JACOB WALTERS
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Meet the Final Four Teams

3/31/2019

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The Final Four field is set! For those of you new to the college basketball world or aren't familiar, here are your participants in this year's Final Four festivities in Minneapolis!
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders: As their name implies, the Red Raiders are from the great state of Texas. Their defense plays to that caliber as well: the Red Raiders have allowed 59 PPG this season, third in the NCAA. Chris Beard's squad swarms on defense, suffocating their opponents in the paint and preventing their foes from getting good looks.
  • Virginia Cavaliers: Like the Red Raiders, the Cavaliers are stingy on defense. They are the best defensive team in the NCAA, allowing 55.4 PPG this season. Last year, Virginia suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of UMBC in the Round of 64, becoming the first number one seed in the men's tournament to lose to a sixteenth seed. The Cavaliers have avenged that loss, making it all the way to the Final Four behind the likes of Kyle Guy.
  • Auburn Tigers: Bruce Pearl's squad have pillaged through the bluebloods, taking down North Carolina and Kentucky en route to the Final Four. The Tigers are averaging 80.1 PPG, led by a balanced attack of Bryce Brown, Jared Harper, and Chuma Okeke. Okeke was out for the game against Kentucky, but he's willed his team to victory from the sideline. The Tigers are hoping to bring War Eagle to the championship as their basketball program brings back memories of Charles Barkley-led dominance.
  • Michigan State Spartans: Tom Izzo's squad makes its return to the Final Four, upending a stacked Duke squad in the East final. Led by Cassius Winston (18.8 PPG, 7.5 APG), the Spartans have a realistic shot at giving Izzo his second title. Watch for Joshua Langford, a junior guard from Hunstville, Alabama that can score (15 PPG this season).
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Texans' Off-Season Checklist

3/31/2019

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The Houston Texans won the AFC South behind J.J. Watt and a strong defense. However, the Colts did the Texans in, eliminating them in the wild card round. What do the Texans need to do to take the next step to Super Bowl supremacy?
  • Find a Punter: Shane Lechler retired after a long NFL tenure with Oakland and Houston. He was one of the better punters and was also quite consistent in the NFL. His absence will leave a void on Houston's special teams. Granted, Houston won't find a Johnny Hekker-type punter on the market. But they can look for a punter in the later rounds of the NFL Draft.
  • Address Left Tackle (done?): Houston can also look for a left tackle in the NFL Draft. They added David Steinmetz, but that appears to be a depth piece. Tackles such as Greg Little and Jonah Williams could fit in for Houston if they take a tackle in the early rounds.
  • Address the Jadeveon Clowney Situation (done): Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans' star edge rusher, will eventually need to get paid. Whether the Texans let him walk given their current cap situation remains to be seen (the Texans have $38,785,111 in cap space). But giving him the franchise tag will help their edge rusher situation... for now.
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Favorite De La Soul Songs

3/30/2019

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If you're not familiar with De La Soul, they are an R&B/Hip Hop group from New York. You probably know their song "Me, Myself, and I", especially if you've seen the movie Good Burger. However, there are other De La Soul songs that you should listen to. Here are some suggestions:
  • "Oooh": The song features Redman and even features a cameo by Dave Chappelle in the music video! A rhythmic beat to go with a psychedelic beat makes for an awesome song.
  • "I Feel Good": Featuring Chaka Khan, the song is similar to "Oooh" in rhythm.
  • "Much More": I like this song for how it's a different style from what De La Soul usually does.
  • "Forever": A mellow song, "Forever" is great for a relaxing drive or walk.
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NBA Players to Watch for in the Postseason

