Friday: College basketball predictions

It’s Friday! Time to predict this weekend’s lineup of college basketball!

Marquee Matchup

No. 4 Syracuse @ No. 12 Virginia, Saturday, 3 p.m., ESPN: This is the second straight weekend the ‘Cuse play at a top 25 opponent. This one has all the makings of a defensive slugfest. Virginia holds opponents to just 55 points per game, best in the country. Syracuse does a pretty good job on that end of the floor as well, boasting the seventh ranked defense in the nation. This one will come down to who can score. The Orange have struggled on offense recently, particularly Tyler Ennis an C.J. Fair. I like the Cavaliers at home in this one. Joe Harris and company has won 12 straight. They’ll make it 13 Saturday. Virginia 55 Syracuse 52.

Second Tier

No. 5 Kansas @ Oklahoma State, Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPN: I said this a couple Wednesdays ago in my Top 5; Oklahoma State will make a run at the end of the season. So far, that prediction seems to be coming true. The Cowboys have won two straight after seven in a row. They didn’t just win those games either. They destroyed their opponents by more than 20 points. Now that OSU has its swagger back, here comes the Jayhawks. Kansas is the best team in the Big 12 and is hoping for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This would be a HUGE resume builder for Oklahoma State, not to mention some momentum heading into the Big 12 Tournament. Marcus Smart proves why he will be a NBA lottery pick and the Cowboys win this one. Oklahoma State 75 Kansas 71.

Could Get Interesting

No. 7 Louisville @ No. 21 Memphis, Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS: The Cardinals are back in the top 10 after an impressive win at Cincinnati last weekend and a beat-down of Temple Thursday. They’ve won seven straight and seem to be peaking at the right time. However, Memphis stands in their way Saturday. The Tigers already beat Louisville on the road this season, and are looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss at Houston. The last time these two teams met, it was a fantastic basketball game. Great tempo, highlight reel dunks, phenomenal defense. We could see a lot more of that, but I think Louisville comes out with a win. Louisville 70 Memphis 68.

Thing I Missed

-Only one top 25 team won in college basketball Thursday. Kentucky was not that team. 

-A brawl broke out last night in Utah during a game between New Mexico State and Utah Valley. 

-Nebraska men’s basketball looks to bounce back against Northwestern Saturday. What do the Huskers need to do to make the Big Dance?

-Speaking of the NCAA Tournament, here's the latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi. 

-Jordan Hooper played her final home game Thursday night, and she didn’t disappoint.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! 

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Nebraska Basketball: Illini halt Huskers win streak

Illinois 60 Nebraska 59

Player of the Game:

Jon Ekey- It was hard to give this to just one player, but Ekey played the game of his life Wednesday. He was everywhere. Grabbing offensive rebounds. Knocking down 3-pointers. Diving after loose balls. You name it, Ekey did it. It was just the kind of performance that sparks a home crowd, which he did many times throughout the night. If the Illini can get production from role players like Ekey, they will be dangerous in the conference tournament.

Key Stat:

Second Chance Points- It seemed like every time Illinois made a three, it came off an offensive rebound. Illinois finished with 16 second chance points off of 11 offensive rebounds while Nebraska had just 5 off of 3 offensive boards. The Huskers struggled all night to rebound the basketball. Most of it was just working hard. Illinois clearly outworked Nebraska throughout the entire night. That’s got to change against Northwestern Saturday if the Huskers want to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. 

Play of the Game:

Late in the second half, Ekey flew into the Illini crowd after a loose ball after two Nebraska players just watched it. It was an incredible effort that really deflated any sort of Husker comeback. It was less then a 10-point lead at that point, but that play really took it out of Nebraska.

Other Notes:

-Nebraska sees its five-game win streak snapped with tonight’s loss.

-The Huskers held Illinois to 37 percent shooting, the sixth straight game an opponent has shot under 40 percent.

-Tonight’s loss marked just the second time in 16 games this season Nebraska lost while outshooting an opponent.

-Nebraska’s 49 points tonight was a season low

-Leslee Smith’s nine points was his highest total since scoring 11 points at Ohio State on Jan. 4.

Thanks for reading and shoot me your reactions on Nebraska’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament now. I think the Huskers do, but their margin of error is small. MICROSCOPIC. 

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Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Wednesday: Top 5 things I'm looking forward to in March

It’s Hump Day! That means it’s time for this week’s edition of Top 5.

