It’s late and I’m just in one of those moods to show off a kick ass 2Pac video. Well, he had many but one I really like which sometimes flies under the radar is “Until The End Of Time.”

It’s just very well put together with clips of the one and only 2Pac in other videos, making news and uses quotes as well talking about “Thug Life” and “Death.”

In particularly, I like how they used some of the stuff he did in recording studios. Very cool. It’s just original. But then again, when wasn’t he?!?!?!?!?!

Was he even alive when this video aired? Probably not. I still want to believe he’s alive somewhere smoking a Cuban kicking it in the Carribean.

That’s what I envision anyway.

RIP 2Pac. Thug Life 4ever!

Tom Renney almost never uses timeouts during a game. However, last night was the exception to the rule as the affable coach realized a crucial Atlantic showdown against the dangerous Penguins was about to slip away.

Following a superb first 20 in which the Rangers were in control up a couple courtesy of goals from Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan, Renney watched the Pens get two quickies 3:11 into the second to suddenly tie it.

So many times, I’ve asked him to use a timeout to settle down his team and he never listens. This time, as I sat near some of my good friends in Section 411, I didn’t have to even utter a word. Neither did Mike, Jill or her good natured old man as Renney realized the magnitude of the game. They had come off an awful weekend in Southern Florida. The gap was narrowing with hunters Buffalo, Washington and Florida creeping up on them, the Bruins and Flyers.

As if by magic (well who knows as the second period was really weird), Renney’s team responded immediately by getting the go-ahead tally courtesy of recent deadline addition Fredrik Sjostrom. The energizer who wears the same No.20 as countryman Jan Erixon did on Broadway capitalized on an abominable turnover and deked Ty Conklin tucking a forehand off both posts and in just 44 seconds for his second as a Blueshirt (both on home ice).

It turned out to be the deciding goal as the Rangers rebounded to play a great third period against a quality opponent getting tallies from Avery and Marty Straka.

It all added up to a much needed 5-2 victory, giving them two big points and moving the team into sole possession of sixth place in the East with 85 points and nine big divisional games left including a pivotal showdown versus the first place Devils (90 pts) in Newark later tonight.

They will put their perfect 5-0 record on the line against Marty Brodeur and Co. A win in regulation and they’re right back in the thick of the Atlantic race with two more left against those Devs including the final game of the season at The Prudential Center.

We’ll see what happens later tonight.

There’s been plenty written about Kyle McAlarney. The Notre Dame junior guard who was kicked out of school last year for marijuana possession back in December 2006 wasn’t sure he’d ever return to South Bend.

Even if Coach Mike Brey was extremely supportive and visited him as a friend out at the former Moore Catholic standout’s home, nothing was set in stone. Especially with the distraught McAlarney looking at other college options to resume his basketball career.

What wasn’t known was the amount of psychological damage the whole episode caused for the Staten Island kid who took responsibility for his actions and felt the heavy burden.

Still, our whole community was pulling for one of our own, who had made good playing Div. I ball from many a day practicing that outside shot which defies logic to this day. Just ask Jim Boeheim.

There was a special Sunday column in the Daily News on Kyle’s struggles with anxiety when he didn’t know what was wrong. As someone who’s dealt with similar issues over the past year, I could certainly relate to what he went through. It’s never easy to comprehend what’s going on.

You just want to get things righted. Much like McAlarney, I’ve also rectified my situation and am doing much better.

I definitely recommend the article above as it really is informative and details McAlarney’s dramatic turnaround leading to a great junior season where he and teammates will look to make a run in the Eastern region as the No.5 seed. A possible Sweet 16 showdown could come down against the top seeded Tar Heels.

But all of this was so far away 14 months ago as to hear McAlarney tell it:

“There are so many things that felt like rock-bottom that it’s hard to say,” said McAlarney, who starred for Moore Catholic High on Staten Island. “I’m not sure any of them was worse than the first game after my arrest. I remember watching ESPN and seeing my name across the bottom: ‘Kyle McAlarney suspended on marijuana charges.’

“But walking out of the tunnel onto this court in plain clothes, behind my teammates, and being able to feel every eye in the place on me was maybe the harshest. I sat on the bench and I knew that the TV cameras would be on me and that the announcers would be talking about the biggest mistake of my life.”

All that kind of stuff had to be extremely difficult to deal with. That’s why how he’s handled his issues off the court is commendable. It’s never easy to go public with anxiety. I have found that the more open you are about things, the better you’ll feel.

