2018 NFL Mock Draft

Hoover26's 2018 NFL Mock Draft- Round 1

1. Cleveland Browns- Sam Darnold, QB, USC

2. New York Giants- Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn St.

3. New York Jets- Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

4. Cleveland Browns- Quenton Nelson, OL, Notre Dame

5. Denver Broncos- Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

6. Indianapolis Colts- Bradley Chubb, DL, NC State

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama

8. Chicago Bears- Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

9. San Francisco 49ers- Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

10. Oakland Raiders- Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

11. Miami Dolphins- Harold Landry, DL, Boston College

12. Buffalo Bills- Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

13. Washington Redskins- Vita Vea, DL, Washington

14. Green Bay Packers- Derwin James, S, Florida State

15. Arizona Cardinals- Mike McGlinchey, OL, Notre Dame

16. Baltimore Ravens- Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

17. San Diego Chargers- Will Hernandez, OL, UTEP

18. Seattle Seahawks- Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

19. Dallas Cowboys- Da'Ron Payne, DL, Alabama

20. Detroit Lions- Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

21. Cincinnati Bengals- Maurice Hurst, DL, Michigan

22. Buffalo Bills- Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama

23. New England Patriots- Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn

24. Carolina Panthers- Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

25. Tennessee Titians- Rasheem Green, DL, USC

26. Atlanta Falcons- Marcus Davenport, DL, UTSA

27. New Orleans Saints- Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

28. Pittsburgh Steelers- Justin Reid, S, Stanford

29. Jacksonville Jaguars- D.J. Chark, WR, LSU

30. Minnesota Vikings- Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

31. New England Patriots- Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

32. Philadelphia Eagles- Ronald Jones, RB, USC

Ajdin Penava vs. Kevin Durant NBA Prospect Analysis and Evaluation

Body Type Evaluation

At first glance, you might think Durant is far and away more gifted as far as a body goes than a guy out of Marshall you probably never heard of. I mean, if he looked like Durant in any way, you surely would have seen him (especially in the age of YouTube highlight reels), right? Well, what if I told you that Penava, a four time national champion with the Bosnian National Team, managed to slipped through the very thin cracks of youth basketball stardom and play three years at Marshall without anyone noticing just who he plays like? One thing’s for sure; the body comparison is not lost on Marshall’s head coach, or Penava himself, who have both been quoted making the comparison. The 20 year old Penava has matured in to a long, 6’9” body with 220 pounds of muscle, not unlike Durant’s 6’9”, 215 pound listing in college (and yes, I know Durant listings have always been screwed up, but we can only use what was written down). However, one glaring difference comes up when you compare Penava’s body to Durant’s; Penava LOOKS strong. Durant was a deceptively strong player, his twiggy body hiding the potential to hold his own on NBA courts against much more built players. In contrast, Penava has a proud chest and visible cut on his slender arms. Take from that what you will, but Penava’s body looks more like Durant after years with NBA weight training, minus the extra height Durant added. Both are explosive, and often flash both long and short twitch muscles, which is a major plus. Penava can stride down the court in transition with the best of them, but also demonstrate Clint Capela-like abilities, crossing the lane in a flash to block a shot. Frame wise, Penava has the look of a slightly shorter, slightly stronger Durant, which is certainly one heck of a body to have.

Statistical Analysis

In this arena, there are clear overlaps between the two outputs despite drastically different roles. Per 40 minutes, Durant averaged 28.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.1 steals, and 2.1 blocks in his lone season at Texas (sports-reference.com). In comparison, Penava is averaging 22.8 points, 15.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 5.8 blocks per 40 minutes in his Junior year. Just by looking at this, you would think Penava was more of a traditional big man that Durant, a positionless freak athlete who can fill up every part of a stat sheet. However, when you look back at their body types, you realize someone built like these two are would likely be hard pressed to put up those kind of numbers against centers every night (even the sometimes subpar centers you might find playing in the Conference USA). Rather, Penava possesses a wildly diverse skill set, which allows him to record these Durant-like stats. Minus the scoring, which can be explained away by a considerably lower usage percentage than Durant had at Texas, Penava’s numbers are comparable and in fact better than many of Durant’s, albeit against a completely different schedule. According to sports-reference.com, Texas’ strength of schedule in the 2006-2007 season was 5.12 points above average, while Marshall’s current SOS sits at 2.3 points below. So, take these numbers with a grain of salt. In the arena of shooting, in which Durant has become one of the best, Penava is shooting 37.7% this season to Durant’s college number of 40.4%. However, given his role on the team, Penava’s numbers from three are still astounding. Consider this; only two players since the 1992 season have blocked at least four shots per game while shooting at least three long range shots per game in NCAA Division I, those two being the late Eddie Griffin (a Seton Hall legend whose life and career were tragically cut short) and Penava so far this season (with Penava shooting the higher percentage from three).

Film Evaluation

A couple things before I begin. When I first discovered Penava, I was trolling the NCAA statistical rankings for a mock draft when I came across the blocks list, headed by one Ajdin Penava out of Marshall. My first thought was, “he’s probably just a Mike Daum; a big, slow guy with little future outside of low level Division I stardom.” Then, I watched some game tape, and my jaw dropped. Then, a thought came up; what if I did a prospect comparison for him, since they were my most popular posts (especially my Wes Washpun one, which spread like wildfire)? So I set my mind to finding the NBA player that Penava reminded me the most of. It took me about five minutes to figure it out. As I learned from one of the top high school coaches in the nation (the man who coached Luol Deng, among others), Kevin Durant does not have exceptional ball handling skills. In fact, it might boggle your mind how he gets past so many elite defenders on the break. The answer, crazy as it is, is that he has one elite piece of footwork that takes countless hours to perfect. The secret to Durant’s herky-jerky fastbreak success is a misdirection crossover, which looks nothing like the killer crossovers or massive, swinging dribble moves you think about breaking ankles. It involves very carefully avoiding dribbling off your front toe while misrepresenting your momentum in such a way that a defender is hopelessly confused as to which side you are going to attack. Stepping one way while crossing the other, and keeping your footing, is an extremely underrated skill. Penava has this rare move in his arsenal, making him a nightmare with the ball in his hands once he gets moving. Not only does he have freakish athleticism, and shoot the ball with consistency, but he carries himself so much like Durant with the ball in his hands it’s actually a little scary. The second thing I want to make clear is that I made this comparison before I knew Penava and his coach had made the very same one, and it was not until I started doing more research that I discovered that reassuring fact (it’s nice to know you aren’t completely insane). Penava and Durant even share some similar weaknesses, with Penava having a tendency to not initiate contact with a offensive player when they are backing him towards the basket; a tendency that strength and confidence can easily remedy. Penava isn’t a Dragan Bender or Zhou Qi type prospect, with an amazing body and elite flashes but fundamental deficiencies that take huge amounts of time, effort and coaching to reverse. Rather, he’s a sound player with a top notch body and a myriad of ways to use his athleticism and skills. Sound familiar?

Final Thoughts

I’m sold. I’m not trying to DeShawn Stevenson and anoint Peneva the next king of modern basketball, but I will say this...I would take him in the first round. Pretty good for a guy who I’ve never seen on a mock draft at any spot (aside from the 59th spot on a 60 man Fansided big board from The Step Back). He plays freakishly like a young Durant, and in some ways even exceeds some things scouts thought KD was lacking when the consensus placed Greg Oden over him in his draft. While he isn’t as much of a dynamic scorer, his shooting isn’t quite what Durant had at that age (Durant was 19 when he made his NBA debut; Penava is almost 21 now), and his playstyle may not grab your eye as much, but believe me, Ajdin Penava is the real deal, and deserves the Kevin Durant comparison more than anyone in college basketball.

College Football Playoff Predictions 2017/2018

Howdy y'all!

With this year's college football playoff starting momentarily, I thought I'd take a brief moment to toss out my final predictions for the Rose Bowl between Georgia and Oklahoma, and the Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Clemson.

