BY: Zach Strombeck
Every basketball fan, and basically every person who has watched sports, knows about the infamous Ball family. It’s the trio of young basketball stars out of Chino Hills, California: Lonzo, LiAngelo, and Lamelo. Above all this is the debatably the biggest name of them all, Lavar Ball. Built off the success of his sons in basketball star, Lavar created Big Baller Brand. Through his ignorant persona he promoted this brand. The brand spread like wildfire with differing opinions from all sorts of people. From selling overpriced, low quality shoes to selling their own branded water.
Recently the brand has took a turn for the worse. Co-founder of the sneaker and apparel
company, Alan Foster, is in hot water with the family over the missing of $1.5 million and concerns over his criminal history. This caused Lonzo Ball to sever ties with the company, that has used his name and persona to brand the company. Lonzo Ball told ESPN that, “Foster has used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself.” Lonzo confirmed this decision by posting a picture on his Instagram of him in a Nike jersey saying he is onto bigger and better things.
To add to the drama rumours have travelled that Lonzo’s ankle issues could be due to
wearing his own signature Big Baller Brand shoes. This may come as no surprise to many who have noted that the shoes are made at a low standard of quality. Lonzo’s manager added fuel to the flame with a video of him throwing away a pair of Big Baller Brand shoes down the garbage with the hashtag “#dumpurmerch”.
After all of this news about Lonzo and Big Baller Brand, Lonzo decided to get a cover up for his tattoo. The tattoo featured the trademark “BBB” logo, and was covered up to now be a pair of dice. Not only do the dice look terrible, but as the only color on his arm it stands out a lot. This might be the worst look for Big Baller Brand yet, and it leaves us wondering what could have caused Lonzo to go to this extent
2 Comments
BY: Tony LiebertThis year’s NFL free agency has been one of the wildest in recent memory. There were blockbuster trades, big name free agents, and one “headline” move. The NFL will definitely have some different teams in the playoffs next season (as it always does) and these offseason moves will clearly have an effect on the league next season. I decided to rank the moves not necessarily skill or talent of the player acquired. I focused more on the influence that the player will have on their new team. I ranked them by how much they increase their teams Super Bowl chances. As with every free agency period there are moves that don’t necessarily receive the publicity of media attention they deserve, and I think there were plenty this year. Underrated Moves (in order): - S Adrian Amos signing with the Green Bay Packers - RB Mark Ingram signing with the Baltimore Ravens - DT Malik Jackson signing with the Philadelphia Eagles - WR Devin Funchess signing with the Indianapolis Colts - OT Ty Nsheke signing with the Buffalo Bills - RB Tevin Coleman signing with San Francisco 49ers - RB Carlos Hyde signing with the Kansas City Chiefs There are also overrated moves every year. I don’t necessarily think these players are bad, I just think they were overpaid, or they’re just viewed as better players than they actually are. Overrated Moves: - ILB Kwon Alexander signing with the San Francisco 49ers - The Denver Broncos trading for RB Joe Flacco - LB Clay Matthews signing with the Los Angeles Rams - OT Trent Brown signing with the Oakland Raiders #10 The Philadelphia Eagles trading for WR Desean Jackson… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Buccaneers Receive- - 2019 6th Round Pick Eagles Receive- - 2020 7th Round Pick - WR Desean Jackson Contract Details: - 3 years $27.9 million ($15 million guaranteed) Desean Jackson’s prime of his career was definitely on the Eagles and now he will be returning to Philadelphia. The Eagles clearly lacked a deep ball threat last season, and Jackson will certainly help in that area next season. The Eagles are currently lacking a definitive culture, after their whole QB situation last season between Nick Foles, and Carson Wentz. And I think bringing back Jackson shows Wentz and the rest of the franchise that they are committed to the team they currently have. #9 OLB Justin Houston signing with the Indianapolis Colts. Contract Details: - 2 years $24 million ($18.5 million guaranteed) The Colts made a deep playoff run last season, with really not much talent on the defensive side of the ball. Every NFL team definitely needs an elite level pass rusher in today’s modern NFL. Houston is another veteran player being 30 years old, and his career is clearly on a