In short, the NCAA tournament experience for college basketball fans watching on TV is taking a significant hit.

And it's a complete shame.

According to a Thursday story on SI.com, Gus Johnson, who in recent years has established himself as the guy everyone wants calling the end of a close game, will not be back with CBS.

The two sides failed to reach a new deal, ending a relationship that's been going strong since 1998. Johnson also worked as a play-by-play voice for CBS's NFL coverage, but became a cult icon among college basketball fans during the NCAA tournament over the past several seasons.

Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch reports that Johnson was a candidate for the NFL Network's play-by-play job on its Thursday night broadcasts, but that gig went to ESN's Brad Nessler. He's also spoken recently with Fox Sports regarding a spot covering college football.

One way or another, Johnson will be fine in the end, landing a high-profile job with someone, somewhere. Heck, he has a catch phrase popular enough — 'Rise and Fire' — that it's now the name of Johnson's own clothing line.

The bottom line, though, is that CBS has fouled up here.

Between his constant enthusiasm and outstanding signature calls late in games, Johnson long ago earned his way towards a promotion to a much more prominent spot on CBS's college hoops food chain.

That chance never came.

We don't know what happened during negotiations, and probably never will, but the outside perception, no matter how you cut it, is that CBS should have paid Johnson whatever he wanted in a new deal.

The problem now for CBS's NCAA tournament coverage is that this move takes away one of the total package's few unique components.

The NCAA tournament will still be just as viewed. One announcer leaving won't change that. But it just won't be the same.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Maier, of Cody, leads UW golf team USA Today (AP) — Cody native Gabe Maier is leading the University of Wyoming into this week's Mountain West Conference men's golf championships. So far during his senior year, Maier has placed in the top 15 nine times. Maier is ranked third in the conference ... and more »

Helen Thorpe's Colorado Book Award-winning Just Like Us is out in paperback now, and it includes an update about the lives of her subjects, four young Mexican women who grew up in Denver, two with U.S. citizenship and two without. On May 12, Thorpe will speak at the Arvada Public Library, and on May 15 she will participate in the Dean's Forum at St. John's Cathedral in Denver. In October, Just Like Us will be the featured book for One Book One Town in Carbondale, Colo. • Brady Udall's excellent novel The Lonely Polygamist is out in paperback now too. Udall will appear at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, along with Cristina García, Gary Ferguson, and Stephanie Elizondo Griest from June 23-26. The conference is open for registration now. (Check back on New West in late June for David Abrams' report on the conference.) Also in the Roundup: Robin Black is this year's Lighthouse Fly-By Writer, the new Mountain West Poetry Series, lit champ Jennifer Egan to headline the Literary Sojourn in Steamboat Springs, and Women Writing the West conference tickets are on sale now.

Politico reports that supporters of George W. Bush are “irked” that the former president isn’t getting more credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden, despite the droves of conservatives lawmakers and pundits who have been rushing to give Bush equal credit as Obama.

But this praise for Bush relies on rewriting history to obscure the fact Obama re-prioritized the hunt for Bin Laden after Bush had largely abandoned the effort to focus on Iraq.

While many conservatives are triumphantly replaying Bush’s September 2001 declaration that he would find Bin Laden, just months later, by Bush’s own account, he was unconcerned about the terrorist mastermind. Asked about the hunt for Bin Laden at a March, 2002 press conference, Bush said, “I truly am not that concerned about him. I am deeply concerned about Iraq.” “I really just don’t spend that much time on him, to be honest with you,” Bush added.

By 2006, the trail for Bin Laden had gone “stone cold” and Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes said Bush told him that hunting Bin Laden was “not a top priority use of American resources.” (Indeed, there was a flailing war in Iraq to fight.)

That year, it was revealed that the administration had he shuttered the CIA’s Bin Laden unit in late 2005. As the New York Times reported at the time, the move reflected a shift in resources to Iraq:

In recent years, the war in Iraq has stretched the resources of the intelligence agencies and the Pentagon, generating new priorities for American officials. For instance, much of the military’s counterterrorism units, like the Army’s Delta Force, had been redirected from the hunt for Mr. bin Laden to the search for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed last month in Iraq.

But Bush’s biggest misstep in the Bin Laden hunt occurred years before, in the early days of the war in Afghanistan. As a 2009 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report found, the Bush administration blew a critical opportunity to capture Bin Laden in 2001. Bin Laden was wounded and on the run, but top Bush national security officials rejected repeated pleas for reinforcements from commanders and intelligence officials fighting the terrorist leader in the caves of Tora Bora, despite the availability of resources:

Fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected. Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan. The vast array of American military power, from sniper teams to the most mobile divisions of the Marine Corps and the Army, was kept on the sidelines. Instead, the U.S. command chose to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias. [...]

Even when his own commanders and senior intelligence officials in Afghanistan and Washington argued for dispatching more U.S. troops, [Commanding Gen. Tommy] Franks refused to deviate from the plan.

The report “removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora,” but that decisions made by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, his deputies, and other top administration officials allowed Bin Laden to escape.

The consequence of this missed ooportunity are tremendous. As Lt. Col. Reid Sawyer, the director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, told NPR yesterday, “if bin Laden had been killed in Afghanistan eight years ago in the caves of Tora Bora, al-Qaida might well have died with him. Now the organization is diversified enough it could weather bin Laden’s death — and hardly miss a beat.”

Moreover, as Rumsfeld himself acknowledged, Bush’s extra-legal torture and rendition policies did not help capture Bin Laden. Enhanced interrogation techniques did not work. Bush ordered one final push to capture Bin laden shortly before he left office, but this effort too was unsuccessful.

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Quietly, Vanderbilt has been the home to one of college basketball's most stable basketball programs in recent years.

Why so quiet, though?

Well, what's kept the Commodores from moving into the elite upper crust is a lack of recent NCAA tournament success. While Vandy has made the NCAAs in four of the last five seasons, they've suffered three consecutive first-round losses — all to double-digit seeds — including last month's 69-66 setback against No. 12 Richmond.

Next season, Kevin Stallings' club will find excuses all but impossible to come by if they make another early exit in March.

On Thursday, while SEC neighbor Kentucky lost three of its top pieces as potential early entrants into June's NBA draft, Vandy retained its core trio.

Juniors Festus Ezeli and Jeffery Taylor, along with star sophomore guard John Jenkins, all announced that they'll be back for the 2011-12 campaign. Immediately, Vanderbilt becomes arguably the team to beat in the top-heavy SEC and a likely preseason Top-10 club.

Jenkins led the league in scoring (19.5 ppg) this season, establishing himself as one of the nation's more prolific outside shooters, hitting roughly three 3-pointers per game. Taylor and Ezeli combined to average 27.7 points and 11.8 boards on the front line. The Commodores' other two starters from a team that won 23 games — seniors-to-be Brad Tinsley and Lance Gouldbourne — are also back.

The kicker is the addition of two impressive incoming freshman guards in Dai-Jon Parker and Kedren Johnson.

"I commend and applaud them for the intelligent and diligent way they approached this process in making their decision," Stallings said. "Their return certainly positions our team for an exciting season next year."

Added Ezeli: "We're going to be a better team next year, and we still have a lot of unfinished business. After the loss in the tournament, I can't leave on that note. There's no rush for me to want to leave."

In all honesty, each of the three probably made the wise choice in opting to come back. They all have professional careers in their futures, and recent history has proven that some NCAA tournament success will only boost their individual profiles.

It would also help take Vanderbilt's program to the next level. All of the pieces are officially in place for that to happen.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

The Kentucky trio of freshman point guard Brandon Knight, freshman swingman Terrence Jones and junior defensive specialist DeAndre Liggins all declared for June's NBA draft on Wednesday.

None of the three signed with agents, and, at best, UK coach John Calipari can likely only hope that one of the three decides to return next season to add an extra splash of experience to another young roster.

Knight and Jones lived up to the hype in their rookie seasons, as both were bona fide bluechip recruits coming in.

The 6-foot-3 Knight led the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and only got better as the season progressed, both as a scorer and floor general. He'll likely be remembered by the Wildcat faithful for his NCAA tournament heroics, including game-clinching daggers in the opener against Princeton, then in the Sweet Sixteen against the tourney's top overall seed, Ohio State.

Jones averaged 15.7 points per outing and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game. He showed the ability this season to play all five positions on the floor, and was marked by many as a potential lottery pick before every setting foot on campus. That sure didn't change.

Make no mistake, it would take a massive letdown in workouts over the next few weeks to get either Knight or Jones to return for a sophomore season, but Liggins' case is a bit more interesting.

It took some time, but one of the few holdovers from the Billy Gillispie Era finally blossomed under Calipari. He averaged career bests in points (8.6), field goal percentage (42.4), 3-point percentage (39.1), rebounds (4.0) and steals (1.2) as a junior. At 6-foot-6, he was UK's resident defensive pest, and there's no question that he could play a similar role at the next level.

The question is whether Liggins can prove himself enough as a reliable offensive threat during workouts leading up to the draft in order to secure a spot in the first round with guaranteed money. Even without that guarantee, it's no cinch that Liggins, who just had his first child during the season, would come back.

But Kentucky could use him.

The two key returners already in place from UK's Final Four team are sophomore-to-be Doron Lamb, who on Tuesday announced his plans to shun the draft, and senior-to-be Darius Miller. Of course, there will be enough talent in place to win big again, given another loaded haul from the recruiting trail, led by point guard Marquis Teague and small forward Mike Gilchrist.

But a team top-heavy with freshmen takes time to click, as the Wildcats saw this season with their brutal road struggles throughout much of the season.

Getting at least Liggins back would significantly lighten the load on the incoming freshmen, likely cut down the length of that transition period and make Kentucky that much more of a threat to get back to college hoops' biggest stage.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Boise State’s heralded football team will move from the WAC to the Mountain West Conference, effective this fall, and the Broncos have already started to make friends. San Diego State’s head coach, who I’m told is a guy named Rocky Long, is already whining about the famous blue turf in Boise’s home digs.

Rocky Long? That can’t be right, can it?

“I think they ought to get rid of that blue turf. I think it’s unfair,” said Long, the former New Mexico coach who is in his first season as the Aztecs’ head coach.

When asked to expand, Long said, “it takes the visiting team a quarter or two to get used to that different field.”

Long said players “track the ball differently” on the blue turf, particularly since Boise State traditionally wears all-blue uniforms on the blue turf.

–Idaho Statesman, via FanNation.

I honestly haven’t watched enough games at Bronco Stadium to really weigh in with an educated opinion, but if the field is flat and the players are standing up, what difference could the color of the turf possibly make? My only gripe is that it would be harder to visually pick up dog debris. You’d need a pencil just to get that stuff out of your cleats.

As Boise State readies to join the Mountain West Conference, its future conference foes are already taking shots at the Broncos' blue home f ...

With the 2011 NFL Draft coming up April 28-30, we thought we'd prep you by taking a look at what some of the top names in the draft are bringing to the table. We start with Andy Dalton. Here's everything you need to know about this former TCU quarterback and more.


OVERVIEW
One of the most prolific passers in Texas Christian University history, Andy Dalton set a Mountain West Conference record with 42 career victories.  The signal caller was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior, joining Bradlee Van Pelt of Colorado State (2002-03) as the only players in league history to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Dalton surpassed Max Hall of Brigham Young’s Mountain West Conference record (11,569; 2007-09) by generating 11,925 yards in total offense. He ranks first in Texas Christian annals in attempts (1,317), completions (812), passing yards (10,314) and passing touchdowns (71). His passing yardage and touchdown totals are surpassed only by Max Hall and John Beck of Brigham Young in Mountain West Conference history.

Dalton prepped at Katy High School in Texas. He threw for 3,555 yards, 52 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his career while completing 52.0 percent of his passes. During his junior season, Dalton led Katy to the Texas 5A quarterfinals while completing 38-of-67 attempts for 678 yards, 10 touchdown and two interceptions. 

As a senior, Dalton was named The Houston Chronicle Greater Houston Area Offensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for both Texas Football 5A Player of the Year and the Touchdown Club Greater Houston Offensive Player of the Year. He was a third-team Texas 5A All-State choice and a Texas Football Player of the Week on several occasions.

Dalton completed 53.4 percent (161-of-254) of his pass attempts in his final season for 2,877 yards with 42 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He led the Tigers to a 14-1 overall record and an appearance in the Texas 5A quarterfinals against eventual national champion Southlake Carroll.

Dalton was given a three-star rating by Rivals.com, who listed him as the nation’s 23rd-best pro-style quarterback and the 98th-best prospect from the state of Texas. Scout.com listed him as a two-star prospect, ranking him the 73rd-best quarterback recruit in the country.

Dalton received football scholarship offers from Texas Christian and Texas-El Paso but ultimately elected to sign with the Horned Frogs. 

“Just going up there and visiting, it was awesome,” he said. “It's just the right place for me, the coaches are good, the school, and the campus is beautiful. I've got to meet the players and obviously the football team did really good.”

Dalton enrolled at TCU in 2006 and retained eligibility as a true freshman by redshirting as a member of the scout team. He was part of the travel squad for the Frogs, serving as the emergency third-string quarterback. He did not see game action.

In 2007, Dalton became the first signal caller in the Gary Patterson era to make his collegiate debut as a starter. He started every game that season but one and set a Mountain West Conference freshman record with 2,691 yards in total offense as he completed 222-of-371 pass attempts for 2,459 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and added 232 yards and five more scores on 98 carries. 

Dalton capped the season with an appearance in the Texas Bowl vs. Houston. He led the Horned Frogs to a 20-13 victory and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. He also earned a Freshman All-American honorable mention by The Sporting News.

As a sophomore, Dalton started the first five games of the season before suffering a right knee injury vs. Oklahoma. He had relied mostly on his legs and ran for five scores, but failed to throw a touchdown pass in any of those contests. 

He returned three weeks later and passed for 11 touchdowns over the final five regular season games while leading TCU to a 4-1 record. 

Dalton led the Horned Frogs to their second-straight postseason victory, a 17-16 win over Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. He was named the contest’s Most Valuable Player, marking his second consecutive MVP honor in a bowl game. He finished the season completing 182-of-307 attempts for 2,242 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding eight scores and 432 yards on 113 carries. His performance earned him an all-conference honorable mention.

Dalton enjoyed a breakout season in 2009, as he earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors and was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was also one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, recognizing the top quarterback in the nation. Dalton completed 199-of-323 pass attempts for 2,756 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading TCU to a 12-1 overall record, including an undefeated regular season, before losing to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. He added 512 yards and three scores on 116 carries.

Dalton built on his success as a junior with an even more impressive senior campaign. The signal caller led his team to a perfect undefeated 13-0 record and capped off the season with a 21-19 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, marking the school’s first ever BCS Bowl victory. He completed 209-of-316 pass attempts for 2,857 yards with 27 touch-downs and six interceptions while adding 435 yards and six more scores on 86 carries (5.06 ypc).

For the second consecutive season, Dalton earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors and was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. The decorated quarterback was a finalist for the Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, both of which are presented to the nation’s top quarterback. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell (Most Outstanding Player), Davey O’Brien (Top Quarterback) and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.

CAREER NOTES
Dalton started 49-of-50 games at Texas Christian, completing 812-of-1,317 passes (61.66%) for 10,314 yards, 71 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, adding 22 touchdowns on 413 carries for 1,611 yards (3.90 ypc)…Set a Mountain West Conference record with 42 career victories…Added one solo tackle and six punts for 193 yards (32.17 avg)…Also caught one pass for 27 yards…Generated 11,925 yards in total offense, breaking Max Hall’s (11,569; 2007-09) Mountain West Conference record… Generated 3,268 yards in total offense in 2009, breaking Jeff Ballard’s single-season school mark of 2,817 in 2006…Broke a school record by generating 3,292 yards in total offense in 2010…His 2,691 yards in 2007 set a MWC freshman record and rank fourth on the school’s season record chart…His 2,674 yards in 2008 rank fifth on the school’s season record chart…Broke Max Knake’s school record (7,370; 1992-95) with 10,314 passing yards, the third-most in MWC annals behind Max Hall (11,365) and John Beck (11,021) of BYU…His 2,756 passing yards in 2009 broke Knake’s single-season mark (2,624; 1994)…Proceeded to top his school record with 2,857 passing yards in 2010…His 1,317 passes attempted set a new school career record, surpassing Knake’s old record of 1,001…His 371 attempts in 2007 also broke Knake’s single-season mark of 369 set in 1995…His 719 completions surpassed Knake’s career mark of 622…His 222 completions in 2007 broke Knake’s season mark of 207 set in 1993…Completed 61.66 percent of his passes, breaking Ballard’s previous school record of 61.11 percent (2003-06)...Completed 66.14 percent of his pass attempts in 2010, topping Ballard’s single-season mark (61.9; 2006)…Has had just 2.28 percent of his passes intercepted, ranking second to Ballard (2.2) on TCU’s career list…Had 1.6 percent of his attempts intercepted in 2008, second only to Brandon Hassell (1.4; 2004) on the school’s single-season list…Threw 71 career touchdown passes, breaking Knake’s school record of 49 while ranking third in MWC history behind Max Hall (94; 2007-09) and John Beck of BYU (79; 2003-06)…Threw 23 touchdown passes in 2009, surpassed only by Knake’s 24 in 1994 on TCU’s single-season record chart…Proceeded to break his record with 27 touchdown pass in 2010…Dalton was responsible for 93 touchdowns, shattering the previous mark set by LaDainian Tomlinson (54; 1997-00)…Responsible for 26 touchdowns in 2009, breaking Knake’s single-season school record of 25…Proceeded to top his school record for touchdown responsibility with 33 touchdowns in 2010.


CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS
4.96 in the 40-yard dash…1.71 10-yard dash…2.86 20-yard dash…4.04 20-yard shuttle…
7.22 three-cone drill…28-inch vertical jump…8’5” broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds xx times…30 ¾-inch arm length…9 ½-inch hands.

PERSONAL
Marketing major…Parents are Greg and Tina Dalton…Born 10/29/87…Resides in Katy, Texas.

PANEL: ROYALTIES, CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS MAKE PROGRESS TOUGH

While panelists in the closing RAIN Summit West discussion — “The Future of Music” — portrayed the space as ripe with challenges, the panel was one of the most entertaining and thought-provoking of the day. Leading webcaster Ari Shohat of Digitally Imported joined Eric Johnson of Wolfgang’s Vault, Anu Kirk of subscription streaming service MOG and Michael Robertson of Mp3Tunes. Ted Cohen of TAG Strategic moderated the discussion.

The panelists painted a somewhat stark and challenging future for music services. Robertson asserted that high music royalties (the music industry “outfoxed” everyone in the room, he said) would keep music services like Pandora from ever being “major profit machines.”

MOG’s Anu Kirk spoke on the challenges of subscription services, noting how difficult it is just to get people to pay $5 a month for music (especially compared to the hundreds they pay for cable). “Most people don’t really care about music that much,” he said. “A small amount of people pay a lot for music.”

Robertson said he instead favors the “freemium” model, in which he offers a free product and an additional subscription service without limitations.

However, Digitally Imported’s Air Shohat pointed out that the conversion rates for his serivce remain between 1-3%. The other panelists agreed — “you’re a genius” if you get 3% conversion, said Robertson.

Wolfgang’s Vault’s Eric Johnson argued that the music industry will have to embrace new services, otherwise users will turn to illegal sources. Robertson remained skeptical though, arguing that the music industry is “chasing an era from the past” and trying to stop “an iceberg from melting in the desert.”

Though this was the last panel of RAIN Summit West, we’re nowhere near finished with our coverage from the conference. Stay tuned for more in the days ahead!

HANSON TO HOST SECOND DAY OF RADIO INK’S TECH SUMMIT

RAIN publisher and AccuRadio CEO Kurt Hanson (pictured right) will host the second day of Radio Ink‘s Tech Summit. The Tech Summit will be held on May 17-18 at the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus in Mountain View, CA. It immediately precedes Radio Ink‘s annual Convergence conference, which takes place May 18-19. Radio Ink has more information right here.

CHEVY 2013 MALIBU WILL INCLUDE PANDORA, STITCHER SUPPORT

Chevy’s 2013 Malibu will support GM’s new MyLink system, which streaming Internet radio content from Pandora and Stitcher to your dashboard via a connected mobile device.

Announced in September and already rolling-out to cars equipped with GM’s OnStar system, MyLink is the much like Ford’s Sync in that it offers voice-command control of Internet radio playback (RAIN coverage here).

SIRIUS XM MINORITY CHANNELS DETAILED

Sirius XM agreed as part of their merger in 2008 to devote 4% of their channels to outside companies.

It was announced yesterday that these channels will include two urban stations — created by Washington D.C.‘s Howard University and WHUT-TV — and three Spanish stations — two from Eventus-National Latino Broadcasting and one from WorldBand Media. KTV Radio will create a Korean music and talk channel while BYU from Salt Lake City will create a Mormon station. The Hill has more coverage here.

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 20

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Bridge, Big Light, Real Nasty Slim's. 8pm, $13.

Cypress Hill Warfield. 8pm, $45.

Dengue Fever, Maus Haus, DJ Felina Fillmore. 8pm, $22.50.

Fucking Buckaroos, Clepto, Mano Cherga Band El Rio. 9pm, $5.

Grand Lodge 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Gregory Alan Isakov, Fairchildren Café Du Nord. 8:30pm, $14.

Janet Jackson Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove, SF; www.tickemaster.com. 8pm, $49.50-149.50.

Limousines, K.Flay, Young Digerati, Shitty DJ Independent. 8pm, $15.

Angie Mattson, Beth Waters Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Movits!, Planet Booty, Coppe with Deghouls Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $12.

Radiators Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $30.

Thralls, Night Surgeon, Bad Bibles Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Artofficial, Hot Pocket, Seneca, DJ A-Train Elbo Room. 9pm, $8.

"Jah Summit Live" Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.jahsummit.eventbrite.com. 9pm, $7.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Cosmo Alleycats Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo, SF; www.lecolonialsf.com. 7pm.

Dink Dink Dink, Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm, free.

Larry Jazz Band Showroom, 1000 Van Ness, SF; www.theshowroomsf.com. 7pm, $10.

Ben Marcato and the Mondo Combo Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

Michael Parsons Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

No Room For Squares Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 6-10pm, free. DJ Afrodite Shake spins jazz for happy hour.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

Third Wednesdays Underground SF. 10pm-2am, $3. With Ms. Jackson, DJ Loryn, and Becky Knox spinning electro, tech, house, and breaks.

THURSDAY 21

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Nicholas Burke, Infantree, Hugo, Damato Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Crackerjack Highway 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Harderships, Mammatus Knockout. 9:30pm.

Marchfourth Marching Band Independent. 8pm, $18.

Mimosa, Paper Diamond Dillmore. 8pm, $22.50.

Off!, Culture Kids, Ecoli Eagle Tavern. 9pm.

Valerie Orth, Stringer Belle, Audiafauna Café Du Nord. 9pm, $10.

Ty Segall, Royal Baths, TRMRS, Nick Waterhouse and the Tarots Bottom of the Hill. 8:30pm, $8.

Sparrows Gate, SentiMentals, Toshio Hirano Amnesia. 9pm, $7.

Subhumans, M.D.C., Vacuum Thee Parkside. 8:30pm, $12.

System and Station, Gold Medalists, Sprains Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Young the Giant, Man in Space, Strange Birds Slim's. 9pm, $14.

Zeds Dead Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $20.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Collective Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Dime Store Dandy Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

Organsm featuring Jim Gunderson and "Tender" Tim Shea Bollyhood Café. 6:30-9pm, free.

Stompy Jones Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Country Casanovas Atlas Café. 8-10pm, free.

Jessica Fichot Red Poppy Art House. 7pm, $12-15.

"Twang! Honky Tonk" Fiddler's Green, 1330 Columbus, SF; www.twanghonkytonk.com. 5pm.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $5. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

Base Vessel. 10pm, $10. With Three and Greg Eversoul.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Club Jammies Edinburgh Castle. 10pm, free. DJs EBERrad and White Mice spinning reggae, punk, dub, and post punk.

Culture Corner Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Roots reggae, dub, rocksteady, and classic dancehall with DJ Tomas, Yusuke, Vinnie Esparza, and Basshaka and ILWF.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

80s Night Cat Club. 9pm, $6 (free before 9:30pm). Two dance floors bumpin' with the best of 80s mainstream and underground with Dangerous Dan, Skip, Low Life, and guests. This week, celebrate Robert Smith's birthday with a Cure-themed night.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

Monsoon Season El Rio. 9pm, free. World beats with DJ ExEss.

Nightvision Harlot, 46 Minna, SF; (415) 777-1077. 9:30pm, $10. DJs Danny Daze, Franky Boissy, and more spinning house, electro, hip hop, funk, and more.

1984 Mighty. 9pm, $2. The long-running New Wave and 80s party has a new venue, featuring video DJs Mark Andrus, Don Lynch, and celebrity guests.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Thursday Special Tralala Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 5pm, free. Downtempo, hip-hop, and freestyle beats by Dr. Musco and Unbroken Circle MCs.

FRIDAY 22

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Amon Amarth Regency Ballroom. 9pm, $25.

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Diego's Umbrella, Vagabond Opera, Mark Growden Independent. 9pm, $15.

Disastroid, Here, Fondue El Rio. 9pm, $8.

Endoxi, Bob Hill Band Union Room (above Biscuits and Blues). 8:30pm, $10.

Glen Fajardo and Eddie Cohn 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Lost in the Trees, Sean Rowe Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $10.

Mustache Harbor Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $15.

Randy Newman Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $25-45.

Radio Moscow, Hot Lunch Thee Parkside. 9pm, $10.

"Sugar Rush: A Fundraiser Concert for the American Diabetes Association" Rasselas Jazz. 9pm, $10-20. With Jay Trainer Band, Ziva, Peggle Theory, For the Broken, and more.

Kurt Vile and the Violators, RTX, Carletta Sue Kay Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $14.

"Yard Concert Fundraiser 2011" Dolores Park Café, 501 Dolores, SF; www.doloresparkcafe.com. 7pm, $20. With Audrey Howard, Laura Zucker, True Margit, Shelley Doty, Groovy Judy, and Sistas in the Pit.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Black Market Jazz Orchestra Top of the Mark. 9pm, $10.

Les Carnegie and the Jazz Vanguards Condor, 300 Columbus, SF; www.condorsf.com. 3pm.

Ensemble Mik Nawooj Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $10-15.

Wobbly, Ensemble Economonique, Thomas Carnacki Lab, 2948 16th St, SF; www.thelab.org. 8pm.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Baxtalo Drom Amnesia. 9pm, $7-10.

Harvey Diller Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

Lagos Roots AfroBeat Ensemble, DJ Jeremiah Elbo Room. 10pm, $13.

Yonder Mountain String Band Fillmore. 9pm, $25.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

DJ Mei Lwun Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, free.

Duniya Dancehall Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; (415) 920-0577. 10pm, $10. With live performances by Duniya Drum and Dance Co. and DJs dub Snakr and Juan Data spinning bhangra, bollywood, dancehall, African, and more.

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Hubba Hubba Revue: The San Francisco Show DNA Lounge. 9pm, $10-15. Barbary Coast-themed burlesque.

PANTyRAID, LowRIZERz 103 Harriet, 1015 Folsom, SF; www.1015.com. 10pm, $25.

Psychedelic Radio Club Six. 9pm, $7. With DJs Kial, Tom No Thing, Megalodon, and Zapruderpedro spinning dubstep, reggae, and electro.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Soul Rebel Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Reggae, punk, 2tone, oi, and more with Dougie, Tim, and Tomas.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 23

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Restarts, Dreadful Children, Bum City Saints Thee Parkside. 2:30pm, $10-12.

Eddie Cohn, Joyce Todd McBride and friends, Mindi Hadan, Con Brio Amnesia. 8pm, $7-10.

Foreverland, Sex With No Hands Bimbo's 365 Club. 9pm, $22.

Daryl Hance Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission, SF; www.brickandmortarmusic.com.

"Lyrics Born presents Continuum" Yoshi's San Francisco. 10:30pm, $26. With full live band and special guests.

Silly Pink Bunnies! Thee Parkside. 7pm, free.

Spectrum, Spyrals Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $15.

Two Gallants Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $15.

"UK Reunion Tour" Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $65-99. Featuring Eddie Jobson and John Wetton.

Yoni Wolf, Moore Brothers, Becky Wolf and Amy Miller Swedish American Hall (upstairs from Café Du Nord). 8pm, $15.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Erin Brazill 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Garage a Trois, Amendola vs. Blades Independent. 9pm, $20.

Buddy Guy, John Németh Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $20-65.

Nucleus Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Back49 Riptide Tavern. 9:45pm, free.

Lady A and the Heel Draggers, Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers, West Nile Ramblers, Bootcuts, DJ Blaze Orange Café Du Nord. 8:30pm, $13.

Quijeremá Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $12-15.

"Sounds and Rhythms of Afghanistan" Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness, SF; (415) 621-6600. 8pm, $25-75.

Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

Yonder Mountain String Band Fillmore. 9pm, $25.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Barracuda 111 Minna. 9pm, $10. Eclectic 80s music with DJs Damon and Phillie Ocean plus 80s cult video projections, a laser light show, prom balloons, and 80s inspired fashion.

Bootie SF: DJ Tripp's Birthday DNA Lounge. 9pm, $8-15. Mash-ups with DJ Tripp, David X, Mykill, and more.

Debaser Knockout. 9pm, $5. DJ Jamie Jams, EmDee, and Stab Master Arson spin 90s hip-hop jams.

DJ Clee Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, free.

Fog and Laser Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $7. DJs EmDee and RamblinWorker host this anything-goes, genre-free dance party.

4OneFunktion Elbo Room. 10pm, $5-10. Starship 27 Vol. 2 release party with guest performers Diabase, J-1, the 4OneFunktion All-Stars, and more.

Go Bang! Deco Lounge, 501 Larkin, SF; www.decosf.com. 9pm, $5. Atomic dancefloor disco action with Nicky B, Derrick Love, and more.

Mango El Rio. 3-8:30pm, $8-10. Sweet, sexy fun for women with DJs Edaj, Marcella, Olga, and La Coqui.

Reggae Gold Club Six. 9pm, $15. With DJs Daddy Rolo, Polo Mo'qz, Tesfa, Serg, and Fuze spinning dancehall and reggae.

Rock City Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5 after 10pm. With DJs spinning party rock.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

SUNDAY 24

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

"Aftermath: A Citizen to Citizen Tsunami Rescue and Relief Benefit" Thee Parkside. 8pm, $7-10. With Ass Baboons of Venus, Thunders, Tiger Honey Pot, and DJs Nako, Korri, and Lil Joe.

Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Like A Storm Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $28.

Eastern Conference Champs, Red Cortez, Apopka Darkroom Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $8.

"It Gets Indie: A Benefit for It Gets Better and the Trevor Project" Great American Music Hall. 7:30pm, $25. With Rabbit! and Handshakes.

"JAMband Family Festival" Park Chalet, 1000 Great Hwy, SF; www.jamjamjam.com. 11am, free. With Charity Kahn.

Tower of Dudes, Graves Brothers Deluxe, Tunnel Make-Out Room. 8pm, $7.

Two Gallants Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $15.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Tom Lander Duo Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 6-9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Family Folk Explosion Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Louis Romero and Mazacote El Rio. 5-8pm, $8.

Tater Famine Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Batcave Cat Club. 10pm, $5. Death rock, goth, and post-punk with Steeplerot Necromos and c_death.

Branded James Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $5. Benefit for Back to Business career workshops.

Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, roots, and classic dancehall with DJ Sep, Ludachris, and guest Janaka Selekta.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

La Pachanga Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.thebluemacawsf.com. 6pm, $10. Salsa dance party with live Afro-Cuban salsa bands.

MONDAY 25

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Travis Barker and Mix Master Mike Independent. 9pm, $30-50.

Mad Rad, Mash Hall, Toast Elbo Room. 9pm, $10.

Paul Simon Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.ticketmaster.com. 8pm, $65-125.

DANCE CLUBS

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Sausage Party Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 2832 Mission, SF; (415) 970-9015. 6:30-9:30pm, free. DJ Dandy Dixon spins vintage rock, R&B, global beats, funk, and disco at this happy hour sausage-shack gig.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 26

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Civil War Rust, Cut Downs, Sheens Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

Jamaica, Chain Gang of 1974 Independent. 8pm, $15.

Outlaws and Preachers, Ghost Town Refugees John Colins, 138 Minna, SF; www.johncolins.com. 9pm, $5.

Ash Reiter, Radiation City, Phantom Kicks Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Sugarspun, Silver Threads El Rio. 7pm, free.

tUnE-yArDs, Buke and Gass, Man/Miracle

Whiskey Avengers, Franco Nero, DJ Ras Fank Elbo Room. 9pm, $5.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Quiet Echos Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

 

It didn't take long for San Diego State coach Rocky Long to spark a rivalry with new Mountain West Conference mate Boise State. During the league's...

Any Redskins fans brimming with hope over a franchise quarterback in the top 10 might not want to read this post. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports cites a league source with speculation that Washington, going against the grain of recent reports, is not looking to trade up for Blaine Gabbert — quite the opposite.

