Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies are off to a hot start. Can they sustain it throughout the season?
Statistics, injuries, and observations are all as of the morning of April 27.
For the time being, the Colorado Rockies are sitting atop the National League West. For a brief moment they even had the best record in baseball. The pitchers have been doing their job and pitching like a somewhat reliable staff, something they've never been. The bats have been on fire, though they've cooled slightly the past few games. And if I had written this last week like I meant to, there would have been no significant injuries to worry about.
In order for the Rockies to succeed this season and make a run at postseason play they need the bats to stay hot, the pitching staff to be consistent and solid, and key players to stay injury free. I apologize for my pessimism, but I have been a Rockies fan for far too long to believe that all of these things are a possibility, especially if the past couple of years are any indication.
Dexter Fowler is hitting with more power than we are used to seeing.
The Bats Are Hot
Rockies fans are used to this. The Blake Street Bombers are tops in the big leagues in batting average (.279) and slugging percentage (.463) and on base percentage (.344), and second in runs scored (123) . None of this should surprise anyone. Two of the games most dangerous hitters, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, anchor the Rockies offense, but it doesn't stop there. Most of the lineup -- Dexter Fowler, Josh Rutledge, CarGo, Tulo, Michael Cuddyer, and Wilin Rosario -- are downright dangerous.
The numbers and MLB rankings aren't surprising. What is surprising is who leads the team in some of the offensive categories. Dex is first on the team in slugging percentage (.610) and home runs, with seven dingers through 23 games; his career best is 13 in a season. Cuddy tops the charts with a .325 batting average and .393 on base percentage. Will they stay at the top? I doubt it, but if the Rockies are to be considered postseason contenders by the end of the year they will need to still be impact players and threats to put the ball in play and drive in runs.
Improved Pitching Staff
The Rockies pitchers currently have a 3.90 ERA, and while that is good for only 17th in baseball, it is one of the most promising starts we have seen from the Rox staff for as long as I can recall.
Obviously if the bats don't stay hot, the Rockies have no hope, but if the pitchers can stay healthy and consistent all year long and hover somewhere around a 4.00 ERA collectively, this team could suddenly become very, very good. Pitching has been Colorado's Achilles heel for years and remains a difficult riddle to solve, but prospects are looking up.
Injury Concerns
Injuries are always a concern, but last year they completely derailed the Rockies season. That's not to say the Rox were destined for the playoffs by any means, but it turned into the worst season in Rockies history and was a little demoralizing.
If Jhoulys Chacin and the Rox staff can stay healthy and consistent, the Rockies could be competitive.
Troy Tulowitzki went down with a groin injury and missed most of the year. Durability is a bit of a question for Tulo as he has only played over 140 games three times in his career. Carlos Gonzalez has only played over 140 games once in his career. As the two best players in the Rockies organization, their health and durability are essential to the Rockies success.
Last season the pitching staff struggled to stay healthy and it seemed as though the entire starting rotation went out with an injury for an extended amount of time. This pitching staff is off to a hot start and cannot afford to see guys out on the DL, but it has already begun with Jhoulys Chacin on the 15-day DL beginning April 20 with a lower back strain. Here's to hoping he recovers quickly and the pitching staff, or any of the rest of the Rockies, suffer any long-term injuries the rest of the year.
If all the key players can stay healthy, the pitching staff stays at least average, and the bats stay hot, this team could make a postseason run. But I've been following Rockies baseball for too long to have full faith in the possibility after just 23 games have been played. Ah, well. Here's to hoping for a baseball miracle!
The story of Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah has been extremely well documented, so I don't want to bore you with the whole story again, but if somehow you missed it take the time and read the full story from Sports Illustrated. And this recent article by ESPN is worth a read and will make you laugh, guaranteed.
And in case you don't want to read all that, here's a recap, which also serves as the general framework of Ziggy's version of The Blindside:
Ezekiel Ansah, a Ghana native, has dreams of coming to the United States and playing in the NBA.
He comes to BYU for school and to pursue a basketball career.
Never making the cut for basketball, he runs track.
Barely being able to fit in the track lane, he is taken to Coach Mendenhall about playing football.
After being taught how to put on his pads, he walks onto the football team.
For the first couple of years, he is a really nice story and fan favorite.
Suddenly, in the middle of his senior year, he becomes a dominant force on the football field.
