The last time the Denver Nuggets selected a player from the Syracuse Orange in the NBA Draft, the team wound up with Carmelo Anthony. But that was all the way back in 2003 and he has already moved on from Denver. Might there be a return of a Melo to the Mile High City? The Sporting News' Deveney thinks the Nuggets should go after Syracuse center Fab Melo:

The Nuggets traded away Nene this season, and they’re not sold on JaVale McGee as the long-term solution inside. Adding a talented center who will need some time to develop, like Melo, is a good back-up plan.

McGee had a big playoffs performance, which might send teams to throw plenty of money at the restricted free agent. How high will the Nuggets go to match an offer remains the question. This pick is certainly wide open and even potentially open in a trade. Anyone's guess on what the Nuggets will do here is probably in the range of possibilities.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

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Denver Broncos defensive tackle Derek Wolfe must be a big fan of The Replacements (video):

Pain goes away, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever#teammule

— Derek Wolfe (@DerekWolfe95) May 31, 2012

The consensus for the Denver Nuggets in the 2012 NBA Draft is that there is no consensus on whom the Denver Nuggets should select. There is no glaring hole that needs to be fixed, so the team can look at the best player available. However, Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick believes the Nuggets should take Washington Huskies point guard Tony Wroten with the 20th overall selection:

As good as the point guard combo of Ty Lawson and Andre Miller was for the Nuggets, Miller is a free agent and may not be back. Wroten has been criticized for his decision-making and ability to play under control, and he shot only 16.1 percent from three-point range last season. But he's also a potent player who has drawn comparisons to Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook for his aggressive style.

The Nuggets do want to bring back Andre Miller, which makes the selection of a point guard somewhat questionable. However, if the Nuggets believe they won't be able to bring him back, point guard might be the best choice for the team. Julyan Stone is the only other point guard beside Lawson on the roster and his potential is probably not close to Wroten's.

Wroten averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a freshman in 2011-12.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

The Colorado Rockies are in a position to sweep the Houston Astros in a four-game series on Thursday night, certainly a rarity for the team this season. The offense has already scored 29 runs in the series, but there's a sense that the Rockies should be doing this to a team such as Houston.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-3, 5.31 ERA) is out to snap a two-game losing streak, allowing 12 runs over 11 innings pitched and surrendering five home runs. The Rockies are looking for him to start going deep into games again following his stint on the disabled list. Before that happened, Guthrie pitched at least seven innings in three of his four April starts.

The Astros send Bud Norris (5-1, 3.34 ERA) to the mound, winner in four of his five April starts. His last outing a no-decision following 4.2 innings pitched. Norris allowed just three runs, but he ran his pitch count up to 166 pitches. In the four previous starts he made and won, Norris pitched at least six innings and made it through seven innings twice. He has struck out 33 batters this month. In Houston on April 8, Norris threw seven innings of two-run ball, but picked up a no-decision in the Astros' victory.

Game time/date: 6:40 p.m. MT, Thursday, May 31

Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO

TV/Radio: ROOT Sports/850KOA

For more news and notes on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Astros blog Crawfish Boxes. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the league.

The Colorado Rockies are currently on a three-game winning streak, but will they be able to continue it without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki? The Rockies star left Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros with a strained left groin following the sixth inning.

After the game, Tulowitzki said that he'll have a better idea if he will need to head to the disabled list as a result of the injury (via the Denver Post):

"It's really sore. I will know more (Thursday) when I get treatment. I will know then if I can't go and need an MRI and it is a DL situation," Tulowitzki said. "I want to stay off the DL. But if I can't play, I can't play.

Marco Scutaro moved over to shortstop and DJ LeMahieu played second base; however, if Tulowitzki heads to the DL, Chris Nelson, eligible to come off the DL from his own injury, would likely gain plenty of playing time at second base while Scutaro takes over at short.

For more news and notes on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Astros blog Crawfish Boxes. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the league.

The 2012 NBA Draft is about a month away, but on Wednesday the lottery order was settled with the New Orleans Hornets moving up to the No. 1 overall pick. The Nuggets weren't in the lottery since they made the playoffs, so it didn't affect them. But now we'll start getting a better sense of where the mock draft projections will move for the Nuggets. ESPN Insider Chad Ford has released his first post-draft-lottery mock and the Nuggets pick up St. John's forward Moe Harkless:

The Nuggets don't have any glaring needs right now, which gives them the luxury of taking the best player left on the board. We've had Quincy Miller here the past few mock drafts, but there seems to be a growing consensus that Harkless might be the better prospect.

