SB Nation User Blog: jc25

Austin Wood's epic performance may have helped his stock

jc25 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:29:25 -0000

Nice article written by Mike Hume over at ESPN. Since it's an In$ider article, I thought I'd clip out some of the relevant Austin Wood parts for BONers.

By early afternoon of the second day of Major League Baseball's amateur draft, both Boston College's Mike Belfiore and Texas' Austin Wood, the relievers who combined for 298 pitches in the epic, 25-inning standoff in the NCAA regionals May 30, had been snatched up by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers, respectively. It was a joyful turn, though one that was not assured.

Once again, a hearty congratulations to Austin Wood for getting a shot at a pro career.

"A few weeks ago I heard anywhere from [Round] 7 to 15," Wood said Wednesday after being chosen. "But as of the past two weeks I started hearing the fifth round possibly."

According to one NL scout, Wood was chosen "higher than many people I know had him, so the argument could be made his outing helped him. Wood's performance just reinforced the fact of what a great competitor he is," the scout said, before pointing out that the high pitch count was the point of some debate.

It's an interesting theory, and I don't doubt that Wood got some name recognition from his performance. In fact, if you asked the average sports fan to name two (any two) college baseball players right now, I'm guessing his/her answer would be "Stephen Strasburg and that dude that threw 12 something innings of no-hit ball in some game a couple weeks ago."

In any case, this also helped out Wood's foil, Mike Belfiore from Boston College, who also went higher than expected at 45th overall.

The future is still the future, but as of Wednesday, both Wood and Belfiore were beaming about realizing their childhood dream.

"Probably been the best month of my life," said Wood, whose Longhorns start College World Series play June 16 in Omaha. "I haven't stopped smiling for the past two or three weeks."

You've gotta imagine that no matter how well Wood's pro career goes, he'll never have a greater baseball moment than those 12.1 no hit innings that will be forever remembered in Longhorn history. Well done, and hook 'em.

Mojo: Gaines Returns to Coach Permian

jc25 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:15:10 -0000

Mojo: Gaines Returns to Coach Permian

Nice write-up by ESPN Rise about Coach Gary Gaines and the Permian Panthers. Even has a nice plug for the tv show, though not nearly as entertaining as this one.

Former Port Arthur Memorial High School guard J'Covan Brown will begin classes at the University of...

jc25 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:00:18 -0000

Former Port Arthur Memorial High School guard J'Covan Brown will begin classes at the University of Texas June 9 according to his father.

Johnny Ray Brown told FOX 26 Sports Monday his son, a highly sought after basketball player, is academically eligible and is ready to play for the Longhorns beginning with the 2009-2010 season.

Per FOX 26 Houston.

I think we'll believe it when it happens.

HT: Barking Carnival

[GhostofBigRoy] - jc25 is certainly right to point out that this is not a done deal -- the NCAA Clearinghouse has not yet cleared Brown and his father is not a particularly reliable source. Johnny Ray says that receiving confirmation from the Clearinghouse is a simple "formality," but once again, the elder Brown has not been reliable throughout this process.

There are no words. The best part of this video comes at the 6:00 mark. HT: Deadspin | KSK

jc25 — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:55:11 -0000

There are no words.

The best part of this video comes at the 6:00 mark.

HT: Deadspin | KSK

One major league scout from a top-tier organization is so high on Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason...

jc25 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:00:16 -0000

One major league scout from a top-tier organization is so high on Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward that he said he would be willing to give the Braves anyone on his team’s 25-man roster to get him. "The best young hitter I’ve seen in years," the scout said. "He’ll be leading the league in home runs for 10 years once he gets here." Heyward, 19, was the Braves’ No. 1 draft pick in 2007, the 14th player taken overall. He’s strong, disciplined, and smart – his parents, Eugene and Laura, are both Dartmouth graduates. "Let me put it this way," another major league executive said of the 6-4, 220-pound left-handed hitter. "He’s a cross between Dave Parker, Darryl Strawberry and Fred McGriff. How’s that put it? He’s got a chance to be a real superstar."

Man, I can't wait for Heyward to make it to the show.

Dr. Saturday: At the top, those last few critics are always the toughest

jc25 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:22:50 -0000

Dr. Saturday: At the top, those last few critics are always the toughest

Really well-written article by Dr. Saturday, which pretty much sums up everything you need to know about college football in 1,000 words or less.

ESPN's Way Too Early Basketball Top 25

jc25 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:37:16 -0000

To dissect for funsies...

Andy Katz: Texas at #3.

The Longhorns move up a spot because of the buzz surrounding newcomer Avery Bradley. He shot up to No. 1 on the ESPNU 100 rankings, and fellow incoming freshman Jordan Hamilton isn't far behind. If they're that good, the potential loss of Damion James to the draft won't be as crushing.

Katz also has Kansas #1, Oklahoma #12, and Texas A&M as a "team to watch."

Doug Gottlieb (Insider): Texas at #2.

The Longhorns' roster is stocked with talent even if Damion James keeps his name in the NBA draft and doesn't return to Austin. If somehow J'Covan Brown gets eligible, the Horns would have no flaws.