decline. But I do think Houston can still contribute pro-bowl level snaps when the the Colts need him most. Houston will improve the Colts defense next season, and may lead to another deep playoff run, with hopefully better results. #8 TE Jared Cook signing with the New Orleans Saints. Contract Details: - 2 years $15.5 million ($8 million guaranteed) Last season the Saints clearly looked like one of the best offenses in the NFL, and if it weren’t for a blown call they would’ve been in the Super Bowl. If there were a hole in the Saints offense last season it clearly was tight end. Cook is coming off a pro-bowl level season where he had 68 receptions, 896 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Even though Cook is no 31 years old, I think the Saints’ offense will have a great tight end for the next two seasons, and they will look even more unstoppable next season. #7 S Landon Collins signing with the Washington Redskins. Contract Details: - 6 years $84 million ($26 million guaranteed) Landon Collins was surprisingly let go by the New York Giants, then he didn’t last long on the free agency market. Signing Collins is a great move for the Redskins. They quietly have a very underrated defense, and their biggest weakness may have been safety, so they decided to go out and sign one of the best in the NFL. I really like this move, but a terrific defense can only go so far, without a star quarterback. Therefore this move COULD be terrific but I think the Redskins still need to add a competent quarterback before they can make a playoff run. #6 S Tyrann Mathieu signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Contract Details: - 3 years $42 million ($26.8 million guaranteed) This offseason the Chiefs decided to move on from all-pro safety Eric Berry. So they clearly needed to add to their horrible secondary. I think the “honey badger” is a great replacement for Berry. If Earl Thomas is the most versatile safety in the NFL, Mathieu is definitely top three. He has shown the ability the make tackles, cover tight ends, and play traditional free safety at a very high level. I think the three year $42 million dollar deal is almost a bit of bargain, and I think the addition of Mathieu will lead to an improved Chiefs secondary next season. #5 RB Le’Veon Bell signing with the New York Jets. Contract Details: - 4 years $52.5 million ($27 million guaranteed) This move is a bit confusing for Le’Veon Bell… but that’s a different conversation. For the Jets on the other hand this is a terrific move. I think Bell is the number two running back in the NFL, and will perform at that level for the Jets. New York has decided that Sam Darnold is their QB of the future, and adding weapons to your offense is the best thing that you can do for a young QB. I think adding Bell will lead to a much improved Sam Darnold next season, and could be the beginning of a great NFL career, and a new era in New York with new head coach Adam Gase. #4 The San Francisco 49ers trading for OLB Dee Ford… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Chiefs Receive- - 2020 Second Round pick 49ers Receive- - OLB Dee Ford Contract Details: - 5 years $85 million ($19.75 million guaranteed) The Chiefs originally decided to franchise tag Ford, but then made it public that they were open to trading him. The 49ers didn’t wait long, and GM John Lynch decided to make a big move. Dee Ford is coming off a breakout season where he had 13 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The 49ers have been missing a dominant pass rusher for years and this move tells me that they are going “all in” on this season, and the future. Even though Ford has only had one season with 10+ sacks I think this move improves the 49ers defense and their chance at a deep playoff run. #3 The Raiders trading for WR Antonio Brown… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Steelers Receive- - 2019 3rd round (66th overall pick) - 2019 5th round (141st overall pick) Raiders Receive- - WR Antonio Brown Contract Details: - 3 year $50.1 million ($30.1 million guaranteed) Some people may look at this move and think it may be overrated, or that, “Antonio Brown is a locker room cancer, he is 30 years old, and now he’s being overpaid.” Even though all those may be true, this was a move the Raiders needed to make. Antonio Brown is without a doubt a top three wide receiver in the NFL, and a third and a fifth round pick is not really a risk whatsoever. John Gruden and the Raiders now have their star player when they make their move to Las Vegas, and a great weapon for Derek Carr, in a season that I can see Oakland making a decision if Carr is their QB of the future. Some may say 50.1 million is way too much