Ridiculous KO by Gilbert Yvel

Last night at Ultimate Chaos the headliner was Bobby Lashley v. Bob Sapp. While that received a lot of hype, a fight that went forgotten was the matchup between bangers Gilbert Yvel and Pedro Rizzo. You expected a KO either way, but this was ruthless, check it out:

Gilbert Yvel vs Pedro Rizzo
Uploaded by michael_dwayne_jr. - Basketball, baseball, pro wrestling and more sports videos.

Not sure what the referee was doing or looking at, but Rizzo took a couple unnecessary shots. Felt like I was watching a fight on UFC Undisputed for Xbox as he took the last couple punches just laying there unconscious, head bouncing off the floor. For a moment you had to wonder if he was flatlining.

Scary stuff.

-Bess

Draft Tonight!

Tonight is the night! The 2009 NBA Draft. All we're hearing is that it is a weak draft, maybe as bad as the class of 2000. I doubt that, 2000 was awful. (Stromile Swift, Darius Miles, Marcus Fizer, DerMarr Johnson, Chris Mihm, Keyon Dooling, Jerome Moiso, and Etan Thomas were all LOTTERY PICKS). So I dare the '09 draft to be worse. The 2000 draft had 2 players picked in the 1st round make the All-Star team... those players Keyon Martin and Jamaal Magliore. Come on. Best players from the draft are Hedo Turkoglu and 2nd rounder Michael Redd.

But the draft is not just about the college and foreign players. It's all about the trades. Teams right now are deciding if they're going to make a run at the title. On the flip side teams like the Suns are proving they messed up with previous deals and are bailing out of anything resembling competitive basketball.

We've already seen: Shaq to the Cavs; Richard Jefferson to the Spurs; Jamal Crawford to the Hawks; Mike Miller, Randy Foye to the Wizards... much more to come.

Here are a couple of my favorite suits from the NBA Draft. Just hard to beat (below).

-Keefe

Keefe’s 2009 NBA Mock Draft

We are sneaking up on one of the greatest sporting events of the year. In fact, there is not a better sporting event that does not involve a game. March Madness, NFL Playoffs, NBA Playoffs, World Series, NFL Draft, MMA Main Events, they are all good. But the NBA Draft may be the best of them all. If you love the NBA, and I understand I’m in the minority on this, the draft is can’t miss. Even in a weak class (like this one) you got to keep your head on a swivel for trades. Ray Allen was dealt 2 years ago on draft night, and rumor has it he could be dealt again.

Needless to say I am over the top excited for June 25^th. I took a year off from making a mock draft but it’s back by popular demand… err it’s back nonetheless. 60 players with some break down. Leave a comment with your thoughts. (You don’t need an insider account to see picks 6-60, enjoy.)

1. Los Angeles Clippers- Blake Griffin, Soph., PF, Oklahoma

The Clip have already announced this one, but I will gladly count it when it goes down. I wonder if Blake can succeed in LA. The have a crowded front line with him, Camby, Kamen, and Randolph.

2. Memphis Grizzlies- Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

Became a huge fan of his watching the Olympics. I know they have Mike Conley, and it’s early, but he kind of sucks. Rubio-Mayo-Gay-Warrick-Gasol, it’s getting there.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder- James Harden, Soph., G, Arizona State

In a couple years Seattle is really going to feel the effects of losing their team, not to say they haven’t already. They may be intrigued by Thabeet, but I think they should take Harden who’s the 3^rd best player in the draft.

4. Sacramento Kings- Johnny Flynn, Soph., PG, Syracuse

This may seem high for Flynn, but why mess around. The Kings need a PG in the worst way. Everyone loves Jrue Holliday… I don’t get it. Take Flynn and move on.

5. Washington Wizards- Hasheem Thabeet, Jr., C, UConn

Most likely lottery pick to be traded there has been a lot of talk about the #5. Washington is not likely to make and Thabeet is not likely to fall this far, so I’ll slot him here.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves- Tyreke Evans, Fr., PG, Memphis

They could use just about everything. Hopefully Al Jefferson returns to form. Evans and Randy Foye would make for an interesting back court, each can play both spots.

7. Golden State Warriors- Stephen Curry, Jr., G, Davidson

The Knicks will be steaming, but you think Don Nelson would pass up on a guy like Curry. I’m torn on what kind of player he will be. A Curry-Monta Ellis back court would be small, but scary.

8. New York Knicks- Jeff Teague, Soph., G, Wake Forest

Another reach potentially, however Mike D’Antoni would love a guy with the versatility of Teague. He’d prefer Curry, and I think Jennings will be better than Teague, but still this is the pick.

