Lets Talk Some Basketball

Greeting fellow blog readers. I am another collaborator of 'The Goal Posters', specializing in NBA news and analysis. I am hesitant to call myself an NBA 'expert' (since there are many people who know more about basketball then me), so lets just say I'm the guy who spent way too much time as a kid watching and reading about the NBA, when I could have been doing more productive things with my life. I look forward to writing some pieces for you and getting some feedback/debates going in the comments section. I'm just going to wrap up tonight with a little info on some NBA playoff races:

• The battle for the 8th seed in the East took an unfortunate turn tonight, when two minutes into their game with the Cavs, Chris Bosh took an elbow to the face. After bleeding on the court for several minutes, Bosh was taken to a local hospital, where a CT scan revealed a fractured face. While no timetable has been set, early rumors speculate that Bosh will miss the remainder of the season. This would seem to end any hope of the Raptors making the playoffs. As it currently stands the Raptors have a one game lead on the Chicago Bulls for the final playoff seed in the East. With only five games remaining for each, the pivotal game is when these two teams will meet on Sunday in Toronto. Look for the winner of that game to grab the 8th seed and a first round loss to the LeBron's.

• Meanwhile the Bucks won their first game without Andrew Bogut; clinching a playoff spot in the process. John Salmons had 26 points to lead the Bucks to a victory over the Bulls, the team that traded him a month and a half ago. This proves that losing Bogut, while painful, does not end the season for a Milwaukee team that still has things to play for.

• If you were lucky enough to catch the Oklahoma City/Utah game last night, you saw one of the best games of the season. Utah barely survived 140-139 in this thrilling overtime game, that included a controversial no-call at the end. Deron Williams scored a career high 42 points, including the game winner with 1.1 seconds left, and added 10 assists with only 1 turnover. The Jazz survived 45 points from Kevin Durant, who appeared to be fouled while attempting a 3 at the end of overtime. KD did overtake LeBron James as the League's scoring leader with one week remaining in the regular season.
  

Links and NewNews

Quick post today and before we get started, take some time to check out Routinely Average, a blog my buddy, and fellow goal poster, Adam recently started. He does a great job reviewing movies and finding the inside scoop on what's coming out next in theaters! Trust me this guy knows his stuff. Be sure to click the link above, check out and follow the site!!! Movies and Sports... What could be better??

• Duke defeated Butler in the Men's National Championship Game 61-59 on Monday night to earn Coach Mike Kryzewski and the Blue Devils their 4th National Title.

• The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed superstar Kobe Bryant to a 3 year extension that is rumored to be just under $90 mil.

• The St. Louis Rams released QB Marc Bulger on Monday, opening the door for Oklahoma's Sam Bradford to be selected with the Ram's overall #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft April 22.

• Big Ten Player of the Year Evan Turner was named the 2009-2010 Naismith Award winner, making him college basketball's top player for season. Turner averaged 20.4 pts, 9.2 reb, 5.9 ast, and 2.0 stl leading Ohio State to a 29-8 record, share of the Big 10 title, and Big 10 tournament title. The Buckeyes lost to Tennessee in the Elite 8 during post-season play.

Check out some of these links:

- LeBrun on the NHL - ESPN

- Behind the scenes with Tom Izzo

- Milwaukee C Bogut Breaks arm

(warning this is ugly)

What I'm watching tonight:

• The Connecticut Lady Huskies will face he Stanford Cardinal in the Women's National championship tonight. UCONN is playing for their 78th straight victory and 2nd straight title. (ESPN - 8:30 PM)

• LOST - 9:00 PM (ABC)

April in the D

The Detroit Tigers travel to Kansas City to open up the 2010 MLB season today at 4:10 PM. Super-star Justin Verlander will go head to head with Royal ace Zach Greinke. Verlander posted a 19-9 record in 2009 with a ERA of 3.45. Here is a look at the 2010 starting rotation for Detroit.

