Hawkeyes Hold Off Badgers, Snap 10-Game Streak

As the Wisconsin women’s basketball team opened its Big Ten season Monday, it had a similar result to its actual season opener at South Dakota State: a loss.

Despite rallying back from a 20-point deficit, the Badgers could never get closer than within nine points in the second half as Iowa defeated Wisconsin 73-63 at the Kohl Center.

Monday’s loss was the Badgers’ first at home and their first since losing at SDSU, snapping their 10-game winning streak.

“This is one game, and it’s one game that we’ll learn from,” UW head coach Lisa Stone said. “We made a valiant effort late, it’s just that we started playing good basketball too late [and] we dug ourselves too big of a hole.”

The game was back-and-forth early, with the Badgers trailing 9-7 at the first media timeout.  They would never get closer, however, as the Hawkeyes used a 9-0 run from that point to take control of the game.

After Wisconsin cut the lead to 18-13, Iowa went on another run, a 7-0 run, giving them a 25-13 lead with 6:48 remaining in the half. The teams would go back and forth the rest of the period, with Iowa taking a 12-point lead to the locker room at 35-23.

The difference in the first half came down to shooting percentage. The Badgers hit just 10-of-33 (30.3%) from the field in the period compared to 13-of-23 (56.5%) for the Hawkeyes. Iowa also held a 6-1 advantage from the free throw line, hitting on all six of their foul shots.

“I thought we executed pretty well and got some good looks early on,” Stone said. “We may have rushed some…but as [Wendy] Ausdemore catches it and it’s going off her hands before she catches it and down it goes, you want to go back and get it back in a hurry.”

Ausdemore, a senior forward and Iowa’s third leading scorer, led all scorers in Monday’s game with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.

The Hawkeyes had four other players reach double figures Monday. Center Megan Skouby added 14 points, guard Kristi Smith had 13 and forward JoAnn Hamlin added 10 points.

In the second half, Wisconsin came out strong, with the hopes of cutting the lead in half before the first media timeout. The Badgers were only able, however, to cut the lead to 11 points as the Hawkeyes continued to shoot well.

Over the first nine minutes of the second half, Iowa outscored Wisconsin 21-13 to extend its lead to 20 points, its largest of the night at 56-36. Following the second media timeout of the period, the Badgers finally found their defense, taking control of the game on an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 58-47.

Following that run, the Hawkeyes reeled off six in a row to push the lead back to 17 points with just under 4 1/2 minutes remaining. The Badgers picked it up again, going on an 8-0 to cut the lead to just nine points with two minutes remaining.

However, a Skouby jumper on the next Iowa possession killed the momentum for UW, allowing the Hawkeyes to come away with the 10-point victory.

“We kind of felt like our momentum was finally going to switch our way,” UW guard Alyssa Karel said. “Whenever a player hits a big shot like that, it always gets you down a little bit and wee couldn’t turn it around again."

"The game is a game of momentum and we wanted to keep the momentum going our way more than their way and tonight we just couldn’t get it done.”

Karel was one of three Wisconsin players to reach double figures Monday, contributing 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 1-for-4 from three-point range.

Forward Lin Zastrow led the Badgers with 18 points, hitting 6-of-11 from the field and a pair of threes; forward Mariah Dunham added 14 points for UW on 4-of-11 shooting and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc.

As a team known for its defensive ability, to give up 73 points in a game is never desirable. Following a week off for finals, the Badgers were unable to stop the Hawkeyes, who won Saturday at Drake, from hitting their shots.

Similarly to the SDSU loss, Wisconsin will go back after a few days off for Christmas and work on a reemphasis on its defense as it gets ready for Minnesota on December 29.

“It felt very similar [to South Dakota State],” junior guard Rae Lin D’Alie said. “[We need to] come back and just reemphasize our defense and just regroup and let each other know that our defense, that’s our identity." 

"Plain and simple, if we’re going to win some games, our defense has got to show up.”