As it stands, incoming freshmen Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley and transfer Jai Lucas make Texas one of the most talented teams in the country and the team best-suited to push Kansas in the Big 12.

Gottlieb also has Kansas #1, Oklahoma #5, Texas A&M #16, Oklahoma State #21, and Kansas State #24. He also expects Iowa State to see a "major jump in wins from last season."

Fran Fraschilla (Insider), who knows a whole heck of a lot about the Big XII, didn't rank teams, but had this to say about Katz's and Gottlieb's rankings (Big XII pertinent).

Texas A&M

Andy's Take: Out of the top 25
My Take: The Big 12's third-most talented team is top-25 good

I know my good friend has the Aggies out of his top 25, pending the return of Donald Sloan, Chinemelu Elonu and Bryan Davis, who have declared for the NBA draft. Trust me, they are all returning and they'll give coach Mark Turgeon the foundation of his most talented team in three years at A&M. The loss of sharpshooter Josh Carter has been compensated for with the addition of two top-75 wing recruits, 6-foot-5 Naji Hibbert and 6-foot-7 Khris Middleton. Elonu, Davis and 6-foot-9 sophomore David Loubeau provide the Aggies with one of the most physical front lines in the Big 12 and the backcourt duo of Sloan and former high school teammate Derrick Roland could play linebacker for the Aggies.

Texas

Andy's Take: No. 3
Doug's Take: No. 2
My Take: A tad too high

On paper, this is one of the country's most talented teams. Rick Barnes has a front line that Longhorns football coach Mack Brown would envy. And one of my favorite incoming freshmen in the country, 6-foot-2 Avery Bradley, will have an immediate impact on what was Texas' Achilles' heel last season, the backcourt. He is a blur with the ball and will be instantly one of the nation's best defenders. In addition, Florida transfer Jai Lucas will be eligible at the end of the first semester. Here's the one problem: Without the departed A.J. Abrams, who will make perimeter jump shots consistently? The Longhorns will have to answer that if they want to make a run at Kansas and hang around the top five all season.

Oklahoma

Doug's Take: Oklahoma at No. 5
My Take: Not so fast!

Oklahoma's winning tradition has been very underrated through the years, despite the Sooners appearing in 27 postseason tournaments in 28 years. And Jeff Capel is certainly upholding that tradition. He has an excellent recruiting class to complement some key returnees. Here's the problem: Superman has just left the Lloyd Noble Center and has flown off to the NBA. Blake Griffin's dominance as a college player can't be understated and he'll be impossible to replace. The Sooners will be an NCAA team and hang around the top 25 all season, but if they are No. 5 at the end of the year, Capel will be getting another hefty raise.

Poll

Where should Texas rank in the initial top 25?

1 - National Championship or Bust!

57 votes

2 - I totally wanna pulse Doug Gottlieb!

16 votes

3 - Katz's never kloses!

28 votes

4 or lower - Did you know Dexter Pittman lost dang near 100 pounds? Coach Fran does.

47 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

I'm happy for Stephen McGee. The Dallas Cowboys like him more than his coaches at A&M did.

jc25 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:58:41 -0000

I'm happy for Stephen McGee. The Dallas Cowboys like him more than his coaches at A&M did.

Another great quote from Captain Leach.

The epic Cosby-Erin Andrews-Cosby interview.

jc25 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:13:03 -0000

The epic Cosby-Erin Andrews-Cosby interview.

2006 Rose Bowl Retrospective

jc25 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:55:04 -0000

This year's draft class should have all but finished out the key participants from the greatest college football game ever played (the 2006 Rose Bowl, if you weren't aware). Since that's the case, I thought it'd be cool to take a look back at the players from both sides and see where they ended up.

Please note that I didn't count players taking their redshirt year (this includes Texas WR Jordan Shipley and USC LB Dallas Sartz, who both took medical redshirts). I was looking for players who actually participated on the field that year.

Also, the asterisks denote the key starters from the Rose Bowl game. It's admittedly subjective (such as having both RBs from both teams considered starters), but works well enough for my liking.

Texas Longhorns (your 2005 BCS National Champions)

Justin Blalock OT Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(39) ATL
Tarell Brown CB Jr* - Drafted 2007 5(147) SF
Jamaal Charles RB Fr* - Drafted 2008 3(73) KC
Quan Cosby WR Fr - Undrafted 2009 CIN
Tim Crowder DE Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(56) DEN
Cedric Dockery OG R-Fr - Undrafted 2009 NO
Brandon Foster CB So - Undrafted 2008 IND
Cedric Griffin CB Sr* - Drafted 2006 2(48) MIN
Michael Griffin S Jr* - Drafted 2007 1(19) TEN
Ahmard Hall RB Sr* - Undrafted 2006 TEN
Tony Hills OT So - Drafted 2008 4(130) PIT
Michael Huff S Sr* - Drafted 2006 1(7) OAK
Henry Melton RB Fr - Drafted 2009 4(105) CHI
Roy Miller DT Fr - Drafted 2009 3(81) TB
Chris Ogbonnaya RB R-Fr - Drafted 2009 7(211) STL
Frank Okam DT So* - Drafted 2008 5(151) HOU
Brian Orakpo DE R-Fr - Drafted 2009 1(13) WAS
Brian Robison DE Jr* - Drafted 2007 4(102) MIN
Aaron Ross CB Jr - Drafted 2007 1(20) NYG
Jonathan Scott OT Sr* - Drafted 2006 5(141) DET
Lyle Sendlein C Jr* - Undrafted 2007 ARI
Kasey Studdard OG Jr* - Drafted 2007 6(183) HOU
Limas Sweed WR So* - Drafted 2008 2(53) PIT
David Thomas TE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(86) NE
Rodrique Wright DT Sr* - Drafted 2006 7(226) MIA
Selvin Young RB Jr* - Undrafted 2007 DEN
Vince Young QB Jr* - Drafted 2006 1(3) TEN