Ford's been on the "best player available" mantra since his first mock draft. Now five deep in, Ford is still sticking with it. There really isn't a position of immediate need for the Nuggets, making this pick a wide open one. Or maybe even open for trade.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

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The Colorado Rockies picked up a 13-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, ensuring a series victory and winning a third-straight game. Carlos Gonzalez homered three times in the victory while shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left the game in the sixth inning with a strained left groin.

The Rockies opened up the scoring with a Michael Cuddyer grand slam (6) in the first inning, but by the end of the third inning the Astros came back and tied the game at 5-5. Christian Friedrich (3-1, 5.59 ERA), however, settled down after that and completed the next three innings without allowing another run. He allowed five runs on 11 hits in six innings, striking out six in the process.

Lucas Harrell (4-4, 4.71 ERA) allowed the first of Gonzalez's home runs in the fifth inning and then had a disaster of a sixth inning for Houston. He allowed a single to Wilin Rosario on a single and saw an error move him over to second base. Jordan Pacheco drove in Rosario with a single during the next at-bat. An Eric Young Jr. single chased Harrell out of the game and set up Dexter Fowler for a three-run home run (8) and the 10-5 lead. A Marco Scutaro single later, Carlos Gonzalez added two more runs with his second home run of the game. He hit his third homer of the game (and 13th of the season) in the eighth inning.

Tulowitzki left in the sixth inning after limping back to the dugout after a groundout to second base during the sixth inning. Scutaro moved to shortstop and DJ LeMahieu took over second base.

The Rockies (20-29, 12-14 home) close out this series on Thursday night with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound.

For more news and notes on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Astros blog Crawfish Boxes. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the league.

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left Wednesday night's game against the Houston Astros with a left leg injury following the sixth inning. He limped to the dugout at the end of the inning and was unable to continue playing.

UPDATE: Tulowitzki left the game with a strained left groin.

Marco Scutaro moved over from second base to shortstop while DJ LeMahieu entered the game as the second baseman.

The Rockies lead the Astros by a score of 12 to 5 in the top of the seventh inning. Carlos Gonzalez hit two home runs; Michael Cuddyer had a grand slam; and Dexter Fowler blasted a three-run shot. Christian Friedrich squandered a 5-1 lead at one point, but he was able to rebound and watch his team battle back for the lead.

For more news and notes on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Astros blog Crawfish Boxes. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the league.

The 2012 NBA Draft Lottery on Wednesday night settled the order of selection for the late June event, and the New Orleans Hornets will select No. 1 overall. They will likely select Kentucky Wildcats forward Anthony Davis with the pick. This will be a signature move for new owner Tom Benson, who also owns the New Orleans Saints, following the trade of Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers while the NBA ran the team.

The Charlotte Bobcats had the best chance of gaining the No. 1 pick, but they will be in the No. 2 slot as a result of this draw.

The Denver Nuggets, by virtue of making the playoffs, were not part of the lottery and haven't been since they selected Carmelo Anthony with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft. They will draft with the No. 20 overall pick

Here is how the lottery played out (full draft results):

14. Houston Rockets
13. Phoenix Suns
12. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Portland Trail Blazers
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota)
9. Detroit Pistons
8. Toronto Raptors
7. Golden State Warriors
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets)
5. Sacramento Kings
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Washington Wizards
2. Charlotte Bobcats
1. New Orleans Hornets

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

Jamie Moyer's days as a member of the Colorado Rockies had been counting down ever since he made the team out of spring training, and on Wednesday afternoon that counter reached zero. According to Tracy Ringolsby, the Rockies have designated the 49-year-old lefty for assignment:

Rockies designate Jamie Moyer for assignment.

— Tracy Ringolsby (@ROOTSPORTS_TR) May 30, 2012

This really doesn't come as a surprise after he struggled mightily through May. He was 1-3 with an 8.64 ERA in five starts/25 innings pitched for the month. He most recently allowed four home runs to the Cincinnati Reds in a 7-5 loss on Sunday.