It’s good to see McAlarney doing so well. That’s the most important thing. Best of luck to him and the Fighting Irish in the Big Dance!

If the lost weekend in Southern Florida was a total failure, then the next couple of days back in the tri-state area for the New York Rangers are a huge test which could go a long way to determining their playoff fate.

That’s how close the Eastern Conference race is. Had they taken care of business against Southeastern foes Florida (2-3) and Tampa Bay (0-3), we could be talking still about the realistic possibility of the Blueshirts challenging for the Atlantic and the conference’s top spot where the Devils, Penguins and Canadiens are separated by one total point.

The Devils lead the East with 90 points while the Pens and Habs each have 89 with two and a half weeks to go in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Rangers find themselves tied for sixth in the conference with Boston as both Original Six clubs have 83 points.

The slumping Flyers sit in the final spot with 80 clinging to a one point lead over Buffalo with fast comers Florida and Washington two out with 78 points.

Who wants it the most? That’s what it comes down to at this crucial time of year where we’re witnessing one of the more exciting races in quite a while.

Not much is certain except that you figure the Devs, Pens, Habs, Senators and Southeast-leading Canes will all find their way into the playoffs claiming at least five spots which leaves the final three up for grabs.

The Rangers and Bruins still have things in their favor with a four-point lead over the Sabres and five better than the Caps and Panthers. They also both have 37 victories which gives them a heads up on all competitors including Philly (35 W).

However, as many puck fans know, this topsy turvy race can change like the snap of a finger. Win and you’ll be okay and possibly move up. Lose and you can drop like a rollercoaster jeopardizing your chances.

Having been outscored 6-2 over the weekend snapping a 13-game unbeaten streak which saw them climb up the standings, the Rangers must have tonight’s Atlantic showdown against the Penguins. That means putting the clamps down on Hart contender Evgeni Malkin, who enters fresh off a two goal, two assist performance in a 7-1 home rout of the Flyers on NBC.

The 2006-07 Calder winner has been red hot and trails fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin by two points in the NHL scoring race. AO leads with 99 points including a ridiculous 57 goals. Malkin has 41 goals and 56 assists for 97 points along with a respectable plus-16 rating.

The 21 year-old seems to fare better when last season’s Hart recipient Sidney Crosby is out. Go figure.

Lately, Malkin and resurgent sniper Petr Sykora (2-2-4 in 7-1 win over Flyers) have been on a roll. They have teamed to form a solid chemistry with Ryan Malone. Needless to say, it’s vital for the Rangers to contain that line and for Henrik Lundqvist to be razor sharp tonight.

He could also use some support from Chris Drury, Marty Straka and Brandon Dubinsky as the important trio of forwards have gone quiet lately. Particularly Drury and Straka, who are such integral parts of this team. Rookie pivot Dubinsky needs to be more aggressive shooting the puck instead of dangling it.

The Blueshirts could also benefit from the return of defenseman Marek Malik. While it might pain many Ranger fans who only see what they want to, the team is better on the Blueline with the lanky positional D who works well with Michal Rozsival allowing promising rookie Marc Staal to play on the third pair with Christian Backman. That gives the Rangers more balance and keeps slow footed reserve Jason Strudwick upstairs. While the likeable vet is a great team guy, he can’t be relied on to play big minutes.

Malik also logs important minutes and is actually pretty good at keeping the puck alive in the offensive zone unlike Strudwick.

Hopefully, the Rangers get him back as he’s been more aggressive since returning last month. They could use a boost.

It also wouldn’t hurt for loyal coach Tom Renney to reinsert forward Petr Prucha on the fourth line. The feisty Czech can inject some much needed energy and has good speed and also can play power play. Let’s face it. The Jaromir Jagr pass oriented unit isn’t getting it done. Stick Prucha back on it.

The Rangers will visit the Devils tomorrow night as well. So, these are enormous games against the top two teams in the Atlantic. Win both and they’re right back in the hunt for the division. Lose both and suddenly, who knows if they even make the playoff cut.

It’s a fine line. We’ll see what they’re made of the next two nights.

Believe it or not people, aside from getting drunk, wasted, intoxicated or whatever on St. Patrick’s Day (well that’s if ya do and hopefully are smart to have a designated driver), the baseball season is only a couple of weeks away from officially commencing.

So in between your traditional corned beef, cabbage and Guinness along with another fave Killian’s Irish Red, sit back, relax and enjoy the first part of our baseball preview as we countdown the final chaotic days of Spring Training.

