The Hamline Baseball team won their first game of the NCAA Midwest Regional today against St. Scholastica 3-2 in 13 innings. Cass Kreitlow went 12 tough innings for the Pipers. Rannon Arch shut down the Saints in the 13th to close out the game. They will play tomorrow against the home team UW-Whitewater at 4pm. You can follow the game HERE.
Believe it or not, this was the second 12 inning outing of the year for a Hamline starter. Casey Benford went 12 in a 1-0 victory over UW-Stout about two weeks ago.
I forgot to mention this before but this was the baseball teams first ever MIAC Championship. A huge accomplishment for Coach Jason Verdugo. When he first got here, guys came to practice in jeans and the team had worse equipment than the local Little League teams. This is great for our athletic department, hopefully it fuels some friendly competition amongst us coaches and players.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Is Durant a Younger Dirk?
Last night as I was watching the show that both Dirk and Durant put on I kept on thinking how these guys would be viewed if there roles were reversed. Let's say Durant was from Europe and Dirk was the American golden child. Or let's say that Durant came into the league first and Dirk was leading OKC to the Western Conference Finals.
Would Durant be labeled as Euro-soft? Though he is more athletic than Dirk but I could see it. He flops around quite a bit and generally gets calls. KD usually is content with taking jumpshots just like Dirk did when he was younger. I would say that right now KD is definitely more of a scorer than Dirk was at his age but Dirk's array of runners and fadeaways are unmatched by anyone that has ever played the game. Maybe KD will develop that in his game but I doubt it.
One thing I would like to mention is that both of these guys are unbelievable talents. I think Durant is a more athletic version of Dirk but there certainly are a lot of similarities between the two. Both are hovering around the 6'10" to 7'0" mark (I don't think either of them are that tall or at least 7 foot, but that's what everyone says), both are perimeter oriented, and both have skills that you don't see of guys their size. They both have an array of shots that are essentially unguardable.
After Dirk's performance of 48 points on 15 shots, 24-24 from line, the commentators were talking about him being a top 30 player in NBA history. That's a heck of a statement but if you look at his all time stats of 23ppg and 8.4rpg while shooting 48% from the floor, 38% from 3, and 88% from the line. I'm going to have to agree.
If you look at Durant's career stats as of right now his putting up a little more points and a little less rebounds while his shooting percentages are a little lower. I think as he continues to grow his stats will be better than Dirk's as a whole but it's a heck of an accomplishment for him to be put in the same group right now through his four year career.
Question is, who do you want to build your franchise around, Dirk or Durant?
Would Durant be labeled as Euro-soft? Though he is more athletic than Dirk but I could see it. He flops around quite a bit and generally gets calls. KD usually is content with taking jumpshots just like Dirk did when he was younger. I would say that right now KD is definitely more of a scorer than Dirk was at his age but Dirk's array of runners and fadeaways are unmatched by anyone that has ever played the game. Maybe KD will develop that in his game but I doubt it.
One thing I would like to mention is that both of these guys are unbelievable talents. I think Durant is a more athletic version of Dirk but there certainly are a lot of similarities between the two. Both are hovering around the 6'10" to 7'0" mark (I don't think either of them are that tall or at least 7 foot, but that's what everyone says), both are perimeter oriented, and both have skills that you don't see of guys their size. They both have an array of shots that are essentially unguardable.
After Dirk's performance of 48 points on 15 shots, 24-24 from line, the commentators were talking about him being a top 30 player in NBA history. That's a heck of a statement but if you look at his all time stats of 23ppg and 8.4rpg while shooting 48% from the floor, 38% from 3, and 88% from the line. I'm going to have to agree.
If you look at Durant's career stats as of right now his putting up a little more points and a little less rebounds while his shooting percentages are a little lower. I think as he continues to grow his stats will be better than Dirk's as a whole but it's a heck of an accomplishment for him to be put in the same group right now through his four year career.
