My Take

My take on sports for the week:

-Mizzou needs to rebound. They get killed on the boards and playing three guards under 6'2" really hurts them (F. Pressey, Denmon, Dixon or M. Pressey). Where is Kim English? This was supposed to be his breakout year and I can't find him on the court. Of course, when Nebraska or Colorado come to town he will step up, but Mizzou needs him in the big games too. I think part of his struggles come from not being able to create his own shot.

-North Carolina is back. Duke is a great team with a ton of experience. North Carolina starts two freshmen, two sophomores, and one junior (T. Zeller, who has really played one year of college basketball due to injury). That game Wednesday night was an instant classic and just shows me one thing: Carolina is dangerous and I love it.

-Pitchers and catchers are starting to report for spring training, and I am glad to see that Cardinals baseball will be back in full swing soon. The Cardinals have a ton of question marks; Berkman's ability in the OF, Freese's health, Kyle Loshe's true value, and who will play 2B? I don't think the Cardinals will have enough offense or defense out of the middle infield. Schumaker is a solid hitter, but he doesn't walk and has no speed. Theriot is a max-effort guy, decent average and some quickness. Neither have pop and neither are great defensively. Would have loved to see Brendan Ryan stick around, hope that move doesn't come back to haunt the cards.

-On Pujols: Get it done. Everyone knows he isn't walking. The Cards can't handicap themselves by giving him 10 years, and if anyone else wants to do that, it is a death sentence. My proposal: 7 years with a club option for an 8th, $33 million per year for the first 4 years, $25 million the last 3 with the club option at $22. Puts the total value at 7/207, or 29.6 million per year.

-My picks for first team All-America NCAAB as of right now:
Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU
Nolan Smith, G, Duke (this one pains me)
Kemba Walker, G, UConn
Jared Sulinger, F, Ohio State
Marcus Morris, F, Kansas (this one as well)

-The St. Louis Blues have big games this week with a back-to-back, home-and-home with the Minnesota Wild. Five points out of the 8th spot and getting healthier, I like their chances going forward.