9. Toronto Raptors- Jordan Hill, Jr., PF, Arizona

The Raptors take a long look at Holliday, who is still available on my board, instead they bolster the front line by taking Hill.

10. Milwaukee Bucks- Brandon Jennings, PG, Italian League

I love Brandon Jennings. You’ve heard the story by now, wanted to go to Arizona, wasn’t eligible, went to Italy to play pro ball. He did not play well. But this guy was the #1 rated high school player in a class that had Holliday, DeRozan, Evans, and Mullens. I don’t think he got worse this year playing in a league better than the NCAA.

11. New Jersey Nets- Terrence Williams, Sr., F, Louisville

The Nets have done a decent job in the draft in recent years and it continues here with Terrence “Point Forward” Williams.

12. Charlotte Bobcats- DeMar DeRozan, Fr., G, USC

A freak athlete joins the Bobcats. Maybe MJ can rub off on DeRozan.

13. Indiana Pacers- Eric Maynor, Sr., PG, VCU

Indiana needs someone to split time with T.J. Ford and get the ball to Danny Granger, that guy is Eric Maynor.

14. Phoenix Suns- Earl Clark, Jr., F, Louisville

With Matt Barnes and Grant Hill as unrestricted free agents this summer the Suns will have to replace at least one of them. Earl Clark is a great athlete who could fit right in.

15. Detroit Pistons- Austin Daye, Soph., F, Gonzaga

This is one of those picks that proves that my mock is a combo of what I think should happen and what I think will happen. I am not a fan of Daye, right now. He needs to add strength, and should have played another year. All accounts say he’s a Top 20, Top 15 pick, so here ya go.

16. Chicago Bulls- DeJuan Blair, Soph, PF, Pitt

The Bulls young bigs (Thomas and Noah) are long and athletic, not thick and strong. Blair would give them a much needed dimension.

17. Philadelphia 76ers- Jrue Holiday, Fr., PG, UCLA

If I was a GM I wouldn’t pick Holiday in the 1^st round. I remember watching him play a high school game on ESPN a couple years ago and thinking this guy is good. Then I read he was a top 5 player in the country and was shocked. Now everyone says Top 10, Top 5. What? We’ll see.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves- James Johnson, Soph., F, Wake Forest

Corey Brewer has been a bit of a flop, this is the 2^nd of the 3 1^st round picks for Minny. I doubt they take them all, but Johnson is someone they could use.

19. Atlanta Hawks- Ty Lawson, Jr., PG, UNC

Hawks and PGs. Classic. Do they or don’t they? Bibby is a free agent if he doesn’t come back they’ll have a huge need.

20. Utah Jazz- Gerald Henderson, Jr., G, Duke

Definitely a Jerry Sloan type of player. If he slips this far the Jazz would be thrilled.

21. New Orleans Hornets- Tyler Hansbrough, Sr., PF, UNC

I’ve never been a fan of Hansbrough. That’s just a fact. But he can be a back up PF in the NBA for 10-12 years, who spot starts and gets you 8 points 6.5 rebounds. He could be an important piece on a winner.

22. Dallas Mavericks- B.J. Mullens, Fr., C, Ohio State

The Mavs are a team that don’t have a ton of needs, especially in a thin draft like this. They can take on a project like Mullens… the Kosta Koufas clone.

23. Sacramento Kings- DaJuan Summers, Jr., F, Georgetown

With their first pick I have the Kings taken a much needed PG. Speaking of needs, they have a lot of them. They should take whoever they feel is the best player left on the board.

24. Portland Trail Blazers- Sam Young, Sr., F, Pitt

The Blazers have a ton of picks (5), but only 1 in the first, meaning 1 guaranteed contract. Young proved to be a very good player in the best conference in the country.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder- Jeff Pendergraph, Sr., PF, Arizona State

I love Pendergraph. Maybe I loved him and Harden too much as I has the Sun Devils in the Final 4. This guy is a gamer. If he falls to the 2^nd round it will be a steal, but one of these teams in the 20s should snatch him up.

26. Chicago Bulls- Chase Budinger, Jr., G, Arizona

The Bulls have a big decision to make on free agent Ben Gordon. If they bring him back they’ll once again have 3 similar sized guards, Gordon, Derrick Rose, and Kirk Hinrich, Budinger could give them an outside threat with height.

27. Memphis Grizzlies- Derrick Brown, Jr., PF, Xavier

The Grizz can use a big tough guy to come off the bench. Derrick Brown fits the bill.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves- Patty Mills, Soph., PG, St. Mary’s

Patty Mills is fantastic. Not sure the T-Wolves keep all 3 of their 1^st round picks, but if Mills is available here they should take him. The guy can run a team.