Question is, who do you want to build your franchise around, Dirk or Durant?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Gay Athlete
As some of you know former Villanova basketball player Will Sheridan officially came out of the closet the other day along with Phoenix Suns' President Rick Welts. Welts became the first prominent figure in professional male sports to come out. I'm sure it was a very difficult thing to do especially the way sports are portrayed in the US by the media.
In the media, college and professional sports are considered to be a no holds barred area for homosexual bashing. Not that I've been around the locker room on a consistent basis for a while but I definitely don't think that is true especially when it comes to college athletics. I can't say for sure about the pros but I would think it's the same. Are there some things that are said in the locker room that wouldn't be said in public? You bet there is, but it's not to the extent that people think. In most cases it's just "busting each other's balls." Basically, it's just messing with each other as any family would do (well, at least my family).
Per usual, the media really doesn't have a clue what's going on. In the famous words of former Colts' GM Bill Tobin to "Draft Expert" Mel Kiper, "Have you ever put on a jock strap?" The media has very little access compared to what they use to so maybe when the team columnists traveled with the team they would know better but that just isn't the case anymore. It would be ignorant for me to say that there isn't gay bashing in the locker room but it isn't what people think.
Charles Barkley makes a couple of great points in this article. In all reality, I'm sure I've played with or coached someone that is gay. I don't really know and don't really care to be honest with you if they were gay or not. My job as a coach is to find the best basketball players I can, whether he be straight or gay. I also think that society has become much more excepting of male players coming out of the closet.
HERE is the article about Will Sheridan. I actually worked basketball camp at Villanova during Will's freshman season and he seemed like any other player on the team. The only exception was that all the campers booed him when ever he touched the ball when the players scrimmaged. Maybe the campers knew something that we didn't know at the time but that's highly unlikely. Throughout the article it talks about how his teammates where very accepting of him and his lifestyle. And it's not like he is that much different from anyone else. He likes men and many of his teammates like women, just about everything else they had in common. They were all at Villanova to get a degree, win a national championship, and to increase their chances of being successful after college.
On another note. The Hamline baseball team plays in the NCAA Regionals tomorrow against St. Scholastica at UW-Whitewater at 4pm Central Time. It's a six team regional with the winner heading to the D3 College World Series in Appleton, WI.
In the media, college and professional sports are considered to be a no holds barred area for homosexual bashing. Not that I've been around the locker room on a consistent basis for a while but I definitely don't think that is true especially when it comes to college athletics. I can't say for sure about the pros but I would think it's the same. Are there some things that are said in the locker room that wouldn't be said in public? You bet there is, but it's not to the extent that people think. In most cases it's just "busting each other's balls." Basically, it's just messing with each other as any family would do (well, at least my family).
Per usual, the media really doesn't have a clue what's going on. In the famous words of former Colts' GM Bill Tobin to "Draft Expert" Mel Kiper, "Have you ever put on a jock strap?" The media has very little access compared to what they use to so maybe when the team columnists traveled with the team they would know better but that just isn't the case anymore. It would be ignorant for me to say that there isn't gay bashing in the locker room but it isn't what people think.
Charles Barkley makes a couple of great points in this article. In all reality, I'm sure I've played with or coached someone that is gay. I don't really know and don't really care to be honest with you if they were gay or not. My job as a coach is to find the best basketball players I can, whether he be straight or gay. I also think that society has become much more excepting of male players coming out of the closet.
HERE is the article about Will Sheridan. I actually worked basketball camp at Villanova during Will's freshman season and he seemed like any other player on the team. The only exception was that all the campers booed him when ever he touched the ball when the players scrimmaged. Maybe the campers knew something that we didn't know at the time but that's highly unlikely. Throughout the article it talks about how his teammates where very accepting of him and his lifestyle. And it's not like he is that much different from anyone else. He likes men and many of his teammates like women, just about everything else they had in common. They were all at Villanova to get a degree, win a national championship, and to increase their chances of being successful after college.
