New Year's Day Picks 33-27 Record

Check back throughout the day for possibly more picks

Clemson/Nebraska over 55   This game will be a shootout in Jacksonville.  Clemson has a good defense statistically but they played in the ACC where Nebraska QB Joe Ganz would have been the best QB they seen all year. 

Clemson has offensive weapons  with their two good RBs and three solid WRs. Look for both Cullen Harper and Ganz to have big games at QB.

Nebraska has a good front four but they won't be able to stop James Davis and C.J. Spiller all game.  

Look for a big return or two by each team on special teams as well. Both teams also have solid kickers.

Clemson played the likes of Boston College, South Carolina, and Georgia Tech this year and this boosted their stats on defense.  None of them are offensive juggernauts like Nebraska is.

Clemson also has problems getting to the QB and that will be a problem today as well.

What's Next For Anthony Johnson?

UPDATE: D Wizzle's World's source has asked us to remove the original article that was on here until further notice. 

Anthony Johnson is the future of the welterweight division. So what is next for this young fighter with huge  potential?

I would like to see him fight an opponent like Mike Swick or Thiago Alves.

A Swick vs. Johnson fight would be very intriguing as both fighters train in the Bay Area and are top contenders in the UFC's stacked welterweight division. The winner of this fight could be in contention for a future title shot while the loser would have to work their way back up.

Swick and Johnson are two of the most exciting and popular fighters in the UFC because they have knockout power and can make quick work of their opponents.

Alves on the other hand is another huge welterweight and he and Johnson could have a classic war. Alves probably will get the next crack at the welteweight title but we could see a Johnson vs. Alves or Swick vs. Alves fight in the future.

Stephon Marbury's New Workout DVD Preview

Stephon Marbury's new workout DVD will be out in January. Looks like a great workout! Hopefully we can see Starbury get back on the court and do what he does best quickly.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Tribute

D Wizzle's World congratulates Rampage on his knockout win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92. Here is a tribute from D Wizzle's World.

Tuesday Picks 31-25 Record

Clemson  -2.5

Utep +1

Atlanta Hawks +1

Boston -4

Oklahoma -5.5

Monday Picks 29-23 Record

Memphis +2

Warriors -1.5 

Warriors/Raptors over 213

Missouri/Northwestern over 67

New Trey C" Cali Nights" Featuring Mistah FAB, Glasses Malone and Novel

Here is the hot new track from a good friend of D Wizzle's World, Trey C. It features Mistah Fab, Glasses Malone, and Novel.

Sunday's Picks 27-23 Record

49ers -3 Washington has to fly all the way from the East Coast to face the 49ers. The 49ers are playing great under Mike Singletary and will play hard for him. Washington's "Super Bowl" was last week against the hated Eagles. The players are ready to go home and end the season. The 49ers' goal is to win the game and the Redskins just want to go home uninjured.

Houston -3

Illinois State -2

UFC 92 Picks and Predictions

Pat Berry over Dan Evansen by split decision

Ryo Chonan over Brad Blackburn by rear naked choke in the second round

Matt Hamill over Reese Andy by TKO in the second round

Antoni Hardonk over Mike Wessel by TKO in the first round

Yushin Okami over Dean Lister by TKO in the second round

Cheick Kongo over Mustafa Al Turk by split decision

Quinton Jackson over Wanderlei Silva by TKO in the second round

Mike Massenzio over CB Dolloway by split decision

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira over Frank Mir by TKO in the fourth round

Rashad Evans over Forrest Griffin by TKO In the fourth round

Saturday's Picks

North Carolina +2.5   The Tar Heels have the better team and better coach. They will have the fans on their side too since the game is played in Charlotte. This is a easy cover for UNC.

