Mark's Week Two Thoughts

It's 3:30 and I have been in heaven since 11 a.m. watching football non-stop. I've decided a few of my pre-season predictions are probably wrong. Here are a few of my thoughts:

South Carolina is better than I thought. Spurrier may kill freshman Marcus Lattimore if he keeps giving him 37 carries, but he needed them all today to take down Georgia.

Georgia's offense is not very good without A.J. Green. I like Murray, but it's pretty tough when you have to play with a hand behind your back. His best receiver is now a tight end, Orson Charles. The South Carolina D probably had a lot to do with it, but 6 points ain't gonna cut it.

Florida looks vulnerable. Brad, Shawn and I have been talking all day about how bad the Gators have looked through two weeks, and I am not feeling very confident about my SEC East pick.

Oklahoma was looking past Utah State to Florida State. The Sooners offense has clicked on all cylinders in the first half against the Seminoles, as Landry Jones is torching the secondary to the tune of 13-16 for 173 yards and 2 TDs in the first half.

Miami is faster than Ohio State. I've heard Herbie and everyone in the media who wants people to think the Big-10 is worth a crap say that the Buckeyes have closed the speed gap that has plagued them in big games against quality teams from the south, but guess what...they're wrong. I can't really put my finger on what Ohio State's issue is, because speed isn't all of it, but I don't see OSU beating a quality SEC team in the near future.

Boise State's quality win just disappeared. Virginia Tech losing to JAMES MADISON (isn't he Billy's brother?) takes the one win the Broncos could hang their hat on and flings it in the fire.

Football in HD is probably the awesomest (yeah, I said it) thing since sliced bread, and I will continue to partake in its splendor through Monday Night Football!

Your thoughts???

Early Football Ramblings

Saturday's first games aren't even over yet, and I have some serious thinking to do.

Florida is having all kinds of trouble with Miami (Ohio) and the fighting Szczerbiak's. A hundred yards of total offense well into the fourth quarter in the Swamp. So many bad snaps and stupid penalties I lost count, and shaky play-calling from Urban Meyer have me re-thinking my prediction of the Gators over Georgia in the SEC-East. Georgia has a lot to do with that though, as Aaron Murray and the 'Dogs have been very impressive without A.J. Green and Washaun Ealey on the offensive side of the ball. Georgia has thoroughly dominated Louisiana-Lafayette on both sides of the ball. It has been a beat-down in every facet of the game. Murray has shown touch on the deep ball, great decision making (even running for a touchdown) and poise in the pocket. I will be interested in how this shakes out.

I'm hoping the Hogs can show up big tonight and put a beat-down on the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech.

Mark's SEC West Forecast

An extension of my SEC picks, as promised:

1.

Alabama: A returning Heisman trophy winner, an undefeated QB and a horde of talent will be too much for Arkansas to overtake, and the Tide will roll back into Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game for a third straight year. The defense will need to replace eight starters (not counting Hightower), but another highly rated recruiting class and defensive whiz Nick Saban should allow Alabama to stay atop the league.

2.

Yet another step in the Bobby Petrino world-takeover will vault the Hogs into national prominence behind the arm of Ryan Mallett and the offensive genius of Petrino. Expectations are sky high, and anything less than 9-3 will be viewed as a disappointment in God's country. A tough road game between the hedges in Athens against Georgia and a home tilt against the defending national champions will tell this season's tale. I expect a split in those two and I'm starting to lean more toward 10-2 than 9-3. The Kool-Aid tastes delicious!

3.

I'm definitely not drinking the Herbstreit beverage, so I certainly won't be going nuts by picking Auburn to be any higher than third. The gimmicky offense and suspect defense haven't changed, and lest we forget, the head coach is still a nobody. No more words should be wasted on the Tigers with an identity crisis. Can anyone explain how a Tigers team cries War EAGLE? I don't care for the story so spare me.

4.

LSU is always super-athletic and talented, as they seem to always recruit well. The talent had better win out over coaching, however, because the Mad Hatter Les Miles is a moron. If they can out-play his ineptitude they have a shot, but 4th (at best 3rd) is where they'll end up.

5.

Jeremiah Masoli's on-again off-again eligibility aside, the QB Killa will work his magic this year and there will no doubt be hundreds of smoke draws, fullback dump-offs to the flats, and one-man routes from offensive (insert sarcasm) mastermind Houston Dale Nutt. The addition of Masoli could re-arrange this list as Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss could easily switch places, but this is my prediction. May be wishful thinking, but here's hoping they don't win a game.

6.

Dan Mullen will have the Bulldogs out of the cellar very soon, but it won't be this year. All-everything RB Anthony Dixon is gone, and there just is not enough talent to equate to enough wins to pull the 'Dogs out of the doldrums.

Shawn's SEC East picks

First I have to say Mark piqued my interest with a return to our blog with, you guessed it, football! That's right, the greatest game going. Vince Lombardi said it best, "when the leaves begin to change, boys become men." Coach Lombardi is referring, of course, to football The passion of the game brings communities together. States split with the team that carries each city's banner. The game that young kids can do chants, friends can share memories of past games, and the passion of fan-dom can override even the roughest of weeks.

We at the blitz love our football, so we all will be bringing our views.

6. Vanderbilt: Like Mark I don't really see much else for these guys. New coach Robbie Caldwell, albeit a funny man in an interview, like Rodney Dangerfield still gets; "no respect." The dores with all kinds of problems on offense, just doesn't appear to have the goods for anything more than cellar dweller status. The fighting Ivy Leaguers won't be able to add up enough wins here, 2-10

5. Tennessee: Rocky Not is the song they will be singing here. Derrick Dooley will be a good one long term for Vol Nation, just not this year. I believe if the revolving door of coaches in Knoxville stops here they will be fine, but we are talking this year. No Qb to speak of, and a questionable running game with Hardesty gone. Tennesse struggles, and the Vols hit "Rocky Bottom" this year, 4-7

4. Kentucky: Tough call here, New coach Joker Phillips isn't joking at all. Actually, he has an interesting team in the east. Hartline has had his moments of struggles and successes since being in the SEC. However, experience goes a long way, and he has it. With Randall Cobb (SEC's most versitile player) moved to full-time WR he is a real threat. Cobb will get some wildcat snaps, and he teamed with Derrick Locke they have some juice, just not enough to pull ahead of South Carolina. Mark has almost convinced me South Carolina has too many issues, but the Joke's on Kentucky this year, 5-7.

