Big Buddha

Big Buddha
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Pac 10 Power Poll

Well barring a 7-3 or better finish which includes road trips to all the California schools or winning the Pac 10 Tournament I think you can safely say that Oregon has joined Cal as teams I will say as this point are NIT bound and can forget about sweating out Selection Sunday. As of right now I see the Pac 10 with a lock on five bids (UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, WSU and a streaking USC squad). People seem to be putting ASU in the tournament but to me they have awful computer numbers and will face what is likely the third hardest schedule down the chute the rest of the season to the Oregon schools. The Devils do have 2 top 25 RPI wins but both were at home and under difficult circumstances for the road team (Xavier traveling cross country after a bitterly tough game versus cross city foe Cinci and then Zona facing ASU wihout Jerryd Bayless). ASU will need to win another road game against someone other than Oregon State if they hope to go to the tournament. With their sad computer numbers having Cal as your only true road win of the year won't cut it. I actually think that Washington may have a better shot at getting that final possible bid but in the end the Pac 10 will be a five bid conference this year.

1. UCLA - (2) The Bruins survived a scare at Oregon and should be healthy again for the Arizona schools. (RPI 12 SOS 32) NCAA Lock
2. WSU (1) - Didn't look good in the loss in Tucson but Arizona was actually favorted so dispite what the polls say this wasn't an upset. The Cougs gutted out a win in Tempe that really put a hurt on ASU's chances for a bid. The Cougars could still be in play for a 2 seed but need a sweep this weekend hosting the Bay Area schools and to beat UCLA when they play up their later in the year. Due to the poor OOC slate I feel more comforatable giving WSU a 3 seed. (RPI 10 SOS 77) NCAA Lock
3. Stanford - Since Brook Lopez's return the Trees have been a team worth of a top 5 seed in the NCAA's but they still need to get a few road wins to seal that up. The Siena loss is still a major blight on the OOC schedule, that along with a generally weak OOC slate, is dragging down their RPI numers. (RPI 29 SOS 110) NCAA Lock
4. Arizona (7) - Back on track with Bayless back in the lineup. However the Cats have a very tough road trip this week and could use a split. (RPI 7 SOS 1). NCAA Lock
5. USC (6) - The hottest team in the league almost threw away the Oregon game but shot perfect in overtime to destroy the Ducks season. As I expected USC is coming on later in the year, no surprise with the young talent they have. (RPI 38 SOS 22) NCAA Lock
6. ASU (4) - Getting swept at home by the Washington schools might be the straw that breaks the camels back. With a high likelihood of getting swept in LA this week I think it will be all but imposssible for the Devils to get 10 pac wins. Despite the very high RPI number of the conference ASU will get no favors from the commitee and only have 4 home games remaining. (RPI 90 SOS 151).
7. UW (8) - The win at ASU gives them faint hope for a bid and they have a very favorable schedule down the stretch but don't have many wins that stand out with the best being a win over #52 RPI Oregon. A shame for the Dawgs that they couldn't beat Pitt way back in early December. (RPI 88 SOS 62) NIT
8. UO (4) - What an unfortunate weekend for the Ducks who could have gotten a sweep and jumped to the top of the Pac 10 and now find themselves in 8th place with a miniscule chance of anything better than the NIT. The Ducks have dropped almost 30 points in RPI in two weeks. (RPI 52 SOS 14)
9. Cal (9) - Could this be the last year of the Ben Braun era. He is now the dean of Pac 10 coaches unless Lute Olson comes back next year. Pity poor Ryan Andeson who is playing his heart out on a team that just doesn't have the horses this year. (RPI 92 SOS 42). NIT
10. OSU (10) - I give the Beavs credit for playing two strong first halves in the games versus USC and UCLA. Kevin Mouton and the Beavs will have their one shot for a win this Saturday versus the Ducks who have to be in the complete dumps mentally. (RPI 235 SOS 139)

