Tilt of the cap to the Lord of Whispers on his perfect bracket. He picked every upset, folks. Every. Single. One. It's Inconceivable. He is giving $10 to everyone who tweets him congratulations.
ICYMI:
- The women's team, sans Ameryst Alston, rolled Buffalo like bowling ball and will play West Virginia in Round 2.
- Keita Bates-Diop is questionable for Sunday's N.I.T. game against Florida.
VONN BELL ADMITS TO SLACKING. If you look hard enough during draft season—somewhere below the anonymous hatchet jobs—you can find substantive critiques on player's games besides "The G.O.A.T" or "TRASH."
Vonn Bell has earned a reputation as a playmaker in draft circles. He's also earned one as a moonlight slacker. Bell got a chance to address those rumors this week.
From wcky.com:
Although Bell showed a penchant for making big plays within the framework of the Ohio State defense, he has been questioned with regard to his commitment to defending the running game. And wherever Bell goes in the NFL Draft, he guarantees to improve his play against opposing rushers.
“Sometimes, you get lazy, but as I’ve seen on film as I was sitting down with some scouts, they were tearing me up a little bit, but that’s because it’s something to fix, and it’s not hard to fix,” Bell said. “You’ve just got to run to the ball a little harder and just be more consistent in your play.
“A playmaker, for sure, is all over the film. You see that he can play all over the field, so they can watch film. They know I’m a natural playmaker, just always have a knack for the ball. Where the ball is, I’m at.”
"Sometimes, you get lazy, but as I've seen in comments when I was sitting down eating my breakfast, the commenters were tearing me up a little bit, but that's because it's something to fix and it's not hard to fix. You just have to concentrate harder and be more consistent in your writing. Where the moment is, I'm at." — Me, undergoing the 2016 NFL draft.
THAT'S 300, BANG BANG. I trolled a Tennessee fan into a fury in 2014 by repeatedly saying, "That's a nice Texas 'T' tattoo you've got there." As his friends were stuffing him into the hotel shuttle, I made a comment about how I was chalking this up as another Civil War victory.
"We'll see who wins the next Civil War!" he shouted like he actually believed it. He wouldn't have talked like that if he knew about the shooters at my back.
THREE-PEAT!!!
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) March 18, 2016
Ohio State pistol returns to Columbus as NATIONAL CHAMPS for third year in a row! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/DP5bx2XApH
From ohiostate.com:
Columbus, Ohio – For the third season in a row and eighth time in program history, the Ohio State pistol team was crowned champions at the Pistol Intercollegiate National Championships.
This is the first national championship for Donna Knisley as a head coach, though as an assistant coach she was a part of the previous seven national title-winning teams.
The championship marks the fourth time Ohio State has won a national title in open team competition, as they previously claimed an open team title in 2000, 2014, and 2015. Ohio State has also earned four national championships in women's team competition, notching titles in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2009.
Yeah, I like Ohio's chances.
VANNETT TABBED FOR SUCCESS. Bash Urban Meyer's use of the tight end all you want, but you can't deny he's still developing tight end talent in Columbus.
From nfl.com's look at players who could have better pro careers than college careers:
Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State
Vannett is only one of several tight ends that could make this list. College offenses do not take advantage of the position as much as NFL offenses due to inconsistent quarterback play, run-focused offenses, etc., so I'd expect a good all-around player like this Buckeye to be more productive at the next level. He had 19 receptions in each of the last two seasons, and did not score a touchdown in 2015 after reaching paydirt five times as a junior. NFL quarterbacks will find him a valuable safety valve and red-zone target on Sundays.
Vannett says a lot of NFL teams commented on his use in college.
From wkwyc.com:
“That’s the first thing when I meet with these teams, they always ask, ‘We feel you were underutilized,’ and I always smirk when I hear that, but we have so many threats at Ohio State, and it’s kind of hard to spread the ball around to every one of us,” Vannett said at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine.
“We had a great running back in Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott) and a great offensive line, and we just ran the ball a lot. We had so much success at it, and I was asked to block a lot, so I just did what the coaches asked me to do and tried to be a good team player.”
I'll take Vannett to Cleveland in Round 3, please.
ANOTHER HIGH STREET ICON MOVING. I don't mess with records, but yesterday I found out Block's Bagels is closing its Broad St. location on April 3rd "to move closer to Bexley," so I can relate to the profound disappointment Columbus record lovers will feel about this.
From dispatch.com:
With much of the Ohio State campus area being redeveloped, Used Kids Records has become the latest university district business to bow out, ending a 30-year run at its N. High Street site in favor of a new location a little farther north.
The move — to 2500 Summit St., just south of Hudson Street, expected within the next six weeks — would leave the campus area without a record store for the first time in decades. Ironically, that comes at a time when vinyl record sales are at their highest point since 1989.
"It's the right time and best time to do it," said Used Kids Record owner Greg Hall. "I'd rather be a little ahead of the curve than wait until they knock down my future," he said, referring to the ongoing changes on High Street.
Ohio State would never admit my mediocre son, but if they did I would disparage him for going to a worse Ohio State than I did. He would then make a comment about scholastic achievement, and then he'd no longer be my son.
THOSE WMDs. Unmute this Vine... Secrets of a secret agent... World's first 3D printed titanium ribcage is a medical marvel... An experimental Autism treatment cost me my marriage... When your team loses to MTSU... Are the benefits of standing desks all hype?