Moyer was scheduled to start on Friday, but his replacement has yet to be named. Carlos Torres is back in the majors until then.

#Rockies designate LHP Jamie Moyer for assignment, call up RHP Carlos Torres. Manager Jim Tracy says he'll announce Friday starter tomorrow

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) May 30, 2012

It appears that Torres is not subject to the 10-day rule following his call-up for the Monday doubleheader and subsequent send-down.

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Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kordell Stewart officially retired from the NFL on Wednesday, so let's look at his greatest play, which came while in college:

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Over at ESPN's Pac-12 blog, Kevin Gemmell has taken a look at the quarterbacks or potential quarterbacks in the conference and has attempted to see which ones will be able to throw for over 3,000 yards. There are three returners who reached that level, while the Colorado Buffaloes are breaking in a new signal caller -- whether it will be Connor Wood or Nick Hirschman is best left for August camp to decide.

Gemmell thinks it will be hard for either of the Buffs' quarterbacks to make it to the 3,000-yard mark. Running back Rodney Stewart and receiver Toney Clemons are gone after solid senior seasons. Also add in the loss of wide receiver Paul Richardson to a blown knee and it's hard to argue with Gemmell's assessment.

The 2012 NBA Draft Lottery is a few hours away, which will settle the order of the first 14 selections of the event, but that won't affect the Denver Nuggets all that much. They aren't in the lottery. However, how are mock drafts projecting the Nuggets before the lottery is settled? Over at DraftExpress, the Nuggets wind up with Kentucky Wildcats point guard Marquis Teague, taking him 20th overall.

The 19-year-old guard helped the Wildcats to a 2012 NCAA Tournament title, averaging 10.0 points, 4.8 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.

At this point, it is still too early to guess accurately where the Nuggets are leaning. Ty Lawson is still under contract for a few more years and is likely to receive a long-term contract soon. Beyond Lawson, the Nuggets could lose Andre Miller, though general manager Masai Ujiri and coach George Karl want him back. Rookie Julyan Stone is an intriguing option given his size and skill set, but he played few minutes as a rookie.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

The Colorado Rockies and the Houston Astros took Tuesday off following the former team's victories in a doubleheader on Memorial Day. They are back on the field on Wednesday night for Game 3 of this four-game series.

The Rockies have Christian Friedrich (2-1, 5.09 ERA) on the mound, and he will be looking to win back-to-back games. He allowed three runs in a victory against the Cincinnati Reds last Friday. He allowed seven hits and struck out six in five innings of work. It was a solid rebound from his previous start when he allowed eight runs over five innings in a loss to the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros will counter with Lucas Harrell (4-3, 3.72 ERA). The Rockies saw Harrell back on April 7 in Houston, which turned into a 7-4 loss. Harrell shut out the Rockies for seven innings and limited them to three hits. After a string of starts in May that saw him fail to pitch out of the sixth inning, Harrell threw 7.1 innings of one-run ball on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Game time/date: 6:40 p.m. MT, Wednesday, May 30

Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO

TV/Radio: ROOT Sports/850KOA

For more news and notes on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Astros blog Crawfish Boxes. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the league.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder failed to complete a fourth-quarter rally against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, but they were able to at least eliminate a double-digit deficit, losing by just nine points, 120-111. But what helped the Thunder attempt a comeback? It might have been the "Hack-A-Splitter" move Oklahoma City employed several times during the second half of the game. The Thunder fouled Tiago Splitter five straight times in the third quarter, which helped slow the game down. But what did the coaches think of the move?

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the game (video around the 30-second mark) that it was a "good move," but wouldn't go too far in admitting that it really did help the Thunder. He offered an ambivalent "maybe" several times before mentioning any positives about it. He's not a big fan of the move, I guess.

On the other hand, Thunder coach Scott Brooks is more than willing to use it again:

Scott Brooks on Hack-A-Splitter: "If we get an opportunity to do it again, we will."

— Royce Young (@dailythunder) May 30, 2012

Does Brooks envision his team trailing by 10-plus points again? It's certainly not an opportunity he should relish for the Thunder.