If Gabbert does not fall to No. 10 (good luck with that) apparently the D.C. area should start warming up to Christian Ponder and Andy Dalton a bit. Prisco agrees this is a sensible solution.

No matter if they trade down or not, the Redskins have to get a quarterback in this draft. Donovan McNabb is on his way out and Rex Grossman isn't the answer and he's a free agent.

In 2009 Washington was rumored to be closing in on the No. 6 pick to land Southern Cal quarterback Mark Sanchez, but instead stayed at 13 and selected defensive end/linebacker Brian Orakpo out of Texas.

Ponder perhaps could be receiving early first round hype if he had stayed on the field in his final season at Florida State, but the injury bug bit him hard again toward the tail end. There's a startling history there, but plenty of evidence that a healthy Ponder could produce in a pro offense.

The biggest questions about Dalton are asked about his arm strength, but he's a proven winner with NFL-caliber accuracy who led Texas Christian from the Mountain West Conference to a Rose Bowl triumph.

In related news, Gabbert has accepted his invitation to the NFL draft. The current attendee list as follows:

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor, Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers, Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn, Alabama receiver Julio Jones, Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget, Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith, California defensive lineman Cameron Jordan, Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey and Alabama running back Mark Ingram.

In a continuation of Part A & Part B-, Part C breaks down the conferences draft selections by rounds and selections based on Offense, Defense and ST.

Part C-

Conference draft selections by rounds-

 

Conferences	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	4th round	5th round	6th round	7th round
SEC	3	4	1	5	0	2	4
Big 12	2	2	2	0	1	4	3
Big 10	1	2	1	2	1	2	2
ACC	1	1	1	3	1	1	3
Big East	2	1	1	1	2	1	0
Pac 10	0	2	1	0	3	0	3
MWC	0	0	1	0	1	0	4
Independent	0	0	2	1	0	2	1
WAC	1	1	0	1	1	1	0
C-USA	0	2	0	2	0	1	0
MAC	0	0	2	1	0	0	1
Division I-AA or II Conferences	0	0	0	0	0	2	1

Let us break down the selections from these conferences into Defense, Offense and Special teams.

Conferences	Total Picks	Defense	Offense	Special Teams	Draft success %
SEC	19	12	7	0	63.2
Big 12	14	8	6	0	35.7
Big 10	11	4	6	1	54.5
ACC	11	7	4	0	36.4
Big East	8	6	2	0	62.5
Pac 10	9	5	3	1	77.8
MWC	6	2	3	1	0
Independent	6	2	4	0	50
WAC	5	1	3	1	40
C-USA	5	1	3	1	60
MAC	4	1	3	0	75
Division I-AA or II Conferences	3	1	2	0	0

 

Graph representing conference selections in Belichick's draft classes:

 

 

 In summation:

• Not only does the SEC leads the overall draft selections, they also led in total defensive and offensive players drafted.
• Even though the SEC had the most draft selections, the PAC 10 had overall percent draft success over the SEC. The MAC and the Big East came in 2nd and 3rd place in that category.
• Players drafted from the Mountain West Conference (MWC) did not fare well.
• Despite being part of the BCS, the ACC and the Big 12 draft success were mediocre at best.
• C-USA and the MAC, despite being a non-BCS conference, fared pretty well.
• Out of 101 players taken by Belichick, 51 of them were for the defense; 46 on offense, and 5 on special teams.
• The SEC led with three first round picks followed by the Big East and the Big 12 with two first round selections apiece.
• The SEC led with most 2nd round selections, 4th round selections and 7th round selections.
• The MAC, Big 12 and the Independence are tied with most selections in the 3rd round with 2 apiece.
• The PAC 10 led with most selections in the 5th round.
• The Big 12 led with most selections in the 6th round.

CSURams.com

UW golf: Women finish seventh at MWC Championships Casper Star-Tribune Online The University of Wyoming women's golf team shot a 305 (12-over par) during Saturday's final round of the Mountain West Conference Championship to finish seventh in the team standings at the Wigwam Golf Course. The Cowgirls final score (910, ... LOCAL BRIEFS: Two Aztecs named to all-MWC women's golf teamNorth County Times Women's golf recap: Rams finish sixth at MWC championshipCSURams.com Women's Golf Ends Up 5th In Final MWC StandingsThe Official Site of Aztec Athletics The Coloradoan all 11 news articles »

BYUCougars.com

Rico ties for 24th at MWC tourney Laramie Boomerang By WYOSPORTS • Sunday, April 17, 2011 The University of Wyoming women's golf team shot a 305 on Saturday to wind up the Mountain West Conference Championship in last place. The tournament was held at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Phoenix, Ariz. ... Koelbaek takes first, Rebels second in MWC golf tourneyLas Vegas Review-Journal Koelbaek, Keenan help UNLV women keep MWC golf leadLas Vegas Review - Journal all 10 news articles »

The Cherry-Silver game on Saturday will resemble a scene out of a Marvel comic book. That’s because the UNM football team has “Flash” and the Scarlett Speedster. Together with receptions leader Ty Kirk, transfers Lamaar “Flash” Thomas and Deon Long, and Michael Scarlett, the Lobos have one of the most exciting, if unproven, receiving corps in the Mountain West Conference.

Koelbaek, Keenan help UNLV women keep MWC golf lead Las Vegas Review - Journal Led by co-leaders Therese Koelbaek and Ellis Keenan, the UNLV women's golf team maintained its three-stroke lead Friday after two rounds of the Mountain West Conference Championship in Phoenix. The Rebels shot a 4-over-par 292 and are at 2-over 578 ... and more »

The most infamous NBA franchise are where they used to belong but the might of the Celtics stand in their way

On Saturday the New York Knicks will play the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs – New York's first appearance in the post-season since 2004. On the court for the Knickerbockers will be two bona fide NBA superstars, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, in the prime of their careers, a scenario that was the stuff of fantasy a year ago. For these Knicks, this post-season series is their signature on a season that marks their return to relevance in New York and the NBA.

Ten years ago the Toronto Raptors bounced the Knicks from the opening round of the playoffs, and fans consoling themselves inside Madison Square Garden, known here as the World's Most Famous Arena, sensed that the times were indeed a-changing. Still, those diehards couldn't have possibly known what was about to hit them – over the next decade, the building on 34th street would house the most infamous franchise the NBA had to offer.

In a league where oligarchs can't write blank checks at will, and where payrolls are kept in line with revenues via a salary cap, missteps by men in suits managing those spending restrictions can cripple a team's ability to rebuild for years. Until this season, this has been the long-running theme of pro basketball in New York City.

The problems with the Knicks and the salary cap management pre-dated Isaiah Thomas, the former general manager, probably one of the most disliked characters in Knicks history. The team owner, James Dolan, hired Thomas in December of 2003, and almost immediately upon his arrival, the Hall of Fame point guard exacerbated the Knicks already difficult salary cap situation.

New York slipped further and further into NBA purgatory as Thomas dealt for high priced, low return players such as Stephon Marbury and Eddie Curry. Unable to dig out from the mountain of bad contracts, the Knicks couldn't dream of bidding for top free agent talent, and New York, wearing skintight salary cap shackles, had sadly become irrelevant – unthinkable in a city known for passionate support of its basketball team.

Thomas became head coach for two seasons, and in 2008 was let go. Donnie Walsh, a Bronx boy in exile, who had managed the Indiana Pacers to 16 post-seasons, was brought in to shake up the team. The mission – forget about winning for the time being, and dump the salary duds in time to make cap space to compete for the free agent class of 2010, a group that included the best player in the world, LeBron James. In two short years, Walsh was able to accomplish what no Knick executive had done, clear the deck.

The dream of landing James was just that, as he nixed New York to join his buddies in Miami. The consolation prize was Stoudemire, a player viewed with suspicion by Knicks fans, but who, early in 2010, proved that New York had their first true franchise player since Patrick Ewing. Young and athletic talent surrounded Stoudemire, making the most of the head coach Mike D'Antoni's high-octane offensive style, lifting the toxic clouds off of the Garden.

In late February came the fruition of a long-rumoured deal in the form of a three-way exchange with Denver and Minnesota, bringing Anthony, without a doubt, one of the top five players in the NBA, to New York along with proven point guard Chauncey Billups. The Knicks got a second franchise player in their bid to keep up with the Joneses in Miami, but relinquished several talented players in a trade that some believed was unnecessary – Anthony, a player with strong links to NYC could have come to the Knicks as a free agent after the season without New York dealing any of their young guns.

New York has struggled since the trade, having to come together as a team quickly with a rebuilt roster, just in time for the playoffs. The trade for Anthony is seen as part of a long-term plan, but questions linger about chemistry between Stoudemire and Anthony, and whether the Knicks can acquire the missing pieces to propel New York to their first title since 1973. For now, the Knicks will have at least two post-season games in New York, and that long-sought opportunity to breathe playoff life back into the Garden.

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Boston Celtics v New York Knicks

Boston come into these playoffs knowing their window of opportunity for a second championship in four seasons is closing – the dynamic core of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are slightly vulnerable in their old age. Plus, their center Kendrick Perkins was controversially dealt away at the trade deadline, upsetting the head coach, Doc Rivers, some former team-mates, and the applecart. There are other issues with Boston, such as the health of Shaquille O'Neal. Still, they should crush the undersized Knicks whose time is yet to arrive. Celts in five.

Chicago Bulls v Indiana Pacers

Derrick Rose will be the NBA's Most Valuable Player, and if that doesn't give you confidence in Chicago, the Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, will. He said in early March that his team can win four championships. Not one, four. Chicago does play smothering defense, which should keep the Pacers best player, Danny Granger, in check. Bulls sweep.

Miami Heat v Philadelphia 76ers

When is a 58-win season considered to be a disappointment? How about when you have three of the NBA's top 15 players, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the same team. Can the Sixers pull off the upset? Well, they have a better head coach in Doug Collins, an excellent point guard in Jrue Holiday, and a nice big juicy target to shoot at. Miami's out in a shocker. Sixers in seven.

Orlando Magic v Atlanta Hawks

Orlando's Dwight Howard is awesome and Atlanta is a dump. I really don't like it there, so I'm taking it out on the Hawks. Seriously folks, Atlanta will double team Howard, and the big man will kick it out to multiple Magic men to drain three's all night long. Magic in five.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PREVIEW

San Antonio Spurs v Memphis Grizzlies

If you would have told me before the seasons that the Spurs would win 61 games I would have said to go have another puff on ye old pipe. The clock is ticking on San Antonio but if they do go out, it ain't going to be against Memphis. For the Grizzlies, there's history to be made here – Memphis have never won a post-season game. Spurs in five.

Los Angeles Lakers v New Orleans Hornets

Can someone tell me why Kobe Bryant hasn't been suspended for muttering anti-gay slurs at a referee? A $100K fine? Big deal – that's like taking a buck 75 off me. You can't allow that sort of thing to go on in the NBA or anywhere. Let me see, if I go into work today and scream that at someone, I wonder what would happen? The Lakers legend Jerry West criticised the team earlier in the season saying: "The reason you 'can't play defense' is because you can't", and even the coach, Phil Jackson, agreed. It will catch up with them, but not yet. Lakers in five.

Dallas Mavericks v Portland Trailblazers

It's easy to chalk up an easy series win for Dallas. Not so. Portland has a lot of kitchen sink to throw at Dirk Nowitzki in Marcus Camby, Gerald Wallace and LaMarcus Aldridge, and this will be no walk in the Pacific Northwest for these Texans. Blazers in seven.

Oklahoma City Thunder v Denver Nuggets

Good series, a lot of fun. Contrary to expectations, the Nuggets have been excellent since Anthony was traded for half of the Knicks, and there's been lots of jabs at him from the Rockies. One question for Denver – who will take the big shots down the stretch? Oklahoma has an easy answer – Kevin Durant won the NBA scoring title. I like Denver here, with a bit of bias coming me from here in NY. Nuggets in seven.

(This is Part Three of the "Pro Draft report" presented by Football Reporters

2011 NFL DRAFT QB RANKINGS

BY ANTHONY S. CARILLO-Contributing Writer/Reporter
Football Reporters Online

1. Blaine Gabbert-Missouri 6’ 4’’ 236 lbs 4.62 40 Junior
Gabbert is the most polished and NFL ready quarterback in this years draft class. He has great size as well as great speed, and can make every throw that a NFL quarterbacks needs to make. One knock on Gabbert is that in the Missouri offense there were only a few reads for him to make, and if you watch the game tape there are some points where his primary and secondary receiver are covered and he decides to run, but the third option is wide open on the weak side of the field. Coming from a shotgun spread offense does throw up some concerns, but during the combine and pro day process he has shown that he has the footwork and poise to be able to run a NFL style offense.
His numbers did drop from his sophomore season to his junior campaign, but that is no need for concern. He is in almost the exact same position as Sam Bradford was in just a year ago, and we all can agree that Sam Bradford transitioned to the NFL pretty smoothly. Gabbert should be the first quarterback taken in this draft, and where ever he goes he will be battling for the starting job. Look for Gabbert to get scooped up within the top 5 picks, either to Carolina or Buffalo, and even if neither of those teams take him, he should not drop that far because 9 of the top 12 teams can make a case for needing a quarterback.

2. Jake Locker-Washington 6’2’’ 231 lbs 4.59 40 Senior
If this was last years draft, Locker would be at the top of everyone’s draft boards, but he decided to stay for his senior year, and that didn’t help him at all. He has played in an NFL style offense for the past 2 years, and has shown that he can be a great quarterback, but he has also shown at times that he can be a less than average quarterback. He has great athleticism, speed, arm strength and vision. He can throw on the run as well as drop back and stay in the pocket, and when he decides to tuck the ball in and run, he is just like a running back and knows exactly how to run the ball. One downside to Locker is that when he did play against some good teams, like Nebraska for example, he showed some signs that most NFL teams did not like, when he only completed 4 completions out of 20 attempts and showed a lot of inconsistency during the game.
Locker will most likely get picked up by a team with a veteran quarterback, letting him come in and learn the whole offense and watch a veteran play and let him get ready so he is not rushed into the starting quarterback position. When he does finally become a starting quarterback in the NFL, he has the tools to be a very effective quarterback, if he can stay consistent.

3. Ryan Mallet-Arkansas 6’6’’ 238 lbs 5.37 40 Junior
Mallet is a big quarterback, the tallest quarterback in this draft. He has a rocket for an arm, and has no problem making any and every throw in the NFL. He is the absolute definition of a gun slinger, throwing every pass and sometimes trying to hard to fit the ball between 2 or sometimes 3 receivers. He is not a very mobile quarterback, but when he stands in the pocket he can use his size to be able to see the whole field with ease since he is taller than almost every guard and center in the NFL now. In the pocket he doesn’t just stand there and not move, he can escape the rush and still keep his eyes downfield, but being as big as Mallet is does cause concern for him being able to set his feet and make an accurate throw.
Mallet is someone who is a first round pick if a team decides to take a quarterback, but he needs to learn how to be a good leader, because during the interview process there were signs on immaturity but under the right guidance he will mature quickly.

4. Cameron Newton-Auburn 6’5’’ 244 lbs 4.6 40 Junior
Newton is the player in this draft with the biggest upside, but also he carries the biggest risk as well. He has a strong arm and great pocket presence, as well as being able to throw the ball very well on the run. He can escape the rush in the pocket and is very hard to take down just like big Ben Rothelisberger. There are a few concerns for NFL teams to look for. Newton played in a total shotgun offense, and he really did not make a lot of NFL throws and really didn’t run any plays that are the typical NFL type play. Also, he has only played one full season in college as a quarterback, so the maturity is also a big issue. He has proven he can deal with off field issues this past season, which is a plus because he knows how to deal with all of the media. The things that he will need to show teams in the days leading up to the draft is his mechanics and his footwork, because in a shotgun offense you don’t need to really drop back as effectively as being under center.
Newton will be a top ten pick, but I put him at the 4th ranked quarterback because there are big risks that come with drafting him. If he is able to prove that he can run an NFL type offense and stay consistent with his throws and stay poised, he will be a very effective player in the league, but be warned everybody, be ready to see the second coming of Jamarcus Russell as well.

5. Christian Ponder-Florida State 6’2’’ 229 lbs 4.65 40 Senior
Ponder is my sleeper in this draft class to really shine and become the best quarterback out of all of the quarterbacks. He played at Florida State under hall of fame coach Bobby Bowden, and even when Jimbo Fisher took over the head coaching job, Ponder really showed his leadership and the team really did not have one of those down years as they change coaches. He has great field vision, and even better pocket presence. He can get the ball out in a hurry, and also knows when to tuck the ball in and run with his great running ability. He arm is not as strong as Mallet or Gabbert, but he is very accurate and consistent. He played in an offense that he needed to drop back as well as be in the shotgun, and he has shown that his footwork is very good.
Ponder could sneak into the first round but most likely will be a second or third round pick, but under the right guidance and coaching staff this quarterback can really blossom into a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback.