On another note. The Hamline baseball team plays in the NCAA Regionals tomorrow against St. Scholastica at UW-Whitewater at 4pm Central Time. It's a six team regional with the winner heading to the D3 College World Series in Appleton, WI.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Cellcom Green Bay Marathon
As I sit here in my hotel room across the street from Lambeau Field, I realize that my life as a marathon runner is over. After yesterday's performance, I've decided to hang it up. My body is not built for the 26.2 mile trek that I did yesterday morning. I'll stick to 5k's, 10k's, and maybe half-marathons.
I arrived here in Green Bay on Saturday afternoon, picked up my "goodie" bag at the Lambeau Field Atrium and then headed to my hotel. I wasn't really sure what to expect. The race started at 7am with weather conditions were going to be ideal minus the 30 mile an hour winds. I didn't plan on the wind and had to buy a long sleeve shirt.
Saturday morning rolled around really quick and I was ready to go. The race started on Lombardi Ave, right in front of Lambeau. I found the three guys that were the pacesetters for the planned four hour marathon. Once the race got started, I was caught in the middle of the roughly 8000 half and full marathoners and it took a solid two minutes to get to the start line. I felt really good right from the get-go. I decided I wasn't going to listen to music until I started struggling and needed a boost.
As we ran through the streets of Green Bay, I was surprised by the support of the community. It was great to see all the people out in lawn chairs and some even drinking beer (Welcome to Wisconsin moment). I had a little potty break about 5 miles in and then had to catch up with the four hour group and then caught a a groove. After the half marathoners split with us, we headed for the river and that is where the pain began. Not quite the type of pain you would think of though. The wind was so intense that it forced me to really concentrate on not falling over.
I finally put some tunes on at the 13 mile mark and actually went ahead of the four hour group. I was feeling good and the music was definitely helping. We ran along the river for what seemed like forever and it wasn't easy. The wind brutal and I was trying to draft a little bit but it didn't matter. Right around the 19 mile mark the four hour group caught up with me and I tagged along but not for long. I think I lasted with them until the 21 mile mark.
Between the 21 and 24 mile mark I really struggled. My feet were throbbing and my legs weren't responding like I wanted to. Going in my longest run was 17 miles so this wasn't unexpected but I thought I could and would fight through it. I certainly didn't. Through these mile markers I probably walked 3/4 of the way and lost a lot of time. I tried to run a couple of times and there wasn't much left.
Right before the 25 mile mark I could finally see Lambeau again and all of a sudden my body decided I could run again. I caught a great song to finish to in "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (check out this father and daughter cover HERE). So I had I smile on my face as I ran towards Lambeau. Little did I know that we were headed for the tunnel and I was able to run a lap around the actually field. It was a pretty surreal moment. After the running around the field (I could've done the Lambeau Leap but legs said no thanks) I headed back to the tunnel and to the finish line.
I officially finished the marathon at 4:14 and 30 seconds. It was a Personal Record for me and I was excited about that though I didn't break four hours. I then headed back to the hotel (it's a couple of blocks away) and got some food and fluids back in me as I laid on the floor with my legs elevated on the bed. Overall, It was a good experience but I'll never be to feel the joy (or pain) of finishing another marathon.
Edit: Just got an email from the organizers that everyone ran a little over 800 feet further than the regular 26.2 miles. So I'll get the adjusted time here soon and it will be a little better than what I thought.
Now back to St. Paul to congratulate the baseball team on winning the MIAC Championship yesterday. I believe they will play the regionals at UW-Whitewater starting on Tuesday.
I arrived here in Green Bay on Saturday afternoon, picked up my "goodie" bag at the Lambeau Field Atrium and then headed to my hotel. I wasn't really sure what to expect. The race started at 7am with weather conditions were going to be ideal minus the 30 mile an hour winds. I didn't plan on the wind and had to buy a long sleeve shirt.
