unverified voracity
nico collins
jordan poole
2018-19 michigan state #1
fran mccaffery
wisconsin
transfers
larry scott
people in charge of things are just in charge of them for no reason
draft and follow
emil ohrvall
hockey recruiting
nba draft
[Eric Upchurch]

Unverified Voracity Has Many Normal Ones All In A Row Comment Count

Brian February 27th, 2019 at 5:22 PM

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Yikes. Jordan Poole's defensive game against MSU left a lot to be desired:

That reel doesn't include a one-and-one Poole gave up to Henry by playing him too tight, as well.

While that's extremely disappointing Poole shut off Gabe Kalscheur, who was just 1/3 from deep in the prior game. It's not that he can't do it, it's that he's really inconsistent at both ends right now.

Iowa-Northwestern is the Having A Normal One Championship Of The World. Irate man yells thing!

Irate man has been suspended for two games. Both McCaffrey and his son were called for technicals in a short span of time, thus setting the above off. Chris Holtmann got one for OSU as well. Nobody has seen fit to put video of the techs on the internet, which… why are we even here? If we're not going to get Zapruder takes on McCaffrey ejections?

Kind of a big transfer. Alex Hornibrook is gone from Wisconsin.

He entered the transfer portal so this isn't a retirement, but maybe Wisconsin wouldn't clear him after concussion issues? I don't think there's any way they would have processed the guy. Jack Coan averaged 5.5 YPC in about 100 attempts replacing him, and it felt worse than that to watch the guy. Wisconsin is bringing in Graham Mertz, who's about the top QB prospect they've ever recruited, but nobody's chasing off a senior returning starter for a true freshman who's just a real good prospect and not Trevor Lawrence.

[After THE JUMP: the internet is nice to a wide receiver]

The one person who has not been ripped on the internet for having bad hands. I mean, probably. Never put anything past the internet:

We should definitely throw the ball more next year. Air Raid this offense yo.

[UPDATE: sure enough, MGoSlack found two incidents in which I dinged Collins, so the person on the internet is me. The internet is coming from inside the house.]

Someone is just in charge of the Pac-12. Larry Scott is the Michael Scott of college football.

The Pac-12 doesn’t have a real peer as an athletic conference. It postures like a Power Five Conference member, but doesn’t perform like one in major sports. And the Pac-12 Network isn’t ESPN, which has 86 million subscribers. With only 17.9 million subscribers, the Pac-12 Network is more comparable to Comedy.TV.

Two sources familiar with “conference policy” on internal auditing told me that the annual internal Pac-12 audit of finances isn’t an extensive probe. Rather, it’s a cursory check to make sure the numbers add up.

The Pac-12 operation is ripe for a comprehensive examination. And the conference is inviting one by opening the door for a private-equity firm.

Said one high-ranking Pac-12 employee with knowledge of the expense and salary structure: “If you asked me to do some quick math, and you told me we needed to find $10 million a year in savings, it would take me three minutes.”

The Pac-12 is vastly behind its competitors in conference distributions and Scott's idea of a way out is selling a big chunk of the conference to private equity. This is a mindboggling attempt to make good on some of the outlandish promises Scott made to get his job, which pays him millions he hasn't earned.

Draft and follow. The Ringer surveys the landscape now that the NBA has formally proposed getting rid of the one and done rule. NBA folks don't actually want to use the G-league as a developmental path, it seems:

Teams would benefit from this type of rule, too. It’s common for NBA front offices to draft and stash prospects overseas so they can develop without franchises having to lose their draft rights and cost-controlled years. This change would have a similar impact, but instead of a draftee playing in Spain or Fort Wayne, Indiana, he’d have the option to go back to school.

While college basketball is imperfect, many executives prefer it to other methods of player development; the facilities are often top-notch, and a large number of games at premier schools have high stakes. Even Silver said in 2017 that “going to these great college programs is the better path to the NBA.” Teams and owners would naturally want their hands on prospects sooner, but in some instances, it may be more beneficial for the team if the player is stashed.