Emerald Bowl Pep Rally PIctures

For videos of this event, check out http://dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/2008-emerald-bowl-pep-rally-videos-and.html

For a preview of the game, check out the interview with Mollie Rose here - http://dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/emerald-bowl-interview-with-mollie-rose.html

More To Come

2008 Emerald Bowl Pep Rally Videos and Pictures

For Emerald Bowl Pep Rally Pictures  - Go here -

http://dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/emerald-bowl-pep-rally-pictures.html

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Emerald Bowl Interview With Mollie Rose

The Miami Hurricanes and the California Bears will be facing each other in the 2008 Emerald Bowl this Saturday night in  San Francisco at AT&T Park.  D Wizzle  wanted to know more  about the 'Canes so he  asked  Mollie Rose, a sports and entertainment reporter and interviewer from Miami, to give us the scoop on  the U.

Hi Mollie. how are you doing today? 

HI D,  I'm good. Things have been very busy here in Miami. I was producing a piece for a non-profit yesterday, recently wrapped up working on a commercial, and I'm just now getting a chance to relax for the holidays and looking forward to watching the 'Canes in the Emerald Bowl this weekend.

 Miami is an underdog going into the Emerald Bowl against Cal.  Cal will have all the fans from the Bay Area rooting them on and the cold weather could affect the Miami players.  How do you think they will do on Saturday night? 

Miami has been in this type of situation before and came  out on top. Cal and Miami are both great teams. But the 'Canes are on an up year, after a difficult rebuilding season in  2007.  As for the cold, I don't think it's going to affect the 'Canes'  game. In the past, when the 'Canes have had weather problems , the temperatures were in the low 30s or below and the current forecast for San Francisco on Saturday night won't be that low.  Rain is possible that night and this might hurt the Cal passing game so I would say the weather and the circumstances might even give an advantage to the 'Canes.

The  superstar  on offense for Cal is is  RB Jahvid Best. He is a speedster and a threat to go all the way every time he has his hands on the ball.  How was Miami's D against the run this year?

Miami has had some problems against the run this year, but I would bet the extended prep time for this bowl game will help. Cal has some very talented athletes, but  Best is surely one of the best players they will face. I believe  the Miami coaches have prepared the 'Canes for this. Cal is a great team and it's going to be a great game, that's for sure!

Who are some of the key players we should be watching for on Miami?

The top players everyone's talking about are Glenn Cook, Jason Fox, Javarris James (cousin of NFL RB Edgerrin James), and Graig Cooper. They are some of the great leaders for the 'Canes. Jacory Harris, Sean Spence, Aldarius Johnson and Marcus Forston, all true freshman, are already playing well beyond  their age. Fans in Miami will be keeping an eye on all of these players this Saturday.

QB Robert Marve has been suspended for the game so Harris, who you just  mentioned,  will start. How will this affect the offense?

Marve and Harris have rotated series for series all season and the two are interchangeable, I don't see this having much of an impact.  Although Jacory split time with Marve throughout the season, he showed a lot of promise when he was leading the offense out there on the field and I don't think he'll miss a step this Saturday.

Of all the  Miami players you interviewed  this season when you did the "Getting To Know The U"  segments  for the Miami Herald website,  which interview did you enjoy doing the most?

Ooh, that's a tough one.  Everyone I had a chance to interview was great. They are really a professional group with great personalities. The good thing about "Getting To Know The U" is that it gives fans a chance to get to know the players personally and gives a little insight as to what the players enjoy doing off the field. I can't really pick a favorite, I like them all! 

Thanks Mollie for taking  time out of your busy schedule  to answer  a few questions about  Miami. This should be a great match up on Saturday night!

Thanks for checking in with us down here in Miami. As for Saturday night, Go 'Canes! 

Christmas Day Picks 25-22 Record

Celtics  +2  Lakers are playing their fifth game in seven days. They will be tired and the Celtics are fresh. 

Celtics/Lakers Under 201     Two great defensive teams playing in the middle of the day? Give me the Under!! 

Warriors Guard Monta Ellis Will Play This Friday Vs. Boston

D Wizzle's World has been getting a lot of emails from basketball fans asking if Golden State Warriors' guard Monta Ellis is the son of former NBA player Dale Ellis.