3. South Carolina: The old ball coach has come along way since dominating the SEC with Wuerffel and the fun-and-gun. He has went from the Gator orange and blue, to a stint in Redskin country, to a land that football forgot in Columbia, South Carolina. Where national championships in football are as likley to happen as Charles Barkely actually playing a good round of golf. Coach Spurrier brings to the table Stephen Garcia who is a long way from the Wuerffel days. The Gamecock version might be called the "not so fun, and run;" because if you're a QB behind that o-line, it will be no fun because you will be running for your life.. They have skill guys, but the o-line has more holes than the Oklahoma highways. It's going to be rough. Their D is great, but you can't win many if you don't score. Defense gets them to a bowl though, 6-6.

2. Florida: "Oh where, oh where did my Tebow go, oh where oh where could he be." These are the lyrics to Urban Meyer's new country single, "Lost without a friend." All joking aside, John Brantley is probably a good QB, but as if the pressure of replacing Tebow isn't enough, he is leading an offense that will have to score early and often.. Replacing almost the entire defense from a year ago won't give Brantley the luxury that Tebow had at times a year ago when the Gators vaunted offense was erratic at best in certain games. Last year you could see the loss of Dan Mullen as the offensive coordinator was rough on the offense. This year they have to deal with the loss of Charlie Strong as he left his defensive coordinator job for head coaching at Louisville. So I see that being just one of the many that has turned the pressure cooker to high for Brantley. You know it's always tough to follow a legend, and for Brantley its going to be especially tough. Pour guy will always hear "well when we had Tebow." So in all I just cannot buy the Gators. Too many questions that have yet to be answered. There is still enough talent to win though, 9-3.

1. Georgia: Mark Richt brings in a loaded offensive attack lead by true freshman Aaron Murray. This team intrigues me. I look at them offensively and see how a lot of people could buy into them. I mean AJ Green is, in my opinion, the best WR in the nation, and a future all-pro guy. A running game that features a one-two punch as good as arguably anyone outside of 'Bama in the nation, Washawn Ealy and Caleb King give any defensive coordinator headaches. However, big question mark on D. Their D got thrashed last year and they return all but arguably the two best in safety Rashad Jones and linebacker Rennie Curran who are now in the NFL. Also, they are switching to a 3-4 alignment that is designed to put more emphasis on rushing the passer which, in turn, will help the secondary, which will really make Brandon Boykin a handful at cornerback. Will these moves shake the "RICHTER" scale to a 10 and win the whole SEC? Well I will tell you later. However, with the offensive weapons and an offensive line you could set up a tent behind, they for sure win the east, 10-2.

Check back for the west predictions and the SEC championship game, you know the east, now I will tell you who will win the Wild Wild West and why.

Mark's SEC East forecast

It's about that time! Football kicks off the real deal Thursday as fall practices and pre-season NFL gives way to a little college football action. I'm sure we will talk up the games and of course the Razorbacks, but we'll start with the SEC Eastern division. West will be forecast tomorrow, stay tuned (and I'm sure Brad and Shawn will disagree!)

6. Vanderbilt:

The new coach may have made some waves---as well as a few fans--- with his good ole boy routine at SEC media days, but he has lost his best running back to injury and returns a 2-10 team that won no conference games in 2009. Expect more of the same in '10.

5. Tennessee:

Derek Dooley's Vols will look a lot different that Lane Kiffin's squad, as highly touted running back Bryce Brown has bolted for Kansas State and several others have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Eventually, I'm sure Dooley will field a quality team, but this year, they won't get to .500.

4. Kentucky:

Is there a theme developing? The bottom three teams all breaking in new coaches means growing pains and lots of L's. Joker Phillips will struggle through the SEC, although they have a favorable road schedule, with trips to Gainesville, Oxford, Starkville and Knoxville. Not to say they will win any of those, but they do get Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt at home.

3. South Carolina:

Too many people are picking the Gamecocks as SEC favorites for my liking. So let's look at this logically. Who is their QB? Stephen Garcia. Coach Spurrier doesn't even like him! How about their offensive line? Spurrier bad-mouthed them at SEC media days as well, worried they wouldn't be up to the job either. What about their stud player? Alshon Jeffery aside, Weslye Saunders may be the best target SC has, and he has lied his way into the doghouse too, earning an indefinite suspension. What part of this team is appealing?

2. Georgia:

I am not overly excited about the Bulldogs this season (as a Hog fan, that is impossible anyway) because they are once again breaking in a new QB. Last year Arkansas got a first-hand look at Joe Cox, as they made him look like Peyton Manning in Fayetteville. I'm not predicting the Ark-Georgia game here, but lets just say I don't expect another 50-point outburst from the 'Dogs against the Hogs. They are here based mostly on attrition. I don't like anyone else already mentioned to be better, so an 8-4 or 9-3 Georgia team will land at #2 in 2010.

1. Florida:

And the Gator train keeps on rolling. I have little doubt in my mind about this one. Florida may be better this year than last, as crazy as this sounds. Tim Tebow is a college legend, but Urban Meyer's system was almost totally shaped around his talents---and shortcomings---during his tenure. Insert John Brantley, after waiting his turn Brantley is ready to take the reigns and roll, and there are several reasons I think they won't miss a beat. For all the reasons I don't like South Carolina, I like Florida. Brantley's skills will be utilized in Meyer's system, the offensive line is loaded with blue-chip talent (like everywhere else. When you sign a top-3 class every year, it tends to be that way) and the next wave of skill players are itching for their chance. Youth should not be a problem, besides, we've seen this before. Tebow and Percy Harvin didn't have much of an impact their freshmen year, did they? I see absolutely no way the Gators fail to return to Atlanta this year for the SEC championship game, even if their October 2 trip to Tuscaloosa results in a loss. It will be their only one until the SEC-CG, and we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Can't give away all the predictions yet, so stay tuned!

Those Sandbagging Celtics

I'm hacked off.

I hate losing, and almost as bad as losing, I hate when the teams I pick to win lose. LeBron James went for a triple-double Thursday in game 6 of the Eastern Conference semis, with 27 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also had nine turnovers and shot 8-21.

But, at the end of the day, the Celtics won and will move on to face the streaking Orlando Magic who have been nearly unstoppable this post-season.

I'm most upset about how the Celtics snuck up on me. I, like most others, had bought in to the opinion that the Celtics were too old and battered to challenge The King. Did the team we just watched run roughshod over the number one seed look like a 50-32 team that is too old and past their prime to compete? I am of the opinion they coasted, tanked, sandbagged, whatever you want to call it, to prepare for such a run.

Kevin Garnett got healthy, Rajon Rondo took over, and Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rasheed Wallace stepped up to fill out a formidable team.

Watch out Orlando.

