Dave Smith

I know Bernard Hopkins is heavily favored to avenge his last defeat and beat Roy Jones, Jr. this Saturday, but I’m not so sure….

Before we get started, though, don’t send me any E-Mails stating that Bernard has lost twice to Jermain Taylor and to Joe Calzaghe since his defeat against Roy in 1993….

The Executioner won all of those fights and in my book has lost only to Jones in the past 17 years….

I’ve seen Hopkins listed as a 6-1 favorite in some books, which means Jones is a great play….

Sure, Jones has lost five times in recent years, including three scary knockouts; but I have a feeling this one is not going to be easy for Bernard….

In Roy’s last fight, he suffered an embarrassing first round knockout against a white Australian named Danny Green, but in my opinion Green caught him cold and it was a fluke….

The official also stopped the fight way too soon….

Before that, however, Jones looked very good in dominating Felix Trinidad and knocking out Jeff Lacy….

Hopkins is not known for pressing the action and knocking people out, but is going to have to fight that way Saturday night….

If it’s a game of cat-and-mouse, with both fighters laying back and looking to counter, Bernard could be in trouble….

Roy is still quicker than Bernard and will win if the fight is contested on the outside….

Sure, Hopkins is 45 and Jones 41, but Bernard is fresher and the better fighter….

I like The Executioner by unanimous decision; getting revenge for his loss 17 years ago….

This rematch should have happened years ago….

The perfect time would have been in 2001, when Jones was still undefeated and Bernard was coming off a great win over Trinidad….

Unfortunately, the two of them could never agree on money and every time we thought a fight was made it fell through….

Now, in 2010, almost nobody cares and I’ll be shocked if anyone buys this fight. In this economy, $49.99 is an awfully steep price for two guys over 40….

Here’s what I would do if I were Team Hopkins: Immediately after the fight, I’d challenge WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye….

The British Haye is a small heavyweight who has shown a weak chin in the past; a perfect opponent for Bernard….

Another selling point is Haye’s personality, because he’s a very funny guy; gregarious, fun loving and talkative….

He has some Muhammad Ali in him and the pre-fight build up would be great….

Hopkins also talks a lot of trash and famous for serving up a “last meal” at the final press conference….

I’m sure Bernard will have a plate of fish and chips ready for Haye….

Now this is a fight which would sell….

Whenever I think of Tom Izzo, I wonder why his name isn’t mentioned alongside Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Rick Pitino and John Calipari. All he’s done is win a National Championship and go to the Final Four six times in the past 10 years, but for some reason you don’t hear his name among discussions of elite college coaches….

This year he’s done it again, and without his best player….

It’s a tremendous accomplishment, but I have a bitter taste in my mouth after watching his Spartans defeat Tennessee in their regional final….

Not because I care about Tennessee or had any action on the game, but because the officiating left a stink….

With the game tied and 1.8 seconds remaining, a Michigan State player went up for a shot and the zebra blew his whistle. At full speed, it looked to me like a clean block, but the replay took away all the mystery….

The Volunteer player got all ball and a foul should not have been called. I know it looked like a violation, because the defender swung his arm at the ball, but it clearly was not a foul….

And even if there was some contact, a whistle should never be blown in that situation. It should always be the players who decide games, not the zebras….

Nobody in the arena paid to see the referees and they should swallow their whistles in the final seconds….

With 1.8 seconds remaining in a tie game with the Final Four on the line, only attempted murder should draw a whistle….

I commend Volunteer coach Bruce Pearl for his class and composure, because I would have gone after that official and beaten the living hell out of him….

I’ve spent too much practice time and dedicated too much of my heart to my players to allow some idiot with a whistle to steal a game from me….

After the Spartan player made the first free throw and missed the second, there was no time to get off a decent shot and Tennessee’s season was over….

But dammit, those officials did it again….

Even though I’ve watched very little college basketball this season, I did pick West Virginia to win the National Championship and they’re still alive after defeating Kentucky on Saturday. If they win it all, it will prove what I’ve suspected all along; none of the “experts” have any idea what they’re talking about….

I did see West Virginia once or twice and loved how hard they play, but I’ve watched almost no games and should be considered a novice. Which explains why my pick is still alive….