1. Justin Verlander
The 2006 AL Rookie-of-the-Year is coming off an All-Star season in 2009. Verlander is looking to pick up where he left off and in his 6th season as a Tiger and has become the face of the franchise. Verlander signed a 5 year, $80 million dollar contract over the summer that will keep him pitching in Detroit through 2015.

2. Rick Porcello
Porcello is looking back up his stellar 2009 rookie campaign, where he pitched to a 14-9 record with a 3.96 ERA. Rick joins Justin Verlander to give the tigers a dangerous top 2 spots in their rotation. Porcello is a bright spot in the organization and the sky is the limit for this young star.

3. Max Scherzer
A newcomer to the Tigers, Scherzer was aquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks over the summer in a trade for RHP Edwin Jackson. Scherzer is also a Right-hander and will fill the 3rd spot for the Tigers in their rotation. 2010 will be Scherzer's 3rd season as a major, 2009 saw him post a 9-11 record with a 4.12 ERA. Scherzer is known for his ability to attack the strike zone with his fastball and change-up.

4. Jeremy Bonderman
After pitching 14 wins in both 2005 and 2006, Jeremy Bonderman ran into a rough string of injury and confidence issues the past 3 seasons. Finally healthy and armed with a new attitude, Bonderman is looking to get back to his old form in 2010. Bonderman is a RHP and saw only 1 start in 2009 before missing most of the season with injury. Jeremy will be unavailable until April 10th as he is serving a 3 game suspension for throwing at a Minnesota Twins batter last year.

5. Dontrelle Willis
Willis lead the Florida Marlins to a 2003 World Series Championship, in a season where he was named NL Rookie of the Year going 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA during 27 starts. Willis posted 22 wins in 2005 earning him a spot as the runner-up for the Cy Young Award. After a smoking hot start the "D-Train" hit a rough patch in 2007 when he went 10-15 in his last season as a Marlin. Traded to Detroit in 2008, Willis has only 1 vicory in only 14 starts over two years. Willis will be fighting to stay in the rotation through the first month of play as he attempts to find the player he once was.

Raymar leaves footprint at Michigan State

Senior Raymar Morgan ended his career as a Michigan State Spartan on Saturday night following a 52-50 loss to the Butler Bulldogs. Raymar entered the contest playing his best basketball of the year but his last game as a Spartan had a familiar tune to it. Haunted by inconsistency over the past two seasons, Morgan found himself in early foul trouble and seemed to disappear from action on Saturday night, ending his 4 year Spartan career.

Though many people have been frustrated with Morgan's afore mentioned inconsistent play over his time as a Spartan, it must not be forgotten that he has been a crucial part of keeping Tom Izzo's Michigan State program at the top of NCAA basketball. Morgan joined the team in 2006 during a crucial transition point after sensational seniors Paul Davis (17.5 ppg) & Maurice Ager (19.3 ppg) graduated and were drafted into the NBA. Junior Forward Shannon Brown (17.2 ppg) hopped to the NBA early the same year leaving Izzo and the Spartans a combined 54.0 point per game hole to fill. A void like that is not easy to replace and many top programs have trouble doing so. Morgan's freshman season was one of Tom Izzo's greatest coaching jobs and most memorable seasons East Lansing will ever see. Every game was a battle and the Spartans won with Izzo trademark grit and determination, much of it due to Morgan's play.

During his freshman campaign, Morgan averaged 11.7 ppg & 5.7 rpg and brought a flashy excitement to a team that desperately needed someone to step up and score. He teamed up with Junior Drew Neitzal to form a dangerous scoring duo. The Spartans struggled through the regular season but had big wins vs #19 Texas and #1 Wisconsin to earn the Spartans (22-11) a 9 seed in the East Regional. It was clear that Raymar had world's of potential and expectations for his play grew exponentially in East Lansing as he was awarded honors as part of the Big-Ten-All-Freshman-Team.

He came back his sophomore season to up his scoring average 14 ppg & 5.2 rpg in a year were incoming freshman trio Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen would help make the Spartans more dynamic. Raymar's improved scoring was hindered by issues staying out of foul trouble, a trend that stuck with Morgan through the remainder of his career.

