NCAA

Each First Round Draft Pick From The 2019 NFL Draft

| HoopsPlace
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

That’s it! The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft is over and some of the biggest names are officially off the board. Here are every draft pick from the first round:

Selection No. 1 – Arizona Cardinals: QB Kyler Murray

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Selection No. 2 – San Francisco 49ers: DE Nick Bosa

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Selection No. 3 – New York Jets: DT Quinnen Williams

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Selection No. 4 – Oakland Raiders: DE Clelin Ferrell

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Selection No. 5 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Devin White

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Selection No. 6 – New York Giants: QB Daniel Jones

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Selection No. 7 – Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Josh Allen

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Selection No. 8 – Detroit Lions: TE TJ Hockenson

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Selection No. 9 – Buffalo Bills: DT Ed Oliver

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Selection No. 10 – Pittsburgh Steelers (Via Broncos): LB Devin Bush

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Selection No. 11 – Cincinnati Bengals: OT Jonah Williams

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Selection No. 12 – Green Bay Packers: DE Rashan Gary

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Selection No. 13 – Miami Dolphins: DT Christian Wilkins

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Selection No. 14 – Atlanta Falcons: G/T Chris Lindstrom

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Selection No. 15 – Washington Redskins: QB Dwayne Haskins

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Selection No. 16 – Carolina Panthers: OLB Brian Burns

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Selection No. 17 – New York Giants (Via Browns): DT Dexter Lawrence

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Selection No. 18 – Minnesota Vikings: C Garrett Bradbury

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Selection No. 19 – Tennessee Titans: DT Jeffery Simmons

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Selection No. 20 – Denver Broncos (Via Steelers): TE Noah Fant

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Selection No. 21 – Green Bay Packers (Via Seahawks): S Darnell Savage

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Selection No. 22 – Philadelphia Eagles (Via Ravens): T Andre Dillard

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Selection No. 23 – Houston Texans: T Tytus Howard

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Selection No. 24 – Oakland Raiders (Via Bears): RB Josh Jacobs

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Selection No. 25 – Baltimore Ravens (Via Eagles): WR Marquise Brown

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Selection No. 26 – Washington Redskins (Via Colts): DE Montez Sweat

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Selection No. 27 – Oakland Raiders (Via Cowboys): S Johnathan Abram

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Selection No. 28 – Los Angeles Chargers: DT Jerry Tillery

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Selection No. 29 – Seattle Seahawks (Via Chiefs): DE L.J. Collier

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Selection No. 30 – New York Giants (Via Seahawks/Packers/Saints): CB Deandre Baker

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Selection No. 31 – Atlanta Falcons (Via Rams): T Kaleb McGary

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Selection No. 32 – New England Patriots: WR N’Keal Harry

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Top 10 Greatest Saints To Ever Play

| HoopsPlace

Johnathon Vilma, Pat Swilling, Mark Ingram. All dominate Saints players yet they didn’t make the cut for my personal top 10 Saints players. Here is my top 10 Saints players.

Number 10: DE Will Smith

Super Bowl winning DE Will Smith was murdered tragically April 9th, 2016. Will Smith’s greatest play, in my opinion, was Tracy Porter’s game-sealing interception as he laid a key block on Peyton Manning.

Number 9: QB Archie Manning

Although it was another era when Saints fans typically wore paper bags over their heads, there was a shining star at QB by the name of Archie Manning. He gave the Saints hope yet we were typically considered the “laughing stock of the league.”

Number 8: WR Joe Horn

WR Joe Horn was not only a great receiver, he was a hilarious personality to have around New Orleans. He’s iconically know for his cell phone celebration after a touchdown.

Number 7: LB Sam Mills

LB Sam Mills passed away August 3rd, 2005 after a battle with colon cancer. Mills was inducted into the Saints and Panthers Hall of Fame. Mills is the inspiration behind the Panthers’ slogan “Keep Pounding.” He was in “Dome Patrol.” The “Dome Patrol” was a nickname for the Saints linebacking corp.