Saturday morning rolled around really quick and I was ready to go. The race started on Lombardi Ave, right in front of Lambeau. I found the three guys that were the pacesetters for the planned four hour marathon. Once the race got started, I was caught in the middle of the roughly 8000 half and full marathoners and it took a solid two minutes to get to the start line. I felt really good right from the get-go. I decided I wasn't going to listen to music until I started struggling and needed a boost.
As we ran through the streets of Green Bay, I was surprised by the support of the community. It was great to see all the people out in lawn chairs and some even drinking beer (Welcome to Wisconsin moment). I had a little potty break about 5 miles in and then had to catch up with the four hour group and then caught a a groove. After the half marathoners split with us, we headed for the river and that is where the pain began. Not quite the type of pain you would think of though. The wind was so intense that it forced me to really concentrate on not falling over.
I finally put some tunes on at the 13 mile mark and actually went ahead of the four hour group. I was feeling good and the music was definitely helping. We ran along the river for what seemed like forever and it wasn't easy. The wind brutal and I was trying to draft a little bit but it didn't matter. Right around the 19 mile mark the four hour group caught up with me and I tagged along but not for long. I think I lasted with them until the 21 mile mark.
Between the 21 and 24 mile mark I really struggled. My feet were throbbing and my legs weren't responding like I wanted to. Going in my longest run was 17 miles so this wasn't unexpected but I thought I could and would fight through it. I certainly didn't. Through these mile markers I probably walked 3/4 of the way and lost a lot of time. I tried to run a couple of times and there wasn't much left.
Right before the 25 mile mark I could finally see Lambeau again and all of a sudden my body decided I could run again. I caught a great song to finish to in "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (check out this father and daughter cover HERE). So I had I smile on my face as I ran towards Lambeau. Little did I know that we were headed for the tunnel and I was able to run a lap around the actually field. It was a pretty surreal moment. After the running around the field (I could've done the Lambeau Leap but legs said no thanks) I headed back to the tunnel and to the finish line.
I officially finished the marathon at 4:14 and 30 seconds. It was a Personal Record for me and I was excited about that though I didn't break four hours. I then headed back to the hotel (it's a couple of blocks away) and got some food and fluids back in me as I laid on the floor with my legs elevated on the bed. Overall, It was a good experience but I'll never be to feel the joy (or pain) of finishing another marathon.
Edit: Just got an email from the organizers that everyone ran a little over 800 feet further than the regular 26.2 miles. So I'll get the adjusted time here soon and it will be a little better than what I thought.
Now back to St. Paul to congratulate the baseball team on winning the MIAC Championship yesterday. I believe they will play the regionals at UW-Whitewater starting on Tuesday.
Friday, May 13, 2011
NBA Playoffs
Like I said before, this year's playoffs has been fantastic. Great games, great individual performances, big time plays by unheralded guys. I'm loving it. Obviously, there have been some things that have concerned me and I might just bring them up in today's glorious blog.
I was watching Game 5 of the Heat-Celtics series and it was a battle. The Heat prevailed with The Decisionmaker (Lebron, for those that couldn't figure it out) making a bunch of big plays in the last two minutes. Quite a performance for sure. I did notice a bunch of different things after this round completed.
1) The Heat celebrated like they won the NBA Championship. Just to get the facts straight, they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals as the favorite over the Celtics. The Celtics weren't 100% with having Rondo severely hurt from a couple of games before. Tough to put other guys in crunch time when they haven't done it all year. The Decisionmaker was on his knee like he was joining Tim Tebow in prayer after scoring a touchdown. It wasn't just one of those "Thank God" kneels either, it was one of those where I think he prayed to Buddha, Confucius, Allah, and Blake Lively (a top of the line goddess). They are supposed to win that series. Good thing Chris Bosh didn't get caught up in the moment like he did in the Heat's only loss of the series.
2) Did anyone else notice all of the Celtics except Ray Allen and Delonte West just straight bounce to the locker room after the game? In a society where everyone talks about sportsmanship all the time and none of their guys got ridiculed at all. Lebron did the same thing last year or the year before and he got killed for it. A little double standard on that...
