his final season of eligibility or forgo it for a shot at the league. Afflalo struggled towards the end of the year with his shot, but looked good against Kansas. Two more solid games would certainly help his draft stock, which remains to be seen. Plus the dude is from Compton, so you know he's badass. Not sure if that will help his draft status.

Greg Oden- "The" Ohio State, (34) Fresh., 15.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 bpg.
You've heard it all before. This guy can dominate the game on the defensive end, he was playing with one hand for most of the season, and his kids swear he's only 19. Undoubtedly he will, along with Durant, be a top 2 pick in this years draft, assuming he's leaving school. Oden and Durant were the first freshmen since Chris Jackson in 1990 to be named AP first team All-Americans. (How sick was Chris Jackson? Changed his name and the whole thing went down hill, but that's a whole other topic right there.) The question is does Oden really deserve this honor. We can all agree this guy will be a great pro player, and everyone wants him to save their team, but if his name wasn't Greg Oden would he be on this list? The numbers are good, but not amazing. I wouldn't say they're first team All-American good. Maybe the AP voters wanted people to be able to look back on their selections and see some decent pros making the list. I don't know. Morrison, Reddick, Sheldon Williams were all great college players, there is nothing wrong with that. Oden a great college player?

Here's some players who could make an argument to be on this list, in Oden's place or anyone not named Durant and Law, in my opinion.
Nick Fazekas- Nevada, Sr., 20.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg.
Had to be a little steamed being left off the first team list. He did make the second, but playing the WAC couldn't have hurt him as much as you might think. Both Morrison and Dan Dickau from Gonzaga were both first teamers, and even Blake Stepp made a second playing in the WCC. Will Fazekas be a better NBA player than Oden? Please. Fazekas will be lucky to be picked in the 2nd round, but 20 and 11 on an NCAA tournament team, not bad.
Jared Dudley- Boston College, Sr., 19 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3 apg.
ACC player of the year, Dudley led his team into the 2nd round of the tourney despite their best NBA prospect getting kicked of the squad. Dudley did a little of everything, was fun to watch, and put up numbers. Again not sure how his game will translate to the next level, but that's not the point when selecting the All-American team.
Jeff Green- Georgetown, Jr., 14.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.2 apg.
Big East player of the year, Green's NBA stock has gone up and up. Has led his team to both a Big East regular season and tournament title, and they're playing in the Final 4 this weekend. Stats don't do him justice, maybe that's the same thing you can say about Oden, but Green does deserve first team consideration.
Chris Lofton- Tennessee, Jr., 20.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 41.9 3pt %.
Afflalo is better than him? Oden had a better season? Lofton brought his team to the Sweet 16 even with a body painting coach. (I'm a huge fan of Bruce Pearl actually.) When Tennessee beat Texas back in late December, Lofton lit it up with 7 threes and 35 points 11 rebounds. Damn. In a game @ Vandy he went 11 for 15 from the floor including 6-7 threes en route to 29 points. He went for 25-20-24 in their three NCAA tournament games. Big fan of this guy. Just 6'2'' and more of a shooting/scoring guard, but again their NBA potential shouldn't be considered when selecting your All- American team.

For the record the guys I mentioned that did not make the 1st team still were recognized by the AP. Fazekas, Dudley, and Lofton were on the 2nd team. (Joined by Noah and Hansbrough.) While Green got 3rd team honors with Aaron Brooks, Al Thornton, Aaron Gray, and Al Hortford.

My first team All-Americans? Tough choices but I'd have to go with Durant, Law, Lofton, Dudley, Fazekas. You ask 10 people and they might have 10 different combinations. Just another reason college hoops is so great. Final 4 weekend coming up. I had Georgetown winning the whole thing from the beginning so I got to stick with that. Don't think Jeff Green will mind he didn't make the AP's first team if the Hoyas cut the nets down.

-Keefe

What's to come.

This will soon be a forum consisting of all things sports. Please come often and enjoy the stories and opinions from these three guys about the world of sports. They encourage feedback, with your questions, comments, concerns always welcomed. E-mail them anytime at SportsBrief@gmail.com.

Rich Keefe, Tristan Besse, and Brian Sharkey will take you on a tour de force with their knowledge and passion.

Sit back, relax, and let the good times roll.