I think Cleveland overlooked these geezers, while forgetting they have a couple of their own (Shaq and Big Z), and they also forgot that after 82 games YOU STILL HAVE TO PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS. It seems like LeBron was the only one who got that memo.

I will cool down a little and break down LeBron's July 1st decision soon, but I will be hard pressed to find the positives to staying in Cleveland as far as the talent goes. The $ will be best in Cleveland, with a longer contract worth up to $30 million more than anyone else can offer, but Jamison, Mo Williams (aside from the first half of game 6), and the rest of James' supporting cast pulled a Houdini Thursday night.

LeBron had better meet with every prospective teammate and ask him if he is scared to play in the post-season, because the Cavs were loaded with that kind of player.

Yes, I'm bitter.

Well, lets enjoy the rest of the playoffs and join together in a nationwide prayer that the Lakers don't repeat; I'm not sure my heart could handle that.

Exciting News

Man, it has been a long time since we have been able to do anything resembling a blog post, so for that we apologize. Shawn got married, Brad and I (Mark) started working different jobs, and Tech backloaded the spring semester to effectively eliminate any free time we might have had! But we have some exciting news to report as far as The Sports Blitz goes...

We are not sure the date yet, but The Sports Blitz will shortly begin a weekly show on KWXT 1490 AM! It will start as a Wednesday afternoon, 11-11:30 spot, and we are hoping to expand as quickly as possible to an hour then a daily show.

Brad and I recorded the promos and now we are just waiting on the word as to when we will start, so tell everyone to check us out, and hopefully you will all enjoy our show. If we get a web-stream going I will let everyone know, but as of now all I know about KWXT is that from Conway to Ozark anyone who wants can tune in to The Sports Blitz!

Arkansas Baseball at Mid season

I came out and said in this blog before the baseball season started that Arkansas would win the national championship.  This Hog team has done absolutely nothing to put a damper on those expectations.  Right now sitting at 28-6 (9-3 in the SEC) the Hogs have won every SEC series but one at LSU.  Arkansas handled LSU on Friday and blew a six run lead in the seventh inning to lose on Saturday.  They could not muster up any momentum after they lost on Saturday only to lose on Sunday.  Since then Arkansas has won 15 of 16 with the only loss coming to a powerful Kentucky team. 

This team is better than the team that went to Omaha last season.  Why?  They are better in every phase of the game.  Two things that stick out on this team is: they are not striking out as much which makes their batting averages better.  Number two they are pitching better than last season. 

 Many Razorback fans down through the years have grumbled about Arkansas batting averages not being on par with other SEC teams.  There was some validity to that.  This season almost every starter is hitting over .300 with Zach Cox and Travis Sample hitting over .400, although Sample does not have enough at bats to qualify as a leader in the SEC.  The power numbers are better Arkansas currently ranks third in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and homeruns (currently one behind Kentucky).  They rank second in hits runs scored and runs batted in.  Those are great numbers.  Brett Eibner, Andy Wilkins, and Zach Cox make up what some call the most powerful trio in college baseball.  Not to mention Colin Kuhn has been playing off the charts.  Monk Kreder was brought in to hit homeruns and he has not done that but he has hit over .300 and is on a 16 game hitting streak.  With the addition of Sample to this lineup it becomes one of the best in college baseball. 

Arkansas' pitching has been better than many thought it would be this season.  Arkansas ranks third in the SEC in earned run average, number two in opponents batting average, and the number one spot in the most important category which is wins.  Arkansas' starting pitchers are getting the job done especially Drew Smyly.  Smyly slated to be Arkansas' third starter before the season has locked down the number one spot with his 1.99 earned run average which ranks fifth in the SEC.  Brett Eibner is coming off of his best outing of the year versus Mississippi State.  Randall Fant came in and took the Bulldogs down only allowing one earned run, leading Arkansas to a 13 to three victory.  He then came home to get in trouble and will have to sit out this weekends series versus Georgia.  The move of Mike Bolsinger, Arkansas' number one starter to start the year, back to the bullpen may prove to be Arkansas' biggest move.  Bolsinger was the Hogs bullpen ace last season.  He pitched pretty well as a starter, but he seems to be more comfortable coming out of the pen.  D.J. Baxendale has been a shut down closer all year long.  Even though, hitters seem to be catching up to him he seems to have the stuff and the toughness to be a great closer in the SEC.  The bull pen has had early struggles, but it seems they are all coming together right now to be a very formidable pitching staff.  

Right now Arkansas is in position to host a regional and super regional at Baum Stadium, ranking in the top five in most polls and being rated number two in the ratings percentage index (RPI).  Although, baseball is a funny game.  Anything can happen, but if the Hogs continue to play as they have been a trip to Omaha is in the future.  The question is can they go there to win it?

After the Madness

It's all downhill from here.

Nah, it's gonna be ok with a little softball to be played and a little Razorback baseball to help us keep our sanity. Every year the Blitz crew spends several months after the NCAA tournament waiting on Hog football to get going.

Yes, there are MLB and NBA games(including the playoffs), but March Madness marks the end of the excitement for us most of the time. It's a sad day watching the title game, especially when Duke wins it, because it means we are down to baseball and the latest football gossip.

Another trip to Omaha for the Hogs is a real possibility, but my opinion of baseball has been well documented (I'm not a big fan). So I will suffer through this with the hope and expectation that the football season will be one for the ages.

I can't wait to get a review together and talk about the outlook for the season and the stars on both sides of the ball up on the Hill. Like my excellent tourney picks (insert sarcasm) I will be laying down the analysis sometime in the summer for the football season, and hopefully I will be able to predict with accuracy a banner year.

After all, I had West Virginia!

The issues of Arkansas Basketball

If you have been following our top 10 college basketball programs of all-time you noticed that Arkansas got honorable mention, which in essence made them the 13th ranked program of all-time. Looking at the top 13 it's pretty hard to imagine a team that has fallen from grace like the Razorbacks have. Arizona is the only one that is close. When you compare the two programs the Wildcats are superior to the Razorbacks since 1995.


In my formula I felt that it gave weight to teams who had sustained greatness. It was not about who had won the most national championships or final fours, but who had won those championships, been to the final fours, won the conference championships and other criteria over time. The Razorbacks qualified.


This whole debate started when I was listening to a local radio show that stated the Arkansas basketball program was Mississippi State outside of a few great years. This formula blows that notion out of the water. When I began thinking about a formula to try to score the greatest programs my initial thought was rank all-americans instead of NBA draft picks. The problem I ran into it was down right impossible to find a reputable all-american list for each program. Also, lately NBA draft picks and not all-americans have been the measuring stick for a programs success. Although throughout college basketball history this fact has not always been true. If you take recent success out of the formula and you put all-americans in the formula instead of NBA draft picks then Arkansas ranks about eighth all-time, which is exactly where The Sporting News ranked them a few years ago. My question when considering all things is can you make a program who has not had much success in 14 years a top 10 program? To me the answer was no.


