THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Many NFL scouts seem to rank Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree as the top WR in this year’s draft and Mizzou’s Jeremy Maclin as No. 2. However, others seem to think Maclin will have the more immediate impact in the NFL because of his ability to not only catch the ball, but in returning punts and kicks, too. Looking into your crystal ball, which of these receivers do you believe will have the more impactful NFL career?

JIM THOMAS
There are questions about Crabtree’s foot and attitude. His diva attitude during pre-draft visits turned off the Rams and the Browns (who pick fifth overall) to the point where neither team is considering Crabtree for their first-round pick. There are no character flaws with Maclin, who is a gamer with the added bonus of return ability. The vote here is for Maclin.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Maclin. I think he’s faster and more explosive. He’s got the ability to change a game with his big-play potential as a return man. He’s dangerous after he makes the catch. And Maclin is a relentless worker who constantly strives for improvement. Crabtree has formidable talent, but he is also a diva, and is probably going to give a coaching staff headaches with his ego eruptions. Maclin isn’t that kind of kid. His personality is a plus.

BRYAN BURWELL
This is a fascinating decision for any team in search of an impact wideout. Maclin can affect the outcome of games as a punt and kick returner immediately and will prove to be, at the very least, a deep threat receiver who will stretch the field. Will he prove to be a disciplined route runner?
Yes. He’s as intelligent a student of the game as they come. Crabtree is a bit more of a finished receiver for now, and he’s on a P.R. blitz now, trying to diminish talk out of Cleveland that he is a diva with a troublesome entourage.

This is a difficult choice because i know Maclin but have never spent any time with Crabtree to assess his so-called character questions. But on tape, Crabtree is an absolute beast.

JEFF GORDON
Some teams have developed serious reservations about Crabtree — and not just because of his health. On the other hand, Maclin is a small guy with a lengthy injury history. So this is a bit of a toss up. I’ll pick Crabtree for the bigger impact, because size matters in the NFL. He is a playmaker. As long as he stays away from the Detroit Lions, he should be fine.

BILL COATS
I’ll take Maclin, and not just for his value as a return man. He has a great attitude and has shown a willingness to hone his craft. Crabtree, on the other hand, might be held back by his massive ego, which has turned off some NFL personnel folks. Stepping up to the NFL level never is easy, no matter your college resume, and those who realize that usually have the best outcomes.

VAHE GREGORIAN
Maclin is more versatile and slightly faster, but Crabtree is a notch taller (6-3 to 6-1), catches the ball better in traffic and appears stronger and more durable. I don’t think Maclin could have made the play Crabtree made to beat Texas, though I don’t think Crabtree can separate from crowds like Maclin can. Each should be a really good pro, but gut feeling is Crabtree will be more decorated by the end of his career.

GERRY FRALEY
Jeremy Maclin could be the next Eric Metcalf: a speed-first hybrid player who made a mark as a receiver and a kick returner. Metcalf made three Pro Bowl appearances in a 14-year NFL career.

Michael Crabtree could be the next Michael Irvin: a bull-rusher of a wide receiver who overpowered defenders during a Hall of Fame career.

At 6 feet 3 and 215 pounds, Crabtree has a significant size and strength advantage over Maclin. Crabtree will have an easier time getting off the line against press coverage and will get to more throws because of a longer wingspan. Crabtree will win most one-on-one battles for a ball.

Maclin will be a quality NFL player. Crabtree will be a dominant force.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Whoever stays healthier will have a longer-lasting impact. Crabtree is the better route runner and is believed to have better hands. Maclin is more versatile, but could get pigeon-holed as a return guy, unless he improves his route-running. Give the edge to Maclin if he improves in that area.

THE WATERCOOLER:

QUESTION: Back in December Illinois beat Missouri, 75-59. Mizzou now has climbed to No. 11 in the AP rankings with a 22-4 record while Illinois is ranked No. 18 with a 21-5 record. Which of these two teams do you see making a stronger and longer run in the NCAA tournament and why?

Bryan Burwell:
At this point it is going to come down to how they are seeded, and right now Mizzou has the advantage. The Tigers are a No. 3 seed according to most bracketologists, while the Illini will likely get a 5 or 6 seed.

Bernie Miklasz:
This is a tough question to answer. On one hand, Illinois is getting prepared for the NCAA Tournament by competing in a better conference. (According to Jerry Palm of CollegeRPI.com, the Big Ten is ranked second and the Big 12 is fourth.) That should help. Missouri is taking advantage of a down season in the Big 12. But I think the Tigers are built to deliver a bigger payoff in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois tends to be a more consistent performer (except for that recent horrible performance at Wisconsin.) And Mizzou is a high-risk, high-reward team for NCAA prospectors. It all depends on the matchup. If Mizzou encounters a couple of teams in the first two rounds who aren’t used to going up against a pressure-oriented, up-tempo opponent, the Tigers will roll into the Sweet 16. If the Tigers run into a couple of teams who have average or worse depth, they’ll race into the Sweet 16. But if the Tigers face an unflappable team that can calmly handle the press and pass the ball smartly to set up high-percentage shots, then it could be one-and-done for MU. When I bet on horses, I always like that 6-1 shot that has an intriguing upside; a horse that is capable of running its best race at the right time. And that would describe Missouri as an NCAA Tournament entrant.