Ziggy always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
That's a gift.
Now he is projected to be a top ten pick in the NFL draft.
I sure wish that would happen for me. Your dreams of playing in the NBA didn't work out? I'm sorry, but here is a nice consolation prize of playing in the NFL!
Somehow he skyrocket from being brand new to the gridiron to a guaranteed first round draft pick. More than that, he has been projected to go as high as second in the draft, and it is suddenly almost unheard of to see him listed outside the top ten.
So what is it about Ziggy that has caused this meteoric rise? I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a football expert. I don't know how to study football film or the intricacies of the game that will make any player great, but especially a defensive end. I'm pretty clueless.
But I have some ideas based on my research and observations, and in spite of my limited knowledge of the game of football, I think I have a pretty good handle on why Ziggy is turning heads.
Freakish Athleticism
If you have watched him play at all, you know Ziggy has some unbelievable physical gifts. The dude is 6'6" and 273 pounds. When I hear that I picture a huge man, but I don't necessarily picture a guy who is pure muscle and scary fast like Ziggy. He's big, strong, fast (4.56 40 time), and can jump (34.5 inch vertical, and a BYU trainer says he's seen him do better). His closing speed surprises people, and that strength of his leads to some pretty big hits, especially evidenced by the research done by ESPN's Sports Science. You can get a feel for that speed and athleticism in the highlight reel from his senior year.
Unlimited Potential
As a result of the unreal amounts of athletic ability he possesses, nobody really knows where his ceiling is. He's only been playing football for a couple of years, and if he continues to improve at the rate he has thus far, he could end up being one of the best. More realistically he'll end up being a productive NFL player who makes it to a Pro Bowl or two before he retires, but with the raw talent he has you just never know.
Jason Pierre-Paul
Born to Haitian immigrants, Jason Pierre-Paul didn't begin playing football until his junior year of high school. Basketball had been his focus until that point. After a couple of years of junior college football, he transferred to South Florida where he had a dominating junior year before bolting to the NFL.
Comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul are intriguing.
In summary, JPP left his love of basketball to play football where he excelled because of his size, speed, and natural athletic ability. He caught NFL scouts off guard, but went in the first round of the NFL draft. In his first three seasons he hasn't just lived up to expectations, he's exceeded them.
The similarities on and off the field are striking and it seems that NFL execs are ready to see if Ziggy really is the next JPP.
High Level of Intelligence
He's majoring in Actuarial Science. Do I need to say anything more than that?
His football intelligence is growing. He went from being absolutely lost on a football field to being able to play special teams, lineman, and linebacker. Ziggy is learning the nuances of the game at an incredibly fast rate. This quote from Coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU's head coach, says a lot about Ansah's football IQ:
"Remember that first time on special teams? Fast-forward to our last game of 2012, the Poinsettia Bowl against San Diego State. We were calling a defense that had Ziggy as the screen defender. He popped off the line and drew the block from the tackle. When the tackle released, Ziggy turned, got in his hip pocket and made the play. This was a guy who understood the nuances of the game. He was basically fake rushing, inviting the screen so he could make a play on it. That's where we are no, just a couple dozen games removed from 'Go hit the guy with the ball.'"
Winning MVP honors in the Senior Bowl caused
Ziggy's draft stock to soar.
He went from "Go hit the guy with the ball" to Senior Bowl MVP and projected top ten draft pick in three seasons, with limited playing time in the first two seasons especially. It takes a lot of intelligence to move up that quickly.
Hard Work
Ezekiel Ansah is a great example of someone who pursues his dreams and never gives up. He came to America and BYU to pursue a career in basketball. He got cut after tryouts, but he came back to try again. He got cut a second time, but still found a way to use his athletic talents. Perhaps he doesn't have a firm grasp on what the NFL is or what his potential is, but he was once pursuing a professional basketball career, so he knows how to chase a dream. If his impressive learning curve on the gridiron is any indication, he's caught hold of the NFL vision and is willing to work hard to make it happen and reach his full potential. And if he ever does reach that potential, he is going to be scary good.
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Think about it: he was a walk-on project that had never even seen a football game a mere three years ago. He didn't start a game until part way into his senior year, then he finished the year by winning MVP honors at the Senior Bowl. Now he's generally considered the best defensive end prospect in the draft, a first round lock, and a probably top ten pick.