The answer to that question is no. There are a lot of former NBA players who played in the 1980s and 1990s that have sons playing college basketball though.

Former NBA players like Michael Jordan, Tim Hardaway, Detlef Schrempf, Glen Rice, Doc Rivers, Jack Haley, and many others all have sons playing Division 1 basketball right now.

I will compile a full list of NBA players with sons playing college basketball currently soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D Wizzle's World has learned that Warriors guard Monta Ellis will make his season debut on Friday against the Celtics.

UPDATE 12/27/08: D Wizzle's World has taken a lot of flak for reporting that Monta Ellis would be back tonight and playing against Boston.

Ellis did show up and sat on the bench but he did not play.  D Wizzle's World's source in the Warriors organization has been very reliable in the past and this time was wrong. D Wizzle's World takes full responsibility for posting that Ellis would play tonight and apologize to the disappointing fans and readers for this error. 

We will move forward and continue to give sports fans exclusive content, expert analysis, interviews, and videos.

D Wizzle's World thanks everyone for their continued support and thanks the haters as well!

Tuesday Picks

23-19 Record

Missouri  -3.5

Nets +2.5

Kent State +6.5

Wizards +6

Lakers +2

Emerald Bowl in San Francisco: Cal Vs. Miami

The California Bears will take on the Miami Hurricanes this Saturday night.  It will be a great game and the Emerald Bowl always puts on a good football game. The U arrived yesterday and were wearing their black  hoodies and skull caps as they walked around downtown San Francisco.  D Wizzle talked to some of the players and they mentioned the cold weather and how they will have to adjust to it coming from South Florida.

Southern Miss WR DeAndre Brown Breaks Leg

NBA Monday Preview

There are only six games tonight and there are no marquee games to watch.

The Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers game is probably the best game on the schedule.

The Lakers try to stop a two-game losing streak when they play O.J. Mayo and the rest of the Grizzlies in Memphis.  

ESPN and other media outlets keep on telling fans that Kobe has missed two straight shots in the final seconds that would have tied the game.  What they don't tell you is that his last second shot in Orlando on Saturday night had no chance of going in and was just a prayer from almost halfcourt.  Kobe is still the best clutch player in the NBA no matter what ESPN wants to make the fans believe.

Kobe had no choice but to heave it up and hope for a miracle. Before that possession, Kobe had the ball but kicked it out to Sasha Vujacic who missed a 3-pointer with about five seconds left and that shot would have given the Lakers the lead.  Vujacic was 0-6 on Saturday night and was just terrible. 

It will be fun to watch Kobe match up with Mayo tonight. I want to see how Mayo does against the best player in the league.

The Magic and the Warriors  face each other again after playing last week in Oakland. The Magic might suffer a letdown because they played the Spurs and the Lakers in their last two games.  This game could be closer than most people think it will be. 

Jamal Crawford had 50 points for the Warriors last Saturday in Charlotte. The problem with Crawford is that he will have more  bad shooting nights and go 3-15 than he will have 50 plus point games.  

The mismatch of the night is in San Antonio where the Spurs will face the Kings. 

Rockets vs. Nets should be a good game. Vince Carter and T-Mac will be  going against each other  and Ron Artest will get his chance against Carter too.

The Clippers return home after a long road trip. They might have trouble with the Raptors who are struggling badly.

The Raptors will try to contain Zach Randolph in the paint and hope that Baron Davis and Eric Gordon do not have big nights shooting from the perimeter.  Since the Clippers don't make a lot of three-pointers, the Raptors might have a good chance of pulling the upset tonight. 

Monday's PIcks

21-18  Record

Indiana Hoosiers  -1.5

Raptors +2.5

Marquette -1.5

Sunday Picks Of The Day

21-16 Record

49ers/Rams Over 42  This will be a shootout inside a dome.

Steelers -3   The Titans collapse continues today.

