Thabeet enters Draft

The University of Connecticut men's basketball team lost a true inside power as junior Hasheem Thabeet has declared for this years NBA Draft. Thabeet, who is 7-foot-3 was a true intimidating force in the paint in his three year stay. He led the nation in blocked shots and was able to alter shots for opponents just by his length and size. Thabeet was also a tenacious rebounder who often ripped the ball out of opposing player's hands like they were kids in a candy store. The only question that remains for Thabeet is, will his offense improve.

Thabeet has not been known to drastically change a game with his inside post presence, but seemed to improve his scoring each year at UCONN. Many scouts have evaluated the big man and believe his offense does need work. He does not have a very consistent jump shot and seems to not dominate with his back to the basket. Most of Thabeet's offensive outbursts came off of his ability to rebound missed shots and put them back for two. In the NBA, he will be facing talented big men every night and much of them are as big and more physical than he. Thabeet's future in the NBA has been weighed and accoridng to a number of ESPN.com analysts, they seem to think he will find his niche in the pro game.

Every team needs that person who can crash the boards and alter shots when other teams plan on driving to the basket. With Thabeet in the middle, the franchise that picks him up will more than likely benefit from his already proven talent. On the offensive side of the ball, he may or may not develop. One thing is for certain, his length and tenacity on the defensive end will re-energize the value of the big man position.

Paulus to Packers?

The Duke University basketball program endured a tough season this past March when they were completely embarrassed by the Villanova Wildcats. Senior guard, Greg Paulus was a starter for the previous three seasons and this year was designated to the duty of coming off the bench. Not discouraged, he kept his level head and did a fine job for his team. Now, facing graduation and moving on from the Blue Devils, Paulus has opted to work out for the Green Bay Packers.

Going from a high profile college basketball program and now jumping to the NFL may seem extreme to some fans. Keep in mind though, Paulus set six high school records and was Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior year of high school, playing quarterback. He was initially offered numerous football scholarships from the likes of Notre Dame and others. He opted out and made his way to Duke. Now, after four years of defensive slides and hitting clutch jump shots, he was throwing 15-yard timing routes in front of scouts and coaches. Paulus, a 6-foot-1, 180 pounder also enhanced his football ability by starting in the Army All-American game in high senior year of high school. The native of upstate New York faces an uphill climb to the NFL ranks due to his lack of size, but after four years of hard nosed defense, could it really hurt to try?

NFL News and Notes

The NFL is starting to heat up once again in the off season. For once, I am writing not about legal issues or suspensions, but about the upcoming NFL Draft and new signings. First on my list is the move that Byron Leftwich recently made to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has signed a two-year deal and is going to a team that has a legitimate chance to be a contender in the NFC South Division this season. The Bucs have made many off season moves that included the addition of Kellen Winslow, the highly touted tight end from the Cleveland Browns, and Derrick Ward, who had a phenomenal season for the New York Giants behind stud, Brandon Jacobs. Leftwich inevitably has the opportunity of a lifetime because seasoned veteran Jeff Garcia was recently signed by the Oakland Raiders. This means Leftwich has a shot to prove that he can return to the starting quarterback supremacy that he endured as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Leading me to my next point was the Garcia signing. Does he still have what it takes to take the reigns and lead his team to the playoffs like he did in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay? My answer will simply be no because he was picked up by the Raiders. Al Davis, owner of the Raiders has made countless mistakes in trying to build the franchise back to Superbowl contenders. The acquisition of Randy Moss many would have thought was genius, until he was disgruntled with the program and showed his inefficiency on the field. DeAngelo Hall, corner back from the Atlanta Falcons played half of the season last year and immediately wanted out and was scooped up by the Washington Redskins. Bottom line, Garcia is a veteran in the NFL world and might have taken a step backward in his attempt to show the world he is still dominant.
Finally, the NFL Draft is right around the corner and Matthew Stafford is definitely the topic of discussion. The talented quarterback out of Georgia is presumed to be the number one pick and heading to the Detroit Lions. Lets face it, the best thing that happened to Detroit in the past two years was Michigan State's run to the NCAA basketball Final Four this year. After going 0-16 last year, the Lions are in desperate need of a miracle rather than a gun-slinger. Stafford can do good for the Lions, but if he does not have an offensive line to block, no quarterback will be effective. For instance, last season the Lions picked up Dante Culpepper off the streets because no one had signed him. Culpepper you might remember had his glory days with Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings. He can still throw the ball a mile and after a few set backs with knee problems, is not as immobile as many may think. The problem last season, the offensive line. Calvin Johnson is arguably the most talented receiver in the league and has shined despite Detroit's lack of recognition to their offensive line and lets be honest, coaching staff last season.