The North Carolina's, the Duke's, the Kentucky's, and the Kansas' are programs that have had sustained success over time. Even when you get outside of those programs in the top 10 like Michigan State, Louisville, Syracuse, and Arizona those programs have had lulls but always come back. Honestly, none of those programs have had such a long period of time that they have been irrelevant like Arkansas has. Why? What has happened? There have been several things that happened. From Nolan's out bursts to his mistreatment at Arkansas or John White trying to make the University of Arkansas the Harvard of the South to the detriment of the athletic program, there are many factors that have made Arkansas a fallen program. Not to mention the Stan Heath experiment where Stan got some good players to come through here, but was not a strong enough coach or personality to bring the program to where Arkansas fans expect it. Now Arkansas has John Pelphrey and as of right now the program has regressed since he has been the head coach. Is all of it his fault? Probably not. Dana Altman did leave after one day on the job. Bottom line is though each coach is responsible for his program no matter the problems before or after he became the coach. Butler's coach is in his third year and they went to the national championship game.


What is acceptable at Arkansas? Is it the height of Nolan Richardson's program where Arkansas was a threat to go to the Final Four every year? Is it Eddie Sutton's program that had a shot to get there but was more than likely a sweet 16 team? I know one thing that is not acceptable and that is the current state of the program. You will never see Duke, North Carolina, or Kansas have such problems in their programs. Arkansas is clearly not those programs though and probably never will be. For that matter Kentucky who has had problems in the past they will not ever have 14 years of sustained failure as Arkansas has had. Adding to that, Michigan State, Syracuse, and Louisville will not have such problems and all these programs have similar histories as Arkansas.


The pattern you will see if you look at the top 10 programs of all-time is great coaches. Each school has at least had two of them and Arkansas is no different with Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson. Although both were great Eddie had problems that would have lead to his ultimate demise. Nolan thought he had become greater than the program and frequently made the statement he didn't want any superstars. In the last six years of his tenure at Arkansas he did not get them and the program suffered.. The problem is in the seven years since Nolan Arkansas has not been able to land a coach that is acceptable for Arkansas as a program. Is the money there? Are the facilities there? Is the tradition there? The facilities are there with or without a practice facility. The tradition is there. Somebody needs to sell that. The money is speculated to not be there. It has always been there before. Is that a product of today's economy or changes in the top of the athletic program?


The University of Arkansas has committed to another year of John Pelphrey and all of Arkansas is hoping that he can bring the program back. Recruiting seems to be better for 2010. It might get a lot better here in the spring signing period. There is a 2011 and class that looks to be promising for the Razorbacks. Things could be on the up and up, but if significant improvement is not made next year then it is time for a change no matter how the 2011 class feels. Any program can not let a group of recruits hold the program hostage. Arkansas is no different.


Whatever the problem. Arkansas deserves better right now. This program is a proud program one that has history that can compete with almost any in college basketball history. It is time for this program to start taking steps toward bringing the program back to the future.

Hog Talk Episode 7

Hog baseball, spring football, and thoughts on the basketball national championship game

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Program #1

1. Kentucky 847

In the formula of all-time greatest programs the Wildcats scored off the charts in just about every category. Oh the Wildcats only own 46 conference championships, 50 NCAA tournament appearances, 42 Sweet 16 appearances, 13 final fours, and just seven national championships. In the pantheon of greatest college basketball programs of all-time Kentucky is tops. Even the most talented college basketball teams have to have great coaching to win the big one. The Wildcats have that one covered. Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and currently John Calipari, most of these names seem to be listed among the greats in college basketball history. No other team has dominated their conference the way that the Wildcats have. The SEC regular season and tournament has been dominated by the 'cats. When Arkansas moved to the SEC in 1992 the Hogs gave the Wildcats a run for conference dominance for a four year period, but the Wildcats are the standard bearer of the SEC. They always will be. The 1996 Kentucky Wildcats could be the greatest college basketball team of all-time. That team went 34-2 and had players that fit coach Rick Pitino's system. The best part about that for Kentucky fans is that those players were probably the most talented in the nation as well. The 1996 team started a run of three straight national championship appearances. The 1998 team won on Pitino's talent, but it was Tubby Smith's toughness that got them over the top. It's not just the 1990s that was great for the Wildcats. Basically, since college basketball has been played the Wildcats have been great. The first final four appearance for the Wildcats was in 1942 and they almost repeated that feat in 2010 by getting a number one seed and appearing in their 32nd elite eight. There just isn't much that Kentucky does not lead college basketball in. All-time wins would be the greatest feather in the cap of the Wildcats. Depending on what publication you look at the Wildcats are credited with 99 NBA draft picks, which is sure to rise after this season with the likes of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe. Many will say that Kentucky's troubled past should keep them from the number one spot, but it is hard to argue the sustained greatness of the Wildcats. Some will say that UCLA deserves the top spot because of their 11 national championships. The Wildcats own seven of their own and it has been over a longer period of time. Yes, UCLA has been great especially from 1963 to 1975, but they just don't compare to the Wildcats over time. North Carolina fans might have a stake to the claim of number one, but the Wildcats have 14 more conference championships, nine more NCAA tournament appearances, 14 more sweet 16 appearances, and two more national championships. Kansas has 53 conference championships, but the Wildcats own the edge in tournament appearances, Sweet 16 appearances, NBA players, and National championships. In the long run it is just hard to argue that the Kentucky Wildcats are not the greatest program in college basketball history.

Program #2

2.  North Carolina 817

Five national championships and three of those coming in the last 17 years.  The Tar Heels have won two national championships since 2005.  It seems like the Tar Heels are in the final four every year, save this one.  Like I said before once you get into the top six of the greatest programs of all-time you can make a case for each one of them to be number one.  The Heels scored more points than anybody on this list for recent success with 61 points.  The Heels are number two in all-time winning percentage and tied with Kansas for number two in all-time wins.  Even though Duke is in the national championship game the Heels are still the standard in the ACC.  When it comes to the greatest rivalry in college basketball North Carolina holds the edge in all-time wins, winning percentage, conference championships, tournament appearances, final fours, NBA draft picks, and national championships.  Like most of the schools in the top 10 list the Tar Heels have had more than one legendary coach.  Dean Smith stayed at North Carolina for 36 years and left the school as the NCAA's all-time winner.  He has since been passed by Bobby Knight.  Roy Williams took over after a good run by Smith's top assistant Bill Guthridge for three years and then former player Matt Doherty's three year run that just didn't work out.  Williams, an assistant under Smith, took over the Tar Heel program after missing the NCAA tournament two straight years.  Williams immediately started paying divedends!  He took North Carolina to the second round of the NCAA tournament in his first year and then the next year he won his first and the school's fourth championship.  It's been pretty smooth sailing since.  Although the Heels went to the NIT finals this season there is little doubt that the Tar Heels will be right back in the thick of the national title hunt for years to come.   To end this column without talking about some of the players who have been Tar Heels would be silly.  Michael Jordan, have you heard of him?  What about James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Phil Ford, and even the Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak.  That's just a few.  It could be argued that no other school has had more of an impact on the NBA than North Carolina.