For the Rose Bowl...
Georgia over Oklahoma 32-21


For the Sugar Bowl...
Clemson over Alabama 24-14

This would set the stage for a matchup between the Bulldogs and the Tigers in the National Championship game. That would be an exciting contest between what is, in my opinion, the best backfield duo in the nation for Georgia and an exciting Clemson team led by first year starting quarterback Kelly Bryant. 

Have fun, college football fans!

Hoover's 2017 NBA Mock Draft 1st Round

1st Round

1. Celtics- Markelle Fultz, PG, Freshman, Washington
2. Lakers- Lonzo Ball, PG, Freshman, UCLA
3. 76ers- Josh Jackson, SF, Freshman, Kansas
4. Suns- De'Aaron Fox, PG, Freshman, Kentucky
5. Kings- Jayson Tatum, SF, Freshman, Duke
6. Magic- Malik Monk, SG, Freshman, Kentucky
7. Timberwolves- Jonathan Isaac, SF, Freshman, Florida St.
8. Knicks- Dennis Smith Jr., PG, Freshman, NC State
9. Mavericks- Frank Ntilikina, PG, Age 18, Belgium
10. Kings- Zach Collins, PF, Freshman, Gonzaga
11. Hornets- Lauri Markkanen, PF, Freshman, Arizona
12. Pistons- Terrance Ferguson, SG, Age 19, Australia
13. Nuggets- Justin Jackson, SF, Junior, North Carolina
14. Heat- OG Anunoby, SF, Sophomore, Indiana
15. Trail Blazers- Jarrett Allen, C, Freshman, Texas
16. Bulls- Donovan Mitchell, SG, Sophomore, Louisville
17. Bucks- Isaiah Hartenstein, PF, Age 19, Lithuania
18. Pacers- Luke Kennard, SG, Sophomore, Duke
19. Hawks- T.J. Leaf, PF, Freshman, UCLA
20. Trail Blazers- John Collins, PF, Sophomore, Wake Forest
21. Thunder- Harry Giles, C, Freshman, Duke
22. Nets- Ike Anigbogu, C, Freshman, UCLA
23. Raptors- Rodions Kurucs, SF, Age 19, Spain
24. Jazz- Josh Hart, SG, Senior, Villanova
25. Magic- Semi Ojeleye, SF, Junior, SMU
26. Trail Blazers- Jonathan Jeanne, C, Age 19, France
27. Nets- Tyler Lydon, PF, Senior, Syracuse
28. Lakers- Jordan Bell, C,  Junior, Oregon
29. Spurs- Ivan Rabb, C, Sophomore, Cal
30. Jazz- Alec Peters, PF, Senior, Valparaiso

Hoover's 2017 NBA Draft Player Comparisons: Frank Ntilikina, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Keene, Terrance Ferguson

Howdy NBA Draft fans and interested readers, welcome to my most recent collection of thoughts, ramblings, and comparisons for this year's NBA Draft! Now, this year's draft is so mixed-up, interesting, and flat-out confusing, I'm going to stray from my normal path of making a pre-draft big board or mock and jump into some of the player comparisons that you readers have found interesting in the past. As always, any comments, questions, ideas, wisecracks, criticisms, or whatever you have to say can be dropped below in the comment section or posed to me on Twitter using the handle @hoover__26 or hashtag #HooverSportsTalk. Now that all this is out of the way, off we go!

                Frank Ntilikina is a longer Jrue Holiday

Normally when a prospect like Ntilikina comes along, people have either not heard of him or not seen him play with their own eyes. However, with the NBA fan base becoming more in touch with international play every day, this year's foreign mystery man isn't quite the mystery he would have been as recent as a few years ago. The 6'5" point guard from Belgium averaged 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game for his French professional team Strasboug, which plays in the Pro A league. From the film I've watched, Ntilikina is insanely long (with a wingspan of almost seven feet) and very quick, with top notch vision and a jump shot that was questionable early on, but Ntilikina has quelled many of those concerns with insane shooting outbursts in recent performances (such as the FIBA U18 Championships). Holiday is 6'4", and while he weighs in at about 30 pounds more than Ntilikina and isn't quite as long, he has shown some of the same characteristics in his NBA career. Holiday is one of the NBA's premiere passers, with an Assist Percentage of 36.6% in his four years in New Orleans (basketball-reference.com), and has also shown the ability to score, with a career average of 14.3 points per game. Some of the concerns many scouts have with Ntilikina also coincide with some struggles that Holiday has had in his career. Being so thin, there are some questions as to if Ntilikina will be able to finish over stronger defenders at the next level. Holiday's shooting percentage of 57.7% within three feet of the basket could be considered subpar, as it falls below players such as Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Isaiah Thomas (in fact, it barely tops 5'9" Nate Robinson's career number). In addition, despite Holiday's overall strong shooting, his jumper has sometimes been called a "knuckleball", a moniker which could be given to Ntilikina on occasion as well. As a whole, these two players compare very well, and considering Holiday is a former All-Star, Ntilikina has a bright future ahead (if he can add some muscle and continue to improve, which I suspect he can).

            Jayson Tatum is a smarter Gerald Wallace

One of the draft's biggest enigmas, and most polarizing players, is Duke's Jayson Tatum. I did a quick scouting report on Tatum in late January on Twitter, before I saw his March Madness performances, and I basically said the following: he can't shoot, his athleticism doesn't shine in a very athletic draft, he's a "ballhog", and he wastes a ton of motion, but he has a very nice frame and an almost European set of moves that are very polished. I gave him a late lottery grade, but said that was subject to change. Then I watched March Madness, and it changed. Tatum finished the season shooting 34.2% from long distance, and showed some very nice range on occasion. He also flashed some very smooth handles, despite the fact that, as I said, he wastes some motion. Defensively, he has a strong base on his 6'8", 205 pound frame, and can use that to hold down the fort on different types of offensive players. This all reminds me of Gerald Wallace, who was a bit more athletic that Tatum as far as pure distance leaping goes (Tatum can more than hold his own with a strong lift under the basket, but he won't be trying any free throw line dunks any time soon), but didn't quite have the polish that Tatum has at such a young age. Perhaps it was because Wallace came out of Alabama, a school that was known for producing very athletic players at the time, but Gerald rarely showed a consistent jumper or a myriad of crafty moves going to the basket. However, that didn't stop him from leading the league in steals one year, or being named to an All-Star team after posting an 18/10/2 line (that was the one year Wallace shot the ball with confidence, shooting about 37% from long range). Despite the fact that he laid an egg in Brooklyn after they traded their entire future for a package that included him, Wallace still finished his career as one of the better defensive players of his era, and topped 100 million in career contract earnings. Tatum has the potential, if he rounds out his game, to be a very similar player to Wallace, and perhaps even better. Tatum can already shoot the ball better than Wallace did for most of his career (that isn't saying much, but still), and has a much more polished offensive game. If Tatum can learn how to transition his game to the next level, and work hard on his weaknesses, I can see this comparison coming to fruition in the NBA.

