Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
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For other regional analysis, click here: East | Midwest | West
Underrated
It’s tempting to spotlight Richmond, an outstanding defensive team with a star in Kevin Anderson. Yet 12-seed Utah State is the only choice. Sure, the seeding committee probably picked the Aggies (27-7) as one of the last teams in the tournament, but that only emphasizes everything.
Check the ratings — the RPI, Kenpom, Sagarin. Utah State’s more along the lines of 7-seed Clemson and far better than 10-seed Florida. When you shoot like the Aggies (49 percent overall), it’s easy to see why. Beating Texas A&M is no easy task, but they’ll be up for it.
Overrated
Nothing’s been the same for Purdue since Robbie Hummel tore his ACL. The Boilermakers (27-5) dropped two of their last five games and struggled mightily in wins against lowly Penn State and Northwestern. Then came the Big Ten tournament debacle vs. Minnesota, when Purdue scored just 11 first-half points.
Their marvelous season (a share of the Big Ten title) earned the Boilers a 4 seed, but they’re a far cry from that spot. If they make the Sweet 16, it’ll be a marvelous achievement.
Impact player
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The 6-10 junior forward is a game-changer on offense and defense, posting 14 double-doubles and swatting nearly four shots a game. He’s always on the court, grabbing rebounds, playing help defense or scoring. The Bears are a great offensive team, but they’re average defensively. And they’d be even worse without Udoh.
Most likely first-round upset?
Georgetown lost to Old Dominion at home this season. The Hoyas finished 10-8 in the Big East, same as Notre Dame. Add it together and the Irish are in trouble.
The hitch is that Notre Dame (23-11) is finally playing defense. Ever since a Feb. 24 win against Pitt, the Irish are no longer the porous unit that relied on offense to win games. That’ll be crucial against the Monarchs (26-8), who actually play better defense and aren’t too shabby on offense. ODU will find a way for the 6-11 upset.
Best matchup
Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds lives for March. Richmond’s Kevin Anderson is making his first appearance, but is every bit the player Reynolds is. Seeing the two face off in the second-round in Providence will be one for the ages — and something for undersized guards everywhere.
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Regional champion
Everything points to Duke. The Blue Devils (29-5) were a mainstay in the Top 10 this season, swept the ACC regular-season and tournament titles and have the most efficient team in the nation (by a hair over Kansas). They have favorable a second-round matchup (either Cal or Louisville) and could face a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16.
Yet ... it’s hard to shake Baylor. The Bears (25-7) have terrific guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, solid role players and a future NBA lottery pick in Udoh. They’ll be tested if they face Duke in the regional semifinals, which could play in their favor in a tight game. The Devils should get their due as a quality No. 1 seed, but it’s hard to see them in the Final Four.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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