Master's Update

After the first round of the Master's today, Chad Campbell is leading the field with an impressive 7-under par. He reeled off five straight birdies to start the round and kept his momentum as he surged to 9-under on the back nine. A few mishaps on putts left him facing bogey's and he is now still your leader with the 7-under par round. Following in his foot steps closely are Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan. They both carded impressive 6-under par rounds and are tied for the second spot on the leader board after day one.

Kenny Perry was putting together quite a formidable round until he hit a stretch on the last three holes. On 15, his second shot sailed over the green and he was left with a tough pitch shot that ran almost straight down hill past the hole. He put it close, but could not manage to sink the birdie and settled for the par. On the par 3, 16th hole, Perry sailed his tee shot to the back left of the pin and slightly off the green. A lengthy putt left him with what should have been a sure par within four feet of the hole. Think again, as Perry botched the putt and ended with a bogey that dropped him a shot. On 17 and 18 he had two nice saves that left him with par, but he went into the club house at the end of the round with a 4-under par score, rather than the 5-under he had been holding for a few holes.

Tiger Woods struggled mightily at the start of his round. Birdies were irrelevant as he could not seem to sink his putts. On the ninth hole, Woods hit a beautiful approach shot and he then finally sank his first birdie of the round to bring him back to even par after dropping to +1. Holes 13 through 15 were a stretch of tweeters for Woods and his game seemed to be in domination mode. His tee shots were booming off the club face and were all in the middle of the fairway. Spinning the ball as he usually does, he was leaving himself with ten foot putts or closer. On the 17th however, Woods managed to scramble for a par due to his short, routine birdie putt rimming out. The 18th is where the wheels eventually came off the car. After an enormous drive, woods had a routine pitch from about 148 yards to the back right pin location. He took his swing and the result was not good as he flew the green into the fan gallery. His chip shot coming back to the hole hit firm and rolled about 55 feet past the hole. He would two putt for a bogey and end the day at 2-under par.

One of my picks to make a run for the green jacket, Camilo Villegas endured a tough day and finished at +1. Villegas had seven bogeys in his round and had a fair amount of birdies, with six. The rest of the way he would settle for pars. Also, Padraig Harrington who is going for his third major championship in a row chimed in with a solid 3-under par on the day. Harrington managed only two bogeys, and carded four birdies.

Heading into round two, the competition is wide open as well as the course. There were a lot of red numbers today, indicating that the scores are there for the taking. Moving towards Sunday it will be interesting to see just how far under par these players need to be in order to wear their green jackets.

NBA Playoff Picture

The NBA's playoff spots are starting to round out and one team had it's hopes crushed last night. The Phoenix Suns will not be in the playoffs this season due to the Dallas Mavericks big win over the Utah Jazz. This will be the first time since 1993 that Shaq will not be in the playoffs. There are rumblings that the Suns are going to totally rebuild next year and Shaq, Nash and possibly Stoudemire won't be around to help. The Western Conference is a tough conference from spots one through eight. Here's a look at the way thinks are shaping up as the season winds down.

Western Conference:
1. L.A. Lakers
2.Denver Nuggets
3.San Antonio Spurs
4. Houston Rockets
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. New Orleans Hornets
7. Utah Jazz
8. Dallas Mavericks

Break Down: The Lakers are surely the front runner to win the west this season. The good news for them is they are actually going to get their young and talented center, Andrew Bynum back for the playoffs. Bynum suffered a partial tear in the MCL of his knee more towards the earlier part of the season and has missed 30 some games this year.
Denver is a team that I really think teams need to be on the look out for. The addition of Chauncey Billups mid way through the season for Allen Iverson certainly has proved to benefit the Nuggets more than hurt them. They have won eight straight games and can really put it together for a strong playoff run.
San Antonio, sorry to say but the bus stops here. Without a healthy Manu Ginobili they are not going back to the Finals and they may not even survive the first round. Tim Duncan's knees just don't work anymore and he has not been 100 percent all season long. They will struggle down the stretch.
Houston has had an up and down type of year and again most of it without star Tracy McGrady. I don't think I've seen a star player or focal point of a team be injured more than he has. The addition of Ron Artest in the off season was a key move and has helped keep them in the running at the fourth spot.
Portland and New Orleans are two teams that can really mess up a playoff series. Portland is playing great basketball this season and Brandon Roy is healthy. Greg Oden is getting minutes and along side LaMarcus Aldridge is a great compliment for their inside game. Chris Paul is holding things down in New Orleans and is arguably the best point guard in the game. David West, James Posey and Tyson Chandler will all need to play the role of step-up players in order for a title run.
Finally, Utah, with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are very capable of maintaining a strong push. Don't forget, Boozer is coming off a leg injury and has not been in the best of game shape. Kyle Korver will need to heat up from downtown along with Mehmet Okur to give Utah the edge. And finally the Dallas Mavericks are more like the Spurs in my eyes. Dirk Nowitzki can stroke it from anywhere and has proven his worth as a player. Jason Kidd is on the decline, Eric Dampier is older, Jason Terry is too streaky for my liking and Josh Howard is the only legit athletic talent on the team. I do not look for big things happening in Big D, much like their professional football team.