               Marcus Keene is a skinnier Ty Lawson

Before we begin with this one, if you have never seen Marcus Keene play, I took the liberty of including film of his 50 (yes, 50) point game against Miami (OH) above (just click on his name). If you have, you know just how incredible Central Michigan's leading scorer (and college basketball's leading scorer for that matter) was in the NCAA. He finished his junior season, his first with the Chippewas (he played his first two seasons at Youngstown State in the Horizon conference), with averages of 30 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game on 44.7% from the field and 36.8% from three. Despite these eye-popping numbers, Keene has been overlooked by many as an NBA prospect due to his diminutive stature (listed at 5'11" and 160 pounds on sports-reference.com and 5'9" and 175 pounds on DraftExpress) and lack of competition (Keene played in the Mid-American Conference, which yielded only first-round loser Kent State in the NCAA Tournament). In addition to playing in a below average conference, Keene's team was in the bottom of the barrel even in the MAC. Central Michigan finished at 6-12, allowing 89.9 points per game (which is, needless to say, absolutely atrocious). However, that isn't entirely Keene's fault. Keene was the only player on Central Michigan to lead the MAC in any offensive or defensive stat, besides rotation guard Josh Kozinski who led the conference in Turnover Percentage. You could compare Keene to former Oakland star and second round draft pick Kay Felder as an undersized, small-school point guard with massive scoring numbers, but that would be flawed. Keene attempted over 10 three point shots per game last season, while Felder was a more traditional point guard in the Oakland system (he still played quite a bit of offense by himself, but not to the extent of Keene). In addition, Felder was a bowling ball going to the lane, weighing in at 5-20 pounds heavier that Keene on a shorter frame. Keene relied more on his "in the gym range" and ability to create separation and draw fouls on the inside to get his points, which worked out well in college. The way he plays the game reminds me of a skinner Ty Lawson, who shot the ball very well early in his career and once was top ten in free throws made per game. Now, the issue of assists may be a bit of a gap between the two players, but remember Lawson averaged only 0.9 assists more for his college career than Keene had in his final season (the only one we can really count). Defensively, Keene may not be the player Lawson was in college, but hopefully much of that will come with added size and the freedom to be more aggressive on defense, as Central Michigan could not afford to have Keene pick up unnecessary fouls. In addition, Lawson never had a Defensive Plus/Minus above -0.7 in his NBA career. Don't sleep on Marcus Keene this year, even though he may not be a high pick, he could sneak up on you at the next level.

       Terrance Ferguson is Terrence Ross. Or Ray Allen.

Yes, that's a big gap. We're talking about a guy with a career line of 11/3/1 whose Turnover Percentage is higher than his Rebound, Assist, Block, and Steal Percentage, against a guy who has a 99.9% chance of being a Hall of Famer (according to basketball-reference.com). But, Ferguson is worth it. He's an strange prospect, passing on a college career at Arizona to play professional ball in Australia. He's 6'7" and very thin, but has incredible athleticism and can jump through the roof on one foot. He is also an elite shooter, which he has shown on multiple stages. However, he's more than just a traditional shooter. He has the ability to stop quickly and get off a shot, as well as shoot off the catch, as he keeps a great rhythm and doesn't waste motion. This sounds quite a bit like a young Ray Allen, who (despite being a bit shorter and stronger) was also an elite shooter (perhaps the best ever) and once a top-notch leaper. It also sounds like a young Terrence Ross, who shot the ball well in college and could out-jump almost anyone. Obviously, though, those two careers didn't turn out exactly the same. So, what signs do we have to tell us if Ferguson is a boom or a bust? Well, he certainly has the confidence to make it big in the NBA. In games he started for the Adelaide 36ers, they went 14-3, and he had five games with more than one three pointer made. However, it wasn't all good, as he failed to record more than three rebounds in any one game during the season. If he could add some muscle (his weight is again spotty at best, as I have seen him at anywhere between 170 and 190), and keep improving his IQ and rebounding skills, T-Ferg could be a real stud. If not, he's a 3 and D player with unlimited leaping ability but maybe not enough craftiness to show it off in games. Either way, I don't see a problem with using a lottery pick on this guy.

2017 NFL Draft: Hoover's Top 5 QB Rankings

                                                                       
The 2017 NFL draft is right around the corner, and it's time for me to weigh in (at least officially, as I have been putting my two cents in on Twitter using the handle @hoover__26) on the great quarterback debate. I will judge my top quarterbacks in the categories of physical tools, intangibles, and NFL readiness. Without further adieu, let's jump in.

1. Deshaun Watson, Junior, Clemson

Physical Tools:

Watson is listed at 6'2" and 221lbs, which is solid but not what you would call a prototype athletic quarterback in the modern day NFL. He ran a 4.66 in the forty yard dash at the combine, which is very nice, but again not quite what you would call elite athleticism (for reference, Cam Newton ran a sub-4.6 at 6'5" and nearly 250lbs). As far as arm strength, Watson again is strong but not a huge standout. From the physical tools perspective, Watson could be graded as an above average guy with nice feet, a very smooth style of play, and very large hands, despite the fact that he doesn't jump off the page in any one area. Reminds me a bit of Donovan McNabb here.

Intangibles:

Watson is a winner, plain and simple. He led his Clemson team to two straight National Championship appearances, winning the second, and lost only one game in his final season at Clemson (a one point shocker to Pitt in which Watson threw the ball 70 times for 580 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions). While he sometimes had a hard time reading the safeties (as highlighted by Jon Gruden), which led to an unusually high interception count for such a highly ranked quarterback, much of those had to do less with Watson and more with some unfortunate miscommunications or tipped balls. He makes nice reads for the most part, and appears to have a very strong grasp of the game as well as a desire to improve and know as much as possible. His intangibles really set him apart as far as this quarterback class, and his future in the NFL.

NFL Readiness:

His NFL readiness is unmatched by any quarterback in this class. Despite the fact that he is only a junior, he has had an extremely large amount of experience playing in the limelight. He has a great head on his shoulders and should be able to fix any mechanical shortcomings that coaches at the next level may find. His vision should also improve quickly, as that is one of the few things holding him back from a readiness perspective. I have no doubts that Watson is the clear #1 quarterback in this draft.

2. Mitchell Trubisky, Redshirt Junior, North Carolina

Physical Tools:

Trubisky, despite being listed at the same height and only one pound heavier than Watson, has better muscular definition and a more durable upper body. His hands are a tad smaller than Watsons, but they aren't anything to be afraid of. He ran 0.01 seconds slower on the forty at the combine than Watson, and is very similar to Watson in that he has the ability to stand in and take hits as well as get moving outside the pocket. Trubisky's arm doesn't set any records but he won't cost you on most NFL throws, and he has a very nice release. Overall, a very solid athlete who has the muscular structure to hold up in the NFL, despite not being a top tier athlete at the next level.

Intangibles:

This is where it gets a little more murky for Mitchell. He has a great completion percentage and absolutely torched some defenses that Watson had a little trouble reading (such as Florida State), but he has only made 13 starts in his entire college career. He has very little experience, and despite the fact that he showed some great eyes, doesn't have very many data points to back up an educated evaluation. In addition, UNC's scheme could have bolstered his completion stats and lack of interceptions, which nonetheless are still very impressive. In addition, he had some inconsistencies during his lone season at the helm, including a loss to Virginia Tech in which he failed to reach even 60 yards passing on 33 attempts. Granted, the weather was atrocious that day and UNC was missing it's starting tailback, but it still serves as a huge low point that most other top quarterbacks don't have on their sheet.

NFL Readiness:

Trubisky may be the most talented quarterback in this draft, drawing comparisons to players like Matthew Stafford and Brett Favre, but his lack of experience and occasional duds serve as a dark cloud over his shining numbers. Overall, I think he needs some extra time to mature, but should still see a selection in the top half of the first round.

3. Brad Kaaya, Junior, Miami

Physical Tools:

At 6'4", you would hope to see a frame with a little more weight than 214lbs, but that is where Kaaya sits. He also didn't run a forty yard dash at the combine or his pro day due to some nagging toe issues which he now says are cleared up. So, as far as physical tools, we basically have what we can see on the tapes. From what I've watched, he isn't a very fluid player, but he has tremendous feet from under center and uses his height well to survey the field from the pocket. His season high in rushing yards is 3.4, which came in a systematic destruction of Pitt in which he threw for 356 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is not a runner, and therefore doesn't have the benefits of being a duel-threat guy, but also has less of the durability concerns that come with his skinnier frame. His arm is not very strong, and he doesn't have very much zip on his passes, but his scheme made up for much of that at Miami.

Intangibles:

By all accounts, Kaaya has a strong character and a great head on his shoulders when it comes to the game. Kaaya's scouting report reads like a Tom Brady report from back in his draft year, as he has questionable accuracy and strength on deep balls and even midrange throws that require some juice to get them into a window, and plays the game like a robot. However, he is extremely comfortable progressing through reads and often makes check down throws. His team hit a bit of a skid in the middle of the season, but he doesn't have any seriously concerning goose-eggs on his sheet like Trubisky. Overall, his intangibles are excellent for a kid who considered returning for his senior season amid concerns over readiness.