Number 6: OL Willie Roaf

OT Willie Roaf, aka “Nasty,” played for the Saints and Chiefs for thirteen seasons. He was such an exceptional tackle, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Number 5: RB Deuce McAllister

DEUCEEEEE!!! Deuce McAllister is the greatest running back in Saints history. He was drafted out of Ole Miss in the first round and spent eight seasons with the Saints.

Number 4: WR Marques Colston

WR Marques Colston, the greatest WR to never make a Pro Bowl. After drafted in the seventh round out of Hofstra, he was never looked at tremendously. He has just under 10,000 career yards (9,759) and 72 touchdowns.

Number 3: K Morten Anderson

K Morten Andersen is one of the greatest kickers ever after just being passed by ageless K Adam Vinatieri. Andersen ended his career with 2,544 points. He was inducted into the 2017 Hall of Fame class.

Number 2: LB Rickey Jackson

HOF LB Rickey Jackson was inducted into the 2010 class. Jackson was the leader of the “Dome Patrol.” The “Dome Patrol” consisted of Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson and Pat Swilling.

Number 1: QB Drew Brees

Although this may be obvious, I placed Brees as the greatest Saint ever because after Hurricane Katrina, the Saints, and quite frankly, the whole city of New Orleans was in desperate need of a hero. The Saints were rumored to be relocated to San Antonio if NOLA couldn’t recover. Within a few years of being signed, Brees brought a Lombardi to NOLA.

Photo Credits : Canal Street Chronicles {#10-3}{Cover Photo}, Pro Football HOF {#2}, NY Times {#1}

Jayrone Elliott: Saints Best AAF Prospect

| HoopsPlace

Former San Antonio Commanders’ LB/DE Jayrone Elliott would add great depth to the Saints’ defensive line and linebackers.

Elliott, who led the AAF in sacks with 7.5 in just 8 games, was a Packers linebacker a few years back and already spent time in New Orleans during the preseason.

With the Saints losing DT Sheldon Rankins for the beginning of the season due to a torn achilles and the lack of depth at the linebacker position for us, Jayrone Elliott could supply us with “breathing room” per se. Elliot is a great pass rusher and for him to learn with one of the game’s best in Cam Jordan can be very beneficial for him.

The 6’3″, 255lbs linebacker nearly missed the 53-man roster cut off and had to sign with the AAF in the meantime.

Fun Fact: LB Jayrone Elliott, CB Marshon Lattimore, WR Ted Ginn Jr, and ST/CB Justin Hardee all attended Glenville High School in Cleveland, OH.

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March Madness 2019: Who’s In and Who’s Out

| HoopsPlace
Image via NCAA

It’s here, March Madness! The college basketball national tournament kicks off Tuesday, and with the bracket set and ready to roll, we recap who’s in and who’s out.

Overall NCAA Tournament Field:

The four #1 overall seeds are Duke, Virginia, Gonzaga, and North Carolina, with Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Kentucky filling out the #2 overall seeds.

The Big Ten led all conference representation with 8 teams from the conference making the tournament. The ACC and SEC each had 7 teams, while the Big 12 had 6.

Out of the bubble teams, Belmont, Temple, St. John’s, and Arizona State were the last four in, with Alabama, UNC Greensboro, TCU, and Indiana being the first four out.

The tournament kicks off Tuesday, March 19, and can be streamed on the March Madness Live app or site.

CBB Power 5 Conference Champs Recap

| HoopsPlace
Image via Duke Athletics

With the college basketball conference championship games coming to a close, We recap the winners from the top five, “Power 5,” conferences below.

ACC

#3 Duke defeated #4 Florida State 73-63 to win the ACC championship, their 21st in school history, and their second in three years.

Duke’s star freshmen led the Blue Devils, with all four scoring in double digits. Zion Williamson led them with 21, Tre Jones added another 18, RJ Barrett had 17 of his own, while Cam Reddish finished with 11. Mfiondu Kabengele led the Seminoles with 14 points of his own.

Duke is and has been, in many people’s eyes, the best team in the country. They are headed into the national tournament with an ACC title, and more importantly, it seems their best player, Zion Williamson, is at 100%.

Big Ten 

#1 Michigan State closed out a close 65-60 victory over #3 Michigan to secure their third Big Ten championship in six years.