Saturday's Play of the Day

21-15  Record

Lakers -2   Lakers will return to their winning ways tonight after their tough loss against the Heat last night.

Watch for a more focused Lakers team and a bounce back game from Andrew Bynum at center.

The Magic may be 20-6 but are they contenders or pretenders in the East? They are a good team but not a great team. 

Rumors of a Raymond Felton Trade To The Warriors

A newspaper in Charlotte has said they have a source which told them the Warriors want Bobcats PG Raymond Felton. The Warriors are supposedly going to give up Brandan Wright or Anthony Randolph in the rumored trade.

I don't buy this rumored trade at all and don't think it will happen. Why would the Warriors want Felton when they have Monta Ellis coming back next year?

It doesn't make sense to the Warriors to make the trade because Felton is a restricted free agent after this season.

The Warriors just drafted Randolph in the first round of the 2008 draft and he is expected to be a starter and a star for them in the future.

Wright doesn't get a lot of playing time under Don Nelson but he has shown promise when he gets enough minutes to show his skills.

The Warriors don't need another undersized guard when C.J. Watson is capable of running the show until Ellis comes back. Even Marco Belinelli has shown he can play the point at times along with Stephen Jackson.

Let's see if the Charlotte newspaper is correct or not. Time will tell but I don't believe this trade will happen at all.

The Warriors have traded one big man (Al Harrington) for a guard (Jamal Crawford) already and so far that trade has not turned out well for them. Harrington is playing great in New York while Crawford has struggled with his shot and has provided poor defense as well.

Thursday Picks of the Day

Another winning day last night to boost the record to  19-14.

Spurs -2.5   

Trail Blazers -4.5

Suns/Blazers over 204

Thursday Night NBA Preview: Spurs Vs. Magic and Suns Vs. Trail Blazers

There are only two games tonight in the NBA, and both games will be shown on TNT.

The first game is between the Spurs and the Magic in Orlando at the Amway Arena. Dwight Howard is questionable for the contest due to a sore left knee. Howard has not played in the Magic's last two games.

The Magic are coming off a 4-1 road trip against Western Conference teams. Their only loss on the trip was against the Suns by one point.

Tonight's game starts a four game home swing for the Magic. Things won't get any easier for Orlando in their next game which will be Saturday against the Lakers.

Everyone continues to talk about the Celtics, Pistons, and Cavs as the top contenders in the Eastern Conference, but the Magic are 19-6 and in first place in the Southeast Division.

They proved they could win without Howard in their last two games, but they need him back to contest the likes of Tim Duncan and Andrew Bynum. If Howard can't play tonight, Marcin Gortat will start at center.

Gortat was impressive against the Warriors in the Magic's last game, but that was against the Warriors who have made a lot of average players look like Hall of Famers this season.

The key to stopping the Magic is stopping them from making their three-pointers. They make an average of 9.3 three-pointers a game and shoot 25.1 threes a game which is second-most in the league.

The Spurs are coming off a tough loss to the Hornets in New Orleans last night 90-83. The Hornets outscored the Spurs 27-13 in the final quarter to get the win.

Matt Bonner took 15 shots and only made three for the Spurs. He was just 1-8 on his three-point tries. If Bonner is taking the most shots for the Spurs in a game, they will be in serious trouble.

The key to stopping the Spurs tonight is containing the post presence of Tim Duncan and the quick penetration by Tony Parker. Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson will need to step up their D tonight.

Suns Vs. Trail Blazers

Two teams with almost identical records and who are both in second place in their division will face off tonight in Portland.

The Suns have scored over 100 points in their last five games and should be more explosive now with Jason Richardson on their roster.

The Blazers had lost three games in a row before destroying the Kings at home by 32 points last Tuesday night.

The Suns have a 7-5 road record while the Trail Blazers have a 8-2 record at the Rose Garden.

Portland has lost to the Suns 11 straight times, but that streak has a good chance to be halted tonight since they are at home.

Portland has to play good defense tonight and not give the Suns any good looks at the basket because the Suns are first in the league in field goal percentage.