Iowa v. Wisconsin

Join us for the live courtside blog.

 

Bowl Games Preview: December 20

EagleBank Bowl: Wake Forest v. Navy; 11 a.m. EST; ESPN

The Midshipmen defeated the then-No.16 Demon Deacons 24-17 on the road back in September and Saturday's EagleBank Bowl should be no different. 

Navy is the better team and the hotter team right now, and its stifling defense will pose many challenges to Wake Forest and quarterback Riley Skinner. The junior signal caller for the Demon Deacons threw four interceptions last time against the Midshipmen and will have to perform much better to give his team a chance at revenge.

Navy comes into the game having won four of its last five games after losing at then-No.23 Pittsburgh, including a 50-0 margin in its last two games against Northern Illinois and Army.

Though the Demon Deacons will have more time to prepare for the Midshipmen and their option offensive scheme, it should be the Navy defense that makes the difference in the game Saturday.

Navy rarely throws the ball, but its potent rushing attack - featuring fullback  Eric Kettani and running back Shun White - makes its play-action pass difficult to stop and should give Wake Forest fits all day.

Prediction: Navy 27-Wake Forest 17

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State v. Colorado State; 2:30 p.m. EST; ESPN

Saturday's second bowl game, the New Mexico Bowl, features two teams going in opposite directions heading into the bowl game. 

Fresno State finished the regular season at a disappointing 7-5, including losses in three of its last five games.

Colorado State finished the regular season with a pair of victories to become bowl-eligible at 6-6 after finishing at just 3-9 last season, making head coach Steve Fairchild the first in school history to reach a bowl game in his first season.

Throw in FSU head coach Pat Hill's interview for the same position at the University of Washington, and the Bulldogs appear to be a frustrated, disappointed and distracted team.

The Rams are looking for their first bowl victory since 2001, and they will get it, led by senior Billy Farris. The Rams' quarterback will take advantage of a Bulldogs' defense that gives up more than 30 points per game and has intercepted an FBS-low four passes this season.

Colorado State - who recorded an FBS-low nine sacks - will need to get better pressure on Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater to keep the Bulldogs off the board.

If they do so, they will be able to shut down the senior signal caller for FSU and add to what has been a relatively disappointing season for Brandstater and the Bulldogs.

Prediction: Colorado State 34-Fresno State 31

St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis v. South Florida; 4:30 p.m. EST; ESPN2

Not many teams will travel less this bowl season than Bulls. Tropicana Field is a mere 32 miles from the University of South Florida campus. As a result, despite the neutral site, it will feel and look like a home game for USF.

With this game being played indoors on the turf, it should be an exciting, high-scoring affair. Despite being ranked No. 10 in the nation at one point this season, the Bulls have fallen, losing five of its last seven to finish 7-5.

The Bulls' offense struggled in its losses this season, but quarterback Matt Grothe will rebound against the Tigers, running all over the field and utilizing the turf to his advantage.

Saturday's game will come down to the battle between the Memphis offense and the USF defense. It should be a good one as the Bulls boast the 13th-ranked defense in the country, including ninth against the run, and the Tigers have the 22nd-ranked offense and the nation's 18th-ranked rushing attack.

Junior running back Curtis Steele - a junior college transfer - rushed for 1,175 yards and seven touchdowns for Memphis this season and will need to perform at his best to give Memphis its best chance to win.

Prediction: South Florida 44-Memphis 38

Las Vegas Bowl: Brigham Young v. Arizona; 8 p.m.; ESPN

The main event on the first day of the bowl season will be another high-scoring offensive affair between No. 16 BYU and Arizona.

Although the Cougars held out BCS hopes until losing to Utah late in the season, they return to the Las Vegas Bowl - a place with which they are all too familiar. The Wildcats, on the other hand, will be playing in their first bowl game since 1998.

Arizona's spread offense, led by quarterback Willie Tuitama, ranks 16th in the nation with an average of just over 37 points per game this season. Similarly, BYU ranks 19th with 35.3 points per game offensively.

