My Fantasy NCAA Draft (Need Help from Clarkmeister and Others)

[La Brujita]

My friends and I are doing our eighth annual player draft and I am a seeking opinions on draft.

Background: 7 drafters each select fourteen picks, I have the second overall pick so I will pick 2, 13, 16 etc. 90% of us are from same college (Duke) and so ACC biased picks are the norm. Two of us also went to Arizona and are very Pac Ten biased (not me).

The first three years or so I was always last and was the laughing stock of the league. I used to pick a lot of white guys from Utah (Hanno Mottola anyone?).

I won last year and was a close second the year before.

My strategy is as follows: I like to have balanced brackets but you need big scorers not decent scorers since first pays.

I am worried about my first three picks. I had decided to take May second overall, but am thinking of switching to Simien largely because I am not sold on UCONN and think Simien has something to prove.

My plan is perhaps as follows, grab a WFU scorer with if I take May, or grab a UNC player if I take Simien. Alternatively I will take an Illinois player. Main problem with Illinois is balanced scorers and I might get lucky and grab Augustine later.

Other darkhorses for my second and third pick are Warrick (problem is Duke might be tough matchup) and Lucas or Graham (problem is they might lose to Arizona, not to mention the giant in the Elite Eight).

Draft is tonight at 7:00. WSEX betting info below.

MOST POINTS SCORED IN TOURNAMENT (1-Pay) $100 WIN
Series Name Sell Buy
J.J. REDICK 15 18 +455
S.MAY {N.C.} 9 12 +733
W.SIMIEN {KAN} 9 12 +733
L.HEAD {ILL} 9 12 +733
J.LUCAS {OKL ST} 6 8 +1150
H.WARRICK (SYR) 5 7 +1328
D.BROWN {ILL} 5 7 +1328
S.STOUDAMIRE {ARIZ} 5 7 +1328
A.BOGUT {UTAH} 3 5 +1900
J.GRAHAM {OKL ST} 3 5 +1900
G.MCNAMARA {SYR} 2 4 +2400
E.WILLIAMS {WAKE} 2 4 +2400
C.PAUL {WAKE} 2 4 +2400
J.GRAY {WAKE} 2 4 +2400
A.ROBERSON {FLA} 2 4

[Clarkmeister]

I'd definitely take May over Simien.

To be honest, I'd really go heavy on IL and UNC players, followed by Duke. UNC has a tough draw, but IL frankly would need to collapse to not at least play 4 games. Almost anyone else is capable of losing any game.

So I'd take Reddick first, then May, McCants, Shelden Williams, then the entire Illinois lineup, all of which average double figure scoring. Take Luther first.

[MEbenhoe]

As far as the 2nd pick goes, take May over Simien.

My other advice would be to try to avoid having many situations where you have more than 1 player from a single team, although this depends how deep your draft goes.

Bogut will probably end up being overrated, don't fall into this trap.

As far as Illinois players, Head and Williams should be better picks than Brown, and Augustine should be an excellent sleeper pick.

Ewing is another good sleeper pick if he's not taken highly because of the ACC bias.

[Rick Diesel]

How does the scoring go? Do you play all 14 players throughout, or do you have to pick a starting lineup for each round? Is points scored the only thing that matters?

[DangerGoodson]

Adam Morrison from Gonzaga has been on fire lately. He would be a nice sleeper pick, especially if others load up on Wake players, cause If 'Zaga beats them they're screwed.

[La Brujita]

[ QUOTE ]
How does the scoring go? Do you play all 14 players throughout, or do you have to pick a starting lineup for each round? Is points scored the only thing that matters?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the help so far guys. Scoring is points only, and you play all 14 players. We considered going to rebounding etc., but decided against it for administrative ease.

Basically in the past you need two things (i) Anthony or Wade like huge tournaments and (ii) picking steady players on teams that progress. One problem with picking too many on the same team is you won't get the huge numbers as if one does well it is likely the other will do not.

Basically the last two years I have done well because of looking for trends in players scoring numbers. I know less about basketball than some others but do more research.

I will check out Morrison, my opponents are not Gonzaga lovers.

The reason I thought about Simien was (i) above, and also that he had something to prove and the conference was very very good.

I am being convinced to take May because they have incredible offensive firepower on that team.

[MEbenhoe]

Well if you're looking for someone to explode during the tourney I don't think May fits that mold. He'll be a consistent scorer for you, but won't meet your criteria of having a huge tourney IMO.

[La Brujita]

My problem exactly with May! Although his scoring is trending up.

This might be an incredibly homer type statement to make but I don't think this year's Illinois team would be better than Duke with Deng and Livingston (assuming healthy).

Clarkmeister agree or disagree? Perhaps this could be another thread but I am scared of you OOT types.

NCAA TOURNEY HYPOTHETICAL (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/sioncampus/bracket_poll/austin_regional_round_1.html)

Also and off topic, I bought the online feed of the tourney. I bought it last year as well and it was well worth the money for the press conferences alone. The quality seems to have improved this year.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
This might be an incredibly homer type statement to make but I don't think this year's Illinois team would be better than Duke with Deng and Livingston (assuming healthy).


[/ QUOTE ]

It's utterly irrelevant as Livingston never had any intentions of playing for Duke.

[La Brujita]

Agree, but that hypothetical is completely for fun. I respect Illinois to death for staying together but it is a hypothetical situation and I was wondering what you thought of their analysis. Lebron is on OSU and he never had any intentions of college.

Don't make me feud with you and sit down at the same poker table, my bankroll couldn't handle it!!!! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering what you thought of their analysis. Lebron is on OSU and he never had any intentions of college.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ummmm, I think it's gay and totally without point. The fact that they have Lebron in college makes it even gayer.

[La Brujita]

1. May UNC
2. Simien KU
3. Williams Wake
4. Powell ILL
5. O'Bannon L'Ville
6. Everett OK
7. Dean L'Ville
8. Sumpter Villanova
9. Adams AZ
10. Shelton Bama
11. Bastista Gonzaga
12. Withers UNCC
13. Grier Minnesota
14. Thomas UTEP

Pretty happy and shocked nobody took Simien so I could get him at 13.

Thanks for all the help in picking.