Being a college basketball junkie, I’m counting down the days until March. There’s two days left in February in case anyone was wondering.

Which brings me to today’s topic: Top 5 things I’m looking forward too in March.

1.     Madness: The upsets, the streaking teams, the drama…Gus Johnson. Everything about March is epic when it comes to basketball. And I just want to see madness. I want to see Oklahoma State finish the year on a huge run, led by Marcus Smart. I want LSU to knock off Florida this weekend. I want Wichita State to go undefeated in the regular season then get beat in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference. This is the best time of the year for someone who loves college basketball the way I do, and adding a little madness only makes it better.

2.     Cinderella: Is there anything better than a Cinderella story? Last year, Florida Gulf Coast won the country over with its dunks and flashy passing. Steph Curry waltzed his way to the Elite Eight in 2008, capturing the heart of the nation doing so. Who is it going to be this year? I have no idea, but that’s the exciting part of it. No one thought George Mason would make it to the Final Four, or Butler would go to the national title game back-to-back years. I’m not even going to take a guess at who it might be. I’m just going to enjoy the surprise.

3.     Basketball in Nebraska: Wow, who would have thought I’d be talking about this at this time? But basketball is back at Nebraska, and the Huskers have a legitimate shot at am at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. It’s going to be interesting to see how they handle these last four games, which will decide whether they will be dancing. Just about 60 miles up the road on I-80 East, Creighton finds itself in conversation for a No. 2 seed in the Tournament. Doug McDermott has been magnificent this year and is a sure thing for All-American and Player of the Year honors. Can he lead the Jays to a Final Four? I think so. But more importantly, who isn’t excited to see what plays out in Nebraska?

4.     Conference Tournaments: Nothing gets me more excited for the NCAA Tournament than the weekend leading up to Selection Sunday. That’s when desperation sets in for teams. And with desperation comes fantastic basketball. Remember when Georgia made its run in the SEC tournament a few years ago during a hurricane? Or how about Kemba Walker and UConn winning five games in five days en route to the Big East title? Conference tournaments are great basketball and a great appetizer to the main entrée that is the Big Dance.

5.     Spring Training: I’m not a huge baseball guy, but there’s something about watching young players compete for positions on MLB rosters. It seems that players play with a lot more fire during spring training because they know jobs are at stake. Of course, it will also be interesting to see how the new faces on rosters gel. Big time players like Robinson Cano, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann all have different teams this year. Lets see if those deals work out for them and their respective clubs.

Top Videos:

-Heart-wrenching story about a NASCAR fan’s struggle.

-Wichita State won its 30^th game of the season last night. Here are the highlights.

-Quarterbacks don't impress at this week's NFL Combine.

-These last two aren’t videos, but I wrote about Benny Parker’s rise on the Nebraska men’s basketball team.

-Finally, this is a neat story on how students at the Nebraska school of journalism are trying to get their favorite teacher tenure.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day!

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Monday: Would Jason Collins be an NBA player if it wasn't openly gay?

It’s Monday. Time to breakdown the weekend’s biggest story.

Canada took Olympic Gold, Duke knocked off No. 1 Syracuse and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500.

But I’m going to talk about Jason Collins.

For those of you that don’t know, Collins became the first openly gay athlete to play in the four major professional sports on Sunday. He signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets in the morning and played in a game later that night.

This story blew up. If it wasn't for the Daytona 500, Sportscenter would have led with it. The show still ended up spending a lot of time on Collins.

As I was watching ESPN overanalyze everything Sunday night, my roommate asked me something as a Collins’ press conference was airing.

“Who has the guts to ask the question that everyone is thinking about?”

"What question?" I asked

"Would Collins be playing basketball in the NBA if he wasn’t gay?" He said. 

Now, I have nothing but respect for Collins and guys like Michael Sam, who will likely become the first openly gay football in the NFL. It takes guts to do what they did, and their lives will never be the same because of it. I want to make that clear.

But the answer to this question is: I don’t know.

I’m not the one running the Nets’ front office or looking at other big men—Collins is a 7-foot center—in the league. I’m no expert on whether Collins is good enough to play in the NBA.

However, the question deserves to be asked. It needs to be asked.

Why? 

Look at the facts.

Collins hadn’t played a game in almost a year before Brooklyn signed him. Even before then, he only averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds for his career. I could have counted on my own two hands how many people knew who he was before he announced he was gay.