NFL Readiness:

Kaaya's arm may not be the most ready one in the draft, but it's been a while since I saw a mind that was more polished coming into the draft. If he lands in a system that doesn't need him to zip throws 25 yards downfield on every play, he could be an NFL ready guy on day one. His eyes and knowledge of different offenses rarely seen in college ball bring him to the #3 spot in this draft for me.

4. Patrick Mahomes, Junior, Texas Tech

Physical Tools:

The story for Mahomes is arm strength. Yes, he's 6'2" and 225lbs with smaller hands that could contribute to some nagging accuracy problems, but nobody really cares about that. Mahomes has quick feet and powerful legs getting out of the pocket despite his sluggish forty time, and has spread offense numbers that are beyond gaudy, but the big selling point for this gun-slinging QB is his cannon arm. Whether or not he can hit the broadside of a barn with that arm remains to be seen, but the very fact that he has a weapon like that will vault him up draft boards everywhere.

Intangibles:

Mahomes played in a phantom offense at Texas Tech that gives him very little mental preparation for the game at the next level, and his tawdry numbers may not translate well to the NFL. In-game experience is not a problem, as he saw his first starts as a true freshman, and almost threw for 600 yards in one of those games, but his lack of experience running an NFL-type offense could hurt him. He doesn't have any overly concerning performances this season, his worst being an 18 for 36 game against Iowa State in which his team lost by 56 points. His completion percentage is actually quite excellent, but that may not reflect his overall accuracy going forward. He has some natural accuracy on fluid throws, but his touch in tight windows will be put to the test as those windows get smaller against NFL corners. His combine deep balls also were not always on target, but that really doesn't tell the whole story. Overall, if a team is willing to bet that Mahomes can mature into a real offense and use his exceptional arm to make up for any shortcomings in touch, they could hit the lottery here.

NFL Readiness:

Mahomes may not be ready on day one, but he could end up the best quarterback to come out of this draft. He could also end up being a massive bust, but it all depends on how well he transitions from a spread offense and hones his arm talent.

5. Deshone Kizer, Redshirt Sophomore, Notre Dame

Physical Tools:

Kizer's physical tools are off the charts when compared to the other quarterbacks in this draft. He stands at 6'4" and weighs in at 233lbs, with massive hands and incredible muscular definition. He commented about having Cam Newton's body and Tom Brady's mind, both of which I will contend, but having Cam Newton's body is easily the closer of the two. He didn't run very well at the combine, clocking in at over 4.8 on the forty, but that doesn't mean much for a bruiser like Kizer. He has the arm to make every throw an NFL team could ask him to make, and showed some flashes of accuracy, but did occasionally struggle hitting his spot. His 9 for 26 effort against NC State was marred with some of the worst conditions I can remember in a football game, but he dipped under 55% in four other games this season. His feet aren't great on the dropback, and I noticed some hitches in his footwork, but physically Kizer is probably the best in this class.

Intangibles:

There are some major league questions here for Kizer. He didn't win very many games in college, he doesn't do a great job transitioning from his first look, and as I mentioned before he doesn't have great footwork. Many coaches and analysts have gone on record saying he should have stayed for another year at least, and I can't say I disagree. He needs to work quite a bit on running NFL offenses, and despite the fact that he may have a good grasp of the game, he could be easily exploited by defenses if he plays right away.

NFL Readiness:

Not very high. He has the physical tools, and a good coach can mold him, but I don't see him getting any real playing time in the next year or two with the mechanical issues and lack of experience. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go early just because of his body and arm, and he is a very nice piece to add behind an established quarterback, but there are plenty of issues for Kizer that have to be worked out.

Broncos on the Horizon: Why the Santa Clara Broncos Could Be Making a Splash in NCAA Basketball

NCAA Men’s Basketball is one of the nation’s favorite sports, and culminates in one of the nation’s favorite sporting sagas of the year, March Madness. Undoubtedly, March Madness will have a few teams that spring up as the “cinderellas” of that year’s tourney. In recent years, teams like the Dayton Flyers (not to brag but I predicted that one), Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (I am honestly not bragging, but I called that one as well), and 15th seed Middle Tennessee (okay, I am not a psychic, I did not see that one coming at all), and countless more teams become, albeit for a short time, the hot team in March. However, when it comes down to the Final Four, it is generally full of familiar faces. Teams like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Villanova, Syracuse and North Carolina are mainstays in the last few games. However, that doesn’t mean a cinderella team can’t have a meaningful run. Sometimes that meaning is all in simply getting into the tournament. But, I am getting ahead of myself. I’m talking about a team that hasn’t been to the tournament since 1996, and hasn’t been to the Final Four since 1952. What team is that, you ask? Well, I am referring to the 13-11 Santa Clara Broncos. Why would an 13-11 team be in the same breath as March Madness? They wouldn’t. The team I am talking about has not even been fully assembled. I am referring to the Santa Clara Broncos of years to come.

    Taking a look at Santa Clara’s current roster, one thing jumps out immediately.  Senior guard Jared Brownridge is putting up eye popping numbers, scoring 18.5 points per game and shooting nearly 39% from long range. However, the graduating guard could be leaving more of a negative impact than first meets the eye. Despite his strong shooting numbers, and huge scoring outbursts, Brownridge is shooting barely over 40% from the field. He attempts 14.4 shots per game, a large distance from second place Sophomore KJ Feagin with 11.7 (Feagin has only played twelve games on the season, so I give him a pass on his lower FG%). In addition, Brownridge is providing virtually nothing in other statistical categories for a playmaker in his position (3 rebounds and 2.7 assists), aside from the occasional steal. Free Hand Basketball writer Justin Hodges (@justin_hodges22 on Twitter) compared the situation to last year’s North Carolina State Wolfpack team, led by Cat Barber. Barber was an elite scorer, putting up 23.5 points per game on 43.4% from the field. Despite Barber’s amazing numbers, his team often appeared disjointed as he attempted nearly 200 more shots than anyone on the team. With his graduation to the NBA D-League, Barber was replaced with recruit Dennis Smith Jr., who has continued to put up big numbers (18.9 points per game), but his ball distribution and team play has led NC State to a much more successful season thus far. When Brownridge graduates, he will be replaced by a few very nice young players. The previously mentioned KJ Feagin, a sharpshooting guard with room to grow, as he will only be a Junior next season, will be a very nice addition to the regular rotation. Sophomores Henrik Jadersten, a Swedish stretch big man, and Emmanuel Ndumanya (who has shown flashes of being a reliable main big against opponents such as Gonzaga), a shot-blocker from Nigeria, will also be rising into greater roles. In fact, Santa Clara has even shown they can play well without Brownridge, as they held a strong position for the first eight or so minutes against Gonzaga without Brownridge scoring a single point (I understand the senior Kratch scored in that span, but he is nothing that can not be replaced, and allowed some Przemek Karnowski buckets on his poor help defense). However, the real treat with this Santa Clara team is their recruits for the next few years.

