Scouting Player of the Year Candidate Jimmer Fredette

Preface: I've been hearing the hype about Jimmer Fredette for a while now, but I wanted to reserve my opinion until I actually saw him play for myself. The games I saw were against San Diego State (highlights and commentary courtesy of LTSB's ALR) and New Mexico. With that, here are my thoughts on Jimmer...

Offense
Offensively, I don't see too many individuals or schemes containing him on the college level. His offensive, and I do stress offensive, IQ is extremely high. As a defender you want to make an opponent settle or do something out of their comfort zone, but you really can't do that with Jimmer. All you can do is hope he takes a bad shot, but he'll still probably get the bucket. I think one thing people may not notice is that he plays at his own pace, which makes it tough to get him outside his comfort zone. He seems to jog up the court, kind of lulling a defender to sleep, one or two cross-overs later he has buried a step back 3. BYU also seems to run a high ball screen offense to get him into open space. I mention the offensive set because Jimmer's handle is very smooth. Running off high screens he often splits the defenders and has a clear path to the basket or pull up jumper. He also has the ability to run off curls for the catch and shoot, range probably not limited to 30ft and moves well without the ball. With all that said, Jimmer Fredette can flat out hoop on the offensive end of the floor and I if you haven't seen him play, don't wait until March Madness to do so... 7 games of 40+ points, just saying...

Defense
The coaching staff of BYU deserves credit for primarily playing zone because Jimmer's man to man defense is not a strength. To his credit he plays well within the zone. Jimmer covers his area well, and often has a hand up when he is supposed to. If a play breaks down though, more often than not, he will get scored on. I don't mean that disrespectfully, like he just can't play defense. I'm just saying that his lateral quickness is not where it needs to be and if he gets a dribble move put on him, the recovery may not happen. I know defense is not what BYU is concerned with, but I also know it needs to be for Jimmer if he wants to be on the floor to make an impact in the NBA.

Diagnosis
Obviously there are comparisons to BYU and Boston Celtic great Danny Ainge. I think Jimmer Fredette is more gifted than Ainge offensively, but defensively and an intangible of intensity is where any team now or past will take Ainge over Fredette. I've also heard comparisons to Stephen Curry, but I think that's due to the green light that Jimmer has at BYU. Curry put up ridiculous numbers at Davidson and took them to the Tournament promised land, but during that process Steph learned to be a point guard. That is something Jimmer is not focusing on right now, which is highly understandable. With that said, I think Jimmer could be a valuable role player at the next level if lands in the right system. I could see him being an asset to teams like the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, or maybe even the San Antonio Spurs (system shooter).

- @lostherod

DT Nick Fairley To Enter NFL Draft

According to ESPN's Joe Schad, Auburn star defensive tackle Nick Fairley will skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. The 6'5, 298 kid from Mobile, AL projects as one of the top prospects and joins quarterback Cam Newton as early draft entries fresh off of from Auburn's National Championship team, which Fairley flashed much of his formidable talents while dominating Oregon's offensive line.

The Carolina Panthers hold the draft's top pick and could use the disruptive DT on their front line, but the last time a defensive tackle went #1 overall was Dan Wilkinson back in '94. Fairley has also been rumored to be a dirty player and a bit immature, but talent such as his may be hard to pass on. Think a slightly taller and less quick version of Warren Sapp. This past season Fairley accumulated 12 sacks from the DT position, which is no easy feat.

Defensive minded Ron Rivera was recently named the Panthers head coach so expect Carolina to take a serious look at Fairley. Either way, Nick is set to make a ton of money.

-ALR

Renardo Sidney Makes Debut as Player and Boxer

Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney sat out the entire 2009-10 season after the NCAA ruled he received improper benefits while still in high school. Last night in Honolulu at the Diamond Head Classic, he made only his second apearance for the Bulldogs against the San Diego State Aztecs, scoring 19 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

After the game, Sidney got into an altercation with teammate Elgin Bailey while the team was watching Utah and Hawaii.

No word on what started the fight, but I score the round 10-8 for Sidney. Bailey barely got off a shot.

Sidney had been suspended an additional three games by head coach Rick Stansbury for conduct detrimental to the team, and is looking at a probable extension of that after this latest incident.

There had been questions about Sidney's character going back to his days as a high school phenom originally from Jackson, Miss. His family moved to Los Angeles during his ninth grade year, and Sidney graduated from Fairfax High School.