For more on the Spurs, be sure to visit Pounding the Rock; for the Thunder, Welcome to Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

The 2012 Belmont Stakes could see history happen on June 9, should I'll Have Another complete the Triple Crown circuit with a victory, but that has been said for many other horses since Affirmed won it in 1978. However, trainer Doug O'Neill turned to Seattle Slew's trainer, Billy Turner, for advice on Tuesday while at Belmont Park. I'll Have Another's team already has the horse running the track at Belmont, which was Turner's main advice to them.

Turner, who guided Seattle Slew to the 1977 Triple Crown, noted that the two horses don't have much in common. Seattle Slew was stubborn whereas I'll Have Another needs little coaxing to do what is asked:

“Both are beautiful movers,” Turner said. “As far as their attitudes and so forth, Slew was a bear of a hose [sic]. This horse seems to do what you ask him to do and he likes to do it, and that’s just the kind of horse you like to train. Slew was a lot of work.”

Will I'll Have Another be able to join Seattle Slew in such elite company? We'll find out in less than two weeks.

For more on the world of horse racing, visit And Down The Stretch They Come and stay tuned to this StoryStream.

It's quite unlikely that Colorado native and LSU RHP Kevin Gausman will fall down to the Colorado Rockies at No. 10 in the upcoming 2012 MLB Draft, and that's no different in ESPN Insider Keith Law's latest MLB mock draft. He has Gausman going to the Kansas City Royals at No. 5, but that's not set in stone or anything:

All arms are in play here right now -- including Gausman, Zimmer and Lance McCullers Jr. -- although I did also hear Albert Almora as a dark horse here. If the board blew up, they would also consider Zunino.

Zimmer, a product of the University of San Francisco, goes two picks later at No. 7 while McCullers isn't projected in the first round due to signability concerns.

With draft budgets in place and severe penalties for going over that money, it will be interesting to see how teams change their draft strategies. Even if the Royals pass on Gausman at No. 5 -- if he doesn't go before then -- one of the four teams selecting immediately ahead of the Rockies will be a good bet to snatch him.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels.

Craig James, former ESPN personality, saw his fledgling political career falter on Tuesday, conceding in the Texas Senate race late in the day. He gained just four percent of the vote among the nine Republican candidates looking to replace the outgoing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. That was good for a fourth-place finish.

There will be a runoff between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former Solicitor General Ted Cruz on July 31. There is no word yet on whom or if James will announce his support for in the second round of voting.

In Dec. 2011, news broke that James would run for the U.S. Senate and leave ESPN, but it soon became clear that he was an unknown to many and not liked by those who did. Back in February, an ESPN spokesperson said that the network has no intention of rehiring James, which means we'll need to see if that statement is still true.

Please hold true to that statement. Please.

For more college football news and notes, check out SB Nation NCAA Football.

The San Antonio Spurs picked up an impressive 120-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night in Game 2 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals. The Thunder gave the Spurs a tough time during the final quarter, eliminating a double-digit deficit, but Tony Parker's 34 points were too much to overcome.

Parker accumulated his points on 16-of-21 shooting, which was part of a great overall scoring night by San Antonio, The Spurs hit on 55.1 percent of their shots. Manu Ginobili was second on the team in scoring with 20 points. Rookie Kawhi Leonard finished with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 10 rebounds. Tim Duncan didn't join in on the shooting party -- going just 2-of-11 from the field -- but he came up with four big blocks and 12 rebounds.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant led the way with 31 points and James Harden followed closely with 30 points, but the Spurs contained Oklahoma City on defense just enough to hold them off. Russell Westbrook finished the game with 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

The Spurs take a 20-game winning streak to Oklahoma City on Thursday for Game 3.

For more on the Spurs, be sure to visit Pounding the Rock; for the Thunder, Welcome to Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

The 2012 MLB Draft is less than a week away and mock drafts will be popping up throughout the week. ESPN Insider Keith Law has released his second mock draft of the season and he doesn't change anything for the Colorado Rockies. After giving the Rockies high school outfielder Courtney Hawkins in his first projection, Law sticks with the prep player once again:

Assuming Almora and Correa are gone (which is likely), they're on Hawkins, David Dahl and Gavin Cecchini. Hawkins has one of the quickest bats in the draft and plenty of power.

