“Hardwood Heroes: Predicting the 2011 SEC Basketball Tournament - Bleacherreport.com” plus 1 more |
| Hardwood Heroes: Predicting the 2011 SEC Basketball Tournament - Bleacherreport.com Posted:  Grant Halverson/Getty Images It's getting ever so close, folks. March Madness, arguably the best sporting event in America, will begin on March 15. First, though, the conference tournaments must be completed, and the SEC's own tournament will begin very soon at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Throughout the season, the SEC's dominant teams have been Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. No matter what, those three teams will be in the NCAA Tournament. However, there are some teams like Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia who are on the bubble and can't afford quick exits in Atlanta. Here are my predictions for the SEC tournament, game-by-game, and I'll give my predictions for who will and who won't make the "Big Dance." Round One (SEC Network) W5 Auburn vs. E4 Georgia - The first SEC Tournament game pits two fierce rivals against each other, the Tigers and the Bulldogs. Georgia must win or else they'll be NIT-bound at best. Auburn, meanwhile, had the worst team in school history but finished scorching hot, winning two straight games. The last time these teams met, there was OT in Athens. The first game of the SEC tournament.... bursts the Bulldogs' bubble in a major upset. Auburn 66, Georgia 63 E6 South Carolina vs. W3 Ole Miss - The Rebels of Ole Miss face off against the Gamecocks of South Carolina, who have certainly had their struggles this season. The Rebels are a better all-around team than the Gamecocks. I don't foresee the second major upset in as many games. Ole Miss 72, South Carolina 56 E5 Tennessee vs. W4 Arkansas - The Volunteers, who have had their ups-and-downs this season, are in a must-win situation against Arkansas. The Hogs beat the Vols this year, but that was when they didn't have head coach Bruce Pearl. OK, so this was a forgettable year for Tennessee basketball, but they can still make the NCAA Tournament, despite the fact Bruce Pearl's career obviously is winding down at Tennessee. I think the Volunteers will stay alive against this Arkansas team. Tennessee 71, Arkansas 65 W6 LSU vs. E3 Vanderbilt - Auburn might have been able to spring the trap, but these Tigers won't even come close. The 'Dores are way too good for the worst team in the SEC. LSU could keep it close early, but this will be all Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt 81, LSU 54 Round Two (SEC Network) W5 Auburn vs. W1 Alabama - The two fiercest rivals in the SEC, Auburn and Alabama, face off for the third time in Atlanta. Alabama barely defeated Auburn last time in Tuscaloosa, 51-49, and that was WITH very questionable officiating. Alabama is in a must-win situation. Auburn is the hottest it has been all year. I call for Auburn to pull an even bigger upset then they did in the first round. Alabama will not go dancing. Auburn 62, Alabama 57 W3 Ole Miss vs. E2 Kentucky - The Wildcats, who are the favorites in this tournament, face off against Ole Miss. The 'Cats have been inconsistent this year but have been playing very, very well as of late, beating Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the past few weeks. I see Kentucky taking this one behind a solid effort. Kentucky 77, Ole Miss 64 E5 Tennessee vs. E1 Florida - The Gators, who won the SEC Championship in the regular season, don't have nearly as much on the line as the Vols. Tennessee must win or else there will be no March Madness for them. Too bad, however, that Florida is just simply better than the Vols. The Gators beat the Vols by pulling away in the second half. Florida 75, Tennessee 66 E3 Vanderbilt vs. W2 Mississippi State - Vanderbilt's been having a wonderful season, but Mississippi State? Ehh....not so much. They've had to deal with many off-court distractions and have also looked poor on many occasions ON the court. After two straight SEC Championship Game appearances, Mississippi State gets hammered back to Starkville. Vanderbilt 79, Mississippi State 58 Semifinals (ABC) W5 Auburn vs. E2 Kentucky - What Auburn has accomplished in this projected tourney so far has been simply amazing for a team so short on depth or talent, but sadly for Auburn fans, the winning streak will end at four. Kentucky is more talented and deep than Auburn is. Also, this could be somewhat of a home game for Kentucky, seeing as, when it comes to basketball, Kentucky travels better than every other SEC school (including Auburn). Auburn fights hard but the Bluegrass Cats will prevail. Kentucky 70, Auburn 53 E3 Vanderbilt vs. E1 Florida - In what will be a great game, the 'Dores and Gators do battle for a date with Kentucky. These teams are evenly matched, as they were likely the two best teams in the SEC this year, but I'm calling for the upset. Vanderbilt does it in two overtimes! Vanderbilt 95, Florida 91 (2OT) Who will win the SEC Championship?Who will win the SEC Championship?
SEC Championship Game (ABC) Kentucky Wildcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores The Wildcats and Commodores split the season series in 2011, but they will have one final shot to take each other down. These are both teams that will make the NCAA Tournament, so the loser won't really suffer from losing. But it's still a conference championship game. And it's a conference championship game that Vanderbilt will win, 76-74.
