John Pudner wrote his first statistical analysis for the New York Post more than 20 years ago, ranking pitchers on opposite Sundays from when Bill James ranked batters, and he was named as the top sports news writer in his newspaper class in Virginia by the Virginia Press Association.
Since then he has run more than 200 political campaigns for candidates or ballot issues while continuing to write statistical analysis for sports and developing a database of thousands of basketball players at www.valueaddbasketball.com and writing for www.crackedsidewalks.com. He met with and advised several NBA teams to advice on the future performance of potential draft picks this year. His work for the Alabama Farmers Federation in 2010 included helping to coordinating door-to-door efforts that reached the homes of 170,000 voters, and his more recent statistical work was featured by CNN/Sports Illustrated.
Players have walked through six new alumni rallies/parties in the past hour in San Jose, Auburn Hills (Detroit), and here in Lexington. Alumni Associations for New Mexico State, St. Louis University, St. Mary's, Memphis, Davidson and Marquette (pictured) are hoping they will have even bigger rallies Saturday, but they are going to make sure the players get the strongest sendoff possible and contributors and other diehard supporters are able to network and bond.
21 Mar 2013
LEXINGTON KY - Amid the backdrop of heavy snow flurries here, Butler alumni and students erupted this morning as Brad Stevens led his team out of the hotel and over to Rupp Arena, where they will take on Bucknell at 12:40. After the players were out of sight, everyone else moved over to the Horse and Barrel (pictured) for the pregame party. It was one of the first of the 64 rallies and parties in eight cities Thursday and Friday, including a sea of red-clad Louisville fans descending on the town covered with blue Kentucky fans.
21 Mar 2013
Here are the start times for all 16 NCAA tournament games Thursday, followed by which team has the overall edge in the six different categories. For example, in the 12:15 ET tip, Valparaiso is hotter and has more experienced guards, but Michigan State has a better overall team (based on Value Add), more NBA talent, a better trio, and is healthier for an overall edge of 31-20. Bucknell, Memphis, Marquette, Belmont, UNLV and Missouri have edges of five points or less, making those games almost toss-ups.
21 Mar 2013
The Argentinian soccer team Red Devils team of Independiente must be nervous, as one of the biggest fans of their rivals the Saints of San Lorenzo is now the Pope. Former rugby player Jorge Mario Bergoglio will no longer be in the stands Sundays for game because he was the one Cardinal to travel to the conclave and not return to his diocese, instead emerging as Pope Francis.
20 Mar 2013
On February 16 Breitbart Sports was the first to write that Kentucky might have trouble even making the tournament without injured center Nerlens Noel. This weekend Breitbart Sports did not have Kentucky anywhere near an NCAA bid, coming in at 14th in the final Middle 20. The collapse of Southern basketball this year with the struggles of the ACC and SEC continued Tuesday when the Wildcats were stunned in the opening round of the NIT by a Robert Morris program that has one NCAA victory in the history of the program is troubling.
19 Mar 2013
For Junior College Player of the Year Pierre Jackson will finish his career in the NIT as the only team Breitbart Sports picked to be in the tournament that was not. Breitbart Sports rated the "locks" for the tournament and then the "Middle 20" of teams fighting for the last eight spots in the tournament. Baylor was ranked 7th in the Middle 20, but when 8th ranked Mississippi won the SEC title to clinch a bid, it meant Baylor was the last team in and 9th ranked Iowa State was right behind them. When the committee picked Iowa State as the only team not picked by Breitbart Sports, it cost Baylor their spot.
19 Mar 2013
Jeff Green has his biggest night since he was the 13th best player in the country at Georgetown in 2007, scorching the Miami Heat for 43 points and playing perfect defense on LeBron James with a 103-103 tie in the closing minute. He denied James any space to drive, and perfectly contested an off-balance jumper from just inside the arc … and it still was not enough. The shot rattled in and the Heat had won their 23rd straight game – Green had the 2nd best scoring outing of the year but the Heat had the 2nd longest winning streak in NBA history.
18 Mar 2013
Breitbart Sports presents the easiest guide you will find to the NCAA bracket with all 68 teams in alphabetical order (notice the photo of Kentucky and UConn, the last champions who are NOT in the 68 below). Next to each team you will see how many WINS they should show in your bracket based on six factors that usually determine who wins tournament games. The eventual champion lists "6 wins." If you want more information on any one team, just click on them to see our individual team post and learn which of the six factors (from NBA players to injuries) played into the team's rating. As for the lowest rated team of the 68, let's just say we hope Pastor Jonathan Falwell at Thomas Road Baptist Church said his prayers for the players on that team that rates as only a "5."
18 Mar 2013
Picking upsets in your brackets is dangerous. Since 1985, only 34 percent of 11-seeds have beaten the 6-seeds, and only 40 percent of 10-seeds have beaten 7-seeds. However, this year our crunching of six factors (better team, hotter team, NBA-level players, best trio, injuries and experience of guards) indicated three 11-seeds are among the five teams with the best chance at opening round upsets. In 27 of 32 cases, the better seed does look better under our matrix. You can find the capsule reviewing any of the 68 teams by searching for the school name on the Breitbart Sports main page.
18 Mar 2013
Kansas is the best team in the South Region, but the gap is much smaller than elsewhere. While they will blow away Western Kentucky in the opening round, every game will be tough after that. If the best teams were to win out, they would go in as a favorite in their second game against UNC, particularly in Kansas City, but their edge is only 38-30. Then they would face an even tougher Michigan team (35) and potentially a Georgetown team just as good as Michigan (35). Minnesota over UCLA and Oklahoma over San Diego State seem to be the two likely upsets in the opening round.
17 Mar 2013