He wasn’t exactly getting a whole lot of attention from NBA offices before he announced either. And now Sportscenter is showing every rebound, screen or blocked shot Collins is a part of.

Collins even admitted that since coming out, his life has made a turn for the best.

“Life is so much better for me.”

So this question deserves at least acknowledgement, especially in Collins’ case.

Not that Sam shouldn’t be asked the same questions when he signs with an NFL squad, but everyone thought he was going to be a solid pro football player before he said he came out.

I have nothing against Collins and I have no reason to think that he shouldn’t be an NBA player.

But if you’re a journalist and you are in that press conference after the signing, you have to ask the question.

I want to hear Collins’ answer, because I don’t have one.

Hot Reads:

-Phenomenal story about life in Dunk City, Fla., after Florida Gulf Coast’s Cinderella run.

-The Winter Olympics closed with a bang Sunday. 

-Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 Sunday, a huge win for NASCAR. 

-Takeaways from this weekend's portion of the NFL Combine.

-Nebraska men's basketball continues to roll, winning its fifth straight Sunday. 

Thanks for reading and have a great start to your week! 

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Nebraska Basketball: Huskers blowout Boilermakers at home

Nebraska 76 Purdue 57

Player of the Game:

David Rivers- Of course, this could have been given to Terran Petteway again, who scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Huskers once again. But Rivers energy and rebounding was a big lift for Nebraska, playing against one of the Big Ten’s best big men in A.J. Hammons. Rivers finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks to go along with stellar interior defense. His addition to the starting lineup makes Nebraska an upper-echelon defensive team and he showed why Sunday afternoon.

Key Stat:

Rebounding- Purdue is one of the Big Ten’s best rebounding teams, particular on offense. The Boilermakers came into Sunday’s game averaging 14 offensive rebounds a game, rebounding 37 percent of their misses. Nebraska wasn’t intimidated though, battling the entire game on the glass. The Huskers lost the rebounding battle 40-37, but only gave up 9 offensive rebounds. I’ll call that a win for Nebraska.

Play of the Game:

This had nothing to do with the outcome of the game, but Walter Pitchford rocked the Pinnacle Bank Arena crowd with a one handed dunk off of an alley-oop from Ray Gallegos. It was something Nebraska fans normally don’t see and it’s a sign that times are changing in Lincoln. You don’t usually see an athletic play like that one coming from a Nebraska player. It was fun to watch. 

Quotes Worth Mentioning:

-Walter Pitchford, Nebraska forward

On responding with two wins after Michigan State...

"It's us always. That's our key that we follow. We don't let the crowd dictate on what's going on. We are doing a good job of that and we are really maturing." 

-Shavon Shields, Nebraska guard

On scoring options...

"We have different people that show up on different nights. We're really molding right now and coming together. We want to keep things rolling." 

On NCAA Tournament...

"We can't pay attention to that right now. When you start to look at the big picture, you get a distorted look at things. It's all about the next game. Illinois right now."

-Matt Painter, Purdue coach 

On whether Nebraska is an NCAA Tourney team...

"They are going to have to finish stronger. There's no doubt that they can get into the NCAA tournament, you have to get off 9-9. It comes down to your quality wins. They are pretty particular with how they play. They are a very good defensive team. They probably have to get one more good one." 

On Nebraska fans...

"Most fans come out when you win. These fans came out to help them win." 

-Tim Miles, Nebraska coach

"This is a team that really cares about together. Growing up and understanding. They have just been playing really well together lately." 

Other Notes:

-Shavon Shields recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, the second of his career.

-Nebraska won its fifth-straight conference game for the first time since the 1998-1999 season.

-This is the first time the Huskers have beaten Purdue in the regular season since joining the Big Ten. They beat the Boilermakers in the Big Ten Tournament last year. 

-Nebraska improved to 16-10 with the win and 8-6 in the conference. Both are better than their win totals from last year. 

Thanks for reading! Check out the game story in tomorrow's Daily Nebraskan. 

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Friday: Syracuse, Duke headline a loaded weekend in the sports world

Happy Friday everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m pumped for this weekend.

We have Top 25 matchups everywhere in college basketball, the Olympic hockey medal round and the NFL Combine begins.

Let’s get started with those college basketball predictions though.