3) Could ABC show Rondo's injury another 754 times. Yeah, it was gross and the elbow shouldn't bend that way, but come on, I don't need to see it from 7 different angles.
4) How in the world is Kevin Garnett still on the NBA All Defensive Team? He was a very good defender but that certainly isn't the case anymore. I know he's a veteran and it's culmination of his career but Tyson Chandler should be bumped up from the 2nd team. He transformed the Mavs into a title contender with his toughness. KG looked like nothing but an old dude all year. Enough that he had to resort to THIS. Too many miles on those legs for him to be dominant defender.
In other news, I'm heading out on Saturday to Green Bay, WI for my second marathon to be run on Sunday. Looking forward to beating the crap out of my legs for 26.2 miles in hopefully a little less than four hours. It starts and finishes in the parking lot of Lambeau Field. I was hoping to make the Lambeau Leap after I finish but I think that's highly unlikely. I just might have to wear my Lions hat to make the Cheeseheads mad.
I was watching Game 5 of the Heat-Celtics series and it was a battle. The Heat prevailed with The Decisionmaker (Lebron, for those that couldn't figure it out) making a bunch of big plays in the last two minutes. Quite a performance for sure. I did notice a bunch of different things after this round completed.
1) The Heat celebrated like they won the NBA Championship. Just to get the facts straight, they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals as the favorite over the Celtics. The Celtics weren't 100% with having Rondo severely hurt from a couple of games before. Tough to put other guys in crunch time when they haven't done it all year. The Decisionmaker was on his knee like he was joining Tim Tebow in prayer after scoring a touchdown. It wasn't just one of those "Thank God" kneels either, it was one of those where I think he prayed to Buddha, Confucius, Allah, and Blake Lively (a top of the line goddess). They are supposed to win that series. Good thing Chris Bosh didn't get caught up in the moment like he did in the Heat's only loss of the series.
2) Did anyone else notice all of the Celtics except Ray Allen and Delonte West just straight bounce to the locker room after the game? In a society where everyone talks about sportsmanship all the time and none of their guys got ridiculed at all. Lebron did the same thing last year or the year before and he got killed for it. A little double standard on that...
3) Could ABC show Rondo's injury another 754 times. Yeah, it was gross and the elbow shouldn't bend that way, but come on, I don't need to see it from 7 different angles.
4) How in the world is Kevin Garnett still on the NBA All Defensive Team? He was a very good defender but that certainly isn't the case anymore. I know he's a veteran and it's culmination of his career but Tyson Chandler should be bumped up from the 2nd team. He transformed the Mavs into a title contender with his toughness. KG looked like nothing but an old dude all year. Enough that he had to resort to THIS. Too many miles on those legs for him to be dominant defender.
In other news, I'm heading out on Saturday to Green Bay, WI for my second marathon to be run on Sunday. Looking forward to beating the crap out of my legs for 26.2 miles in hopefully a little less than four hours. It starts and finishes in the parking lot of Lambeau Field. I was hoping to make the Lambeau Leap after I finish but I think that's highly unlikely. I just might have to wear my Lions hat to make the Cheeseheads mad.
Monday, May 9, 2011
NBA Draft Entries
Yesterday, I talked about the NBA Draft and how some kids flat out make mistakes and make the wrong decision either way. I forgot the deadline to officially enter the draft was last night at 9pm, I'm going to write a little bit about some guys that I thought made some questionable decisions.
Shelvin Mack - Butler
I'm not shocked that he entered but he doesn't have exactly have what the NBA looks for. He isn't a great athlete per NBA standards. He did play really well during the NCAA Tourney and did really well with USA Basketball last summer. My guess is that he is a middle second rounder though I think he'll be a decent NBA player.
Cory Joseph - Texas
Follows two other Texas guys in the draft with Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson. I was hoping he would join forces with Thompson and incoming Myck Kabongo to form the Canadian connection for the Longhorns. Apparently the Joseph's (his brother is former Gopher Devoe Joseph) don't like coaching. Not sure if he'll be drafted.