Evie

Evie
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Pac 10 Power Poll

The Jay John era ended with a loss in Seattle and the coach found himself the victim of an unusual mid-season firing the likes which have not been seen in the Pac 10 since Dr Evil aka Henry Bibby was canned in favor of Jim Scia. In a somewhat shocking result UCLA was bounced convincingly at home by the very inconsistent but talented USC. Now UCLA will have to go up to Mac Court on Thursday night to face an Oregon team in desperate need of a win with the service of Mata and Btah Mute. I think the Ducks will get the upset but they need to make sure they beat USC as well or their slipping tourney chances will take a hit. Jon Brockman played great all week for the Huskies who got two wins and salvaged their season. Pity the Cal Bears who have a possible Pac 10POY candidate in Ryan Anderson but lost all realistic shot at anything better than the NIT with the home sweep by the Arizona schools. This week the LA schools go to Oregon, the Washington schools go to Arizona and Stanford goes across the Bay to Haas to play Cal.

1. WSU (2) -Broke the streak and the unexpected home loss by UCLA puts WSU in the drivers seat to win the conference if they can beat UCLA at Friel Court (RPI 18 SOS 138). NCAA Lock
2. UCLA (1) - A shocking home loss along with injuries has to raise some questions on the national level. If the tournament started today they would be a 2 seed (RPI 13 SOS 20). NCAA Lock
3. Stanford (4) - Solid home sweep of the Arizona schools including a 4 point win over the Wildcats who have had Stanford's number in Maples lately. Obviously having Brook Lopez back in the swing of things has made this team much better (RPI 27 SOS 82). NCAA Lock
4. ASU (5) - Nice double OT win in Berkeley gives them their first legit road win of the season (RPI 68 SOS 208). NCAA Bubble
5. UO (3) - The Ducks poor shooting at the end of the WSU game was quite costly, a win there and they are looking at a top 5 seed a loss takes them back to sitting on the bubble again. A sweep of the LA schools would get the Ducks right back where they need to be (RPI 33 SOS 27). NCAA Bubble
6. USC (8) - An enigma of a team all came together in getting a very rare road win on the home court of a Ben Howland coached team. A road sweep in Oregon will put them on the good side of the bubble again (RPI 46 SOS 16). NCAA Bubble
7. UA (7) - The Cats split in the Bay Area but the level of improvement with the return of Bayless wasn't what I would have expected. The computer numbers are so high for this team all they really need to do is win 9 conference games and they are okay but the 24 year NCAA streak is in jeopardy a bit (RPI 9 SOS 1) NCAA Bubble
8. UW (9) - Jon Brockman tooled Oregon and Oregon State on the boards. The Huskies would need to win 9 of 13 to have a chance of getting to the NCAAs with the poor computer numbers (RPI 106 SOS 68). NIT
9. Cal (7) - After being swept at home I think you can safely say that Cal can't do anything better than the NIT this year. I can see some pressure mounting on Ben Braun. (RPI 91 SOS 56) NIT
10. OSU (10) - Bob Decarrolis mercifully took Jay John out of his misery. At this point things can only go up and the Beavs need an impact hire which will be hard with the worst facilities in the conference and tons of fan apathy (RPI 236 SOS 178).

2007 Pape Jam

2007 Pape Jam
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Pac 10 Power Poll 1/14/2008

Not many changes this week in the rankings but the news of the week had to have been the ASU Sun Devils beating in-state nemesis Arizona on Wednesday. Led by James Harden’s 26 the Sun Devil’s find themselves at 3-0 in the conference with wins over Oregon and Arizona. The Devils now will go up the Bay Area and see if they can steal a road win in places where few road teams ever win, Haas Pavilion and Maples Pavilion. Oregon played two tough games against Stanford and Cal and got a home sweep of the Bay Area schools for the first time since 2002. This gives the Ducks a bit more wiggle room so getting swept on the road in Washington won’t kill their NCAA chances but they still will hope for a split. UCLA and WSU wasn’t close for a good portion of the game until the Cougs caught fire and hit 7 three-pointers in a row. Had this torrid shooting performance started earlier the Cougs would find themselves at the top of the heap in the conference and having the inside track at the 1 seed in the West. This week the Oregon schools go north, the Arizona schools go to the Bay Area and USC goes across town to Pauley Pavilion to take on the Bruins.