This game may come down to which team has the ball last, but more likely it will come down to whoever wants it more. Though the Cougars could use the game to prove they belong in the BCS bowls, the Wildcats' first taste of the postseason in more than 10 years will be enough motivation to put them over the top.

Prediction: Arizona 54-BYU 48

 

Wisconsin extends streak to 10 with win over Marquette

With ten consecutive victories on its resume, the Wisconsin women’s basketball is starting to get noticed. While some of the credit for Saturday's season-high attendance total must go to in-state rival Marquette, there’s a buzz slowly building around this Badgers squad.

"I think the buzz is that this young team is doing what nobody thought they could do," UW coach Lisa Stone said. ""We just want to keep getting better and keep on growing."

Those Wisconsin fans that showed up Saturday were rewarded with one of the Badgers’ best all-around performances of the season as they defeated the Golden Eagles 67-48 in the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin (10-1) once again was led offensively by sophomore guard Alyssa Karel with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting and 2-for-6 from 3-point range. The Badgers’ other starting guards also reached double digits as Rae Lin D’Alie added 14 points and Teah Gant finished with 10 points and a career-high 8 rebounds.

The Badgers once again were fueled by a hot start offensively by Karel, jumping out to a 16-3 lead and forcing a Golden Eagle timeout at the 14:28 mark.

Marquette (7-3), on the other hand, struggled mightily against the UW defense, shooting just 23.2 percent from the field and 19 percent from beyond the arc. The lone bright spot offensively for the Golden Eagles was an 18-for-21 clip from the line.

The Golden Eagles’ shooting percentage was a season low for Marquette and a season low for a Wisconsin opponent. Marquette’s 48 points was seven fewer than its previous season low – 55 points against Northwestern – and 27 points below its season average of 75.7 points per game.

"We played terrible," Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. "We looked like our feet were in the mud. Wisconsin took advantage of it, and they are so unselfish and they're playing well and they have a lot of confidence."

Krystal Ellis, an all-America candidate and preseason all-Big East selection, was never able to find a rhythm on the offensive end, shooting just 3-for-12 from the field and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. Ellis finished with a season-low seven points before fouling out – for the first time this season – in the second half.

Gant, the primary defender on the senior guard, frustrated Ellis throughout the game by guarding her close and keeping her from finding an open look.

"Every game we're growing defensively," said Gant. "We've proved that defense is what wins."

Wisconsin took care of the ball better than Marquette with 13 assists to 12 turnovers compared to just five assists and 13 turnovers. The Badgers also outrebounded the Golden Eagles 45-36, and held a 14-3 edge on second-chance points.

The Badgers also managed to avoid something that has plagued them throughout the season – letting large leads slip and letting their opponents back in the game. UW had its largest lead of 21 points in the second half with 11:11 remaining to play. Over the final 11 minutes, MU managed to cut the lead by just two points in the end.

As defense has been the trademark of this Badgers’ squad, it’s worth noting that many offensive-minded players – such as junior Mariah Dunham – have bought into the “pack” defense mentality and stepped up their play on the defensive end.

"Being an offensive-minded person, this defense has opened my eyes to a whole different side of our performance, my performance, everyone's performance." Dunham said, "I never really concentrated on it [before], but you have to concentrate on it if you want to be on this team and play.”

In addition to realizing the importance of the Badgers’ defense, Dunham has begun to enjoy playing on the defensive end more as her team has had increased success defensively.

"I guess I'm trying to step up my level on defense, and yes, I think it's fun,” Dunham said.

With the victory over its in-state rival, Wisconsin completed the sweep of all three intrastate games for the first time in more than 30 years. The Badgers’ 10-game winning streak ties for the second longest in school history and their 10-1 record ties for the third best start in school history.

"I'm very proud of our basketball team for the way we've started the season," said UW coach Lisa Stone, whose team won for the 10th time in a row since losing its opener. "We've had continued growth and development and buying into what we're trying to get done offensively and defensively."