of an overpay and I think that it might be but, a three year deal is not much of a commitment. This move needed to be made, and has little to no risk for the Raiders. #2 S Earl Thomas signing with the Baltimore Ravens. Contract Details: - 4 year $55 million ($32 million guaranteed) To start the NFL free agency period the Ravens decided to release veteran safety Eric Weddle. Therefore they were definitely in the market for a safety. They decided to sign arguably the best one in the league. Although Thomas is 30 years old and coming off of a broken leg. There is no doubt that he is one of the most versatile players in the NFL. The Ravens lost the heart of their defense with C.J. Mosely, Eric Weddle, and Z’Darius Smith all leaving in free agency. I think they NEEDED to make a splash move on the defensive side of the ball, and they sure did. #1 The Cleveland Browns trading for WR Odell Beckham Jr. Full Trade Details: Giants Receive- - 2019 1st round (17th overall pick) - 2019 3rd round (95th overall pick) - OG Kevin Zeitler - S Jabrill Peppers Browns Receive- - WR Odell Beckham Jr. - DE/OLB Olivier Vernon If you were living under a rock, one of the NFL’s top receivers Odell Beckham Jr was traded to the Cleveland Browns, which was the “headline move” of this year’s free agency. With this move the Browns added a true number one receiver, whom I believe is not a so called “headache” or “cry baby” or whatever you would call him. OBJ was in the worst situation possible in the NFL with the New York Giants and I think that he will thrive in Cleveland with a fresh start. The Browns also added another pro-bowl caliber pass rusher Olivier Vernon. Vernon may not put up monster sack totals but he will be a terrific compliment on the other side of Myles Garrett. Although losing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler is a significant loss I don’t think the Giants really gave up much else. Jabrill Peppers an overrated safety, to go along with a first and third round pick is a heist for the Browns by adding a top three wide receiver in the NFL. BY: Tony LiebertThis years College Basketball season has been nothing short of spectacular. Now it's time for the greatest postseason in all of sports... FIRST FOUR (March 19-20) #16 NC Central vs. #16 North Dakota State NC Central won the MEAC conference tournament, and NDSU won the Summit League. I think NC Central seems to have always been in the tournament, and I think their experience takes them over the Bison. Prediction: NC Central #11 Belmont vs. #11 Temple Belmont is one of the most talented mid majors in the country. They are led by NBA prospect Dylan Windler. Temple has been quite inconsistent this year but they are led by talented guard Shizz Alston Jr. I think Belmont takes down Temple in a close one. Prediction: Belmont Dylan Windler following a big win for Belmont. #16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. #16 Prairie View A&M Prairie View A&M started the year 0-11 and they are now 21-12, that insane streak makes me think they advance to the round of 64 Prediction: Prairie View A&M #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Saint John's Saint John's has one of the most exciting players in the country Shamorie Ponds. I think St. John's struggles on the defensive end which will lead to Arizona State and HC Bob Hurley taking home the win. Prediction: Arizona State Round 1 (Round of 64) East Region #1 Duke vs. #16 NC Central Duke loosing to NC Central would be the greatest upset in history of modern sport. Prediction: Duke #8 VCU vs. #9 UCF UCF has one of the most polarizing players in the country 7'7" Tacko Fall. But I think UCF's recent inconsistency will be too much to get over. VCU played very well against many tournament teams, and I think the Rams advance to the round of 32. Prediction: VCU #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Liberty Mississippi State is led talented guards Quinndary Weatherspoon, and Lamar Peters. I think that one two combo will be too much to handle for a slow paced Liberty team. Prediction: Mississippi State #4 Virginia Tech vs. #13 Saint Louis Virginia Tech is led by great defense and three point shooting. They have two talented guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to go along with Justin Robinson who is returning from injury. The Hokies will be too much to handle for Saint Louis. Prediction: Virginia Tech #6 Maryland vs. #11 Belmont I think Dylan Windler and Belmont will be one the cinderella stories of this tournament. I think they will add another win against Maryland. Prediction: Belmont #3 LSU vs. #14 Yale LSU's head coach Will Wade is currently suspended for "reportedly" paying his players. I think