3/29/2019

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You know about LeBron, Greek Freak, James Harden, Steph Curry, KD, and Joel Embiid just to name a few. Even non-NBA fans have an idea of who these people are. But do you know who the following players are? These players have vital roles in the success of their teams and are a part of makes the team's engine move. Here's who you need to know about come playoff time.
  • Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers: The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been a vital piece on the Clippers. His outside shot is deadly when it falls and he's a force going to the left while creating his own shot. Williams is averaging 20.3 PPG and 5.3 APG this season.
  • Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee Bucks: Turkish Thunder plays a key role for Milwaukee. Aside from pulling down the occassional rebound, Ilyasova helps spread the floor out for the Bucks to operate. He's also a more efficient shooter than he was in his career; he's shooting 45% from the field (44.3% is his career percentage) and is shooting 37.9% from beyond the arc (36.6% is his career three-point percentage).
  • Clint Capela, Houston Rockets: A vastly underrated player, Capela is the big man on the Rockets. He has significant interior presence and is the main attacker on the boards for Houston. He's also good at contesting shots and finishing plays.
  • J.J. Redick, Philadelphia 76ers: Philly's go-to guy for a three-point shot, Redick has spent his career hitting the three-ball. He's scoring 17.6 PPG this season, nearly five points higher than his career average.
  • Dennis Schroder, Oklahoma City Thunder: Originally an Atlanta Hawk, Schroder has been a handy scorer for Oklahoma City. Schroder's efficient scoring has helped Oklahoma City when either Russell Westbrook or Paul George (sometimes both) are either off or not having a good night.
  • Kevon Looney, Golden State Warriors: A pet project for the Warriors, Looney has quietly helped Golden State in a couple games. Armed with great lateral mobility and toughness on the boards, Looney has proven to be a nice bench player for the Warriors. Looney's averaging 5.4 RPG this season for the Warriors.
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Early Trade Targets

3/27/2019

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Opening Day hasn't even commenced yet and I'm already posting about potential trade targets in baseball. With the number of tanking teams growing, who's going to give up their superstar for a plethora of prospects?
  • Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: Bumgarner's name is going to come up a lot during the summer. The Giants, with an anemic outfield and aging core, don't seem like they're in contention mode anymore. Bumgarner's in the last year of his current deal and the NL West looks to be a race between the Rockies and the Dodgers. A team loaded with prospects and young players such as the Atlanta Braves makes perfect sense for the Giants in a trade.
  • Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners: Jerry Dipoto fancies himself as a trade connoisseur, so a deal for Haniger isn't far-fetched. If Dipoto and the M's want to make good use of their roster 'reimagining', it may be best to deal their superstar and replenish the farm system even more. It may be if the Mariners are on pace for a 90-100 loss season for this to happen, but you never know with the trade-happy Dipoto.
  • Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays: A spectacular outfield glove, Pillar can boost an outfield's defense if needed. He has another year of arbitration eligibility under his belt, which would make him much more of an attractive trade target. Considering the AL East is going to be pretty tough this year, the Jays may want to look into dealing Pillar.
  • Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets: If the Mets are out of contention and the rift between the organization and Syndergaard grows, don't be surprised if the star pitcher is dealt. Teams may balk on his injury issues, but he does have a couple more arbitration years ahead of him.
  • Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs: Bryant has been discussed as a trade target this off-season and no one knows what to make of the Cubs this season. If everything collapses in the North Side, don't be surprised to see Theo Epstein shop Bryant around, especially since the Cubs third baseman is due for a big payday in the near future.
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Nostalgia Game Review: Donkey Kong Country

3/26/2019

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Today, I'm going to talk about one of the most groundbreaking games for the Super Nintendo. It's not Super Mario World and it certainly isn't Shaq Fu. I'm talking about Donkey Kong Country, a game developed by Rare in 1994.

What made the game historic was its usage of the Silicon Graphics workstation, a program that converted 3D images into sprites. In fact, Nintendo bought Rare, acquiring 49% of a stake in the company due to Rare's impressive work with SGI technology and Alias.

The game itself has a good share of difficulty. Right up to the last playable world, the game ramps up in difficulty as the stages require more tactics and guile. The level design contributes to this, making for a fun romp through the game's overworld. Memorable music adds to the game's flavor, giving it a rush of adventure and kickass taste.

Between the three Donkey Kong Country games, many DKC fans will say that DKC 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the easier one. While this is true, I like Donkey Kong Country better than the other three installments. DKC 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was nice for a bit, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me. DKC 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble was a game that I honestly didn't care for. If you truly want to get your bearings in the series, DKC 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is your best bet. But if you're looking for a fun adventure, give Donkey Kong Country a try.
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Rookie Watch