Morgan started his junior year as a Spartan on fire, looking like he would become the star everyone expected going for 15.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg through 2 months of basketball. After a victory vs. Ohio State, Morgan became plagued with injury and illness as he missed a stretch of games that he wouldn't recover from. Morgan was criticized as lacking mental toughness on the court as his inconsistent play kept him from breaking through to be the superstar that was expected out of him. Morgan saw his minutes get cut in half while he was unable to avoid his trademark “1.0 travels per game” and ticky-tack fouls that fans grew accustomed to. Morgan went through 1 or 2 game stretches of brilliance, followed up by a disappearing act and more foul trouble in the following contests. The Spartans rallied for a trip to the NCAA Final at the end of the season but Morgan's play struggled through games with Louisville, Kansas, and USC. Raymar had a break out performance vs. Uconn in the semi-final but went back to struggling in the Final vs.UNC and fouled out of a 89-72 loss to the Heels.

Early in Morgan's senior season, there was little change in his scoring as he averaged 11.3 ppg and slightly up'd his rebounding to 6.2 rpg. The Spartan's Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers had become the go-to options with Sophomores Dreymond Green and Delvon Roe also being big-time contributors. Raymar found himself in a unique role as the team's only senior and one of their only true scoring post players. The Spartans seemed to go as Raymar would go and this showed through a rocky regular season as he still struggled to find consistent play.

Late in the year, the Spartans traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana to rumble with the Purdue Boilermakers with Big 10 title hopes on the line. It was from that point on that Raymar Morgan had a mission. Morgan put home 16 points and snatched 11 rebounds in a 53-44 gritty win over the boilers. He went on to average 16.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg through the next 8 regular/post season games and carried the Spartans into the Final Four. It was clear that Morgan did not want to lose; He refused to exit as that soft player that many people had accused him of being. To put it simply, Raymar's play was man-sized. The Spartans lone-senior played and lead like he was exactly that, helping the Spartans win 4 straight in the tournament capped off with a memorable clutch free-throw with 1.8 seconds left to lift MSU over Tennessee, sending the team to Indy. Redemption for a player that had faced so much criticism in the previous 2 seasons.

Just when things were clicking on all cylinders for #2, Morgan's dream run at a championship came full circle Saturday night vs. Butler. Morgan received back to back fouls at the 15:51 & 15:25 marks in the 1st half, sending him to the pine. He would re-enter the game just to receive his 3rd foul immediately at the 10:11 mark. Morgan would later get a 4th foul in the 2nd half and end the game with only 4 points and 5 rebounds. Morgan's frustration was palpable and it was a bitter end to what was a great run for the Spartans.

Though it was difficult to watch a player that had come so far in his career end with such a tough game, Raymar Morgan has been an incredible talent for Tom Izzo and the Spartans over the last 4 years. He has had a dynamic role on a team that has transformed dramatically over his stay. He inherited the large task of keeping MSU on top of the basketball world as an 18 year old freshman and helped carry a talented 2010 team being the lone starting senior as a 22 year old. Morgan is an accomplished player leading the Spartans to back to back big 10 championships and final four appearances in both his junior & senior season. Raymar Morgan is ending his career as a Spartan with 1,597 points and 772 rebounds; A statistic (1,500+ Pts / 700+ rebs) that only five other Spartans have achieved. Morgan is a forward that can fill a stat sheet while he also possesses the intangibles that made him a threat in every game. Raymar will be remembered for how he played with heart and always showed exactly how he felt out on the court. His ability to rally a struggling team and lead by example at the end of the 2010 season sent Spartan fans into a frenzy of March Madness fever. Morgan's play through his 4 years at Michigan state was inspiring and he has left his footprint in East Lansing forever.

Hey Hey Hockeytown

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 last night to record their 7th straight win. Goaltender Jimmy Howard made 22 saves while goals from Datsyuk, Holmstrom, and Bertuzzi lead the Detroit charge. The wings have recorded points in their last 11 games and have a 13-2-1 record since the Olympic break (best in the league).