Ohio ST. QB Terrelle Pryor And Others Suspended For 5 Games In 2011

First things first; I have no problem with student athletes receiving some extra benefits for their performance. The kids generate a ton of money for NCAA programs but they aren't fairly compensated for their efforts (as the rules are written to prevent this). I also have no issue with tattoos. It's your body; do what you please with it. Hell I even have a few myself.
So when this story first leaked via Sports By Brooks that a few members of the Ohio St. Buckeyes football program may have exchanged autographs for tattoos I shrugged and kept sipping my coffee. It's also being reported that the players sold championship rings & trophies. *Shrugs*... But now that 5 players are being suspended for five games next season for "receiving improper benefits" (Pryor, Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas) it moves me to wonder what exactly Ohio St. is trying to prove here. If the benefits were so improper, then why not suspend Pryor and the four other players for their Bowl game against Arkansas Jan. 4th? Maybe because that bowl game victory could net the program millions of dollars, and Pryor can bounce to the NFL draft this summer? Hmmm...

Whether the players got the tattoos for free or not, I say let the kids make some money off of their ability. College is tough enough as it is, and if someone is willing to throw a young adult a little something for their accomplishments then I personally have no issues with it. If someone wants to pay you for your memorabilia then cool. Get ya' money. Because that is EXACTLY what the NCAA is going to continue to do.

Just be a little smarter when you do try to get ya' money. A nice tattoo and selling traceable awards isn't worth almost half your football season.

-ALR

"Pimpin' Your Son" Euro Edition: Father Says Enes Kanter Will Stay At Kentucky If Suspension Sticks

We previously blogged here that Kentucky freshman center Enes Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for illegal benefits he received while playing professionally overseas. Per this report over at The Sporting News Kanter's father says he will guarantee that Enes not declare for the NBA draft and will return to play at Kentucky next season if he is eligible:

“Enes would do anything to play and help UK, his teammates and fans,” Mehmet Kanter wrote. “In the last two years, one thing me and Enes never discussed was him being pro. He didn’t mention to me about NBA or draft and I guarantee you as a father – if that’s the NCAA's decision Enes will be a sophomore next year in UK.”

Mehmet Kanter (the father) also goes on to say that his son was unaware of any monetary exchanges and all were conducted between the team and himself:

“I been saying from beginning of the review there has never been any monetary exchange between Enes and Fenerbahce,” Mehmet Kanter said. “Enes was 16 years old, never had any knowledge about any accounts and everything has been between me and Fenerbahce.”

Maybe this is a noble effort on the father's part to defend his son's chances of receiving a college education. Maybe it's a cover up to protect his son's credibility to future NBA suitors. Who knows. One thing I do know is that overseas it is 100% legal for a minor to play professional ball and also 100% legal for parent of said minor to profit off their kid's abilities. Why Cecil Newton didn't think of this is beyond me. He could have pimped Cam out to a Euro league and been scott free.

Mehmet Kanter even says he will repay the $30k that has kept young Enes off the court this season. Sure he will. And if he does, it only makes me wonder exactly how much the Kanters have stacked up from hoops. I'm going to take a guess that it's a lot more than $30k.

Either way, I hope Enes Kanter gets a chance to play at least one year of college ball and doesn't end up riding the pine or on a D-League roster next season. Oh, and that he also gets a bit of a college education, which it the important thing in all of this, right? Sure it is.

-ALR

Geno Auriemma Plays the Sex Card

UConn women's head basketball coach, Geno Auriemma, has his finger on the pulse of the American sports watching public. Or least he does in his mind.

Coach Auriemma and the UConn Huskies won their eighty-eighth consecutive game yesterday, tying the mark set by John Wodden's UCLA dynasty of the early 1970s. According to Auriemma, his team is getting attention only because they are women one game away from breaking a men's record.

"Just know," Auriemma said in the postgame press conference. "There wouldn't be anybody in this room (air quotes) if we were chasing a woman's record."

Auriemma said the woman (media members and fans) are "happy as hell" and can't wait to ask questions. The guys (men I suppose) who follow women's basketball are the same way.

He also referred to those who follow men's basketball as "miserable bastards" if they have a problem with his team passing Wooden's UCLA team in the record book.

But Geno, what about me? I feel left out in yesterday's "tirade" because I'm not a woman, I don't follow women's basketball, and I couldn't care less if it's a men's record broken by a women's team.