29. Los Angeles Lakers- Danny Green, Sr., F, UNC

Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza are both free agents. Not saying Danny Green is anywhere as good as those two, but he’s the right position and a proven winner.

30. Cleveland Caviliers- Jon Brockman, Sr., PF, Washington

Cavs are soft, Jon Brockman is hard. He’s not projected to be a 1^st rounder, but this draft does not have a lot of size or toughness, I say they take a shot.

ROUND 2

31. Sacramento Kings- Marcus Thornton, LSU

If the SEC player of the year doesn’t get picked in the 1^st, he won’t last long in the 2^nd.

32. Washington Wizards- Darren Collison, UCLA

Wasn’t this guy supposed to be a lottery pick until he submarined his stock 2 NCAA tournys ago.

33. Portland Trail Blazers- Toney Douglas, Florida State

Great scorer for the Seminoles could be a 2^nd round pick we look back at one day.

34. Denver Nuggets- DeMarre Carroll, Missouri

Carroll may need liver surgery. Yes, liver surgery, but in the 2^nd round he’s worth a shot.

35. Detroit Pistons- Nick Calathis, Florida

Calathis signed with a Greek team already, so he could play overseas. Good talent, surprised he’s not going back to Florida for another year.

36. Memphis Grizzlies- Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga

Another big body for the Grizzlies to trot out there, Heytvelt has a lot of skill, but can he put it together?

37. San Antonio Spurs- Jack McClinton, Miami

One of the best 3 point shooters in the draft, he could find his way into the Spurs rotation.

38. Portland Trail Blazers- Wayne Ellington, UNC

How can a Final 4 Most Outstanding Player fall to the 2^nd round? Ask Miles Simon and Jeff Sheppard.

39. Detroit Pistons- Omri Casspi, Israel

When you have a bunch of picks, you either trade them or draft foreign guys and leave them on the other side of the pond. Look for that going forward.

40. Charlotte Bobcats- Jodie Meeks, Kentucky

I would have liked to see Meeks go back to school and lead that stacked Wildcats team, but instead he’ll have to do all he can to crack an NBA rotation.

41. Milwaukee Bucks- Taj Gibson, USC

Big man who’s jumping ship, did Tim Floyd leave anything there?

42. Los Angeles Lakers- A.J. Price, UConn

Shannon Brown is a restricted free agent this summer, Farmer is an RFA next year and Derek Fisher’s contract is also up after 2010. Makes sense for the Lakers to take someone with this type of skill.

43. Miami Heat- Jerel McNeal, Marquette

I saw a lot of Marquette this year, and think that McNeal could be a solid 9^th man for someone.

44. Detroit Pistons- Dar Tucker, DePaul

Pistons are a mess. How do we not talk about them passing up Carmelo, Bosh, and Wade more? I mean that’s as bad as it gets.

45. Minnesota Timberwolves- Victor Claver, Spain

6’11 youngster who is the typical 2^nd round project that we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

46. Cleveland Cavaliers- Dante Cunningham, Villanova

Cavs need size, and they may end up getting that in a trade.

47. Minnesota Timberwolves- Dionte Christmas, Temple

This guy can score, and when he’s picked he will combine by two favorite days… NBA Draft night and Christmas.

48. Phoenix Suns- Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga

Great athlete who can get up and down, could be a solid bench player for Phoenix.

49. Atlanta Hawks- A.J. Abrams, Texas

Awesome 3 point shooter, but can he get his shot off in the NBA?

50. Utah Jazz- Jeff Adrian, UConn

Tough, but undersized player who could fit in well for Jerry Sloan.

51. San Antonio Spurs- Jonas Jerebko- Sweden

I got nothing.

52. Indiana Pacers- Goran Suton, Michigan State

Hey, remember him?

53. San Antonio Spurs- Dominic James, Marquette

An injury forced James out of the Big East and NCAA Tournament, will he be able to make an NBA team? I think so.

54. Charlotte Bobcats- Ronald Steele, Alabama

Felton is a restricted FA, I assume they try to bring him back, but you can always grab insurance in round 2.

55. Portland Trail Blazers- Taylor Griffin, Oklahoma

I wonder if the Clippers will try to trade back into the bottom of the draft and pick Taylor to help ease the transition for Blake.

56. Portland Trail Blazers- Daniel Hackett, USC

Portland has a million picks, I can’t see making all of them.

57. Phoenix Suns- Tyrece Rice, Boston College

Rice is a dynamic player who had a great career at BC, I’m saying right now he averages 17.8 points per game in the D league.