6. Andy Dalton-TCU 6’2’’ 215 lbs 4.87 40 Senior
Andy Dalton took a “mid-major” college and really threw them into the spotlight in college football over the past few years. He has a good arm, and he can make people miss in the pocket as well as throw the ball well on the run. He is very consistent and a very accurate quarterback. The only concerns is that in the Mountain West Conference, he played against some teams that some people think are easy teams to play against compared to the SEC or Big 12 teams. If he can show that he is not a quarterback that just feasted on lower level defenses he can be a late round pick and possibly flourish as a quarterback in the NFL, but regardless he will be a very effective backup for many years in the NFL.

7. Colin Kapernick-Nevada 6’4’’ 233 lbs 4.53 40 Senior
Kapernick is a very raw quarterback, but also shows a lot of upside. He has a good arm, but his mobility will be the thing that gets him drafted. He has a very lean frame, and will need to put on some weight if he wants to survive a full season in the NFL with all the hits that come with playing quarterback. He played in the pistol offense, so there is major concern about him transitioning and running an NFL offense. If the quarterback position does not work out for Kapernick, moving positions to wide receiver is a very big possibility for this prospect. He has the size and speed to be able to be an effective WR in the NFL, but if he gets the right coaching he may be able to develop into a NFL quarterback. Look for him to get drafted in the later rounds, and be a project for whatever team drafts him.

8. Pat Devlin-Delaware 6’3’’ 225 lbs 4.86 40 Senior
Devlin comes from Delaware; the same school that Joe Flacco came out of just a few years ago. Devlin is not as NFL ready as Flacco was coming out of college, but Devlin is a very good prospect for a late round draft pick. He has a good arm and he has good size for a NFL quarterback, but his consistency is questionable and is something that he is going to need to work on. If a team is willing to take a chance in the later rounds to draft Devlin, they will most likely need to take a few years to mold him into an NFL ready quarterback, but some team will over draft this quarterback because of the success that Flacco has had in the NFL through his short career so far.

9. Nathan Enderle-Idaho 6’4’’ 240 lbs 5.15 40 Senior
Enderle is one of the smartest quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. He played at least 9 games all 4 years of his career at Idaho, and has shown that he is a great leader and very passionate about the game of football. He has a very strong arm, and has great pocket presence, and even if he does get pushed out of the pocket he is able to still make an accurate throw downfield. One concern about this quarterback is his slow release as well as his consistency and sometimes his accuracy as well. He will most likely get drafted between the 6th and 7th round, as some team will possibly take a draft pick to draft this project quarterback.

10. Ricky Stanzi-Iowa 6’4’’ 223 lbs 4.93 40 Senior
Ricky Stanzi can be one of the steals in this year’s draft. He has great size for an NFL quarterback at 6 foot 4, and he is a lot a decent mobile quarterback as well. He has played in a pro style offense his whole career at Iowa, so the transition to the NFL will be a lot easier for Stanzi than for other quarterbacks. Excellent pocket presence; he is able to scan the field and find his third and sometimes fourth options in the passing game. His footwork is something that needs a lot of work. He tends to throw the ball flat-footed and off balance. He also tends to take a lot of sacks during his career, so his timing and getting the ball off is another issue. Stanzi will be drafted somewhere in the mid rounds, and he will most likely be in the NFL for a long time as a backup and possibly a starter.

11. Tyrod Taylor-Virginia Tech 6’0’’ 217 lbs 4.51 40 Senior
The best dual threat quarterback we have seen since Michael Vick came out of Virginia Tech. Has great running ability and great mobility outside of the pocket. Very strong arm, and very accurate in the short range passing attack, and does not lose any accuracy while rolling out left or right. He can throw, run, and also catch the football. Has very quick feet and is a very agile athlete, and can break tackles without breaking a stride. Will be very hard to tackle one on one in the open field in the NFL. He still needs some work on the touch passes down the field, because he tends to try to rifle the ball in instead of airing it out and leading receivers into open spaces. Could also be a very effective wide receiver in the NFL if playing quarterback does not work out, or could even be a very effective wildcat quarterback.

12. Greg McElroy-Alabama 6’1’’ 212 lbs 4.97 40
A natural born winner, at one point in his career he had not lost a football game since the 8th grade. A very smart quarterback, he has Rich Gannon like accuracy with the short range passes, but not a real strong arm to be able to really stretch the field. A great leader, look for McElroy to get picked up around the 4th round, but if teams take quarterbacks early and often, McElroy could sneak up to the 2nd round.

13. Scott Tolzien-Wisconsin 6’2’’ 212 lbs 4.93 40 Senior
Tolzien has played in an NFL style offense his whole career at Wisconsin, and is a great game-manager. He is a very smart player, getting Academic All-Big Ten honors his senior year, as well as winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award. Has great field vision, and rarely makes a mistake on his reads. He does not really feel the pressure in the pocket as well as coaches would hope, and that results in him taking a lot of sacks and unnecessary hits.

14. Jerrod Johnson-Texas A&M; 6’4’’ 243 lbs 4.70 40 Junior
A very big quarterback who has a great arm and even better running ability. Has great mobility and is very hard to take down alone. Is able to create space and accurately throw the ball downfield to receivers. Very inconsistent at times and decision making could be a lot better than it is right now. Played in a shotgun heavy offense in college so will need to work on his footwork and drop back ability.

15. Ben Chappell-Indiana 6’3’’ 239 lbs 4.82 40 Senior
A very strong armed quarterback, but sometimes takes unnecessary risks. Can fit a football into any window to get the ball to the receiver, but sometimes forces the ball into traffic. His mechanics in his throwing motion is a concern due to his long release, but when given time to throw the ball he can be deadly accurate.

16. T.J. Yates-North Carolina 6’3’’ 219 lbs 5.10 40 Senior
A very football smart player who can figure out a defense before the defense figures itself out. Can put the ball exactly where it needs to be to complete the pass, but also when things do not go well he has been known to have a bit of a temper. Possibly another Ryan Leaf type attitude player.

17. Mike Hartline-Kentucky 6’6’’ 210 lbs 4.78 40 Senior
Very slender frame but also a very tall quarterback, so he can see the whole field with ease. Has a decent arm and can manage the game without making that many mistakes.

18. Josh Portis-California(PA) 6’2’’ 211 lbs 4.62 40 Senior
A jack of all trades type of quarterback. Big strong and fast player who has a decent arm. Can also play WR if QB does not work out for him.

19. Taylor Potts-Texas Tech 6’3’’ 220 lbs 4.95 40 Senior
Potts comes from a pass happy offense at Texas Tech, so transition to a drop offense may be a challenge for him. Has a good arm and decent pocket presence.

20. Kevin Riley-California 6’2’’ 224 lbs 4.90 40 Senior
Riley played a lot of games during his career at Cal, but has problems with accuracy and consistently.

21. Jeff Van Camp-Florida Atlantic 6’5’’ 222 lbs 4.92 40 Senior
A good game manager with a decent arm, but lacks leadership.

22. Adam Froman-Lousiville 6’3’’ 220 lbs 4.52 40 Senior

23. Chris Dieker-Southern Illinois

24. Mitch Mustain-USC 6’3’’ 200 lbs 4.80 40 Senior

25. Trevor Vittatoe-Texas El Paso 6’2’’ 220 lbs 4.72 40 Senior

26. Austen Arnaud-Iowa State 6’2’’ 226 lbs 4.60 40 Senior

27. Michael Herrick-Northern Arizona 6’0’’ 209 lbs 5.00 40 Senior

28. Carson Coffman-Kansas State 6’2’’ 205 lbs 4.95 40 Senior

29. Drew Hubel-Portland State 6’4’’ 205 lbs 5.00 40 Senior

30. Josh Nesbitt-Georgia Tech 6’0’’ 217 lbs 4.68 40 Senior

31. Ryan Colburn-Fresno State 6’2’’ 220 4.75 40 Senior

32. Ross Jenkins-Louisiana Tech 6’2’’ 212 4.75 40 Senior

33. Justin Roper-Montana 6’6’’ 220 lbs 4.80 40 Senior

34. Eric Watt-Trine 6’3’’ 200 lbs 4.75 40 Senior

35. Eric Czerniewski-Central Missouri State 5’1’’ 190 lbs 4.90 40 Senior

36. Josh Boudreaus-Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6’3’’ 234 lbs 4.64 40 Senior

37. Ricky Dobbs-Navy 6’0’’ 203 lbs 4.50 40 Senior

38. Zac Lee-Nebraska 6’1’’ 215 lbs 4.80 40 Senior

39. Keiffer Garton-Penn 6’2’’ 200 lbs 4.80 40 Senior

40. Cameron Higgins-Weber State 6’1’’ 211 lbs 4.85 40 Senior

In a continuation of Part A-, Ninja breaks down the conferences associated with draft picks and their relative NFL success.

Part B:

Let us breakdown the hits and misses by Collegiate Conferences and then break those conference selections round by round:

Conferences	Number of selections	Hit	Miss
Southeast Conference (SEC)	19 players	Patrick Pass, Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green, Benjamin Watson, Jerod Mayo, Jonathan Wilhite,  Myron Pryor,  Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez  Brandon Deadrick.	Rohan Davey, Marquise Hill, Guss Scott, Cedric Cobbs, Chad Jackson, Jeremy Mincey,   Thomas Welch Kade Weston.
Big Twelve Conference (BIG 12)	14 players	Daniel Graham, Ty Warren, Ellis Hobbs, David Thomas, Le Kevin Smith,	Jeff Marriott, Bethel Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Willie Andrews, Terrence Wheatley, Ethan Kelley Bo Ruud, Zac Robinson, Corey Hilliard
Big Ten Conference  (BIG 10)	11 players	Greg Robinson-Randall, Tom  Brady, Matt Light, Eugene Wilson, Laurence Maroney, Zoltan Mesko.	David Nugent, T. J. Turner, Mike Elgin, Shawn Crable, Rich Ohrnberger,
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)	11  players	Antwan Harris, Brandon Meriweather, Ron Brace, Brandon Tate,	Antwoine Womack, Dexter Reid,   P. K. Sam, Christian Morton, Kareem Brown, Darryl Richard, Ted Larsen.
Big East Conference  (Big East)	8 players	Dan Klecko, Dan Koppen, Vince Wilfork, Darius Butler, Devin McCourty,	Leonard Myers, Tyrone McKenzie, George Bussey,
Pac 10 Conference (PAC 10)	9 players	J. R. Redmond, Matt Cassel, Tully Banta-Cain, Ryan O'Callaghan, Matthew Slater, Pat Chung, Rob Gronkowski	Hakim Akbar, Oscar Lua,
Mountain West Conference (MWC)	6 players		Casey Tisdale, Owen Pochman,  Spencer Nead, Clint Oldenburg, Kevin O'Connell, Ryan Claridge,
Independents	6 players	Kenyatta Jones, Jabari Holloway, David Givens,	Brock Williams, Dan Stevenson, Mike Richardson,
Western Athletic Conference (WAC)	5 players	Logan Mankins, James Sanders,	Adrian Klemm,  Dave Stachelski, Jake Ingram,
Conference-USA (C-USA)	5 players	Deion Branch, Stephen Gostkowski, Sebastian Vollmer,	Garrett Mills, Justin Rogers,
Mid-American Conference (MAC)	4 players	Asante Samuel, Nick Kazcur, Julian Edelman,	Taylor Price
Division I-AA or II Conferences	3 players		Arther Love, Andy Stokes,    Justise Hairston.

 

The Myth of Bill Belichick liking SEC players has proven to be true. The  SEC's dominance in college football, especially winning six National Championship titles in the last decade is remarkable. No conference in College Football comes close. The Big 12 and the Big 10 conferences come in 2nd and 3rd place (total selections in 11 years) in a tight race.

Side note-Under Bill Polian, the Colts have the most Big 10 selections under Polian's tenure, same for the Steelers. If you take a glimpse at Bill Parcells 1st and 2nd round selections during his tenure with the Giants, Jets, Cowboys and the Dolphins, He loves taking Big 10 players.

Let us look at the conference success rate under Bill Belichick. Using my previous fanpost , I will break down the conference success rate and round by round success.

SEC-

1st round selections-Seymour, Watson and Mayo.

In the 2nd round, Belichick hit percentage was 66.7% with SEC players going 2 out of 4.

The third round hit percentage under Belichick was 45 % with the SEC going 0/1.

 In the 4th round, Belichick hit on 40 % of all his 4th round selections in 11 years. The SEC selections have a better success rate at 60%. Aaron Hernandez, Jonathan Wilhite and Jarvis Green being the hits while QB Davey and RB Cedric Cobbs being the misses.

There were no SEC selections in 11 years under Belichick in the 5th round.

 In the 6th round (26% success rate), the SEC went 1 and 1. Jermey Mincey being the miss while Myron Pyror being the hit. Success rate-50%

 In the 7th round (28.5%), the SEC came in at 50%. Hits-Patrick Pass and Brandon Deadrick with Welch and Kade Weston being the misses.

Overall, the SEC had a 63.2% success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

Big 12 -

1st round selections (100%) - Daniel Graham, and Ty Warren; Conference success rate-100%.

2nd round selections (66.7%) - Two players from the Big 12 were selected in the 2nd round- Terrance Wheatley and Bethel Johnson. Conference success rate 0%.

3rd round selections (45%) - Ellis Hobbs and Daniel Thomas. Conference success rate 100%

4th round selections (50%) - No Big 12 selections.

5th round selection (36%) - Marriott; Conference success rate 0%

6th round selection (26%)-Kingsbury LeKevin Smith and Correy Hillard; Conference success rate-33.3%

7th round selection (28.5%)-Ethan Kelly, Bo Ruud, Willie Andrews and Zac Robinson; Conference success rate-0 %

Overall, the Big 12 had a 35.7% success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

Big 10-

1st round selections (100%)-Laurence Maroney; Conference success rate 100%.

2nd round selections (66.7%)-Matt Light and Eugene Wilson; Conference success rate-100%.

3rd round selection (45%)-Shaun Crable; Conference success rate 0 %

4th round selection (50%)-G/T Randell and Rich Ohmberger; Conference success rate-50%

5th round selection (36%)-Zoltan Mesko; Conference success rate 100%

6th round selection (26%)-Tom Brady and David Nugent; Conference success rate 50%

7th round selection (28.5%)-TJ Turner and Mike Edlgin; Conference success rate 0%

Overall, the Big 10 had a 54.5% success rate under Bill Belichick.

**Note, the University of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College left the Big East Conference for the ACC in the 2004 and 2005.

 

ACC-

1st round selections (100%) - Brandon Meriweather; Conference success rate-100%

2nd round selections (66.7%)-Ron Brace; Conference success rate-100%

3rd round selection (45%)-Brandon Tate; Conference success rate-100%

4th round selection (50%)-Antwan Harris Dexter Reid and Kareem Brown; Conference success rate-33.3%

5th round selection (36%)-PK Sam; Conference success rate 0%

6th round selection (26%) - Ted Larsen; Conference success rate 0&

7th round selection (28.5%) - Christian Morton, Darryl Richard, Antwoine Womack; Conference success rate 0%

Overall, the ACC had a 36.4% success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

Big East-

1st round selections (100%)-Vince Wilfork, and Devin McCourty; Conference success rate 100%

2nd round selections (66.7%)-Darius Butler; Conference success rate 100%.

3rd round selection (45%)-Tyrone McKenzie; Conference success rate 0%

4th round selection (50%)-Dan Klecko; Conference success rate 100%

5th round selection (36%) - George Bussey & Dan Koppen; Conference success rate 50%

6th round selection (26%) - Leonard Myers; Conference success rate 0%

7th round selection (28.5%) - None

Overall, the Big East had a 62.5% success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

PAC 10-

1st round selections (100%) - None.

2nd round selections (66.7%)-Rob Gronkowski, Pat Chung; Conference success rate 100%

3rd round selection (45%)-JR Redmond; Conference success rate 0%

4th round selection (50%)-None

5th round selection (36%)-Ryan O'Callaghan, Matthew Slater and Hakim Akbar; Conference success rate 66.6%

6th round selection (26%)-None.

7th round selection (28.5%)-Matt Cassel, TBC, and Oscar Lua; Conference success rate 66.7%

Overall, the PAC 10 had a 77.8% success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

Mountain West Conference-

1st round selections (100%)-None

2nd round selections (66.7%)-None

3rd round selection (45%) - Kevin O'Connell,

4th round selection (50%)-None

5th round selection (36%) - Clint Oldenburg

6th round selection (26%) - None

7th round selection (28.5%)- Casey Tisdale, Owen Pochman, Spencer Nead, Ryan Claridge,

Overall, the MWC had 0 % success rate under Bill Belichick.