My dear, sweet wife, who had never filled out a bracket for March Madness prior to this year, nearly accomplished something that I have failed to do my whole life: beat my dad in the family bracket pool.
I finish every year in second place. Every single year. And now, with the latest addition to the family, my wife is pushing me down to third. And she didn't just beat me. She killed me. By ESPN's scoring system she beat me by 330 points, 730-400. That was the first big shocker of this year's tournament. It was the greatest Cinderella story I can remember, and unfortunately ended just like Wichita State's Cinderella run.
No, seriously. Her run ended the exact moment Wichita State's did. Had they held on and won that game, Michigan's win later that night would have given her the win in our family pool.
I'm torn. On the one hand I wanted my wife to win so I could give my dad a hard time. But on the other hand, he could have given me a pretty bad time by reminding me she had just accomplished something I never could. So maybe it's for the best that one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history never happened.
Regardless, I need to warm up my hands for the massage I now owe her.
But this tournament was not void of upsets, Cinderellas, and madness. There was plenty of that to go around. This post will look at the "Shockers" of the tournament, named after that Wichita State Shockers squad with came within two baskets of being the lowest seed to ever reach the National Championship game.
Shocker #2: Florida Gulf Coast
There were only a couple of things that could possibly overshadow Wichita State's run to the Final Four and one of those was a 15 seed making it to the second weekend of the tournament. And the fact that it happened is incredible.
They were fun to watch, weren't they? Just in case you've forgotten just how fun, here is a video with some of their dunks and dances for your enjoyment:
I picked Georgetown do go to the Final Four, but I had no problem celebrating the seventh 15 seed to win an NCAA tournament game. It was historic, and it was entertaining, and it just kept on getting better.
I made sure to catch their second game from start to finish, just in case they made even more history by becoming the first 15 seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Not only did they do it, they did it in style. They certainly looked more like a seventh seed than San Diego State did. They played with energy and a whole lot of confidence. They were loose, playing with nothing to lose, and having fun. Teams should take note of their relaxed style of play. It worked wonders and FGCU dominated their way into the Sweet Sixteen and the history books.
I'm not sure if Sherwood Brown or Brett Comer or any of the rest of the guys have NBA futures, but they sure are talented athletes. And congratulations to Coach Andy Enfield being hired as the new head coach at USC. Shocker #3: The Shockers themselves
Wichita State wasn't as electrifying or fun to watch as FGCU was, and they are a bit of an interesting case for a Cinderella team, but they were seeded ninth and reached the Final Four. It was an impressive run. They spent much of the season ranked, beginning the season with a 19-2 record before a three game losing skid and finishing the season 7-6 in their last 13 games prior to the NCAA tournament.
It was because of that less than stellar stretch that many picked Pitt to win over Wichita State, and even those that picked the Shockers certainly didn't pick them over the top-seeded Zags.
Wichita State came within 5 points of a title game appearance
They grabbed the attention of a lot of people after that win, including NFL quarterback athlete Tim Tebow, who gave them quite a pep talk heading into the Sweet Sixteen. It worked, and they had quite a run. They won in blowout fashion and ground it out in some tight games. And they nearly pulled off an incredible upset that would have helped them become the lowest seed to ever reach the championship game.
They may not have set that record, but they lived up to their name and shocked everyone by reaching the Final Four. Shocker #4: Oregon's 12 seed
This one was just a tragedy. Perhaps it should even be considered a crime. Oregon was ranked as high as 10th during the season, and still ranked 25th on March 4. Then they proceeded to win the Pac-12 tournament, and what was their reward? A 12 seed!
Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, their first opponent
was a woefully under-seeded Oregon squad.
The Selection Committee should be ashamed of themselves on this one. They robbed a quality Oklahoma State team of the "second" round match-up they had earned by being pitted against a very, very good opponent. It was even unfair to Saint Louis, who should have been playing Oklahoma State or a lesser 12 seed, not a grossly underrated Oregon squad playing with a chip on their collective shoulder.
But bravo to this Oregon Ducks squad. I have expected them to play frustrated and angry at the injustice of their low seed, but instead we watched them respond like they had something to prove. And prove it they did, making a run to the Sweet Sixteen before running into the Louisville buzz saw that nobody could quite keep pace with. But they hung tough even in that game.