The key to stopping the Trail Blazers is to contain Brandon Roy. It will probably be up to Richardson to try to contain Roy.

Wednesday Night NBA Recap And Notes: Night of Low-scoring Games And Comebacks

The best game of the night was in Atlanta where the Celtics defeated the Hawks 88-85. The fans were loud and there was a playoff atmosphere in the arena.

Joe Johnson had a chance to tie the game near the end of the fourth quarter but he only made one of two free throws. The missed free throw basically sealed the game.

The highest-scoring game was between the Warriors and the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers were led by Danny Granger's 41 points and won 127-120.

Marco Belinelli had 21 points for the Warriors. He has played very well and been impressive lately. Belinelli is fun to watch and is a very smart player with good fundamentals. His court awareness has impressed me a lot. Besides being a great shooter, he has shown that he can pass and create for his teammates.

Ronny Turiaf had six blocks for the Warriors.

The Sixers are now 2-0 under Tony DiLeo after defeating the Bucks 93-88. The Bucks led for most of the game but the Sixers outscored the Bucks 26-15 in the final quarter.
Dallas spotted the Raptors a 12 point lead after the first quarter but fought back to win 96-86. Toronto only scored 37 points after halftime. The Raptors were outrebounded 47-37.

Chris Bosh struggled and only had 12 points on 6-20 shooting.

The biggest comeback of the night was at the Izod Center where the Jazz defeated the Nets 103-92. The Jazz were down 27-5 at one point in the first quarter.

This was probably the biggest win so far for the Jazz this season. They scored 40 points in the fourth quarter.

Vince Carter had 32 for the Nets. Kyle Korver had 18 points and a clutch three-pointer in the last quarter for the Jazz.

The Nets were only 4-22 on three-pointers.

The worst game of the night was in Minnesota where the Cavs trounced the Timberwolves 93-70. Not much to say about this one. LeBron led the way with 32 points.

In another low-scoring game, the Pistons beat the Wizards 88-74.

The Bulls played back-to-back overtime games and won 115-109 over the Clippers. The Clippers were up 106-102 with about 25 seconds to go in the game when Eric Gordon fouled Ben Gordon on a three-point attempt. Gordon made the three and the ensuing free throw to tie the game.

The Clippers had a chance to win the game in regulation but their only shot was a wild shot by Al Thornton that badly missed. Zach Randolph should have gotten the ball in this possession and not Thornton.

Marcus Camby had 27 rebounds for the Clippers. The Clippers are playing good ball of late and it seems like they don't miss Chris Kaman at all.

The Spurs are up 74-67 over the Hornets in the fourth quarter. Looks like the Spurs will win this one.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson Post Fight Interview

Wednesday Picks

17-13 Record Year To Date

Raptors +2.5 This will be the first road game in a long time for the Mavs. The Raptors embark on a long road trip after tonight's game. Go with the Raptors to get the win tonight.

Jazz -2.5 This is a big revenge spot and the Nets are only 4-7 at home. There won't be much of a crowd advantage tonight because hardly any fans go to the Nets games anyways.

St. Marys -2.5 Oregon has too many youngsters on their roster and even though they are at home, the Gaels will have too much depth and strength for the young Ducks.

Wednesday Night NBA Preview: Spurs Head to New Orleans and Boston Faces the Hawks

The two games on ESPN are playoff rematches from last year. The first game that will be shown is the Boston Celtics vs. the Atlanta Hawks and the late game is between the Spurs and the Hornets.

The Celtics are 23-2 and have the best record in the NBA. This game  tonight will be their stiffest challenge until they face the Lakers on Christmas Day in Los Angeles.

The Hawks are 15-9 and have won three games in a row. 

The Spurs defeated the Hornets last year in their playoff series and Chris Paul and company will be looking for some revenge tonight at home. 

The Spurs have won six in a row and have all their top players back from injury. The Hornets are back home after winning two games on the road against Toronto and Memphis.