58. Boston Celtics- Garrett Siler, Augusta State

Will this be the only selection the C’s make? Rumor had it they were interested in the 2^nd pick. Maybe they just move up in the 2^nd round, Danny has had success there with the likes of Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Ryan Gomes. I’ve never seen Siler play, but he’s 7 feet tall, and my cousin went there.

59. Los Angeles Lakers- Josh Shipp, UCLA

Adam Morrison could use some company on the bench, maybe Shipp can teach him how to dress.

60. Miami Heat- Nate Miles, Southern Idaho

You might remember Miles as the guy who went to UConn, but never played in a game after getting the boot for violating a restraining order. Sounds like a real class act. Tons of talent though, someone may take a chance.

-Keefe

The Sports Brief’s MMA Rankings (6/15/09)

It’s been a while since we updated these, so a lot has changed in the last several months. With several UFC cards in the books, as well as Strikeforce, Dream, Sengoku and Bellator putting on fights, there’s been a lot to process. But UFC 100 looms in the next month, so what better time than now to release our latest rankings.

One disclaimer is the ongoing issue in ranking fighters that are competing in multiple weight classes. The most notable are the likes of Nick Diaz, Wanderlei Silva, Gegard Mousasi, Rich Franklin, and Dan Henderson. While Silva, Franklin and Henderson seem to be settled, or settling, into new homes, Diaz and Mousasi, among others, are impossible to nail down at this time.

That being said, they’ve been included in multiple weight classes. For example, Mousasi has only had one fight outside of 185, so he’s still ranked 3rd there but also received an honorable mention in the 205lb weight class. The guy steamrolled his opponent in the super heavyweight tourney put on by Dream, and he’s taking on Sokoudjou in his next fight. Diaz, however, has fought at a catchweight in his last two contests. Who knows what class he falls into at this point, so you’ll see him as an honorable mention in both welterweight and middleweight. He could most likely be ranked in the top-10 of both, but he hasn’t exactly fought in either weight class recently either. We’ll have to wait and see where he settles, if he settles at all. I’m willing to bet he could give two middle fingers to our rankings, or anyone’s rankings for that matter. The guy just wants to fight you (yeah, you).

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianeko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Frank Mir
4. Josh Barnett
5. Antonia Rodrigo Nogueira
6. Randy Couture
7. Alistair Overeem
8. Shane Carwin
9. Cain Velasquez
10. Brett Rogers

Honorable Mention: Andrei Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga, Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum, Heath Herring, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson

This division will get another considerable shake up in the coming months, as our top-6 heavyweights will all be in action. It’ll almost resemble a tournament of sorts, with #1 v. #4, #2 v. #3, and #5 v. #6 in a consolation match of legendary former champions. Big movers are Carin, Velasquez and Rogers, all whom entered the top-10 with respective wins over top-10 opponents. Rogers may have been the most surprising with his blitz of former top-3 heavyweight Arlovski, who has dropped out after back-to-back KO losses.

By the way, am I the only person wondering and dying to know if Kimbo has already fought during the taping of TUF 10? Can’t help but be jacked up for that upcoming season.

Light Heavyweight

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
3. Rashad Evans
4. Forrest Griffin
5. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
6. Renato “Babalu” Sobral
7. Luis Arthur Cane
8. Rich Franklin
9. Keith Jardine
10. Thiago Silva

Honorable Mentions: Gegard Mousasi, Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Tito Ortiz, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Vladimir Matyushenko, Jon Jones

Please note that while Wanderlei Silva is arguably still a top-10 205 fighter in the world, he’s gone from these rankings as he makes the transition to the middleweight division. More on that in a bit. Franklin, meanwhile, enters the fray after an incredible battle with “The Axe Murderer”. Nice to see “Ace” pull that one out. With a big frame, incredible strength and technical, well rounded, skills, Franklin will make for a lot of interesting fights at light heavyweight. And he could make a little run at the title while he’s at it. Anyone interested in a rematch between he and Machida, who handed him his first career loss, down the road?

Speaking of Machida, there’s no question he’s the top guy; it’s been a long time coming, and he has the potential to run this division for a long time. Interesting that Jackson chose to bypass a title shot to settle the score with Evans, who is fresh off an embarrassing KO loss in his first title defense. That will make for great TV. “Shogun” is the beneficiary, but you have to wonder how much of a challenge he’ll pose to Machida. Liddell drops out as he ponders retirement. He could probably still beat Tito, though.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Gegard Mousasi
4. Yushin Okami
5. Vitor Belfort
6. Robbie Lawler
7. Michael Bisping
8. Nate Marquardt
9. Demian Maia
10. Jorge Santiago