    Three players have signed letters of intent to play at Santa Clara next season, according to verbalcommits.com. The first of those being Matt Turner, a three star (rivals.com) 6’4” guard who attends Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ. I can personally attest to Matt Turner’s talents. He has an insane work ethic, was incredibly well-coached, and was bred by his coaches to be a leader and floor general. His jump shot is very consistent, even when off balance, and he has excellent athleticism and agility when handling the ball. Trust me when I tell you, he is a serious winner. In addition, the game Turner plays is not a traditional high school game. The pace and extreme physicality of Turner’s opponents and system has primed him for the Division I college game. His coach, Joe Mantegna, is one of the best in the game, and has coached the likes of Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, Royal Ivey, Mike Tobey, Marial Shayok, Julius Coles, Justin Robinson, and countless more. If you do not believe me when I preach about Turner, watch this video:

Matt Turner Blair Academy '17 Junior Year Highlight

Next on the list is 6’6” guard/forward Shaquille Walters, a two star recruit from London, England. I do not understand why Walters is only a two star recruit, because he really convinced me of his talents the very first time I saw film of him. He has a long body, is a very good leaper (even in traffic), appears to possess superior vision when passing on the move, and has the kind of range you want to see in someone with his body type. If I were to compare him to another player, I would roughly compare him to a Malcolm Brogdon-type player. He has a nice handle, but will probably thrive off the ball at the next level. He was the #6 ranked player at the Luol Deng Top 50 Camp in London, which is one of the biggest honors for a U19 player to receive. He has the physical and mental skills to be a factor as soon as he steps onto a court at Santa Clara. If you want, here is a nice tape of Walters to look at:

Shaquille Walters 6'5 Guard (Class of 2016)

    Third on the list is two star forward Josip Vrankic, a 6’9” recruit from Canada. I honestly do not have much to go on with Vrankic, but from what I can look at (which is basically a minute and a half long mixtape and a thirty six second video of him hitting one buzzer-beater), he seems like a smaller Andrea Bargnani-style player with a “high IQ”. Everywhere I’ve seen this kid, they praise his high court IQ, so that is obviously a plus. If he fills out, he could be a very nice stretch four with some solid shot blocking ability. By the way, here is the mixtape I mentioned earlier:

Josip Vrankic - Upperclassman Showcase MVP - One of the BEST big men in Canada!

    Another exciting thing about this Santa Clara team is the recruits they might get in 2018. Elijah Hardy, a three to four star southpaw point guard with transfixing ball handling and passing ability, and Riley Battin, a 6’9” four star big man who set countless records in Ventura County, California, have both shown a medium level interest in committing to Santa Clara (verbalcommits.com). Hardy has also received interest from USC and Cal, among other places, while Battin has received interest from colleges such as Utah (check out some highlights of these two). However, if Santa Clara could land even one of these two recruits, it would be the icing on a beautiful cake for the Broncos. The future looks very bright for this team, so watch out, they might just come from nowhere and surprise you.

Confessions of an Unapologetic Fantasy Baseball Champion: 3 Tips of the Trade

Hello and welcome, dear reader. I am here today to talk about fantasy baseball. Or, more specifically, how to win at fantasy baseball. Or, MORE more specifically, how I won at fantasy baseball this year. Now, everyone has a different strategy when drafting, or what type of players to target, and how many players at each position to keep, so I'm going to stay away from all that jazz. What I want to focus on is some of the other stuff that goes on in the winner's circle, some of the behind-the-scenes ideas you can put to use in your fantasy life. Now that all this introductory bunk is over, let us begin.

1. Remember Kenny Rogers

When making day to day moves in fantasy sports, specifically baseball (since it's a long season), the key is to remember Kenny Rogers. If you're from the group that's asking why you should be thinking of a country music legend when playing fantasy baseball, sit tight. If you are of the other group that's asking why you should be thinking of a former Texas Rangers starting pitcher (baseball diehards, I solute you) who retired in '08, also sit tight. I have an answer that will make all of you happy. Now, let's take a look at one of my rosters for a second. First guy on there, starting catcher, Yadier Molina. Molina was the 157th pick of that draft (I drafted from the 12th and final slot), my 14th player. In the months of May and June, Molina batted .212 and .235, respectively. His ownership rate plummeted. There I was, sitting with a team that had been average to that point, and Molina was slumping big time from his hot start (in the season's first calendar month he batted .341). Was I temped to cut ties permanently? Yes. Did I? Well, I looked at the waivers, I looked at my roster, and I heard the first line of that legendary chorus in my head. "You've got to know when to hold 'em" (ah, you say, now it's coming into focus). The Gambler can teach us many lessons, and this is the first one: don't be too quick on the trigger when it comes to cutting a player. If something tells you that a slump will end (stats, past patterns, gut feelings, whatever), don't just put that out of your mind. Molina ended up finishing the season with a batting average over .300 and a ranking of #4 on ESPN's Positional Rank. On the other side of that, let's look at a player who is no longer on my roster: the 85th pick, Ben Revere (which, going back, was a terribly stupid pick). Revere, well, let's just say he was rather poor this season. He failed to finish with a batting average over .220, and might not even make his own team's postseason roster. Revere was playing badly, and I was hopeful that a guy I took so early would turn it around, but it got to the point where I tried to trade him for something ("know when to walk away"). Nobody would give me the time of day, so I cut him ("and know when to run"). That worked out for me (it very well could have gone another way, but nobody knows that for sure), just knowing "when to fold 'em". Alright, former-pitcher-Kenny-Rogers crowd, you've been patient. It's time for your answer. If you know about Kenny Rogers (I had to look it up), you know he was decidedly "meh" for about the first decade of his career (he had one All-Star appearance, and never won 20 games). Then, at about the 11 or 12 season mark, it started to get worse. His career path was taking a predictable turn when, all of a sudden at age 39, he started throwing like he had in his younger days. He was dealing as many, if not more, innings as he was in the mid 90s, and actually was an All-Star in 2005. He had a decent season in 2006, and then boom. His 2007 campaign, in which he was over forty years old, was the stuff of legend. He was an All-Star, 5th in Cy Young voting, and 26th in the MVP race (baseball-reference.com) that year, seemingly without warning. So, when you are drafting or trading, always remember Kenny Rogers and how he tapped into the fountain of youth. For example, I drafted 37 year old Adrian Beltre 61st overall. Some people were iffy about relying on such a veteran player, but it's a risk I was willing to take. Beltre improved his home runs, RBIs, batting average, WAR, and walk totals from 2015 to this past year. I was able to luck out and catch a turn back the clock season from Beltre because I didn't strike him from my board because of age concerns. If there were injury concerns, then maybe, but straight up age is (in my opinion) not a great reason to put someone on the no-draft or emergency-draft list (sliding him down a little is fine, that'll happen). So, however you do it, make sure you remember Kenny Rogers.

2. Overreaction=Reaction

Hey, everyone overreacts sometimes. Maybe a player you took early on is really having a rough week, maybe he's not quite as healthy as you would have liked, and you have just had enough. You just don't feel like stashing him for brighter days anymore, and he finds himself on waivers or the trade block. For everyone else in the league, that's a golden opportunity for a possible steal in the cheapest way possible. However, often times a guy who's in that boat ends up not being that highly sought after once he hits the open market. That's often because many of your league mates would have done the exact same thing had the player been on their roster. That's how I added Corey Kluber and Yu Darvish in one of my leagues (also how I ended up with C.J. Anderson in fantasy football last year). When someone overreacts a little (it's bound to happen), try to capitalize. Guys who are bigger names, or higher draft picks, are usually worth stashing unless something really bad happens (like a big injury or benching). Don't follow the crowd and stay away from a situation like that. Remember, regardless of a slump or minor/moderate injury or stuff like that, somebody drafted that player high for a reason. When an owner overreacts, it almost always works in your favor to react.

3. Stash and Grab

Time to be honest. Who do you wish you could roster because you're such a big fan (or have a great feeling about), but just don't feel like you should? Everybody has players like that. For me, it's Jonathan Villar. I am a huge Villar fan, but I didn't know if drafting him over certain others was such a good idea. However, what's great about fantasy baseball (especially larger roster size leagues) is nabbing a guy you have a feeling about isn't going to hurt you at all. I owned Villar in every league I won this year, and he was a vital part of each of my rosters. However, I would not have owned him at all had I not decided to follow my gut and give him a spot on my bench. On average, Villar was taken with the 222nd pick in espn.com drafts. However, Villar ended up 5th overall (!!!!) in ESPN's Player Rater (only Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, and Max Scherzer eclipsed Villar on that list). The moral of this story is, stash that guy you really want to stash. Sometimes he ends up in the top 8 in DK-style fantasy points for each of the three positions he's eligible in (like Villar), and sometimes he ends up a dud. Regardless, what damage does it do? Maybe you catch a look from a fellow owner, at the absolute most. So go ahead, do it. You know you want to.