Today, we’re going to start with the AL West. I’m intentionally going to look at the other divisions which don’t involve either New York team so we can familiarize our two spoiled fanbases who think the pennant runs through NYC in the Bronx and in Queens.

Let’s see which other teams could be a threat at least in the AL West.

AL WEST

1.California Angels- first off, I don’t believe in calling them Los Angeles or whatever they’re called these days. Personally, the Rally Monkeys would be better considering the amount of torment it’s caused in these parts. That all said, let’s take a look at whether this team will be back in October once again.

Projected Lineup

1.3B Chone Figgins

2.LF Gary Matthews, Jr.

3.RF Vladimir Guerrero

4.CF Torii Hunter

5.1B Casey Kotchman

6.2B Howie Kendrick

7.SS Maicer Izturis

8.DH Garrett Anderson

9.C Mike Napoli

Bench

OF Juan Rivera

CF Reggie Willits

SS/2B Erick Aybar

3B Brandon Wood

C Jeff Mathis

Rotation

Ace-John Lackey (out till mid-May) 

Jered Weaver

John Garland 

Ervin Santana

Joe Saunders 

Bullpen

Closer-Francisco Rodriguez

Setup-Scot Shields

Justin Speier

Darren Oliver

Dustin Moseley

Analysis: The Angels tossed out some more cash on former All-Star Twins’ center fielder Torii Hunter last offseason, forcing Gary “HGH” Matthews, Jr. to left. Hunter’s coming off a career best season in which he knocked in 107. Can you say cha ching? The 32 year-old veteran plays great D and will always sacrifice his body. He’ll also be asked to provide some batting protection for Vlad Guerrero in a lineup which is stacked. They’ll miss staff ace John Lackey for the first month but should score enough runs to hang in games. The key offseason acquisition of John Garland from the White Sox for former shortstop Orlando Cabrera now looks like genius as he’s another quality arm who can pick up the slack with Lackey out. Plus they still possess one of the best pens in baseball with Scot Shields setting up K-Rod.  

Prediction: 93-94 wins and another AL West crown

2.Seattle Mariners- remember when the Mariners last saw October? It was seven long years ago when they won a major league record 116 games under Lou Piniella Post A-Rod with Ichiro starring only to lose to the Yankees in the ALCS. Well, this could be the year they finally return to the postseason.

Projected Lineup

1.CF Ichiro Suzuki

2.2B Jose Lopez

3.LF Raul Ibanez

4.3B Adrian Beltre

5.1B Richie Sexson

6.RF Brad Wilkerson

7.C Kenji Johjima 

8.DH Jose Vidro

9.Yuniesky Betancourt

Bench

SS Willie Bloomquist

Uti Miguel Cairo

OF/Inf Mike Morse

OF Wladimir Balentien

C Jamie Burke

Rotation

Ace-Erik Bedard

Felix Hernandez

Jarrod Washburn

Miguel Batista

Carlos Silva

Bullpen

Closer-J.J. Putz

Setup-Brandon Morrow

Sean Green

Cha Seung Baek

Mark Lowe

Analysis: During the offseason, the Mariners addressed a need by upgrading the front end of their rotation with the key acquisition of former Baltimore ace Erik Bedard. The 29 year-old southpaw is coming off his best season in which he went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA while fanning 221 for third most in the AL in just 28 starts. Now he’ll be asked to team with young hurler Felix Hernandez to form a dynamic duo at the top of the rotation. With AL save leader J.J. Putz shutting the door along with an offense headlined by Ichiro plus sluggers Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez and Richie Sexson, the M’s should be formidable. I also like the double play combo of Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez, who also can contribute at the plate. This should be a fun team to keep a close eye on this summer.

Prediction: 90-91 wins and maybe a WC berth

3.Oakland Athletics- remember when Moneyball was good enough to get the A’s into the playoffs? Well, now GM or K-Mart guru Billy Beane is too cheap these days to care enough to field a team which has a realistic chance of doing something. And save us the whole speech, “Well they can’t compete against the Yanks, Red Sox, Angels and Tigers.” Bull. The Yanks haven’t won since 2000. The Mets collapsed last year. The top payroll doesn’t always win. You still got to play the games. Isn’t it about time the A’s tried for now instead of always planning for the future. What future? They’ll leave anyway because of Beane’s philosophy.

