Month: March 2007 (Page 3 of 12)

      Falcons trading up for Calvin Johnson? Slow down…

      March 25, 2007 /

      Let me start off by saying that anything could happen regarding the NFL Draft and absolutely nothing is guaranteed. However, since Atlanta traded Matt Schaub to the Texans, all I’ve heard is how it will now trade up for Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

      Okay, lets stop all the Michael Vick to Calvin Johnson thoughts for a second and actually think about this: 1) The Falcons don’t have much cap room, so trading up and spending loads of money on the second overall pick isn’t ideal for the future. 2) Michael Jenkins and Roddy White are former #1 picks themselves, so Atlanta is going to exhaust every option before investing yet another high draft pick on wide receiver. 3) Joe Horn was just given a four-year, $19 million contract and Brian Finneran (Vick’s favorite target behind TE Alge Crumpler) is healthy again. 5) Unless in all of my draft research I missed that Johnson can play safety, defensive end and offensive line, the Falcons have much bigger needs than wide receiver. 6) Many believe that no receiver will make a difference as long as Michael Vick is at quarterback, so why waste extra picks?

      Many teams – the Lions come to mind – try to build from the outside in, meaning the skill positions are sought after first. How many examples do we need that defense wins championships? Or at the very least, defenses keep teams competitive? If Johnson was the missing piece for a Falcon Super Bowl, I could foresee them making that move. However, I think Atlanta GM Rich McKay is smart enough to know he’s many pieces away from a championship and therefore will take a pass on Johnson.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      USC meltdown, Ducks survive

      March 23, 2007 /

      The Tar Heels came back from a 16-point deficit behind some terrific offensive rebounding by Marcus Ginyard. Despite all of Billy Packer’s second-guessing, Roy Williams stuck with his gameplan and his team took advantage of a series of careless turnovers, bad shots and failed box outs by the Trojans to get back into the game. I’m not sure that I remember seeing a team look so good and so bad in the same game. (I’m talking about USC, but the statement could also apply to North Carolina.) Apparently, USC head coach Tim Floyd agrees with me, based on his own meltdown at the end of the game. He tossed some tickets onto the court, which drew a technical with under a minute to play. Packer berated him for the outburst, but the game was basically over.

      Meanwhile, the Ducks dominated UNLV for most of the game, getting out to a 58-40 lead, but the Runnin’ Rebels rallied to a 76-72 loss.

      For all the parity in college basketball, the Elite Eight are made up of four #1 seeds (Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.), three #2 seeds (Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA) and a #3 seed (Oregon). The SEC, the Big Ten, the Big Twelve, the ACC, the Big East and Conference USA all have one team remaining, while the Pac-10 has two teams.

      Saturday and Sunday feature some great matchups. Expect all eight teams to lay it on the line with a trip to the Final Four hanging in the balance.

      College Basketball, March Madness, Television

      Florida, Georgetown advance

      March 23, 2007 /

      Boy, it really looked like G-Town was going down. After back-to-back-to-back dumb fouls (with the lead!) by the Hoyas, Vanderbilt jumped ahead by one point with 0:16 on the clock. During the three previous possessions, Georgetown (for some reason) refused to get the ball to Big East POY Jeff Green, instead electing to take off the dribble jumpers. But on the last possession, they got the ball to Green in the post and he delivered. He got away with a travel, but he delivered.

      Florida outlasted a tough Butler squad. They continue to find ways to win down the stretch, but they don’t utilize Al Horford enough. If everyone declares for the draft, I think Horford is the third best prospect after Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

      College Basketball, March Madness

      Top seeds survive

      March 23, 2007 /

      Man, the Buckeyes just keep playing with fire. Down 20 in the first half, they stormed back early in the second and were able to sneak past the Volunteers to advance to the Elite Eight. You have to like the “sticktoitiveness” they’ve shown over the last two games, but if they get down big against Georgetown, Florida or Kansas, it’s doubtful that those teams will let them back in the game.

      Two other top seeds – #1 Kansas and #2 Memphis – dodged bullets as well. If not for two blown (moderately contested) layups by Texas A&M, the Aggies would be facing the Buckeyes on Saturday. I thought this would be a 8-10 point win for A&M, but the Tigers showed some poise in crunch time despite having a regular season schedule where only six games were decided by fewer than 10 points.

      Southern Illinois gave Kansas a great run, and it just goes to show how a stout defense will keep you in games. Hats off to Chris Lowery, who will probably get a few job offers after his team’s march into the Sweet Sixteen.

      College Basketball, March Madness

      McRoberts declares for draft

      March 23, 2007 /

      Yesterday, Duke sophomore Josh McRoberts declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft.

      “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have had here at Duke,” McRoberts said. “This was a difficult decision, but I feel it is the best one for me and my family at this point in time. I will miss Duke, the coaching staff and my teammates, but it has always been goal of mine to play in the NBA.”

      I’m surprised by this decision. As the 2005-06 season closed, McRoberts was projected to be a top 5 to top 10 pick, but his play this season has been spotty and most of the mock drafts seem to have him in the 10-20 range. He can jump out of the gym and has great speed for a big man, but he hasn’t developed at Duke as much as expected. Christian Laettner and Danny Ferry were more productive with half of McRoberts’ natural ability. Scouts love his athleticism, but for him to be a star in the NBA, he’s going to have to develop a more polished post game and a good 15′ jumper. The Blue Devils couldn’t rely on either this season.

      For Duke, this decision could be a blessing in disguise. Patrick Patterson, the #4 PF in the country and the top high school player still uncommitted, was perhaps waiting for McRoberts to declare before committing to Duke. He’s expected to make a decision soon.

      College Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