TSR 1/19/20 CBB Picks w/ Guest Picker Paul Nixon

On Saturdays and Sundays for the remainder of the college basketball season, the TSR team is going to add guest pickers to our usual daily selections. They will be on the Guest Pick Standings page on the menu of our website. Our next guest picker is a man who is viewed as the "Dean of Caledonia Basketball", Coach Paul Nixon.

Q&A w/ Paul Nixon

1. Some of our readers are unaware of your coaching career, what can you tell us about that?
I have coached basketball in Caledonia since 1986, other than one year that I took off to have Open Heart Surgery.  I have coached under 7 different Varsity coaches, taking a little something from every one of them.  I am very blessed to have this opportunity.  I don't take it lightly. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have coached so many amazing young men and women in one district.  I NEVER take that for granted.

2. What would you say is the best game that you have seen involving Caledonia in your time?
This is tough.  But if I had to pick one, it would be the District Championship in 1994.  We had to beat a great South Christian team in the opener to advance.  Unfortunately, we haven't won a district since.  Needless to say, we're all hungry for some more hardware!!!

3. The Grand Rapids area is ripe with basketball talent each season. Who are some of the toughest players that you have had to coach against?
The toughest players to game plan for would have been Drew Neitzel, David Kool, and Derick Dennis. The best player I ever watched or coached against however, isn't even close. That would be Drew Neitzel. In terms of Caledonia players, I would say Pat Stegeman, who had a fantastic career at Hope College.

4. Do you have a favorite college basketball player of all-time?
Phil Visser...Ok, I'd say Grant Hill.  He always tried to make his teammates better.  An amazing leader. 

5. Some may not know that your son Joe played football at Elmhurst, and your other son Michael played baseball at Central Michigan. What was that like watching them play at the next level?

My son Joe played LB at Elmhurst.  His team struggled throughout his career but it was the best decision he ever made.  He had a fantastic senior year and has lifelong friends who he went to battle with.  My son Michael pitched at CMU, my alma mater.  That was a thrill.  Watching him pitch at Notre Dame vs Golden Tate, Michigan, Michigan State, and various others was unbelievable.  He was a real leader on those teams and the experiences he had coming out of the bullpen with the bases loaded have really taught him how to embrace adversity in the other facets of his life.

6. As a Michigan basketball fan, what are your thoughts on Juwan Howard as the coach?
He'll be fine.  He's a class act.  I'm a Michigan fan.  I loved him as a player, the Fab 5 was some of my favorite college basketball to watch, and I'm very excited about his recruiting.  Patience is a virtue.

Sunday's Games

1-Rutgers vs Minnesota (1:00, BTN)

Paul: Rutgers--The Scarlet Knights are for real!!! The RAC will be rocking.

Nick: Rutgers--This is an NCAA Tournament team, and they are unbeaten at the RAC this year.

Sam: Minnesota--The RAC is a tough place to play yes, but Daniel Oturu is a tough matchup. If it hasn’t already been promoted, his campaign for B1G POTY should be in full swing. He leads the Gophers to a huge road victory.

Zach: Rutgers- How can you not take a hot Rutgers team at the RAC? Although I do think that stopping Daniel Oturu will be a tough task for the Scarlet Knights

2-Cincinnati vs East Carolina (6:00, ESPNU)

Paul: Cincinnati

Nick: Cincinnati--Jayden Gardner may be the best player in this league that you have not yet heard of for East Carolina, averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds. Unfortunately, his supporting cast will not carry his team over Cincinnati. 

Sam: Cincinnati

Zach: Cincinnati- Jayden Gardner will make his impact, but Cincinnati is too deep and that much better than ECU

3-Wake Forest vs Boston College (6:00, ACC)

Paul: Wake Forest--BC enters this game with a huge win over Virginia, while Wake is reeling a bit. I still think that Wake gets it done.

Nick: Wake Forest--The Pinstripe Bowl runner-ups have a coach in Danny Manning who has struggled in his tenure, save for the 2017 First Four bid. This is must win territory for him, as he needs to show this team can make progress from back-to-back 11-win seasons.

Sam: Boston College--This team did beat Virginia..

Zach: Wake Forest- BC beat Virginia but have lost two in a row since, I don’t see them winning at Wake

4-UCLA vs California (8:00, ESPNU)

Paul: UCLA--A tribute to Bill Walton.

Nick: UCLA--Mick Cronin’s bunch is struggling in his first season, but this is a game that he can get against Mark Fox’s Bears. 

Sam: UCLA

Zach: UCLA- UCLA is such a weird team and you just never know with them, but they can get it done against California, Berkeley

5-Davidson vs Fordham (12:00, CBSSN)

Paul: Davidson

Nick: Davidson--This team is riding the struggle bus this season, relative to their expectations in the preseason, but they can still play their way into the tournament with a strong Atlantic 10 season. This is one they cannot afford to lose, at home against the 269th ranked team in the NET.

Sam: Davidson--This team is still underachieving...

Zach: Davidson

6-Southern Illinois vs Drake (4:00, ESPN3)

Paul: Southern Illinois--I’m taking the Salukis. They have won three out of four, and the Banterra Center should have an electric crowd.

Nick: Southern Illinois--The Salukis are 6-1 at home this year, while Drake is 1-4 on the road.

Sam: Drake

Zach: Southern Illinois- Most people don’t know that former Northwestern Wildcat Barret Benson is the starting center for the Salukis. 

7-Illinois St vs Loyola IL (4:00, ESPNU)

Paul: Loyola IL

Nick: Loyola IL--I wonder how Porter Moser feels about staying at Loyola after that big Final Four run, when he could have had major conference jobs. Not everyone can be Gonzaga...

Sam: Loyola IL--Long live Sister Jean!

Zach: Loyola IL- Cameron Krutwig is leading the Rambles in points, assists, and rebounds, and he leads them to a victory against the Redbirds

8-South Dakota vs South Dakota State (4:30, ESPN3)

Paul: South Dakota--I’m going straight up food chain. Coyotes wear down Jackrabbits.

Nick: South Dakota State--The Jackrabbits have five straight wins in conference play. Make it six in the biggest game in the Mount Rushmore State.

Sam: South Dakota St

Zach: South Dakota- I’m loving the logic by Coach Nixon, and I love the fact that the game is in Vermillion. 

9-Niagara vs Siena (1:00, ESPN+)

Paul: Niagara--The Purple Eagles have won two straight, and they hit fifteen three-pointers the other night. Put Siena in a barrel and shove them over the Falls.

Nick: Siena--The Saints suffered a tough defeat against Canisius the other day, but I like their chances in this upper New York battle. Jalen Pickett is averaging 16 to lead Siena.

Sam: Siena

Zach: Siena- After two very emotional wins, by one and then two points, the Purple Eagles find themselves in another close one, but are on the other end this time around

10-Maine vs Binghamton (2:00, ESPN+)

Paul: Maine--Another great ecosystem matchup between the Black Bears and Bearcats. Give me Maine, the Black Bears with the advantage.

Nick: Binghamton--A Sunday game between two teams ranked in the 340s in KenPom? Yikes. Binghamton’s George Tinsley is a grinder, as he is seventh in the country in minutes played. He has played in 94.9% of the team’s minutes this season, a remarkable feat considering that eight of their games have been decided by 18+ points.

Sam: Binghamton

Zach: Maine- Bangor, ME...what a rowdy place to play