Program #3

3.  UCLA 797

When a program wins the most national championships of all-time you would think that it would be the number one program.  The case can obviously be be made for the Bruins to be the number one program.  According to our formula they come in at a close number three.  Obviously, UCLA gets the most points for national championships and they load up on conference championships.  The most staggering number that comes from this program could bet that 103 players have been drafted to the NBA from this program.  Much like the Jayhawks the names associated with this program have changed basketball forever.  John Wooden is the first one that comes to mind.  Coach Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national championships in 12 years with a third place finish thrown in there.  UCLA had the most remarkable run of championships ever.  In that championship run they finished four of those seasons undefeated.  They won 88 games in a row that was the most ever.  Some of the most staggering numbers in all of sports.  Some of the other names associated with this program are:  Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabaar), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Jamaal Wilkes, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Reggie Miller just to name a few.   UCLA's most recent national championship came in 1995, but the Bruins went to the final four in 2006, 2007, and 2008 under coach Ben Howland.  With that kind of success you can gurantee that UCLA will be there for years to come.

Program #4

4.  Kansas 778

When you get into the top six programs of all-time each fan base thinks you can make the case that each one of them are number one. When you get into the top four it's more than the fan bases, each program can make the claim.  The Kansas Jayhawks come in at number four in the top 10 programs of all-time.  Kansas owns three national championships which is tied for fourth all-time with Duke.  The Jayhawks have participated in 13 final fours which is tied with Kentucky for third all-time.  The Jayhawks own 69 NBA draft picks.  Where the Jayhawks set themselves apart from Indiana and Duke are their conference championships.  The Jayhawks have won a staggering 53 conference championships.  Some of the most legendary names in basketball are associated with the Kansas basketball program.  Some of those names are:  Dr. James Naismith, Phog Allen, and Wilt Chamberlain.  More recently:  Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and now Bill Self.  Coach Larry Brown won a national championship at Kansas in 1988 with the "Danny (Manning) and the miracles" team.  He went on to win an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.  Roy Williams had Kansas to the door step more than once but could not win a championship for the Jayhawks.  Williams left for North Carolina where he has won two NCAA championships.  On the 20th anniversary of the "Danny and the miracles" team Kansas brought home their most recent national championship as the Jayhawks topped Memphis.  Mario Chalmers went down in NCAA glory when he hit a three pointer with 2.3 seconds left on the clock to send the game into overtime where Kansas went on to capture the school's third championship.   

Programs #5-6

6. Indiana 528

Five national championships, eight final fours, and 71 NBA draft picks set the Indiana Hoosiers apart from most programs. The thing that most people do not know is that the Hoosiers won two national championships before Bobby Knight. Obviously, the NCAA's winningest coach is the biggest name in Hoosier basketball history. Knight picked up 661 of his record 901 wins as a Head Coach at Indiana. The Hoosier basketball program has had some great college players but have not produced a bunch of NBA superstars. Although, they did produce one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, Isiah Thomas. Thomas went on to lead the Detroit Pistons to back to back NBA championships. He also coached the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. Thomas is now at Florida International University as a Head Coach. Even though the Hoosiers have fallen on hard times it's hard to imagine them being down forever with new Head Coach Tom Crean. Crean did a great job at Marquette and has been short on talent since taking over for the embattled Kelvin Samson. All that being said the Hoosiers are one of the greatest college basketball programs in the history of college basketball.

5. Duke 693

Before Coach K the Blue Devils were good and after Coach K the Blue Devils have been great. Duke was off the charts in almost every category in the all-time greats formula. They have won three national championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010) which ranks behind only UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana and North Carolina. They are tied with Kansas. The Blue Devils have went to 15 final fours and appeared in the national championship game 1964, 1978, 1990, 1991, 1992,1994, 1999, 2001, and 2010. The Blue Devils are credited with 74 NBA draft picks, but it's not about NBA draft picks with this team. It's about college success. They might have the greatest coach in college basketball history. Coach K has the three national championships as mentioned before, but he also has led the USA Basketball team to the gold medal. The US had not won the gold medal since the 2000 olympics. He's the best of the best. Names like: Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Corey Maggette, and Elton Brand just to name a few have played for the Blue Devils. This program does not seem to be losing any steam. Many people thought they were on the decline and they are one of two of the top 10 all-time programs to be in this year's final four. Even though they are not as close to program number four in the formula they are definitely putting distance between themselves and Indiana

Programs #7-8

8. Michigan State 423

Three names that you need to know when talking about the Michigan State Spartans Jud Heathcote, Ervin "Magic" Johnson, and Tom Izzo. These are the three guys who have spurred this program into greatness. Heathcote started it and he tutored Izzo. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson has obviously been the program's best player even though guys such as Steve Smith, Eric Snow, and Morris Peterson have been good NBA players. The Magic vs. Bird 1979 championship game put college basketball on the national map. Tom Izzo has taken it to the next level. Izzo has been to six of the program's eight final four appearances and have appeared in all six of them since the 1999 season. Do you realize that is as many as programs such as Arkansas, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State have been to in program history? Also, more than Arizona, Florida, and Syracuse have ever been to. To top it off they were in the national championship game in 2009 and are in the final four this season. If they go on to win the national championship this season they will get a few more points but won't jump the next team just yet. The Spartans have won national championships in 1979 and 2000 and as long as Izzo is there they will always be in the hunt. The Spartans are creeping up on a future top 10 member to be the greatest program in Big 10 history.

7. Louisville 495

It seems to make this list you have to have had at least two great coaches and the Cardinals have had two of them. Denny Crum brought the schools only two national championships 1980 and 1986, but Rick Pitino has gotten the program out of the small lull they had at the end of the Denny Crum era. Louisville was the overall number seed in the NCAA tournament in 2009 and went to the final four in 2005. As Louisville looks to move out of Freedom Hall into their new stadium the Cardinals will be in the hunt for national championships as long as Pitino is on the sideline. Louisville gets credit for 64 NBA draft picks which really put them over the top in the all-time programs list. Also, they got 144 points for tournament appearances so Louisville has had sustained greatness for a long period of time, which is important for being an all-time great program.