3/26/2019

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The baseball season is only two days away! Thank goodness it's almost here because it's one step closer to enjoying a fruitful summer. For all my baseball fans out there, here is a list of rookies you should watch for this season.
  • Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres: Just making the main roster, Tatis will be a key bat in the future for the Padres. Him and Manny Machado can form one of the most devastating one-two punches in all of baseball. Tatis Jr. hit .286 with 16 homers, 43 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases last year for Double-A San Antonio.
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays: Home run power and a penchant to hit anything just like his father makes Guerrero Jr. a dangerous prospect. It remains to be seen when Guerrero Jr. will be called up. However, Guerrero Jr. hopes to be a force once he recovers from his oblique injury and gets called up.
  • Alex Verdugo, Los Angeles Dodgers: When the Dodgers traded Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig, it was supposed to be a move to get Bryce Harper. It was also a chance for Verdugo to get his chance to shine. He'll get a chance as the first replacement in a revamped Dodger outfield. Last year, Verdugo batted .329 with ten homers and 44 RBIs for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
  • Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox: Big bat power is what constitutes Jimenez's potential. He and Yoan Moncada have the potential to become the new Bash Brothers, dominating the majors with their seismic home runs.
  • Victor Robles, Washington Nationals: The Nationals may have lost Bryce Harper. However, Robles and Juan Soto have a chance to make Nats fans forget about Bryce.
Others to Watch: Kyle Tucker (Houston Astros), Forrest Whitley (Houston Astros), Michael Kopech (Chicago White Sox), Brent Honeywell (Tampa Bay Rays)
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Ravens' Off-Season Checklist

3/25/2019

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The Baltimore Ravens usurped their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, from their AFC North perch, but lost to the Chargers in the wild card weekend. What can the Ravens do to progress towards the next level?
  • Offensive Line Needs Work: In order for Lamar Jackson to have healthy development as a quarterback, he needs solid protection up front. Luckily for the Ravens, they can use the 22nd pick on a good blocker since the draft has plenty of these. Garrett Bradbury and Cody Ford are some names that make sense here.
  • Find a Safety (done): Earl Thomas may not be a sure thing to play every Sunday due to his injury history. However, he still is a playmaker on defense that can disrupt opposing offenses. Thomas is the perfect replacement for the departing Eric Weddle, who left for the Los Angeles Rams, and will help fill one of the many voids left on the Ravens defense.
  • Give Lamar Jackson Some Help: Again, Jackson is the pet project here. Therefore, it is imperative to get him all the help he'll need on offense. Wide receivers, blockers, running backs, anything. Just give Lamar Jackson as many tools as he can use to progress into a quality quarterback.
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Seahawks' Off-Season Checklist

3/24/2019

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The Seattle Seahawks finished 10-6, making a return to the playoffs. Unfortunately, their season ended with an encounter with the Dallas Cowboys. What do the Seahawks need to do to get back to Super Bowl contention?
  • Extend Russell Wilson: It's not often you see quarterbacks in the NFL under six feet tall, yet manage to be one of the most versatile, reliable players in the league. Enter Russell Wilson, whose in the last year of his contract. The Seahawks should make extending Wilson a priority if they want sustainable success in the future.
  • Give Wilson Some Receivers: The run game for the Seahawks saw a renaissance, leading the league in rushing yards per game (160 per game). However, the passing game was lackluster, only amassing 193.3 yards per game (tied for 27th in the NFL). Options for the Seahawks include Jordy Nelson, a reunion with Jermaine Kearse, or drafting D.K. Metcalf if he's still on the board.
  • Find a Way to Replace Earl Thomas: The Seahawks lost one of the most dynamic playmakers on defense in Earl Thomas after he left for Baltimore. Safety will be a position of need as a result. Luckily for Seattle, this is a deep defensive draft, which Seattle can pick up a safety in the later rounds.
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The Case for Ja Morant as the Number One Pick

3/23/2019

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Your guess for the number one pick in the next NBA Draft is probably going to be as good as mine. It'll probably be Zion Williamson from Duke. The six foot seven behemoth is a force to be reckoned with and is a massive body at his position. However, I'm going to try and sell you on the possibility of drafting Murray State's Ja Morant at number one.

Morant was the first collegiate player to post a triple double in an NCAA tournament game since Draymond Green did it with Michigan State in 2012 (Green got a triple double in an NCAA tournament game the previous year). Morant is excellent off the dribble and can also make plays and drive to the rim with devastating force. Granted, his lanky frame makes Zion preferable over Morant. However, there are certain defenses that Zion can't handle that Morant can, i.e. a set defense or a help defense.

There is also the talk about Morant not facing top competition enough, which is true. However, Morant's triple double against a Marquette team with a solid player in Markus Howard is proof that Morant can ball with the best. Mornat can rebound and make his teammates better, as proven in the Marquette/Murray State game. Morant's athleticism also makes him a desirable point guard, especially in off-motion plays.

It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Zion Williamson is going to be the number one pick in this summer's NBA Draft, barring that he returns to Duke for another year (honestly, why should he considering the NCAA stinks?). But if you want to root for a different number one draft pick, look at Ja Morant of Murray State!
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Photo courtesy of GoRacers.com
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