Carleton Scott - Notre Dame
Had a great year last year for the Fighting Irish. More of a tweener at the NBA level. Was a 4th year junior this past year and is graduating. Probably didn't want to stick around for a little rebuilding that ND will go through. Not an NBA player, will probably head to Europe.
Jeremy Green - Stanford
Honestly don't remember him at all while watching some Pac10 games this year. He was the Cardinal's leading scorer the 2nd half of the year for a team that was 15-16. From my understanding he was suspended from school for academic reasons and that is probably why he is leaving. Late second round to not drafted.
Terrance Jennings - Louisville
Was considered an Amare Stoudamire clone in high school. Not so many anymore. Certainly has explosiveness but hasn't developed like he should've. Too many people in his ear. Probably thought with Sullinger, Perry Jones, John Henson, and Harrison Barnes staying in college that this was his best shot. Late second to undrafted, probably hoping for a Samardo Samuels like experience. He went undrafted and got minutes for a crappy Cavs team this year.
DeAndre Liggins - Kentucky
Was tabbed a big point guard coming out of high school. Not exactly the case once he got to Kentucky but has developed under Coach Calipari. He can now make jumpshots and made some big ones in the tourney. Has an NBA frame and is a good defender but I don't think he's ready yet. Has to be a Tony Allen type player but Allen has a lot more 'mean' in him. Late second round to undrafted.
Ralph Sampson III - Minnesota
I've thought all along that he was soft and wasn't better than Colton Iverson but was given every opportunity because of his name. Have fun in Europe or the D-League. (Edit - Apparently he is returning to Minnesota, he still isn't any good. He is not a NBA player period)
Darius Morris - Michigan
Numbers jumped through the roof for his sophomore year. Led the overachieving team to a NCAA berth. Played really well in some big games for them. His confidence is at an all time high but I don't think he's ready. He isn't a very good shooter though his numbers were drastically better. If he can pick up Beilein's offense, the NBA shouldn't be a problem. Intriguing because he's a 6'3-6'4" point. Late first round to middle second.
Josh Selby - Kansas
Was All World coming out of high school. Was suspended by the NCAA for the first bunches of games. Hit the game winner and was leading scorer in his debut vs. USC and that was about all we heard from him the rest of the year. He was surrounded by a lot of veterans that had a ton of experience and he was left in the background. I'm sure people are still intrigued by him because of what he did at the high school level. He's a strong, physical combo guard. My guess is he goes in the 20s in the first round but I've been seeing that he is still a late lottery guy.
It's definitely going to be interesting to see if and where these guys fall. Like I said in the last update, a lot of people are these guys ear telling them how great they are. Could be interesting when they don't get a call on draft day.
Draftexpress is considered the standard when it comes to the draft. I'm not a big fan of their site as far as their format is concerned but their guy does a lot of work and seems to have a pretty good gauge of what's going on.
Shelvin Mack - Butler
I'm not shocked that he entered but he doesn't have exactly have what the NBA looks for. He isn't a great athlete per NBA standards. He did play really well during the NCAA Tourney and did really well with USA Basketball last summer. My guess is that he is a middle second rounder though I think he'll be a decent NBA player.
Cory Joseph - Texas
Follows two other Texas guys in the draft with Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson. I was hoping he would join forces with Thompson and incoming Myck Kabongo to form the Canadian connection for the Longhorns. Apparently the Joseph's (his brother is former Gopher Devoe Joseph) don't like coaching. Not sure if he'll be drafted.
Carleton Scott - Notre Dame
Had a great year last year for the Fighting Irish. More of a tweener at the NBA level. Was a 4th year junior this past year and is graduating. Probably didn't want to stick around for a little rebuilding that ND will go through. Not an NBA player, will probably head to Europe.