Yale's NBA guard Miye Oni to along with LSU's controversy, will be too much to overcome and Yale will get the upset. Prediction: Yale Ivy League player of the year, guard Miye Oni #7 Louisville vs. #10 Minnesota Minnesota has been playing their best basketball of the season as of late with Jordan Murphy bullying opposing teams in the post, and I think head coach Richard Pitino will want to make his father proud defeating his old team. Prediction: Minnesota #2 Michigan State vs. #15 Bradley Bradley will be incredibly outmatched in this game and expect Michigan State to roll. Prediction: Michigan State Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Duke vs. #8 VCU Although VCU is a very underrated team, they don't have enough fire power to slow down Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish. Prediction: Duke #4 Virginia Tech vs. #5 Mississippi State I think the combo of Alexander-Walker, and Justin Robinson, will be too much to handle for Lamar Stephens, and Quinndary Weatherspoon, and Virginia Tech will advance to the Sweet 16. Prediction: Virginia Tech #11 Belmont vs. #14 Yale Dylan Windler vs. Miye Oni would be and incredibly underrated matchup. Belmont's depth will lead them overtop of Yale. Prediction: Belmont #2 Michigan State vs. #10 Minnesota Minnesota's horrendous three point shooting will catch up to them, and Michigan State PG Cassius Winston will take advantage of Minnesota not having a true point guard. Prediction: Michigan State Cassius Winston, Michigan State point guard. Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Duke vs. #4 Virginia Tech Duke is 333rd in the country in 3 point percentage... that is out of 351 teams. I think Duke's putrid shooting will lead to them getting upset, and Virginia Tech is the team to do it. They are great defensively and top 10 in 3 point shooting, while having two talented guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Justin Robinson to lean back on. Prediction: Virginia Tech Justin Robinson (left) Nickeil Alexander-Walker (right) Virginia Tech's star tandem of guards. #2 Michigan State vs. #11 Belmont I think Belmont's magic will run out. Cassius Winston is the best point guard in the country and I expect him to facilitate and find Belmonts weaknesses. Prediction: Michigan State Elite 8 (Round of 8) #2 Michigan State vs. #4 Virginia Tech Michigan State is a guard led team, Cassius Winston. To go along with big man Nick Ward. I think Virginia Tech big man can shut down Nick Ward, and like I've said Virginia Tech's guards are very talented. The Hokies and Buzz Williams will be my first team in the final four. Prediction: Virginia Tech Round 1 (Round of 64) West Region #1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Prairie View A&M Gonzaga may be the most talented team in the country behind Duke, I don't expect much of a competition in this one. Prediction: Gonzaga #8 Syracuse vs. #9 Baylor I never like to pick against Syracuse in the tournament, their "famous" 2-3 zone will be too much to handle for Baylor. Prediction: Syracuse #5 Marquette vs. #12 Murray State This might be the most exciting matchup of the first round. Ja Morant, Murray State guard vs. Markus Howard, Big East player of the year. I think Morant gets the best of Marquette and advances to the round of 32. Prediction: Murray State Ja Morant (left) Markus Howard (right). #4 Florida State vs. #13 Vermont Florida State is one of the deepest teams in the country, and is coming off a big ACC tournament performance which will lead to a victory over Vermont. Prediction: Florida State #6 Buffalo vs. #11 Arizona State Buffalo is one of the most talented mid majors in recent memory, and are led by multiple seniors. I think Buffalo's experience from last season taking down Arizona last March, and talented guard C.J. Massinburg will lead to another tournament run. Prediction: Buffalo #3 Texas Tech vs. #14 Northern Kentucky Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver, is one of the most talented players in the country. I think Texas Tech's intense defense will be too much to handle for Northern Kentucky. Prediction: Texas Tech #7 Nevada vs. #10 Florida Nevada is one of the most experienced teams in the country, with their starting lineup averaging an age of 23. I think Jordan Caroline, plus twins Caleb and Cody Martin will take down Florida. Prediction: Nevada #2 Michigan vs. #15 Montana Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson and his patented hook shot will be too much to handle for Montana. Prediction: Michigan Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Gonzaga vs. #8 Syracuse Gonzaga is led by Japanese born forward Rui Hachimura, elite level shot blocker Brandon Clarke, and