Projected Lineup

1.RF Travis Buck

2.2B Mark Ellis

3.3B Eric Chavez

4.DH Jack Cust

5.1B Dan Johnson

6.SS Bobby Crosby

7.LF Emil Brown

8.C Kurt Suzuki

9.CF Ryan Sweeney

Bench

Inf Donnie Murphy

OF Jeff Fiorentino

1B/C Daric Barton

C Rob Bowen

Rotation

Ace-Joe Blanton

Rich Harden

Justin Duchscherer

Chad Gaudin

Dallas Braden

Lenny DiNardo

Bullpen

Closer-Huston Street

Setup-Kiko Calero

Alan Embree

Keith Foulke

Joey Devine

Analysis: These aren’t the same A’s from a few years ago. Gone are slugger Nick Swisher and staff ace Dan Haren for a slew of prospects that Beane hopes will morph into the next stars his farm system produces. Oakland won’t make the playoffs but with a few proven stars such as Eric Chavez, Joe Blanton, Rich “DL” Harden and closer Huston Street still around for now, they’ll be in games. Travis Buck is spunky and Mark Ellis solid at the top of the order. Keep a close eye on prospects Daric Barton and Ryan Sweeney. Also Justin Duchscherer makes the transformation from pen to starter. It will also be interesting to see how Jack Cust performs after being on The Mitchell Report. The A’s need his pop.

Prediction: 82-83 wins but could drop below .500 depending on who else gets dealt

4.Texas Rangers- aren’t the Rangers always in this familiar position by the end of September? Will it finally change this year with the A’s not as good? The franchise hasn’t been the same since juicers Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez left.

Projected Lineup

1.2B Ian Kinsler

2.LF Frank Catalanotto

3.SS Michael Young

4.3B Hank Blalock

5.RF Milton Bradley

6.1B Ben Broussard

7.CF Josh Hamilton

8.DH Jason Botts

9.C Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Bench

OF David Murphy

CF Marlon Byrd

C Gerald Laird

Inf Ramon Vasquez

OF Nelson Cruz

Rotation

Ace-Kevin Millwood

Vincente Padilla

Jason Jennings

Brandon McCarthy

Robinson Tejeda

Kason Gabbard

Bullpen

Closer-C.J. Wilson

Setup-Joaquin Benoit

Eddie Guardardo

Kazuo Fukumori

Luis Mendoza

Analysis: The offense should do what they usually do. Double play tandem Ian Kinsler and Michael Young are All-Stars who can hit, hit and hit plus run. Hank Blalock and the injury prone Milton Bradley can rake. Frank Catalanotto is a professional hitter. Expect Jarrod Saltalmacchia to see some time at first as he has big time power. Getting Josh Hamilton from the Reds to patrol center is a nice addition as the former No.1 overall pick showed some of his talent which made scouts drool. The dilemma is as is their trademark, pitching appears to be optional. Kevin Millwood will give them inning but is coming off a miserable year. How can anyone rely on BP hurlers Vincente Padilla and Houston failure Jason “HR” Jennings? Brandon McCarthy’s been a bust so far. The pen looks to be decent with Joaquin Benoit setting up C.J. Wilson but how are they getting the ball exactly? Good chance there won’t be many leads to protect but an awful lot of slugfests in Arlington.

Prediction: 72-74 wins and an awful lot of trips to the mound.

Coming Next: NL West

Yes! You actually heard right!!!!! The Denver Nuggets last night scored 168 points in regulation!

No. This isn’t a joke. Or at least it’s not quite April Fool’s yet. Maybe the Nuggets had the luck of the Irish the night before St. Patty’s Day. Or maybe the Seattle Sonics even with green in their uniforms just really are that pathetic.

Heck. Even Team Dumb and Dumber Clown Management 101 hasn’t quite sunk to that level.

When I was checking boxscores late last night after my Hard Hits show with the usual cast of characters in JPG, Rob “Kraze” Davis and Nate Sousa, I figured it was some sort of misprint. How could any NBA team score that many points without at least a couple of overtimes?!?!?!?!?!

Maybe that answer is best left for the participants in a historic game which saw Denver score at least 40-or-more in three of four quarters. Oh btw…they took it easy and racked up a cool 36 in the second.

I’ve seen quarters where the Knicks give up a ton but man. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to watch that. What happened? How did the Nuggets finish with over 60 field goals made on 100 or 101 shots??? That’s over 60 percent. Even if you aren’t good at math, duh!

I think the craziest thing was that their bench got nearly half finishing with 74 featuring a ridiculous four players in double digits with J.R. Smith & Chucky Atkins getting 19 apiece while Linas Kleiza netted 17 and somebody by the name of…

YAKHOUBA DIAWARA (try pronouncing that 10 times fast) also contributing 11!!!!!