Marquee Matchup:

No. 1 Syracuse @ No. 5 Duke, Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN: The rankings won’t be the same after the weekend but this is still a huge game. Syracuse lost its first game of the season to Boston College Wednesday. Then the Blue Devils lost last night to North Carolina. Nonetheless, this game has the makings of a classic, if you recall the last time these squads faced each other. Duke gives the Orangemen all kinds of problems because everyone on the floor can shoot. The Cuse are so tough defensively because of their length, and Tyler Ennis makes them special on offense when he’s playing well. I like Duke in this one. Syracuse hasn’t been playing well lately, but got away with it until Wednesday’s loss. Blue Devils hit 10 threes and play just well enough defensively to get the win. Duke 75 Syracuse 71.

Second Tier:

No. 11 Louisville @ No. 7 Cincinnati, Saturday, 11 a.m., CBS: Cincinnati is quietly having one of the better seasons in college basketball. The Bearcats play fantastic defense and their frontcourt can play with anyone in the country. Speaking of quiet seasons though, how about the defending national champs? I’ve heard very little about the Cardinals this season. But Rick Pitino is flying under the radar, and his bunch is playing well, winning nine of their last 10. Two very different styles of play will clash in this won. Louisville boasts one of the best offenses in the country, while Cincinnati only allows 57 points a game. The Bearcats took the first one at Louisville and I think they protect home court here. Cincinnati 70 Louisville 67.

Might Get Interesting:

No. 6 San Diego State @ New Mexico, Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN 2: This game might be the best of the day. Of course, these teams aren’t the most well known, but both can play. San Diego State can only improve its already impressive resume with a win at New Mexico. On the other side, the Lobos need this one. They are currently an 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s bracketology, but with bad losses to New Mexico St. and UNLV, a top 10 win would help them out greatly. Because of that, I like New Mexico in this one. Too much at stake for the Lobos, while not much will change for SDSU whether it wins or loses. New Mexico 72 SDSU 68.

Other Top 25 Matchups:

-No. 19 Texas @ No. 8 Kansas, Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU

-No. 16 Wisconsin @ No. 15 Iowa, Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN 2

-No. 13 Michigan State @ No. 20 Michigan, Sunday, 11 a.m., CBS

Things I Missed:

-Nebraska won its fourth straight last night. Check out Nedu Izu’s game story.

-North Carolina fans stormed the court after beating Duke last night. Why would Carolina fans ever need to storm the court?

-USA takes on Canada in the Olympic semifinals today at 11 a.m. Watch here.

-LeBron James made a statement last night. 

-Here's a preview for the NFL Combine. 

Thanks for reading! Enjoy a great weekend of sports!

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Nebraska basketbal: Nebraska continues to roll with win against Penn State

Nebraska 80 Penn State 67

Player of the Game:

Tai Webster- Yes, Terran Petteway had another monster game offensively. But Webster was just solid all around. He finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists with only one turnover. He also played fantastic defense with a steal and a block. He distributed the ball, attacked the rim and played the way Nebraska needs him to. Nothing flashy, just help distribute and run the offense. That’s all he needs to do. Petteway and Shavon Shields can do the rest. Webster just needs to be solid.

Key Stat:

Free Throw Shooting- In a game that had 51 fouls, Nebraska needed to shoot well from the free throw line. And boy did it ever. The Huskers attempted 48 free throws. Yes 48! They made 37 of them, helping pull away early in this one. Penn State shot well from the free throw line as well, but didn’t attempt nearly as many as the Huskers. Nebraska attacked the basket all night.   

Play of the Game:

Penn State coach Pat Chambers got a technical foul with 15 minutes left in the second half that really sealed the deal for the Huskers. Any hope of a Nittany Lion comeback was thwarted at that point. Nebraska scored four points on that possession to extend the lead to over 20 points for the first time. Penn State’s body language really looked bad from that point on, other than the final minutes of the game.

Quotes Worth Mentioning:

-Pat Chambers, Penn State coach

On fouls...

"I have great respect for the officials, but 48 free throws. Wow." 

-Terran Petteway, Nebraska sophomore guard

On this win and NCAA tournament...

"This is a great win. We couldn't come out here and lay an egg after the Michigan State game." 

-Tai Webster, Nebraska freshman guard

On playing well offensively...

"I got back to playing not thinking about it. I just played free." 

-Tim Miles, Nebraska coach

On building 27-point lead...

"In the Big Ten, you don't do that for very many team." 

On defense...

"We've improved. Played bigger. We've improved our defense and played all right offense."