I, like most of the American sports watching public, simply don't care about women's basketball. Women's basketball is like the tree in the forest that no one is around to hear fall. It most definitely makes a sound, but I'm one thousand miles away with some Beats by Dre headphones on both ears.

For better or worse, the UConn women's basketball team is not going to be as interesting now as they will when they lose. It has little to do with sex, and everything to do with their dominance.

Auriemma should be happy with any of the attention his team, and by proxy his sport, gets for its achievement, be it positive or negative. Women's basketball is a hard sell, on the college and professional level. The Huskies won their eighty-eighth straight game beating the 10th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes by thirty-one points. The last time they lost a game was in the 2008 NCAA semis to Stanford. They had another close game against Stanford last season in the championship game, ultimately winning 53-47.

Other than that, blowout after blowout. Which means Auriemma may be right suggesting that few people to see his team win, but wrong as to the reason why. You win eighty-eight straight games, it's no longer news until you lose. Those are the cold hard facts of the American sports watching public.

Inaccuracies Found In Rankings. So Does BCS = BS?

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the BCS is a flawed system. Now it appears that said system may also have errors that can potentially go unchecked. Per this story from CBS's Jerry Palm, a glitch resulted in LSU and Boise St. switched in the rankings, which at the time had LSU 10th and Boise St. 11th when in fact the ranking should be the other way around. Here's more from the report:

Wes Colley's final rankings, as submitted to the BCS, were incorrect. The Appalachian State-Western Illinois FCS playoff game was missing from his data set. I will spare you some of the gory, mathematical details, but the net result of that omission in Colley's rankings is that LSU, which he ranked ninth, and his No. 10, Boise State, should be switched. Alabama and Nebraska, which he had 17th and 18th, would also be swapped.


Palm also goes on to say this regarding the BCS computer data:

This may not seem overly important, especially since neither team qualified for a BCS game either way. It may be important though because the Mountain West, Boise State's new home, is making an effort to become an AQ conference. This week's data -- the final regular season standings -- is part of the basis for making that determination. Every little bit helps, or at least it could.

But the bigger point is that nobody checks the BCS computer data. We should all be grateful to Colley for having a system that is open, accountable and verifiable. The BCS owes us an entire system that is open, accountable and verifiable.

Interesting to know that a system that dictates so much of the current college football bowl schedule and championship race is handled without anyone double checking the data. This may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it's does prove to every one's point that the BCS system is indeed flawed.

But at least they got the Championship game match up right this season, with undefeateds Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks set to face off Jan. 10th 2011 at Univerizona of Phoenix Staduim in Glendale, AZ.

-ALR

College Football Bowl Schedule

The regular season of College Football has been decided and we are now approaching Bowl Season. The complete schedule of games can be viewed here, but I wanted to give a quick prediction on the BCS Games.

BCS National Championship #1 Auburn Tigers v #2 Oregon Ducks

After 13 games, this game is what the college football landscape tries to get to. During the college season, I have written a few times about the ease of schedule Boise St and TCU had to get to the championship game, but at the end of the season it did not matter because Auburn and Oregon posted undefeated seasons to get to the big game. Here is the tale of the tape...

Auburn is led by probable Heisman Trophy winner Cameron Newton. Cam has put up one of the best single seasons statistically in the history of the FBS, rivaling Tim Tebow of 2007. Newton has accounted for over 2500 passing yards, 1400 rushing yards and 20+ touchdowns both passing and running. Clearly offense will not be a problem for the Auburn Tigers, but defense maybe. The Auburn Defensive Secondary gave 3256 yards of passing offense this season, which put the Tigers in a few holes they had to dig themselves out of. Notably against Alabama who put up 377 yards and the first meeting against South Carolina who gave them 305 yards in the air. To me this begs of an offensive shootout, but I will get to that in a moment.

Oregon has a Heisman hopeful in LaMichael James, who led the Ducks in rushing with 1682 yards and 22 touchdowns. QB Darron Thomas wasn't too shabby either, accounting for 28 touchdowns and 2518 through the air. The Oregon offense was notorious for fast starts and then pulling away in the 4th quarter while the defense held its opponents to next to nothing. Honorable mention to the Oregon Duck mascot for doing as many push-ups as the scoreboard dictates.

