(USA TODAY Sports Images)

There are three rules of making sports predictions as an athlete:

1. Don’t make predictions.

2. If you’re going to make a prediction, be the best player on your team about to play in a game against an evenly matched opponent

3. Ignore No. 2 and only pay attention to No. 1.

West Virginia freshman Daxter Miles Jr. disobeyed all three of these rules during a talk with the media on Wednesday, making a guarantee that the undefeated Kentucky team, to whom he gave “props” and a “salute” would be 36-1 after his Mountaineers were done with them on Thursday night.

“[I] salute them to getting to 36-0. But tomorrow they’re gonna be 36-1.”

This awesome picture almost makes you want to forget about the absurdity of those comments. (Getty Images)

The hubris of youth is a wonderful thing and I applaud Miles for deluding convincing himself his Mountaineers, who enter the game as 13.5 underdogs with a 12% chance of winning, can snap Kentucky’s undefeated streak. Miles — who averaged 7.5 points per game in his freshman season but has come on of late, scoring double-digits in his last seven games —  should believe this. What little chance the Mountaineers have on Thursday night drops to nil if the WVU players don’t believe they can win.

But to announce this to the world? With quotes like this?

“They should be more intimidated. Because they’re the ones who have the high standard, and we’re coming for them.”

(AP)

That might not be the best move. As an aside, I’ve never understood the logic that the better team and, theoretically, the with more to lose, is going to be more intimidated. More nervous, maybe. But more intimidated? I don’t think the Wildcats are cowering over a team that lost three of its last four and six of its last 11 entering the tournament.

And that’s the worst part of Miles’ bravado. One of the West Virginia’s best shots is hitting Kentucky with the element of surprise. Play the meek underdog all week and maybe Kentucky buys in just enough for WVU to gain a mental edge. But pop off at the mouth and it draws attention. I thoroughly believe in bulletin board material — in some situatons. Most of the time it doesn’t matter, such as in the Super Bowl, when teams are already fully juiced to play the game. But in a regional semifinal with an undefeated team playing a Big 12 also-ran?

“It adds fuel to the fire,” said Wildcats leader Willie Cauley-Stein. Kentucky was always going to be ready for West Virginia. But nonsense like Miles’ quote only makes that fire burn bigger than before.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)