It's another day, another penny in these grimy streets. Did you sleep or blink this weekend? You might have missed some things.
- The second round of 11W's Heart of It All Classic popped off. Tecumseh is about to upset fellow Marionaire Warren G. Harding. I thought my nihilism and cynicism knew no bounds, but yet here I am in another hellscape. Harding will never get the props he deserves.
- Amedeo Della Valle is leaving the Ohio State men's basketball team and returning to Italy, where he is a monster. For a guy who won't turn 21 until April 11th, $300,000 over the next two years is pretty tough to turn down.
- Duke lost.
- LaQuinton Ross, projected to be worthy of a second round NBA draft pick, is reportedly leaning towards turning professional. He could announce his decision as early as today.
- Wrestler Logan Stieber proved he's still a bad, bad man by capturing his third NCAA title.
- The Ohio State football team, off to a slow recruiting start for the 2015 class, hosted a bunch of key prospects this weekend. Our Reverend of Recruiting, Jeremy Birmingham broke it down over here.
A COLD NEW WORLD. Aaron Craft's career, which began during President Reagan's first term, came to an end over the weekend. Thad Matta has never had to replace a 34th-year senior, and this off-season will mean a transition into a new era, regardless if LaQuinton Ross turns pro. From Dave Briggs of the Toledo Blade:
If Ross enters the draft, as some suspect, that would leave soon-to-be senior forward Sam Thompson and senior center Amir Williams as the Buckeyes’ only two returning starters. OSU also loses guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr.
An early guess at next year’s lineup puts senior Shannon Scott at point guard, sophomore Toledo native Marc Loving at power forward, and five-star freshman D’Angelo Russell at shooting guard.
Russell — who along with Loving has the long-distance stroke OSU badly missed — is one of three incoming players ESPN ranks among the top 27 prospects in the nation, teaming with Illinois forward Keita Bates-Diop and Pickerington forward Jae’Sean Tate.
So fret not, folks; the future of Ohio State basketball is burning bright. Now if they could just get a solid big man... these young beanstalks are aware Kosta Koufos and Byron Mullens are millionaires, right? If not, their bank statements should be attached to every recruiting letter.
BLOODY HELL, MARYLAND. There are snuff films that have went smoother than Maryland's move to the Big Ten. From CollegeFootballTalk.com:
The ugly divorce between Maryland and the ACC continues to rage. Maryland has issued subpoenas to multiple ACC schools with the intention of allowing Maryland to get a look at documents related to the university’s departure from the ACC. Maryland is joining the Big Ten later this year, but the school is fighting to keep money it believes it is owed from the ACC.
The Washington Post reports Maryland issued subpoenas in January and February to Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Maryland also sent a subpoena to ESPN, believing the network suggested the ACC try to make a push to add schools from the Big Ten. The schools thought to be targets of the ACC from the Big Ten were never confirmed. According to the report by The Washington Post, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are the only schools so far to comply with the requests of Maryland, and North Carolina State intends to comply.
Maryland is also seeking information regarding the formation of the men’s basketball team schedule for this past season. In the final year as an ACC member, Maryland’s basketball team did not host two of the conference’s top programs, Duke and North Carolina, for the first time in the history of the program. Coincidence, or strategic planning by the ACC? That is what Maryland would like to know more about. Football is a bit different, because the schedules tend to be a little more balanced from year to year with division play and cross-division opponents rotating on and off schedules.
Shoutout to everyone going to work today and preparing documents for the courtroom brawl neither side actually wants. Y'all are the true American heroes this week.
Maryland and the ACC are the equivalent of two drunk bros pushing each other outside a bar while screaming "COME AT ME BRO" and acting like their friends are the only things holding them back. At least those novices have youthful stupidity and alcohol to blame for their actions.
NEW OHIO PRODIGY. Over the weekend, an Akron sixth grader, Shemar Morrow, who plays for a team sponsored by Master P, dropped 53 points in a game. He also did this:
This video makes me feel decrepit. Is there some sort of X-Men-like project going on in Akron? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO THE RUBBER CITY... it never really struck me as a breeding ground for uber-athletes.
LeBron James, okay, he was once in a generation. But another prodigy so soon? You know what they say... where there's smoke, there is secret government programs.
(SOME) WHITE MEN CAN STILL JUMP. Since we're on the topic of monster slams, here's Tyler Inman of Oklahoma's Southwest Christian University soaring to the NAIA dunk title:
THOSE WMDs. Japanese trains are never late... A man's two-decade long quest to find out if his dad was a Nazi war criminal... Another lesson in why you shouldn't get tattoos in languages you can't read... I bet you do, Honolulu police; I bet you do... Couldn't kick Stanford tho... Look at new player safety advocate Bert Bielema... Students, leaders disagree on merits of OSU campus construction... Inspired lede... Stanford band wants to party... Was the NFC championship fixed?