How good are the Badgers?

They have eight wins in a row and an upset over then-No. 6 Baylor.  They won the 2008 Paradise Jam Tournament. They own the second-ranked scoring defense in the Big Ten and the third-best turnover margin in the conference.

They are, of course, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team. After losing their opener on the road at South Dakota State, the Badgers have surprised everyone – perhaps even themselves – by rattling off eight straight wins en route to an 8-1 record.

Their wins, however, haven’t always been pretty, and they certainly haven’t been easy.  The Badgers eight wins this season have come by a combined 55 points, or an average of 6.8 points.  In their last four wins, the cardinal and white have survived three chances for Baylor to tie or win the game and two overtimes against UW-Milwaukee.

With all their wins being so close, it seems fair to ask, are these Badgers as good as their record would indicate?

Let’s start with the case for yes.

First and foremost, Wisconsin has won eight straight.

Eight wins in a row is the most for UW since the 2001-02 season. That means despite reaching the postseason in each of the last two seasons and reaching the WNIT championship in 2007, the Badgers did not win eight straight in either of those seasons.

Secondly, Wisconsin upset the sixth-ranked team in the nation.

When it comes to postseason tournament eligibility, one cannot say enough about big wins in the nonconference season. With a win over a team like Baylor, a borderline Wisconsin team could punch their ticket to either the NCAA tournament or the WNIT.

Moreover, the win was the first for the Badgers over a top-10 opponent since beating Purdue in that same stretch in 2001. It also was the first UW win over a ranked opponent since 2006. Once again, even the two most successful Wisconsin teams under Lisa Stone – the 2006-07 and 2007-08 Badgers – did not manage a victory over either a top-10 opponent or a ranked opponent.

Finally, the last reason for yes: they won the 2008 Paradise Jam Tournament.

Say what you will about tournaments in November, but the fact is, the Badgers won their first tournament since 2006. In doing so, they defeated a Villanova team that knocked them out of the WNIT a year ago and they earned the aforementioned upset over Baylor.

While in the Virgin Islands – aside from enjoying the sunny weather – the Badgers won three games in three days, something that will prove valuable in the Big Ten tournament and any potential postseason tournament.

In fact, it may already have proved valuable over the last week when the Badgers played three games in three days. 

Wisconsin appeared a bit sluggish late against UW-Milwaukee after returning to Madison, but the Badgers persevered and came away with a win. Just two days later, Wisconsin came out firing against Virginia Tech, getting out to an 18-point lead in the first half that it would never relinquish.  Finally, the Badgers were able to hold off a surging Northern Illinois team Sunday to earn a 70-64 victory.

Now, let’s look at why the Badgers may not be as good as their record would indicate.

First, they can’t hold on to a big lead.

In each of their three games this week, the Badgers have led by more than 15 points at some point.  Against UW-Milwaukee, Wisconsin led by as many as 16 points, only to let UW-M tie the game and force a pair of overtimes. The result: a two-point victory.

In Thursday’s matchup with Virginia Tech, the cardinal and white led by as many as 17 points in the second half. The end result: a nine-point victory.

Against Northern Illinois in a Sunday matinee, UW led by 20 points before letting NIU cut the lead significantly. The final: a six-point victory.

Among the three games, the Badgers led by a total of 53 points before letting the lead slip and winning by just 17 points. If Wisconsin expects to contend in the Big Ten, it will need to work on maintaining its leads for a full 40 minutes.

Secondly, Wisconsin has trouble taking care of the ball.

Although the Badgers may turn the ball over significantly less than their opponents, they have the 10th-ranked assist-to-turnover ratio in the Big Ten.

If it weren’t for an impressive 74 percent shooting display from the field in the first half Sunday, Wisconsin may have been hurt by turning the ball over 10 times against just five assists. The Badgers finished the game with 18 turnovers and 11 assists, a 0.61 ratio, below their already unimpressive season mark of 0.7 per game.