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Programs #9-10

Honorable Mention: UCONN 382, Ohio State 373, Arkansas 367

10. Arizona: 387

The Wildcats are carried by NBA players scoring 122 in putting players in the NBA draft. The Wildcats have been to 25 straight NCAA tournaments before missing the tournament this season and 28 overall. The Wildcats have 15 points as a #1 seed (1988, 1989, 1998, 2000, and 2003). The Wildcats have won 11 PAC 10 conference championships. They have been to four final fours and won one national championship. Even though UCLA has been the class of the PAC 10 Lute Olsen did a good job of making the Wildcats the number two program in the conference. The cherry on top is the 1997 national championship.

9. Syracuse: 408

The Orange, formerly the Orangemen, have been a pretty consistent program over time. Coach Jim Boeheim took the Orange to new heights with their only national championship in 2003. Of course, NBA star Carmelo Anthony had something to do with that. Anthony is one of the 57 NBA draft picks that have came through the school along with 1990 number one pick Derrick Coleman. The 'Cuse also has made 19 Sweet 16 appearances and been to four final fours. The tough Big East conference has not been kind to Syracuse as they have some of the fewest conference championships of the top 10 of all-time with eight.

Top 10 Programs of all-time

The NCAA Tournament has went from a field of 65 to four. There have been a range of great plays from last second shots to thunder dunks. We here at The Sports Blitz have tried to give you all things March Madness. The topic of greatest programs of all-time has been on my mind, much of it due to the NCAA tournament and some of it due to the lack of success the Arkansas program has had. This topic is very subjective I came up with a formula to make it less subjective and more objective.

The Formula

National Championship +5

Final 4 +4

Sweet 16 +3

All-Time Wins/Winning Percentage (Rankings)

1-5 +5

6-10 +4

11-20+3

21-25 +2

26-35 +1

Conference Championships +4

Tournament Appearances +4

#1 Seeds +3

NBA Players +2

Recent Success (2000-2010)

National Champ +5

Final 4 +4

Sweet 16 +3

Conf Champ +4

I know that you may ask why is a conference championship worth more than a sweet 16? My answer to that is there have been many teams that have not won a conference championship that made the sweet 16. I feel like a conference championship, especially multiple championships, mean more than a sweet 16 birth. Also, I chose All-Americans at first instead of NBA players, but it was hard to find a reputable source for every team that had a list of All-Americans. Although I feel All-Americans were worth more at one time than NBA players. I know that players entering college basketball now look at programs that send players to the NBA. Also, yes if you are looking teams do get double credit for being recently successful in 2000-2010. I think to make this list legitimate you have to account for recent success as well as all-time success. Hopefully this will help you understand how this list was compiled.

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The Best Coach in the State of Arkansas

The struggles of Arkansas basketball has been well documented by many sources including this blog.  Even though the Hogs have been struggling on the hardwood there are some teams in the state of Arkansas that have had some pretty special seasons.  The Arkansas Tech Wonderboys finished the season as Gulf South Conference western division champions and Gulf South Conference tournament champions with a record of 30-2.  They eventually bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.  This was a disappointment but it was still an incredible season for the Wonderboys.  The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (women's team) just finished their season in the elite eight of the NCAA Division II tournament.  They also won the Gulf South Conference western division championship and the Gulf South Conference tournament.  The Arkansas State Red Wolves also had a pretty good season although it ended in the Sun Belt tournament.  The UCA women also had a pretty good season.  

With all that success there is one team in the state of Arkansas that has gotten more recognition than almost any team inside these borders, UALR Lady Trojans.  These ladies just finished a special season with a Sun Belt western division championship and were a few seconds away from a Sun Belt tournament championship.  These ladies made their first ever NCAA tournament.  Not only did they make the tournament but they beat Georgia Tech in their first game before falling to the Oklahoma Sooners on their home floor.  The Lady Trojans have a difference maker that gives them an advantage over most anybody they play.  No it's not a player even though they have some very good ones on the team.  No, it's a coach and it's the Head Coach Joe Foley

Joe Foley has amassed a winning record at UALR even though he is the first coach of a fledgling program, that is amazing in itself.  His record at UALR, a lower division one team, is 103-77.  Pretty impressive considering that UALR didn't even have a program before 2003.  So in seven seasons Foley has taken a program to the NCAA tournament and won a game that did not exist eight years ago.  Pretty amazing!  Foley has won two national championships (NAIA), a national runner-up (NCAA), in six seasons in the NCAA's division two at Arkansas Tech he made six NCAA tournaments.  He led the Golden Suns to elite eight appearances in  1998 and 1999.  He has won 662 games as a coach including 559-158 as coach at Arkansas Tech.  He had 17 straight 20 win seasons and six 30 win teams.  He has won 15 conference championships including one this season.  All in all Joe Foley is good.  No he's great!  I think that there is little doubt that he is the best coach in Arkansas.  Men or women.

A Weekend of Madness

So far this weekend I've seen highs and lows. The Cornell Big Red won as I predicted, and the Siena Saints lost to level out my upset picks... Several games I could not foresee upsets in surprised me, Old Dominion over Notre Dame and Ohio over Georgetown both crushed me!

Then Saturday happened. I was on a high after the Diamond Hogs won the SEC opener at LSU Friday night, when the bottom fell out. LSU came from four runs down in the bottom of the 7th to win 8-7 over the Hogs. Villanova decided it would be a good idea to let Omar Samhan dominate them and the two-seed went home crying (I felt a tear too).

Then Northern Iowa snatched my soul...

I have an estimated 15 brackets out there in cyber-space, and in all but one of them I have Kansas cutting down the nets. Tonight I have one bracket left. Northern Iowa used nine three-pointers to keep the Jayhawks at bay. As Ali Farokhmanesh dropped in his fourth three of the night I thought I heard the sound of brackets crackling in the fire. Maybe that was just mine.

So now I'm disappointed. The only thing that could make this worse would be for someone like Duke to win it all. I'm going to be rooting for my sleeper West Virginia, and my Cinderella Cornell.

Hopefully tomorrow the Hogs will win the series they should've swept, the Dukies will go down in flames, West Virginia and Syracuse will cruise, and I'll hit a million threes in the Sunday afternoon pick up games in Clarksville.

With my luck, I wouldn't bet on any of those though!

Hogs vs Tigers breakdown on the SEC Showdown...