In spite of the crimes committed against them, they still created a memorable tournament they should be proud of. Shocker #5: Mountain West Conference
For some reason, we all thought that the Mountain West was like the Big East. We all thought these teams beat themselves up because they were all really, really good and that one or two of the five teams to break into the Big Dance could make a nice run, with the most likely candidate being New Mexico. But as it turns out, unlike the Big East, this conference was once again lackluster and failed to live up to the hype.
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: I still think the Big East as we've known it the past few years, was overrated. But they did make runs and win some national titles, which is significantly more than the Mountain West accomplished this year.)
The Mountain West was 2-5 in the NCAA tournament this year, with the only wins coming against 8th and 10th seeded teams. One of those losses found its way into the history books as San Diego State became the first team to allow a 15 seed to advance to the second weekend, and they did it in style. The ten point result makes it seem like it may have been a relatively close game. It wasn't. They never stood a chance. They got flat-out embarrassed.
Harvard helped expose the mediocrity of the MWC.
If the Mountain West had been such a great conference, you would think that the team that somehow managed to win both the regular season title and conference tournament crown would be able to take down 14th seeded Harvard, right? Nope. And it was such a disappointment it prompted one of their beat writers to call it quits after 33 years following the team.
Now that's a disappointment. Shocker #6: Harvard
Okay, did anyone honestly see it coming? I don't know of a single person who predicted Harvard to win over New Mexico, and I can't imagine too many people did. Except for maybe Harvard grads. They're probably smart enough to realize the Mountain West was going to fold. Shocker #7: The "other" 1 seeds
I know that the big buzzword around college basketball this year was "parity," but I still didn't entirely see the collapse of all the non-Louisville one seeds coming. I knew Kansas would pack their bags early, though they actually made it one round farther than I thought they would.
But I had Gonzaga in the Final Four and Indiana was my pick to cut down the nets in Atlanta.
I thought Gonzaga had a relatively weak region, and I thought Indiana was the best overall team in the country. That was kind of disappointing.
Gonzaga went down in the Round of 32, and Indiana and Kansas both lost in the Sweet Sixteen. Parity, parity, parity. And it was still a shock to see all three go home that early. Shocker #8: Mitch McGary
McGary was a monster
in the tournament.
He only started two games prior to the NCAA tournament. But John Beilein made what turned out to be a genius move by thrusting McGary into a starting role for the Big Dance.
And he thrived on it. He scored in double figures in every game other than the championship. He had three double-doubles, and was one rebound short of a double-double in two other games. Prior to the championship game he averaged 16 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in the tournament. Credit Louisville for holding him to 6 points and 6 boards, because prior to that is was looking like he was absolutely unstoppable.
On a team that had the National Player of the Year in Trey Burke, who would have thought Mitch McGary would be the one to steal the show? Shocker #9: Kevin Ware's injury
Don't worry. I will not post, or link to, any pictures or videos of Kevin Ware's horrific injury.
Wow. It was rough. My heart goes out to the guy. The only injury that compares is Joe Theismann's career ending leg break. I won't link to that one either.
In all my life I have never seen anything that bad on a basketball court. Sure there is the occasional broken bone, ACL tear, or dislocated shoulder, but nothing like this.
Louisville cut down the nets for Kevin Ware.
But what impressed me most was the response of everyone involved. The team battling in a close game at the time of the injury to blowing it wide open for a 22 point victory in the second half. They didn't fight off the emotion, they used it to their advantage. They went out and made sure they didn't let their teammate down, and it was incredible to watch. They rode that emotion through the title game, overcoming deficits to come out on top.
I was also impressed with Kevin Ware's response. From the moment it happened, saying "I'll be okay, Coach, just win," to his ability to make light of the situation on Letterman's Top Ten. He seems like an impressive kid, and I wish him the best in his recovery and the remainder of his career. Shocker #10: Louisville Cardinals
In a year where being the top dog meant losing within days of earning a top ranking, the Cardinals took their number one overall seed and did exactly what they were supposed to do with it: they won.
For those who are extremely loyal followers of this blog, you may remember what I'm about to reference. Seriously though, you'd have to have been here from the beginning. This post literally only got four views.
Last April I made the following statement: "In one of Matt Carlino's remaining three years, BYU will earn [a] trip to the Final Four." I even went so far as to say it would likely come in the 2012-2013 season.