terrific point guard Josh Perkins. Gonzaga also just got back Killian Tillie from injury, who is an elite level three point shooter. Gonzaga's fire power will be too much for Syracuse's zone defense. Prediction: Gonzaga Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga forward. #4 Florida State vs. #12 Murray State Murray State's Ja Morant has been arguably the most exciting player in the country this season. Morant will most likely be a top 3 pick in this year's draft. Florida State may be deep, but they don't have a true PG to guard Morant. So I expect the Racers to move onto the sweet 16. Prediction: Murray State #3 Texas Tech vs. #6 Buffalo Buffalo's trio of CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins, and Jeremy Harris will be to much to handle for Jarrett Culver, and Texas Tech's lack of depth. Prediction: Buffalo #2 Michigan vs. #7 Nevada Historically all four two seeds very rarely make it to the sweet 16 and I think this year will be no different. Nevada's big man Jared Caroline will be too much for Jon Teske or Iggy Brazdekis. I think Nevada will pull the upset here. Prediction: Nevada Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Gonzaga vs. #12 Murray State I think Murray's State's lack of depth catches up with them and their run ends here. Gonzaga's front court of Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, and Killian Tillie, is far superior to Murray State's. Prediction: Gonzaga #6 Buffalo vs. #7 Nevada This was a very tough matchup for me. But I think Nevada having a sweet 16 appearance last year and Buffalo not having a real post presence with lead to a Nevada win. Prediction: Nevada MAC player of the year C.J. Massinburg. Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 Gonzaga vs. #7 Nevada Both teams have incredible talent and experience and both have a great chance to win. But at the end of the day Gonzaga plays in games like this year after year, and they will pull out a win in a close one. Killian Tillie would be the x-factor. Prediction: Gonzaga Nevada's twin guards Caleb and Cody Martin. Round 1 (Round of 64) South Region #1 Virginia vs. #16 Gardner-Webb Gardner-Webb is no UMBC and I think Virginia will be motivated to win by nearly 1 billion points. Prediction: Virginia #8 Ole Miss vs. #9 Oklahoma Both of these teams have been incredibly mediocre this year. I expect Oklahoma's three point shooting and guard Brady Manek to take them past Ole Miss. Prediction: Oklahoma #5 Wisconsin vs. #12 Oregon Wisconsin struggled mightily to score the ball this season. Oregon has won 10 games in a row, while winning the Pac 12 Championship. They has two talented guard Payton Pritchard, and Louis King, which will lead the Ducks past Wisconsin. Prediction: Oregon #4 Kansas State vs. #13 UC Irvine UC Irvine has been playing terrific, mowing through their conference tournament. When I look for an upset team I like the team to have a star they can lean on, when they begin to struggle. UC Irvine does not have that, so I expect K-State to squeeze by. Prediction: Kansas State #6 Villanova vs. #11 Saint Mary's Saint Mary's played a perfect game against Gonzaga to even get into the tournament. I think Villanova's experienced players Phil Booth, and Eric Paschall will be play themselves into the round of 32. Prediction: Villanova #3 Purdue vs. #14 Old Dominion Old Dominion is one of the feel good stories of the whole tournament. Their head coach Jeff Jones is currently battling prostate cancer, and I think Old Dominion will carry coach Jones into the next round. Prediction: Old Dominion Pictured above: Old Dominion head coach Jeff Jones #7 Cincinnati vs. #10 Iowa Cincinnati is one of the best defensive teams in the country, and they are led by AAC player of the year, guard Jaron Cumberland. Iowa has struggled as of late and I think their struggles will continue. Prediction: Cincinnati #2 Tennessee vs. #15 Colgate Tennessee will be incredibly motivated following a disappointing end to their regular season, so I expect them to roll. Prediction: Tennessee Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Virginia vs. #9 Oklahoma Virginia's offensive fire power is arguably the best ever in the "Tony Bennet era." Kyle Guy is one of the best 3 point shooters in the country, DeAndre Hunter in one of the best defenders, and Ty Jerome is one of the best point guards. That trio will be way too much for Oklahoma. Prediction: Virginia #4 Kansas State vs. #12 Oregon Kansas State's best player, Dean Wade has struggled with injuries his whole career, and it may lead into the tournament. Oregon's Louis King will have no real competition on the wing and expect the Ducks to play themselves into the sweet 16. Prediction: Oregon Oregon celebrating a Pac 12 championship win, and a 10 game winning streak. #6 Villanova vs. #14 Old Dominion I think Old Dominion's lack of a top scorer, will prove to be too much to overcome. And Villanova will take advantage and advance into the next round. Prediction: Villanova #2 Tennessee vs. #7 Cincinnati The combination of veteran "all SEC level players" Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams, and Jordan Boone will not accept an upset, and they will get past Cincinnati. Prediction: Tennessee Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Virginia vs. #12 Oregon Virginia's terrific defense, and depth will finally take advantage of Oregon's flaws, and the Ducks magical run will end here. Prediction: Virginia Virginia's star big 3 Kyle Guy (left), DeAndre Hunter (middle), Ty Jerome (right) #2 Tennessee vs. #6 Villanova This is quite an intriguing matchup. Villanova matches up well against Tennessee, Paschall v.s. Grant Williams, and Schofield vs. Booth. The x-factor in the game will be Jordan Boone vs. Colin Gillespie, and I trust Jordan Boone more than Gillespie. Prediction: Tennessee Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 Virginia vs. #2 Tennessee Both Virginia and Tennessee are nearly identical teams. They again matchup very well. I think Virginia is tired of being the team that always "chokes." They will finally break through and make the final four. Prediction: Virginia Round 1 (Round of 64) Midwest Region #1 North Carolina vs. #16 Iona Iona is one of the weaker teams in the entire field, with a 17-15 record. UNC will dominate. Prediction: North Carolina #8 Utah State vs. #9 Washington Utah State is coming off a big Mountain West tournament championship and they are led by guard Sam Merrill. Washington has struggled tremendously the last few weeks, along with defensive star Matisse Thybulle, so I expect all of these trends to continue. Prediction: Utah State #5 Auburn vs. #12 New Mexico State New Mexico State may be a popular upset pick, but I think otherwise. Auburn's great run to the SEC tournament championship, and great three point shooting is too much to overlook. Jared Harper, and Bryce Brown will lead Auburn past New Mexico State. Prediction: Auburn #4 Kansas vs. #13 Northeastern Northeastern is another popular upset... but not so fast. Kansas has an all-american forward Dedric Lawson, and I think that he will help the Jayhawks avoid an upset. Prediction: Kansas #6 Iowa State vs. #11 Ohio State Iowa State looked terrific in their run to the Big 12 tournament championship. Mariol Shayok, and Lindell Wigginton will continue their hot streak past Ohio State. Prediction: Iowa State #3 Houston vs. #14 Georgia State Houston is another incredibly strong defensive team, who is led by all league forward Corey Davis Jr. Houston's combo of three point shooting and defense will lead them past Georgia State. Prediction: Houston #7 Wofford vs. #10 Seton Hall Wofford is led by guards Fletcher Magee, and Storm Murphy. This will be a great matchup against Seton Hall who has all Big East guard Myles Powell. Wofford was the only team that went undefeated in regular season conference play, I expect their depth to lead them past Seton Hall. Prediction: Wofford #2 Kentucky vs. #15 Abilene Christian Kentucky has one their most veteran teams in the "John Calipari era." I expect Kentucky to roll... but if I HAD to pick one 16 of 15 seed it would be Abilene Christian. Prediction: Kentucky Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 North Carolina vs. #8 Utah State I think Utah State's lack of depth after Sam Merrill will catch up to them. And UNC's big 3 of Coby White, Cameron Johnson, and Luke Maye will roll past Utah State Prediction: North Carolina #5 Auburn vs. #4 Kansas Kansas does not have a real identity of their team. I think Auburn having a great hot streak from behind the three point line will be lead them to the Sweet 16. Prediction: Auburn #3 Houston vs. #6 Iowa State Iowa State has too much fire power on offense to ignore. Iowa State's length and versatility will be too much for Kelvin Sampson's Houston squad. Prediction: Iowa State Iowa State's All-Big 12 forward Marial Shayok #2 Kentucky vs. #7 Wofford If Wofford were playing any other 2 seed I would pick them to win. But Kentucky's unbelievable depth to go along with experience is too important. Kentucky is led by Tyler Herro and P.J. Washington who have been elevating their play throughout the whole year and will lead Kentucky past Wofford. Prediction: Kentucky Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 North Carolina vs. #5 Auburn Auburn may have incredible three point shooting, but their defense lacks tremendously. I think