Matt McQuaid led the Spartans with 27 points while teammate Cassius Winston added 14 points and 11 assists. The Wolverines had three players score in double-digits with Ignas Brazdeikis leading all of them with 19.

In a well-fought game that came down to the wire, the Spartans pulled it out and are headed to the national tournament as a probable number one seed.

Big 12

#5 Iowa State beat #3 Kansas 78-66, becoming the lowest seed to ever win the Big 12 tournament. It was also Iowa State’s fourth time winning the tournament in the last six years, last time being 2017.

Lindell Wigginton led the Cyclones in scoring with 17, along with 6 rebounds, while Michael Jacobson added 14, and Marial Shayok added another 15. Dedric Lawson led the way and poured in 18 for the Jayhawks.

The Cyclones dominated. Leading in almost every major statistical category, with the Jayhawks only leading in rebounding, Iowa State will see themselves in the dance once again.

Pac 12

#6 Oregon dominated #1 Washington, winning 68-48 and securing the Pac-12 championship. This is Oregon’s first conference championship since 2016 and they earned it.

Payton Pritchard led the Ducks in scoring with 20, while teammates Louis King and Paul White dropped 15 and 14, respectively. The Huskies had zero players score in double digits with Jaylen Nowell leading them with 8.

After losing their superstar freshman, Bol Bol, to a season-ending injury earlier in the season, and finishing in sixth place in the uncharacteristically weak Pac-12 conference, the Ducks now see themselves in the dance once again, just two years removed from a final four appearance.

SEC

#5 Auburn upset #3 Tennessee 84-64 to win the SEC championship for the first time in over 30 years, and also ending Kentucky’s four year run at it.

Bryce Brown led the Tigers with 19 points, with teammate Chuma Okeke dropping a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Lamonte Turner dropped 24 points in the loss for the Volunteers.

The Volunteers were gunning for a number one seed in the national tournament, and most likely would’ve secured it if it wasn’t for Auburn’s upset. They still could but it will now come down to the committee as the conference championships come to a close.

SEC Quarterfinal Recap: Mississippi State v.s. Tennessee

| Cam Eanes

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN was filled with orange and white for the first SEC tournament game for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Strength and Condition Coach, as they call him, “G” , was the one called upon to fly, because #OneFlyWeAllFly .

The Bulldogs kept it close throughout most of the game, despite Kyle Alexander and Grant Williams getting out to a great start. Kyle recorded 8 pts, 4 boards, went 4-6 from the field, had 2 steals and 2 blocks through the first half, while Grant had 10 pts, 3 boards, 1 steal and was 5-11 from the field. Second chance points killed the Vols where Mississippi State had a slight advantage on the offensive glass. Admiral Schofield also came out with ferocious effort and energy, but the Vols would allow State to pull it within 6 going into the half. Here’s what the scene looked like after 20.

UT_MSST_HALFStats

Quinndary Weatherspoon carried the dogs in the first half and led the surge at the end of the first half. Q and Aric Holman would continue to carry the team throughout the second half, while the Vols allowed for State to stay in the game with poor defense to start the second half. Jordan Bone also showed off his blow-by quickness multiple times in transition and absolutely cut through transition defense like a hot knife through butter. John Fulkerson solidified his spot as a key role player off the bench with 10 minutes, 2 pts, 3 boards, 1 steal and 1 block. Grant did what everyone expects the SEC P.O.Y. to do by absolutely dominating the dogs, but found foul trouble early in the second half, acquiring his third foul before the 11 minute mark. Shortly after Grant sitting, Admiral decided to blow the roof off of Bridgestone Arena with the murderous poster of a State freshman, and we will not share his name because THIS MAN HAS A FAMILY. Grant perfectly exemplifies everyone’s thoughts on the slam.