Anyway, my prediction is Auburn in close offensive game. I think Cam Newton is going to have a Vince Young type moment, by winning the game in the final seconds.

Rose Bowl #5 Wisconsin Badgers v #3 TCU Horned Frogs

This game TCU has a chance to prove why they belong in the elite of college football this season. Their schedule was a tad weak, but they did what they were supposed to do and run right through it. TCU is transferring to the Big 12, so if they keep up their pace, they will get automatic bowl bids anyway, but a win against Wisconsin would do wonders for the resume.

Wisconsin won the Big 10 by virtue of a higher BCS ranking than Ohio State and Michigan State. They put up gaudy offensive numbers, scoring 82 against Indiana and 70 against Northwestern. A 3 headed rushing attack was the staple of the offense. Each running back had 10+ touchdowns and over 800 yards on the ground, amazing sharing the load like that.

My prediction is Wisconsin by at least 10 points. As good as TCU is, I think they will run into a culture shock against this Badger team.

Fiesta Bowl UCONN Huskies v #7 Oklahoma Sooners

This is one of those trap games for Oklahoma. The Sooners are in a position of if they win people will say, "They were supposed to take care of the Huskies...". If they lose, they will be the talk of the sports world, like they were when the Adrian Peterson led Sooners lost to Boise St. I do not envy the position the Sooners are in, but I think they will find a way to take care of business this year...

Orange Bowl #4 Stanford Cardinals v #13 Virgina Tech Hokies

Potential #1 NFL draft pick, QB Andrew Luck had a 3000 yard passing season and also threw 28 touchdowns for the Cardinals. In this day of the athletic QB who is run first/pass maybe, Luck proved that you can win in college football passing first and running as an option. I think that will be key, as the Hokies have proven to be vulnerable in the secondary when the bright lights are on. I respect what the Hokies have done, winning 11 in a row after a horrendous start, but I don't think Tyrod Taylor will be able to keep the points flowing against the Stanford defense. Prediction - Stanford Cardinals by 13+

Sugar Bowl #6 Ohio State Buckeyes v #8 Arkansas Razorbacks

Razorback QB Ryan Mallet as been another good NFL prospect this season, and I think he will perform well at the next level. In this game, however, I see the swarming Buckeye defense getting a hold of him and providing Terrelle Pryor and the offense with good field position enough times to get the win.

Well there it is...

- @lostherod is the Twitter handle, feel free to follow and debate on any sports topic

2010-2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Storylines

The road to the 2011 Final Four is underway and here are a few interesting story lines to keep an eye on as the season unfolds...

Can the Duke Blue Devils repeat as National Champions?

There is a very good possibility a repeat is on the horizon in Cameron due to the old adage, "Guard play is the key to NCAA Tournament success". This guard group is led by senior Nolan Smith, who could very easily win ACC Player of the year. Complimenting him is stud freshman Kyrie Iriving, who was the top rated PG coming out of high school and for good reason. I know they played Princeton, but 17pts and 9 assists isn't bad in a debut. Another piece in that guard play is Seth Curry, transfer from Liberty College that averaged 20 points as a freshman. Just for good measure, there is sharpshooting Andre Dawson who can come off the bench and easily knock down shots. Stellar guard play will probably be a Duke staple this year, but the front line has improved as well.

Another ACC player of the year candidate is Kyle Singler, but he can actually be a National Player of the Year candidate as well. Singler is complete college player as he can shoot from just about anywhere on the floor, create his own tough offense and can play defense. Miles and Mason Plumlee will add interior presence on the defensive end and clean up a few of those missed jump shots on the offensive end.

On the whole, it's tough to bet against Duke because they are such a well put together team, but we all know the Tournament is full of surprises.

Sticking with the ACC, will Harrison Barnes live up to the hype?

Harrison Barnes is a freshman at North Carolina that has been put into the perfect storm. North Carolina has been gutted by the NBA draft and is currently putting the pieces back together. Barnes has the potential to be a good scorer and be one and done in Chapel Hill. He has pretty good range and is quite explosive around the basket. UNC has a lot of work to do, finishing 10th in the ACC last season, but Barnes is the type of player that can elevate the play of his teammates.

The Big 10 Conference will be regarded as the best conference this season...

Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State were tops in the Big 10 last season with 14-4 conference records.

Purdue's major loss is Robbie Hummel, who tore is ACL in practice and is out for the season. I don't think it will hurt them too bad as they had to play without Hummel for at least half of last season as well. They should finish in the top 3 again this year.

