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Actually, the title of this entry should be something along the lines of, "Justin Cherot Doesn't Know Jack About Basketball."

Okay, so I'm off to somewhat of a tough start to the year so far. My daughter could probably point to whichever mascot she thinks is cooler and she probably would have won at least one game. Unfortunately, I was devoid of such expertise and I sit at a very Oklahoma City Thunder-like 0-5.

Hopefully with the slew of sporting games occurring this weekend I can turn the tide.

Before I get into predictions, I absolutely have to talk about my two teams (if you haven't read the disclaimer on the sidebar, do so), both of whom are about to figuratively send me off the top of a building into traffic. I'll start with my Dallas Mavericks.

In the midst of an untimely four-game slide, the Mavs would be relegated to the century's worst
lottery. Maybe it's been my denial for the past two years, but I'm starting to agree with every informed writer/sports geek: they're getting old. I would have to fact check this, but I'd say that they have the oldest backcourt in the NBA by a wide margin. Even though Jason Terry is having a career year and Jason Kidd is still a well-rounded point guard, both of them function better as beneficiaries of someone creating shots for them. Josh Howard is starting to come around, but it worries me that his rebounding is down. Dirk Nowitzki is quietly having one of his better seasons as a pro, but his mediocre three-point percentage has been a cause for concern.

The story of the season thus far: they can't finish off good teams. Defensively, they've been stout as a unit, allowing only two opponents thus far to shoot over 50% from the field. But, Rick Carlisle promise of a running Maverick team has failed to materialize midway through the season, and although you generally see good movement on offense for the first three quarters of the game, their half-court offense tends to really bog down during crunch time. How else can you explain 60 point first halves followed by 35-40 point second halves at times? I mentioned this to one of my friends earlier in the week and they agreed: Dallas needs a more dynamic lead guard.

I almost jumped for joy when the Mavs were talking with the Charlotte Bobcats about getting Raymond Felton, who isn't perfect but probably would be a good fit as a penetration threat on a jump-shot happy team. Alas, the Mavs reportedly have completed a trade with the Bobcats... just not a ground-shaking one (on a side note, I believe Ryan Hollins could be an upgrade over Diop offensively and Matt Carroll gives the Mavs a knockdown shooter... if they want to use him).

So, where are the Mavs headed? Hard to say. Their play over the next couple of weeks will largely impact whether they can make everything come together or whether they will pray for Stephen Curry to fall into the late lottery. There's no doubt that the talent is there to overcome their current malaise. The only question is whether or not that talent is past it's prime.

As much as the Mavs depress me, they don't irk me as much as the Maryland Terrapins. Another large lead midway through the second half. Another loss.

Ugh.

Other than the Big East this year, the ACC schedule is probably the most unforgiving. With the Terps lack of size and athletic ability this year, their margin of error is extremely thin, thinner than Nicole Ritchie on a diet. They just can't afford to play well 75% of the game.

And, what is with Greivis Vasquez going into this fake Kobe Bryant mode at the end of their games? Like, does he absolutely HAVE to be the hero in every game? Personally, I trust Adrian Bowie or Eric Hayes more with the ball during crunch time. This is nothing against Vasquez, but offensively he shoots okay and he penetrates okay. Hayes is by far the best shooter on the Terps, and Bowie has proven time and time again that he can rack anybody in college basketball. Again, nothing against Vasquez, but his shot selection in the waning minutes of the last two games has been horrendous at best.

Still, it's a team game, and Maryland just has to continue bringing it every night. I bitch and moan about this and that with Maryland, but even I have to admit that the talent level for them is down this year. For them to be 12-4 at this point in the season is a testament to Gary Williams' coaching. Say what you will about him not being able to actively recruit the best that the state of Maryland has to offer, but from an X's and O's standpoint he's done a good job with this group. For everybody saying he needs to be fired, the person taking his place better be damn good.

Sigh... predictions.

Wake Forest/Clemson- UNC is still the best team in the ACC, and I think they'll win the league crown when the dust settles, but the Demon Deacons are tough. There are some good guards in this league, but I think Jeff Teague might end up being the best at the next level. So explosive. It seems like every year Clemson starts off really strong, but it's like an optical illusion because they never really play anybody out of conference. If this game were in Winston-Salem it'd be a blow-out, but Wake wins a relatively close game by six or less.

Louisville/Pittsburgh- If this were a game of "Who do you think will have more players in the NBA?", the Cardinals would win. But, college basketball games aren't decided on prognostications and suspect websites. I'm not sold as Pitt being the best team in the country, but they'll beat Louisville by more than ten.

Ravens/Steelers- I'm going to take a principle I normally apply to college basketball: it's hard to beat a team three times in a year. Especially with the games being so close, I just can't see that happening. This will be a low-scoring affair, and have your surround sound on and popping, because you will hear helmets smacking and bones cracking. The X factor is Joe Flacco: how will he adjust after two subpar games against the Steelers? Judging by his performance in the postseason thus far, he'll be fine. Ravens by at least a field goal.


We'll see how this turns out...