Luke Maye will be big in this game and lead the Tar Heels past Auburn. Prediction: North Carolina #2 Kentucky vs. #6 Iowa State This games x-factor on Kentucky's side will be Keldon Johnson, and Iowa State's side Talen Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker has played more consistent as of late and I think he will lead Iowa State to the Elite 8. Prediction: Iowa State Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 North Carolina vs. #6 Iowa State Iowa State and UNC are very similar teams. I think UNC is just a better version of Iowa State though. I think Coby White will dominate Lindell Wigginton, and lead UNC to another Final Four. Prediction: North Carolina Left to right: Coby White, Nassir Little, Cameron Johnson, Kenny Williams, Luke Maye FINAL FOUR #1 Gonzaga vs. #4 Virginia Tech Virginia Tech's front court depth is nothing close to what Gonzaga has and I think it will prove to be too much for Virginia Tech and Gonzaga gets back to the National Championship. Prediction: Gonzaga #1 Virginia vs. #1 North Carolina North Carolina and Virginia matchup very similarly. I would say North Carolina's big three of Maye, White, and Johnson is nearly just as good as Virginia's of Guy, Jerome, and Hunter. I like North Carolina's role players more than Virginia's therefore I think we see a rematch of Gonzaga UNC in the championship. Prediction: North Carolina NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP #1 Gonzaga vs. #1 North Carolina
Gonzaga has their most talented team of all time, so why not prove you're the best in the country by getting revenge over North Carolina on the biggest stage. And the Zags will be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis. Prediction: Gonzaga BY: Tony LiebertD.K. Metcalf is one of the most talked about prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has been one of the most polarizing prospects of all time, and has been through a lot already in his short football career. High School Career DeKaylin Metcalf was 242nd ranked prospect by ESPN in the class of 2016. D.K. was one of the top wide receivers in his class from Oxford, Mississippi. In his time at high school he finished with 224 receptions 3,302 yards, and 49 touchdowns. D.K. eventually decided to stay home and attend Ole Miss, instead of other top schools like Auburn, Nebraska, and UCLA. College Career When D.K. arrived at Ole Miss, they clearly found out they got an incredibly talented receiver. As a freshman, Metcalf only appeared in two games after suffering a season ending foot injury. In his two games he only had two catches but, they both went for touchdowns, and 15 yards total. In his sophomore season D.K. appeared in all twelve games while collecting 39 catches, to go along with 646 yards and 7 touchdowns. He put himself in position for a great junior year. In the first seven games of the 2018 season D.K. collected 26 catches and 569 yards for 5 touchdowns. In week 8 of the season against Auburn, Metcalf left the game with a neck injury... In his short time at Ole Miss, D.K. clearly showed he has terrific NFL potential, and he is a special talent. Neck Injury It is unknown what the exact neck injury D.K. suffered in his junior season was, but the average neck surgery takes anywhere from 3 to 6 months to recover to 100 percent, and his injury required surgery. D.K. is obviously a super human athlete so that recovery time was most likely much quicker than the average. Anytime that a doctor has to cut into your neck, is just something that I would not want to experience. Even other football players like Peyton Manning or Arian Foster clearly were not the same players after their surgery. In a game of football, where contact is guaranteed, you definitely don't want to deal with neck injuries. D.K. suffered his neck injury in mid October, and was said to have went through a successful surgery on October 19th. And on January 25th, Adam Schefter tweeted that D.K. was cleared for football activity. That is 69 days after a doctor cut into his neck, he was able to participate in full contact drills. Even if the surgery wasn't THAT serious, a 69 day recovery time is just ridiculous. I think this picture should tell you enough about the severity of D.K's injury. NFL Combine After D.K's junior season, he was viewed by many as a potential first round pick, so he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. D.K. was then invited to the NFL combine, which is an event where the top NFL Draft prospects are tested physically, with many position specific drills and athletic tests. They also are tested mentally with multiple rigorous almost "job like" interviews with almost all of the NFL teams. At the combine D.K. was the main talking point of the entire event as he impressed in almost all aspects possible. Body fat percentage: At the combine each player is also measured and weighed in front of many NFL scouts. Metcalf measured in at 6'3" 228 pounds, which is almost the ideal size for an NFL wide receiver. The most jaw dropping physical statistic was his body fat percentage... 