Ohio State will have to deal with the loss of Evan Turner, last season's National Player of the Year. Look for David Lighty to make his mark, and keep OSU in the discussion around the top of the conference.

Michigan State is my pick to win the conference as long as senior guard Kalin Lucas stays healthy. Lucas probably would have left for the NBA last year, if it wasn't for injury. This brings opportunity for MSU because Lucas is a top 5 guard in the country and having him back will win the Big 10 and I'll even predict at least an Elite 8 showing.

The middle of the conference is packed with talent as well with Illinois, Wisconsin and watch out for a team who could make some noise in Northwestern.

Last thoughts...

Gonzaga's Stephen Gray will be a good story and probably win WCC Player of the Year.

Kentucky's Brandon Knight is John Calipari's next one and done, but his impact for the Wildcats is going to be something nice.

Syracuse will be a tournament problem...

- @lostherod is the Twitter Handle

Freshman Enes Kanter Ineligible For Kentucky Wildcats

Tough blow for the Kentucky Wildcats... Per this report on ESPN, Freshman big man Enes Kanter has been ruled out for this season due to illegal benefits he received while playing professionally in Turkey (no Iverson). Of course, Kentucky plans to appeal the NCAA's decision.

The 6'11 272 lb Kanter played three seasons professionally overseas and was expected to have a big impact on the Wildcats chances of replacing all of the talent that jumped to the NBA draft this summer. The report says Kanter was paid over $33k more than his expenses for the 2008-2009 season in Turkey.

The news is unfortunate for Kanter as he was playing professionally overseas to help prepare him to take his game to the states. The 18 year old forward/center is currently ranked #5 on ESPN's big board for the 2011 draft. If the ineligibly ruling sticks the best option for Kanter may be to just make the jump to the NBA, which he was probably going to do anyway.

Kentucky is currently ranked #11 in the nation. Still, it's hard for Kentucky to replace a 6-11 mobile big man in the middle. Best of luck to coach Calipari and the Wildcats this season.

-ALR

More Publicity, More Problems for Cameron Newton

Auburn University's Heisman candidate quarterback Cameron Newton is back in the news again for the wrong reasons, this time for allegedly cheating academically while back at Florida (see here for the report). Apparently Newton handed in a paper that was written by another student. After asked to resubmit the paper Newton turned in a paper that was purchased off the net. Cam apparently is better at ripping apart defenses than pulling a fast one on NCAA instructors.

Newton has already been in the news recently for reports surrounding his recruitment prior to attending Auburn, where it is rumored that his services were being offered for cash. These reports were preceded by a 2008 arrest for stealing a laptop while Newton was at Florida. Newton transferred to Binn College in TX before helping Auburn to a No. 2 ranking in the current BCS standings.

It seems as if the kid cannot stay out of trouble, which will not bode well or Newton's draft status should he consider to skip his senior season(which may be the best option for the 6'6 athlete). Whether or not these reports will hurt Newton's Heisman chances are unknown but they definitely won't help.

Make the jump for the money after the season Cam; then you can get paid for while doing whatever you want. Just try not to get caught.

-ALR

What I Learned This Sports Weekend

NCAAF

In the college football world, the focus was on the the 7 undefeateds in the BCS standings and who was going to fall and allow either Boise St or TCU into the National Championship game. Two of the teams did fall, Michigan St and Missouri, but those are not the two teams the BCS Busters need to have that shot. Right now it looks like Auburn and Oregon are on the way to that #1 vs #2 showdown, eventhough I kind of wish Boise St could get there and see if they are more than just an easy schedule team, I don't think they are.

Speaking of #1 Oregon and #2 Auburn, it looks like the Heisman Trophy may go to one of those schools. It looks like Auburn's super athlete QB Cameron Newton is the favorite at the moment with over 1000 yards in both rushing and passing, as well as over 10 touchdowns in each category, ridiculous stats. Second in line has to be Oregon's star runner LaMichael James, who has 1210 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Boise St's efficient QB Kellen Moore should be mention here as well, with 1800 yards/18 touchdowns/2 interceptions, but I think the schedule thing will hurt him in the end.