On doing anything different with defense...

"We threaten them. But I can't tell you what we do." 

Other notes:

-This win gives Nebraska its first four-game conference win streak since 1999.

-Tai Webster scored in double digits for this first time in Big Ten play.

-Nebraska had five guys in double figures for the first time all season. 

-The Huskers are now above .500 (7-6) in Big Ten play for the first time. 

-Five technical fouls were issued in this game: four on Penn State, one on Nebraska. 

-Walter Pitchford went down with a left leg injury with about eight minutes to go in the second half. "No structural damage," Miles said, "but I don't know when he'll be available." He was smiling after the game and wasn't writhing in pain. 

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Wednesday: Top 5 bubble teams that could make a deep NCAA Tournament run

It’s Wednesday, and that means time for this week’s top 5.

This edition is going to focus on college basketball, more specifically; the NCAA Tournament.

Remember UCONN a few years ago? That team that was on the bubble entering the Big East tournament? That team that won five games in five days en route to a conference crown? Oh, they also won the national title as well, led by Kemba Walker.

This week’s topic focuses on those kind of teams: Top 5 teams on the bubble right now that could make a run in the Big Dance.

1.     Oklahoma State, 16-10 overall, 4-9 Big 12, RPI 52, SOS 17: The Cowboys are in bad shape after losing to Baylor Monday night, their seventh straight defeat. But the fact that this team was a top 5 squad at one point this season makes a huge case that they can turn it around. That and Marcus Smart comes back next game after serving a three-game suspension. The schedule favors Oklahoma State as well. It plays Texas Tech at home and then travels to TCU before hosting Kansas and Kansas State. I think the Cowboys go on a run here and become a serious Final Four threat once again. Plus, I wouldn’t want to go against Marcus Smart right now. He's scary good when he's angry and he can't be too happy right now.

2.     Tennessee, 15-10, 6-6 SEC, RPI 54, SOS 10: Every year the Volunteers find themselves on the bubble. This year is no different, except this time Tennessee isn’t going to sweat on Selection Sunday. This team is too good and too talented to slip any further. The Volunteers rebound the basketball—reeling in 41 percent of their misses—and they have one of the best scorers in the country in Jordan McRae. They don’t play Florida or Kentucky the rest of the regular season. This team has the pieces to make a deep tournament run, and I think they’ll do it this year, if they don’t let their bubble burst.

3.     California, 17-8, 8-4 Pac 12, RPI 43, SOS 62: The reason why I have California so high? Justin Cobbs. This guy can flat out play. He puts up 16 points and 6 assists per game, but it’s his playmaking ability that makes him so good. Just ask Arizona. Cobbs is a senior leader too, which makes his teammates better around him. Big time players can lead teams to places not many other people think they can go, and Cobbs is a big time player.

4.     West Virginia, 15-11, 7-6 Big 12, RPI 67, SOS 42: The Mountaineers might be the most intriguing team on the bubble. Their resume isn’t that great. Actually, it really stinks. But any team that can put up 102 points on Iowa State and hang with Kansas at Allan Fieldhouse is dangerous in my book. They are also dangerous because of Juwan Staten, who averages 18 points and 6 assists a game. The point guard is a lot like Cobbs; a playmaker who makes his teammates better around him. If West Virginia can get into the Dance, watch out. This team won’t be a one-and-done team I can guarantee that.

5.     St. Johns, 17-9, 7-6 Big East, RPI 53, SOS 41: The Red Storm might be the hottest team in the Big East right now. After dropping their first five conference games, St. Johns has won nine of its last 10 with its only loss come at Creighton. It returned the favor against Creighton later in the month as well. The Johnnies keep winning games and make a run in the Big East tournament, who knows how far this team can go in the Big Dance.

Top Videos

-No. 9 Villanova survives double overtime against Providence.

-No. 8 Kansas needed a last second shot by its superstar freshman to knock off pesky Texas Tech.

-Russia is no longer in contention for a men’s hockey medal.

-Not a video, but check out my column about Nebraska basketball's chances of making the NCAA Tournament. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know if I left any teams out that you think can make a deep tournament run.

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Monday: The NCAA Tournament bubble welcomes Nebraska basketball

Happy Monday! It was a great weekend of college basketball. No. 1 Syracuse almost went down, No. 2 Arizona fell at its in-state rival and North Carolina won it’s sixth straight game as a matchup with Duke looms ahead this week.