Honorable Mention: Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Wanderlei Silva, Matt Lindland, Denis Kang, Chael Sonnen, Paulo Filho, Frank Trigg, Patrick Cote, Frank Shamrock, Kazuo Misaki, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Chris Leben, Ricardo Almeida, Ronaldo Souza

Cung Le is still inactive. Anderson Silva fought (and tooled with) a bum. Robbie Lawler just lost to a welterweight (albeit a good one) by 1st round submission. For a division that is slowly growing in talent, there are still many questions to be answered. To start, Silva’s next fight is at 205 against Forrest Griffin. He’ll most likely retreat back to defend his title after Hendo and Bisping go at it. Okami, meanwhile, is the great question mark in that division, particularly from a UFC perspective. He’s the last man to beat Silva (on a DQ), and has more or less earned his stripes, winning every fight aside from a decision loss to former champ Franklin. Marquardt and Maia are knocking on the door, and a fight between those two would make for a great battle.

Meanwhile, Affliction will pit Belfort against Santiago on its next card. Santiago was a second choice after Mousasi declined to return to 185. Instead, he’s fighting in the super heavyweight tourney over in Japan, and he’s winning. What a psycho. Plus on the same Affliction card he takes on Top 10 LHW Babalu. We can keep him here for now, but if it may not be long before he’s entering another top 10. And Wanderlei still looms as he prepares to enter the middleweight division. His fight against Franklin could have gone his way, but it was a classic, and he showed that while he still takes abuse, he’s as a game a fighter as there is today. He’ll pose a threat to anyone in that division, including his newfound rival in “The Spider” (not to be confused with “Da Spyder”).

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jake Shields
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jon Fitch
5. Paulo Thiago
6. Martin Kampmann
7. Josh Koscheck
8. Mike Swick
9. Matt Hughes
10. Carlos Condit

Honorable Mention: Nick Diaz, Dan Hardy, Marcus Davis, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Jay Hieron, Karo Parysian, Frank Trigg

St. Pierre is clearly the best welterweight in the world, but after watching Shield steamroll Lawler with his ground game, you have to wonder if he could pose similar problems to such a diverse, phenomenal athlete in GSP. We’ll probably never find out though. Alves, meanwhile, takes a stab at the gold at UFC 100.

As long as GSP doesn’t get “Serra’d” again, he should come out on top; it won’t be easy though. Thiago is still undefeated after knocking Koscheck’s block off, and if he takes out Fitch, we’ll have ourselves a legitimate contender. And Swick enters fresh off his relatively easy win over pseudo contender Ben Saunders; that was a mismatch from the start, and as Jake Rossen of Sherdog.com wrote over the weekend, you have to feel bad for Saunders, he was rushed by Dana White & Co. A couple guys to watch out for are Hardy and Trigg. “The Outlaw” is on the cusp after his ballsy win over “The Irish Hand Grenade”. He’s got pop in his hands and is tough as balls. Trigg, meanwhile, returns against Koscheck at UFC 101. Kampmann is in the mix, but he ducked a fight against TJ Grant on this weekend’s TUF Finale card. What a pussy, take the fight.

Lightweight

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Kenny Florian
5. Joachim Hansen
6. Satoru Kitaoka
7. Tatsuya Kawijiri
8. Gray Maynard
9. Frankie Edgar
10. Diego Sanchez

Honorable Mention: JZ Cavalcante, Gilbert Melendez, Sean Sherk, Josh Thomson, Clay Guida, Nick Diaz, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta (where are you, Roger?), KJ Noons (probably with Roger)

It’s hard to honestly compare lightweights when a large portion of the echelon compete overseas. That’s what makes HDnet so valuable for hardcore MMA fans. The big fight coming up is the Penn-Florian showdown. Based on name alone, a lot of people are writing off “Ken-Flo”, but you have to like this matchup stylistically for him. It’s certainly more favorable than being smothered by Sherk for five rounds, plus he’s training with GSP; we’ll see if that reaps any rewards.

Kitaoka is a new addition (thanks to reading about him on Sherdog.com) and he’ll compete for Sengoku’s lightweight title in the coming months. Meanwhile, Kawijiri’s stock rises after his decision win over Cavalcante. Maynard’s next move will be intriguing, as well. After Edgar outboxed Sherk for three rounds, media members were calling for a potential title shot down the road. Lest we forget that Maynard outwrestled the wrestler Edgar for three rounds during their bout last April. “The Bully” has wins over Edgar, Jim Miller, Rich Clementi and Denis Siver. This guy is rolling through dudes. Perhaps we’ll see a rematch and the opportunity to challenge the Penn-Florian winner? Or will that go to Diego Sanchez or Clay Guida, following their headline bout this weekend? Many interesting matchups in the UFC.