The last thing I learned in college football is that passing is becoming highly over-rated. It seems the spread offense and the zone reads are taking over. These athlete QB's are becoming all the rage. The Cam Newton's, Denard Robinson's and Terelle Pryor's just to name a few. There are some good passers left like, Andrew Luck, Jake Locker (at times), Ricky Stanzi and Kellen Moore, but the athletic run first be able to make the check down pass second is where it is.

NFL

In the get paid league, I learned the Kansas City Chiefs find ways to win games through the running game and special teams. I'm still not a believer in Matt Cassel, but he is getting the less than 200 yards through the air needed to help his team win, way to take the game out of his hands coach.

Calvin Johnson has improved his Top 5 WR standing, I would almost say he's 2nd best behind Andre Johnson. It's tough, but a case can be made.

The 5-2 Tampa Bay Bucs find ways to win too and schedule wise, they could easily go 11-6 on the season.

Horrible decision to bench Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman due to the "2-minute offense". I think my favorite tweet about it was, "I wouldn't trust Rex Grossman with the last 2-minutes of my microwave popcorn".

Lastly, Brett Farve played on the ankle very well until he was put out with laceration thing. Did anyone see Randy Moss jog out a pass that could have been caught for a TD?

NBA

I saw Derrick Rose, 39pts, and the Chicago Bulls erase a 20 point deficit and beat the Detroit Pistons by 10. It was amazing to watch and it could be trouble when Carlos Boozer is available.

The Los Angeles Lakers are undefeated, but it looks like they are coasting through these games. Andrew Bynum and Luke Walton out, and the Lakers are making this look easy. I credit the depth of the bench. We know what Kobe and Pau will give nightly, but the way Shannon Brown, Steve Blake and even Matt Barnes have been playing, it seems like there is no drop off in the offense and the defense gets picked up. Signs of 3-Peat...

Until they ran into the Lakers and before Stephen Curry went down, the Golden State Warriors were looking nice, even playing a little defense.

D Wade, 6 and the Heat seemed to shake out the opening game loss and have been on a tear. They smashed the Orlando Magic and put a beating on the New Jersey Nets. It looks like Mr Wade decided he's going to put his stamp on the early part of the season scoring wise and it seems to solve the chemistry issue (6 does have tons of turnovers trying to play pg).

That's all I got, oh there is the San Francisco Giants are close to winning the World Series and Tiger Woods isn't the world's #1 golfer anymore.

- @lostherod

Quick Hitters

I just wanted to give my thoughts on a couple of things from the sports weekend...

- Michael Vick had his chance to prove what he can do against a not so great defense when the Eagles played the Lions. He threw for almost 300yds, 2 scores and made things happen when some other QBs would have been sacked. I think the intangible here is that Vick is probably the most athletic person on the field and he has escapability. He has the ability to turn a 5yd loss into a 35yd gain or even a TD run. Vick also showed he can put great touch on the ball while back pedalling, it was a great play even though it ended up incomplete after review. Kevin Kolb is going to be the starter next week and he has his chance to prove what he can do against a slightly better Jaguar defense. Good luck to Sir Kolb cause Vick has proven so far, based on the eye test, he should be the starter this season.

- In college football, Houston Cougars lost two of their QB's over the weekend. Senior Case Keenum went down with a torn ACL trying to make a tackle. This sparks the "When to Make The Jump..." debate. Keenum, a Heisman hopeful, could have and should have, made the jump to the NFL after his JR season. He put up video game numbers in Houston's offense last season and probably would have re-written some of the record books this season. Now he is out for the season and has the road to recovery to embark on.

Personally, I am torn on this debate because there are some hopefuls who have no business leaving early. They get gassed up by their respective circle of advisers, get a payday and end up failing. At the same time there are others, like Keenum and Sam Bradford before him, who should make the leap to the NFL early but end up getting injured in their last college season. Looks like in the end the good payday outweighs the potential of being successful. Dah Well, hope recovery goes well for Mr Keenum and he is able to do some productive things in the NFL.

Los NCAAF Picks

Here are some afternoon/evening game picks for ish and giggles...

1 Albama to beat Duke
3 Boise State to beat Wyoming
4 TCU to beat Baylor
6 Texas to lose to Texas Tech (Upset Alert)
7 Oklahoma to beat Air Force (should be a good game)
8 Nebraska to lose to Washington (Out on a limb pick)
9 Iowa to lose to 24 Arizona
10 Florida to beat Tennessee
25 Oregon St to beat Louisville
Michigan St to beat Notre Dame

Next week I will base my picks on spreads, I just didn't feel like looking everything up this morning...