Jeremy Green - Stanford
Honestly don't remember him at all while watching some Pac10 games this year. He was the Cardinal's leading scorer the 2nd half of the year for a team that was 15-16. From my understanding he was suspended from school for academic reasons and that is probably why he is leaving. Late second round to not drafted.
Terrance Jennings - Louisville
Was considered an Amare Stoudamire clone in high school. Not so many anymore. Certainly has explosiveness but hasn't developed like he should've. Too many people in his ear. Probably thought with Sullinger, Perry Jones, John Henson, and Harrison Barnes staying in college that this was his best shot. Late second to undrafted, probably hoping for a Samardo Samuels like experience. He went undrafted and got minutes for a crappy Cavs team this year.
DeAndre Liggins - Kentucky
Was tabbed a big point guard coming out of high school. Not exactly the case once he got to Kentucky but has developed under Coach Calipari. He can now make jumpshots and made some big ones in the tourney. Has an NBA frame and is a good defender but I don't think he's ready yet. Has to be a Tony Allen type player but Allen has a lot more 'mean' in him. Late second round to undrafted.
Ralph Sampson III - Minnesota
I've thought all along that he was soft and wasn't better than Colton Iverson but was given every opportunity because of his name. Have fun in Europe or the D-League. (Edit - Apparently he is returning to Minnesota, he still isn't any good. He is not a NBA player period)
Darius Morris - Michigan
Numbers jumped through the roof for his sophomore year. Led the overachieving team to a NCAA berth. Played really well in some big games for them. His confidence is at an all time high but I don't think he's ready. He isn't a very good shooter though his numbers were drastically better. If he can pick up Beilein's offense, the NBA shouldn't be a problem. Intriguing because he's a 6'3-6'4" point. Late first round to middle second.
Josh Selby - Kansas
Was All World coming out of high school. Was suspended by the NCAA for the first bunches of games. Hit the game winner and was leading scorer in his debut vs. USC and that was about all we heard from him the rest of the year. He was surrounded by a lot of veterans that had a ton of experience and he was left in the background. I'm sure people are still intrigued by him because of what he did at the high school level. He's a strong, physical combo guard. My guess is he goes in the 20s in the first round but I've been seeing that he is still a late lottery guy.
It's definitely going to be interesting to see if and where these guys fall. Like I said in the last update, a lot of people are these guys ear telling them how great they are. Could be interesting when they don't get a call on draft day.
Draftexpress is considered the standard when it comes to the draft. I'm not a big fan of their site as far as their format is concerned but their guy does a lot of work and seems to have a pretty good gauge of what's going on.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
NBA Draft
I know the Draft isn't until the middle of June of but I figured I would throw some ideas into the mix. The deadline to officially put your name in the draft just passed on May 8th and a few guys decided to pull their names out and a few put their names in. It's a very interesting balance that these guys need to find in order to put themselves in the correct position for them to be the most successful.
It seems like every year a boatload of kids declare for the draft to try and figure out where they stand with NBA personnel. It's not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination but it's what is in place. I'm not a fan of the whole draft process because of the way it's structured. I don't have an issue with guys going straight from high school to the pros. If you are good enough to play in the NBA you should be given every opportunity to play there. I think the NBA should change the age minimum rule and let the high school kids go if they want and then force the kids that go to college to stay there a minimum of two years. This one year system is extremely flawed.
MLB lets you get drafted after high school, after JUCO, and then after your third year of college. There are a couple of rules in the mix as well and that system works for them. They also have a great minor league system that allows these kids to develop over the course of time. The NFL doesn't allow you enter the draft until three after your high school graduation. Both MLB and the NHL make you automatically eligible for the draft based off your year in school or age. So, if you are aren't drafted then you are eligible to be signed by any team.
There are quite a few horror stories about guys declaring and not getting drafted or not getting drafted where they can get guarantee money. There has been a couple of high school guys that thought they were ready for the big time and according the NBA they weren't. These guys were Korleone Young, Ousmane Cissi, and Tony Key. I believe Young was at least drafted by the Pistons but didn't make it. There have been a fair share of college guys that have left early and didn't get drafted as well. It's a tough balance for these guys as with many of them, their family is relying on them for financial support and they have no other choice. Sometimes, too many people are in their ear and telling them our great they are. In reality, they aren't ready at the time or will never be ready.
