15 in '15: Teams to Watch in College Hoops (Part 1)

A strange thing is predicted to happen this Christmas; it is going to be warmer on December 25th than October 31st. Pretty weird right? You usually don't expect the temperature in winter to be greater than the middle of the fall, but with winter comes some pretty weird things, I must say. Just this week, for instance, Temple took on the number ten ranked team in the country Kansas at home. Will Cummings led the charge for the Owls with nineteen points as TU cruised to a 77-52 victory. It is pretty strange to see Kansas lose to an unranked, non conference opponent, but like I said, winter brings some strange things sometimes.
Here are the first five of fifteen teams to look out for in 2015 in the world of college basketball.


15. Louisville Cardinals
Sitting at 11-0 in an ever-so difficult ACC, the Cardinals are up against the consensus #1 team in the country, Kentucky, on Saturday. This is the second to last non conference matchup before ACC play, and if the 3rd best rebounding team can pull out an upset win at home and cruise against Long Beach State three nights later, momentum will definitely be in Louisville's favor before they get started up in conference clashes with Clemson, #21 ranked UNC, and Virginia Tech. It is important to recognize that only three of the eleven wins have been against formidable opponents: the season opener against Minnesota, #14 Ohio State, and Indiana. Part of the convincing wins over the Gophers, Buckeyes, Hoosiers, and other schools that barely get D1 recognition is largely the rebounding stat I mentioned earlier; Montrezl Harrell, the feisty junior forward, averages a double double with 16.7 points and 10 boards and leads the team in both categories (tied for first with Terry Rozier). This matchup on Saturday will chisel out either Kentucky's dominance, or Louisville's legitimacy.


14. Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Having already played three ranked teams and six total early contenders, VCU has shown they are not flawless with an unexpected loss to Old Dominion, and not even hitting sixty points against both Villanova and Virginia. Living in the mid-atlantic region of the United States, and having two area teams in the Atlantic-10 conference, I've seen VCU and can say the nation's steals leader, Briante Weber with 4.2 steals per game, is one of the most exciting players in the country. Regarded as one of the most relentless on-court talents expect him to come off the bench in crucial situations and provide defensively.

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 15: Briante Weber #2 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams passes the ball in the second half against the George Washington Colonials during the Semifinals of the 2014 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 15, 2014. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) [CREDIT ESPN.com]

13. St. John's Red Storm
This surprise team in the Big East this season has provided some really competitive games early. Only losing to #10 Gonzaga so far, St. John's will be put to the test with an extremely deep Big East starting in the new year. Chris Obekpa, the forward from Nigeria, has made his presence known in the post: he ranks second in the land in blocks, only behind Washington's Robert Upshaw. Obekpa's best game so far was against Long Beach State on Monday, where he dropped 16 points, making seven out of the eight shots he took. Even with a post presence that many teams lack, Rysheed Jordan, a Robert Vaux High School product from Philadelphia, has impressed coach Steve Lavin this year who called him "outstanding". Lavin expects a tournament birth from his guys who he has said that he "enjoyed watching develop" in a SportsCenter interview and they frankly deserve a spot in March.
12. Syracuse OrangeNever sleep on Syracuse. As much as it pains me to say it, being a Villanova and Duke fan myself, they just have been too impressive historically. With a slightly different cast from last season, the four losses have been deceiving especially when one of them came against my Villanova Wildcats in Philly. The Orange held a lead for the entire game until the fourth quarter when JayVaughn Pinkston and Darrun Hillyard exploded with key baskets for 'Nova, leading them to a decisive overtime victory. The losses were against an on the rise Cal team, a Michigan squad I'm not sold on yet, and St. John's (who you have already read about). Even though 'Cuse could've won two of their four losses, they have dominated in their victories against smaller schools with one close game at home against Louisiana Tech, 71-69. Rakeem Christmas and Trevor Cooney's play are the two players Syracuse cannot go without. Christmas, another Philadelphian, is averaging 16.5 points this season and is always has some of the highest amounts of minutes on the floor. Cooney, a three point weapon, has dropped 24 of them, but has missed a staggering 44. Last year, 'Cuse fell in the second round to Dayton 55-53, and if Jim Boeheim is anything like he usually is, he will be expecting a big time bounce back postseason, wether I like it or not.
11. Florida Gulf Coast EaglesThe team that stepped up to the plate and hit a home run in the 2013 NCAA tournament: their only appearance, but Brett Comer and co. look to change that this year as they will take the Atlantic Sun by storm. The team's leader in assists, is often the one to lob the ball up at the top of the key to whomever may be ready for the slam, fitting for #DunkCity, right? The team's win at home against Furman, Comer helped seal the win with a couple of successful trips to the charity stripe, adding to his 19-point performance on the night. The following game would be a loss to Iona, the third on the year. Up next for the Eagles before A-Sun play are two away games against Xavier and Pitt, both schools boast a 6-0 home record for the year. Also, being one of two teams (South Carolina Upstate) with winning records in the conference, expect a run-away crown for the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast.

