By Matthew Johnson, Sports editor

I had a nice holiday break. I ran some,  I read some, I wrote some, I rested some. And as I rested, I watched more sports than I had done in quite awhile, and I loved it. Prior to the break, I wrote how I will miss the UNCG campus as I departed in the second week of December. Now, as the first day of class approaches at a pace seemingly too fast, I will reminisce over calm evenings watching a basketball or football game for a few hours. In these peaceful nights as a studious fanatic, I did my homework, and I believe I have learned much over the holiday break.

1. TCU was robbed in the college football playoff

I have no problem with Ohio State clinching the final playoff berth for the inaugural college playoff and hopscotching over the previously higher ranked TCU. After thrashing solid Big Ten rival Wisconsin 59-0 on the final Saturday before the four teams to compete in the playoff were to be announced, the Buckeyes were rightfully cemented among the top four teams in the nation. Yet, going into that week, the TCU Horned Frogs did not struggle or stutter, as they defeated their opponent, Iowa State in resounding fashion, 55-3. I take issue that Florida State, a team which struggled with average opponents such as :Louisville, Clemson, NC State and others throughout the season, was chosen ahead of TCU. Though the Seminoles were the only undefeated team heading into the playoff, TCU (and Baylor) had more impressive seasons than a Florida State team which too many times had to crawl back into games after falling to early deficits.

2. The NBA Playoffs need reshaping

As an avid fan of the NBA, it is unfortunate that some of my favorite players such as: Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge have a chance of not even making the second round of the NBA playoffs, due to their conference. Since the skywalking dominance of Michael Jordan in the 1990s, the NBA’s Eastern Conference has steadily weakened in comparison to their Western counterpart who have 10 championships since the millenium. The East has won only four. Unlike the NFL playoffs, which need no changing, the structure of the NBA playoffs need to be altered to support teams which win in the regular season, regardless of their conference. It is not fair that three or four teams with losing records could make the playoffs in the East, while several teams in the West with over .500 records will be watching the playoffs at home because of the strength of their conference. A suggestion to change this postseason could be selecting the top 16 teams, regardless of conference, to gain entry into the postseason.

3. Expect MLB champion to come from Wild, Wild West

Not only do the Western divisions in baseball feature the best player (Mike Trout), the best pitcher (Clayton Kershaw) and the World Champion San Francisco Giants, they now also include a rebuilt San Diego Padres team ready to contend. Busy as a bee out of an Aesop fable, the Padres reshuffled their outfield by acquiring former All Stars, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton as well as 2013 American League Rookie of the Year, Will Myers. With the Dodgers, Giants, and Angels all fielding rosters which made the playoffs a year ago, the West will also include an improved Padres and Seattle Mariners team and the always competitive Oakland Athletics. I see an October with many playoff-bound teams from the West and I predict the World Series winner once again will be from the American or National league western divisions.

4. Campus is better when the Carolina Panthers are relevant

In the first week of December, perhaps due to the stress of final exams, I felt an atmosphere of hopelessness and dread walking through the campus. In the various spots on campus throughout exam week, it seemed to me that in this gloom and doom, students seemed drained or drunk, or perhaps driven insane. The weight of exams was heavy, but I also believe this feeling was also impart due to the struggling Carolina Panthers, who at that point in the season were 3-8-1, and looked that any hope of the postseason was only a dream. But, like college (and dreams), NFL teams, in the most impossible times, can pull the improbable. Winning each game in December, clinching a playoff berth and winning their first round playoff game, the Carolina Panthers somehow made it back to the forefront of the largest sport in the country. After seeing the sudden swarm of Panther fans out of the quiet woodwork for months on Twitter, Facebook, and the UNCG Confessions 2.0 page, I cannot wait to start seeing proud Panther fans flaunting their playoff gear, though I would be shocked. Shocked! To see the Panthers still playing by the time classes begin.

5. UNCG Basketball is in rebuild mode

In my last “Lessons column,” I suggested that Wes Miller’s squad’s early struggles was largely due inpart to the lack of chemistry between the team’s transfers, freshmen, and veterans. Basketball, a game where a relatively small number (five) must share the one ball on offense as well as communicate on defense, takes time to master. When the team adapts to this mantra, you get results similar to the team’s one-sided victory over Mars Hill and smart, close wins over East Tennessee State. When it does not work, you see blow outs such as the team’s losses to Mercer and East Carolina. With the inconsistency seen in the Men’s basketball team over the holiday break, I believe the team is talented, but it will probably take another season before all the pieces come together in a cohesive, consistent manner.