I will not be wearing any fantasy loser tattoos this season. However, if you didn't fare as well, get your fantasy loser tattoos on Twitter or Amazon from @Fantasylosertat!

If you have any comments, concerns, questions, wisecracks, ideas, theories, or you have anything at all to add, hit me up in the comment box or on Twitter @hoover__26! Thanks and fantasy on!

Disaster on Flatbush Ave? Why The Brooklyn Nets Aren't As Bad As They Look

Want to hear a joke? The Brooklyn Nets. Yes, yes, we've heard it all before. From the outside looking in, this roster looks like a dumpster fire rolling down a cliff into a radioactive volcano. I mean, who is even going to start for them? They paid Jeremy Lin 38 million dollars just so they could say they drew a free agent, and couldn't even keep the likes of Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson on the roster for more than fifteen minutes. They ended up with a team of NBA misfits, outcasts, rookies, and Brook Lopez. Now, how on earth could they be better than they look? Well, here goes nothing...


Rebounding-

This team ranked 23rd last year in rebounding, so that wasn't a bright spot. And, they lost their best rebounder Thaddeus Young to the new-look Pacers. But, I have hope. They still have Brook Lopez, who can be a dominant center in the NBA when he isn't surrounded by total scrubs, but that's it when it comes to big name rebounders. However, consider this: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the newly signed Trevor Booker both  averaged at least 12 rebounds per 100 possessions (Booker averaged over 14, both more than Brook Lopez), and Hollis-Jefferson will only be in his second season in the league next year (basketball-reference.com). Also, Chris McCullough (the team's youngest player last year) averaged nearly 10 boards per 100 possessions to go along with shooting 38% from long range. With Hollis-Jefferson finally healthy, the possible emergence of the still young Booker in the lineup, and the additions of Luis Scola (whose career rebounding percentage is higher than Marc Gasol's and on par with that of Pau Gasol), Anthony Bennett, and Egidijus Mockevicious (who led the NCAA in rebounding his senior year at Evansville), the Nets' rebounding situation could be sneakily on the rise. Concerning Egidijus, you would be perfectly correct in pointing out how poor his competition was in college. However, try comparing him to first round pick of the Raptors, Pascal Siakam (for the record, I love Siakam as a prospect, just using him as an example). Egidijus averaged 15.7 points and 13.9 rebounds per game in his senior year on a .637 FG%. In Siakam's sophomore year with New Mexico State, he averaged 20.2 points and 11.6 rebounds on a .538 FG%. According to the SOS rating (a strength of schedule stat used by sports-reference.com where 0 is NCAA normal), Egidijus' schedule was a strength of -0.39. In contrast, Siakam's SOS rating his sophomore year was -3.54 (to add a third factor, Skal Labissiere's SOS rating was 8.84). So, the undrafted Mockevicious might just give the Nets some good minutes off the boards. Mix in what they already have, and I think they may have made up for their losses on this front.


Field Goal Percentage-

Little known fact here, the Nets were in the top half of the league in field goal percentage last season. They got rid of three of their top four shot takers from last year (Young, Jarrett Jack, and Joe Johnson), and that made a big ripple in their balance of power on the offensive end. However, when you average the field goal percentage of the three, it comes out to a number under 44%. If they can get newer players to step up and take those shots, like Sean Kilpatrick (46.2%), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (45.7%), or Trevor Booker (49%), they might be in even better shape. If you toss in their change in point guard from Jarrett Jack (39.1%) to Jeremy Lin (41.2%), the numbers get a little better. Honestly, with what this team has already, coupled with what they changed, they could be a top half team in field goal percentage again this season, if not sneaking into the top 12 or 10. From long range, this team might be sneaky good as well. Jeremy Lin has been a way better shooter when he gets big minutes, and guys like Bojan Bogdanovic and Randy Foye being on the roster will only help your jump shot as a team.


Guard Play-

Last year, Brooklyn played three point guards for consistent minutes at one point or another (injuries didn't help). Jarrett Jack, Shane Larkin, and Donald Sloan manned the point for the team's 21 win season, and it wasn't the prettiest thing in the world. However, not one of those three is on the roster this season. Now, they have a new committee to oversee the 1 spot, consisting of rookies Isaiah Whitehead, Caris LeVert, and Yogi Ferrell, along with signees Jeremy Lin and Greivis Vasquez. Those three rookies may be the finest group of rookie point guards in the league, from Whitehead the athletic volume scorer to LeVert the sometimes injured star (reminds me of a kid who came out of Memphis a few years back, what was his name again?), and Ferrell who has more experience than most NBA point guards without ever stepping on the floor. Lin is the projected starter (and historically better at stuffing the stat sheet when he starts as opposed to a bench role), and nobody knows who is going to be on the main roster from that rookie trio (or how many minutes Vasquez sees, if any), but I think it's safe to say that the point guard spot has improved from generally depressing to slightly optimistic.


Coaching-

Brooklyn was coached by Lionel Hollins and Tony Brown last season, and that didn't work out too well. Brown won more games than Hollins, but only finished with a record of 11-34. Now, they have a newly inked head coach named Kenny Atkinson who is not only a Long Island native, but a product of the Mike Budenholzer system. Now, that might just work for this team. Kenny has also worked as a player development director for many years, another big selling point if a good part of your roster hasn't even had their official NBA pictures taken yet. Guys like  Egidijus, LeVert, and Beau Beech (not to mention Anthony Bennett, everybody knows he needs some development BAD), who will need refining early in their careers, might be better off playing for a coach that knows player development like the back of his hand. Especially when that coach will have to be playing guys like that on a consistent basis. A defensive mind doesn't hurt either, as Kenny will be stepping in a role where he has to put guys like Vasquez and Randy Foye on the court to play both ends.


Final Thoughts-

Hey, I did my best. If we're being honest, this team is not good at all. We all know that. But, in all fairness to Brooklyn, they have a decent ceiling. It is my opinion that this team could win 30-35ish games, if they bite the bullet and play their young guns as opposed to playing it ridiculously safe and sending guys like Chase Budinger and Joe Harris out for 20 minutes a game. Regardless, this dumpster fire may have a leg to stand on after all. Look out for some of these younger players Brooklyn has gotten their hands on lately as well, a few of them could be superstars in the making. So, that's what I think. But I want to hear what YOU think!!! Hit me up on my off-the-chain Twitter account @hoover__26, or in the comments button directly below the words you are currently reading!

Thanks for coming!

Hoover's NFL Week One Predictions

Hello #HooverSportsTalk readers! Quickly today, on the day of the NFL opener, I wanted to share my final Week 1 predictions. Here they are, in a handy photo:

Wish me luck! I would love to hear your comments, and your own predictions, in the comment box below or on Twitter @hoover__26. Also, go ahead and ask me whatever questions you want about sports, fantasy football, more predictions (spoiler alert: Tajae Sharpe OROY and Nick Chubb Heisman), or whatever! Thanks!

Zhou Qi- The Houston Rockets' Chinese Mystery Man

Before the NBA Draft, I was doing my yearly prospect research and film study when I tripped across a name I hadn't heard before. I usually have a pretty good understanding of the games of guys projected down into the late first and early second (or at least have some idea of who the heck they are), so I was eager to learn more about this Chinese big man named Zhou Qi. As soon as I saw him, I knew I was intrigued. Normally, when I think of a Chinese player in the NBA, I think of someone like Yao Ming or Yi Jianlian. Tall, powerful shot blockers and rebounders, without a huge amount of perimeter skill (you may think of Jeremy Lin, but Qi is 7'2", so that image didn't really pop into my head). However, this super young big man is of a breed that is only in it's infancy in the NBA, the long and thin jump shooter. With the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis, who could also be classified as tall, skinny and an elite shooter, we can clearly see that there is a place for players like this in the league. However, just looking at Zhou Qi certainly wasn't close to enough to evaluate his game. So, I have made a post-draft scouting report for all of you who are still unsure of the Houston Rockets' 43rd overall pick.