10. Kentucky Wildcats
Always one of the most talked about teams, the John Calipari-led Wildcats might just go undefeated. Might. Kentucky seemed ready for another championship run, by stacking their schedule with early-season victories over small schools like Grand Canyon and UT-Arlington. Even though stacking the schedule has been a tradition amongst top 10 teams forever, I'm not a fan. That being said, like Louisville, there needs to be some analytics need to be done on their schedule. SEC opponents don't get the chance to dethrone UK until the New Year, giving Kentucky ample time to play only four top-25 teams and one formidable opponent (two if you count Providence). In terms of the South Eastern Conference opponents Kentucky will face, Arkansas seems like the team able to add that significant 1 to the loss column. Willie Cauley-Stein is poised to be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft after this year and with his tag team partner Aaron Harrison also opening eyes for the second straight year, the Wildcats will be a force to reckon with in March.

Part 2 coming soon! Make sure you follow all the Hive action and news on Instagram, twitter, and Facebook!

John's Jargon: 12th Edition

John’s Jargon

From Professional Wrestling to Baseball and Everything In-Between

An Adrenaline Junkie’s Dream:

My Top 5 Favorite WWE Crowd Pops of All-Time

By John Napolitano

            After witnessing the man they call Sting make his WWE debut to an ovation of adulation in St. Louis, Missouri, at the 2014 Survivor Series, I proceeded to recollect and catalog my all-time favorite crowd pops in WWE history. As I regressed into the annals of WWE history, I surmised that crowd pops are the key to the occurrence of iconic moments. What is Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant if no one cheers? Who would care for Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX if the WWE Universe had sat on their hands for the entire match? The reactions or pop of the fanatics is what undoubtedly makes or breaks each and every moment in World Wrestling Entertainment, and I have assembled my five favorite hair-raising, bone-chilling, and adrenaline-pumping crowd pops over the decades.

5. Chris Jericho makes his debut on Monday Night Raw (1999)

           

For months, the WWE Universe sat with bated breath as a mysterious “Countdown to the Millennium” clock continued to randomly appear on Monday Night Raw. No one quite knew what the expiration of this countdown would bring, but it would surely be a monumental occurrence. On the August 9^th edition of Monday Night Raw, the Countdown to the Millennium would come to an untimely conclusion, interrupting a heated promo from the “Great One,” The Rock. The rabid fanatics of Chicago, Illinois, sat with anticipation as a burst of pyrotechnics erupted and an unfamiliar music video appeared on the titantron. The lull of the Chicago crowd turned into mass hysteria when the titantron then read “JERICHO.” The former underappreciated WCW Superstar, Chris Jericho, was now in World Wrestling Entertainment and basking in the bombastic approbation of the WWE Universe. He would go onto verbally spar with the “Brahma Bull,” The Rock, and take part in one of the most famous segments in Monday Night Raw history. As far as debuts go, Chris Jericho set the bar in the summer of 1999, and the WWE Universe ate up every bit of it.