But I’m going to talk about Nebraska basketball today.

In case you missed it, Nebraska knocked off No. 9 Michigan State Sunday afternoon. At Michigan State!

It was unreal. Terran Petteway—who was just named co-Big Ten Player of the Week—made shots I didn’t think he could make. Walter Pitchford went bonkers from behind the arc in the first half. And the rest of the Huskers played with a massive chip on their shoulder.

It was fun to watch. Nebraska’s big men were taking it too Adreian Payne and the rest of the Spartan frontcourt. Bench player Benny Parker pestered the Michigan State guards as well, helping force 11 turnovers.

Sure, Michigan State didn’t play like the ninth best team in the country. But a lot of that had to do with the Huskers, who played stifling defense the entire night. It was an impressive performance.

Just ask the social media world.

Nebraska coach Tim Miles and the hashtag Nebrasketball were trending on as well. Don’t believe me? See for yourself:

In all seriousness, this win puts Nebraska basketball right in the thick of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Granted, the Huskers have a lot of work to do, and this win alone won’t get them in the field of 68.

This does put them that much closer though. And the schedule seems favorable for them as well. Take a look at their final six games:

-Penn State

-Purdue

-@ Illinois

-Northwestern

-@ Indiana

-Wisconsin

Those are all extremely winnable games. If Nebraska wins out, it’s a tournament team in my opinion. They have 22nd-ranked strength of schedule to go along with a No. 52 spot in the RPI rankings.

If the Huskers somehow end up with 20 wins and a top 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, their chances of making the Big Dance are extremely high.

This is all speculation of course, but Sunday’s win has the entire state of Nebraska on Cloud 9.

Coach Miles has this team playing at a level Nebraska hasn’t seen in years, and it’s fun to watch.

Hot Reads

-Sunday was a HUGE day in the state of Nebraska for basketball. Creighton routed Villanova once again while the Nebraska women won their sixth straight even with their coach sidelined.

-Great story about Trey Burke and Jared Sullinger.
-If you were up to watch early Sunday morning, you witness one of the greatest hockey games in Olympic history.
-The U.S. women's hockey team reached the gold medal match today.
-The NBA All-Star set some records Sunday night. 

Thanks for reading and have a great start to your week!

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Nebraska basketball: Huskers shock No. 9 Spartans

Nebraska 60 No. 9 Michigan State 51

Player of the Game:

Terran Petteway- Walter Pitchford was great, and he could have easily gotten this honor. But Petteway was spectacular down the stretch once again. I don’t know how he kept making those shots, but it seemed like everything he threw up  went in. He made at least three shots from behind the arc with five seconds or less in the shot clock, including one with two minutes to go. Nebraska couldn't do anything offensively without him. Literally. He scored 14 straight points in the game's final 10 minutes for the Huskers. He also had a layup with under a minute to help seal the deal. He finished with 23 points.

Key Stat:

Fast break points- Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 78 points a game. It gets most of those points off of transition, led by guards Keith Appling and Gary Harris. The Spartans didn’t score a single fast break point Sunday as Nebraska did a phenomenal job defensively throughout. This was mainly Benny Parker’s doing, who has become a nightmare for opposing point guards. The Huskers don’t win this game if they don’t defend in transition and they did that Sunday afternoon.

Play of the Game:

Lets see, which Petteway jumper should I choose? Petteway hit one with two minutes remaining in the game with a Michigan State defender all over him. I mean he was leaning into the shot and everything. It was insane. It might have been a little luck, but you could visibly see the energy leave Michigan State after that jumper. Nebraska just needed a couple rebounds and free throws to seal the game after that.

Other notes:

-Nebraska’s win was just the fourth in school history over a top-10 team on the road and first since a 74-69 win at No. 7 Iowa State on Feb. 22, 1997
-Nebraska snaps a 21-game losing streak to ranked teams on the road, dating back to a 65-59 win at No. 22 Texas A&M and Feb. 23, 2008. NU had lost its last 24 games away from home against ranked teams.
-Nebraska picks up its first Big Ten win against Michigan State, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Spartans. Nebraska’s only other win in East Lansing was an 85-81 win on Dec. 18, 1993.
-Terran Petteway eclipsed the 20-point mark for the eighth time this season.
-Walter Pitchford set a career high with 218 points, topping his previous best of 15 set at Northwestern on Feb. 8
-Nebraska won three straight conference games for the first time since the 2010-11 season
-Nebraska’s five turnovers matches a season low (also vs. South Carolina State).

