Men’s hoops onto Elite Eight? Fact? Fiction?

The Pitt men’s basketball team will defeat UCLA on Thursday and advance to its first Elite… The Pitt men’s basketball team will defeat UCLA on Thursday and advance to its first Elite Eight.

Joe Balestrino: Fiction. Although I want nothing more than to be proven wrong, Pitt will likely fail once again in its quest to reach the Elite Eight. Ben Howland’s second-seeded Bruins are just too strong, too quick and too athletic for the Panthers. Additionally, UCLA will essentially be playing a home game, with the site of the West Regional being in San Jose, Calif. Last season’s national runner-up, the Bruins went 26-5 in the regular season and have beaten Weber State and Indiana in their first two games of the NCAA Tournament. The highly anticipated matchup should be as advertised – a hard-fought, defensive struggle. But in the end, Arron Afflalo, Josh Shipp and the rest of the Bruins should prevail.

Dave Thomas: Fact. But I definitely have my questions. Mainly, which Pitt team will show up? Will it be the squad that worked VCU in the first half on Saturday or the team that almost blew that lead in the second? The team that dominated Marquette and Louisville in the Big East Tourney, or the team that couldn’t throw it into the ocean if they were on the beach against Georgetown in the finals of that same tournament? If an inspired Pitt team takes the floor in San Jose, I think the Panthers can pull it off. Pitt has nothing to lose. No one outside of their locker room (except for me with this fact call) is picking them to pull this off. They’re playing 3,000 miles away from home while UCLA is barely taking a bus. There is no pressure on Pitt. If the Panthers can keep their poise and maintain that nothing-to-lose attitude, they might just end up winning.

The Dallas Mavericks will win this year’s NBA championship.

JB: Fact. The team that blew a two-game advantage against the Miami Heat in last season’s NBA Finals will return to the championship series and win it this year. Playing in the much stronger Western Conference, the Mavericks have played brilliantly all season long. Dirk, Josh Howard and Jason Terry have led the Mavs to an NBA-record three winning streaks of at least 12 games this year, the last of which was an NBA season high 17-game winning streak. Head coach Avery Johnson’s crew has what it takes to get back to the championship series and now has the finals experience to push them over the top. With a ring, owner Mark Cuban will finally be content, sell the Mavs, buy the Pirates and build them into a championship caliber team as well. Not really, but a guy can dream.

DT: Fact. I think this is the year Cuban, the Pittsburgh guy, will get his championship ring. His team is unbelievable. The regular season the Mavericks have put together has truly been remarkable. But what I think is critical is that they are going to get the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. That’s important because they will only have to see San Antonio or Phoenix in the conference finals, while those two teams will have to duke it out just for the right to play the Mavs, all while Dallas has home court. While I think both the Spurs and Suns could hang with Dallas, I don’t think they will be able to after a tough series with each other. And once the Mavs get to the NBA Finals and meet a team from the East, the title is as good as theirs. So far this season, they are a ridiculous 21-3 against all Eastern Conference opponents.

With Tyler Palko gone to graduation, his former backup Bill Stull will be Pitt’s opening day starter next season.

JB: Fiction. Stull is Pitt’s most experienced signal caller but did not see much playing time as Palko’s backup. In fact, he threw just eight passes in two seasons. His main competition will be redshirt freshman Kevan Smith, but don’t rule out incoming freshman Pat Bostick. Rated as one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks last season at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, Pa., Bostick stands at an impressive 6-4, 220 pounds. The Panther coaching staff was very excited to sign Bostick, and I believe they will be unable to overlook a strong showing by him in the preseason. Although the upper hand still goes to the experienced Stull in the early goings, Bostick has the talent to start.

DT: Fact. While I definitely think Pitt will have a pretty intense quarterbacking competition in camp this year, I think experience will help Stull earn the job. He has been in the system for a few years now, and I think his experience will win the job. Keep in mind Walt Harris isn’t roaming the sidelines. With Dave Wannstedt at the helm, a few recruiting classes under his belt and Palko gone to graduation, we’re going to see the air come out of the football a bit. The quarterback position might shift from being a game breaker at Pitt to a game manager. I think Stull can fill that role at least this year, and we’ll see him under center come August.

Sammy Sosa will earn a roster spot with the Texas Rangers and will reach the personal milestone of 600 home runs this season.

JB: Fact. Despite the fact that Sosa did not play in a single game last season, Sosa is back and is four years younger than Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Sosa is healthy and so far is swinging the bat well. In his first 18 at-bats this spring, Sosa hit .500 with two home runs. Additionally, Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Va., is a hitter’s park, and although I don’t believe he will generate huge numbers, Sosa will have a decent year with the Rangers. Of personal importance, Sosa will also reach the 600-home run plateau for his career, as he is currently only 12 shy of that milestone.

DT: Fact. Slammin’ Sammy has swung his way onto the roster with a phenomenal spring training campaign. Apparently he can still hack a little bit. I think on an American League roster he will be a good backup designated hitter and a solid pinch-hit candidate. The way it looks right now I think he will get enough at-bats to join the elusive 600 club. But I’ll be more impressed if he can remember how to speak English after his ridiculous “No habla Ingles” routine at the Congressional steroids hearing a few years back. Steroids or not, I was a big Sosa fan and kissed my hand, touched my chest, kissed my hand again and then pointed to the sky to mimic him in Little League. But Sosa has definitely fallen out of favor with me and, I think, most of his fans. His 600th bomb will make news, but it won’t get the attention that the number deserves just because of all the controversy surrounding him and Bonds. It’s a shame the game has come to that.