So, how's everyone doing? Good? That's good.
It's the start of your weekend. Hopefully, you have something fun planned for today. Perhaps a picnic or lounging at the pool with some drinks? Whatever the case, here's a Skull Session for you at the top of the morning. We'll discuss some "news of the day" in what follows.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2014 NBA DRAFT. Never too early, right?
Thursday night's NBA Draft was classic Dadaist performance art, including David Stern's cartoonish, professional wrestling-caliber attempts at getting "heel heat", Shabazz Muhammad randomly appearing on stage, and, of course, Lucas Nogueira's hair. Fortunately for Ohio State fans, Deshaun Thomas was selected with the 58th pick of the 2nd round. Thus, the Spurs' selection of Deshaun Thomas ensured that this would be seven straight NBA Drafts in which a Buckeye was selected.
The pressing question is if next year will mark eight straight. We already have mock drafts for next year.
There are two Buckeyes of interest for next year's NBA Draft. One is a graduating senior, the ever controversial (and dreamy) Aaron Craft. The second is LaQuinton Ross, a junior-to-be who could parlay last year's tournament run into a platform that would facilitate a move to the NBA.
The early consensus is that Ross is a first round pick next year. Though Jonathan Tjarks is quick to note that Ross didn't really show much last season (and this is true), the void left by Deshaun Thomas should allow Ross to shine. He projects Ross as the 14th pick. This is obviously contingent on Ross being a position of need for whatever team occupies that 14th pick next year. It would still qualify Ross as a "lottery pick" in next year's NBA Draft.
CBS Sports' Gary Parrish confines his projections to just the lottery picks in his mock draft. His list does not include LaQuinton Ross. It does, however, include Mitch McGary (#8) and Glenn Robinson III (#11), who play for that particular team up north.
Interestingly, the ever-prominent nbadraft.net does not list Ross in its mock draft, which does otherwise include underclassmen (and current high school seniors).
But what of Aaron Craft? Craft might frustrate several NBA diehards by being a consistent topic of conversation come draft time next year for someone otherwise predicted to be a mid-to-late second round selection. The aforementioned nbadraft.net mock draft has him as the 54th overall pick, hypothetically, to the New York Knicks. I'd love to see the fan reaction on site at the NBA Draft for that.
ESPN's Chad Ford has Craft as the 83rd overall player in the 2014 draft pool, which would have him on the outside looking in.
The consistent knock against Craft isn't his defense, which infuriated college basketball, writ large, so much to the point of the NCAA passed legislation to try to stop him. The knock is something echoed by Ohio State fans: his jump shot is not consistent. If he unveils a jump shot by this time next year, he could shoot up the NBA Draft board. Until then, Craft seems like a fringe selection in next year's draft.
DID BERT MISREMEMBER DETAILS OF HIS WISCONSIN TENURE? Barry Alvarez seems to think so.
I'm tickled pink by the idea of a media war between former Wisconsin football coach and current athletic director, Barry Alvarez, and Bert, which is my shorthand for current Arkansas head coach and former Wisconsin coach, Bret Bielema. Whether that materializes or not remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: Barry Alvarez is still kind of peeved about the nature of Bert's departure.
Last week's Saturday Skull Session directed you to a Grantland piece on Bert, discussing what led him to finally leave Wisconsin and how he was handling the first couple months on the job in Fayetteville. This led to some digging by Andy Baggot, columnist for the Wisconsin State Journal, to offer this tidbit on Bert while otherwise focusing on the first few months for his replacement at Wisconsin, Gary Andersen.
As it turns out, that was not the first time Bielema was involved in some exit theatrics at UW.
After the 2011 season, Bielema had two head-coaching inquiries from NFL teams, developments confirmed by Alvarez and Bielema. Bielema spoke with representatives from St. Louis and Miami, but only interviewed with the Dolphins.
Seventy-two hours before National Signing Day, Bielema told Alvarez that he was offered the job to coach in Miami. A local acquaintance of Bielema’s said he made a similar claim — quoting an annual salary of $5 million — but said Bielema turned it down after talking it over with his parents.
Alvarez, who declined to be interviewed for the Grantland story, has his reservations.
“I don’t think the job was offered,” he said, noting he spoke with people with knowledge of the search that ultimately ended with former Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin taking the Dolphins job. “(Bielema) perceived it was offered. That was my impression.”
Bielema, who acknowledged the matter after leaving to coach the Razorbacks, declined to address any other specifics.
I wonder how all that factored into his decision to go when he did.
Both sides can flame each other from a distance indefinitely and I would enjoy it immensely.
Shell is looking for a new team with which to run. RUSHEL SHELL NO LONGER CONSIDERING OHIO STATE. This news came in passing yesterday evening. A few days ago, Eleven Warriors mentioned that Ohio State may be in the running for a high profile transfer at running back. Rushel Shell, who played his freshman year at Pitt in 2012, decided to transfer after the season ended. He was originally en route to UCLA to play for the Bruins before having a change of heart. A father of two, he wanted to return closer to his Pittsburgh home. Paul Chryst blocked the return to Pitt and, now, Shell is looking for a new place to play college football. This led to an interest in Ohio State, among Kentucky and West Virginia.
However, Shell is no longer considering Ohio State.
Former Pitt RB Rushel Shell tells @ESPN he'll decide b/w West Virginia & Kentucky after visiting each school
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) June 28, 2013
Details on why are a bit scarce, though it wouldn't be off base to infer that Ohio State's coaches were not willing or able to extend a scholarship offer to Shell. Ohio State is already in a bit of crunch for scholarships. Ohio State's post-Tatgate sanctions will dock them three scholarships again and the team already has a veritable battalion of tailbacks on the roster. Ohio State may have offered a walk-on opportunity, but could not part with a scholarship offer. Under those circumstances, it's understandable that Shell would drop Ohio State from consideration.
Ohio State fans should not think of this as an important missed opportunity. Ohio State is already doing very well with the tailbacks it currently has. Further, it has some irons in the fire on the recruiting trail, especially with a guy like Jonathan Hilliman.
MISCELLANY. Third suspect arrested in connection to Aaron Hernandez murder case... Stanford picked up a star QB recruit from its own backyard... Police made an arrest in the recent vandalism case of Howard's Rock at Clemson University... Wisconsin football lost a transfer to an ACC school? That doesn't make sense... The Miami Hurricanes schedule a home-and-home with Arkansas State for 2014 and 2017. It already has a road game at Toledo in 2015. Weird scheduling... Marion (OH) running back L.J. Scott commits to Louisville... Related tweet... R.I.P. Doink... Everyone in the world attended the Chicago Blackhawks championship parade... No, thank you, President E. Gordon Gee.