Eastern Division:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Orlando Magic
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Miami Heat
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Detroit Pistons

Break Down: Obviously King James and the Cavaliers are on a mission. They moved to 38-1 at home this season and are clearly the favorite to win this division and represent the east in the finals. I really, truly believe this will happen because the addition of point guard Mo Williams has been extraordinary for this franchise. James, Williams, Delonte West, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajeo, Daniel Gibson and the recent come back of Ben Wallace is a line up I would not want to face in a playoff series.
Boston is bringing doubts into my mind because of one player, Kevin Garnett. It is proof that without Garnett, the Celtics would not have won the title last year. Yes, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are great players and Kendrick Perkins is a big body inside, but without the Big Ticket, I do not think they can go the distance. Even when Garnett comes back, how healthy is he going to be and how good of shape will he be in? That's the question and I think Cleveland has the answer.
Orlando, Atlanta and Miami is a pretty good mix from the three to five spot. Dwight Howard and the Magic have done wonderful things this season and if he and the team can elevate their play even another notch, they could certainly be in the conference finals. Atlanta is streaky at times but has all the talent in the world. Looking at a number four spot is very commendable for this franchise. Mike Bibby running the point means experience and leadership. Joe Johnson can score from anywhere and Josh Smith is a high riser who can fill it up as well.
Miami has made a really big surge late this season and that is due in part to one thing, Dwayne Wade. Wade has this team believing and playing like a playoff team and will now get their opportunity to show the nation how good or bad they will be.
My final three don't really mean much at all because I think all three are no where near as good as the top half of the division. Philadelphia has some bright spots and not so bright spots. Igudoala will need to be the number one guy night in and night out, and quite frankly I don't know if he can handle the pressure of the NBA playoffs. Chicago has a rookie at the point spot and has done a very solid job this season. Ben Gordon can certainly shoot the lights out and Kirk Hinrich off the bench provides some depth. I just think Chicago lost a few too many games this year that they should not have and in the playoffs, that cannot happen. Finally, the Detroit Pistons are just like the San Antonio Spurs of the west. Their bus stops here as well. Allen Iverson doesn't want to play for them anymore, Rasheed Wallace is old and has a big mouth, Rodney Stuckey is athletic but can he run a team? I don't think so, because since the trade of Billups for Iverson, the whole season has been a downward plunge for this group. Sorry to say, the 2009 playoffs will not see you re surge your franchise to dominance.

Keystone College Ranks 13 in Nation

The Keystone College baseball team recently posted a 17-4 blow out win over Moravian College. Besides pushing their record to 23-4 on the season, in the most recent D-III poll rankings, the Giants find themselves at number 13 in the nation. Eric Groff and Ben Fish led the offensive attack by together combining to drive in 10 runs for the Giants. The Giants managed to pound out 23 hits on the afternoon and never gave Moravian a chance to establish a rhythm. Brad Higgins was on the mound for the Giants and he pitched six innings, allowing three runs and striking out six. With the win, he notched his third of the year.

The Giants will travel to Cortland St. this weekend for a 2 p.m. start time on Saturday. Cortland St. is sporting a number one ranking in the nation with a 42-5 record overall.

Tragedy Strikes Angels

The Los Angeles Angel's recently received breaking news, as did the rest of the nation. Their rookie starting pitcher, Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident just last evening. Adenhart was just 22 years of age and actually pitched in their game against the Oakland Athletics before the crash had happened. He pitched six scoreless innings and struck out five. The crash involved three cars and resulted in three total deaths. Adenheart first appeared in the major leagues in May of 2008.

-Info contributed by ESPN.com.