They had a tough time pulling away against the Grizzlies last night and it was probably due to them looking forward to tonight's game. 

Dallas begins a road trip tonight in Toronto against the Raptors. The Raptors fired Sam Mitchell but things have not been better under interim coach, Jay Triano. They have lost their last two games at home and will begin a tough six game road trip against Western Conference teams after tonight's game.

The Sixers will be led by interim coach, Tony DiLeo, tonight when they face the Bucks at home. The Bucks are on a two game winning streak and are playing good defense. 

Charlie Villanueva has provided a lot of offense for the Bucks. 

The Warriors begin a road trip tonight in Indiana against the Pacers and this will be a very high-scoring affair. Both of these teams score a lot of points as well as give up a lot of points. This should be a very entertaining game to watch and there won't be any defense played in this one.

The Warriors give up 111.5 points per game and the Pacers give up 103.3 points per game.

The Pistons will be looking for revenge against the Wizards tonight in Detroit. The Pistons lost by 13 points in Washington last week, and we can expect a different outcome this evening. The Pistons are more talented and a better team than the Wizards. 

The Wizards are another team that has not improved after firing their head coach.

Utah goes on the road to face New Jersey tonight. The Nets are only 4-7 at home, but they are 8-4 on the road. 

The Jazz will be looking for revenge after the Nets defeated them easily by 17 points in Utah a few weeks ago. Devin Harris abused Deron Williams and other Jazz guards to score 34 points that night, and Williams will be looking to exact some revenge on Harris tonight.

Williams was hobbled with an ankle injury and Harris took full advantage of the injury to get by Williams time after time.

The Cavs take on the lowly Timberwolves tonight in Minnesota. This game is a mismatch and there should be no reason the Cavs should not win this game tonight. 

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is out for a week with a sprained ankle for the Cavs. 

Don't look now but the Clippers are red hot and have won four of their last five games. They face Derrick Rose and the Bulls tonight in Chicago. 

Both these teams played last night, and the Bulls lost in overtime in Charlotte while the Clippers had an easy time against the Thunder.

The match-up to watch tonight is between Rose and Baron Davis. If the Bulls can't stop Zach Randolph in the low post, they will be in a lot of trouble tonight.

Another good match-up to watch tonight is between the two Gordons, Eric and Ben.

NBA Tuesday Night Recap and Notes

The Kings fired Reggie Theus but he was not the problem. Tonight, they lost by 32 to Portland. The Kings can't win or be competitive without their star player, Kevin Martin. Martin has been out due to an injury and the owners of the Kings should have waited for Martin to get healthy before deciding to fire Theus.

The best game of the night was in Los Angeles where the Lakers came from a 15 point halftime deficit to beat the Knicks 116-114. Nate Robinson played well and had 33 points for the Knicks. 

Pau Gasol was out due to strep throat.  Stephon Marbury was sitting in front row courtside enjoying the game and taking pictures with fans. 

Kobe Bryant led the comeback in the second half along with Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

In Charlotte, D.J. Augustin scored 29 points to lead the Bobcats to a 110-101 overtime victory against the Bulls. Augustin outplayed Derrick Rose. Augustin hit three clutch free throws to tie the game near the end of the fourth quarter to help force overtime.

 This game was played at a slow pace until the fourth quarter when there were 58 combined points scored. 

Memphis lost 91-84 to the Hornets. O.J. Mayo was once again very impressive. He turned the ball over in the second half and Chris Paul was going for a layup but Mayo caught up to Paul and blocked his shot. Mayo is really fun to watch. He should be Rookie of the Year if the season ended today. 

Denver played well in the first half against the Rockets but the Rockets took over in the second half and outscored the Nuggets 52-35 to get the win. Denver was tired from their big win last night in Dallas against the Mavs.

The Clippers defeated the Thunder tonight 98-88. The Clippers got a good game again from Zach Randolph who had 22 points and 13 boards.  The Thunder are now 2-24.