Matt Carlino helped lead BYU to an NIT Final Four appearance.
Well I nailed it.
Right?
Okay, so it wasn't the Final Four that we dream of reaching, but it was a pretty entertaining run to the NIT semifinals. It also turned out to be a nice ending, and maybe the saving grace, for perhaps what will be viewed as a disappointing year.
But 24 wins in a rebuilding year? Some schools can't even dream of a winning record when they rebuild. So was this year a disappointment? Yes and no. Should BYU have been better? Perhaps. Is it disappointing to see an NIT appearance after six consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament? Absolutely. But this team played a postseason game in April, something that no other Cougar team has ever accomplished.
And it's kind of fitting that BYU made a trip to Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals in the year that saw the 1951 NIT National Championship team honored and retired the jerseys of Mel Hutchins and Roland Minson.
BYU started the season 14-4, losing only to Florida State, NIT finalist Baylor, and NCAA tournament teams Notre Dame and Iowa State.
Then, it appears, one shot changed the course of the entire season.
Haws averaged 21.7 points per game
as a sophomore.
Tyler Haws hit a tough, tie-breaking with 2.5 seconds remaining. The Marriott Center erupted, thinking BYU had won the game. Then Matthew Dellavedova ripped the hearts out of all of Cougar Nation when he hit a running 35-foot three at the buzzer.
If you can stomach it, you can watch the final seconds of that game here.
From that Saint Mary's game through the end of the conference tournament, BYU went 7-7. The Cougars were limping so badly into the postseason I wasn't convinced we'd get an invitation to the NIT, let alone a high enough seed to get some games in the Marriott Center.
But they did. BYU was seeded third and hosted a first round game against Washington, a 90-79 victory, and a second round game against Mercer, a 90-71 win. They then went on the road to completely dismantle Southern Mississippi to reach the NIT semifinals.
It was the first time BYU suffered a double-digit number of losses since Dave Rose took over at head coach, and it was the first time since his inaugural year that BYU failed to reach 25 wins and the NCAA tournament. As disappointing as that is, just take a second to think about that. BYU has reached a postseason tournament and 20+ wins each and every year that Dave Rose has been the coach. Cougar fans are truly blessed.
In spite of that, there is a lingering feeling that this squad didn't live up to its potential. Hopes were high for Brandon Davies, Tyler Haws, and Matt Carlino. Fans were expecting junior college transfers Raul Delgado and Agustin Ambrosino to be instant impact players. Stephen Rogers and Chris Collinsworth weren't supposed to have to call it quits due to nagging injuries. Nate Austin and Anson Winder were supposed to be solid contributors, but they also were troubled by injury. And the list goes on.
Brandon Davies finished his BYU career strong,
averaging 17.7 points and 8 rebounds per game
The "Big Three," - Davies, Haws, and Carlino - had a roller coaster year. That was mostly on Carlino's end, but even Davies had swings where he would go from looking like a first round draft pick to a turnover prone big who forced too much. Carlino again flashed potential, just as he did as a freshman, but he was still prone to try and do to much. However, a lot of credit needs to go to him for several clutch performances and shots this year (against Utah and Pepperdine come to mind quickly). It is also worth noting that his current career average of 4.7 assists per game is tied for the all-time lead in BYU history.
Every BYU fan in the world was excited for the return of Tyler Haws, and even with all the excitement and expectations he still managed to exceed them all. Averaging 21.7 points per game he was the unquestioned go-to guy on this roster. He had only one truly poor performance (1 point at Gonzaga). I don't believe anyone was expecting him to be as good as he actually was.
There were some incredibly memorable moments by the players from this up-and-down year: Josh Sharps's monster dunks, Craig Cusick's put-back to beat Utah State just hours after finding out his father had cancer, Tyler Haws dropping 42 on Virginia Tech, Matt Carlino saving the day against Utah, Brandon Davies faking out two defenders with a fake pass, Brock Zylstra lighting up Southern Mississippi,
There is a lot of talent on this team to excite Cougar fans for the future, including a lot of talent in the recruiting well. But take a minute to think about the run of success the Cougars have had in recent years including this supposed disappointing year, and let's thank our seniors - Brandon Davies, Craig Cusick, and Brock Zylstra - for playing a large role in making it happen.