Finally, the last reason: they struggle on the boards.

Wisconsin averages 32.4 rebounds per game – 2.3 fewer than its opponents. On both the offensive and defensive glass, the Badgers rank 10th in the conference in rebounding.  With the Big Ten being known for its tough, physical play, UW will need to improve its inside presence to have success.

In the end, Wisconsin (8-1) may not be as good as they appear based on their record or eight-game winning streak, but they certainly are better than anyone could have expected. With guards Alyssa Karel and Rae Lin D’Alie running things, anything could happen for the cardinal and white. Next up for Wisconsin is a pair of in-state rivalry games that could go a long way in showing how good it truly is. If UW can beat UW-Green Bay on the road and Marquette at the Kohl Center, they will prove their worth.

 

All Good Things Must Come to an End

We all saw this day coming.

It was always a matter of when, rather than if. 

Throughout the Patriots’ magical season last year, it was always “Can they go undefeated?” For the 2008 Tennessee Titans, however, everyone expected them to lose. No one honestly thought this Kerry Collins-led bunch could rattle off 16 straight wins, let alone 19.

If Tom Brady and the Patriots could only manage 18 straight wins, there’s no way – we all thought – that this Titans team could go undefeated through 19 games.

Well, suffice to say, everyone was right. After amazing critics and fans alike with a 10-0 start, Chris Johnson & Co., finally succumbed at the hands of Brett Favre and the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

The score: 34-13. It was a game in which nothing went right and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It also was a game that saw Jets backup running back Leon Washington scamper for 82 yards on eight carries and a pair of touchdowns, including one from 61 yards out and a four-yard run that put the game out of reach.

So what does this game mean for Tennessee? And what does it mean for the NFL?

For starters, the Titans proved just how difficult it is to go undefeated and the Jets proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

They may have barely scraped by for the past few weeks, but the Tennessee Titans started the 2008 season 10-0. That’s 10 more wins than the Detroit Lions has in the same period and one more than the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

How hard is it to start the season 10-0? Prior to this year, the Titans had never even come close, with the 10-0 start setting a new franchise record by five games. What’s more, is that the Titans are now one of only 10 teams in NFL history to start the season 10-0.

So, although the dream of a perfect season ended and the 1972 Miami Dolphins will be popping champagne this week, the 2008 Tennessee Titans have joined an elite group of NFL teams in history.

For the New York Jets, a dominant victory over the Titans following an overtime victory over the Patriots proves that they are, in fact, the class of the AFC East. With their record sitting at 8-3, the Jets control their own destiny in the East and have a legitimate shot at a first-round bye in the playoffs.

In fact, by beating Tennessee, the Jets earned the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Titans, and could earn home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs should the Jets manage to make up the current two-game deficit in the race for the top seed in the AFC playoffs.

Moreover, Favre had one of his best games as a Jet on Sunday. Favre completed 25 of 34 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while throwing only one interception against the league’s ninth-ranked passing defense.

Though Favre’s stats don’t dazzle, he managed the game well enough to allow Thomas Jones to rush for 96 yards and Washington to find the end zone twice. Favre looked comfortable throughout the game against Tennessee and didn’t try to force things against the Titans’ tough secondary

With this game in the books, one can’t help but look ahead to a possible rematch in Tennessee for the AFC Championship. Certainly, the Titans will learn from this game and use it as motivation for the rest of the season.

The Jets, on the other hand, must feel as confident as they have all season after knocking off the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team and solidifying their position as a playoff contender.

Unfortunately, we won’t have the pleasure of watching an 11-0 Tennessee team face off against a 0-11 Detroit team on Turkey Day. Regardless, the Titans remain among the NFL’s elite teams this season and the Jets couldn’t be happier about their current situation.

Yet, if either of these two AFC contenders takes the conference title in January, they’ll be in for a tough matchup if the NFL’s best team – the New York Giants – manages to find its way back to the Super Bowl for a second consecutive season.