Independent-

1st round selections (100%)-None

2nd round selections (66.7%)-None

3rd round selection (45%) - Kenyatta Jones & Brock Williams; success rate-50%

4th round selection (50%) - Jabari Holloway; success rate-100%

5th round selection (36%)-None

6th round selection (26%) - Dan Stevenson & Mike Richardson; success rate-0%

7th round selection (28.5%) - David Givens; success rate-100%

Overall, the schools that were Independents had 50 % success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

 

WAC-

1st round selections (100%)-Logan Mankins; Conference success rate 100%.

2nd round selections (66.7%) - Adrian Klemm; Conference success rate 0%

3rd round selection (45%)-None

4th round selection (50%)-James Sanders; Conference success rate 100%

5th round selection (36%) - Dave Stachelski; Conference success rate 0%

6th round selection (26%) - Jake Ingram; Conference success rate 0%

7th round selection (28.5%)-None

Overall, the WAC had 40 % success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

C-USA

1st round selections (100%)-None

2nd round selections (66.7%)-Deion Branch % Sebastian Vollmer; Conference success rate-50%

3rd round selection (45%)-None

4th round selection (50%)-Garrett Mills & Stephen Gostkowski; Conference success rate 50%

5th round selection (36%)-None

6th round selection (26%)-Justin Rogers; Conference success rate 0%

7th round selection (28.5%)-None

Overall, the C-USA had 60 % success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

MAC-

1st round selections (100%)-None

2nd round selections (66.7%)-None

3rd round selection (45%)-Nick Kazcur and Taylor Price; Conference success rate 50%.

4th round selection (50%) - Asante Samuel; Conference success rate 100%.

5th round selection (36%)-None

6th round selection (26%)-None

7th round selection (28.5%)-Julian Edelman; Conference success rate 100%.

Overall, the MAC had 75 % success rate under Bill Belichick.

 

Division I-AA or II Conferences

1st round selections (100%)-None

2nd round selections (66.7%)-None

3rd round selection (45%) - None

4th round selection (50%)-None

5th round selection (36%) - None

6th round selection (26%) - Arther Love & Justise Hairston; Conference success rate 0%

7th round selection (28.5%) - Andy Stokes; Conference success rate 0%

Overall, the Division I-AA or II conferences had 0 % success rate under Bill Belichick. 

 

Part C to continue tomorrow.

[al]What are the current recruiting budgets for some of more high profile sports? football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's volleyball for example and how do they compare with the Mountain West and Big West conferences?[/] ---------------------------------------------- al - The recruiting budgets for the following sports are: Baseball - $54,282 Men's Basketball - $73,560 Football - $110,000 Men's Volleyball - $14,902 Women�s Basketball - $73,560 Women�s Soccer - $24,280 Women�s Volleyball - $20,280 Water Polo - $18,000 We�re just starting to attend Mountain West and Big West Conference meetings � in addition to continuing to participate in the WAC meetings for the next year � so I can�t exactly say where these budgets are compared to the other MWC and BWC programs. My guess is our recruiting budgets are significantly lower than most of the Pac-10 institutions, probably significantly higher than most of the BWC institutions and for football, we�re probably in the �middle of the pack� for the MWC. Bottom line is we have to bring our annual budget into a �balanced� situation before we can start adding more money for recruiting. And as an aside, we have not cut any of our sports� budgets for the past 3 years even though the economic conditions have been dire and most of the other institutions in the WAC, MWC and BWC have all cut their sports programs� budgets (and some very significantly, upwards to 50%).

Sun Belt Conference expansion: It may be real, and it will be spectacular. Not satisfied with the addition of South Alabama, the SBC is striking out for bigger game.

With the expansion carousel ride that carried the Mountain West, WAC, Big 12, Big 10, and Pac-10 around and around for our amusement all 2010 long winding down at last, it's naturally time for the Sun Belt to hop on board, because why not? With our longtime favorite South Alabama Jaguars (U-S-A!) moving up to I-A in 2012, the SBC will be a 10-team league, and just two programs away from being a legit dozen and all the privileges that affords. Naturally, as we've come to expect from all conferences mired in these matters, there are hilarious provisos involved:

The Sun Belt would only consider universities with an established Football Bowl Subdivision program currently aligned with another conference. And the conference would want any new member to fit into its geographical footprint.

WE AIN'T THE WAC, in other words. (Tragically, this knocks out our first choice of Florida A&M, whose band and terrifying mascots would only enrich our national fabric of college football with amped-up coverage.)

Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State, both ex-Sun Belt teams, are listed as potential targets, but in case this doesn't happen, pony up. We want a Sun Belt conference championship. More accurately, imagine the parties. Imagine the parties in Ruston if a conference championship game comes to town. What schools would you be willing to jettison from your own conference to make this happen?

After a bizarre head coaching search that included a public reveal of final candidates, a campaign for the job by Larry Brown, and everything short of a Cirque Du Soleil production, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball program has a coach: Dave Rice.

The BYU Cougars assistant either really loves the Mountain West Conference, or he's looking to lead the program at which he played his college ball back to the Jerry Tarkanian standard. Probably the latter, as Rice played for the legendary UNLV coach in the early 1990s.

Tarkanian told ESPN that he himself thought Reggie Theus, another former player, would get the job:

I thought for sure they would hire Reggie. Dave is a great person. He's a very intelligent guy, a great person. But I think most of the town thought it was going to be Reggie.    

For more on the UNLV and the coaching search, check out Mountain West Connection and SB Nation's UNLV basketball hub.

Between ticket sales, concessions and all sorts of T-shirts featuring the No. 32 but no name, BYU raked in an incredible amount of cash this season thanks to the steam created by national Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette.

Now, it's time for The Jimmer to cash in, and it's starting with a poster.

The first of several forays into the world of endorsements is officially titled 'The Jimmer Poster,' and is available at JimmerPoster.com. It ships for free and can be yours for $14.95. There will also be 500 copies framed, matted and signed by Fredette himself.

"It's a good feeling to be able to know you did what you had to do in college and now you are in a position where people really want to buy posters and jerseys," Fredette told the <em>Deseret News</em>. "It just shows you that all the hard work you put into this profession is starting to pay off, and it's a good feeling."

The issue of whether college athletes should be paid in return for the mass amounts of revenue they draw for their universities has been a major hot-button topic of late. Jimmer played by the rules, and not long after the Cougars' Sweet Sixteen loss to Florida in New Orleans last month, began to finally see some opportunities for financial dividends.

The poster was done by a local photographer — Doug Martin — and his partner Alan Knight, who produced a similar poster roughly 20 years ago of legendary BYU quarterback Ty Detmer after he won the Heisman Trophy. The photo shoot took place the day before Fredette headed to the Final Four in Houston, where he collected Player of the Year honors.

Fredette looks dapper in the tuxedo-and-sneakers get-up, complete with the photo being retouched to remove the Nike logos from his shoes, avoiding the handing out of a free plug.

The <em>Deseret News</em> story documents how agents began contacting the Fredettes a year ago, and currently, as many as 25 are courting the family in hopes of representing Jimmer, who is an endorsement star waiting to explode and a likely first round pick in June's NBA draft.

The family is more than deserving of what's about to come to them. Jimmer's father, Al, who is a financial advisor for AXA Advisors, sold $10,000 worth of stock options from the company over the course of Jimmer's four-year collegiate career so the family could travel from Glens Falls, N.Y., to regularly watch him play. In the final month of Fredette's senior season, they drove more than 4,800 miles to watch him play in the Mountain West Conference tournament in Las Vegas, then in NCAA regionals in both Denver and New Orleans.

"I think the system places a big temptation in front of kids right from the start," Al Fredette said. "Kids want their families to see them play, and it must be very difficult for many of the kids, who have depended on and are very close to their families, to be in a strange place, working hard, knowing their family can't come to see them play, and in many cases, not even watching them on TV. That would have been heartbreaking for our family.

"Is the NCAA a nonprofit organization, or do they make a lot of money on these kids? They want these kids to stay for four years, but in many ways they make it difficult for them to do so."

The poster pitch isn't the only endorsement offer to surface since the end of BYU's magical season. Not by a long shot.

There's currently an offer for a restaurant named "Jimmer's Place," a proposed book deal, speaking engagements and several more. A BYU campus bookstore is also close to a deal to begin selling a variety of Jimmer hats and T-shirts.

Here's to hoping he cashes in on his image and unique game as much as BYU did over the past several months. Fredette certainly earned it.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

The record-setting quarterback from the Mountain West Conference was reportedly one of the players visiting Winter Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. Go in-depth on Dalton’s scouting report, from his statistics to his awards and how he went from a lowly ranked high school recruit to an undefeated college QB last year.

The Nevada Wolf Pack could be gone from the ranks of NCAA Division I athletic programs if a solution is not found to a projected $1.5 million budget cut.

The Mountain West Conference was set to balance the departure of Utah, BYU, and TCU with the addition of Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada to the conference ranks, but at least one of those newcomers may not even have Division I status by the move-in date: A $1.5 million budget cut to the athletic department, triple the expected reduction, is putting the Wolf Pack in danger of being unable to fund the necessary amounts of sports and scholarships required to field a D-I program:

While the cuts are only projections at this moment, [Nevada AD Cary] Groth said the department is moving forward with the assumption that they will be minus $1.5 million in state funds in 2011-12.

"We have to prepare as if it is going to happen," Groth said. "We were originally told that it would be a half a million dollar cut, but when the figures came out it was $1.5 million. We're hoping it doesn't come to that, but we have to prepare as if it will be."

 Currently operating in the flailing WAC, Nevada is scheduled to hop to the MWC for the 2012 season. For fans of Chris Ault's wackadoodle Pistol offense, this is grim news, but all may not be lost: We hear Colin Kaepernick's NFL draft stock is pretty respectable these days; perhaps if a lockout is avoided, he can float his alma mater some cash.

Kerry Keating entered the 2010-11 season knowing that he had to win.

Since replacing longtime coach Dick Davey after the 2006-07 season, the former Tennessee and UCLA assistant had yet to have a winning season. After going 11-21 (3-11 WCC) last season, Keating took a step forward this season. His team finished 19-14 (8-6 WCC). Both were career highs for the coach.

With the improved record, Santa Clara participated in the postseason for the first time in 15 years after accepting a spot in the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). They won five straight games in the tournament, including a notable 95-91 victory over rival USF, and finished with a 76-69 win over Iona College in New Rochelle, NY.

“[It’s] something I’ve always dreamed about,” said senior Troy Payne, in reference to winning a championship. “It feels awesome.”

“I’ve been really adamant about our guys setting precedents both individually and as a team,” said Keating of his team, which won 24 games, matching a record set during the 1968-69 season. “For us to go through a 38-game season, to play until the last week of March and be healthy and be academically strong, it speaks volumes to where we can go and it’s a good base for us to build on.”

The next step is an NCAA Tournament berth.

“[We] want to be a postseason team,” said Keating. “That’s always going to be our ultimate goal.”

Three things need to that need to happen in order for the team to build off its championship run, win the West Coast Conference and earn a ticket to the Big Dance.

 

1.      The team must close out games against non-conference opponents.

The team learned to win close games this season.

It all started with its last-second win over Rice in November. It was an emotional game for redshirt sophomore Kevin Foster, whose older brother Rodney played for the Owls from 2005 to 2009. The younger Foster had missed the previous contest in Houston, near his hometown of Katy, due to injury last season.

With precious seconds ticking off of the clock, Foster, who was 1-3 from three-point range that night, identified the play in front of him breaking down and launched a shot from the corner. His desperation shot gave the Broncos the first lead of the night.

“I had more incentive,” said Foster after the 66-63 victory, “because my brother played there and they didn’t recruit me.”

Before the victory, Keating’s teams had a reputation of relinquishing leads in the last second of big non-conference games. In the previous season, the Broncos had lost to a ranked UNLV team, 66-63. This year, they lost to USC, 86-73 in LA after entering the second period with the lead, and had an opportunity to beat Washington State (85-79 OT) and Delaware (54-53) at home.

“We have to win all of our games in Leavey, or, at least, be closer to doing that,” said Keating. “Now that we’ve raised that awareness of who we can be when we play well…everyone’s going to be coming at us right from the start.

“We’re going to be the biggest game on some early season schedules. We’re also going to have a chance to play some bigger games if teams feel like they can play us now.”

Wins against non-conference opponents will go a long way to boosting RPI rating and building a tournament resume.

 

2.      The team must remain intact and make progress in the offseason.

This season, sophomore Robert Smith joined James Rahon as another high-profile guard to leave Keating’s program. Smith made an immediate impact at Santa Clara, setting a freshman record for minutes played. However, after starting in 10 games for the Broncos this season, the disgruntled guard left the program.

Smith has yet to commit to another school. Rahon is currently playing for San Diego State, a program that won the Mountain West Conference and lost to UConn as a member of the Sweet 16.

Fortunately for the Broncos, freshman guard Evan Roquemore made a major impact this season despite receiving limited recognition coming out of high school. With his playing time in the postseason, the Nevada point guard topped Smith’s record for minutes played as a first-year player and made the All-WCC Freshman Team.

His major focus in the offseason will be adding weight to his 165-pound frame.

“It’ll help me a lot,” says Roquemore of adding muscle in the offseason. “I’ll be able to defend better, take contact better, and not [have] as many injuries.”

In fact, all three of Santa Clara’s top returners will have to hit the gym in the offseason.

“Evan, Marc, and Kevin have significant work they need to do on their bodies to get stronger and better,” said Keating. “All three are going to come back with significantly different bodies so that everybody knows how hard they worked in the offseason.”

 

3.      Underclassmen must step into bigger roles.

Graduating seniors Troy Payne, Ben Dowdell, and Michael Santos leave big voids to be filled for the returning players.

All three were leaders on the team.

“I’ll have to step up and be a leader next year,” said Roquemore, a freshman who describes himself as a natural leader. “[Just] being a point guard and a leader naturally. It’s what I need to do.”

Payne and Dowdell provided defensive prowess on a nightly basis. Payne, a junior college transfer from LA, was named Defensive Player of the Year. Dowdell, a product of the Australian pipeline originally tapped by Saint Mary’s, has spent four years at Santa Clara and leaves the program having played the most games in school history.

“Ben and Troy added a lot on defense and with rebounding,” said Trasolini. “John [McArthur] and Yannick [Atanga] and, next year, big Rob (recruit Robert Garrett) are going to need to step up their level.”

Santos was used as a backup point guard this year and provided timely scoring late in the season. Keating has a verbal agreement from Brandon Clark of Merrillville, IN to fill that role.

Santa Clara basketball has undergone significant change.

For the first time since Steve Nash donned Bronco red, Santa Clara expects to win.

Or maybe not.

1. Patrick Peterson - Cornerback LSU

It's hard to put Peterson on this list because the risk factor of him returning punts and kickoffs may be too high for most teams, especially teams drafting 1-5. 

But leaving him off would be an injustice to the player many people are tabbing as the best corner prospect since Derelle Revis. Peterson might even be better. 

The reason Peterson tops the list of return specialists is because he was able to score touchdowns three different ways during his three year career as a Bayou Tiger. Peterson had two punt return touchdowns. an interception and returned a blocked field goal for another score. 

Peterson has the rare combination of explosiveness, height and speed that will make him an elite shut-down corner at the next level.

(More to come under Cornerbacks later) 

2. Leon Berry - Wide receiver/ Return Specialist Mississippi State 

After a standout career in Junior College Berry made an immediate impact during his first year at Mississippi St. setting a school record for 1,015 kickoff return yards on the year. While only earning 3 starts at wide receiver his Junior year, his kickoff return yards marked the second-highest single-season total in SEC history helping Berry to finish 21st nationally and 4th in the SEC. 

Unfortunately for Berry, his second season in Starksville was cut short by injury after he dislocated his ankle in a week 6 game against the University of Houston. Earlier in the season Berry had returned his second touchdown for the Bulldogs taking a kick back 97 yards and was averaging 26.8 per return. 

Strengths: 

Berry is the ultimate athletic specimen. Explosive, fast and elusive he has all the tools necessary to excel at the next level as a return specialist. In Junior College he was named to the second-team junior college squad and was primed for a stand out senior season Miss. St. 

Weaknesses:

Berry missed most of the year after dislocating his ankle early in the season so health is obviously a huge red flag. While it is likely that Berry will fully recover and be ready in time for NFL Training Camp, Berry is not an elite prospect at receiver. During his short stint at Mississippi State, Berry was plagued by inconsistent route running never developing as a true starting receiver.

Combine:

Nfldraftscout.com has him rated as the 130th best receiver prospect of 329 eligible receivers. He has good size 6 ft 205 lbs and ran a solid 4.52 40 time, but it is highly unlikely that Berry will get drafted. 

3. Ricardo Lockette - Wide Receiver Fort Valley State

The guy has blazing speed. No questions about that. On an interview with ESPN's First Take, Lockette seemed genuinely upset with his 4.34 40 time. The NFL's fastest recorded time was 4.25 - a speed that Lockette missed by .01 seconds for his low time (combine times are the average of two runs).

Lockette can flat out fly. The question is, can he do much else? 

Lockette won a DII national championship in the 200 meters in 2008 but its his inexperience that is worrisome for NFL scouts. Lockette has gone through multiple transfers trying find a more permanent home on the football field and has never steady hands.

Strengths:

The guy is an athletic freak. He is 6'2 and 211 and can still run a 4.34 (For comparison's sake, I'm 6'1 205 and would probably run somewhere in the 9.8 range)  

Weaknesses:

Lockette came off as incredibly intelligent, considerate, thoughtful and quietly confident in his interview on First Take.Those are all good signs and show he has matured. Still he has a past that will certainly raise eyebrows. Originally Lockette signed with Auburn but didn't make the grade so he transferred to Fort Valley State. Then deciding he wanted to focus solely on track, he left for Bethel College in Tennessee before changing his mind and returning to FVS. 

What's worse, are his hands. While he impressed at the combine, Lockette has to been known to have 'lineman hand syndrome." If Lockette is going to make it in the NFL he will need to develop as a receiver as well.

Combine Stats:

Below are Lockette's combine stats thanks to nfldraftscout.com who also rated Lockette the 130th best receiver in the class and projected him to fall somewhere in the 6th or 7th rounds. 

Combine Invite: Yes Height: 6021 Weight: 211 40 Yrd Dash: 4.34 20 Yrd Dash: 2.48 10 Yrd Dash: 1.52

225 Lb. Bench Reps:  Vertical Jump: 35 1/2 Broad Jump: 10'07" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.19 3-Cone Drill: 7.15 4.26/4.35/4.48 40 range before Combine

Dates: 03/10/11  Height: 6021 Weight: 211 40 Yrd Dash:  20 Yrd Dash:  10 Yrd Dash:

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 22 Vertical Jump: 39 Broad Jump:  20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.37 3-Cone Drill: 6.76

4. Jeremy Kerley - Wide Receiver TCU

Kerley is a guy the Colts should target. In fact he is just the type of player the Colts need. After being used almost solely as a return specialist, Kerley blossomed into a legitimate receiver this year catching 56 passes for 575 yards and 10 touchdowns.

As a Junior, Kerley was Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and received All-American honors from Rivals.com and CollegeFootballNews.com He also returned two long punts for touchdowns and lead the Mountain West in punt return yards (14.4) and kickoff return yards (26.6) ranking seventh and 22nd respectively in the nation.

Strengths:

Everyone knew Kerley was fast but this past year as a Senior not only did he win his second straight Player of the Year Award for the Mountain West, he also worked hard to develop his game and position himself as a legitimate receiver. He has quick feet and shows great balance. According to many accounts he was the best receiver on the field for the South team during the Senior Bowl

Weaknesses:

Playing in TCU's spread offense there are questions whether Kerley's stats are inflated. There are further concerns about his route running ability and his tendency to look lost in games. 

Combine Stats:

Below are his combine stats and pro day stats  courtesy of Nfldraftscout.com which ranked Kerley the 18th best receiver in the draft. Kerley is projected somewhere in the 4th round - an ideal spot for the Colts to grab him.

 

Combine Invite: Yes Height: 5094 Weight: 189 40 Yrd Dash: 4.56 20 Yrd Dash: 2.63 10 Yrd Dash: 1.58

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 16 Vertical Jump: 34 1/2 Broad Jump: 10'00" 20 Yrd Shuttle:  3-Cone Drill:  4.45/4.55/4.64 40 range before Combine

Dates: 03/11/11  Height: 5094 Weight: 189 40 Yrd Dash: 4.56 20 Yrd Dash: 2.64 10 Yrd Dash: 1.54

225 Lb. Bench Reps:  Vertical Jump: 37 1/2 Broad Jump: 10'02" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 3.99 3-Cone Drill: 6.70

 5. Shaky Smithson, WR Utah

By all accounts, Shaky is supposed to be as elusive as his name might suggest. Smithson whose real name is Antonie was a Walter Camp first-team All-American punt returner after leading the nation with a punt return average of 19.1 yards and accumulating over 572 punt return yards total. His 572 yards set a single season MWC record as well as Utah's own record. Smithson was also the only player in the country with four-100-yard punt return games. He also had four of the nation's top 11 punt return yardage games as well.

While electric on the field, Shaky is an even better person off it taking full custody of his younger brother in order to help him get out of their tough inner-city neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland.

Strengths:

His electric with the ball in his hand as a returner. Once Shaky gets momentum he is usually going to break a big gain. He is also a high character leader off the field.

Weaknesses:

Smithson is almost purely a special teams ace and will have trouble finding a home in the NFL. A team will have to be willing to use a pick solely on a special teams guy.

Combine Stats:

5'11 and 202 lbs, Smithson has a decent build. His 4.54 was good but not great, especially since he is going for such a niche position based on speed. It is unlikely he will be drafted. 

 

Jimmer Fredette has been named the 2011 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year, becoming the third Mountain West Conference (MWC) player to win the award.  Here is the full press release from the Atlanta Tipoff Club. FREDETTE NAMED 2011 NAISMITH MEN’S COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, BEATING OUT SMITH, SULLINGER AND WALKER Senior leads BYU Cougars to 1st NCAA Sweet 16 since 1981 HOUSTON,

Butler was favored for the first time in the 2011 NCAA tournament on Saturday night against VCU, and there won't be a second.

Less than an hour after Monday's national championship game was set between Butler and UConn, Las Vegas sports books opened up the Huskies as a 3.5-point in the title tilt.

The over/under for the game is set for now at 129 points.

While Butler was the underdog in Vegas in its first four tourney games, the Bulldogs only held that tag five times in the regular season. They were favored by 2.5 over VCU for much of the week, with the line ballooning to anywhere from three to 3.5 points just before Saturday's tip-off. They had bettors nervous before pushing their lead out late with a few clutch shots, cruising an eight-point win in the final minutes.

If you're wanting to get extra bullish on Butler and reject taking the points, they've opened up at +150 to win straight-up (bet $1 to win $1.50).

Against the spread, Butler is 20-13-2 on the season, but does have seven consecutive covers. As for the point total, they've gone over 19 times and under 16.

If you're looking to ride Butler's cover streak, first consider the fact that UConn is on a bit of a tear of its own against the number. On Saturday, the Huskies won outright as an underdog for the fifth straight time, out-lasting Kentucky. Not only have they won 10 straight coming into Monday, but they've covered the spread in nine of those games. The lone non-cover was a two-point victory over Arizona last weekend in the Elite Eight, where they were favored by 3.5.

Over the season as a whole, UConn has been a bit stronger against the spread than Butler, going 22-12.

One interesting note regarding UConn and the total is that this will mark just the fourth time this season in which it's been below 130 for them. Two of the previous three went over.

UConn is one of Vegas's trendier plays of late whenever the Huskies play, mostly because of the Kemba Walker factor. It's the same reason BYU was such a popular play all season, with Jimmer Fredette as a similar built-in wild card. Meanwhile, bettors are having a tougher and tougher time going against Butler, as the Bulldogs continue to buck the odds.

So, who do you got?

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

With the exception of a small pocket in the Northeast, the nation will likely be rooting for the ultimate underdog come Monday night.

Butler wore its white home uniforms and was favored for the first time in this NCAA tournament on Saturday night against VCU in the national semifinals in Houston. And after dispatching of the Rams, 70-62, the Bulldogs are back in the title game for the second year in a row.

Back to the David role.

The opponent this time around is another one of college basketball's premier power programs, as UConn's torrid postseason run behind star guard Kemba Walker claimed yet another victim. The Huskies pushed Kentucky aside in Saturday's nightcap, 56-55.

The marquee match-up within the match-up will, of course, involve Walker, who had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a gritty effort against the Wildcats. He'll line up across from Butler junior Shelvin Mack, who again was masterful. He had only one major lull, coming early in the second half, but scored 24 points off of 8-of-11 shooting, including a 5-of-6 showing from the free throw line.

UConn's run is more unexpected than many might now admit, as the Huskies appeared almost out of gas when they lost four of five games to close out the regular season. However, the steam built first with a five-wins-in-five-days jaunt through the Big East tournament, and they haven't slowed.

Unfortunately, Jim Calhoun's team will automatically assume the role of the villain here, as Butler's story is essentially a real-life Disney movie of sorts.

When Butler lost sophomore star Gordon Hayward to the NBA draft after last season's unexpected journey to the national title game, it was assumed that the Bulldogs would remain strong, but likely not reach the same height as a team.

It looked even likely on Feb. 3, when an ugly, shocking loss at Horizon League cellar -dweller Youngstown State left Brad Stevens' team at 14-9 and visibly floundering.

But since then, they simply turned the corner completely. They've won 14 straight, and are doing it in the NCAA tournament again with the defensive-minded toughness that got them to the season's final game in 2010.

Now, they want a different outcome.

On Saturday night, they looked the part of a team that's been this deep in the season and knows how to handle the spotlight.

Can they do it again on Monday night? It's fitting that one of the strangest NCAA tournaments in history ends with such an unlikely match-up, but we'll see how much of the nation tunes in to find out.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Kruger accepts offer to take over Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. -- Lon Kruger is taking on another rebuilding project, this time at Oklahoma.

The Sooners confirmed late Friday night that Kruger had agreed to leave UNLV after seven seasons to become their next coach. Terms of Kruger's contract were not released, but he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he accepted a seven-year contract that will double his pay to about $2.2 million annually.

In a statement released by Oklahoma, Kruger called it an exciting day and said he has always felt the Sooners "had all of the components necessary to compete at the highest national level."

Athletic director Joe Castiglione said Kruger "has demonstrated the ability to manage a program across the board, and the results speak for themselves."

BYU's Fredette,

Notre Dame's Brey

get AP awards

HOUSTON -- Jimmer Fredette became a one-name star in his senior season at BYU.

Leading the country in scoring helped, as did being on a team that spent the second half of the season ranked in the top 10.

On Friday, Fredette -- excuse me; Jimmer -- was selected The Associated Press' player of the year.

"It's been quite a ride, and it's been a lot of fun, and I wouldn't take anything back," Fredette said. "I had quite the career at BYU. There were a lot of ups and downs, but there were a lot more ups this year."

The Cougars won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and lost to San Diego State in the tournament final. A No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, they lost to Florida in overtime in the round of 16 and finished with a 32-5 record.

Notre Dame's Mike Brey was selected the coach of the year as he led the Fighting Irish to a second-place finish in the Big East and a No. 5 ranking in the final poll.

Fredette received 48 votes from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the NCAA tournament.

Kemba Walker of Connecticut was second with 11 votes. Nolan Smith of Duke had five, and Jared Sullinger of Ohio State had one.

Cardinals outfielder Holliday has appendectomy

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday had an appendectomy Friday, and the team is unsure how long he will be out.

General manager John Mozeliak said the surgery in St. Louis is not an emergency procedure, and that he'll have an idea today how long the 31-year-old will be sidelined.

Holliday was 3-for-4 and hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of Thursday's 5-3, 11-inning loss to the San Diego Padres. Holliday left Busch Stadium complaining of stomach discomfort.

"I think they caught it early, so I think that's good news," Mozeliak said. "I don't think it's that bad of a blow to the team."

The home run was the first of Holliday's career on opening day, and he also matched a career best with three hits on opening day.

While Holliday is out, Jon Jay and Allen Craig are likely to share playing time in left field, and Lance Berkman could move down one spot into Holliday's cleanup role. Mozeliak said no roster moves had been made.

Dodger fans attack, critically injure

Giants fan

LOS ANGELES -- Opening day at Dodger Stadium turned violent when authorities say two men in Dodgers clothing severely beat a San Francisco Giants fan after the longtime rival teams' first game.

The attack left the victim in critical but stable condition as authorities asked any possible witnesses Friday for help in identifying the assailants. Investigators also reviewed footage of the Thursday incident to see if any security camera captured it, but Detective Larry Burcher said so far they'd found "nothing of great value."

"We're very confident there were witnesses; it happened immediately following the game when everybody was coming out," Burcher said.

Police said the argument started when the two men began taunting three men in Giants gear as thousands of baseball fans left the stadium after Thursday night's 2-1 Dodger victory, Detective T.J. Moore said.

The Giants fans tried to distance themselves from their assailants, and two made it away from them, but one was struck with fists on the back of the head and as he fell, his head hit the ground in Parking Lot 2 on the third base side of the ballpark, Moore said.

Both attackers then kicked the victim, who suffered a head injury, and ran, Moore said. When the victim's friends turned around to look for him, they saw him on the ground and made their way back to him.

Giants 2B Freddy Sanchez new deal covering 2012

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez is sticking around for another year.

San Francisco rewarded Sanchez with a new deal Friday that adds a $6 million salary for 2012, securing a key member of the infield for the World Series champions.

The 33-year-old Sanchez signed a $12 million, two-year deal with the Giants on Oct. 30, 2009, after coming to San Francisco at the trading deadline from Pittsburgh that year.

He has dealt with his share of injuries in his short stint with the Giants. But the 2006 NL batting champion and three-time All-Star batted .254 with four doubles and three RBIs in 15 games in his first career postseason last fall after nine years in the big leagues.

Former Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman dies

BOSTON -- Former Boston Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman, the architect of the team that came within one strike of winning the 1986 World Series, died early Friday morning of congestive heart failure. He was 82.

"All he wanted to do was make it to Opening Day, and he made it," said his nephew, Tom Dougherty, who answered the phone at Gorman's Weston home. "He lived a great life. And he was truly one of the nicest men you ever wanted to meet."

Gorman died peacefully at 1:50 a.m. after an illness of almost a year, surrounded by his family at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dougherty said.

"Lou Gorman was a giant in our industry," current general manager Theo Epstein said shortly before the Red Sox were scheduled to open their season against the Texas Rangers. "We'll dearly miss this good, humble man who leaves an unmistakable legacy on the Red Sox and major league baseball."

James "Lou" Gorman was the Red Sox general manager from 1984-93, building the 1986 AL championship team led by Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Jim Rice and Dwight Evans that was one strike away from winning the World Series. It wasn't until 2004 that the Red Sox finally won it all and ended what had become an 86-year title drought.

MLB ticket prices

up slightly

to $26.91 average

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball ticket prices have increased only slightly for the second straight year.

Team Marketing Report's annual survey finds the average ticket increasing by 1.2 percent to $26.91 from last season. The increase is the smallest since the survey began in 1991.

The increase was 1.5 percent from 2009 to 2010.

The Boston Red Sox have the most expensive average ticket at $53.38. The New York Yankees are second at $51.83 and the Cubs third at $46.90.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the cheapest average at $15.30.

The San Francisco Giants increased their prices the most from last year. Their average ticket went up 14.1 percent to $25.04 after they won the World Series.

By wire sources

Martin A. Stever, Principal, Pacific West Land, LLC

Martin had previously worked in publishing and telecommunications in both the U.S. and Europe before taking up real estate investing full time. He originally came to the Seattle area to join Microsoft, after completing his MBA in Finance and Strategy at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Martin is an aviation historian, angel investor, and a tireless football fan. He lives on Bainbridge Island with his wife of eleven years, Dianne, and their daughter.

Martin A. participated in the FundingPost event: Seattle Early Stage Venture and Angel Investing on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 in WA

Pacific West Land, LLC
Pacific West Land, LLC, is one of the nation's most successful real estate investment companies. Under the leadership of Bruce Galloway, its investments have enjoyed a cumulative cost-weighted IRR of over 20% and profits of over $100 million. Currently Pacific West has holdings valued at over $200 million in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Southern California.

Some Previous Investments:
Arrowhead Crossing
Glendale, Arizona On land originally purchased in 1997, Pacific West developed a 97,083-square-foot neighborhood shopping center. It is anchored by Fry�s, other tenants include General Nutrition Center and State Farm Insurance. If sold on completion in December 2000, the investment would have produced an annual IRR of 55%. The center currently generates over $440,000 per year in positive cash flow.

McDowell Mountain
Village Scottsdale, Arizona On land purchased in 1994, this 73,554-square-foot specialty retail center was developed by Pacific West at the key intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Thompson Peak Parkway. Pacific West secured AJ's Fine Foods and Walgreen's as co-anchors of this center. If sold on completion in December 2002, the investment would have produced an annual IRR of 30%. The center currently generates over $900,000 per year in positive cash flow.

www.FundingPost.com - Meet Angels and VCs

Boston, MA: VC and Angel ConferenceApril 14, 2011 Come meet and network with VCs and Angels in AZ!http://www.fundingpost.com/breakfast/reg1.asp?event=184&refer;=rss
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HOUSTON -- Jimmer Fredette became a one-name star in his senior season at BYU.Leading the country in scoring helped as did being on a team that spent the second half of the season ranked in the top 10.On Friday, Fredette excuse me; Jimmer was selected the Associated Press' player of the year."It's been quite a ride and it's been a lot of fun and I wouldn't take anything back," Fredette said. "I had quite the career at BYU. There were a lot of ups and downs, but there were a lot more ups this year."The Cougars won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and lost to San Diego State in the tournament final. A No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, they lost to Florida in overtime in the round of 16 and finished with a 32-5 record."I just knew right from the beginning we could have a very good year with the guys returning, and it was one of the most talented teams I've ever played on," said Fredette, who averaged 28.5 points. "Then we started to play well and beat Arizona, and I knew from there we could be a force. That's what happened because we stayed hungry all year, and that's what separated us from other teams."Notre Dame's Mike Brey was selected the coach of the year as he led the Fighting Irish to a second-place finish in the Big East and a No. 5 ranking in the final poll."The personality of this group was so stable whether it was a big win or a loss, they stayed stable," said Brey, who has been at Notre Dame for 11 seasons. "When they had great wins it didn't change them. When they had a tough loss it didn't change them. Stable is the word."Fredette received 48 votes from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the NCAA tournament.Kemba Walker of Connecticut was second with 11 votes. Nolan Smith of Duke had five and Jared Sullinger of Ohio State one."To see Jimmer progress and become a leader of his team, that will be his basketball legacy," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "He is driven not just to be the best player he can, but it was how he helped his teammates to win. He always found a way. That's what I'll remember most."Fredette is the first BYU player to win the award and the first from the Mountain West since Andrew Bogut of Utah in 2005.Next up for the 6-foot-3 Fredette is the NBA draft."I just feel like as long as I can get into the right situation I can be successful, but it's all about the situation," he said. "Hopefully when I get in that situation I'll prove that I can play and earn the respect of my teammates, coaches and general manager, everybody involved, and hopefully play well for them."Brey led the Fighting Irish to a 27-7 record, their second-most wins in a season. Their 14-4 mark in the Big East tied their record for conference victories. Notre Dame was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, losing to Florida State in the third round.Brey drew 28 votes, 14 more than runner-up Steve Fisher of San Diego State.Brey is the first Notre Dame coach to win the award, and he is the second straight Big East coach to get it following Syracuse's Jim Boeheim last year.Winning an early season tournament in Orlando, Fla., let Brey know he had the makings of a good team."I made sure we cut the nets down in Orlando and the Disney people said 'We don't do that.' I said 'You do this year. Get a ladder.' As an independent for so long we didn't have a lot of chances to cut the nets down. For the big picture and this year. That was a huge confidence boost."

Jimmer Fredette is The Associated Press' player of the year after leading the nation in scoring and BYU to one of its best seasons. The senior guard averaged 28.5 points. The Cougars won the regular-season title in the Mountain West Conference and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. Fredette received the award Friday.

HOUSTON — Jimmer Fredette is The Associated Press' player of the year after leading the nation in scoring and BYU to one of its best seasons.

The senior guard averaged 28.5 points. The Cougars won the regular-season title in the Mountain West Conference and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

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This will likely be the end of Jacob Tucker's 15 minutes of fame, but what an ending it is.

The unassuming 5-foot-11 guard from tiny Division-III Illinois College, whose journey to Thursday's NCAA slam dunk championship began with a YouTube audition video that became a viral sensation, is officially college basketball's top senior dunker.

He won the competition in Houston by pulling off a series of jaw-dropping throw-downs.

Tucker earned a perfect score of 50 in the first round with a through-the-legs finish off of the bounce. He was the only competitor to notch a 50 in the opening round, and that gave him some leeway on his second attempt.

First, he started in the right corner and ran towards a ball placed on the right block. Tucker executed a cartwheel and grabbed the ball all in one motion, but missed the dunk after springing upwards. With his allotted time running out, he still pulled off something simple, yet solid enough to get him to the semifinals.

There, while trailing a ball-boy down the left sideline, he grabbed his partner's toss off of the side of the backboard and executed a smooth 360-degree spin while finishing with one hand. That easily locked him into the finals.

He went second in the final round, and had to top a 46 posted by UNC-Asheville's John Williams.

That's when it got really interesting, as Tucker first made two attempts at a 360-degree, through-the-legs dunk, but couldn't put it down.

His admitted back-up option, fortunately, wasn't too shabby.

The same ball-boy stood just off to the right side of the hoop with the ball held over his head. Tucker completely cleared the kid, who appeared to be about his same height, grabbed the ball and threw in a two-handed reverse slam. ESPN replays measured his vertical leap on the dunk at a ridiculous 46 inches.

He scored a 49.

"It's unbelievable, just because a lot of these other guys here are D-I players," he said afterwards. "They're used to being on the national stage, and this dunk contest, to their schools, didn't necessarily mean as much. To be able to represent my school on a national stage is a real honor."

You can say that the gimmick of Tucker simply being there helped him win it, but that would be inaccurate. He had to win a Facebook fan vote to get to Houston as the only non-Division-I participant, but convincingly proved himself worthy.

It also didn't hurt that the rest of the competitors left something to be desired when compared to Tucker's well-planned arsenal. Against a somewhat lack of creativity by others in a field that featured no one else shorter than 6-foot-3 and antics such as Cincinnati's Darnell Wilks advertising his Twitter page on a custom-made headband, Tucker was a silent assassin.

Tucker, who averaged 14.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game this season for the Blueboys, appeared quiet the entire night while waiting his turns on the sidelines. But he finally cut loose a bit after his title-clinching dunk, when he jokingly executed the Aaron Rodgers championship belt celebration with Memphis' Will Coleman.

Then, fittingly, there was the prize for winning it.

Instead of a bulky trophy that he'd have to awkwardly carry on to a flight back to central Illinois, Tucker was presented with a custom-made, WWE-style belt.

Just awesome. Purely awesome.

Barring Disney getting a hold of the movie rights to this tale — which you can never really count out — this is likely the last you'll hear of Jacob Tucker. But it's hard to think of a more impressive way for him to dip away from the spotlight.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

While VCU has established itself as this year's ultimate NCAA tournament Cinderella story and gained lots of support from casual fans around the country, Las Vegas sports books are hoping that the Rams' run ends short of a national title.

"VCU is the one team that we don't want to win it," said Mike Colbert, the race and sports director for Cantor Gaming, which runs four Las Vegas sports books including the M Resort.

Why not the Rams? Well, it's because of future bets put in on VCU after the NCAA tournament's first weekend.

To start the year, the Cantor books had VCU as a member of 'the field' among its list of teams to bet to win it all. That drew little action. They remained in 'the field' entering the tournament, but once they upset Purdue and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, they couldn't be hidden anymore.

"We listed VCU at 100-to-1 — The lowest-rated team of the 16," Colbert said. "I remember vividly posting them and Richmond, who was 80-to-1. We took some pretty significant bets at that point. We do have risk on VCU, but other than that, we're in really good shape."

Even if VCU pulls off the slight upset of Butler on Saturday night in Houston, the books might not take as big of a hit as anticipated, as plenty of money will likely come in against them should they advance to Monday's title game.

According to the money coming in, picking a winner in that one is tough enough.

"I can tell you that that game so far has been bet pretty evenly," Colbert said. "We've taken some big bets on both sides. We actually have a little more money on Butler, but nothing significant. VCU has really drawn some backers here. We're getting mostly money line bets on VCU and point spread bets on Butler."

Those betting Butler are laying 2.5 points, as that number has remained pretty solid throughout the week. Colbert said that he doesn't anticipate much movement, and if it does, it likely won't creep any higher than three points in the Bulldogs' favor.

As for the money line bets on VCU (picking the Rams to win straight-up), the current number is +125 across town (bet $1 to win $1.25).

While Butler and VCU have drawn much of the national attention this week in the media, Colbert said that he expects his books to pull in more bets on the UConn-Kentucky game.

"Twice as much — I'm seeing that already," he said. "As we get closer to the games, the bets will get bigger."

He added that most of the money early came in on UConn as a 2.5-point underdog, but once the line dropped down to two points, UK began seeing heavier action, and that line will likely float between two and 2.5 all the way up until tip.

The most intriguing bet in that game, it appears, is the prop play on UConn star Kemba Walker's total points for the night.

Colbert said that props on Walker have been popular plays throughout the tournament.

The over/under for Walker's point total in the Sweet Sixteen against San Diego State was set at 22.5 points (he scored 36), then bumped up to 25.5 against Arizona in the Elite Eight (he scored 20).

It's remaining at 25.5 for Saturday night. For reference, in a Nov. 24 blowout of Kentucky in Maui, Walker tallied 29. But this is a much different UK team than it was four months ago, adding another level of intrigue to the 2011 Final Four.

"I don't think the interest is any more or any less," Colbert said. "I think it's a pretty ordinary Final Four. I think the UK-UConn game is as good as anything you can find."

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Some aspects of the NCAA tournament should just never be changed, and CBS essentially is admitting that it should have known that in the first place.

After just one highly-criticized crack at it, Jennifer Hudson has been replaced as the resident crooner in the network's wildly popular post-NCAA title game highlight montage — One Shining Moment.

CBS is going back to using the Luther Vandross rendition of the song, which it used from 2003-2009. He suffered a stroke in 2003 and passed in 2005. His stamp on the montage was the longest run of any singer since the tradition was born following the 1987 NCAA tournament.

"Both versions are great. She (Hudson) did a great job," said Harold Bryant, CBS Sports' vice president for production. "We just felt like we wanted to go back to Luther."

For whatever reason, Vandross's version was replaced last season, and the 2010 rendition was met with some harsh criticism, for reasons that were both in and out of Hudson's control.

Her version of the tune fell short, especially in an all-over-the-map final minute. It's worth noting that Hudson was likely doomed to from the start, as the similar sounds of Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass had a stranglehold on the piece for the better part of two decades and were truly beloved. It was too much of a break from the norm for those who look forward to One Shining Moment on the first Monday of every April (I'll proudly raise my hand to that).

The kicker was the five completely unnecessary cutaway shots of Hudson singing in the recording studio, which drew major uproar. Again, it's hard to blame that on her, because we don't know exactly whose call it was.

Still, in sports, there are certain things you just don't mess with. This is one of them.

CBS did the right thing in switching back, and both the network and Hudson will be forgiven.

But that mess might never truly be forgotten.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

The Internet has spoken, and Jacob Tucker has been granted his rightful spot in the college slam dunk contest later this week in Houston.

The 5-foot-11 guard from Division-III Illinois College went viral earlier this month in his pursuit of a spot in the competition. To date, his video audition has received more than 2.6 million views on YouTube, and now he and his supposed 50-inch vertical leap will represent the little guy — In more ways than one.

The competition will be fierce, as he'll be jockeying with Pitt's Gilbert Brown, St. John's Justin Burrell, Memphis' Will Coleman, East Tennessee State's Justin Tubbs, San Diego State's Billy White, Cincinnati's Darnell Wilks and UNC_Asheville's John Williams. None of them stand shorter than 6-foot-3.

Tucker doesn't care.

"I feel with the dunks I have practiced and the dunks I have in my arsenal, I have a chance," Tucker said. "I'm not going to leak them out. I will say there's a couple dunks you haven't seen me do before or some you've never seen before."

Tucker earned his way in by winning a Facebook fan poll, where the public voted for one non-Division-competitor to join the contest. He beat out Lee University's Larriques Cunningham in a landslide, nabbing 88 percent of the vote.

The contest will air Thursday night on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

On Selection Sunday, several teams sweating the process out on the bubble likely let out an audible 'WHAT? REALLY???' when VCU's name appeared on the screen.

Two of those teams, Colorado and Alabama, will meet tonight in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

"You never know what life is going to throw at you, and three weeks ago, two-and-a-half weeks ago, we were thrown a little curveball," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "And we hit it because our guys have responded the right way. They have not whined about it, cried about it, we're not going to do that.

"We were happy to be invited to the NIT, we're happy to be here and we want to relish this opportunity as best we can."

Boyle certainly deserves a heap of credit for that.

The Buffs closed the regular season by winning three of their last four games, including a 91-89 shocker against then-No. 5 Texas. Then, after beating Kansas State for a third time in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, it was assumed that they'd locked themselves into the NCAA tournament field.

Meanwhile, Alabama nipped Georgia in the SEC tournament quarterfinals — A game looked at as a potential NCAA tourney elimination tilt, of sorts. It was Bama's second victory over the Bulldogs in seven days.

Yet, that Sunday, Georgia was included in the Field of 68. So were other surprises such as VCU, UAB and USC.

And both teams apparently were ticked about it.

Alabama got to New York City by winning three home games by an average margin of 15.3 points, paced by sophomore swingman Tony Mitchell. Colorado did the same by an average margin of 12.7, with sophomore guard averaging 25.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game since the end of the regular season. Whoever prevails gets the winner of the first semifinal at Madison Square Garden between Wichita State and Washington State — Two other one-time bubble teams whose hopes fizzled just before Selection Sunday.

The fire from the argument that both deserved to be in ahead of VCU has since been doused by the Rams' out-of-nowhere run to this weekend's Final Four in Houston.

But that hasn't cooled off Colorado or Alabama, who could end up playing one of this postseason's more entertaining games tonight.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Although it's unprecedented for the school and the Mid-American Conference, the University of Toledo's successful run in the Women's National Invitation Tournament has parallels to other courses followed by mid-major programs in the event's history.Since it resurfaced in 1998 as a single-elimination tourney, the WNIT has seen two different champions from the Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton and Missouri State) and one from the Mountain West Conference (Wyoming)."The WNIT offers an opportunity to teams at every level," WNIT director Renee Carlson said. "You see your top conference teams, and then you can also see teams get hot."The Rockets (27-8) have definitely caught stride in the postseason, picking up home wins over Delaware, Auburn, Alabama, and Syracuse to advance to Wednesday night's semifinal matchup with Charlotte (27-9), an Atlantic-10 member.

It’s with a bit of tempered optimism that the 2011 edition of the West Virginia football team begins their spring camp on Wednesday, March 30th.

The Mountaineers, one of college football’s perennial underachievers over the last few seasons, are once again loaded with intriguing talent across the board, but there will be major overhauls on both sides of the ball this season.

It still remains to be seen how quickly the offense can pick up a new system and how well the defense will fare trying to replace so many key departed pieces from last year’s fantastic group.

What we do know is that 2011 will mark the final season of the Bill Stewart era, as the fourth-year coach will hand the reigns over to new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen after this season.

The power dynamic between Stewart and Holgorsen should be fascinating to watch, and the strength of their relationship and how well they’re able to coexist will most likely have a major effect on the success of the team this season.

Holgorsen’s presence is much needed for an offense that never could fully utilize the available explosive weapons under former coordinator Jeff Mullen. Judging from Holgorsen’s past stops, he has the type of high-flying system that could carry the Mountaineers back to the top of the Big East mountain.

There are so many interesting story lines to delve into over the next few weeks, but let’s first have a quick look at some of the basics for the upcoming season.

 

2011 Schedule

Sept. 3: Marshall (5-7)

Sept. 10: Norfolk State (6-5)

Sept. 17: @Maryland (9-4)

Sept 24: LSU (11-2)

Oct. 1: Bowling Green (2-10)

Oct. 8: Connecticut (8-5)

Oct. 22: @Syracuse (8-5)

Oct 29: @Rutgers (4-8)

Nov. 5: Louisville (7-6)

Nov. 12: @Cincinnati (4-8) (Paul Brown Stadium)

Nov. 25: Pittsburgh (8-5)

Dec. 1: @South Florida (8-5)

Opponent’s Combined 2010 Record: 80-70

 

Offense

Returning Starters: 8

Projected Lineup:

QB: Geno Smith (Junior, 6’3’’ 210)

RB: Shawne Alston (Junior, 5’11’’ 222)

WR: Tavon Austin (Junior, 5’9’’ 164)

WR: Stedman Bailey (Sophomore, 5’10’’ 195)

WR: J.D. Woods (Junior, 6’0’’ 192)

WR: Ivan McCartney (Sophomore, 6’3’’ 185)

LT: Don Barclay (Senior, 6’4’’ 291)

LG: Josh Jenkins (Senior, 6’3’’ 300)

C: Joe Madsen (Junior, 6’4’’ 291)

RG: Cole Bowers (Sophomore, 6’5’’ 289)

RT: Jeff Braun (Junior, 6’4’’ 308)

Key Reserves:

RB Ryan Clarke (Junior, 6’0’’230)

WR Bradley Starks (Senior, 6’3’’ 190)

OT Quinton Spain (Freshman, 6’5’’ 345)

 

2010 Game Averages

Points: 25.2
(National Rank: 78; Conference Rank: 5)

Total Yards: 372
(National Rank: 67; Conference Rank: 2)

Passing Yards: 213
(National Rank: 67; Conference Rank: 2)

Rushing Yards: 159
(National Rank: 50; Conference Rank: 4)

First Downs: 20
Turnovers: 2.1
Time of Possession: 30:43
3rd Down Conversions: 44 percent
Yards Per Play: 5.3

 

Summary: All eyes will be on QB Geno Smith in 2011, as the second-year starter tries to make the transition to gunslinger in Dana Holgorsen’s pass-heavy system.

Smith has the arm strength and the pure talent to flourish in Holgorsen’s offense, but it’s likely going to take him the entire offseason to grasp all the various nuances of the scheme.

Departed RB Noel Devine, one of the most exciting players to ever put on the blue and gold, will no doubt be missed by every Mountaineer fan in America. However, the offense could have a new budding explosive weapon in RB/WR tweener Tavon Austin, who could be up to the task of filling Devine’s cleats.

Austin, who made the switch to wide receiver when he arrived in Morgantown, has the speed and playmaking ability to be a true game changer wherever he lines up this year.

Holgorsen has made one thing perfectly clear since taking control of the offense: the receiver rotation is going to run deep this year, which means guys like Austin, Stedman Bailey, Ivan McCartney, J.D. Woods and Bradley Starks will all have the opportunity to make plays in the passing game in 2011.

The offensive line returns four starters from a group that had its share of ups and downs in 2010. The line will be led by OT Don Barclay and OG Josh Jenkins, two senior All-Big East caliber players.

Finding a running back will be a priority this spring, but the Mountaineers already have a few nice candidates in Shawne Alston and Ryan Clarke, who look like they have what it takes to collectively carry the load.

Mountaineer fans have been dying for more big plays during Stewart’s tenure, and that should be just what they get in 2011. Holgorsen knows how to get an offense moving up and down the field, and the offensive show should definitely be fun to watch this year.

 

Defense

Returning Starters: 4

Projected Lineup:

NT: Jorge Wright (Junior, 6’3’’ 260)

DT: Julian Miller (Senior, 6’4’’ 260)

DE: Bruce Irvin (Senior, 6’3’’ 235)

SLB: Doug Rigg (Sophomore, 6’1’’ 215)

MLB: Branko Busick (Sophomore, 6’1’’ 231)

WLB: Najee Goode (Senior, 6’1’’ 238)

CB: Keith Tandy (Senior, 5’10’’ 198)

CB: Pat Miller (Junior, 5’10’’ 183)

Bandit: Darwin Cook (Sophomore, 5’11’’ 205)

Spur: Terrence Garvin (Junior, 6’3’’ 212)

FS: Eain Smith (Senior, 5’11’’ 204)

Key Reserves:

CB Broderick Jenkins (Sophomore, 5’10’’ 182)

NT Josh Taylor (Senior, 6’1’’ 278)

LB Casey Vance (Senior, 5’9’’ 227)

 

2010 Game Averages

Points Allowed: 13.5
(National Rank: 3; Conference Rank: 1)

Total Yards: 261
(National Rank: 3; Conference Rank: 1)

Passing Yards: 175
(National Rank: 11; Conference Rank: 3)

Rushing Yards: 86
(National Rank: 2; Conference Rank: 1)

First Downs: 13.6
Turnovers: 1.7
3rd Down Conversions: 26 percent

Yards Per Play: 4.2

 

Summary: It’s strange to say it, but Dana Holgorsen’s arrival will be just as big of a boost to the defensive unit as it will be to the offense.

No one is expecting this year’s group to be as stout as last year’s brick wall, which allowed only 13 points per game. Especially considering that coordinator Jeff Casteel will somehow have to find a way to replace seven starters, three of whom (S Robert Sands, CB Brandon Hogan and DT Chris Neild) will be playing on Sundays next season.

Luckily, if the offense can put up the points expected, the defense won’t have to be perfect.

Casteel does have some bright up-and-coming talent to work with, as well as a few holdovers from last year’s crew, who proved to be some of the Big East’s top performers.

DE Bruce Irvin, who finished second in the country with 14 sacks in 2010, is a star and should only continue to shine with an expanded role this year.

Irvin will be joined up front by Julian Miller, who is set to make the switch from defensive end to defensive tackle to ensure that the best possible three-man front is on the field at once.

Jorge Wright and Josh Taylor look like they’ll battle it out for the chance to start at nose tackle, but junior college transfer Shaq Rowell could give both a run for the money.

The linebacker corps is the real mystery of the defense.

Najee Goode is the lone returning starter, and it’s still up in the air as to whether he’ll stay on the strong side or make the move to the weak-side spot.

Goode should be solid but J.T. Thomas and Anthony Leonard will both have to be replaced.

Sophomore stud Doug Rigg has the talent to step in and be a gem opposite Goode, but the middle spot is still a question mark. It could be sophomore Branko Busick’s job to lose, but Busick has to show he can handle all that comes with the role.

The secondary took some key hits with the losses of Sands and Hogan, but CB Keith Tandy, who led the Big East with six interceptions in 2010, and S Terrence Garvin should provide solid leadership.

The safety position is a concern, and it’s a position that will need to be watched closely in the spring.

When all is said and done, this group won’t be as intimidating as the one we saw in 2010, but they could turn into a serviceable unit capable of holding opponents at bay just enough to get the job done.

 

Special Teams

Kicker: Tyler Bitancurt (10-17 FGs, 41-41 extra points in 2010)

Punter: Corey Smith

Kick Returner: Tavon Austin (19.1 yard average in 2010)

Punt Returner: Broderick Jenkins

 

Key 2011 Recruits 

RB Andrew Buie, Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Florida)

CB Vance Roberts, Dunbar (Washington D.C.)

DT Shaq Rowell, Iowa Western (Council Bluffs, Iowa)

S Terrell Chestnut, Pottsgrove (Pottstown, Pennsylvania)

LB Josh Francis, Lackawanna (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

The Boise State Broncos. The perennial "mid-major" constantly crashing the BCS party. The team that plays on "smurf turf". Many college football fans have associated this team with being one of the usual suspects in the top 10 of the polls. However, last season didn't work out how many fans expected it to.

A heartbreaking loss to Nevada on a last-second field goal late in the season derailed the Broncos dreams of playing for a national title.

After that game, many college football fans assumed that BSU would fall out of the spotlight never to return. Unfortunately for them, they're wrong.

With 6 starters returning on offense and 7 on defense, the Broncos certainly should not be taken lightly.

Kellen Moore will once again lead the crafty offensive attack designed by Chris Petersen and Co. The graduation of star receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis will hurt, but the coaching staff has always done an excellent job of effectively filling spots left open because of graduation or players leaving early. Moore will continue to find ways to stay alive in the pocket, and hit his receivers down the field.

The offensive line will remain mostly intact, losing only two starters: tackle Matt Slater and guard Will Lawrence. This line will continue to pave the way for bruising running back Doug Martin.

The defense will once again be a solid group. The secondary is the only area of concern for Boise State, which loses defensive backs Winston Venable, Brandyn Thompson, and Jeron Johnson. The coaching staff must do an excellent job of preparing the new starters to step in and shut down opposing passing games.

The defensive line might be the strongest unit on this team. They will sorely miss the departure of defensive end Ryan Winterswyk, but return defensive tackle Billy Winn, nose tackle Chase Baker, and defensive end Shea McClellin. Senior Jarrell Root is expected to take Winterswyk's spot.

Besides the amount of talent returning, Boise also faces a relatively light schedule with the move to the Mountain West Conference. The two toughest matchups for the Broncos are a "neutral-site" game against Georgia at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and a home game against the Horned Frogs of TCU.

If Boise is able to run the table and win the MWC title, they should be placed in a BCS bowl game.

Boise State fans will have to wait and see if the coaching staff will once again do a terrific job of developing the players into their system.

To help prime you for the first of 14 bowl games in the next five days, we've compiled this handy list of fun factoids concerning the 2010 Independence Bowl.

Proper name: 2010 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Setting: Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana (formerly home to the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League and later Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League in the mid 1990s)

Traditional conference pairing: Mountain West and ACC (with the Sun Belt there as an alternate)

2010 matchup: Air Force Falcons (8-4) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-6)

Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie & Eamon McAnaney

Neatest fact: The Independence Bowl is the 11th oldest bowl game in the country

Closest finish: 2001's game between Alabama and Iowa State, with the Tide prevailing, 14-13. 

Most lopsided finish: In 1993, Virginia Tech rolled over Indiana, 45-20 (Bonus Fun Fact!: this marked Frank Beamer's first bowl win.)

Tidbits of interest: The Independence Bowl is named such because the first edition was played in 1976, the United States' bicentennial year ... Ole Miss holds the record for most appearances, with five ... AdvoCare V100 is a multivitamin of some sort ... Remember, we never mention the Independence Bowl's Players of the Game.

The 2010 Independence Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. EST, Monday, December 27. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Browse our complete 2010 college football postseason schedule, and connect with Georgia Tech fans at SB Nation's From The Rumble Seat.

Austin American-Statesman

College Bowl Game Picks: Georgia Tech Over Air Force In Independence Bowl SB Nation Dallas Air Force will take on Georgia Tech tonight in the Independence Bowl. The Falcons went 8-4 this year while going 5-3 in Mountain West Conference play. ... Air Force and Georgia Tech collide in Independence BowlKansas City Star Al Groh talks Air ForceESPN (blog) Bet College Bowl Game Odds on Georgia Tech vs. Air Force Before Big MoveBetUs.com Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -KTBS -SB Nation Denver all 415 news articles »

A Battle Over Uranium Bodes Ill for U.S. Debate

NATURITA, Colo. — The future of nuclear power in America is back on the table, with all its vast implications, as global warming revives the search for energy sources that produce less greenhouse gas.

But in this depressed corner of western Colorado — one of the first places in the world that uranium, nuclear energy’s primary fuel, was ever dug from the ground in industrial scale — the debate is both simpler and more complicated. A proposal for a new mill to process uranium ore, which would lead to the opening of long-shuttered mines in Colorado and Utah, has brought global and local concerns into collision — jobs, health, class-consciousness and historical memory among them — in ways that suggest, if the pattern here holds, a bitter national debate to come.

Oil Trades Near 26-Month High on China Growth Speculation, U.S. Stockpiles

Oil fell from a two-year high in New York amid concern that China’s second interest-rate increase since October may slow economic growth in the world’s biggest energy consumer.

Futures snapped a five-day rising streak after the People’s Bank of China boosted benchmark one-year lending and deposit rates by 25 basis points Dec. 25 to tackle the fastest inflation in more than two years. Oil advanced earlier as temperatures fell and storms blanketed the eastern U.S. with snow, raising demand for heating fuels.

EIA Forecasts More Shale Gas Resources And Greater Use

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Annual Energy Outlook 2011 (AEO2011) Early Release Overview last week that dramatically increased its estimate of technically recoverable unproved shale gas resources and raised its forecast of the amount of natural gas to be consumed in the future. Neither of these changes to their annual forecast is a great surprise given ongoing industry trends, but what may be somewhat of a surprise is the smaller increase in gas shale resources compared to the 2009 forecast from the Potential Gas Committee at the Colorado School of Mines.

Iraq's Oil Production Reaches Highest in 20 Years to 2.6 Million Barrels

Iraq’s oil production exceeded 2.6 million barrels a day for the first time in 20 years, newly appointed Oil Minister Abdul Kareem al-Luaibi said at a press conference in Baghdad.

The rising output will boost Iraq’s oil exports by 5 percent to 2 million barrels a day next month, Falah al-Amri, head of the country’s State Oil Marketing Organization, said today in an interview in Baghdad. The nation sells about 60 percent of supplies to India, China and other Asian countries where demand is increasing, he said

The World's Real Oil Problem

Oil plays a role in the world economy that's far more important than any other commodity, so when I'm in a mood to worry I worry about oil prices. I don't know if we've hit peak oil, but we have reached the point at which the growth of supply has reached the point where it can barely keep up with growing demand in a normal economy.

ATP eyes Israeli gas play

Houston-based ATP Oil & Gas may enter Israel's offshore gas play, according to reports.

Israeli financial daily Globes reported that the company is looking to take a 33% slice of the Mira and Sarah licences and 50% of the Daniel and Shimshon licences .

Saudi Electricity's Clients to Increase to 7.9 Million by the End of 2016

Saudi Electricity Co., a state- controlled utility, expects to have a customer base of 7.9 million by the end of 2016 as it seeks to meet rising demand for power in the Persian Gulf’s largest Arab country by population.

The utility expects to add 309,000 new customers next year and 1.79 million between 2011 and 2016, the company announced in a statement to the Saudi bourse website today.

Libya wants larger slice of energy pie

TRIPOLI, Libya (UPI) -- The Libyan government aims to position the country as an important energy player while exploring renewable energy at home, a panel said.

Kazakhstan moves to extend president's rule

Kazakhstan moved on Monday to extend the reign of President Nursultan Nazarbayev for another ten years without re-election, imperilling hopes of a transition to democracy in the oil-rich former Soviet state.

Khodorkovsky Found Guilty in Trial, Lawyers Say

A Moscow judge found Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the jailed former head of Yukos Oil Co., guilty of stealing crude from the company during a six-year period, his lawyers said.

Venezuela ex-president Perez dies in Miami: daughter

CARACAS (AFP) – Former Venezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez, who nationalized the oil industry and then survived a coup attempt by future leader Hugo Chavez, has died in Miami, his daughter told local media.

As a two-term president, Perez led Venezuela through rising fortunes as well as deeply turbulent times -- including the country's worst-ever riots that left hundreds dead in 1989 after he initiated economic reforms -- and eventually was driven out of office on corruption allegations.

Gulf casino workers' claims denied for BP funds

BILOXI, Miss. — When Brad McDonald saw the robust tips he usually earns as a dealer on blackjack and craps tables dip abruptly last summer, he did what scores of other Gulf Coast workers have done in the wake of the BP oil spill: He applied for an emergency payout from the oil company's compensation fund.

No dice, he was told. The claim was denied by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the agency doling out the $20 billion in BP's compensation fund to victims of the spill.

Arch, Peabody seek coal exporting deals to Asia

WRIGHT, Wyo. • From atop the 25-story coal silo overlooking Arch Coal Inc.'s Black Thunder mine in northeast Wyoming, a seemingly endless string of rail cars stretches into the horizon.

More than 20 trains arrive a day, each a mile and a half long. One by one, they snake around a loop where more than 120 hopper cars are topped off with dusty, black rock.

Almost every bit of coal that leaves is headed east, where the vast majority of the nation's 1,000-plus fiery coal boilers await their next feeding. But trains could soon start heading west — to dump their cargo on ships headed to the Far East. Miners here in the coal-rich Powder River Basin, the self-proclaimed energy capital of America, have plans to tap the Mother of All Energy Users: China.

Nuclear power plant application filed to UAE regulator

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the company in charge of the UAE's plan to develop reactors, has filed a 9,000-page construction application to the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.

The application, for the first two reactor units of the project, is the result of a year of planning and preparation demonstrating the safety case for the country's first power plants, to be situated in Braka, in the Al Gharbia region.

Floods Swamp Australia After Cyclone Hits

Coal mines have been flooded and some producers have declared "force majeure" - indicating to their buyers that they may not be able to meet targets as originally agreed for reasons beyond their control.

Japan greehouse gas emissions fall 5.7 percent in 09/10

Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 5.7 percent to 1.209 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent in the past financial year, a second straight year of decline due to weakness in the global economy, preliminary data showed.

Small Beetles Massacre The Rockies' Whitebark Pines

The Whitebark pine trees in the high-elevation areas of America's Northern Rockies have stood for centuries. But these formerly lush evergreen forests are disappearing at an alarmingly fast rate; what remains are eerie stands of red and gray snags.

Warmer climates have sparked an outbreak of a voracious mountain pine beetle that is having devastating consequences for whitebarks and the wildlife that depend on them.

Now that Wisconsin and Texas Christian University have won berths in the 2011 Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO in Pasadena, what are they going to do next? They’re going to Disneyland! The BCS-ranked No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers, co-champions of the Big Ten Conference, and No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs, Mountain West Conference champions, will [...]