-Another note, look for a feature on Benny Parker in Tuesday’s Daily Nebraskan. It’s amazing how that guy has been so effective for a team in the Big Ten.

Thanks for reading! And send me your reactions of Nebraska’s win. Check out the Daily Nebraskan tomorrow for the game story.

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com           

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Friday: HUGE weekend in college basketball

Happy Valentines Day! As usual, we have a big weekend in college basketball. Tons of ranked matchups along with other intriguing matchups.

So let’s start this week’s predictions.

Marquee Matchup

No. 3 Florida @ No. 14 Kentucky, Saturday, 8 p.m. (CST), ESPN: 

There aren’t a whole lot of big games in the SEC, but this one is huge. Both Florida and Kentucky are national title contenders, and this game will likely be the SEC Championship in March. They are completely different squads. Florida plays incredible defense and starts four seniors, including studs Patric Young and Scottie Wilbekin. Kentucky is led almost exclusively by freshmen and sophomores, especially big man Julius Randle. This will be the toughest test yet for the Gators, who have won 16 straight games since falling at UConn. It’s been kind of a up and down season for the Wildcats, but you have to think John Calipari will have his team ready to play at home. This one is tough to predict. The keys here are the Harrison twins. Can they deal with Florida’s constant defensive pressure? I think they do at home. Kentucky 70 Florida 67.

Second Tier

No. 6 Villanova @ No. 18 Creighton, Sunday, 4 p.m., Fox Sports 1: 

This one isn’t much of a second tier. I’m sensing a rivalry brewing between these two squads. I can’t imagine how Villanova feels after it got utterly destroyed by the Jays at home. Im sure they had nightmares of Ethan Wragge for weeks. This is the Wildcats chance at revenge, but it won’t come easy. Creighton is tough to beat at home, but the Jays have struggled recently, needing some late game heroics by Doug McDermott to beat teams. This game will be much closer than the first one, and I think Jay Wright’s Wildcats will put themselves in a position to win late. But McDermott knocks down another key shot in the final minute to give the Jays the season sweep. Creighton 80 Villanova 78.

Might Get Interesting           

No. 21 Wisconsin @ No. 15 Michigan, Sunday, 12 p.m., CBS: 

If it wasn’t for the importance of the first two games this would have probably been one of the first I predicted. But, too many good games this weekend. Wisconsin has won three straight after a tough stretch of losses that included losing to Northwestern at home. The Wolverines also seem back on track after being dismantled by Iowa a week ago. This is an important game for both squads. Wisconsin loses and falls to 7-6 in the Big Ten, making it nearly impossible for it to make a run at a conference crown. If the Wolverines lose, they will be a game back of Michigan State for first place in the standings. The key to this game is Nik Stauskas. He’s struggled lately, but Michigan needs him to come up big against a stingy Wisconsin defense. I think he does. Michigan 65 Wisconsin 60.

What I Missed

-Check out this story about an American playing soccer in Afghanistan.

-Awesome story about Tony Gonzalez.

-Incredible comeback story of a U.S. Olympic athlete. 

-Cool piece on Steve Nash building up to retirement. 

-Also, get psyched for NBA All-Star weekend. 

Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day and weekend. 

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Nebraska basketball: Huskers take down Illinois.

Nebraska 67 Illinois 58

Player of the Game:

Shavon Shield- The sophomore forward was brilliant tonight. He did everything. Drove to the bucket. Hit mid-range jumpers. Knocked down 3-pointers. Made every free throw he took. He had a career-high 33 points, and the Huskers needed every bit of those points. He played with fire and passion that Nebraska needed after slow starts to the first and second half. Without Shields’ performance tonight, Nebraska wouldn’t have won tonight.

Key Stat:

Shooting Percentage- Illinois came out shooting at a blistering rate, making three of its first four 3-pointers. The Illini made just one more shot from behind the arc the rest of the game. On the other side, Nebraska started out poorly on offense. However, it rallied to shoot a decent 44 percent, while holding Illinois to 37 percent in the game. The Illini didn’t have open looks in the second half and that proved to be the different in the game.

Play of the Game:

Shields had a bunch of big plays, but the biggest play came from Walter Pitchford with just under eight minutes to play in the game.  He hit his only 3-pointer and gave Nebraska a 52-47 lead. That sparked a 10-2 run that gave the Huskers a 59-50 lead, putting the Illini away for good. Shields was the best player Wednesday, but Pitchford hit the biggest shot.