Gee wiz. So what did some of the participants on the winning side have to say about scoring a season high 84 first half points and 168 total in just the required 48 minutes. Well at least last I checked anyway.

Kenyon Martin (11-of-13 FG, 23 pts, 8 rebs):

“A lot of people are going to think it’s a misprint. A lot of people will think there’s no way they scored that many points. It’s unbelievable. There are no words for it.”

“It’s hard to beat a team when you get 44 assists and making the extra pass. It’s tough to beat a team when you play like we did tonight.”

“Like the Rockets winning 22 straight, it’s unheard of on this level. Scoring 168 points in regulation is unheard of. Hopefully we can take what we did these last three games at home onto the road trip.”

Marcus Camby (triple double-13 pts, 15 rebs, 10 ass):

“I’ve never been a part of a game like this where we won by so many points and scored so many points. This is definitely a game I’m going to keep in my archives.”

Denver coach George Karl:

“There was no way that I couldn’t enjoy the game, not from the way we played offensively”

The poor Sonics unfortunately will have to deal with this for quite a while until they become good again when they relocate. What did they have to say?

Chris Wilcox:

“We just lost tonight. We lost by a lot. That’s just something you’re going to have to look back on. It’s just something you’re going to have to live with.”

Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo:

“We get beat that badly, there’s no excuse for that. It matters a lot because we’re professionals and we’re trying to compete—and we didn’t compete tonight.”

Not surprisingly, Denver’s 168 point explosion which included 24 points from Allen Iverson and 26 from Carmelo Anthony became a new team record for most points in a regular season game eclipsing the previous franchise mark of 163 against the Spurs on Jan.11, 1984.

So, will it ever happen again? Probably not unless there’s a game which needs triple overtime.

Here’s the historic box:

Nuggets score 168 in regulation

Oh btw…the final score was 168-116. That’s a 52-point margin. Wow!

Me thinks one team needs a whole LOT of practice sliding their feet and doing suicides.

I wonder what JPG thinks…

It’s finally the end of the regular season and with that comes one of our favorite times of year. Big Dance time for 65 teams including the play-in winner in the opening round elimination game between Coppin State and Mount St. Mary’s.

For the love of God, please let Mount St. Mary’s win. Twenty loss teams shouldn’t be in this tournament. Though I’ll say this. If the SWAC Conference Tourney winners prevail, then they’ve certainly earned the right to get destroyed by No.1 overall seed North Carolina.

Since this really is just a quick entry, here are the No.1 seeds:

East-North Carolina

South-Memphis

Midwest-Kansas

West-UCLA

As the boring CBS duo of Jim Nantz and Billy “Know It All” Packer concluded, “No surprises here.”

So, who else made the cut? Let’s just breakdown the last few bubble teams who snuck their way in and celebrated:

Villanova (20-12)- their Big East first round win over bubble competitor Syracuse was enough to get them in. They can thank Wisconsin for taking care of under .500 Illinois for the Big Ten title earlier today. The Wildcats draw a tough assignment in a 5/12 match-up as the Big East goes head-to-head with feisty ACC runner-up Clemson (5). Not exactly a gift for Jay Wright’s club.

Kansas State (20-11)- the committee had to find a way to get mine and JPG’s National Player of the Year (apologies to Tyler Hansbrough) Michael Beasley (26.5 PPG, 12.4 RPG) into the Big Dance. And to make them an 11 seed in the Midwest against USC (6) and another freshman sensation O.J. Mayo has to be one of the most anticipated first round match-ups. Are they kidding? That’s going to be awesome!

Georgia (17-16)- sure, they miraculously won the tough SEC tournament doing so in unbelievable fashion needing to win twice yesterday and once today over Arkansas due to a tornado Friday night which hit Atlanta. Still, before they went through their conference, they were under .500 and wouldn’t have even qualified for the NIT. So, it comes as no surprise that the committee made them a low 14 seed who will take on No.3 seeded Xavier out West. They’re hot going in but Xavier is a very good team who has something to prove after how last March ended against 2007 runner-up Ohio State in one of the most electrifying games. Of course Gus Johnson would be involved.