I've posted on this a couple times: all parties are best served by a model much closer to hockey's. Hockey's model isn't perfect since it tends to encourage teams to sign players even if they have little intention of playing them in the NHL. The MGoBlog draft and follow idea, one more time:

  • All undrafted D-I players are automatically entered in the draft annually. This means they retain their eligiblity.
  • Teams who want to sign college players commit to carrying them on their main roster until a year after they'd graduate. (IE, it's a five year deal for someone straight out of high school and a two-year deal for a college junior.)
  • Drafted players can play summer league.
  • Draft expands to 4 or 5 rounds.

NBA teams should be able to pay their draftees some amount of money and they should be able to sign with agents, but that's up to the NCAA. The bullets are things the NBA can do without having to convince the NCAA of anything—drafted college players regularly go to summer training camps for their NHL teams, although they stupidly have to pay their own way.

That system allows Zion Williamson to skip college like he should while providing a backup option for guys like Korleone Young, who was drafted in the second round and had neither a career or a college fallback.

The best trade take. From Tyler Dellow:

For Detroit, it’s the standard piece of business for a team that’s out of the playoff race at this time of year. Player out, picks in. I never really understand critiquing GMs who are doing this – it’s not that hard to just phone around, get the best offer, and do the deal. It’s not really worthy of praise though.

So, whatever. It is what it is.

Trade for Arby's.

The fun begins! Hello:

Preliminary notifications have been sent out to representatives of both Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller and LSU basketball coach Will Wade that they will be subpoenaed for the April 22 federal basketball corruption trial, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports. These notifications are essentially a courtesy to avoid a public spectacle for the coaches, like getting served in the middle of a game or a practice.

The impending subpoenas mark a potentially dynamic development in the college basketball corruption case. It creates the potential of two high-profile head coaches testifying in federal court about the granular detail of the recruiting underworld – something that never manifested in the initial federal trial last fall. It raises thorny questions for the public universities that employ them, as both the optics of potentially testifying in federal court about basketball recruiting and potential answers that could be given under oath will be a likely cause of consternation for Arizona and LSU administrators.

Lying to the NCAA is one thing. Lying to the feds is another. As is being amply demonstrated on a daily basis these days.

Ohrvall scouted. Hockey commit Emil Ohrvall, per the Neutral Zone:

Fitting all the guys on one bus concerns aside, Ohrvall is the kind of overage blowup guy who Michigan never would have touched before. Not all of these guys work out. Sometimes USHL leading scorer types who happen to be 20 head to college and evaporate into a third line. Sometimes they're Hobey contenders.

Etc.: Lakers GM on Wagner. Kiper on Rashan Gary. Defensive sleepers to watch for in spring practice. SI on Quinn Hughes. 

Comments

stephenrjking

February 27th, 2019 at 5:39 PM ^

Are we positive that playing in the Summer League won't be something the NCAA considers cause for ineligibility? Things have changed now, but there's a good chance that there is lodging and per diems involved that the NCAA, if it is feeling arbitrary (and when isn't it) could decide is an "extra benefit" or something.

I don't favor that; I think draft-and-follow would be a good idea. I think we'll eventually run into issues like players whom the Associate team doesn't want to sign nuking their college eligibility due to academics and stuff, but that's a bridge to cross when we get to it. 

I personally think a "Junior" basketball league, roughly equivalent to Major Junior hockey, would be an interesting product and NCAA alternative. But I don't think there's a market for it. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143889

WCHBlog

February 27th, 2019 at 7:45 PM ^

Hockey gets away with NHL Development camps because they're all intra-squad and at most, they're just playing scrimmages instead of real games. They can't play in some of the late-fall prospects tournaments the NHL has.

That said, men's hockey is a lot stricter than other sports because they want to keep their foot on the door of the CHL. In women's hockey, players can play entire seasons for professional clubs and maintain eligibility as long as they don't take anything beyond necessary expenses.