Here’s to looking forward to a great finish to the 2008 NFL season. It’s certainly something to be thankful for.

 

Best Game of Year?

Wisconsin didn’t exactly play its best football of the season Saturday against Cal Poly. Even so, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the best game they’ve played this year.

Don’t get me wrong, the second half comeback with two safeties against Minnesota was great. No really, it was.

Still, it doesn’t get much better in football than an overtime game at the collegiate level. While the NFL still seems to think overtime games should be decided by a coin flip, the NCAA does it the right way.

Saturday, as the Mustangs did all they could to give the game away to the Badgers, the game went from an all but certain Cal Poly victory to a thrilling 36-35 win in overtime for UW.

Now, here are ten reasons why this game was so great:

First: Cal Poly is an FCS team.

While the Mustangs average nearly 500 yards of offense and nearly 50 points per game, they still play FCS competition. Yet, coming in from sunny San Luis Obispo, Calif., to frigid temperatures at Camp Randall Stadium in front of more than 80,000 fans didn’t seem to faze them.

Cal Poly came in to one of the toughest places in to play in the country and ran up 20 points before the half – including a punt return for a touchdown and a pair of scoring drives of 60 yards or more.

Second: Wisconsin is a bowl-eligible FBS team.

Sure, they may not have looked like it at times this season, but the Badgers at the seventh-ranked team in the Big Ten, a major BCS conference. Against all odds, Wisconsin has played its way to a potential Insight Bowl berth in a season that began with Rose Bowl hopes and teetered on the edge of bowl ineligibility.

The Badgers needed a win against a tough Cal Poly team and they got it. It wasn’t pretty but they got the job done and that’s what matters.

Third: Cal Poly runs the Wing T, or what is essentially a high school offense.

Wisconsin players hadn’t played against the Wing T since high school and it showed early and often as Cal Poly ran the ball all over UW for more than 200 yards rushing.

Fourth: Wisconsin nearly broke Ramses Barden’s streak of consecutive games with a touchdown.

For four quarters, the Badgers kept one of the most prolific touchdown-scoring receivers in FCS history from scoring a touchdown. Something his last 18 opponents had been unable to do.

Fifth: Barden kept the streak alive on the first play of overtime.

Talk about a big play. On the first play of overtime, quarterback Jonathan Dally lobs the ball 30 yards into the end zone for an over-the-shoulder catch for Barden. Barden snags it and Cal Poly shocks the Badgers once again.

Sixth: Andrew Gardner missed three extra points.

As if missing the extra point in the fourth quarter weren’t enough, Gardner missed the ensuing XP following the Barden touchdown in overtime. Of all times to miss an extra point, overtime is not a good one to choose.

Seventh: John Clay stepped up when P.J. Hill struggled.

On a day where quarterback Dustin Sherer proved why he should have been the starter all along with impressive passes to receivers Nick Toon and David Gilreath, Hill seemed unable to push the ball across the line of scrimmage outside of the red zone.

Fortunately for Wisconsin, Clay managed 107 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns on just 11 carries. Clay’s two touchdowns: a 17-yard run in the second quarter which stalled Cal Poly’s momentum and the six-yard game-tying touchdown in overtime.

Eighth: the Badgers’ success throwing the ball.

For much of the game, Wisconsin’s offense looked nothing like what fans have grown accustomed to seeing on a weekly basis.  Sherer completed several passes in the game to Gilreath, Toon and Isaac Anderson for big chunks of yardage. Gilreath finished with just four catches but managed 125 yards receiving on the day. Toon caught just two balls but gained 40 yards for the cardinal and white. Anderson, meanwhile, caught four balls for 55 yards, his longest reception going for 21 yards.

In the end, Wisconsin scored four touchdowns on the ground, but Sherer used his passing ability to move the ball for much of the game, something that excited fans time and again.

Ninth: it was senior day.