OFFENSIVE SKILL SET

Qi is a very talented player for his age (we will touch upon his age later) on the offensive side of the ball. I have rarely seen players as tall as Qi as fluid and smooth with the ball as he is (besides perhaps top college prospect Deng Gak, and Milwaukee Bucks' draft pick Thon Maker, who we will touch upon again later). While he may sometimes seem lost when he is moving without the ball (I attribute this in part to a lack of tactical coaching), once he does get himself open and make the catch, he looks like a guard. He has strong ball handling, and makes some of the smoothest moves attacking the basket off the dribble that I have ever seen a 7'2" player make. He has a nice set of moves in the post, and while he hasn't quite mastered them yet, the potential is obvious. He is a really ready player on the offensive end, if he can hold his position at only about 215lbs.

DEFENSIVE SKILL SET

This is where it gets a little more murky for Qi. You may look at his numbers and see that he has led the Chinese Basketball Association in blocked shots for two years running and draw the conclusion that he's a fine low post defender. However, in reality, Qi relied heavily on a wingspan that is nearly 7'8" to block a majority of his shots, without using very many low post positioning skills required to block NBA shots. When forced to make a decision in the post, he didn't always react quick enough to cover a driving player or get in the right position to block a shot. I think that's the kind of thing that Houston can remedy by "locking him in a room with Hakeem Olajuwon". He has all the length he needs to be a shot blocker in the NBA, he just needs to add muscle and muscle memory. If he can be taught to make better and faster choices and movements on the interior, he could be a dominant defender. When, say, the shot clock is winding down and the ball handler can only shoot, Qi times his jumps well and does a very good job contesting. It's only when a player is threatening to do multiple things that Qi has a hard time finding himself in the right place defensively. On the ball defense on the perimeter is never really a strong suit for someone of Qi's size and position, but he shows flashes of guard-like man defense on the outside. This is detailed in an excellent piece you can find here: https://onebasketblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/zhou-qi-scouting-report/. Overall, I think if he adds muscle and gets a little more versed in the subtleties of playing defense, he could be a more than passable defender in the NBA. Because, as he is now, he is nearly useless in the paint against someone like Boogie Cousins or Andre Drummond. Rebounding is another issue, as he relies on his size and reach to snatch rebounds over less talented players. While that's surely going to be a learning curve, I think it's something he can learn to improve at. It's the kind of thing where he needs to be told how to do it right, and focus on it until he fully grasps it (it's difficult to break a habit at 19 or 20 years old, which is why I knocked Dragan Bender down to 10 on my pre-draft board).

BODY EVALUATION

Two words: get bigger. Normally I go against the grain when it comes to gaining weight and muscle, as I was against Porzingis picking up too much and losing some of what got him to the NBA in the first place. However, Qi is going to be in a position where he will be matched up against some of the NBA's biggest and best, and he needs to be bulkier if he wants any chance at success. His height and length obviously are tremendous, and he doesn't seem to have much of an injury history, so he has that going for him. But, honestly, all he needs on this front is to just get bigger. Once he does that, he should be good as far as matching up against some of the stronger players in the NBA.

CONTROVERSY

Ah, here we go. You know I love a little controversy (I mean, it feels so empty without it), so I have to talk about the questions swirling around Zhou Qi's age. Supposedly, Qi is in fact closer to 22, which was suggested because of normal rules about Chinese players not declaring for the draft until that age. I don't know if I believe that, as the examples that are being used were quite a a few years ago. CBA and NBA alumni Bobby Brown's translator has also alleged that Qi is possibly even closer to 25, which is not corroborated and frankly even harder to believe. However, even if Qi IS in fact 22, there is even more evidence on 10th overall pick Thon Maker being as old as 23. Even if both are in their twenties, there is more evidence proving Maker than Qi, and Maker still was taken in the lottery (if you haven't already, check this out on Maker- http://bit.ly/29hQXEY) So, this really doesn't bother me, but I would have been missing an opportunity to talk about conspiracy theories if I didn't mention it.

CONCLUSION

After watching Qi intently during the Olympics so far, I am able to come up with the following conclusion. Qi is a very fluid and NBA ready offensive player who needs to add muscle mass and work on a better feel for the game defensively and when positioning for rebounds. He has a great amount of potential, but he needs work on understanding more complicated principles of being an NBA center. Houston is a great place for him with the history of Chinese players having success, and the different training available for an interior player. Qi is a great value in the mid second round, and might just be the next big thing you've never heard of.

Cleveland Browns NFL Record Prediction 2016

Recently I got into a debate with some NFL writers and podcasters about the Cleveland Browns' record for next season. So, I decided to post a prediction. There won't be too much glamour in this post, I'm mostly just announcing my thoughts on how many wins Cleveland will have next year.

Week 1- Win vs. Eagles
Week 2- Loss vs. Ravens
Week 3- Loss vs. Dolphins
Week 4- Win vs. Redskins
Week 5- Loss vs. Patriots
Week 6- Loss vs. Titans
Week 7- Win vs. Bengals
Week 8- Win vs. Jets
Week 9- Win vs. Cowboys
Week 10- Win vs. Ravens
Week 11- Loss vs. Steelers
Week 12- Loss vs. Giants
Week 13- BYE
Week 14- Loss vs. Bengals
Week 15- Win vs. Bills
Week 16- Loss vs. Chargers
Week 17- Win vs. Steelers

So, 8-8. I know many people don't think they can win more than 4 (the Vegas over/under is 4.5), even @DownWithDamon (Browns fan extraordinaire) puts them at 6 wins. But, I love to be bold (if you have read anything of mine, especially my last post, you knew that), and I think RG3 has Pro-Bowl potential in Cleveland. Duke Johnson is a very versatile running back (and a great PPR fantasy option), and the return of Josh Gordon in week five coupled with a great rookie in Corey Coleman and a proven tight end in Gary Barnidge, that's a scary offense. This Browns team can be very solid in my opinion, but I want to hear yours as well! Tweet me @hoover__26, and comment below!

What Could Have Been- The Legend of Arvydas Sabonis

Quick- name the most skilled and talented big men in basketball history. Instantly names like Hakeem, Kareem, Wilt and Shaq come to mind. Maybe even Dirk, KG, Tim Duncan, or David Robinson. Now, what if I told you the most skilled big man ever might just be missing from that list. Now, you're searching your brain banks trying to figure out who could possibly be better than these legends of the game. Finally, your brain lands on the name Arvydas Sabonis (pronounced ar-VEE-das). Perhaps you recall his NBA stats (12 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists career) and think, what could possibly give this guy a chance against those greats we just mentioned? He played for only seven seasons over eight years, and never had as much as one single 20/10 season. Here you are, staring at your screen wondering what the heck I must be smoking to think this guy might be better than someone like David Robinson. I tell you, however, that in order to truly understand the legend of Arvydas Sabonis, you have to go back. I mean way, way back.

Let's begin this odyssey in 1981. Sabonis was 17, and playing in the European Championship for Cadets. His Soviet Union team went undefeated, winning all seven games by a combined margin of 241 points. Young Sabonis averaged 17 points per game, but unfortunately we have no records of rebounds, assists or blocks until years later. Plus, unless you happened to have been watching in person in 1981, we really have very little good video of a young, healthy Sabonis. We have some grainy and undated film of Sabonis looking like a young, athletic center with dark Larry Bird hair shooting one of four shots- a three off the catch, a turnaround midrange jumper, a practically un-blockable sky hook, or a monster dunk. We can gather a few things from this film, one being he wasn't always the slow and pudgy guy that hobbled around the court in a Portland uniform in the late nineties. He was once a super athlete, with a pair of quick feet to go along with his incredible size and bodybuilder strength.