I was impressed with Baylor against Duke, but the Blue Devils prevailed. And for once, they didn’t seem to get the benefit of all the calls….

Sure, the game ended ugly, with the teams nearly coming to blows and the Bears getting a technical; but the fouls and free throw attempts were even and I don’t believe the zebras assisted Duke….

But the Blue Devils have been handed victories countless times in other tournament games and seem to be this era’s UCLA….

Except unlike John Wooden, Coach K seems to run a clean program….

I’ll never forget the 1970 NCAA Championship game, when a great Jacksonville team got screwed over by the officials and lost to UCLA, 80-69….

That Dolphins team had the original twin towers in 7’2″ Artis Gilmore and 7′ Pembrook Burrows III. They also had an All-American guard in Rex Morgan….

After dominating play and jumping to an early 17-7 lead, the officials took over and made certain the Bruins would win….

Jacksonville was the first college team to average over 100 points per game, but the constant whistles took them out of their flow….

Sidney Wicks blocked five of Gilmore’s shots, but at least three of them were goal tending….

Two officials with clear views, on national television, ignored clear goal tending violations….

But the real story was the free throw attempts….

In an unbelievable display of crooked officiating, UCLA attempted 35 free throws and Jacksonville only 8….

And the Big 3 of Gilmore, Burrows and Morgan combined for ONE free throw attempt in 40 minutes….

You read that right. ONE free throw attempt from their three best players….

That explains why the Dolphins were held to only 69 points and were completely out of rythym. The officials stole the game from them….

To this day, I believe that Jacksonville team and the 1983 Houston Cougars are the best teams not to win the National Championship….
The other team in the Final Four, Butler, is a great story and they’ll be playing in their home town of Indianapolis. And if they win the National Championship Hollywood will come calling….

This one would be too easy and has “Hoosiers” written all over it….

Come on, a small college in an unknown conference wins the national title? And not only are they from Indians, but playing in Indianapolis when the complete their improbable run? I might write the screenplay….

Even though I picked West Virginia, I’m pulling for Butler.

Yes, I liked Cornell in their Sweet 16 matchup against top-seeded Kentucky, so I was disappointed with the result. But that defensive display by the Wildcats was devastating….

Sure, UK has all the physical advantages, but that could also be said about Temple and Wisconsic; the Big Red’s previous victims….

Cornell runs a beautiful offense, is loaded with Seniors and makes 10 three-point shots a game; but was completely stifled by Kentucky….

The Wildcats switched and doubled every high screen-and-roll, rotated quickly to uncovered players and took away everything Cornell wanted to do….

At times it looked as if UK had seven players on the floor….

For the first time in the tournament, the Big Red looked like a slow, white, unathletic team….

Despite his tremendous record, John Calipari gets criticized for not being a great game coach; evidenced by his decision not to foul in the closing seconds of the Memphis-Kansas championship game two years ago….

But last night’s game plan was a thing of beauty….

Sure, he has a team of mercinaries who aren’t students and won’t be around next year, but Calipari deserves credit for this team. They play hard, play good defense, share the ball and seem to be ego free….

In the other night game, we nearly had a scandal of epic proportions; as the referees nearly stole a victory from Kansas State in the closing seconds of regulation….

Up three with five seconds left, K-State coach Frank Martin did the right thing and ordered as foul; except a crooked zebra three feet from the play did not blow his whistle. Since all these guys do is call ticky-tack fouls and ruin games, why would this idiot pick such an inopportune time to swallow his whistle?….

After a Wildcat player bear hugged a Xavier player near midcourt, nothing was called and a second Kansas State player attempted to foul….

Except this time the Xavier player knew it was coming and threw the ball toward the basket, drawing a three-shot foul. Naturally, the Muskateer made all three free throws and we went to overtime….

To his credit, commentator Jay Bilas ripped the official and said “that was a terrible non-call.”….

Fortunately for Kansas State, they found a way to win in double overtime. Because if they’d lost, that official would have lived in infamy and proabably would have been banned permanently from Manhattan, Kansas….

And by the intense look on Coach Martin’s face, the zebra might not have made it out of the building….