With the regular season winding down, the Wings currently hold the 6th spot in the Western conference with 95 points. They trail the Nashville Predators (96 points) and Vancouver Canucks (96 points). Detroit, who was looking at a 7th or 8th seed a month ago after a shaky start to the season, could realistically play their way into a 4-seed for this years Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The record isn't the only impressive aspect of this teams current playoff push; its the way they are winning games. The wings have outscored opponents 53-37 over this stretch of 16 games and goaltender Jimmy Howard has been incredible with a 2.31 gaa, starting in every game. He also has faced criticism this season for a number of OT losses but was huge in an 11 round shootout with the Nashville Predators on March 27. Howard is quickly becoming a fan favorite, especially after white-washing Sidney Crosby with a glove to the face following a 3-1 W over the Pens last Monday. Crosby went after Red Wing star forward and Assistant captain, Henrik Zetterburg, at the end of regulation. Both players received minor penalties for the incident. Howard has drawn a lot of attention around the league and there are whispers of Howard playing his way into contention for rookie of the year.

The energy and enthusiasm the Wings are putting into each game has sent a buzz through Hockeytown. It is almost as if they refuse to lose another game this season. Things could not have been more improbable or exciting than they were during a three game stretch in mid March during a Western Conference road trip through Canada (Recap below).

• 3/15/2010 - Tomas Holmstrom scored a game winner vs. Calgary with 1:19 left in regulation to cap off a 2-1 W. At the time, Calgary was nipping at the heels of the Red Wings for the 8th spot in the Western Conference.

• 3/19/2010 - The next game, Brian Rafalski scored with 0.4 seconds left in regulation to tie things at 2-2 and send the game to a OT with the Edmonton Oilers. Though they would eventually lose in a shootout, Rafalski managed to save the Wings a much needed point for the OTL.

• 3/20/2010 - The Wing's Henrik Zetterburg buried an OT game winner vs. Vancouver in the next game with literally no time left on the clock for a 4-3 W.

It doesn't end there, in their most recent dramatic win, the Wings blew a 4-0 lead at home to the worst team in the league, Edmonton, only to have defense-man Brad Stuart redirect a Pavel Datsyuk shot for a controversial game winner with 1:07 left on the clock on March 30th.

The Wings can also thank forward Henrik Zetterburg for much of the recent success. Z has scored 7 goals and helped out with 11 assists over the 16 post-Olympic games. Zetterburg is also known league wide for his abilities as a great defensive-forward, boasting a (+/-) of 10 through these games.

The Wings have 5 games remaining and are looking at a great schedule to finish out strong. In what could be the biggest game of the season so far, the Predators will head to Joe Louis arena on Saturday night to battle for that 5th spot mentioned above. There could be a lot of last minute shuffling in the Western Conference as Detroit will then travel to Philadelphia for a clash with the Flyers. After that they wings are looking at a Home-Away with Columbus who they have a 3-0-1 record against and are +10 goals over the 4 games they have already played this season. They will end the season with a road trip to face Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Detroit has picked the right time of year to be clicking on all cylinders and is going to be carrying a lot of momentum into what should be one of the most exciting post-seasons of NHL hockey in recent memory.

Next Game: Saturday April 3, 2010 vs. Nashville Predators (TV: Fox Sports Detroit)

Hello all

My name is Adam and I am one of the co-authors of this rocking blog, or more simply, a Goal Poster. I love almost all sports. I root mostly for Detroit teams and my beloved Michigan State Spartans, but my first love in the NFL is now, has been, and will always be... the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look forward to debating with you.

Lets do this

My name is Dan and welcome to The Goal Posters. I thought it would be fun to have a place to share interesting stories, vent, and discuss any and everything related to sports. I am a big fan of the Michigan State Spartans and Detroit Sports. This blog is also co-authored by some of my best friends who share the same love for sports that I do. I am looking forward to posting in the near future, hope everyone enjoys!