1. UCLA (1) – The Bruins could in all reality run away with this conference. UCLA has as good a shot as anyone to win the NCAA Tournament this year. (RPI 6 SOS 25) NCAA Lock
2. WSU (2) – The Cougs didn’t play their best game against UCLA but I actually feel better about them after their weekend in LA. The Cougs computer numbers are dragging a bit due to the poor OOC SOS but they still will finish the year a protected seed. Oregon has had WSU’s number for some time so you just know that Bennett and company has circled the home game versus the Ducks for sometime. (RPI 25 SOS 173) NCAA Lock
3. UO (4) – After the ASU game the Ducks looked like they were in danger of not going to the NCAA Tournament but now with three straight wins over quality opponents the Ducks have seen their computer numbers soar. The nice thing about beating Arizona and Stanford is that it means the Ducks can survive a sweep in the Washington schools and still be on target for a tourney bid. Nice to see Tajuan Porter back to form as well. (RPI 24 SOS 27) NCAA Lock
4. Stanford (3) – The Cardinal dominated the Beavs and played just well enough to lose against the Ducks. The depth is their front court will serve them well this year but they are an athlete short of being a team that can do a lot of damage in the postseason. (RPI 40 SOS 122) NCAA Lock
5. ASU (6) – James Harden may actually end up being the best freshman in a star-studded class of Pac 10 frosh. The Devils were fortunate that they avoided Jerryd Bayless in the match-up versus Arizona but the win was a major feather in the cap for Herb Sendek. The Devils will only make the NCAA tournament if they can show the committee they can win a road game or two, I like their chances against Cal much more than against Stanford but I foresee the Devils losing both games. (RPI 69 SOS 247) Bubble
6. UA (5) – The Cats have lost 2 straight conference games but I think you will see them become at worst the third best team in the conference down the stretch with the return of Bayless who put up 33 in a non-conference road game in Houston. (RPI 8 SOS 1) NCAA Lock
7. Cal (7) – The Bears got the road split they were looking for in Oregon but they can’t afford to lose anymore home games if they wish to keep their bleak NCAA hopes alive. Their series versus ASU will be a defacto playoff game for the likely sixth seed from the Pac 10 to the NCAA’s. The Bears can’t afford a home loss to ASU but won to UA won’t kill them. (RPI 52 SOS 60) Bubble
8. USC (8) – Looks like OJ Mayo will not get the chance to Carmeloize the Pac 10 as USC is going to have major problems getting to 10 wins in conference this year and the Mercer loss continues to drag down their RPI. (RPI 73 SOS 45) NIT
9. UW (9) – The Huskies have the look of a NIT team and have been hurt by the poor shooting performance by Ryan Appleby. The Huskies should take care of business against the Beavs and I expect the game versus Oregon to be highly contested. The Ducks have struggled in Seattle for many years. (RPI 106 SOS 38)
10. OSU (10) – The fan base has given up on Jay John and the Beavs have a legit shot to go 0-18. To have an RPI as high as they do in the top RPI league in the country takes some serious talent. Home losses to Tennesse Tech and Montana State can do that to you. (RPI 248 SOS 231)

Persistence

Persistence
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Pac 10 Hoops Power Poll

As college football is on its final day I now turn my attention to hoops. The Pac 10 has just completed its first week of regular season play which saw road teams play fairly successfully and was highlighted by Oregon beating Arizona in Tucson for the second consecutive year, a first in school history. The Cats were hurt by the absence of Jarred Bayless and really struggled on the defensive end. Kudos to Ernie Kent for shuffling the lineup a bit. It is clear to me that Tajuan Porter isn’t a viable point guard in the traditional sense of the word and the Ducks will be successful when other players are able to attack the rim and dish it out to Porter where he can be set for his shots and display the success he had as a freshman when Aaron Brooks who penetrate and dish out to Porter beyond the arc. In other games the Cougars fought out a W in a very physical game in Seattle against the Huskies. The Cougars were aided by a dreadful performance from the line by the Huskies in a game that was dominated by both defenses in the first half especially. I give credit to the Huskies for displaying toughness, they have been accused of lacking it in the past but in the end a win is a win and a loss is a loss. UCLA swept Cal and Stanford in what is likely going to be its hardest road weekend of the season while USC went 0-2 in the Bay Area. Finally ASU went to 2-0 for the first time the 1987/88 season. This week sees a matchup of the Arizona schools in Tempe on Wednesday while the Cats end their week with a non-conference game versus an 11-2 Houston team looking for a quality road win to augment their bubble possibilities. The Bay Area schools invade Oregon while the Washington schools match up versus the LA schools. For my NCAA Status feature I would like to comment that I am basing it off of whether they would be in if the NCAA tournament started the day I post each week so these will change a great deal from week to week. Oregon is now a lock in my book with the Arizona win but if they were to get swept at home this week they’d go off that line and down to bubble status.