Joined: 12/03/2008

MGoPoints: 4299

Wolverine In Exile

February 28th, 2019 at 12:40 PM ^

I still don't understand why it would be impossible for the NCAA to allow the athletes in any sport to take "per diem expenses" to attend these summer leagues / development camps. Trust me as a guy who does a lot of gov't sponsored travel, if the NCAA just said "you're allowed GSA per diem reimbursements", the kids aren't going to get rich, but they aren't going to have hardship. 

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 10790

cornman

February 27th, 2019 at 7:26 PM ^

That video of Poole is hard to watch but not unexpected.  Still not sure the foul on that last three should have actually been called a foul.  McQuaid clearly steps into Poole while Poole is going mostly vertical.  

Joined: 12/17/2018

MGoPoints: 639

MGlobules

February 27th, 2019 at 7:54 PM ^

Don't think that foul was a foul, and could have shifted momentum. Coulda shoulda, of course. 

Also (FWIW) McQuaid hit all of his season averages on offense, so it's not like Poole gave the game to MSU with his D on McQuaid. I'm not sure that if you isolated any other players' gaffes on D game-long the reel would be too flattering. 

 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47666

TrueBlue2003

February 28th, 2019 at 1:01 AM ^

Uh, what? McQuaid exceeded his season averages significantly.  He averages 9 ppg and he had 13 Sunday despite that game having 8 fewer possessions than MSU games average.  So that's almost twice as many points per possession given up to McQuaid than he averages and he achieved it as efficiently on his 22% of used possessions as his normal 13% of possessions used.  To allow that pressure to be taken off Winston was a killer.

McQuaid had 24 FTs the entire season coming into the game.  That's an average of one single FT per game.  He is so Just A Shooter. Yet he had 8 FTs this game!!!!  His per game average of FTs was tripled on one bone-headed play alone.  A critical play that gave MSU the lead for good.

And looking at McQuaid's numbers alone doesn't tell the full story.  Defense is a team game.  Poole explicably left Kithier wide-open for no reason.  Two points.  That wasn't McQuaid but it was certainly on Poole.

And all of this was fairly easy preventable as the tape shows.  Close out under control, don't go flying past (or into) the guy.  Box him out.

As for defensive gaffes, most players on well coached teams don't have half the mental mistakes on a per possession basis as Poole had here.  The ones that do are usually freshmen.  He's behind in his development on that side of the ball.  And this is common for him. He loses focus very easily.

Joined: 01/05/2010

MGoPoints: 38075

MH20

February 28th, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^

By the rule of verticality I don't think it was a foul but the bottom line is Poole made himself vulnerable to the call by biting on the fake. And in a late clock situation like that where the guy has to chuck up a prayer, just get your hands straight up. The shot itself is hard enough in that scenario, even just getting hands up makes it that much more difficult.

Joined: 10/30/2008

MGoPoints: 40584

matty blue

February 27th, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^

are we supposed to read that quinn profile in s.i.?  i seem to recall rosenberg writing for them now, so can we read other things there?  help a dude out, i can't keep all of our grudges straight.

Joined: 08/01/2008

MGoPoints: 39201

xtramelanin

February 27th, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^

that bit about those coaches testifying?  i won't say it won't happen, but i cannot imagine any competent attorney telling either of those coaches anything other than 'take the 5th!!!'   they put their head in a noose almost no matter what the answer is.   even if these turn out to be process crimes like much of the political stuff of late, they are still crimes.   i can only imagine the correspondence flying b/w their attorney's offices and the US attorney's office.  

and if they do take the 5th, good bye coaching.  and if they don't take the 5th, good bye coaching and living with your family for a while...