Baylor (21-10)- good thing for the nine win Big 12 team that a double overtime loss in their conference tournament to 12th seeded Colorado didn’t comeback to bite them. Instead, they’ll be marching into the tournament with a new life. What had to be looked at was a tough non-conference schedule which included wins at Notre Dame and Winthrop and also a three-point loss to one of the higher seeds in Washington State. That’s what got them in where they’ll now play one of the better Big 10 teams in Purdue (6) out West. The Boilermakers had a great year winning 15 games in their conference and 24-8 overall. They dropped because of an early exit to Illinois. This is a team which played repeat champ Florida nearly to the wire. That turned out to be the Gators’ toughest test last year. So there’s plenty to prove.

Temple (20-12)- yes, they won the Atlantic-10 tournament edging Phil Martelli and St. Joe’s by five points. It’s the Owls first tournament appearance in seven years. Too bad there’s no more John Chaney pacing the sidelines and always good for a quote or two off the court as well. I’ll never forget that classic tirade where he cursed out and challenged then UMass coach John Calipari to a fight. Great stuff. They won 11 games this year in the conference. Now they’ll play the No.5 seeded Michigan State Spartans in the first round in the South. Never an enviable task going against Tom Izzo at this time of year.

St. Mary’s (25-6)- Even though they fell to eventual West Coast Conference tourney champion San Diego in double overtime, the Gaels still made it as they were rewarded for finishing second in the conference with a 12-2 record. Out of conference, they had wins over potential glass slipper Drake and Oregon. That along with a win over Gonzaga had to help. They’ll meet ACC representative Miami Florida in one of those fun 7/10 match-ups. Figure it to be a good one down South.

Kentucky (18-12)- the Wildcats were able to just squeak in as an 11 seed. Were they the final team taken or was it the other Wildcats of ‘Nova? Who knows? What’s important is they’re there despite an OT upset loss to the surprising Bulldogs. They did finish strong winning six of eight and 11 of their last 14. Their non-conference sched included defeats against UNC and Indiana. Louisville also got the better of them in the Battle for Lexington. Interestingly enough, they also lost to UAB by three whose bubble burst despite 22 wins including 12 in Conference USA. Maybe losing to Tulsa in the quarters had something to do with it. Being blown out by Memphis didn’t help much at the end of the regular season. Kentucky does play in a superior conference and their strength of sched had to be better. So they’re in and they’ll get Big East representative Marquette in an exciting 6/11 match-up. Two words. Jerel McNeal. Two more. Dominick James. Meaning the Wildcats better guard extremely well on the perimeter and stop the transition game of Tom Crean’s Golden Eagles.

St. Joseph’s (21-12)- they’re back. That’s right Billy Packer. Martelli’s Hawks are back in the NCAA’s just making the cut as an 11 seed out of the A-10. They went 9-7 in conference play finishing fourth but a run to the final before falling to Temple allowed them to get in meaning the committee took a trio from that conference. Pretty surprising. Ironically enough, St. Joe’s lost to Syracuse by three early in the season at the Carrier Dome. They also lost to the Zags by five at home. What probably helped them were their two wins in three meetings taking the last couple over Xavier including in the semis. So they’re back in for the first time since current NBA’ers Jameer Nelson and Delonte West were starring in the backcourt proving Packer wrong. They’ll draw Oklahoma in another 6/11 match-up out on the East coast. The Sooners won 22 games this season including nine in the Big 12 but are coming off an ugly 28-point blowout loss to Texas. They lost to Texas three times and split with Baylor. They were blown out by Kansas in the only meeting. An out of conference 11-point win over Arkansas losses to Memphis and USC helped them get their six seed. Probably also got USC their six as well. Go figure.

South Alabama (26-6)- nice to see the regular season Sun Belt champs get rewarded for going 16-2 despite falling to Middle Tennessee St. They belong in as a 22-point win over San Diego says. A three-point loss to SEC representative Vandy had to help as well. They’ll draw last year’s surprising Butler Bulldogs in a 7/10 match-up. Think WFAN will send John Minko upstate to go cover that one?

Bracket Sleepers

East- (5) Notre Dame, (8) Indiana, (7) Butler/(10) South Alabama winner, (13) Winthrop

Midwest- (5) Clemson, (9) Kent State, (10) Davidson, (11) Kansas St. 

South- (5) Michigan State, (9) Oregon, (10) St. Mary’s, (11) Kentucky 

West- (5) Drake, (6) Purdue, (7) West Virginia), (13) San Diego

That’s all for now. We’ll have much more later on including hopefully some fun picks from myself along with HB colleagues JPG, Brian Sanborn and Rob “Kraze” Davis.

Stay tuned!

With the NCAA tournament brackets about to be revealed over on CB$, there is a history making game of sorts over at ABC as the Houston Rockets are about to extend their amazing winning streak to 22 straight.