Nothing is better than a win in your final game as a Badger, except maybe playing the drums during the fifth quarter if you’re sophomores John Moffitt and Gabe Carimi. It would have been awful to send out one of the top senior classes in UW history with a loss to an FCS team in their final game at Camp Randall Stadium.

Instead, the Sherer, Clay & Co. managed to send them out on a high note – a thrilling overtime win for the first time in six years.

Last, but not least: Wisconsin is headed to a bowl game. No one is quite sure which one, but signs are pointing toward a Dec. 31 trip to Tempe, Ariz., to face a potential Big XII opponent in the Insight Bowl. Something no one would have expected at any point in the season until the past three weeks.

Ultimately, Saturday’s win over Cal Poly won’t go down in history as one of the most important victories for UW, but perhaps it was one of the most thrilling and bittersweet in recent years.

Wisconsin played its hearts out Saturday afternoon and it showed.

Spring Training

Spring is in the air.

If that's the case then why does my car keep getting stuck in the snow?

While it is still winter on the calendar for another five weeks, it's spring in the MLB.

For baseball fans this means one thing: this year could be the year. This season's perfect example is the Cincinnati Reds. 

The Redlegs finished fifth in the NL Central last season, 13 games behind the Cubs. Yet, with the addition of Francisco Cordero and Dusty Baker, Cincinnati figures to make a run at the division leaders in 2008.

While Spring Training games may not always sell out and casual fans may not realize they exist until late March, true baseball fans know the months of February and March are as important -- if not more important than -- as the first two months of the season. 

Over the next six weeks, teams will evaluate new and veteran players alike to determine just who will make the 25-man roster.

Every spring, just like every season, has a degree of uncertainty to it that makes it so enticing to true fans. For example:

How will the latest Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome fit in with the Chicago Cubs?

The Cubs signed Fukudome to a four-year, $48 million deal on December 11th. His patience and power to the gaps should result in an excellent doubles hitter in the MLB with about 20-30 HR potential. Fukudome is expected to start in Right Field alongside Felix Pie in center and Alfonso Soriano in left -- one of the better young outfields in the league.

Will Johan Santana be the guy that leads the Mets back to the World Series for the first time since 2000?

The Mets signed Santana to a record-breaking six-year, $137.5 million contract on February 1. With that contract, Santana became the highest-paid pitcher in the MLB. With such a contract -- especially in New York -- comes high expectations. Is it so unreasonable for Mets fans to expect a return to Santana's 2004-2006 form which saw him go 55-19 with a 2.75 ERA and 0.96 WHIP and 748 K's?

Will steroids continue to overshadow the sport when the players finally take the field in March and April?

Who's telling the truth - Brian McNamee and Andy Pettitte  or Roger Clemens and the "Nanny"? Will Barry Bonds be convicted on perjury charges? Will anyone buy Jose Canseco's new book, and if so, who will be named in it? Will any of these questions be answered before the start of the regular season? Will these questions take precedence over the actual games on the field? (Let's hope not)

How good will Francisco Liriano be post-Tommy John surgery?

In 2006, the Minnesota Twins, enroute to a come-from-behind AL Central title, possessed two of the league's best pitchers: Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. Santana won his second Cy Young Award in 2006 while leading the league in all three major pitching categories: wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Liriano went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 144 K's in 121 innings pitched. 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. With Santana now out the door, the Twins expect Liriano -- who has not reported to camp due to visa issues -- to ace the staff and have added Livan Hernandez to fill the void left by Santana's departure. 

My thoughts:

Fukudome will not be a superstar, but he will be good enough to lead the Cubs to a second NL Central title in as many years.

Santana's 2008 season will fall somewhere between his 2006 season and his 2007 season -- which should be enough to get the Mets into the playoffs and avoid another catastrophic collapse.

The deck is stacked against Clemens and Bonds and both appear to be guilty of perjury. Steroids will continue to fill the headlines, but when opening day rolls around fans will forget about who's juicing and enjoy the game once again.

Liriano will finish the season with at least 15 wins and anchor the Twins' young staff.