This use to not be that big of a deal, but since around 2000 Collegiate Baseball has became a big deal. In the State of Arkansas some would say since the addition of Dave Van Horn the Arkansas baseball program has became a really big deal around the state; especially with the state of basketball affairs some would say baseball has became the second most popular sport around The Hill. With all that said I will be bringing you weekly baseball updates on The Sports Blitz blog.

The Match-up: #13 Arkansas Razorbacks (12-3) come into Baton Rouge on a 4 game winning streak. Sweeping Wisconsin-Milwalkee over the weekend and splitting a pair in the midweek to South Dakota State. Arkansas comes into this weekend with a .288 team batting average lead by Sophomore third baseman Zack Cox with a .410 batting average; Zack is also bringing a 15 game hitting streak into the weekend series with LSU. Zack also is second on the team in RBI's with 18 respectively to Junior FirstBaseman Andy Wilkins with 20 RBI's. Andy is batting a cool .315 and leads the team with 5 home-runs and sporting a slugging % of .722 which ranks him amongst the best power hitters in the SEC.

Since sophomore outfielder Collin Kuhn has taken the lead-off role, Arkansas' offensive numbers have dramatically improved. He has done a great job in the number one spot, batting .340 with an on-base % of .485 and 7 for 7 in stolen bases. Steadily improving freshman Matt Vinson has 2 triples and a home-run since being inserted in the starting lineup. Vinson ran a 4.5 forty while playing football at Alma high school and he is going to become a terror on the base-paths once his .188 average catches up with the rest of his game. Also you will notice that 6'3, 210 pound sophomore catcher James McCann, one of the teams captains this year, has increased his power output. He has already surpassed his RBI and home-run output from a year ago (14 and 4), and looks to be a major piece of the puzzle this season.

LSU comes into the weekend sporting a .331 batting average with 18 home-runs. Arkansas ranks #1 in the SEC in home-runs, but LSU ranks #4 in batting average. LSU has shown the ability to power the ball out of the yard with 18 homers of their own. LSU is led by sophomore first baseman Blake Dean with a .424 batting average with 4 home-runs and 22 RBIs. Dean has 6 doubles on the season as well. Much like his Razorback counter-part Andy Wilkins, Dean is an All-American. Dean was one of the team leaders as a freshman in LSU's national championship run last year. LSU has a stat that jumps off the page as one that Arkansas will have to be aware of this weekend. LSU leads the SEC with 8 triples, and many of those have came off of the bat of Leon Landry, who also posts a .396 batting average and a .623 slugging percentage.

Names that we will see this weekend that Arkansas will have to keep off the bases:Micah Gibbs .385 with 3 home-runs, and Mike Mahtook .380 and 2 home-runs.

In baseball you love the hitting but games are won with pitching (especially the college game) and this is an intriguing match-up. Arkansas has the leg up in this match-up. The Razorbacks sport a 2.73 team ERA with 144 strikeouts and just 30 walks. The weekend rotation for Arkansas has been very consistent thus far. Friday starter, senior right-hander Mike Bolsinger (2-0), brings a 3.38 ERA in 4 starts this season. Thus far this season Bolsinger has taken the ace role Dallas Kuechel held last season. Bolsinger has been Arkansas' grinder this year with 21.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 19 batters while only walking 5. Saturday starter Drew Smyly (2-0), was an important piece in the run to Omaha last year. Smyly leads the team in strikeouts with 33, however this year the red-shirt sophomore lefty has struggled with control at times walking 8 in 20 innings pitched. However, as far as "stuff" goes, this lefty has shown to be as overpowering at times as he has been erractic. Sunday will boast junior righty Brett Eibner (2-1) who sports an 1.23 ERA and brings a fastball that will run up in the mid 90s. At times he has been a solid, but he has been in trouble a few times. He hasn't stayed on the mound very much this year as far as innings pitched. Eibner is more known for his power at the plate than his power on the mound. He has improved his batting tremendously this year and is the strongest outfielders. Look for Eibner to bat after he is taken off the mound on Sunday.

Notables that will factor into the games this weekend: freshman right-hander DJ Baxendale (Sylvan Hills high school) he has became Arkansas' closer this year and the upside of this young man becoming dominant shows up more and more ever outing. Baxendale sports a 2.08 ERA and the young man is 6 for 6 in save appearances. Also, the improvement of Jeremy Heatly and the Geoffery Davenport, both are bidding to be the number one guy out of the pen. Davenport is second on the team in strikeouts and the lefty has been overpowering thus far. One other name that you could hear from this weekend is freshman Randall Fant. He has one start in the midweek win over South Dakota State and was very impressive showing a big league change-up that is highlighted by a 90+ MPH fastball. with no midweek game this week for the Razorbacks you should see a full compliment of arms for the Razorback bullpen.

LSU is on the other end of the spectrum as far as pitching. They rank 10th in the SEC with a 4.47 ERA with 112 SO's and 58 BB's thus far. Their number one starter Renando, who was their ace last year, has been out with an injury this year and he will not be availible this weekend. However; Jordan Rittner (2-1) brings a 3.32 ERA into the fold, with just 11 strikeouts. Austin Ross (2-0) will be another starter the Razorbacks will face this weekend. Ross sports a 4.57 ERA, but leads the team with 25 strikeouts. The other likely starter is Joey Bourgrouis (2-1) 4.74 with 16 strikeouts. The closer that was at times unhittable last year sophomore lefty Matty Ott leads the team with 6 Saves in 7 appearances and sports a 2.35 ERA. Arkansas will try to avoid the game ever getting to Ott.

Inside the numbers: Last 5 meetings dating back to last year- LSU has taken the last 4 in a row including 2 out of 3 at Baum, an SEC tournament game, and in the College World Series. Arkansas has a losing record in Baton Rouge dating back to 2004 when Arkansas swept LSU in what was a launching point to Omaha. Arkansas is tied in RBI's with 118 on the year. Arkansas leads the SEC in batters hit by pitches. Kuhn Leads the team in that category. Arkansas and LSU rank towards the top of the SEC in stolen bases with (26 and 30 respectively).

Possibly the key stat of this series and something that could be the series changer: fielding % LSU.977 and Arkansas .963 which ranks them (#3 and #7) in the conference.

Streaks: Both Cox and Dean have 15 game hitting streaks and are hitting well over .400 for the year.

Intangibles: LSU will be breaking in the new Alex Box stadium as far as conference goes and expect a big crowd. LSU is 13-2 and ranked #7; however they have not left Baton Rouge this season. Arkansas is 2-1 outside of Baum this year with a weekend series win at over the Cal Bears.