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| ARCA Racing Series Rookie Ty Dillon Visits Toledo Speedway to Headline ARCA Media Day - Who Won Posted: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 ARCA Racing Series Rookie Ty Dillon Visits Toledo Speedway to Headline ARCA Media Day  by Don Radebaugh TOLEDO, Ohio -- Ty Dillon's primary objective in traveling to Toledo for today's ARCA Media Day was to meet members of the local media and chat with partners of Toledo Speedway and Flat Rock (Mich.) Speedway. Dillon, ever aspiring to improve as a rookie driver in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, found an additional objective. "My crew chief (Scott Naset) and I flew up this morning, and the weather's a little bit cooler than we have at home - we're getting used to that - but we're excited to be up in Toledo," Dillon said. "I brought (Naset) back here so he could check the track out and get ahead on the competition. I just appreciate everyone having us out here." If there's any surprise that Dillon and his crew chief use every opportunity available to create a competitive advantage, there shouldn't be. The 19-year-old has made four starts in the ARCA Racing Series, winning twice and taking the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell in his other two starts. A grandson of legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, Dillon has taken the ARCA Racing Series by storm while developing and striving for his career goals. "We're excited to get back to racing with ARCA. It's definitely been my favorite series to run with so far," Dillon said. "To me, it's like a family. Everyone's been real nice and willing to help with anything." Dillon, driver of the No. 41 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet, had the chance to see Toledo's half-mile oval for the first time, and spoke about the ARCA Racing Series' industry-leading schedule diversity, which will send drivers and teams to speedways, intermediate tracks, short tracks, dirt ovals, and a road course in 2011. "I'm really excited for all the different tracks," said Dillon, who finished 11th in the February season opener at Daytona and now stands tied for eighth in driver points. "I don't think I've been to but two of the race tracks - Iowa (where he won the pole before his first start) and Kansas (where he won his first race in his second start). They're all new tracks. I've raced dirt tracks through all of my development racing, and to go to DuQuoin and Springfield is going to be really cool. I heard it's a little different, and I think (crew chief) "Flash" (Naset) has got the right car for us to go down there and win. "With short tracks and big tracks, like Talladega and Daytona, I'm just really excited to get going and learn as much as I can." Dillon's appearance closed a press conference initially led by ARCA president and track owner Ron Drager, who made several announcements about business at Toledo Speedway and Flat Rock Speedway - ARCA's two signature short track properties. Drager spoke about the opening phase of ARCA's Youth Initiative, which will move the minimum age for weekly competitors at the two tracks from 16 years old to 15. As in the past, all drivers wishing to race at Toledo or Flat Rock Speedways will have to be reviewed and certified. "Now we've got these kids coming to us, and Ty Dillon is a good example, and they've been racing since they were little," Drager said. "A kid will come at 13 or 14 years old, and say that he wants to climb in a race car, and he's got eight or nine years of experience. We're making this Phase One of the ARCA Youth Initiative, and today, we'll announce that at Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways, qualified drivers of age 15 will be allowed to race in our weekly competition." Drager also indicated special plans for the ARCA Late Model Gold Cup Series event on Sunday, September 11 - the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. "We've been working with the City of Toledo police, and the City of Toledo fire, those folks who are truly, truly heroes," he said. "We're going to be rolling out some information on that and we'll be making that a very special race. We seek to recognize them and do something very special for them on September 11." Drager also touched on vertical integration through all ARCA properties, citing a desire to "harness the energy" created by each entity, from the ARCA Racing Series to every division at Toledo and Flat Rock. Scott Schultz, general manager of Toledo Speedway and Flat Rock Speedway, thanked numerous partners of the two tracks and officially revealed the tracks' 2011 schedules. Schultz announced the following businesses as weekly division sponsors: Moran Chevrolet (Flat Rock Late Models); DTS Drive Train Specialists (Flat Rock Street Stocks); ACME Dismantling (Toledo Sportsman); R&M Recycling (Toledo Street Stocks); Parts Galore (Figure 8, both tracks); and Jeff's Collision (4-Cylinders, both tracks). Schultz also announced the return of Allegiant Air as the presenting sponsor of the Gold Cup Series. Schultz announced the return of Valvoline Instant Oil Change as the sponsor of the "Summer Racing Series" this season. The program allows Toledo Speedway and the nine metropolitan Toledo Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations to partner on a ticketing promotion for 10 select Friday night events at the track. Additionally, Mark Gundrum, vice president of marketing and communications for ARCA, announced Menards' return as title sponsor of Sunday, May 15's Menards 200, the spring ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Toledo Speedway. The Wisconsin-based home improvement retailer also acts as a co-primary car sponsor for driver Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series, as well as the series' presenting sponsor. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course. Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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