Two example of players leaving early and then not getting drafted where they wanted are Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer. Both of these guys were drafted in the second round. And obviously, they have had successful NBA careers and have made teams look stupid for not drafting them. Being a second round pick could be better for you financially because you wouldn't be locked into the rookie salary cap and are able to get to free agency quicker. The major issue is that the contract isn't guaranteed, so the team isn't locked in to your contract.
There have also been some times when a player didn't leave early at the right time and it ended up costing them a chance to make significant money in the NBA. Brett Nelson is a perfect example. He was great as a combo guard at Florida during his sophomore and his stock was really high. He choose to head back to school and eventually never played in the NBA. He still had a great college career but he could've had an extreme amount of money and didn't get anything. Sometimes you have go when the fire is hot.
Five potential lottery picks decided against heading to the the draft this year. John Henson and Harrison Barnes from UNC, Terrance Jones from Kentucky, Perry Jones from Baylor, and Jared Sullinger from Ohio State all decided that another year of college would do them good for their development. I think if you are a lottery pick it's a no brainer to leave college. These guys all thought differently and I commend them for it. It will make next year's draft very good one.
It seems like every year a boatload of kids declare for the draft to try and figure out where they stand with NBA personnel. It's not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination but it's what is in place. I'm not a fan of the whole draft process because of the way it's structured. I don't have an issue with guys going straight from high school to the pros. If you are good enough to play in the NBA you should be given every opportunity to play there. I think the NBA should change the age minimum rule and let the high school kids go if they want and then force the kids that go to college to stay there a minimum of two years. This one year system is extremely flawed.
MLB lets you get drafted after high school, after JUCO, and then after your third year of college. There are a couple of rules in the mix as well and that system works for them. They also have a great minor league system that allows these kids to develop over the course of time. The NFL doesn't allow you enter the draft until three after your high school graduation. Both MLB and the NHL make you automatically eligible for the draft based off your year in school or age. So, if you are aren't drafted then you are eligible to be signed by any team.
There are quite a few horror stories about guys declaring and not getting drafted or not getting drafted where they can get guarantee money. There has been a couple of high school guys that thought they were ready for the big time and according the NBA they weren't. These guys were Korleone Young, Ousmane Cissi, and Tony Key. I believe Young was at least drafted by the Pistons but didn't make it. There have been a fair share of college guys that have left early and didn't get drafted as well. It's a tough balance for these guys as with many of them, their family is relying on them for financial support and they have no other choice. Sometimes, too many people are in their ear and telling them our great they are. In reality, they aren't ready at the time or will never be ready.
Two example of players leaving early and then not getting drafted where they wanted are Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer. Both of these guys were drafted in the second round. And obviously, they have had successful NBA careers and have made teams look stupid for not drafting them. Being a second round pick could be better for you financially because you wouldn't be locked into the rookie salary cap and are able to get to free agency quicker. The major issue is that the contract isn't guaranteed, so the team isn't locked in to your contract.
There have also been some times when a player didn't leave early at the right time and it ended up costing them a chance to make significant money in the NBA. Brett Nelson is a perfect example. He was great as a combo guard at Florida during his sophomore and his stock was really high. He choose to head back to school and eventually never played in the NBA. He still had a great college career but he could've had an extreme amount of money and didn't get anything. Sometimes you have go when the fire is hot.
Five potential lottery picks decided against heading to the the draft this year. John Henson and Harrison Barnes from UNC, Terrance Jones from Kentucky, Perry Jones from Baylor, and Jared Sullinger from Ohio State all decided that another year of college would do them good for their development. I think if you are a lottery pick it's a no brainer to leave college. These guys all thought differently and I commend them for it. It will make next year's draft very good one.
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