UFC 99 Results

Undercard:
John Hathaway beat Rick Story by unanimous decision
Stefan Struve beat Denis Stojnic by second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Paul Kelly beat Roli Delgado by unanimous decision
Paul Taylor beat Peter Sobotta by unanimous decision
Denis Siver beat Dale Hartt by first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Terry Etim beat Justin Buchholz by second-round submission (D'arce)

Main Card:
Dan Hardy beat Marcus Davis by split decision
Spencer Fisher beat Caol Uno by unanimous decision
Mike Swick beat Ben Saunders by second-round TKO (strikes)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic beat Mostapha al Turk by first-round TKO
Cain Velasquez beat Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision
Rich Franklin beat Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision

The Sports Brief's MMA New Rankings coming soon...

-Keefe

Where did they come from?

With the NBA Draft now just a few weeks away, I wanted to take a closer look at where these guys are coming from. It shows where the best NBA players were before getting drafted. Obviously now you can't jump from high school to the pros (that list is far and away the best), but check out the best 12 man rosters from the 6 major conferences, a mid-major squad, high school, and foreign. I would ask which team would win, but it's clearly the high school team. Some conferences, on the other hand, barely put out 12 quality players. Will these trends continue this year?

Results are below: (I based it off of what conference the schools are in now, maybe not when these players were there, example; Marquette in Big East not Conf. USA, etc.)

ACC

Chris Paul, Wake Forest

Vince Carter, North Carolina

Antawn Jamison, North Carolina

Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

Chris Bosh, Georgia Tech

Carlos Boozer, Duke

Al Thornton, Florida State

John Salmons, Miami

Grant Hill, Duke

Mike Dunleavy, Duke

Raymond Felton, North Carolina

Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina

Note: Good mix of veterans and young players. I'd put the ACC against any other conference, no surprise.

Big 10

Deron Williams, Illinois

Jason Richardson, Michigan State

Michael Redd, Ohio State

Zach Randolph, Michigan State

Joel Przybilla, Minnesota

Devin Harris, Wisconsin

Brad Miller, Purdue

Jamal Crawford, Michigan

Eric Gordon, Indiana

Greg Oden, Ohio State

Mike Conley, Ohio State

Carl Landry, Purdue

Note: Not that impressive. Deron Williams, Michael Redd, and Devis Harris far and away the best players here. Randolph can fill up a box score, but he may tare the All- Big 10 team apart.

Big 12

Chauncey Billups, Colorado

Paul Pierce, Kansas

Kevin Durant, Texas

Michael Beasley, Kansas State

LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas

Mario Chalmers, Kansas

T.J. Ford, Texas

D.J. Augustin, Texas

Kirk Hinrich, Kansas

Nick Collison, Kansas

Antoine Wright, Texas A&M

Linas Kleiza, Missouri

Note: Very solid starting 5, but then the talent completely falls off. A lot of young guys on there, might as well put Blake Griffin on the list too.

Big East

Allen Iverson, Georgetown

Dwyane Wade, Marquette

Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse

Caron Butler, UConn

Emeka Okafor, UConn

Ron Artest, St. John’s

Ben Gordon, UConn

Rudy Gay, UConn

Richard Hamilton, UConn

Ray Allen, UConn

Troy Murphy, Notre Dame

Kyle Lowry, Villanova

Note: Not as good as I expected. Plus I gave them a gift in D-Wade who actually played in Conference USA, Marquette joined the Big East in 2005, 2 years post Wade. Their 2 best players (Wade and Carmelo) played a combined 1 year in the Big East... I'm still going to count it. (Side note: a team like Pitt makes the Big East look good in college, but does not pump out pros like UConn. Will DeJuan Blair and Sam Young be different?)

Pac-10

Jason Kidd, California

Gilbert Arenas, Arizona

Brandon Roy, Washington

Richard Jefferson, Arizona

Brook Lopez, Stanford

Jason Terry, Arizona

Mike Bibby, Arizona

Andre Iguodala, Arizona

O.J. Mayo, USC

Kevin Love, UCLA

Aaron Brooks, Oregon

Baron Davis, UCLA

Note: Anyone need a point guard? If this team was coached by Don Nelson or Mike D'Antoni they'd be a lot of fun to watch. Zona keeps turning out the pros. And Arizona States James Harden could crack this tough list before long.