Let's move forward to our next spot on the timeline (big thanks to chile2011.fiba.com for this). It's now the 1983 World Championship for Junior Men, and an 18.5 year old Sabonis is the Soviet Union's undoubted star. He leads the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game, and averages 23.5 points per game against the eventual champion United States (the Soviets finished second against a USA team that featured Kenny Walker and Larry Krystkowiak). Well okay, you say, but that's for Junior Men. What could he do against real men? Let's take a look at the 1983 European Championship for Men. Sabonis again led his team in scoring with 17.7 per game, despite being the youngest player on the Soviet Union's roster by five to ten years. Also keep in mind that Sabonis' field goal percentage hasn't dipped below 60% even once. In Sabonis' final game of the tournament, he scored 28 points on 10/12 shooting from the field. He was completely dominant in European play, despite being so young playing against older, more experienced veterans.

Sabonis and his Soviet team continued to be a force to be reckoned with, bowling through the 1984 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament and 1985 European Championship for men, winning both while scoring an average of 15.3 and 20.1 points per game, respectively. Now, 1985 is an extremely interesting year in the story of Arvydas. The Atlanta Hawks were considered one of the teams at the forefront of the international athlete boom, and decided to take a crazy risk and reach blindly behind the iron curtain attempting to snag Sabonis. According to Stan Kasten (courtesy of sports.vice.com),  "Sabonis was widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in the world at that time." Okay, hold up. After reading and processing the implications of this (considering this is 1985 and guys like MJ, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Hakeem, Dr. J, Isiah Thomas, and Moses Malone were all active in the NBA), you may question just how honest was Los Angeles Dodgers CEO (and former Hawks GM) Stan Kasten being when he said "greatest...in the world". If you say maybe he was just talking about centers, I will direct you towards Kareem, Hakeem, Moses Malone, and Robert Parish, who were all technically "in the world" at the time. Okay, you say, maybe he was just talking about that draft class. If that were true, his statement would still include guys like Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Chris Mullin. So clearly, regardless of whatever stipulations are put on Kasten's statement, it's still an obvious compliment from someone who really knows sports and a good young athlete. Now, this is Sabonis' first chance to come to America and play in the NBA. Unfortunatly, he wasn't quite 21 yet (in those days the old rule about having to be of the most recent college graduating class or older was still hanging on), and since he was unlucky enough to share his draft year with the arrival of the legendary (expletive) David Stern, his choice was voided. Atlanta honestly didn't know Sabonis wasn't 21 yet, and it deferred the drafting of Sabonis another year. Imagine if Sabonis had been allowed to come to Atlanta in 1985, the kind of team they would have had. A 26 year old Dominique Wilkins (who was already scoring 30 points per game at the time), a rookie Spud Webb, a 24 year old Doc Rivers,  a 23 year old Kevin Willis, and Sabonis, all maturing together. The Hawks had won 50 games in 1985, despite their best shooter (Randy Wittman) making only five threes on the year. Wilkins was shooting .186 from long range, and not one player on that team averaged at least one three point attempt per game. If Sabonis comes over at almost 21, he's instantly the team's best shooter. Any team that can win 50 games without much experience or shooting ability (and 57 the next year with only one player shooting over 30% from long range) would have been instant title contenders if they added a skilled and experienced (but still young) Arvydas Sabonis. But, they didn't, so let's not harp on that for too much longer.

Sabonis averaged 15.3 points in the 1986 World Championship for Men, and topped that average in the final against the United States by scoring 16 in a duel with David Robinson (the Soviets actually lost that one, which wasn't a familiar feeling for Sabonis). This was the last event Sabonis played at near 100% (he had been hurt before, but nothing career threatening). While running up the stairs to answer the phone (thank you nytimes.com for this little detail), he ruptured his Achilles tendon. The return to "routine activities" usually takes 4-6 months (clearly, however, being Arvydas Sabonis was far from routine". He rehabbed the injury in Portland, who had drafted him in the first round in 1986 and crossed their fingers that they could wrestle him away from the Soviet Union, but he was rushed back into action after only 2-3 months. And not just any action. He was rushed back into the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He still managed to average 13.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game (this is the first event in which we have more detailed stats), and led his team to a Gold (knocking out the USA and Yugoslavia in the process). While he was third on the team in scoring, he was probably the most important player on the team, as his 13/11/2 line was (to me, anyway) more powerful than an 18/2/2 line (held by Raimondas Marciulionis, the team's leading scorer). He wasn't just the leader of his team, he was also (apparently) the life of the party. The ever fun Sabonis supposedly got into a drinking contest somewhere in the Olympic Village, and was, (cough, cough) "unavailable" for the gold medal ceremony (his request after his first two a day practice with Portland many years later consisted of one word: beer).

Sabonis averaged 16.4 points in the 1989 European Championship for Men (again, we go back to having no other stats), but he was a very limited version of his early eighties dominant self that shattered backboards like Shaq (if you don't believe me, look it up). The USSR ground him (and his legs) to a pulp, and it left him a shadow of the all-powerful giant he once was. Just because he was a shadow, however, didn't mean he couldn't still go out and play like one of the best. He averaged 23.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1 steal, and 3.6 blocks per game for Forum Valladolid of the Liga ACB in Spain in 1989-90, while shooting over 40% from three point range. Keep in mind, Sabonis has the foot speed of Frankenstein by now with all of his overuse leg injuries (and unfortunately, cut his legendary mullet). By the time the 1992 Olympics rolled around, the Soviet Union had fallen and Sabonis was set to be the star player for the Lithuanian National Team. He was once again on the top of his team's scoring list, with a stud-like average of 23.9/12.5/1.8. Somehow, despite being ravaged by injuries, Sabonis was still able to be a dominant international force. He led the Lithuanians to a bronze finish in both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, with perhaps his greatest international performance ever in the 1995 European Championship for Men, where he averaged 22.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Also, his Liga ACB stardom has been running concurrently with these tournaments (he finished his 6 year career there with averages over 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists per game).

Let's go right to the 1995-96 NBA season, the one that finally saw the "debut" of "rookie" Arvydas Sabonis (a laughable moniker for a guy as weathered as him). Sabonis did exactly what was expected of him as a 30 year old rookie. Play around 24 minutes off the bench, average about 15/8/2, and be a veteran presence (and oh, I almost forgot, shoot 37.5% from long range at 7'3.5"). He actually averaged over 23 points per game in the 95-96 playoffs for Portland. Sabonis was inexplicably exciting to watch for someone who ran like he was trying to keep his legs from imploding (mostly because he was). His passes were so flashy, always going around his head, behind his back, and NEVER looking at who he was passing to. He could still throw down some dunks as well, with a legendary reverse jam that looked like a flashback to that grainy, Russian narrated film from the eighties (except this was grainy, Bill Walton narrated film from the nineties). His best season in the NBA came in 1997-98, where he finished with a line of 16/10/3 and made 73 starts for Portland. He also finished his career with a Win Shares per 48 minutes of .200, which is equal to that of Wilt Chamberlain (basketball-reference.com).

Arvydas Sabonis continued to suit up for various teams (including one he owned) after his NBA retirement in 2003. He actually had some pretty good seasons. But, he eventually hung it up for good, leaving behind the ever rare "what could have been" Hall of Fame legacy. When you are a Hall of Famer, usually you "hit all of your lights" so to speak, and realized your full potential. Sabonis is in the Hall of Fame because he deserves it. He is a legend in the game of basketball. But, we will never really know just how high on the list of greatest big men in NBA history he would have gotten. I personally think he could have been one of the greatest of all time. But, this article is about him being the most skilled big ever. Brian Mazique (@UniqueMazique) said "[Sabonis] would've been an all-time great in the NBA had he arrived in his 20s," and "he was the greatest passing big man I ever saw." Now that I've made my case, let me know what you think. Tweet me @hoover__26 or drop your opinion in the comment box below. As for my final thoughts, if you've made it this far, congratulations. I hope you know more about Arvydas Sabonis than when you began reading this. If not, the public must be more informed than I thought. But if that was true, would he be so underappreciated (the player who the NBA, the government, and the people of America campaigned to acquire, and the Russian government dare not give up)? I certainly hope not.