Opponents: The only common opponent that the two have faced off against is nationally ranked Kansas. LSU just went 1-2 over the weekend against Kansas. Arkansas took on Kansas on a Tuesday game at Baum and defeated the Jayhawks 15-3. Matching up the two teams and their schedules you would have to say at this point the Razorbacks have played a much tougher schedule against more quality opponents. LSU is a great team and this should be a great matchup in the college baseball world.

Likely Razorback Lineup

LF- #25 Collin Kuhn

3rd- #7 Zack Cox

1st- #17 Andy Wilkins

C-#27 James McCann

DH-#9 Monk Kreder

CF-#24 Brett Eibner

SS-#18 Tim Carver

2nd- #12 Bo Bigham

RF-#1 Matt Vinson

Rotation-

Fri-Mike Bolsinger

Sat- Drew Smyly

Sun-Brett Eibner

Prediction- 2-1 Arkansas series win.

The Decade's Best: 2-1

The 8 teams already listed were all very good teams, all deserving of their place in championship history. The two remaining teams just have that little extra to put them over the top. First, they both get bonuses for schedule strength, because their conferences were so stacked. Second, they both have NBA talent abounding. Two players from each team received the bonus points.

2.) 2004 UConn 33-6 (+11) Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon led the most complete team in the country to the title. Charlie Villanueva, Josh Boone, and the rest of the '04 Huskies receive bonuses for the bullseye factor, Gordon and Okafor's star power and conference strength, while their negative points for their 6 losses are the only thing separating them from our number 1 team...

1.) 2001 Duke 35-4 (+13) After going 29-5 in the 2000 season, Duke came into 2001 a little more mature and with a lot more expected of them. With National Players of the Year (different publications picked both) Shane Battier and Jason Williams leading the Blue Devils, it was championship or failure to Duke fans.

Although they were uber-talented, luck played a part as well. As I have been reminded, the tournament title game was not without controversy. Jason Williams had two first-half fouls and was allowed a very questionable no-call that could have saddled him with his third in the first half. Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, and Luke Walton's Wildcats were unable to overcome the Blue Devil onslaught and Duke cut down the nets for the third time in school history, winning 82-72.

In what some (Brad) call the weakest decade of NCAA tournament history, these 10 teams spanned the gap between star-studded and blue collar, from hard-nosed to finesse. Each one of them brought something different to the table, so forgive me if you think they should be placed differently!

The Decade's Best: 5-3

I'm sure the order of the teams so far has been debated by some, and I have some admissions to make.

First, time has played a role in how I have doled out points. For example, 2008 Kansas may turn out to look better on paper years from now using my formula, because players that were stars on that team may become NBA stars as well. Second, splitting hairs between great teams is tough to do. I had to come up with some defining characteristics of a "great" team, and future NBA stardom was the best I could come up with. So a solid 30-4 Maryland team led by Juan Dixon and Steve Blake are seemingly punished for not being as good as, say, Al Horford in the NBA. Finally, this isn't a this-team-could-beat-that-team type of list. There are factors contributing to the final product, and they are entirely at my discretion.

With that being said, this is MY list. If you don't like it, make your own! I'll be more than happy to debate it with you, because this stuff is fun... Here are numbers 5-3:

5.) 2009 North Carolina 34-4 (+7): The bullseye was squarely on the back of the '08-09 Heels, and they totally lived up to the billing. Aside from getting everyone's best shot, they were the consensus favorite to win it all, and they did not disappoint. A dismantling of Michigan State in the title game left no doubt as to who was the best, but the lack of a superstar on the NBA level hurts them for now. Maybe one day Ty Lawson or Tyler Hansbrough will reach their potential and move this team further up the list.

4.) 2005 North Carolina 27-4 (+7): This team was one of my favorites. They beat a 37-2 Illinois team led by Deron Williams, and sent four players to the NBA draft. The only reason they are ranked so low is because with all that talent, it blows my mind that none of the stars on the team have translated to stardom in the NBA. Their road to the Final Four is what breaks the tie with the '09 team. In their region were perrenial powers UConn, Kansas, Florida, and Villanova.

3.) 2007 Florida 35-5 (+9): I created the bullseye factor for special teams like these Gators. After their magical 2006 run, the return of all their studs made Florida the favorite to win it all. They receive bonus points for the NBA stardom of Al Horford and Joakim Noah (yes, averaging a double-double is considered stardom) and the bullseye factor. The only negative points were because of the five losses, which come from getting everyone's best.

Numbers 2 & 1 will be up tomorrow, but you can put the pieces together to decide who they are. I'll try to bring good evidence to support my choices, but for now I'll leave it up for debate!

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The Decade's Best: 10-6

Ok, let me preface this entire list with a few bits of information.

First, each of these teams are national champions, so we all know each of them were very good. I had to differentiate between them in some way, so I came up with a simple formula. Everyone starts out even, then can receive bonus points or deductions.

+5 for the "Bullseye" factor- Meaning the team came in to the season highly regarded and expected to win, and were able to win it all with the added pressure.

+3 for current NBA stars- The most subjective of the bonuses, I see Carmelo Anthony as the biggest star of all the players on these teams, and while Steve Blake, Mike Dunleavy, and Maurice Peterson are all serviceable NBA players, they are not in the league of Anthony, Carlos Boozer, or Ben Gordon.

+2 for conference strength- The Big East is king these days, but it wasn't long ago the ACC was the dominant conference. These two conferences will receive bonuses.

-2 Overall record- The more consistent a team can be throughout the year, the more impressive their winning looks. So the conference strength and record should balance out the tough conference schedules of several of these teams. Any more than 4 losses and the team loses 2 points.

So teams 10-6 are as follows, feel free to disagree!

10.) 2000 Michigan State 26-7 (-2): No NBA bonus and a -2 for losing 7 games take a very good team to a -2 on the scale.

9.) 2003 Syracuse 30-5 (+1): Carmelo single handedly won the championship and gives the team 3 bonus points to offset the -2 for losing 5 games.

8.) 2002 Maryland 30-4 (+2): Juan Dixon and Steve Blake carried a very good team through a rugged ACC, splitting with defending national champ Duke and gets the +2 for conference strength.

7.) 2008 Kansas 37-3 (+3): Six of the players from this team are headed to or already in the NBA, however Mario Chalmers is the only one of note today. His +3 bonus puts them at number 7.

6.) 2006 Florida 33-6 (+4): The team before the team, these Gators got hot at the right time and receive bonuses for the next year's NBA haul of Al Horford and Joakim Noah, and lose two points for the 6 losses.

There are many surprises to come and I am absolutely sure there will be disagreements about teams we will put 1-5. Let us know what you think, because the subjectivity of this list will lend to plenty of debate!