4. Dolph Ziggler cashes in his Money in the Bank Contract (2013)

            It was about damn time when Dolph Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank Contract on the April 8^th edition of Monday Night Raw. The battered and bruised World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto Del Rio, was absolutely vulnerable as the man who won the Money in the Bank Contract nearly a year prior set his sights on his second major title victory in the WWE. The insatiably riotous crowd of the Izod Center erupted when Ziggler’s music hit the arena, but that ovation was nothing compared to when Referee Scott Armstrong’s hand hit the mat for the three count. Finally, the workhorse, Dolph Zigger, was the World Heavyweight Champion, and the WWE Universe congratulated him with an earsplitting explosion of emotion. Dolph Ziggler’s successes in 2013 would start and end with that title victory, but it will surely stand out in history as one of the loudest and evocative moments ever.

3. Brock Lesnar returns to the WWE (2012)

            One of the loudest receptions of the PG Era took place in Miami, Florida, on the April 2^nd edition of Monday Night Raw. Imagine the excitement of 19,000 members of the WWE Universe witnessing the return of the “Next Big Thing,” Brock Lesnar. John Cena stood in the center of the ring and called out his bitter rival, The Rock. After what seemed like hours of silence, it was not The Rock’s music, but rather Brock Lesnar’s music that blasted throughout the American Airlines Arena, and the place went haywire. In the famous words of Michael Cole, “The American Airlines Arena has come unglued!” After an eight-year absence, the “Beast Incarnate,” Brock Lesnar had returned to the WWE, and his eyes were locked on John Cena. The frenzy of exhilaration did not cease at any point leading up to Brock Lesnar ultimately hoisting Cena up on his shoulders and planting him with an F5. Lesnar capped off the night by kicking John Cena’s hat to the side and receiving adoration from everyone in attendance. Not only will Brock Lesnar’s return go down as one of the most historic moments in Monday Night Raw history, but as one of the most thunderous receptions in WWE history.

2. The Rock returns as the Host of WrestleMania XXVII (2011)

            When The Rock returned to the WWE on the February 14^th edition of Monday Night Raw, the WWE Universe produced a deafening chorus of cheers and screams that rivaled actual militaristic cannon fire. The WWE Universe was promised that on this night the Host of WrestleMania XXVII would be revealed, but no one was prepared for the return of the “Great One,” The Rock. As the arena went dark and the anticipation began to build, members of the WWE Universe in attendance and watching at home could hardly wait for this epic unveiling. After several seconds of silence, the WWE Universe was embraced with the ever-invigorating lyrics, “IF YOU CAN SMELL.. WHAT THE ROCK..IS COOKING!” All at once everyone in attendance jumped to their feet and unleashed a howl of elation as The Rock emerged from the curtain and delighted the fancies of all onlookers. It is physically impossible to watch this awe-inspiring moment and not experience a sensation of utter enthusiasm.

1. Steve Austin assists Mankind in winning the WWE Championship (1999)

            My all-time favorite crowd pop in WWE history took place on the January 4^th edition of Monday Night Raw when Stone Cold Steve Austin interfered in the main event to help Mankind win the WWE Championship, and stick it to the Corporation. WWE Commissioner, Shawn Michaels, promised Mr. McMahon at the start of the show that he would be in for a “stone cold surprise.” Later on when Mankind held Shane McMahon, Mr. McMahon’s son, hostage to gain a WWE Championship opportunity against The Rock in the main event, the stage was set for the loudest and most thrilling crowd pop of all time. The match was a no disqualification melee that saw D-Generation X in Mankind’s corner and the Corporation in The Rock’s corner. It did not take long for things to break down at ringside between D-Generation X and the Corporation. The anarchy between the two warring factions provided the perfect window for a “stone cold surprise.” When Stone Cold Steve Austin’s music hit the arena, the most booming reaction ever generated from a live audience came from the WWE Universe. The Corporation was not as delighted to see Steve Austin, as he took a steel chair and bounced it off the skull of The Rock and dragged Mankind’s lifeless body over The Rock. When Senior Referee, Earl Hebner, hit the mat for the three count, the energy in the arena increased tenfold as Mankind was the new WWE Champion. Never in my life have I witnessed such joy and jubilation in one place, and I can only imagine what it was like to be in attendance.

What are your favorite crowd pops of all time? Tweet me @JohnNap17 and let me know!