Joined: 12/09/2014

MGoPoints: 15439

bronxblue

February 28th, 2019 at 12:00 AM ^

I've always been torn when it comes to the one-and-done rule.  On the one hand, guys like Zion or LeBron didn't need to go to college, and honestly they should be able to make millions of dollars whenever someone is willing to give it to them, not only after a bunch of old men in suits are able to extract their toll from them passing through the college ranks.

At the same time, forcing guys to go to college for a year probably helps to cut down on your Korleone Young/Darius Miles/Kwame Brown types that probably would have had their expectations re-evaluated after playing a year in college and (likely) learning they weren't quite ready for the NBA.  I mean, if you look at the list of guys who went straight to the NBA there are basically a bunch of HOFers (Garnett, LeBron, Kobe, Howard) and then a lot of guys who were sorta journeymen/flamed out.  I'm not saying Sebastian Telfair would have been a competent NBA player had he played a year in college, but maybe the fact he had a mediocre handle and middling shooting would have reared its head earlier and, I don't know, he gets better instead of being drafted and buried on a bench for a couple of years.

So I love the idea of sign-and-follow.  Guys have some security and teams can watch a guy develop without having to ping-pong him between the G-league and the main roster.  It will also let guys develop more "naturally" than on a bunch of teams surrounded by 28-year-old guys trying to grab a 10-day contract from the Grizzlies.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171756

smwilliams

February 28th, 2019 at 7:36 AM ^

It also shifts the burden off the NCAA. The NCAA can't afford to say that they'll play football and basketball players because of the Title IX implications (unless I'm wrong about this). If you pay Zion, you'll probably have to pay the last person on the field hockey team as well. Michigan could probably afford this. Eastern Michigan or South Dakota or Coastal Carolina can't.

I've long been in favor of simply saying that athletes are allowed to make money off their name, i.e., shoe contracts, a percentage of jersey sales (how many Duke fans would own a #1 Zion jersey if they could), etc. It means that the players who have something to lose by playing in college would be financially compensated for the money they bring into universities.

Joined: 08/20/2010

MGoPoints: 9917

bronxblue

February 28th, 2019 at 10:22 AM ^

I keep hearing the Title IX arguments even though these universities have handled it fine for years.  Also, most universities don't fully comply with the spirit of Title IX's financial parity and that's probably okay.  It's often brought up as the reason universities cut men's programs is because of Title IX, but the data seems to point more toward high-revenue sports getting more of the pie at the expensive of non-revenue sports like Track & Field and wrestling.  So it's not the last person of the field hockey team getting some money; it's Pep Hamilton getting  $1M to be a passing coordinator and what I can only assume are the innumerable Sherminators collecting $250k to help Michigan's "brand" that we saw under Dave Brandon.

I'd be fine with guys making a living off their likeness.  It's weird we don't let them now.  I also think letting them get a little piece of the billions they generate in terms of a check would also be useful, whether that be from the college itself or, as we see here, the professional leagues.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171756

Alumnus93

February 28th, 2019 at 8:04 AM ^

Still don't understand why Gary's sack totals were so low . The article implies in the NFL a coach will get him and get his sacks way up .  Thanks Mattison,...

Joined: 09/10/2009

MGoPoints: 9684

Don

February 28th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^

"Even Silver said in 2017 that “going to these great college programs is the better path to the NBA.”

Then the NBA should be making direction payments to all the college programs that collectively serve as the NBA's defacto minor league. Yeah, I know this will never happen.

Looking back on all the varied scandals in big-time college basketball over the years—which mainly revolve around improper financial benefits or academic transgressions—it seems to virtually never center on athletes who are making adequate academic progress—it almost always involves players who are only in college because they have a scholarship, not because they have an interest in getting a college degree. That puts pressure on competing programs who are recruiting them to offer financial inducements to get them to initially commit, and then once they're in school, schools are under pressure to keep them academically eligible, which inevitably induces some of them to bend the academic rules for those kids who have neither the interest and/or the ability to actually do the schoolwork.

Forcing kids into college who have no interest in being there for anything other than playing a sport is a recipe for bad things. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148371