Dahl is a prep center fielder from Alabama (No. 12 to the New York Mets in this mock) while Cecchini is a shortstop from Louisiana (No. 17 to the Toronto Blue Jays).

In Baseball America's Top 500 rankings, Dahl comes in at No. 12 while Hawkins and Cecchini follow at Nos. 15 and 16, respectively. Dahl and Hawkins are projectable outfielders who seemingly could do it all while Cecchini is a strong defender but might not have quite the impact on offense as some would like.

For more on the Colorado Rockies, check out the Rockies blog Purple Row. And to learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels.

While the University of Montana continues to deal with the fallout from firing its head coach and athletic director back in March and the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation over the sexual assault scandal there, the football team still has quarterback Jordan Johnson on the roster:

Kevin McRae from the Montana University System told me that Griz QB Jordan Johnson remains a part of the football program. #UMGrizzlies_FB

— Craig Haley (@CraigHaley) May 29, 2012

Johnson had been suspended and held out for a portion of spring practice following accusations of sexual assault against him. He returned late in spring practice to the field.

Johnson is one of several members of the Montana football program that has been accused of sexual assault, which has brought a scandal to the university as well as questions as to how the investigations were conducted.

For more on this situation, stay with SB Nation Denver's StoryStream.

Asheville 15, Charleston 12
Tyler Anderson had the first rough start of his career by allowing six runs over five-plus innings. Gary Sanchez hits a three-run home run off Anderson in the fourth inning while Anderson was charged with the other three runs in the eight-run sixth inning. Three straight singles and two of Asheville's five errors (Charleston has four errors) allowed those runs to score, chasing Anderson out of the game.

Nelson Gonzalez relieved Anderson and allowed five unearned runs in the remainder of the sixth inning. A bases-loaded balk and some more errors came during the inning. But he picked up the win because Asheville responded with six runs in bottom of the sixth, moving from an 11-9 deficit to a 15-11 lead.

Trevor Story went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run (8) and three total RBI. He also walked twice. The bottom of the lineup did most of the damage with Taylor Featherston, Jared Simon, Ryan Casteel and Brian Humphries each driving in two runs. Featherston and Simon each had three hits.

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Phil Steele's 2012 Preseason All-American teams (PDF) have been released ahead of his annual magazines arrival in stores during the first week of June. Unsurprisingly, none of the local Colorado schools have any players on the four-team deep list, but there are several players in the Mountain Time Zone that made it on to the list.

They are:

• John White, RB, Utah Utes (3rd Team)
• Braden Hansen, G, BYU Cougars (3rd Team)
• Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah Utes (1st Team)

Todd McShay has Lotulelei projected (Insider-$) as the No. 1 overall pick in his way-too-early 2013 NFL Draft, but it does go to show that the defensive tackle is likely to attract plenty of draft attention on the fall.

Dexter Fowler. Let me count the ways you were awesome tonight:

1. Walk-off triple in the bottom of the 10th for a 7-6 victory.
2. Leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning.
3. Run-scoring walk in the fourth.
4. 4-for-4, 3R, 3 RBI, a double short of the cycle.

Pretty sure Fowler's bought some more time at the top of the lineup with his 7-for-9, five-runs scored and three-RBI Memorial Day performance.

Marco Scutaro surprisingly hit a three-run double to right center field in the fourth inning, which moved the Rockies from a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 victory.

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What a similar story tonight.

It's more baseball for your viewing (dis?)pleasure on Memorial Day. Alex White is looking to win back-to-back games, but will the Houston Astros' Jordan Lyles stifle the Colorado Rockies' offense?

The Colorado Rockies defeated the Houston Astros on Monday afternoon, 9-7, in the first game of the doubleheader, but there could have been even more baseball today had it not been for Jordan Pacheco in the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied, 7-7.

After Wilin Rosario and D.J. LeMahieu started the inning off with outs, Jeremy Guthrie found his way onto the diamond as a pinch runner once Jason Giambi walked and that was followed by a Dexter Fowler walk, putting them on second and third after Jed Lowrie committed a throwing error. Pacheco came up with a bloop single to center field to score Guts and Dex for the 9-7 lead.

Rafael Betancourt came in for the top of the ninth inning, pitching a 1-2-3 inning on two swinging strikeouts and a flyout. He picked up his ninth save of the season.

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