Power Poll
1. UCLA – Went 2-0 on what could be their hardest road swing of the season. Now they will get the Washington schools at home. The battle versus WSU should be a candidate for Pac 10 game of the year but in the end I see the Bruins winning both games. NCAA status = Lock likely #1 seed (RPI 15 SOS 46).
2. WSU – Won a tough road game to a rival in typical WSU fashion but outside of playing in-state rival Gonzaga and Washington the only reasonable RPI team the Cougs have played this year has been Baylor. Oregon got bagged on by the national media for their OOC schedule but the Cougars was considerably worse and I think the Cougars are a bit overrated early ala Clemson last year. NCAA Status = Lock (RPI 30 SOS 251)
3. Stanford – Couldn’t beat UCLA but not many teams are going to this year. I am expecting they sweep the Oregon schools on the road as long as the Ducks don’t go crazy from 3 point land. NCAA Status = Lock (RPI 35 SOS 124)
4. Oregon – The Ducks went .500 in the desert which is what they were looking to accomplish but they also have to be disappointed in losing a late lead and falling to ASU. The Arizona win is a great resume builder but they need to keep the momentum up and hold serve at home. NCAA Status = Lock (RPI 39 SOS 62)
5. Arizona – Definitely missing Bayless the Cats are also displaying their lack of effort on defense and with the improvement of ASU they can’t expect a cake walk on Wednesday. The Cats have superb computer numbers so as long as they win 10 Pac 10 games they are a lock. 9 wins is dicey buy they would probably still get the benefit of the doubt. NCAA Status = Lock (RPI 12 SOS 1)
6. ASU – The Devils played a pathetic OOC schedule outside of Xavier (who had played an in-city battle versus Cinci two days prior and was unprepared and tired when ASU swamped them) so the game versus Oregon was their first real test of the year. James Harden is a fun player to watch. The Devils in all reality are a NIT team until they can prove they can win a home game. The stakes are high this week with UA in town but I think the Cats will have just enough to win. NCAA Status – Bubble (RPI 84 SOS 255)
7. Cal – The Bears beat USC which is what they were looking to do with the LA schools in town. The Bears are in the same boat as Oregon and ASU. Teams that played easy OOC schedules and need some resume building wins if they are going to go to the big dance. NCAA Status = Bubble (RPI 69 SOS 82)
8. USC – I think by season’s end USC will be a Top 20 team but now they are raw and undisciplined. They can’t afford any more road sweeps if they want to go the NCAA’s. NCAA Status = Bubble (RPI 72 SOS 58)
9. Washington – Played tough versus the Cougs but poor free throw shooting was their undoing. NCAA Status = NIT (RPI 105 SOS 66)
10. OSU – Quite possibly the worst high-major team coming in with a pathetic OOC SOS number of 334 and a RPI of 259. 0-18 is a possibility, reminds me of an early Paul Graham/late Kevin Eastman WSU team. The positive for the Beavers was that they played a great first half in Tucson. NCAA Status = When hell freezes over (RPI 259 SOS 300)

You've come along way baby!

Beautiful Girl
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

This picture was taken about 15 minutes after Evie was born, she is now 3 days short of her first birthday and her parents couldn't be more proud of her. The changes that you see occuring in your child in the first year of their life is truly amazing. I look forward to watching her grow over the next year!