February 23, 2012
NBA Thursday
February 23, 2012
Sleeper Alert …New Mexico Lobo’s
New Mexico (22-5/8-3) is no longer going to be an under-the-radar team after winning at San Diego State and routing UNLV in a span of four days.
The Lobos haven’t received much national recognition this season but should draw some now as they enjoy a lead in the Mountain West.
“We have been overlooked this whole year,” forward Drew Gordon said after scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the 65-45 trouncing of UNLV on Feb. 18. “The hype has been about UNLV and San Diego State being the big teams and now we should be ranked.
“It won’t change our attitude and we know how we are going to act. Our team is hungry and we want a ring.”
The Lobos had won seven consecutive games and all the victories have been by 10 or more points before their loss to Colorado State on Tuesday. New Mexico’s average margin of victory was 20.7 points during the winning streak.
So it seems like some respect is due to come.
“You beat a team like this by 20 on national TV and that’s going to help you in a lot of areas,” New Mexico coach Steve Alford said. “Nobody has been within 10 points of us in a seven-game stretch. That’s unbelievable.”
The Lobos now must avoid a letdown after the two big victories, which marked the first time New Mexico has beaten ranked foes in consecutive games since late in the 1992-93 season.
February 23, 2012
NFL Combine…Question Marks…??
Five Combine question marks
As much as the Combine can highlight the best physical qualities of certain players, it can put a spotlight on the shortcomings of others. Here are five accomplished college players who might not “wow” at the combine…
1. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: The NCAA all-time wins record holder, Moore failed to wow scouts at the Senior Bowl and has question marks about his size and arm strength. He also looks about 11 years old. Will he be a leader at the next level? Is he Drew Brees or just another great college quarterback who makes little impact at the next level?
2. Case Keenum, QB, Houston: In a similar vein as Moore, Keenum’s a familiar name who might slip further than most fans would expect. The sixth-year senior out of Houston, Keenum came back from a devastating knee injury to shatter NCAA records and lead Houston to the Ticket City Bowl last season. Is that knee up to snuff? Are his best days behind him?
3. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: The scouts I speak with love Weeden. The obvious red flag is his age. At 28, he’s not exactly a spring chicken. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Danny Watkins was 26 years old and went in the first round last year. The argument, there, was that he was a fresh 26 — the body of a 20-something, with the maturity of a man. Can the same be said for Weeden? Or is the guy who was traded from the Yankees to the Dodgers for Kevin Brown — yes, that Kevin Brown — just too damn old to draft with an early round pick?
4. Rueben Randle, WR, LSU: One of the biggest high-school recruits of the ’09 class, Randle never put up big numbers at LSU. Was that a reflection of him not living up to expectations or did he play in an offense that hardly focused on the pass? Scouts will have their eyes peeled on Randle, a guy several NFL draftniks were surprised declared for the draft and left school early.
5. Jared Crick, DE/DT, Nebraska: No player benefited from Ndamukong Suh double and triple teams two years ago quite like Crick. The past two years, though, the Nebraska defensive lineman has seen his production dip. A result of various injuries? Or was he merely the benefactor of Suh’s dominance in 2009?
