Which team has been the biggest surprise this spring season?
Nguyen: We knew the women’s tennis team would be good coming into the season, but this good? I for one certainly had no idea. The team finished ranked No. 6 last season and was ranked No. 4 preseason. With the addition of freshmen ready to make an immediate impact, the team had the talent to succeed, but lacked the experience. However, as the season progressed, this clearly never became an issue as the Bruins are now the No. 1 team in the nation, having only lost two matches the entire season and on the NCAA title.
Peck: I think the baseball team was underestimated by a lot of people at the beginning of the spring. There were concerns that the bullpen wouldn’t be able to keep opposing teams off the scoreboard, but the Bruins’ relievers have been consistantly dominant all season in finishing games. Scott Griggs has been huge at closer and set a program record in saves this year, and the Bruins’ play on the road has been as good as any team in the country. They are playing their best ball of the year at a good time.
Gymnastics and women’s water polo both fell short of the title. Who had the better shot?
Nguyen: The women’s gymnastics team seemed like a program on a mission the entire season, posting remarkable perfect scores. The team continued to improve throughout the entire season, reaching its pinnacle just in time as the postseason began. The Bruins were going head-to-head with the Alabama Crimson Tide at the NCAA Championship and looked poised to avenge their second-place finish from the year before with a chip on their shoulder. They fell just short of poetic revenge and fell once again to the Crimson Tide.
Peck: The water polo players came so close against ‘SC in the semifinal round, so I give the edge to them. That’s not to take away from the season gymnastics had, of course. But I really thought the water polo team would take down ‘SC on Saturday; unfortunately, it gave up 12 goals and had to play from behind in the final quarter. But the seniors on that team ““ Caitlin Dement, KK Clark, to name just two ““ all had great seasons and they will be missed next year.
Which Bruin in the NBA playoffs has been the most impressive so far?
Nguyen: Russell Westbrook of the Thunder torched the Lakers in game one of the series, putting up 27 points and falling just three rebounds and an assist short of a triple-double. While this is stellar, Jrue Holiday has caught my eye. Sure, he hasn’t had the media attention Westbrook has, but Holiday led the No. 8-seeded Philadelphia 76ers past the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls. Against the Celtics, Holiday had a solid game one, and although the 76ers got blown out in game two, his assist-to-turnover ratio was still impressive.
Peck: My vote goes to Darren Collison. He should change his name to Collision after that hit he took from Dwyane Wade in that last game ““ which should have resulted in a fine, but that’s another question. Collison bounced back, though, and his Pacers have a shot to beat the Bosh-less Heat, however slim, so I will continue to root for Mr. Collison and his motley crew to upset Miami.
Which NBA playoff matchup do you want to see most?
Nguyen: I can’t help but admit I want to see the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers go head-to-head at the Staples Center. With a sudden revival of Clipper fans/bandwagoners, the battle at Staples has finally become interesting. The Clippers are finally relevant again after years of struggling to get some attention in Los Angeles while the Lakers captured title after title. This sounds similar to a certain college football situation in Los Angeles, but I digress.
Peck: Spurs/Heat in the Finals. I don’t know who would win. Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich and the Spurs have a terrifying lineup with Ginobli coming off the bench and too much playoff experience when you add in Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. You can never count out Miami, though, even if LeBron James does choke it up in the fourth quarter.
What was the best game or series you watched this past week?
Nguyen: Manchester City hosting Queens Park Rangers was, without a doubt, the highlight of the sports world. Looking to win its first English title in 44 years, City had to win this game to stay on top of the league. Its crosstown foe, Manchester United, was nipping at its heels and only a win for City would do. City found itself down 2-1 in stoppage time ready to surrender the title, but somehow found the back of the net twice within three minutes to capture the English Premier League pennant. Hands down, the most exciting day of sports of the entire year.
Peck: I thought the Clippers’ series against the Grizzlies was the most entertaining of the playoffs so far. With the ridiculous comeback by the Clippers and Zach Randolph’s chest-bump technical on Blake Griffin, that matchup made for some great basketball. It’s unfortunate that the Bulls are out, but I’m officially on the Sixers bandwagon, and there’s no turning back … where did I put that Allen Iverson jersey?