1.6%... yes 1.6, some said that the machine would almost have to be broken, but I have read that they used the most accurate machine possible. In all seriousness D.K's personal trainer Joe DeFranco said the 1.6 percent body fat was a mistaken measurement, and a person with body fat that low would be in danger of dying of malnutrition. DeFranco also stated, “You need at least 3 percent body fat for your organs to function,” he said. “If somebody’s body fat percentage legitimately dips under 2 percent, that’s not an impressive physique. That’s a medical emergency. Get that person to the hospital ASAP before they die. It’s not something we’re looking at and going, ‘Wow, how impressive.’ That person needs their life to be saved.” So in conclusion this number was ridiculous while it lasted, but it was clearly a mistake. Above is a photo of D.K (on the right) and his former Ole Miss teammate wide receiver A.J. Brown (on the left) following a workout. Bench Press: In the NFL combine each participant tries to see how many reps of 225 pounds they can do on the bench press. D.K. did 27. Which ranked tied for 30th out of all participants in the competition, and tied for 1st out of all wide receivers with N'Keal Harry from Arizona State. 27 reps is also ties the record for most reps of all time Bobby Foster. With this ridiculous bench press on the first night of the combine, D.K. showed the NFL to be prepared for a show. Vertical Jump: In the vertical jump test Mr. Metcalf jumped 40.5 inches in the air. That would rank him tied for 8th in the out of all players and tied for 3rd out of all wide receivers, and not too far behind the combine record of 45 inches set by Chris Conley. With an absurd vertical, at his size, D.K. showed the NFL that he win jump balls against any cornerback in the league. 40 Yard Dash: In the 40 yard dash D.K. ran a 4.33 yes... 4.33 at his size. That ranked him tied for third in the whole combine and with wide receivers. With both these absurd athletic tests, D.K. showed every scout he has all the athleticism you want from a number one receiver in the NFL. **D.K. was also 5th in entire combine in the broad jump at 11'2" D.K. was very emotional following his 40 yard dash after he realized how grateful he was to even competing in the combine following his neck surgery. The bad of D.K's combine You may think, "Bad? how can someone's combine be considered bad after those numbers." Three Cone Drill/Shuttle Drill: The three cone drill and shuttle drill are both tests of change of direction speed I would have the video of the great Tom Brady running both these drills but, NFL (no fun league) has extremely strict copyright rules so I'll give you the link and you can watch it on your own. Here is an example of what the three cone and shuttle drill entails, the great Tom Brady ran a 4.38 shuttle drill (which is the first drill in the video) and 7.2 cone drill (the second drill). You can click on the link below... https://youtu.be/sJsq5uP7IjI?t=52 Now you may watch that video and think, "Wow the so called greatest NFL player of all time doesn't look real athletic." Which I agree. Now D.K. Metcalf on the other hand ran slower in both drills. He ran a 4.5 shuttle drill and a 7.38 three cone drill. That is just one of the most confusing things ever how a behemoth superhuman such as D.K. Metcalf can, be the slowest receiver in the three cone drill, and the second slowest in the shuttle drill. Why is this significant? In the game of football as a player who carries the ball, I would argue that change of direction speed is much more important than straight line speed. So D.K. showed he can run really fast in a straight line, but he is unbelievably slow when he has to change direction. Especially as a wide receiver who has one single route where he runs in a straight line. And every other one requires top of the line change of direction speed. I still believe that D.K. will be a great NFL wide receiver (in the right situation) and I wish him the best in the rest of his career, but nobody could argue that he is quite the interesting prospect.
|
Follow us on Twitter @SportsPlug_ for more engaging content.
Sign up TODAY for email notifications for every blog post BELOW...
Categories
All
AboutWelcome to Sports Plug, a sports news page where you can read about engaging content. Archive
May 2020
|