- @lostherod

Reggie Bush Gives Up Heisman

Say it ain't so Reggie! Per this report seen on espn.com, former USC and current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush has decided to give up the prestigious Heisman trophy he won for his on field performance back in 2005. This coming after the NCAA hit USC with sanctions for improper benefits Bush received as a student athlete during his time at the university.

After reading his statement that was released by the Saints organization, I can say that Bush handled the situation with as much class as can be expected. But let that be me in the same situation, and there is no way I am conceding an award that I earned with hard work and my exploits on the football field week in and week out. And if runner-up Vince Young puts on a publicity-laden campaign for the trophy I will lose what little respect I have left for the BCS/Heisman joke of committees.

USC athletics has had a tough last couple of months...

-ALR

Weekend Quick Hitters

The dubbed "Monster Saturday" for college football should have been the theme for the whole weekend in the sports world. I honestly think every sport had something going this past weekend, and I tells ya, it was great!!! Here are a few things that struck me from the eventful sports weekend...

- OSU's QB Terrelle Pryor is a superb athlete and coming into his own as a quarterback. He needs to work on the short game and some of the decision making to really set himself apart and get OSU to where they need to be, and that's national champs.

- Michigan QB Denard Robinson is what Rich Rodriquez has been waiting for. This kid knows what to do as far as reading blocks, hitting the right space to dart out TD runs and his passing isn't too shabby.

- Boise St was potentially robbed of a BCS National Championship berth due to the laugher Va Tech put up losing to James Madison. I am on record saying Boise St has a cupcake schedule and shouldn't get to go anyway, but I will say they do exactly what they are supposed to do, which is rip apart that cupcake schedule.

- I hope Carson Palmer doesn't keep a mental tab on how much he targets TO and Ocho. They both had 13, but Ocho put up monster numbers. Keeping them both happy and not winning will be an issue down in Cincy.

- Michael Vick should be Philly's starter. Kevin Kolb is not a bad QB by any stretch, I just think Vick will get the most out of that offense.

- Congrats to Kevin Durant and Team USA for winning the FIBA's. That was a very strong statement preparing for the 2012 Olympics.

- Oklahoma City Thunder will benefit the most from the Team USA experience. Kevin Durant took a huge step into becoming more than just a scoring champ and Russel Westbrook learned HOW to play gambling defense, rather than just doing it based on his athleticism.

- In local news your 3 contributors to this blog, @lostherod, @A_Ramsey, and @marcusjnorris, began the hoop season this past week. Best believe I, and hope they do to, will provide our own stats, successes and failures throughout the season. I know it's shameless, but dammit I wanna shine too!!!

- @lostherod

Quick Hitters NCAAF

It's that time of year sports fans... NCAA Football... The time for Mascots, bands, age old rivalries with region specific names (my favorite being the Biggest Cocktail Party in the South) and the exciting shoot out brand of football only the NCAA can bring in hopes of hoisting the BCS Championship.

This season is poised to bring plenty of excitement within the BCS schools because there is no clear cut favorite to turn in an undefeated season and get to that championship game outright. This season maybe one of the factors in voting for a playoff system within college football. I can see plenty of scenarios taking place similar to how Oklahoma beats Texas, but Texas beats Texas Tech who beat Oklahoma so Texas can get in the Big 12 title game. Tantalizing to say the least. So here are a few things to watch as this season goes...

Starting with a few schools in the top 10 from the Top 25 Poll as posted on espn.go.com.

- Will super-athlete Terrell Pryor lead THE Ohio State Buckeyes to the promised land? They have been picked as an early favorite to win it all.

- Will Alabama repeat as National Champs? My feeling is no, but QB Greg McElroy has a 0 in the win/loss column in his career that says otherwise.

- Will Boise State crash the National Championship game this year? They better not with that cupcake schedule. Ok ok, games against 2 ranked teams aren't bad, but their conference stinks.

- The new QB era begins for Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas... Replacing 2 time Heisman winner Jesus, this year's #1 pick in the NFL and the winningest QB in FBS history at those respective schools is a tall order for anyone.

- Lastly, will teams like Virgina Tech, Miami and Nebraska make a case for themselves when it is all said and done?