Other Notes:

-Shavon Shields 15-of-15 from the free throw line tied a school record in free throws made in a game.

-Shields scored a career-high 33 points. His previous high was 29 last year at Penn State.

-Walter Pitchford failed to score in double figures for the first time in five games.

-Nebraska has won five of its seven games.

-The Huskers have now won two straight Big Ten games twice this season after never doing so before this season.

-Nebraska's win gives them five in conference play, tying its total from last season. 

Thanks for reading! Check out tomorrow's game story in the Daily Nebraskan.

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward

Wednesday: Top 5 most underrated players on college basketball's best teams

Hump day! That mean’s it’s time for my Top 5.

This week’s topic focuses on college basketball’s elite, but not necessarily the stars of their respective teams.

Today’s Top 5: The most underrated players in college basketball’s Top 10.

1.     Wayne Seldon, No. 7 Kansas: The Jayhawks are a team loaded with NBA talent. Andrew Wiggins is the go to guy. Joel Embiid is the enforcer inside. Nadir Tharpe runs the offense and seems to hit the big-time shot when they need it. But when Kansas is really clicking, Seldon is playing his best basketball. The 6-foot-5 guard can be a lights out scorer and a great defender. However, there are times when he seems distant, like most freshmen do in their first year of college. This is what happened in Monday’s loss against Kansas State. Seldon disappeared and wasn’t even on the court for the final minutes of the game. In my opinion, Kansas is the favorite to win a national title when Seldon is on his game.

2.     T.J. McConnell, No. 2 Arizona: Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson are the ones making headlines, bit McConnell is the one winning games. I’ve only seen Arizona play a handful of times this year, but every time this guy impresses me. The entire offense runs through McConnell, who is averaging 7.5 point, 5.5 assists and 4 rebounds a game. He does a little of everything for this squad. He’ll dive on the floor for a loose ball, he’ll make a screen when he doesn’t have the ball and he’ll give up an open shot to give a better shooter a chance. Arizona is a top 25 team when McConnell is not on the floor. It can win a national championship with him on it.

3.     Travis Trice, No. 9 Michigan State: Tom Izzo’s squad has seen its share of injuries over the past couple months. Adreian Payne, Branden Dawson, Keith Appling. They’ve all seen some sort of time on the sideline due to an injury. However, the Spartans haven’t fallen that far off the radar, thanks in large part to Trice. You’ve probably seen him play. He’s the one that looks like a high school freshmen instead of a junior in college. Trice gets little credit, but he’s the one that’s taken over All-Big Ten candidate Keith Appling’s role since he senior was hurt. And when Trice is playing his best, Michigan State is tough to beat, no matter who is injured. Just ask Wisconsin who needed a game-winner to beat the depleted Spartans, on its home court.

4.     Ron Baker, No. 4 Wichita State: It’s hard to say that the second leading scorer on an undefeated team is underrated. But Baker fits this category. Teammates Fred VanVleet and Cleanthony Early get most of the attention. Super dunker Tekele Cotton has gotten some love as well with his highlight reel moments. Baker though, he just plays his game. It’s not flashy. He only averages 12 points a game and shoots about 35 percent from behind the arc. But yet, he always seems to make the big shot, or make a block, or steal the ball, just when his team needs it most. Just look at the Shockers win against Southern Illinois Tuesday. Make no mistake, where Ron Baker goes, Wichita State goes.

5.     Xavier Thames, No. 5 San Diego State: Thames isn’t the most underrated player on the Aztecs roster. In fact, he’s the best player on this roster. But he might be one of the most underrated players in college basketball. I know it has a lot to do with the conference he plays in. But still, Thames is the real deal. He averages 18 points, 3 rebounds and has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. At times, he is SDSU’s only offense. Not only that, he is a leader and when he plays well San Diego State is tough to beat because it is such a good defensive team.

Top Videos:

-Shaun White falls in his quest for a third-straight gold medal.

-Check out this Team USA athlete's dance moves. 

-Canada takes round one against the U.S. in Sochi. 

-And can LeBron quit teasing us and just enter the dunk contest already? 

Thanks for reading! Look for a Nebraska basketball blog tonight after the Huskers take on Illinois. Have a good Wednesday.

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward