June 28, 2011

2012 NBA Draft Big Board

1. Anthony Davis (6'10'', PF, Kentucky, Fresh.)
2. Harrison Barnes (6'8'', SF, North Carolina, Soph.)
3. Jared Sullinger (6'9'', PF, Ohio State, Soph.)
4. James McAdoo (6'8'', PF, North Carolina, Fresh.)
5. Perry Jones (6'11'', PF, Baylor, Soph.)
6. Quincy Miller (6'9'', SF, Baylor, Fresh.)
7. Austin Rivers (6'4'', SG, Duke, Fresh.)
8. Michael Gilchrist (6'6'', SF, Kentucky, Fresh.)
9. Jeremy Lamb (6'5'', SG, UConn, Soph.)
10. Bradley Beal (6'3'', SG, Florida, Fresh.)
11. Myck Kabongo (6'1'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
12. John Henson (6'10'', PF, North Carolina, Jr.)
13. Terrence Jones (6'9'', SF, Kentucky, Soph.)
14. Adonis Thomas (6'7'', SF, Memphis, Fresh.)
15. Marquise Teague (6'2'', PF, Kentucky, Fresh.)
16. Patric Young (6'9'', PF, Florida, Soph.)
17. Tyler Zeller (6'11'', C, North Carolina, Sr.)
18. Terrence Ross (6'6'', SG, Washington, Soph.)
19. Khris Middleton (6'7'', SF, Texas A&M, Jr.)
20. Kendall Marshall (6'3'', PG, North Carolina, Soph.)
21. Tony Mitchell (6'8'', SF, North Texas, Soph.)
22. Doron Lamb (6'5'', SG, Kentucky, Soph.)
23. LeBryan Nash (6'7'', SF, Oklahoma State, Fresh.)
24. Rakeem Christmas (6'9'', PF, Syracuse, Fresh.)
25. John Jenkins (6'4'', SG, Vanderbilt, Jr.)
26. Maalik Wayns (6'1'', PG, Villanova, Jr.)
27. Thomas Robinson (6'8'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
28. CJ Leslie (6'8'', SF, North Carolina State, Soph.)
29. Arnett Moultrie (6'11'', PF, Mississippi State, Jr.)
30. Augusto Cesar Lima (6'10'', PF, Brazil)
31. Will Barton (6'6'', SG, Memphis, Soph.)
32. Evan Fournier (6'6'', SG, France)
33. Jeffery Taylor (6'6'', SF, Vanderbilt, Sr.)
34. Festus Ezeli (6'11'', C, Vanderbilt, Sr.)
35. Ray McCallum (6'1'', PG, Detroit, Soph.)
36. Kris Joseph (6'7'', SF, Syracuse, Sr.)
37. Renard Sidney (6'10'', PF, Mississippi State, Jr.)
38. Mason Plumlee (6'11'', PF, Duke, Jr.)
39. William Buford (6'5'', SG, Ohio State, Sr.)
40. Rudy Gobert (6'10'', PF, France)
41. Joffrey Lauvergne (6'10'', PF, France)
42. Rodney Williams (6'7'', SG, Minnesota, Jr.)
43. Dejan Musli (7'0'', C, Serbia)
44. Lucas Nogueira (7'0'', C, Brazil)
45. Furkan Aldemir (6'9'', PF, Turkey)
46. Dee Bost (6'2'', PG, Mississippi State, Sr.)
47. Reggie Johnson (6'10'', C, Miami, Jr.)
48. Tomas Satoransky (6'6'', SG, Czech Republic)
49. Ashton Gibbs (6'2'', PG, Pittsburgh, Sr.)
50. JaMychal Green (6'8'', PF, Alabama, Sr.)
51. Mouphtaou Yarou (6'9'', PF, Villanova, Jr.)
52. Trevor Mbakwe (6'8'', PF, Minnesota, Sr.)
53. Tu Holloway (6'0'', PG, Xavier, Sr.)
54. Wesley Witherspoon (6'7'', SF, Memphis, Sr.)
55. Reggie Bullock (6'5'', SG, North Carolina, Soph.)
56. Joshua Smith (6'10'', C, UCLA, Soph.)
57. Aaric Murray (6'10'', C, La Salle, Jr.)
58. Elias Harris (6'8'', SF, Gonzaga, Jr.)
59. Jordan Taylor (6'1'', PG, Wisconsin, Sr.)
60. Yancy Gates (6'9'', PF, Cincinnati, Sr.)

June 27, 2011

2011 NBA Draft Grades

1. Utah

#3 - Enes Kanter
#12 - Alec Burks

How can you not love what Utah did here? They got the best player available in both spots and got two top 5 players in this draft. Utah was smart to pass on Brandon Knight to grab the big center Enes Kanter. The pick may not have been sexy, but you can never have too many quality bigs. Shooting guard has been a huge hole for Utah for quite some time, and now they get a dynamic player next to Devin Harris. After this draft, Utah is clearly on their way back to the playoffs. Sooner than later.


2. San Antonio

#15 - Kawhi Leonard
#29 - Cory Joseph
#42 - Davis Bertans
#59 - Adam Hanga
Erazem Lorbek

No team is better at manipulating the draft that San Antonio. Somehow they managed to turn a redundant backup point guard into what could be three starters down the road. Leonard is the kind of dirty work guy that thrives in San Antonio. Bertans is an elite level shooter who can be a very good NBA player if groomed right. Lorbek may never come over to the NBA, but if he does, he is a rotation player from day one. Add to all that the fact that Cory Joseph could be groomed into essentially what George Hill was, and this is a great, great draft for the Spurs. They needed to get younger and more athletic. Mission accomplished.


3. Minnesota

#2 - Derrick Williams
#43 - Malcolm Lee

Minnesota made the right decision in taking Derrick Williams. Enes Kanter may have been the better fit, but Minnesota is not nearly good enough to be drafting for need at the top of the draft. Williams was clearly a top two player in this draft and they need all the players they can get. Malcolm Lee is an excellent pick at a position of need. His defense could make him a rotation player right away. Minnesota is quietly assembling a lot of talent, now they just need a coach who can put it all together and turn that talent into wins.


4. Atlanta

#48 - Keith Benson

Nothing fancy here, but a team getting the best player available at a position of need. Benson was a top 35 player in this draft, and Atlanta must have been ecstatic to see him fall to them at #48. If Benson can bulk up, he has a chance to eventually become the starting center in Atlanta.


5. Detroit

#8 - Brandon Knight
#33 - Kyle Singler
#52 - Vernon Macklin

Brandon Knight at #8 is a slam dunk. Detroit needs star power in the worst way, and he brings it. He should start in Detroit for a good long time. Singler and Macklin are solid risk/reward picks. Both have NBA level talent, but never totally put it together in college. If either puts it together, this could be remembered as the draft class that brought Detroit back to respectability.


6. New Jersey

#25 - Marshon Brooks
#36 - Jordan Williams

New Jersey needs players, and both these guys can step into the NBA and play right away. Brooks is a big time scorer, and could be a solid compliment to Deron Williams going forward. Jordan Williams is a good center, with work ethic to spare. He may not be the most skilled or athletic big, but he is the kind of rugged big man who can play in the NBA for a long time off the bench.


7. Orlando

#32 - Justin Harper
#53 - DeAndre Liggins

Orlando needs cheap bench players who can contribute in the worst way. In this draft, they may very well have found two guys who fill this need. Harper is a first round talent who should fit in well with Orlando's system of shooters. Liggins is a tough defender who can guard multiple positions. After trading away Mickael Pietrus, Orlando's need for an athletic wing defender was evident in their first round loss to Atlanta. Liggins has a chance to fill this role going forward.


8. Washington

#6 - Jan Vesely
#18 - Chris Singleton
#34 - Shelvin Mack

Jan Vesely is a wild card in this draft. Some love him, others hate him. I think he has one of the highest upsides in this draft. He has all the tools to be an excellent NBA player. If he puts it together, he could be the second star next to John Wall that Washington needs to get back on the map. Singleton is an excellent defender who could be a very good rotation player in the NBA for a long time. Washington needs a guy like that, and he should fill it well. Shelvin Mack will likely become an above average backup NBA point guard. This was a very nice haul for Washington and it could go down as one of the best classes in this draft if Vesely becomes the player some expect.


9. LA Lakers

#41 - Darius Morris
#46 - Andrew Goudelock
#58 - Ater Majok

LA had no first rounders and 5,000 second round picks. Point guard is a huge need for the Lakers and they grabbed two high upside prospects at that position. Darius Morris was a top 30 player in this draft, so getting him at #41 was a coup. Andrew Goudelock is a sharpshooter who can become a very good backup point guard in the NBA. Majok will likely stay overseas, he he has some talent and could come over in a few years. It is kind of a shame Phil Jackson is gone, because both these point guards are tailor made for the trinagle offense.


10. Sacramento

#10 - Jimmer Fredette
#35 - Tyler Honeycutt
#60 - Isaiah Thomas
John Salmons

On talent alone this is probably a top five draft. My concern is that there is only one ball to go around and Jimmer, Tyreke, and Cousins are all going to want it. A lot. The fit with Jimmer and Evans is not the best. Jimmer is a better NBA prospect than a lot of people think, and at worst he will sell some tickets. Which is more what this pick was about than talent. I love the Honeycutt pick at #35. He has a ton of talent, fills a need, and UCLA picks always seem to pan out. Getting John Salmons adds some talent as well, but it also adds another guy who plays his best with the ball in his hands. Sacramento did well talent wise here, but they now have a ton of guys who need the ball in their hands to be effective.


11. Houston

#14 - Marcus Morris
#20 - Donatas Motiejunas
#38 - Chandler Parsons
Jonny Flynn

This may be the ultimate risk/reward draft class. All four guys are high upside, high risk guys. Marcus Morris was an excellent college player who has all the skills to succeed in the NBA. But, I can not shake the idea that he is a tweener who will likely never move beyond role player status. Morris reminds me a lot of another guy I was really high on, Darrell Arthur. He too was a very skilled big who because of his lack of position has never reached his NBA potential. Motiejunas has the talent of a top five pick, but the drive of a young Derrick Coleman. If Kevin McHale can get this kid to reach his potential, he has all star talent. Parson has intriguing skills, but likely is better suited for Europe. Jonny Flynn has been terrible in Minnesota, but he is skilled an a change of scenery may do him a world of good. This may end up being the best class in the draft...or maybe the worst.


12. Denver

#22 - Kenneth Faried
#26 - Jordan Hamilton
#56 - Chukwudiebere Maduabum
Andre Miller

Faried and Hamilton are great picks for Denver. Both fill roles immediately, and both bring things to the table that Denver needed. You could make a case that Hamilton at #26 was the best single pick in this year's draft. This kid is simply too talented to fall that far. Felton for Miller is a drop off, but not so bad that this was not a very nice draft for Denver.


13. LA Clippers

#37 - Trey Thompkins
#47 - Travis Leslie

A couple Georgia kids heading out West. While both these picks come with risk, you could do a lot worse than grabbing a couple guys who were considered lottery level players in this draft not too long ago. Thompkins is skilled inside and out, but his weight was enough of an issue to see him fall out of the first round. Leslie is the most athletic player in this draft, but he has yet to put it together and become an above average basketball player. Leslie needs to buckle down on defense and go the Tony Allen route. The Clippers are a team on the rise, and if either of these guys put it together, then this was a great draft for a team without a first round pick. It is kind of ironic that the Clippers traded the pick that became the #1 pick to Cleveland, yet they still managed a better grade here. Maybe the Clipper curse is dead after all.


14. Golden State

#11 - Klay Thompson
#38 - Jeremy Tyler
#44 - Charles Jenkins

Assuming Monta Ellis is on the way out, this is a very nice draft. If Ellis is not on the move, then maybe Golden State's love of guards went deeper than Don Nelson. All three guys here are good value where they were selected. Klay Thompson is a Reggie Miller type player who fits well next to Steph Curry. If you though Golden State took a lot of outside shots before, imagine now that Ellis is being replaced by Klay Thompson. Tyler and Jenkins are high upside risks in the second round. I'm not totally sold on either, but if even one of them pans out it will make this draft.


15. Charlotte

#7 - Bismack Biyombo
#9 - Kemba Walker
Corey Maggette

Charlotte needed scoring and a defensive big from this draft. They sure got that both in spades. Biyombo was the best defensive big in the draft and has Defensive MVP level upside. Kemba Walker is a very good player who can score with the best of them and will push DJ Augustine for playing time right away. Maggette is no longer the player he once was, but he can still score and get to the line. Charlotte filled their biggest needs here, but for some reason, I still don't think they got much better. I am not even sure how that is possible, but they still do not look like a team headed to the playoffs. At least they have a clear direction now.


16. Indiana

George Hill

While I believe San Antonio got way the best of this deal, that does not mean that Indiana did not also do well. Hill brings them a proven talent who can really score the basketball. If Indy can grab a power forward upgrade in free agency, then they have a chance to be really good next year.


17. Dallas

Rudy Fernandez
Petteri Koponen

I am no Rudy Fernandez fan. But, considering where Dallas was picking, you can not really fault them for grabbing a proven player instead of using the pick. Rudy is a chucker, but he is a talentd chucker, and maybe a change of scenery will do him good. Dallas is a well coached team with good veterans, if any team can get the best out of Fernandez, it is them.


18. Oklahoma City

#24 - Reggie Jackson

Jackson's promise from OKC was this draft's worst kept secret. I'm not sure how he fits in Oklahoma City, but they do need scorers and Jackson is surely that. He is a solid upside pick here, even if he is going to have a hard time finding the floor in the short term.


19. Miami

#28 - Norris Cole

Miami needs cheap role players. Norris Cole has a chance to play right away in Miami and also fills a need for point guard help. #28 may have been a little early for him, but the fit in Miami is nice.


20. Memphis

#49 - Josh Selby

I'm not great Selby fan, but he is too talented to have fallen this far. Selby is a bit of a man without a position, but falling this far may actually help his career. Instead of being expected to be a future starter, he can now settle into a Bobby Jackson type bench scorer role. Which is a role he can be very good in at the NBA level. This pick is also good insurance in case OJ Mayo leaves or is traded.


21. Phoenix

#13 - Markieff Morris

Markieff was a pretty big reach here at #13, but he does fill a need in Phoenix and he also would be a nice fit in the Phoenix front court with Robin Lopez and Marcin Gortat.


22. Boston

#27 - JaJuan Johnson
#55 - E'Twaun Moore

This is the most unsexy draft of the year. Both guys are okay value and fill a need in Boston. But, both guys have limited upside and are likely career backups. Ho-hum.


23. Cleveland

#1 - Kyrie Irving
#4 - Tristan Thompson
#54 - Milan Macvan

Cleveland got two high level prospects here, but I can not shake the underwhelmed feeling I get from this draft. Irving is a top talent, but Cleveland would likely have been better off taking Derrick Williams and then grabbing Brandon Knight at #4. As it stands now, the pick of Tristan Thompson at #4 was a big reach. He is a nice player, but he is an offensively limited power forward. Both Irving and Thompson are good prospects, but you have to think Cleveland could have done a lot better here. Add to that the fact that they pretty much gave away the #32 pick and spent the #54 pick on a guy who will never play a minute in the NBA, and you have an underwhelming draft. Cleveland was a team who could not afford an underwhelming draft.


24. Chicago

#23 - Nikola Mirotic
#30 - Jimmy Butler

Chicago clearly did not like their shooting guard options in this draft, because they need one desperately and passed up a handful of them that could help them. Mirotic is a first round talent, but he is locked up long term overseas and won't be in the NBA for at least 4 years. Jimmy Butler is a nice player who gives them solid value at #30, even if he has no chance to see the floor in the short term.


25. Portland

#21 - Nolan Smith
#51 - Jon Diebler
#57 - Tanguy Ngombo
Raymond Felton

The only reason I did not put this draft at #30 was that I think getting Ray Felton was a nice move. All three picks are shaky at best. Nolan Smith is not a first round player, Diebler is not an NBA player, and Ngombo is like 39 years old. Felton will help Portland, the other three guys here, not so much.


26. Philadelphia

#16 - Nikola Vucevic
#50 - Lavoy Allen

Yikes. I like Vucevic as much as the next guy, but this is a big reach. He gives Philly a nice big man to work with, but he has limited athletic ability. The lotto did not play out nicely for Philly, who saw all the good bigs get gobbled up before their pick at #16. Vucevic can become an okay pro, but that is not exactly how you want to talk about your first round pick. Lavoy Allen is a good athlete, but never really showed an NBA game while at Temple.


27. Milwaukee

#19 - Tobias Harris
#40 - Jon Leuer
Stephen Jackson
Beno Udrih
Shaun Livingston

Milwaukee went the quantity over quality approach. All five of these guys will likely play for them next year, but I don't see these guys being what Milwaukee needs to get out of their lotto rut.


28. Toronto

#5 - Jonas Valanciunas

I like Valanciunas because I think he is a nice prospect. Toronto likes him because his name sounds foreign-ish. Toronto needs a lot of help and they sure don't need a guy who will not even be in the NBA next year. Bryan Colangelo is running this team into the ground. Brandon Knight fell right into their lap, and they screwed it up.


29. New York

#17 - Iman Shumpert
#45 - Josh Harrellson

Shumpert is an okay prospect who got overrated based on measurables. An NBA version of a combine wonder. Shumpert never turned his measurables into on the court talent worthy of being the #17 pick in the draft. Harrellson is a big stiff who will likely spend a lot of time wearing a suit. He is not nearly good enough to see the floor consistently at the NBA level. New York blew a big chance to close the gap on the elite teams in the East here.


30. New Orleans

No Picks

MMA Rankings

Pound for Pound

1. Anderson Silva
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Jon Jones
5. Jon Fitch
6. Cain Velasquez
7. Frank Edgar
8. Dominick Cruz
9. Rashad Evans
10. Gray Maynard
11. Junior dos Santos
12. Gilbert Melendez
13. Jake Shields
14. Eddie Alvarez
15. BJ Penn
16. Mauricio Rua
17. Quentin Jackson
18. Lyoto Machida
19. Hatsu Hioki
20. Chael Sonnen
21. Urijah Faber
22. Nick Diaz
23. Forrest Griffin
24. Yushin Okami
25. Alistair Overeem


Heavyweight (265 lbs.)

1. Cain Velasquez
2. Junior dos Santos
3. Alistair Overeem
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Fabricio Werdum
6. Antonio Silva
7. Josh Barnett
8. Shane Carwin
9. Frank Mir
10. Fedor Emelianenko
11. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
12. Sergei Kharitonov
13. Brendan Schaub
14. Cole Konrad
15. Mike Russow
16. Ben Rothwell
17. Roy Nelson
18. Cheick Kongo
19. Gabriel Gonzaga
20. Travis Browne
21. Brett Rodgers
22. Matt Mitrione
23. Shamil Abdurahimov
24. Dave Herman
25. Daniel Cormier


Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

1. Jon Jones
2. Rashad Evans
3. Mauricio Rua
4. Quentin Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Dan Henderson
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Rich Franklin
10. Thiago Silva
11. Ryan Bader
12. Phil Davis
13. Rafael Cavalcante
14. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
15. Muhammed Lawal
16. Matt Hamill
17. Vladimir Matyushenko
18. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
19. Ryan Jimmo
20. Alexander Gustafsson
21. Roger Gracie
22. Stanislav Nedkov
23. Ricardo Arona
24. Tito Ortiz
25. Christian M'Pumbu


Middleweight (185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Yushin Okami
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Nate Marquart
6. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
7. Hector Lombard
8. Mamed Khalidov
9. Michael Bisping
10. Brian Stann
11. Mark Munoz
12. Jorge Santiago
13. Robbie Lawler
14. Demian Maia
15. Wanderlei Silva
16. Chris Leben
17. Tim Kennedy
18. Yoshihiro Akiyama
19. Alan Belcher
20. Rousimar Palhares
21. Thales Leites
22. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves
23. Alexander Shlemenko
24. Bryan Baker
25. Chris Weidman


Welterweight (170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. BJ Penn
5. Nick Diaz
6. Carlos Condit
7. Thiago Alves
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Ben Askren
11. Dong Hyun Kim
12. Anthony Johnson
13. Rick Story
14. Diego Sanchez
15. Paul Daley
16. Jay Hieron
17. Martin Kampmann
18. Paulo Thiago
19. Mike Pyle
20. Jake Ellenberger
21. Rory MacDonald
22. Charlie Brenneman
23. Dan Hardy
24. John Hathaway
25. Siyar Bahadurzada


Lightweight (155 lbs.)

1. Frank Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Jim Miller
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Clay Guida
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. George Sotiropoulos
10. Sean Sherk
11. Melvin Guillard
12. Dennis Siver
13. Anthony Pettis
14. Evan Dunham
15. Ben Henderson
16. Katsunori Kikuno
17. Jadamba Narantungalag
18. Jacob Volkmann
19. Mizuto Hirota
20. Jeremy Stephens
21. Gleison Tibau
22. Jorge Masvidal
23. Josh Thomson
24. Sam Stout
25. Takanori Gomi


Featherweight (145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Kenny Florian
4. Marlon Sandro
5. Bibiano Fernandes
6. Chad Mendes
7. Mark Hominick
8. Diego Nunes
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Joe Warren
11. Tyson Griffin
12. Erik Koch
13. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
14. Manny Gamburyan
15. Dustin Poirier
16. Hiroyuki Takaya
17. Kazuyuki Miyata
18. Robert Peralta
19. Mitsuhiro Ishida
20. Yuji Hoshino
21. Rani Yahya
22. Takeshi Inoue
23. George Roop
24. Josh Grispi
25. Rafael Assuncao


Bantamweight (135 lbs.)

1. Dominick Cruz
2. Urijah Faber
3. Joseph Benavidez
4. Brian Bowles
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Miguel Angel Torres
8. Masakazu Imanari
9. Masakatsu Ueda
10. Takeya Mizugaki
11. Renan "Barao" Pegado
12. Eddie Wineland
13. Michael McDonald
14. Brad Pickett
15. Zach Makovsky
16. Wagnney Fabiano
17. Koetsu Okazaki
18. Eduardo Dantas
19. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
20. Takafumi Otsuka
21. Hideo Tokoro
22. Hiroshi Nakamura
23. Abel Cullum
24. Jimmie Rivera
25. Damacio Page


Flyweight (125 lbs.)

1. Mamoru Yamaguchi
2. Ian McCall
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani
4. Kiyotaka Shimizu
5. Yuki Shojo
6. Mitsuhisa Sunabe
7. Alexis Vila
8. Rambaa Somdet
9. Darrell Montague
10. Jussier da Silva


Women (Pound for Pound)

1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
2. Miku Matsumoto
3. Marloes Coenen
4. Zoila Frausto
5. Megumi Fujii
6. Tara LaRosa
7. Sarah Kaufman
8. Gina Carano
9. Mei Yamaguchi
10. Yuka Tsuji
11. Yasuko Tamada
12. Miesha Tate
13. Rosi Sexton
14. Seo Hee Ham
15. Hitomi Akano
16. Roxanne Modafferi
17. Cat Zingano
18. Liz Carmouche
19. Lisa Ward
20. Takayo Hashi
21. Shayna Baszler
22. Hiroko Yamanaka
23. Rin Nakai
24. Jessica Pene
25. Jessica Aguilar

June 22, 2011

2011 NBA Mock Draft (With Explanations)

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)

It appears at this point that Cleveland has decided on their man. Irving lacks the freak athleticism and upside of John Wall or Derrick Rose, but he is a steady floor general who can put the ball in the bucket. Cleveland needs pretty much everything, and a franchise point guard is a good start to long rebuild. Compares to: Mike Conley.

2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)

Only Minnesota can get themselves in a situation where they have no need for either top level pick in this draft. For a team that was so bad a year ago, they seem to be set at a lot of positions. I think Minnesota would love to move this pick and grab a good starting center, but even if they keep the pick, it should be Williams. There are two players in this draft head and shoulder above the rest, and Minnesota will not pass on the one that falls to them. Compares to: Michael Beasley.

3. Utah - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)

The prevailing wisdom has had Utah in love with Knight from the get go. That said, he supposedly looked like he was just coasting in his workout with The Jazz. Kanter was said to really gel well with the Utah staff at his workout, and the ability to take him and then possibly get The Jimmer at #12 will just be too tough for Utah to pass up. They need to appease their fans, and drafting Jimmer will get that done in spades. Utah has a lot of big men, but none are really lighting the world on fire. Adding Kanter to the mix makes Utah a real player in the trade market. Compares to: Al Horford.

4. Cleveland - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)

With Valanciunas' buyout still an issue only a day out from the draft, I think the Cavs would rather take Enes Kanter here. Unfortunately for them, I have Kanter going to Utah at pick #3. This presents a problem for Cleveland. Do they take the player they like best and risk him possibly not coming to the NBA for a couple years or do they take someone they consider to be a lesser prospect? I think they will take the big seven footer and hope his buyout issues can be cleared up. European scouts rave about Jonas Valanciunas, and the allure of locking up their future at both point guard and center will be too much for Cleveland to pass up on. Compares to: Tyson Chandler.

5. Toronto - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)

This certainly worked out well for the Raptors. By most accounts, Knight is the top prospect on their draft board, though a week or so ago it looked pretty unlikely he would be there for them to pick at #5. Toronto needs a point guard and a scorer in the worst way, Knight brings both north of the border. This is a slam dunk pick for a team in desperate need of one. Compares to: Devin Harris.

6. Washington - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)

Washington has been high on the athletic European combo forward from the start. They would prefer Kanter here, but they will be more than happy to add Vesely to their good, young core (Wall and McGee). Vesely has all the tool to be an excellent wing player on both sides of the ball. He just needs to put it together and continue to grow as a player. Compares to: Andrei Kirilenko.

7. Sacramento - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)

Leonard, Kemba Walker, and The Jimmer are all in play here with this pick. While the Maloof's may be tempted to take The Jimmer to make the fans happy, I think they ultimately go with Leonard here. It is no secret that Sacramento needs a small forward, and Leonard is the kind of small forward they need. He is a worker, who will defend and does not need the ball a lot. Which is good, because Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins both will need the ball a lot to be effective. Look for Sacramento to take Leonard here and look to add a point guard in the early second round. Compares to: Shawn Marion.

8. Detroit - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)

The Pistons were likely not expecting to see Kemba fall to them here, but they will almost certainly grab him if he does. Detroit needs consistent point guard play and scoring, so Kemba is a natural fit. He can come right in and play a Jeson Terry like 6th Man role, while being groomed to replace Stuckey sooner or later. Grabbing a big to play next to Monroe is also a possibility here, but no bigs left on the board will likely cause Detroit to pass on Walker. Compares to: Jason Terry.

9. Charlotte - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)

Charlotte has a lot of needs, and a center who can defend is right at the top of the list. Biyombo is a wild card in this draft, but his size, motor, and shot blocking ability will be very intriguing for pretty much every team from here on out. Charlotte is solid in the backcourt, but their frontcourt needs a lot of help. Biyombo would be an excellent start. Compares to: Serge Ibaka.

10. Milwaukee - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)

Morris is a very skilled forward who can score in a multitude of ways. His style appears to fit very nicely along side Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. Milwaukee is tough to gauge here because they need pretty much everything except a center and point guard, but Morris seems like a solid fit. Alec Burks, Klay Thompson, and Tristan Thompson will all likely be in play here as well. Compares to: Darrell Arthur.

11. Golden State - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)

To me this pick only makes sense if Monta Ellis is on the move, but that is a real possibility and we all know Golden State likes to collect guards anyways. Thompson's stock is really on the rise right now and Golden State has taken notice. They are said to be incredibly high on him. With Thompson and Stephen Curry, it could be raining three pointers for a good long time for the Warriors. Compares to: Reggie Miller.

12. Utah - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)

Utah passed on Knight for Kanter with the #3 pick and it pays off for them. The Jimmer is a bigger star in Utah than anyone playing on the Jazz right now and he would sell tickets by the truckload. Utah, like Cleveland, would get their point guard and center of the future in this draft and could then move Devin Harris along with one of their glut of bigs for a wing scorer. Compares to: Mark Price.

13. Phoenix - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)

Not only is Burks the best player available here, but with Vince Carter being bought out, he fills a pressing need. Alec Burks is a top 8 player in this draft and will look very good playing next to Steve Nash, if The Suns keep him around. Compares to: Brandon Roy.

14. Houston - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)

The trade of Shane Battier has left a need for a wing defender in Houston. Enter Chris Singleton, the only lockdown wing defender in this draft. Compares to: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)

Most people have Indiana taking a power forward, but that will likely be dealt with in free agency. Marshon Brooks is the kind of scorer that every good team needs coming off their bench. Adding Brooks and a free agent power forward like David West could catapult Indiana into Eastern Conference contention. Compares to: Jamal Crawford.

16. Philadelphia - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)

A lot of mocks have Tristan Thompson going in the lottery, and that is very possible. If he slides though, Philly would be ecstatic to take him at #16. It is no secret that Philly is a good young team in need of inside help. Thompson can provide that on both ends of the floor. Compares to: Paul Milsap.

17. New York - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)

New York is looking for it's point guard of the future. Darius Morris is a skilled guy who could do wonders learning under Chancey Billups. The Knicks worked him out twice and supposedly really liked what they saw. Compares to: Andre Miller.

18. Washington - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)

Morris is simply too good to pass up here at #19. You can never have too many talented big men. Compares to: Drew Gooden.

19. Charlotte - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)

Charlotte improved their defense by taking Bismack Biyombo with the #9 pick, ow they look to ass offense at #19 by taking Jordan Hamilton. Hamilton is one of the best one on one scorers in this entire draft. If he can clean up his shot selection, he can become a nice NBA scorer. Compares to: (Oddly enough) Stephen Jackson.

20. Minnesota - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)

Shumpert has all the measurables to be a great NBA player. If his game every catches up to his size and skills, watch out. Minnesota is a good fit as they need shooting guard help, and in my opinion, Shumpert projects to be more of a Ginobili-like ball dominate shooting guard than a point guard in the NBA. He should compliment Ricky Rubio nicely. Compares to: Javaris Crittenton.

21. Portland - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)

Motiejunas is by no means a perfect fit in Portland, but he is simply too talented of a prospect to fall any further than this. Maybe someone trades up here to grab him, or maybe Portland takes him themselves, either way he is great value at #21. It was not so long ago that Motiejunas was considered a front runner to go #1 in this draft. That is the kind of talent he has, and if his work ethic every matches the talent, he could be an all star. Compares to: Andrea Bargnani.

22. Denver - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)

Harris to Denver has been rumored for a while now, and it makes a lot of sense. Denver needs a small forward and Harris' game would fit in nicely with what George Karl is trying to do in Denver. Compares to: Jared Dudley.

23. Houston - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)

With all the uncertainty around Yao Ming, Houston needs to look to other options at center going forward. Vucevic is a skilled 7 footer who would step in and fill that need. The only question is if he will last until the 23rd pick. Compares to: Mehmet Okur.

24. Oklahoma City - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)

It was thought for a while now that Reggie Jackson had a promise from Boston at #25, but it is now looking more likely that the promise has come from Oklahoma City. They are shopping Eric Maynor currently and adding Jackson is likely the reason why. Compares to: George Hill.

25. Boston - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)

Boston needs to get a lot younger in the frontcourt. Harper is a talented big who could play power forward or center in the NBA. Compares to: LaMarcus Aldridge.

26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)

Dallas has a lot of depth and not a lot of holes to fill. They roll the dice here on the best shooting prospect since Dirk and let him learn from Dirk. Bertans is a long term prospect, but his upside is lotto level. Compares to: Mike Dunleavy.

27. New Jersey - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)

New Jersey is not trying to win right now, so it makes sense that they grab a high upside talent like Honeycutt. If he pans out, he can be a very good scorer on the wing someday. Compares to: Rasual Butler.

28. Chicago - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)

Chicago gets some insurance in case free agent Taj Gibson gets overpaid and leaves. Faried is a bit like a 6'7'' Joakim Noah, in that he plays hard and does the dirty work, but is not a big scorer. Compares to: Dejuan Blair.

29. San Antonio - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)

Pure upside pick here. San Antonio scouts outside of America better than anyone, so they no doubt have done their homework on Jeremy Tyler. He has lottery talent, but Derrick Coleman's brain. If any team can fix him, it is San Antonio. Compares to: Marcus Haislip.

30. Chicago - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)

Chicago needs help at shooting guard. Leslie is a talented kid with big time upside. He has yet to put his game together, but if he does, watch out. Compares to: (Poor man's) Dwyane Wade.

31. Miami - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
32. Cleveland - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
34. Washington - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
35. New Jersey - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
36. Sacramento - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
37. LA Clippers - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
38. Houston - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
39. Charlotte - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
42. Indiana - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
45. New Orleans - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
46. LA Lakers - Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
47. LA Clippers - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Diante Garrett (6'4'', PG, Iowa State, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
55. Boston - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - Julyan Stone (6'7'', PG, UTEP, Sr.)
57. Dallas - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
58. LA Lakers - Malcolm Thomas (6'9'', PF, San Diego State, Sr.)
59. San Antonio - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)
60. Sacramento - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)

June 20, 2011

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Utah - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
4. Cleveland - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
5. Toronto - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
6. Washington - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
7. Sacramento - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
8. Detroit - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
9. Charlotte - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
10. Milwaukee - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
11. Golden State - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
12. Utah - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
13. Phoenix - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
14. Houston - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
16. Philadelphia - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
17. New York - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
18. Washington - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
19. Charlotte - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
20. Minnesota - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
21. Portland - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
22. Denver - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
23. Houston - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Oklahoma City - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
25. Boston - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)
26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
27. New Jersey - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
28. Chicago - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
29. San Antonio - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
30. Chicago - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)

31. Miami - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
32. Cleveland - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
34. Washington - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
35. New Jersey - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
36. Sacramento - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
37. LA Clippers - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
38. Houston - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
39. Charlotte - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
42. Indiana - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
45. New Orleans - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
46. LA Lakers - Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
47. LA Clippers - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Diante Garrett (6'4'', PG, Iowa State, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
55. Boston - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - Julyan Stone (6'7'', PG, UTEP, Sr.)
57. Dallas - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
58. LA Lakers - Malcolm Thomas (6'9'', PF, San Diego State, Sr.)
59. San Antonio - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)
60. Sacramento - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)

June 18, 2011

MMA Rankings

Pound for Pound

1. Anderson Silva
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Jon Jones
5. Jon Fitch
6. Cain Velasquez
7. Frank Edgar
8. Dominick Cruz
9. Rashad Evans
10. Gray Maynard
11. Junior dos Santos
12. Gilbert Melendez
13. Jake Shields
14. Eddie Alvarez
15. BJ Penn
16. Mauricio Rua
17. Quentin Jackson
18. Lyoto Machida
19. Hatsu Hioki
20. Chael Sonnen
21. Urijah Faber
22. Nick Diaz
23. Forrest Griffin
24. Yushin Okami
25. Alistair Overeem


Heavyweight (265 lbs.)

1. Cain Velasquez
2. Junior dos Santos
3. Alistair Overeem
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Fabricio Werdum
6. Antonio Silva
7. Josh Barnett
8. Shane Carwin
9. Frank Mir
10. Fedor Emelianenko
11. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
12. Sergei Kharitonov
13. Brendan Schaub
14. Cole Konrad
15. Mike Russow
16. Ben Rothwell
17. Roy Nelson
18. Gabriel Gonzaga
19. Travis Browne
20. Cheick Kongo
21. Brett Rodgers
22. Shamil Abdurahimov
23. Matt Mitrione
24. Dave Herman
25. Daniel Cormier


Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

1. Jon Jones
2. Rashad Evans
3. Mauricio Rua
4. Quentin Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Dan Henderson
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Rich Franklin
10. Thiago Silva
11. Ryan Bader
12. Phil Davis
13. Rafael Cavalcante
14. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
15. Muhammed Lawal
16. Matt Hamill
17. Vladimir Matyushenko
18. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
19. Ryan Jimmo
20. Alexander Gustafsson
21. Roger Gracie
22. Stanislav Nedkov
23. Ricardo Arona
24. Tito Ortiz
25. Christian M'Pumbu


Middleweight (185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Yushin Okami
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Nate Marquart
6. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
7. Hector Lombard
8. Mamed Khalidov
9. Michael Bisping
10. Brian Stann
11. Mark Munoz
12. Jorge Santiago
13. Robbie Lawler
14. Demian Maia
15. Wanderlei Silva
16. Chris Leben
17. Tim Kennedy
18. Yoshihiro Akiyama
19. Alan Belcher
20. Rousimar Palhares
21. Thales Leites
22. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves
23. Alexander Shlemenko
24. Bryan Baker
25. Chris Weidman


Welterweight (170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. BJ Penn
5. Nick Diaz
6. Carlos Condit
7. Thiago Alves
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Ben Askren
11. Dong Hyun Kim
12. Rick Story
13. Anthony Johnson
14. Diego Sanchez
15. Paul Daley
16. Jay Hieron
17. Martin Kampmann
18. Paulo Thiago
19. Mike Pyle
20. Jake Ellenberger
21. Rory MacDonald
22. Mike Swick
23. Dan Hardy
24. John Hathaway
25. Siyar Bahadurzada


Lightweight (155 lbs.)

1. Frank Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Jim Miller
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Clay Guida
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. George Sotiropoulos
10. Sean Sherk
11. Melvin Guillard
12. Dennis Siver
13. Anthony Pettis
14. Evan Dunham
15. Ben Henderson
16. Katsunori Kikuno
17. Jadamba Narantungalag
18. Jacob Volkmann
19. Mizuto Hirota
20. Jeremy Stephens
21. Gleison Tibau
22. Jorge Masvidal
23. Nik Lentz
24. Josh Thomson
25. Sam Stout


Featherweight (145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Kenny Florian
4. Marlon Sandro
5. Bibiano Fernandes
6. Chad Mendes
7. Mark Hominick
8. Diego Nunes
9. Manny Gamburyan
10. Joachim Hansen
11. Joe Warren
12. Erik Koch
13. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
14. Dustin Poirier
15. Hiroyuki Takaya
16. Kazuyuki Miyata
17. Robert Peralta
18. Mitsuhiro Ishida
19. Yuji Hoshino
20. Rani Yahya
21. Takeshi Inoue
22. George Roop
23. Josh Grispi
24. Rafael Assuncao
25. Luis Palomino


Bantamweight (135 lbs.)

1. Dominick Cruz
2. Urijah Faber
3. Joseph Benavidez
4. Brian Bowles
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Miguel Angel Torres
8. Masakazu Imanari
9. Masakatsu Ueda
10. Takeya Mizugaki
11. Renan "Barao" Pegado
12. Eddie Wineland
13. Michael McDonald
14. Brad Pickett
15. Zach Makovsky
16. Hiroshi Nakamura
17. Wagnney Fabiano
18. Koetsu Okazaki
19. Eduardo Dantas
20. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
21. Abel Cullum
22. Jimmie Rivera
23. Damacio Page
24. Ivan Menjivar
25. Chase Beebe


Flyweight (125 lbs.)

1. Mamoru Yamaguchi
2. Ian McCall
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani
4. Kiyotaka Shimizu
5. Yuki Shojo
6. Mitsuhisa Sunabe
7. Alexis Vila
8. Rambaa Somdet
9. Darrell Montague
10. Jussier da Silva


Women (Pound for Pound)

1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
2. Miku Matsumoto
3. Marloes Coenen
4. Zoila Frausto
5. Megumi Fujii
6. Tara LaRosa
7. Sarah Kaufman
8. Gina Carano
9. Mei Yamaguchi
10. Yuka Tsuji
11. Yasuko Tamada
12. Miesha Tate
13. Rosi Sexton
14. Seo Hee Ham
15. Hitomi Akano
16. Roxanne Modafferi
17. Cat Zingano
18. Liz Carmouche
19. Lisa Ward
20. Takayo Hashi
21. Shayna Baszler
22. Hiroko Yamanaka
23. Rin Nakai
24. Jessica Pene
25. Jessica Aguilar

Top 25 Minor League Prospects

With Ackley and Lyles getting the call up, it is time for a new, updated list...

1. Bryce Harper (OF, Nationals)
2. Julio Teheran (P, Braves)
3. Mike Trout (OF, Angels)
4. Jameson Taillon (P, Pirates)
5. Brett Lawrie (3B, Blue Jays)
6. Jesus Montero (C, Yankees)
7. Manny Machado (SS, Orioles)
8. Matt Moore (P, Rays)
9. Gerrit Cole (P, Pirates)
10. Anthony Rendon (3B, Nationals)
11. Jacob Turner (P, Tigers)
12. Will Myers (OF, Royals)
13. Shelby Miller (P, Cardinals)
14. Martin Perez (P, Rangers)
15. Tyler Matzek (P, Rockies)
16. Jarrod Parker (P, Diamondbacks)
17. Travis D'Arnaud (C, Blue Jays)
18. Mike Montgomery (P, Royals)
19. Casey Kelly (P, Padres)
20. Desmond Jennings (OF, Rays)
21. Christian Colon (SS, Royals)
22. John Lamb (P, Royals)
23. Chris Archer (P, Rays)
24. Jonathan Singleton (1B, Phillies)
25. Drew Pomeranz (P, Indians)

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Utah - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
4. Cleveland - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
5. Toronto - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
6. Washington - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
7. Sacramento - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
8. Detroit - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
9. Charlotte - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
10. Milwaukee - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
11. Golden State - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
12. Utah - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
13. Phoenix - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
14. Houston - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
16. Philadelphia - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
17. New York - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
18. Washington - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
19. Charlotte - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
20. Minnesota - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
21. Portland - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
22. Denver - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
23. Houston - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Oklahoma City - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
25. Boston - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
27. New Jersey - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)
28. Chicago - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
29. San Antonio - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
30. Chicago - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)

31. Miami - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
32. Cleveland - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
34. Washington - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
35. New Jersey - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
36. Sacramento - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
37. LA Clippers - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
38. Houston - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
39. Charlotte - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
42. Indiana - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
45. New Orleans - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
46. LA Lakers - Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
47. LA Clippers - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Diante Garrett (6'4'', PG, Iowa State, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
55. Boston - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - Julyan Stone (6'7'', PG, UTEP, Sr.)
57. Dallas - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
58. LA Lakers - Malcolm Thomas (6'9'', PF, San Diego State, Sr.)
59. San Antonio - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)
60. Sacramento - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)

June 16, 2011

2011 NBA Draft Big Board (With Tiers)

Tier 1: Star Potential

1. Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)


Tier 2: Very Good NBA Starters

3. Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
4. Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
5. Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
6. Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
7. Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
8. Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)


Tier 3: Good NBA Starters

9. Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
10. Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
11. Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
12. Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
13. Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
14. Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
15. Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)


Tier 4: Solid NBA Role Players

16. Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
17. Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
18. Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
19. Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)


Tier 5: Potential Starters (But, With Risk)

20. Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
21. Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
22. Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
23. Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)


Tier 6: Solid Rotation Players

25. Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
26. Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
27. Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
28. Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
29. Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
30. Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
31. JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)


Tier 7: Possible Rotation Players (Eventually)

32. Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
33. Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
34. Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
35. Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
36. Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
37. Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
38. Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
39. Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
40. Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
41. Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
42. Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
43. Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
45. Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
46. Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
47. Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
48. Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
49. Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
50. Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)

June 15, 2011

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Utah - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
4. Cleveland - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
5. Toronto - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
6. Washington - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
7. Sacramento - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
8. Detroit - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
9. Charlotte - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
10. Milwaukee - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
11. Golden State - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
12. Utah - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
13. Phoenix - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
14. Houston - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
16. Philadelphia - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
17. New York - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
18. Washington - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
19. Charlotte - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
20. Minnesota - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
21. Portland - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
22. Denver - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
23. Houston - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Oklahoma City - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
25. Boston - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
27. New Jersey - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
28. Chicago - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
29. San Antonio - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
30. Chicago - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)

31. Miami - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
32. Cleveland - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
34. Washington - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
35. New Jersey - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
36. Sacramento - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
37. LA Clippers - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
38. Houston - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
39. Charlotte - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
42. Indiana - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
45. New Orleans - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
46. LA Lakers - Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
47. LA Clippers - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Diante Garrett (6'4'', PG, Iowa State, Sr.)
55. Boston - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - Julyan Stone (6'7'', PG, UTEP, Sr.)
57. Dallas - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
58. LA Lakers - Malcolm Thomas (6'9'', PF, Dan Diego State, Sr.)
59. San Antonio - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)
60. Sacramento - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)

June 14, 2011

Top 25 All Time NBA/ABA Players

1. Michael Jordan
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Magic Johnson
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Bill Russell
7. Larry Bird
8. Tim Duncan
9. Oscar Robertson
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
11. Julius Erving
12. Kobe Bryant
13. Karl Malone
14. Bob Pettit
15. Jerry West
16. Moses Malone
17. Bob Cousy
18. George Mikan
19. Dirk Nowitzki
20. David Robinson
21. Charles Barkley
22. Kevin Garnett
23. Elgin Baylor
24. John Stockton
25. John Havlicek

June 13, 2011

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Utah - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
4. Cleveland - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
5. Toronto - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
6. Washington - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
7. Sacramento - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
8. Detroit - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
9. Charlotte - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
10. Milwaukee - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
11. Golden State - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
12. Utah - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
13. Phoenix - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
14. Houston - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
16. Philadelphia - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
17. New York - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
18. Washington - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
19. Charlotte - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
20. Minnesota - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
21. Portland - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
22. Denver - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
23. Houston - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Oklahoma City - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
25. Boston - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
27. New Jersey - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
28. Chicago - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
29. San Antonio - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
30. Chicago - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)

31. Miami - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
32. Cleveland - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
34. Washington - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
35. New Jersey - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
36. Sacramento - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
37. LA Clippers - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
38. Houston - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
39. Charlotte - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
42. Indiana - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
45. New Orleans - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
46. LA Lakers - Andrew Goudelock (6'3'', PG, College of Charleston, Sr.)
47. LA Clippers - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Diante Garrett (6'4'', PG, Iowa State, Sr.)
55. Boston - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - Furkan Aldemir (6'9'', PF, Turkey)
57. Dallas - Joffrey Lauvergne (6'10'', PF, France)
58. LA Lakers - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
59. San Antonio - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)
60. Sacramento - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)

June 11, 2011

MMA Rankings

Pound for Pound

1. Anderson Silva
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Jon Jones
5. Jon Fitch
6. Cain Velasquez
7. Frank Edgar
8. Dominick Cruz
9. Rashad Evans
10. Gray Maynard
11. Junior dos Santos
12. Gilbert Melendez
13. Jake Shields
14. Eddie Alvarez
15. BJ Penn
16. Mauricio Rua
17. Quentin Jackson
18. Lyoto Machida
19. Fabricio Werdum
20. Hatsu Hioki
21. Chael Sonnen
22. Urijah Faber
23. Nick Diaz
24. Forrest Griffin
25. Yushin Okami


Heavyweight (265 lbs.)

1. Cain Velasquez
2. Junior dos Santos
3. Fabricio Werdum
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Alistair Overeem
6. Antonio Silva
7. Shane Carwin
8. Frank Mir
9. Fedor Emelianenko
10. Josh Barnett
11. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
12. Sergei Kharitonov
13. Brendan Schaub
14. Cole Konrad
15. Brett Rodgers
16. Mike Russow
17. Ben Rothwell
18. Roy Nelson
19. Gabriel Gonzaga
20. Travis Browne
21. Cheick Kongo
22. Shamil Abdurahimov
23. Pedro Rizzo
24. Matt Mitrione
25. Dave Herman


Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

1. Jon Jones
2. Rashad Evans
3. Mauricio Rua
4. Quentin Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Dan Henderson
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Rich Franklin
10. Thiago Silva
11. Ryan Bader
12. Phil Davis
13. Rafael Cavalcante
14. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
15. Muhammed Lawal
16. Matt Hamill
17. Vladimir Matyushenko
18. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
19. Ryan Jimmo
20. Alexander Gustafsson
21. Roger Gracie
22. Stanislav Nedkov
23. Ricardo Arona
24. Tito Ortiz
25. Christian M'Pumbu


Middleweight (185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Yushin Okami
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Nate Marquart
6. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
7. Hector Lombard
8. Mamed Khalidov
9. Michael Bisping
10. Brian Stann
11. Mark Munoz
12. Jorge Santiago
13. Robbie Lawler
14. Demian Maia
15. Wanderlei Silva
16. Chris Leben
17. Tim Kennedy
18. Yoshihiro Akiyama
19. Alan Belcher
20. Rousimar Palhares
21. Thales Leites
22. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves
23. Alexander Shlemenko
24. Bryan Baker
25. Chris Weidman


Welterweight (170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. BJ Penn
5. Nick Diaz
6. Carlos Condit
7. Thiago Alves
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Ben Askren
11. Dong Hyun Kim
12. Rick Story
13. Anthony Johnson
14. Diego Sanchez
15. Paul Daley
16. Jay Hieron
17. Martin Kampmann
18. Paulo Thiago
19. Mike Pyle
20. Jake Ellenberger
21. Rory MacDonald
22. Mike Swick
23. Dan Hardy
24. John Hathaway
25. Siyar Bahadurzada


Lightweight (155 lbs.)

1. Frank Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Jim Miller
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Clay Guida
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. George Sotiropoulos
10. Sean Sherk
11. Melvin Guillard
12. Dennis Siver
13. Anthony Pettis
14. Evan Dunham
15. Ben Henderson
16. Katsunori Kikuno
17. Jadamba Narantungalag
18. Jacob Volkmann
19. Mizuto Hirota
20. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante
21. Jeremy Stephens
22. Gleison Tibau
23. Josh Thomson
24. Nik Lentz
25. Jorge Masvidal


Featherweight (145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Kenny Florian
4. Marlon Sandro
5. Bibiano Fernandes
6. Chad Mendes
7. Mark Hominick
8. Diego Nunes
9. Manny Gamburyan
10. Joachim Hansen
11. Joe Warren
12. Erik Koch
13. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
14. Dustin Poirier
15. Hiroyuki Takaya
16. Kazuyuki Miyata
17. Robert Peralta
18. Mitsuhiro Ishida
19. Yuji Hoshino
20. Rani Yahya
21. Takeshi Inoue
22. George Roop
23. Josh Grispi
24. Rafael Assuncao
25. Luis Palomino


Bantamweight (135 lbs.)

1. Dominick Cruz
2. Urijah Faber
3. Joseph Benavidez
4. Brian Bowles
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Miguel Angel Torres
8. Masakazu Imanari
9. Masakatsu Ueda
10. Takeya Mizugaki
11. Renan "Barao" Pegado
12. Eddie Wineland
13. Michael McDonald
14. Brad Pickett
15. Zach Makovsky
16. Hiroshi Nakamura
17. Wagnney Fabiano
18. Koetsu Okazaki
19. Eduardo Dantas
20. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
21. Abel Cullum
22. Jimmie Rivera
23. Damacio Page
24. Ivan Menjivar
25. Chase Beebe


Flyweight (125 lbs.)

1. Mamoru Yamaguchi
2. Ian McCall
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani
4. Kiyotaka Shimizu
5. Yuki Shojo
6. Mitsuhisa Sunabe
7. Alexis Vila
8. Rambaa Somdet
9. Darrell Montague
10. Jussier da Silva


Women (Pound for Pound)

1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
2. Miku Matsumoto
3. Marloes Coenen
4. Zoila Frausto
5. Megumi Fujii
6. Tara LaRosa
7. Sarah Kaufman
8. Gina Carano
9. Mei Yamaguchi
10. Yuka Tsuji
11. Yasuko Tamada
12. Miesha Tate
13. Rosi Sexton
14. Seo Hee Ham
15. Hitomi Akano
16. Roxanne Modafferi
17. Cat Zingano
18. Liz Carmouche
19. Lisa Ward
20. Takayo Hashi
21. Shayna Baszler
22. Hiroko Yamanaka
23. Rin Nakai
24. Jessica Pene
25. Jessica Aguilar

Top 25 Minor League Prospects

Another round of call ups, another list...

1. Bryce Harper (OF, Nationals)
2. Julio Teheran (P, Braves)
3. Mike Trout (OF, Angels)
4. Dustin Ackley (2B, Mariners)
5. Jameson Taillon (P, Pirates)
6. Brett Lawrie (3B, Blue Jays)
7. Jesus Montero (C, Yankees)
8. Manny Machado (SS, Orioles)
9. Gerrit Cole (SP, Pirates)
10. Will Myers (OF, Royals)
11. Anthony Rendon (3B, Nationals)
12. Jacob Turner (P, Tigers)
13. Desmond Jennings (OF, Rays)
14. Shelby Miller (P, Cardinals)
15. Matt Moore (P, Rays)
16. Jordan Lyles (SP, Astros)
17. Travis D'Arnaud (C, Blue Jays)
18. Martin Perez (P, Rangers)
19. Tyler Matzek (P, Rockies)
20. Christian Colon (SS, Royals)
21. Jarrod Parker (P, Diamondbacks)
22. Mike Montgomery (P, Royals)
23. Chris Archer (P, Rays)
24. John Lamb (P, Royals)
25. Drew Pomeranz (P, Indians)

June 10, 2011

2011 NBA Draft Big Board

1. Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
4. Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
5. Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
6. Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
7. Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
8. Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
9. Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
10. Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
11. Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
12. Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
13. Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
14. Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
15. Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
16. Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
17. Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
18. Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
19. Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
20. Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
21. Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
22. Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
23. Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
24. Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
25. Lucas Nogueira (7'0'', C, Brazil)
26. Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
27. Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
28. Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)
29. Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
30. Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
31. Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
32. JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
33. Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
34. Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
35. Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
36. Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
37. Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
38. Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
39. Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
40. Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
41. Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
42. Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
43. Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
44. Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
45. Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
46. Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
47. Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
48. Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
50. Joffrey Lauvergne (6'10'', PF, France)

June 07, 2011

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland - Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Minnesota - Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
3. Utah - Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
4. Cleveland - Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
5. Toronto - Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
6. Washington - Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
7. Sacramento - Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
8. Detroit - Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
9. Charlotte - Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
10. Milwaukee - Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
11. Golden State - Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
12. Utah - Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
13. Phoenix - Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
14. Houston - Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
15. Indiana - Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
16. Philadelphia - Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
17. New York - Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
18. Washington - Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
19. Charlotte - Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
20. Minnesota - Nikola Vucevic (7'0'', C, USC, Jr.)
21. Portland - Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
22. Denver - Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
23. Houston - Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
24. Oklahoma City - Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
25. Boston - Lucas Nogueira (7'0'', C, Brazil)
26. Dallas - Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
27. New Jersey - Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
28. Chicago - Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
29. San Antonio - Iman Shumpert (6'5'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
30. Chicago - Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)

31. Miami - Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)
32. Cleveland - Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
33. Detroit - Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
34. Washington - Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
35. New Jersey - JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
36. Sacramento - Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)
37. LA Clippers - Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)
38. Houston - Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
39. Charlotte - Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
40. Milwaukee - Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
41. LA Lakers - Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
42. Indiana - Chandler Parsons (6'8'', SF, Florida, Sr.)
43. Chicago - Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
44. Golden State - Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
45. New Orleans - Jon Leuer (6'10'', PF, Wisconsin, Sr.)
46. LA Lakers - Scottie Hopson (6'7'', SF, Tennessee, Jr.)
47. LA Clippers - Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)
48. Atlanta - Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
49. Memphis - DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
50. Philadelphia - Jereme Richmond (6'7'', SF, Illinois, Fresh.)
51. Portland - Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
52. Detroit - Bojan Bogdanovic (6'7'', SF, Croatia)
53. Orlando - Jamie Skeen (6'9'', PF, VCU, Sr.)
54. Cleveland - Furkan Aldemir (6'9'', PF, Turkey)
55. Boston - Justin Holiday (6'6'', SF, Washington, Sr.)
56. LA Lakers - E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)
57. Dallas - Joffrey Lauvergne (6'10'', PF, France)
58. LA Lakers - Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
59. San Antonio - Isaiah Thomas (5'10'', PG, Washington, Jr.)
60. Sacramento - Matthew Bryan-Amaning (6'8'', PF, Washington, Sr.)

June 05, 2011

MMA Rankings

Pound for Pound

1. Anderson Silva
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Jon Jones
5. Jon Fitch
6. Cain Velasquez
7. Frank Edgar
8. Dominick Cruz
9. Rashad Evans
10. Gray Maynard
11. Gilbert Melendez
12. Jake Shields
13. Eddie Alvarez
14. BJ Penn
15. Mauricio Rua
16. Quentin Jackson
17. Junior dos Santos
18. Lyoto Machida
19. Fabricio Werdum
20. Hatsu Hioki
21. Chael Sonnen
22. Urijah Faber
23. Nick Diaz
24. Forrest Griffin
25. Yushin Okami


Heavyweight (265 lbs.)