When the streak began, they were on the outside looking in in the ultra competitive Western Conference. Now, up by 13 with under a minute left against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers (with no Pau Gasol), they’re going to win No.22 in a row and believe it or not, move into sole possession of first in the conference with an impressive 46-20 mark.

So, before the unbelievable streak began, Rick Adelman’s club were just four games over .500. The 22-game win streak is the second longest in NBA history. They passed the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks a couple of days ago but still trail the 1971-72 Wilt Chamblerlain Lakers by a cool 11 for the all-time mark.

Can they match it? Probably not. The schedule this upcoming week shall only get tougher when they host league best Boston and then travel to New Orleans, Golden State and Phoenix.

No easy opponents there. You have to applaud what they’ve accomplished thus far in improving to 10-0 without Yao Ming.

So what was the key today in a game which leading scorer Tracy McGrady didn’t score until the final quarter saving all 11 for crunch time, point guard Rafer Alston caught fire nailing eight triples to pace the Rockets with 31.

Reserve guard Bobby Jackson also came off the bench and scored 19 shooting an efficient seven-of-nine from the field and also grabbing six boards.

The Rockets outscored the Lakers 35-27 off the bench.

If there was one other big key (and when isn’t it), their stifling aggressive D on Kobe forced him into 22 misses (11-of-33 FG). So even though he led his team with 24, it wasn’t the most productive because he had just a couple of assists. And yes. They’re a very different team with Gasol. Just wait till the big guy gets back along with Metuchen, NJ product Andrew Bynum.

Kudos still go out to the Rockets as they march on.

I’ve kind of been in the mood lately to go over one of my all-time fave rap groups. And they’re the true def of Jewish niggas to all my peeps out there!

So here’s a little story I’d like to tell

Of this dope ass trio which goes so well

It started way back after ‘83

And ever since they’ve been making history

This is the successful story of three of da best

Who made it big soldout everywhere and passed the test

 Alright. Enough of my crazzzy lyrics. Besides, the Beastie Boys totally kick ass and “Paul Revere” was definitely one of their best. To be perfectly honest, Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock were three of the original innovators of the rap/hip hop industry as they’ve been around now for over two decades putting out great albums, hits and funky videos.

The kind of success they’ve had after recreating their image by going from a punk band called The Young Aboriginies to the rap group many of us all know and love is legendary stuff. Their very popular debut album Licensed To Ill topped the Billboard charts in 1986 getting plenty of air time and critical acclaim.

Which great song is your favorite? Heck. Everybody rocks out to (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party. It’s an epic and the video is top notch!

I’m a big fan obviously of Paul Revere. Here are some of the dope ass lyrics which makes it a winner:

Now I got the gun you got the brew
You got two choices of what you can do
It’s not a tough decision as you can see
I can blow you away or you can ride with me” I said, I’ll ride with you if you can get me to the border
The sheriff’s after me for what I did to his daughter
I did it like this, I did it like that
I did it with a whiffleball bat

Just innovative and off the hook. What I admire most is it still works today. So with that, let’s check out some of the Beastie’s best tracks:

Beastie Boys: “Paul Revere“-Live

this is pretty darn good with the exception of a drunk chick who sounds like she’s about to drop any minute. I sorta could relate a couple of weeks ago at Clapton/Winwood. haha

Beastie Boys: “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”

just a funny ass video and the usual original sound. not bad for three Jews! Represent represent!

Beastie Boys: “Fight For Your Right To Party”

You missed two classes and no homework

But your teacher preaches class like you’re some kind of jerk

You gotta fight for your riiiiiiiight to parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttyyyyyy

this video’s just as comical as it gets and definitely one of their best. I like the part at 1:10.

Beastie Boys: “Brass Monkey”

it’s actually hard to find the original video but this creative one was alright. def one of my faves.

Beastie Boys: “Sabotage“-Fea. extra footage on video

this is just a great action video where they each play their roles to a tee. I remember when this came out and was hooked instantly. Now this was a freaking masterpiece!

Beastie Boys: “Sure Shot”

another quality hit off their 1994 album Ill Communication. killer lyrics and an off the wall video.

Beastie Boys: “Ch-Check It Out”

this is more recent from their To The 5 Boroughs album Post 9/11. This is a pretty solid tune which became No.1 in Canada.

Beastie Boys: “Intergalactic”

another very creative video utilizing their mic and unique video skillz to the fullest from Hello Nasty album back in 1998. This was by far the best track which even hit No.1 on the Billboard and rocked.