The Bulldogs would consequently use their final timeout with 9:20 left in the half, which is insane, but when VolNation is #FeedingTheFloor , you’ve got to try and mitigate that advantage. Mississippi State would hang just outside of reach of the lead and finish losing to the Vols 83-76. Grant finished the night fouling out with 47.8 seconds left with 16 points on 8 of 17 shooting, 4 boards, a block and a steal. Admiral collected 20 points on 9 of 12 from the field with 7 boards and 2 assists. Alexander and Bone both played great with Kyle scoring 16 on 8-11 with 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 steals and Bone scoring 14 with 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Lamonte Turner also came out in a distribution role that worked very well for the Vols racking up 5 points with 8 assists and 4 steals. Turner has struggled recently with not shooting over 30% from the 3 point line in the last 6 games, and only shooting over 40% from the field once in those games. Despite this, Turner has posted a 2.72 Assist Turnover Ratio. If Turner can continue to distribute the basketball while his shooting struggles continue, and the Vols keep on the upswing of how they are playing, they will be a very hard out for anyone in the rest of the SEC tournament and the big dance.

Featured Image via Tennessee Basketball Twitter (@Vol_Hoops)

ZION IS BACK

| HoopsPlace
Image via Getty Images

Thursday morning, the Duke Blue Devils announced that their superstar freshman, Zion Williamson, is returning to action tonight in their ACC tournament opener against Syracuse. The news comes almost a month after Zion suffered a mild knee sprain against Duke rival North Carolina, in the infamous “broken shoe” game, which sparked a mild controversy of whether or not Zion should sit out the rest of the year, as he is the projected number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

In the star-studded Duke lineup, Zion has shined, averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals, 1.8 blocks, while shooting 68.3% from the field and displaying acts of athleticism that shake the world. From his unbelievable dunks to his explosiveness blocking shots that no one should be blocking, Zion is indeed a freak of nature.

Duke missed Zion, going 3-2 in his absence, but with his return, the Blue Devils return to championship favorites in many peoples eyes and are ready to take the college basketball world by storm.

See the Blue Devils back in action tonight against Syracuse on ESPN at 6:00 PM PT.

Crunch Time: Cinderella Lookout! The Alabama Crimson Tide

| Hutch

(247Sports/Stuart McNair)

And just like that, it’s the best time of the year to be a sports fan! We’re finishing up the NBA regular season, the MLB is gearing up, the NHL is in will swing, and March Madness is set to arrive in a couple of weeks. Heading into Selection Sunday on March 17, 2019, we at TTSM would like to give you our predictions for potential Cinderella teams in the making. The first featured team has to be the Alabama Crimson Tide (17-11) who Joe Lunardi currently has sitting as a #11 seed in the West Region facing the #6 seed Villanova Wildcats (21-8).

 

 

The Crimson Tide are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in all of college basketball from a pure fan perspective. On offense the players cut with purpose, sprint to set big-time screens, and work hard to get their fellow teammates open which is every coaches dream. Defensively, the Crimson Tide embody their heart-filled coach Avery Johnson’s charismatic, and intense personality by tossing the term personal space out the window. The players are in your grill from the opening jump, and it translates to electric plays in the open court. Who doesn’t like seeing the team with the sickest hair in the NCAA flying up and down the court trying to tear the rim off?

 

 

Now, let’s get into personnel which has to start with youngest player entering D-1 to start the season, Kira Lewis Jr. Kira is a 17 year old phenom guard standing at 6’3″. This dude can flat out ball and his potential is scary. Lewis Jr. is currently averaging 14.3 PPG on 45% of the field which is mind boggling as there are seniors in this league not averaging numbers even close to his… If Alabama does make a run in this year’s tournament I can promise you Kira Lewis Jr. is a name that will steal the spotlight. Mix Kira’s youth with experienced players such as senior forward Donta Hall, Grad Student Avery Johnson Jr., and sophomore John Petty, and you have yourself a roster designed to make some noise when it really counts. I’d expect this Alabama Team to pick up right where alumni, and now Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Collin Sexton left off last year.

 

 

The Facts

The Crimson Tide are still going to need a strong end to the season, and to put up a good showing in the LOADED SEC tournament to safely secure their bid this year. They have quality wins against teams like #4 Kentucky Wildcats, Ole Miss Rebels, and a quality performance (still a loss) against #7 Tennessee Volunteers. The key to this team not only making the Big Dance, but being the next Cinderella team is continuing their relentless pressure filled defense and up’ing their team assists numbers from 12.5 per game to 15+ assists per game. IT’S MARCH MADNESS SEASON BABY!