The Freshman Wonder

Nick Emery, Fifteen, Six-Foot One, and scoring 407 points as a 9th grade Varsity baller. Not many people can match up to this freshman prodigy. Emery averaged 18.5 ppg as a Lone Peak Knight and he was the leading scorer for his team. Nick has been playing basketball since anyone can remember and has learned much from his dad and brother Jackson, a member of the BYU basketball team, who he looks up to for pointers and inspiration to help him through his high school career. From shooting baskets in his driveway to starting under the spotlight on the Knights court, he has always tried everything to be the best at what he does.

Who is #1?

Late Thursday night there will be much commotion in The Radio City Music Hall for the NFL franchise owners, to get their most needed players that will benefit their team. Just who will be the #1 pick? Sam Bradford? Ndamukong Suh? Jimmy Clausen? The open spot on the 2010 St. Louis Rams roster is still up in the air. If Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, gets that spot then it will be the big break that the Rams will need to have their first winning season since 2003. Suh, the 2009 AP Player Of The Year, is being scouted by the Detroit Lions to help their 2009 #1 draft pick, Matthew Stafford, to earn that quarterback glory that he most definitely is capable of. With 4 Sooners expected to enter the NFL within the first 22 picks, and, Tim Tebow who most people think is not ready to be an NFL quarterback, not expected to go until pick #48, will make this draft be very unpredictable and crucial for many teams. The 75th NFL Draft will be the one to watch and remember.

BYU's Future Secret Weapon

For the 2012-13 football season there will be a hidden star for the BYU program, Jacob Hannemann. He is a senior at Lone Peak High School right in the heart of Highland. During the course of the 2009 football season, Hannemann earned seven touchdowns as a receiver and six amazing interceptions while playing cornerback. He has been what people are talking about in the state of Utah, not just for football though. Jacob has also been a baseball prodigy throughout the state, earning himself a spot on the cougar line-up. He is the center fielder for the Knights and in the first 18 at-bats of the 2010 baseball season; he had an unbelievable .667 batting average, the best in the state of Utah. He has been helped through the years by watching the Great Ken Griffey Jr. track down balls and make those plays that many people cannot accomplish, but now Hannemann can. His hero has been his father, for all of the support that he has given him throughout the years. Jacob always knows whenever his dad is in the stands because he never stops cheering for his boy. Brigham Young University is very lucky to get an athlete of such high caliber. This is what the cougars will need to make their sports seasons that much more successful in the years to come.

The Blue Devils Edge Past the Bulldogs in a Showdown

The 2010 NCAA National Championship was one of the bests ever. With everything coming down to the wire, Duke pulled off the win. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, Duke shot 29.4% and the Bulldogs were only 33.3%. Butler got into some foul trouble early in the game and foreward, Matt Howard, ended the game with 4 of their 18 team fouls. Duke game was not like it was early in the tournament, they were only 62.5% from the line versus their 74.6% average throughout the rest of the tournament. Near the end of the game , Butler was down by one when Gordon Hayward took a fadeaway jumper and barely missed it. The Senior Blue Devil, Brian Zoubek, earned his 10th rebound of the night and got his team one point from the foul line. Hayward got one of the free-throw rebounds, ran, and threw up a prayer at half court and just missed it off the back of the rim. This would make the Duke Blue Devils the champions of MARCH MADNESS!

THE "S" FACTOR

Duke has been only true #1 seed at the tournament. Coach K has the secret weapon that many teams wish that they could obtain, which is Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Jon Scheyer. In the Final Four game against West Virginia, the THREE S's had a combined 63 of the teams 78 total points. Singler made up for his mere 5 points last game to an amazing 21 points, while Jon Schreyer had an astonishing 23 points to help his team fly past the Mountaineers. He is going to have to play a huge role vs. BUTLER if they are going to become National Champions. Duke is going to have to get the ball down low to avoid the stunning defense from the Bulldogs. Throughout the tournament, Butler has averaged 10 steals a game and Duke is going to have to protect the ball well and create enough spacing to take the essential shots needed to beat these dominating Bulldogs.

THE BUTLER WAY TO PLAY

Butler, the INDIANAPOLIS MYSTERY as I like to call them, played like National Champions the first half last night, but the second half they could not drain the shots that they needed to pull even further away from Michigan State. Fortunately, they caused Michigan State to turn the ball over 16 times, 12 of which were steals. This created a great amount of momentum, for Butler, that helped them defeat the Spartans. The Bulldogs did not shoot as well as they should have from the paint, they had a 30.6 FG percentage and they were only 23.8% from the 3-point range. If they want to be the National Champions then they will have to improve this. Gordon Hayward finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds, all defensive. He will need to get more offensive rebounds so that Butler can get many more required put backs. Brad Stevens, the coach, needs to have Shelvin Mack in for more than 25 minutes, because he can make those outside shots that his team will need to beat the 3-point masters of Duke. This is my pick to WIN the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!

Duke's Winning Strategy

Duke is a team that has exceptional outside shooting, but to beat West Virginia they have to get better inside game. This will be hard for them because of the excellent defense of West Virginia. Duke has been 37.9% from beyond the arc and that will need to improve if they want to get to the National Finals. During the tournament, Duke's FG percentage has decreased an average of 5% per game. If this persists then they will hit 31.1% of their FG's and that will not be enough for them to get past West Virginia. They will have to get the ball to either Kyle Singler or Nolan Smith and hope that they will be shooting well so that their outside shooting can make up for their poor inside game.

BUTLER Keys to Success

The Butler Bulldogs are the Indianapolis Mystery. The name of the team that they are playing does not matter to them. They just go out there and play "THEIR" game of basketball. To beat Michigan State they must keep getting their average 27.25 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs are already a great shooting team and if they can get those most needed put backs then the Spartans will not be able to keep up with this fast paced team. Butler will need to get the ball to Shelvin Mack on the perimeter and Gordon Hayward down low to get ahead and beat Michigan State. The Bulldogs are averaging 8 steals a game and if they can turn those into baskets then they will be able to send Michigan State back to East Lansing where they belong and Butler will appear in the NCAA Tournament finals for the first time in school history. THIS IS MY PICK TO WIN THIS GAME!

The Mountaineer Final Four Tactics

West Virginia has had an outstanding tournament, knocking out John Wall and the Kentucky Wildcats to make it to the Final Four was simply unbelievable. There next game will be against the hot-shooting Blue Devils and this will be a showdown. Penetrating Duke's defense is a must if the Mountaineers want to win and when they do this it will definitely improve their 40% FG percentage, for the tournament. West Virginia's, Joe Mazzulla, has filled the shoes of Darryl Bryant out with a foot injury. Mazzulla has been excellent, averaging 8.3 points during the National Tournament and he will have to keep giving his team that edge, so that they can beat Coach K and his boys. This matchup will be a battle until the final buzzer sounds. THIS IS MY PICK TO WIN THIS GAME!