By Calvin Connors and Marc Esquivel Posted December 17, 2010
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (35) drives against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday
BYU vs. UCLA
Calvin’s Pick- “I choose BYU over UCLA because of a couple of reasons. BYU scoring leader and senior Jimmer Fredette scores over 20 points per game and leads the Cougars by his example of excellence behind the three-point line. The Cougars also average 82.8 points per game and are 14th overall in rebounds per game.”
Marc’s Pick – “I am taking UCLA over BYU because I believe that even though BYU is ranked and undefeated, UCLA has had a really tough schedule for the first part of their season compared to the schedule of BYU. I think that experience will be the deciding factor in this game rather than just a game based on who’s ranked or not.”
Kansas State vs. Florida Gators
Calvin’s Pick- “I believe that the Kansas State Wildcats will defeat the Florida Gators because of a player named Jacob Pullen. Pullen averages 15 points per game; he will also get help from Rodney McGruder who averages 11.8 points per game, and 6.8 rebounds per game. I think these two players will be the top reasons why the Wildcats will win.”
Marc’s Pick – “I’m predicting a win from Kansas State for this game. The Wildcats are looking good so far, being ranked top ten in the nation and the team’s rebounds per game are top ten in the nation also. I am also liking the fact that all of Kansas State’s top scorers are averaging at least ten points per game. I believe that Kansas State is a better offensive team and that will be the difference.”
Phoenix vs. Oklahoma City
Calvin’s Pick- “The Oklahoma City Thunder are going to beat the Phoenix Suns because the Thunder has more star power and more than one person on the team can score whenever they want. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the Thunder’s leading scorers with Durant averaging 27.4 points a game and Westbrook averaging 23.7 points a game. Durant is leading the team in points and rebounds with 6.8 rebounds a game, along with Westbrook leading the team in assists and steals, with 8.6 assists a game and 2.2 steals a game.”
Marc’s Pick – “Like Calvin, I too am taking the Thunder over the Suns because of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. They are the top scorers on the team, have high shooting accuracy, and can make plays when they need to. I also am taking the Thunder because the Suns haven’t been looking too good on the defensive side of the ball lately.”
Gonzaga vs. Baylor
Calvin Pick- “I believe that the Baylor Bears will have no problem beating Gonzaga. Baylor is ranked in the top ten and has had no problem with beating their opponents and outscoring them by at least 15 points a game. The Bears scoring leader is LaceDarius Dunn who averages 22.7 points a game.”
Marc’s Pick – “I too am taking the Baylor Bears over Gonzaga because Baylor is the better team in all aspects. The Bears put a lot of points on the board and they are a much better defensive team than Gonzaga. Unless Gonzaga whips out a secret weapon or changes their gameplan completely, Baylor should have an easy time winning this game.”
Philadelphia vs. NY Giants
Calvin’s Pick- “I think the Eagles will beat the Giants because of the game-changer named Michael Vick. Vick has over 2,243 passing yards this season thus far. What sums up Michael Vick is he is a double threat. He can pass accurately and his running ability is a nightmare for defensive coordinators in the NFL.”
Marc’s Pick – “This will be a great rival game, and while both teams are playing very well, I am taking the Philadelphia Eagles for one main reason, their QB. The Eagles’ main weapon on the field is the multi-talented Michael Vick; he is dangerous both in the air and on the ground. Defenses can’t just expect to blitz on him because he can run the ball as good as a running back, and they can’t play the run game because he can devastate teams with his deep passes.”