USC Trojans (the other guys)

Sam Baker OT So* - Drafted 2008 1(21) ATL
Darnell Bing S Jr* - Drafted 2006 4(101) OAK
John David Booty QB So - Drafted 2008 5(137) MIN
Reggie Bush RB Jr* - Drafted 2006 1(2) NO
Dominique Byrd TE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(93) STL
Brian Cushing LB Fr* - Drafted 2009 1(15) HOU
Fred Davis TE So - Drafted 2008 2(48) WAS
Sedrick Ellis DT So* - Drafted 2008 1(7) NO
Kevin Ellison S Fr - Drafted 2009 6(189) SD
Cary Harris CB Fr - Drafted 2009 6(183) BUF
Lawrence Jackson DE So* - Drafted 2008 1(28) SEA
Dwayne Jarrett WR So* - Drafted 2007 2(45) CAR
Winston Justice OT Jr* - Drafted 2006 2(39) PHI
Ryan Kalil C Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(59) CAR
David Kirtman RB Sr* - Drafted 2006 5(163) SEA
Matt Leinart QB Sr* - Drafted 2006 1(10) ARI
Oscar Lua LB Jr* - Drafted 2007 7(211) NE
Taitusi Lutui OT Sr* - Drafted 2006 2(41) ARI
Kaluka Maiava LB Fr - Drafted 2009 4(104) CLE
Clay Matthews LB R-Fr - Drafted 2009 1(26) GB
Fred Matua OG Jr* - Drafted 2006 7(217) DET
Rey Maualuga LB Fr - Drafted 2009 2(38) CIN
Chris McFoy WR Jr - Undrafted 2007 OAK
Fili Moala DR R-Fr - Drafted 2009 2(56) IND
Kyle Moore DE Fr - Drafted 2009 4(117) TB
Chilo Rachal OG R-Fr - Drafted 2008 2(39) SF
Drew Radovich OG So - Undrafted 2008 MIN
LaJuan Ramsey DT Sr* - Drafted 2006 6(204) PHI
Keith Rivers LB So* - Drafted 2008 1(9) CIN
Frostee Rucker DE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(91) CIN
Steve Smith WR Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(51) NYG
Matt Spanos C So - Undrafted 2008 DAL
Terrell Thomas CB So - Drafted 2008 2(63) NYG
Patrick Turner WR Fr - Drafted 2009 3(87) MIA
LenDale White RB Jr* - Drafted 2006 2(45) TEN
Kyle Williams OT Jr - Undrafted 2008 SEA
Thomas Williams LB So - Drafted 2008 5(155) JAC

DRAFT STATS (by year: 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / TOTAL)

Total players drafted (UT): 6 / 7 / 4 / 4 / 21

Total players drafted (USC): 11 / 4 / 9 / 9 / 33

Total players average draft position (UT): 85 / 81 / 101 / 103 / 90

Total players average draft position (USC): 91 / 91 / 56 / 91 / 82

Key starters drafted (UT): 6 / 6 / 3 / 0 / 15

Key starters drafted (USC): 11 / 4 / 3 / 1 / 19

Key starters average draft position (UT): 85 / 91 / 92 / - / 89

Key starters average draft position (USC): 91 / 91 / 15 / 15 / 65

Total players in the NFL (UT): 7 / 9 / 5 / 6 / 27

Total players in the NFL (USC): 11 / 5 / 12 / 9 / 37

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS TELL US?

Well, for one, it's likely that USC was the more talented team. Based simply on total players and total players drafted, USC greatly outnumbers UT. Moreover, USC had an incredible 11 players drafted immediately following the Rose Bowl. Based on draft position, it also skews to USC having better talent. This would be even more pronounced when you factor in the undrafted FA's that UT relied upon, as compared to USC.

For more indication as to why USC followed up that season with consecutive 10-2 seasons while UT followed suit with consecutive 9-3 seasons, look at the players drafted in the '08 and '09 drafts. If anything, it's probably a testament to the Longhorn coaching staff that they were able to "coach up" their talent (which they admittedly recruited in the first place), while USC's seasons were considered disappointments, especially with the quality of players they were sending to the NFL.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting study, and I'd love to see how it compares to the other BCS National Championship games.