Stu Durando:
Instead of predicting who will go farther without the aid of a bracket, I will just say that both teams play a style that has proved conducive to a good tournament run and they rely on similar attributes: stingy defense and unselfish offense. Missouri is No. 2 nationally and Illinois No. 5 in assists. Illinois is No. 3 in scoring defense and Missouri No. 2 in steals. At this point their seedings would be similar, supposedly making their paths through the tournament comparable in difficulty. About the only advantage I find right now is that the Illini have played what is considered a more difficult schedule (neither played a strong non-conference schedule) by most of the computer rankings and play in the higher rated conference.

Vahe Gregorian:
Trite as it sounds, it’s all about matchups. Mizzou, for example, can be very disruptive defensively but on occasion can be had in the half-court. Another caution light: no MU player ever has appeared in an NCAA Tournament game. But like Illinois, the Tigers are on trajectory for a seeding between 3 and 5 and find ways to win. Count each in for one tourney win and a shot at the Sweet 16.

Reid Laymance:
Al McGuire used to say that a team needed an “aircraft carrier” and veteran leadership at guard to make it in the NCAA Tournament. (He probably said it more colorfully than that, too, but we digress.)

So does DeMarre Carroll play big enough and are J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor poised enough to carry Missouri out of the first week? There are times that Carroll hangs out on the perimeter a bit much for my taste but there’s no discounting his effort nor that of the entire team as it has bought into the defense-first philosophy of Mike Anderson.

It may be a cop out, but it’s all about the matchup. A disciplined team that won’t be bothered by the Missouri pressure and has a force in the middle could end it for the Tigers. Just who that team is, we’re not sure yet.

As for the Illini, they looked like they had it all together when they took Missouri apart back in December. But only scoring 36 against Minnesota makes one wonder bit.

And neither team has proven they can win on the road yet.

I think both teams can get out of the first weekend but I’m not booking a lot of hotel rooms for either team in Detroit just yet.

Kathleen Nelson:
On the one hand, the game in December is irrelevant. If the tournament started today, Missouri would be more likely to make a run. They’re healthy and have found good chemistry. On the other, maintaining the delicate balance for the next six weeks will be tough.

Tom Timmermann:
Talk about two teams that are hard to choose between. Missouri is 14th at RPIratings.com. Illinois is 15th. One of my favorite stats is points per possession. It’s better than points per game or points allowed per game, because it takes into consideration the tempo teams play at. So which team has the lower points allowed per possession? They’re effectively tied at .85. As much as I’d like to say Illinois has the type of team that’s better suited for a deep run into the postseason, the PPP numbers disagree. It’s going to come down to seedings and right now, my pal Joe Lunardi over at ESPN.com figures Mizzou as a 3 seed, Illinois as a 5. If that’s the case, the Tigers will make it to the second weekend.

The Water Cooler

Question: Who will win tonight’s Braggin’ Rights game?

Bryan Burwell
Missouri 79, Illinois 73. Tigers finally break the losing streak.

Bernie Miklasz
Missouri 78, Illinois 73. The Illini were bothered by Clemson’s pressure defense in a previous loss this season and a deeper Mizzou team can do the same.

Stu Durando
Missouri 76, Illinois 71. The Tigers will pester the Illini into too many turnovers and Illinois won’t be able to keep Carroll and Lyons off the offensive boards.

Jeff Gordon
Missouri 89, Illinois 84. If Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll stay out of foul trouble and make some free throws, they will make the difference. The Illini ought to handle the Tigers’ pressure defense, but containing Lyons and Carroll will be difficult.

Vahe Gregorian
Mizzou 75, Illinois 70. MU’s new-found depth and versatility snap eight-game losing streak to Illini.

Cameron Hollway
Illinois 88, Missouri 87. The Tigers are 3-8 in this game when ranked, and they’ve lost the last eight meetings. It’ll come down to the final play.

Kathleen Nelson
Illinois 78, Missouri 75: Illini get the advantage on the boards.

Tom Timmermann
Illinois 72, Missouri 65: Missouri’s talent has a little more growing up to do.

Mid-day news

The Mark Teixeira watch could end soon: He is said to want to make a decision by Christmas. The Angels say they are out. The Washington Nationals want to be in. The Red Sox are being coy and who knows about the Yankees.

This is no way to cover payroll: The Yankees are charging 25 cents for bleacher seats for exhibition games against the Cubs in April for the opening of the new Yankee stadium. That matches the price paid for the opener of the original Yankee Stadium in 1923. Grandstand seats will cost $1.10. Of course for the regular season can be as high as $2,500 a seat.

What does the BCS think of this? The NCAA granted a sixth year of eligibility to Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley today. He had missed his first two seasons completely because of injury.

Things to ponder

Tim Cowlishaw at the Dallas Morning News wonders if the NFL is doing its part to help the Cowboys make the playoffs by changing the time of their game with the Eagles on Sunday. If early games go a certain way, the Eagles could be out of the playoff picture by the time they kick off against Dallas, which should certainly help the Cowboys.

Jason King at Yahoo Sports has an interesting tale of Texas basketball player Damian Jones and his family situation.

Stat of the day

26.9 million: That’s in dollars for the New York Yankees who had to pay that much in luxury tax because they exceeded baseball’s salary threshold of $155 million. All that for an 89-73 team that finished third in the AL East. Of course, the only other team to pay a luxury tax this year didn’t make the post-season either. That’s the Tigers who were charged $1.3 million.