1. Cain Velasquez
2. Junior dos Santos
3. Fabricio Werdum
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Alistair Overeem
6. Shane Carwin
7. Antonio Silva
8. Frank Mir
9. Fedor Emelianenko
10. Josh Barnett
11. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira
12. Sergei Kharitonov
13. Brendan Schaub
14. Cole Konrad
15. Brett Rodgers
16. Mike Russow
17. Ben Rothwell
18. Roy Nelson
19. Gabriel Gonzaga
20. Travis Browne
21. Cheick Kongo
22. Shamil Abdurahimov
23. Pedro Rizzo
24. Shane del Rosario
25. Matt Mitrione


Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

1. Jon Jones
2. Rashad Evans
3. Mauricio Rua
4. Quentin Jackson
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Dan Henderson
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Rich Franklin
10. Thiago Silva
11. Ryan Bader
12. Phil Davis
13. Rafael Cavalcante
14. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
15. Muhammed Lawal
16. Matt Hamill
17. Vladimir Matyushenko
18. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
19. Ryan Jimmo
20. Alexander Gustafsson
21. Roger Gracie
22. Stanislav Nedkov
23. Ricardo Arona
24. Tito Ortiz
25. Christian M'Pumbu


Middleweight (185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Yushin Okami
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Nate Marquart
6. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
7. Hector Lombard
8. Mamed Khalidov
9. Michael Bisping
10. Brian Stann
11. Jorge Santiago
12. Robbie Lawler
13. Demian Maia
14. Wanderlei Silva
15. Chris Leben
16. Mark Munoz
17. Tim Kennedy
18. Yoshihiro Akiyama
19. Alan Belcher
20. Rousimar Palhares
21. Thales Leites
22. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves
23. Alexander Shlemenko
24. Bryan Baker
25. Riki Fukuda


Welterweight (170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. BJ Penn
5. Nick Diaz
6. Carlos Condit
7. Thiago Alves
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Ben Askren
11. Dong Hyun Kim
12. Rick Story
13. Anthony Johnson
14. Diego Sanchez
15. Paul Daley
16. Jay Hieron
17. Martin Kampmann
18. Paulo Thiago
19. Mike Pyle
20. Jake Ellenberger
21. Rory MacDonald
22. Mike Swick
23. Dan Hardy
24. John Hathaway
25. Siyar Bahadurzada


Lightweight (155 lbs.)

1. Frank Edgar
2. Gray Maynard
3. Gilbert Melendez
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Kenny Florian
6. Jim Miller
7. Shinya Aoki
8. Clay Guida
9. Tatsuya Kawajiri
10. George Sotiropoulos
11. Sean Sherk
12. Melvin Guillard
13. Dennis Siver
14. Anthony Pettis
15. Evan Dunham
16. Ben Henderson
17. Katsunori Kikuno
18. Jadamba Narantungalag
19. Jacob Volkmann
20. Mizuto Hirota
21. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante
22. Jeremy Stephens
23. Gleison Tibau
24. Josh Thomson
25. Nik Lentz


Featherweight (145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo
2. Hatsu Hioki
3. Marlon Sandro
4. Diego Nunes
5. Bibiano Fernandes
6. Chad Mendes
7. Mark Hominick
8. Manny Gamburyan
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Joe Warren
11. Dustin Poirier
12. Erik Koch
13. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire
14. Hiroyuki Takaya
15. Kazuyuki Miyata
16. Michihiro Omigawa
17. Robert Peralta
18. Mitsuhiro Ishida
19. Yuji Hoshino
20. Rani Yahya
21. Takeshi Inoue
22. George Roop
23. Josh Grispi
24. Rafael Assuncao
25. Luis Palomino


Bantamweight (135 lbs.)

1. Dominick Cruz
2. Urijah Faber
3. Joseph Benavidez
4. Brian Bowles
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Scott Jorgensen
7. Miguel Angel Torres
8. Masakazu Imanari
9. Masakatsu Ueda
10. Takeya Mizugaki
11. Renan "Barao" Pegado
12. Eddie Wineland
13. Michael McDonald
14. Brad Pickett
15. Zach Makovsky
16. Hiroshi Nakamura
17. Wagnney Fabiano
18. Koetsu Okazaki
19. Eduardo Dantas
20. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
21. Abel Cullum
22. Jimmie Rivera
23. Damacio Page
24. Ivan Menjivar
25. Chase Beebe


Flyweight (125 lbs.)

1. Mamoru Yamaguchi
2. Ian McCall
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani
4. Kiyotaka Shimizu
5. Yuki Shojo
6. Mitsuhisa Sunabe
7. Alexis Vila
8. Rambaa Somdet
9. Darrell Montague
10. Jussier da Silva


Women (Pound for Pound)

1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
2. Miku Matsumoto
3. Marloes Coenen
4. Zoila Frausto
5. Megumi Fujii
6. Tara LaRosa
7. Sarah Kaufman
8. Gina Carano
9. Mei Yamaguchi
10. Yuka Tsuji
11. Yasuko Tamada
12. Miesha Tate
13. Rosi Sexton
14. Seo Hee Ham
15. Hitomi Akano
16. Roxanne Modafferi
17. Cat Zingano
18. Liz Carmouche
19. Lisa Ward
20. Takayo Hashi
21. Shayna Baszler
22. Hiroko Yamanaka
23. Rin Nakai
24. Jessica Pene
25. Jessica Aguilar

June 04, 2011

Top 20 College Football Coaching Jobs

1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Ohio State
4. Florida
5. USC
6. LSU
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida State
9. Michigan
10. Oregon
11. Georgia
12. Notre Dame
13. Auburn
14. Nebraska
15. Virginia Tech
16. Tennessee
17. Penn State
18. Clemson
19. Wisconsin
20. Washington

NBA Draft Top 10 By Position

PG

1. Kyrie Irving (6'2'', PG, Duke, Fresh.)
2. Brandon Knight (6'3'', PG, Kentucky, Fresh.)
3. Kemba Walker (6'0'', PG, UConn, Jr.)
4. Jimmer Fredette (6'2'', PG, BYU, Sr.)
5. Darius Morris (6'4'', PG, Michigan, Soph.)
6. Cory Joseph (6'3'', PG, Texas, Fresh.)
7. Nolan Smith (6'3'', PG, Duke, Sr.)
8. Shelvin Mack (6'2'', PG, Butler, Jr.)
9. Iman Shumpert (6'4'', PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.)
10. Norris Cole (6'2'', PG, Cleveland State, Sr.)


SG

1. Alec Burks (6'6'', SG, Colorado, Soph.)
2. Klay Thompson (6'6'', SG, Washington State, Jr.)
3. Marshon Brooks (6'5'', SG, Providence, Sr.)
4. Reggie Jackson (6'3'', SG, Boston College, Jr.)
5. Travis Leslie (6'4'', SG, Georgia, Jr.)
6. Josh Selby (6'2'', SG, Kansas, Fresh.)
7. Malcolm Lee (6'5'', SG, UCLA, Jr.)
8. DeAndre Liggins (6'6'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
9. Charles Jenkins (6'3'', SG, Hofstra, Sr.)
10. E'Twaun Moore (6'4'', SG, Purdue, Sr.)


SF

1. Derrick Williams (6'9'', SF, Arizona, Soph.)
2. Jan Vesely (6'11'', SF, Czech Republic)
3. Kawhi Leonard (6'7'', SF, San Diego State, Soph.)
4. Jordan Hamilton (6'7'', SF, Texas, Soph.)
5. Davis Bertans (6'10'', SF, Latvia)
6. Chris Singleton (6'8'', SF, Florida State, Jr.)
7. Tobias Harris (6'8'', SF, Tennessee, Fresh.)
8. Tyler Honeycutt (6'8'', SF, UCLA, Soph.)
9. Jimmy Butler (6'7'', SF, Marquette, Sr.)
10. Kyle Singler (6'9'', SF, Duke, Sr.)


PF

1. Bismack Biyombo (6'9'', PF, Congo)
2. Tristan Thompson (6'9'', PF, Texas, Fresh.)
3. Donatas Motiejunas (7'0'', PF, Lithuania)
4. Marcus Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
5. Markieff Morris (6'9'', PF, Kansas, Jr.)
6. Kenneth Faried (6'8'', PF, Morehead State, Sr.)
7. Justin Harper (6'10'', PF, Richmond, Sr.)
8. JaJuan Johnson (6'10'', PF, Purdue, Sr.)
9. Nikola Mirotic (6'10'', PF, Montenegro)
10. Trey Thompkins (6'9'', PF, Georgia, Jr.)


C

1. Enes Kanter (6'11'', C, Turkey)
2. Jonas Valanciunas (6'10'', C, Lithuania)
3. Nikola Vucevic (6'11'', C, USC, Jr.)
4. Lucas Nogueira (7'0'', C, Brazil)
5. Jordan Williams (6'10'', C, Maryland, Soph.)
6. Jeremy Tyler (6'10'', C, USA)
7. Keith Benson (6'11'', C, Oakland, Sr.)
8. Greg Smith (6'10'', C, Fresno State, Soph.)
9. Michael Dunigan (6'10'', C, USA)
10. Giorgi Shermadini (7'1'', C, Georgia)