It will be an interesting season, I will be watching with my drink in one hand and some form of good saturday food in other. I will also post some predictions for those who like to make gentleman wagers with their buddies... Stay tuned

- @lostherod

NCAA Preseason Coaches Poll Released, Boise St. No. 5

Have the powers that be reconsidered their mid-major bias? The NCAA College Football Preseason Coaches Poll was released today. Alabama is ranked No. 1, no real surprise there. Four spots down, however, there is some reason for intrigue.

Boise State will start the season ranked No.5, a position they usually have to wait until the end of an undefeated season to reach. If they manage to make it to the end of this season undefeated, there is a real possibility that they'll play for the first national championship in the history of the program. The Broncos went 14-0 last season (although technically, I'd say this counts as a loss), winning the Fiesta Bowl, and will have 22 starters returning.

Stay tuned.

Hugs for Huggins

"I'm Huggins and I can't get up!"

West Virginia head basketball coach Bob Huggins might want to give up walking anywhere unsupervised, ever...

Every summer for the last 3 years Huggins has managed to injure himself worse than the year before, all self-inflicted. He's like a one-man 3 Stooges slapstick routine. In summer of 2008, trips off the tarmac in an airport while on the phone and cracks his noggin. In 2009, he walks into a door in the middle of the night and gets 2 shiners for his trouble. Now in 2010 Huggy takes "medication" on an empty stomach, falls down, goes boom and cracks seven ribs in the process. What's he going to do in 2011 to top these; take a casual stroll off the Grand Canyon? Someone needs to have a hidden camera crew follow him around every summer to catch his blunders on video (get on this, Comedy Central).

Bobby, you're a multi-millionaire. Please get on your "Diddy" and hire a personal assistant to walk for you!

-ALR

Blame It On The 'Lane'

This guy is definitely in a 'Lane' all his own.

All-American demeanor. Smoking hot wife. Says all the right things in the beginning. What's not to like about Lane Kiffin? (besides the fact that he hasn't won squat)

To own such a crappy winning record, this guy has mastered the art of landing high-profile head coaching positions that he is vastly underqualified for. Went from backup QB for Fresno State to USC's coaching staff during their dominant run in the early 2000's (eventually climbing to offensive coordinator for one of the best teams in CFB history). Then BAM; with no prior head coaching experience he's the youngest head coach in the modern NFL era (at the ripe young age of 31) and for one of the most storied franchises in the league, the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis even referred to him as "Lance".

Of course, the rebuilding 2007 Raiders (beginning of the JaMarcus Russell era, and we all know how that turned out) stumbled their way to a 4-12 record. To start the 2008 season, the Raiders again fall to a 1-3 record. Not happy, Al "Darth Vador" Davis (I'm half-convinced he isn't even alive. Have you seen this guy lately?) draws up a resignation letter for Kiffin to sign, which of course he refuses to. Then it's gets interesting, and borderline comical. Davis holds a press conference calling Lane Kiffin a "flat-out liar". Kiffin retaliates by saying "he's embarrased to be associated with Al Davis." I don't know about you, but I find public disputes in the media between two adults quite hilarious.

Fast forward 2 months later, and Kiffin (he of the 5-15 NFL coaching record) somehow lands the job to coach the prestigious Tennessee Volunteers, replacing the ousted Phil Fulmer (who in 20 seasons with the Vols amassed a 152-52 record and a Championship in 1998). In my opinion, the hiring was of Kiffin was made due to Tennessee needing a fresh young face to impress boosters, but that's just me. Kiffin begins his tenure at Tennessee by publicly challeging rivals as even goes as far to publicly accusing Florida's head coach Urban Meyer of tampering with a Volunteer recruit. All this before even winning a game! ESPN's Chris Low even reported that Kiffin once told a recruit that "if he chose the Gamecocks, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.” Reporters live for guys like this.

On the field, the Vols have an up & down season and finish with a subpar 7-6 record. A couple big wins with some head scratching losses thrown in the mix. After Pete Carroll jumps off the USC train before it crashes, Lane Kiffin all of a sudden leaves Tennessee in the middle of the night (literally) to become the head coach of the Trojans. But how?? The guy looks like a below average coach on paper and in the huddle! Maybe inheriting all of USC recruiting woes and NCAA violations will finally reveal if he can actually coach a football team to a winning record.

Until Sept. 2nd on ESPN, please keep the sound bites and appearances by your wife coming, 'Fast' Lane! We'll be watching...

-ALR