SEC

Rajon Rondo, Kentucky

Joe Johnson, Arkansas

Gerald Wallace, Alabama

David Lee, Florida

Shaquille O’Neal, LSU

Mike Miller, Florida

Mo Williams, Alabama

Al Horford, Florida

Tyrus Thomas, LSU

Udonis Haslem, Florida

Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky

Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas

Note: A conference that really struggled last year, really much more of a football conference then hoops. I left Jo Noah off, he could be there. Coach Cal will help the SEC's NBA Alumni in the near future. He could have 4 lottery picks in 2010, if Jodie Meeks comes back, Patrick Patterson, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins. Look out!

Mid-Major

Steve Nash, Santa Clara

Danny Granger, New Mexico

Lamar Odom, Rhode Island

David West, Xavier

Marcus Camby, UMass

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Shawn Marion, UNLV

Andre Miller, Utah

Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech

Kevin Martin, Western Carolina

Rafer Alston, Fresno State

Andrew Bogut, Utah

Note: No Adam Morrison? Way more schools to choose from, but of the smaller variety. Pretty good group here that includes a lot of big men.

High School

Kobe Bryant

Tracy McGrady

LeBron James

Kevin Garnett

Dwight Howard

Amare Stoudemire

Al Jefferson

Josh Smith

Rashard Lewis

J.R. Smith

Al Harrington

Monta Ellis

Note: Some of the high school point guards, (Sebastian Telfair and Shaun Livingston) have not panned out, so I'll throw out a bigger lineup with Kobe and T-Mac handling the ball. Just an insane team. Why 18 year old's can fight wars for America but not play in the NBA is beyond me, but not the point of this article.

International

Tony Parker, France

Manu Ginobili, Argentina

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany

Pau Gasol, Spain

Yao Ming, China

Mehmet Okur, Turkey

Hedo Turkoglu, Turkey

Nene, Brazil

Rudy Fernandez, Spain

Boris Diaw, France

Andrei Kirilenko, Russia

Jose Calderon, Spain

Note: The best from around the world should make up a good 12 man roster, and they do. If the NBA ever went to a USA vs. the World All-Star game gimmick like the NHL did (North America vs. the World), then this is what you'd be looking at. Really only half or so of those guys would be deserving, making it even more important they never use that idea. Don't think they would borrow ideas from the NHL anyway.

If I forgot anyone, and I'm sure I did, feel free to leave a comment.

-Keefe

Kimbo Slice on The Ultimate Fighter

Kimbo to the UFC? Well sort of. Dana White has always said the only way Kimbo would compete in the UFC is if he went on and won the reality show. For Kimbo, step 1 is in the books. He will join 15 other Heavyweights for the upcoming season of TUF to be coached by Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans, two former Light Heavyweight Champions. Theres two will also square off when the season if over, meaning the next challenger for Lyoto Machida will be none other than Shogun Rua.

Anyway I am excited to hear the news that Kimbo will be on TUF. Just a few days ago I wrote "Enough of TUF" (scroll down a bit to see it). I was getting sick of the stale show that focused much more on the coaches than that of the new fighters. Well Kimbo just changed all of that. I'm going to watch every show. Nice job out of Kimbo for stepping up and taking this challenge and hey, good job out of Dana for putting him on the show after talking so much crap about him. Plus he knows the rating are going to "spike" right back up. Should be very interesting to see how he does.

-Keefe

Also be sure to check out all the "great" 1st pitches Besse has found below and vote on our poll (top right.)

Worst First Pitch

Saw this on Espn.com today and laughed my ass off in my office for a good few minutes. I'm a big fan of watching people absolutely fail at throwing out the first pitch. And they happen every single night at every single MLB game in America, so to me, it's surprising that we don't see more like this on a regular basis. Enjoy this though, because anytime mascots are involved it just adds to the overall humor.



There's a lot to love there. First off, get a load of the Parrot mascot flashing the "two" sign for a deuce. That's more or less what he got. And as Rich pointed out, he didn't even move as the ball rolled by him. The breakdown of Charlie Brown's mechanics was solid too. Great stuff. Below are a few other awful first pitches I found. Having thrown out the first pitch at Fenway, I know how hard/nerve-wracking it can be. But for god's sake, you almost have to try to be this bad...












There are a few good ones here. Personally, I like the homemade video of the first pitch at Wrigley Field. The guy clearly isn't an athlete (look at him), so you almost saw it coming. But you have to love the fact that he threw it right into the ground to the right side. It was heading for a point halfway between third and home. He actually picked it up himself, the catcher couldn't make it out there first. But good for him for getting back up there and giving it another go. Thankfully he had a little more success. Which one do you like? Take a vote on the poll and let us know...if you have any others, send them along. Gotta love em!

-Bess

10 Fights to Watch in June

Welcome MMA fans to an action packed month of fights. The UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce are all on display. Despite just 1 title fight and just 1 actual pay-per-view there are some intriguing match ups out there. Let's take a look at my Top 10 for June. (These aren't in order of importance rather by date.)

1. Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields (at middleweight); June 6th, Strikeforce
Lawler is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 middleweight in the world. Jake Shields is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 welterweight in the world. Neither guy is signed by the UFC. Neither guy has a worthy opponent out there. Maybe Lawler could fight one of the DREAM 185 pound guys, but the fact of the matter is Shields has no one he can fight, when 9 of the top 10 welterweights are in the UFC and he's the other, who does he fight? He goes up to 185 apparently. What's next for him if he wins?

2. Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith; June 6th, Strikeforce
Diaz just ran through Frank Shamrock in his last fight, not he gets in the cage with a very exciting fighter and fellow UFC alum Scott Smith. Diaz changes weights more than Anna Nicole (too soon?), so he is a prime candidate for tough fights outside the UFC. Perhaps if he and Shields both win that would be a match up in the future.

3. Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers; June 6th, Strikeforce
The former UFC Heavyweight Champ and current Affliction star Andrei Arlovski steps in for the injured Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem... 2 quick things here. Overeem (one of my favorites) is the champ after beating Paul Buentello forever ago for the vacant title, and he hasn't defended it once. He's been fighting in DREAM and K-1. What the hell? How can a title be taken seriously like that? And 2, Overeem is hurt because of a bar fight where he and his brother, former Pride fighter Valentin, put 5 bouncers in the hospital. Crazy. I do like how Affliction and Strikeforce will work together, because they have to. Rogers is a big dude, could be a solid fight.

4. Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead; June 6th, Strikeforce
We all know the best 205 pounders are in the UFC. Babalu is the best not under contract by Dana White and the Ferrettas. He already beat Whitehead in Affliction. But these two guys are very experienced and have fought in the very best organizations in the world. Nice work out of Strikeforce to put together a card like this. They have 4 fights I want to see.

5. Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber; June 7th, WEC 41
The lone Championship bout in the month, we can see the 2 best Featherweights in the world on free tv. Thanks Versus. Brown shocked most of the MMA world when he beat Faber for the title back in November of 2008. In his last 3 fights, Brown beat the 3 of the best at 145, Jeff Curran, Faber, and Leonard Garcia. The WEC is praying (much like Hughes did against Serra in a laying fashion) that Faber wins so they can set up a Faber/Brown III. But if Brown wins? Who's left? They better hope a lightweight drops down and challenges him. Should be the best fight of the month right here.

6. Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin (catch-weight 195); June 13, UFC 99
I don't know what to make of this one. Besse and I tried to figure this out and we got nothin. Silva was the 205 champ of Pride and really the world for a 4-5 year period. Franklin was the best middleweight around until Anderson Silva showed up. So you got one guy moving up and another moving down and they catch (pun!) each other in the middle. Wow. Both guys though are can't miss fighters.

7. Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders; June 13, UFC 99
Two exciting alums of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Swick was a good middleweight, but made the move after losing to a huge 185er in Okami. He's 3-0 as a welterweight and is already a top 10 guy. Saunders meanwhile is 3-0 in the UFC. The winner of this fight should be taking on the likes of Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisya, Paulo Thiago, huge fight for both guys.

8. Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mustapha Al-Turk; June 13, UFC 99
Crop returns to the UFC where he posted just a 1-2 record after being regarded as a top 3 heavyweight in the world when he was in Pride. Both Cro Cop and Al-Turk share losses to Cheick Kongo. This is a big fight to me, because I want to see if Cro Cop has anything left in him. He was in the ring with Overeem and was getting whooped before it was rules a no contest cause he got his junk kneed in by Alistair, I hope he's recovered from that, not sure you can though.

9. Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Like oh so many fighters who lose in the UFC Diego moved down a weight class. Fighting at 155 now Diego has to be a threat at the title. He was a top 10 welterweight, if he can handle the cut, and he certainly did in his win over Joe Stevenson, I say look out. Remember he beat Kenny Florian in TUF 1 (both out of their weight classes), but I think Diego is just a couple fights away from the title. Guida always pushes the pace and makes for exciting fights. Goldberg is going to be nuts in this one.

10. Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Big fight for both guys here. If Diaz wins he proves he should be fighting Top 5 UFC Lightweights until he loses. Stevenson on the other hand, needs to W. He's lost 3 of his last 4 fights. Nothing to be ashamed of in the losses as they were to B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, but if he can't beat those guys he's not winning any titles. A loss to Diaz would be devastating. You won't want to miss either Lightweight bout, this and Diego vs. Guida, both for free on Spike TV.


-Keefe