Looking Forward to the NCAAB Season

The 2013-14 college hoops season is still some way off but that doesn’t stop us looking forward with anticipation to the new season and with that thought in mind here are the top four things we are looking forward to next season.

We’ll start with the new ACC realignment – now some of the changes that have been made to the tradition-rich conferences we hate but what’s not to like about what we have in store in the ACC. Here we have added Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pittsburgh – that gives us Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Jim Boeheim all in the same league that has to be a major leap forward.

Oh, and Louisville and Rick Pitino will join the conference in 2014, according to the bet365 betting news. No conference will be able to match the ACC and it will take some side to win it and we can envision some mouth-watering tussles ahead.

Over at Kansas, the Jayhawks will be on a quest of the 10th straight Big 12 title; the Jayhawks' feat of nine straight league championships is one of the most remarkable accomplishments in college basketball history. No team from a major conference has won that many consecutive titles since UCLA won 13 in a row from 1967 to 1979.

It will be quite some test though as Kansas lose all five starters from last season’s team that went 31-6 and with Oklahoma State and Baylor in good shape this would be no mean achievement, although they did lose all their starters from their 2008 national championship squad and still won the Big 12 title the following season. Their recruiting class is ranked No2 in the nation so they have a chance but there are sure to be ups and downs but if anyone can pull off the feat it’s the Jayhawks.

We just touched on freshmen there with the Jayhawks and we’ll follow on by making freshmen the third thing that we are looking forward to next season by looking at the recruiting class that Kentucky has assembled, and what a class it is. You have to be looking forward to seeing the Harrison twins, Julius Randle & Co playing together and it could get better if Andrew Wiggins joins that group.

That’s not to say though that there are not outstanding freshmen at other schools, just take a look at this line-up of talent coming into the NCAA;  Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Jabari Parker (Duke), Jerrell Martin (LSU) and Wayne Selden (Kansas). Fresh talent and stars are always welcome and the 2013-14 season has plenty of those from its freshman class.

And finally, you always have to have a look those teams which have been sleepers and while they might not win anything in 2013-14 they will or could make significant strides and we would be surprised if these three didn’t have a shot at making the NCAA tournament despite not receiving much respect.

The LSU Tigers feature an up-and-coming programme and a couple of outstanding players such as Johnny O’Bryant and Anthony Hickey; St John’s Red Storm with Jakarr Sampson leading the way are dreadfully underrated and the Arizona Sun Devils also have a squad with depth and talent led by point guard Jahii Carson. All of threes three are not getting much love pre-season but could well fire their way to the NCAA tournament.

Plenty to look forward to therefore in 2013-14 and we - like many NCAAB betting fans - can’t wait much longer for it all to get started.

Marengo Remains on Course for Epsom Derby

Aidan O’Brien landed his fourth Derby trial within a week when his long odds-on Battle of Marengo duly obliged in the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, although not everyone was impressed with what they saw.

Expected to dispose of his three rivals with the minimum of fuss, the son of Galileo took over the running after four furlongs and duly dominated the race from thereon, although he had to be strongly ridden three out to keep up the momentum in the rain-softened ground and then had to respond to young Joseph O’Brien’s urgings inside the final furlong to hold Jim Bolger’s running on Loch Garman by a length-and-three-quarters.

Aidan O’Brien suggested that Battle of Marengo had been in need of the outing to bring him to concert pitch for the Derby itself just 20 days later and that being in front for the final six furlongs had also been far from ideal.

The Royal Ascot betting tips left the perceived leading Ballydoyle Derby candidate unchanged at 5/1 second-favourite in a market dominated by the tremendously impressive Qipco 2000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach.

O’Brien’s colt was landing his fifth race in succession having achieved a hattrick at the end of last season, including a maiden victory at Gowran Park, success in listed company at Leopardstown in September (where he beat the useful Trading Leather with something to spare), and then overcame heavy ground in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, beating Origlio Bay by three-and-a-half lengths.

Kingsbarns had been the stable Derby first-string, but after his much publicised difficulties earlier this season, it is Battle of Marengo who has emerged as the assumed principal contender for Ballydoyle, even allowing for this week’s other classic trial successes of Ruler of the World, Magician, and Nevis.

Looking for more horse racing previews? Jamie Lynch's York Preview: Tourist Attractions.

Murray should Learn from Djokovic Performance

If Andy Murray is to have any chance of winning the French Open title this season, he must study Novak Djokovic’s performances at the Monte Caloe Masters last week and try to replicate that style.

Murray crashed out of Monaco in the third round after a dour performance against Stanislas Wawrinka led to a 6-1 6-2 defeat. It shocked Betfair French Open pundits and seriously unsteadied confidence in the world number two’s ability to mount a challenge at Roland Garros.

He made 24 unforced errors against Wawrinka and won just 25% of return points. That’s what cost him and if he performs like that again in Paris he will last two rounds at best.

No, what Murray needs to do is concentrate on his return game and not come to rely on those serves as much as he does on hard courts.

If he watches Djokovic’s final triumph over Rafael Nadal Murray will see that the Serb’s returns of serve won him the title. Djokovic had a worse first-serve percentage than Nadal but won 51% of his return points compared to Nadal’s 38%.

That ability to eke out rallies from nothing effectively earned Djokovic a break chance during each Nadal serve, so that Djokovic was a threat throughout the entire match.

Unlike matches on hard surfaces when the serve is so commanding it almost ruins the spectacle, clay gives the returnee a chance to stay in the point and that is where Djokovic beat his rival.

Murray is roughly the same height as Djokovic, is the same age and has the same playing style – mainly using powerful serves to pin opponents back and dominating proceedings from there.

If he replicates Djokovic’s return game then he should, theoretically, find similar success on clay.

Granted, Murray is unlikely to win the French Open this year – the field is simply too good – but he can go a lot further than the first week if he keeps his mind on his game and irons out those unforced errors on the return.

Despite the pessimism surrounding the Scot, pundits believe that he – not money – will inspire the next generation of tennis stars.