Beastie Boys Fea. Cypress Hill: “So Whatcha Want“-Remix

this is pretty awesome as it combines two great rap acts. And I happen to dig Cypress Hill! Plus it works for what’s a classic song!

I could probably link up more of their stuff as it really is timeless. They’re def. one of the best!

Hope ya’ll enjoyed it. Till next time I guess.

Photo Courtesy Getty Images by Julie Jacobson

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Or maybe it’s a moment which will be remembered by plenty for a long time. Especially a few local New York products who helped lead the seventh seeded Pitt Panthers to an improbable Big East Conference Championship- becoming just the second team since the 2006 Syracuse Orangemen to win four games in four days to take the title.

They bested the top seeded Georgetown Hoyas 74-65, avenging an ugly championship blowout defeat one year prior making it oh so sweet for kids such as Levance Fields (Xaverian-10 pts, 5 rebs, 6 assists) and Ronald Ramon (All Hallows product paced team with 17 including 2 treys and 7-of-10 FT), who helped lead Jamie Dixon’s unranked Panthers to the big victory ensuring them of another Big Dance appearance.

Just seeing the amount of joy expressed on their faces along with well deserving tournament MVP Sam Young (16 pts, 6 rebs, 3 blk) and teammates Tyrell Biggs (Don Bosco Prep- 5 pts, 4 rebs), Keith Benjamin (Mount Vernon- 4 pts, 6 rebs and 4 assists), DeJuan Blair (double double-10 and 10), Gilbert Brown (12 off bench including two 3’s) was fun to watch because that’s what college athletics should be about.

The essence of winning a championship on a famous court where legends have played the game. Especially for those five local kids who made good in leading their school to a second Conference title in eight years and first since 2003 when they bested UConn 61-58.

There have been too many instances recently where such great achievements are ignored due to the bracket which comes out later today and seeding along with whether or not those same conference champs will be worn out a la 2006 MVP Gerry McNamara who played through pain in leading Syracuse to the title two years ago. Something colleague John “JPG” Giagnorio should learn to appreciate instead of foolishly mocking such bravado on the court.

How many teams really are ultimate winners at the end of a grueling season filled with March Madness, glass slippers and bracket busters? It’s nearly impossible for many programs to call it a success unless they go deep into the tournament and make the Final Four. That is unless you’re an upstart mid-major who can pull off a couple of shockers to make the Sweet 16 putting your school and coach onto the map (as dollars start getting rolled around in dirt trying to lure them elsewhere yet you never hear much from the NCAA about that-bunch of hypocrite$).

This time of year is about the Pitt Panthers rising up when as usual, I scoffed at them as a legit contender to claim the Big East crown. So the joke’s on me. Good for Dixon, Fields, Young, Ramon and those gritty teammates with a much happier former Knick (now is he still a target given what plays on a daily basis there) and Pitt alum Charles Smith in attendance enjoying a signature moment for his alma mater.

It’s about a 20 loss team such as Coppin State making history by winning their conference tourney even if it is a joke that a 20 loss team could make the 65-team field.

It sure is about a classic triple overtime championship game which was played in the WAC with Boise State holding off host New Mexico State to claim their first tournament bid in 14 years outlasting them 107-102.

Or about last place Georgia in the SEC rising up to win two games in one day due to stormy weather yesterday to make the championship round to play for an all important automatic bid against the Razorbacks, who were one-point upset winners over No.4 Tennessee.

AP Photo Courtesy Getty Images by Karl Walter 

Just seeing the reaction of these kids makes it all the worthwhile because here’s a little secret for the JPG’s of the world. Winning your conference is quite a big deal. It means a lot to these players who put in plenty of practice time and hard work. It also means plenty to the students who support their schools.

In the end, only one team will wind up victorious holding the trophy. Even if you do make the Final Four, it almost becomes irrelevant these days. It’s all about who wins. I wish it was just held to on the court but now it’s who wins their bracket and takes home the cash. As if we reallly matter compared to these kids who are out there grinding it out everyday.

I’ll take part but for fun on yahoo like usual. Not for money. I don’t really believe we have any business making cash off these games. But I will say if someone out there somehow picks all 64 correctly, more power to them and the cash which comes with it.

Last night, it was just nice to see the triumphant Panthers enjoying the moment with their proud coach Dixon allowing his kids to have some fun. Isn’t that what sports should be about?

Next time, step back and appreciate it.