hawkeyecub

I think Simmons and Ford hit the nail on the head with Mayo in Minnesota in their debate column today (should read it if you haven't seen it yet). If I was Seattle I would have tried like hell to flip spots with Minnesota and grab Mayo.

If Walker is at all healthy he will be a very good pro. He's a freak athlete but I don't know if he knows how to play or will find a role in the NBA. Wolves take Mayo, when do the trades start?

Stupid Bulls. I kept holding out hope until Katz' announcement that they were going to send all Bulls fans into a meltdown.

The Nets are trading Jefferson to the Bucks for Yi and Bobby Simmons. Ford's latest mock has the Pistons taking Jason Thompson from Rider which would be alright.

Edmonds had to find a way to kill all the positivity directed toward him.

Speaking of NBA rumors before the draft, did you see the report about Billups and Rasheed for Baron and Al Harrington? That has to be fabricated, right? Please reassure me. Some Pistons fans have soured a little on Billups and would love Baron. I don't see it. I like Baron but with his injuries and the fact that I think he's a poorer decision maker, I don't see it as an upgrade. There is something to be said for changing things up and being upset with how Chauncey has finished the last couple of years but... Oh and Sheed for Harrington makes no sense at all. The only way it makes any kind of sense is if it's for Biedrins. It doesn't seem like a Joe D move. To me the only logic of trading Billups is to acquire help inside if you trust Stuckey to run things and acquire a better backup PG.

The ISU fan on here can correct me on some of this, but here goes. Hell of a player. Probably would have been first team All Big 12 last year. For a few reasons he was under recruited out of high school but one of McDermott's assistants knew of him and they gave him his only high-major offer. Had 12 points and 8 boards a game as a freshman on a bad team. Last year he had a foot injury and they were considering giving him a medical redshirt but decided against it. Still had 12.5 points and 4 boards on another bad team but wasn't as efficient and wasn't himself due to the injury. Lots of shady stuff surrounding his transfer. He signed a lease for the fall, took a summer job, signed his scholarship renewal and then just left after finals without telling any of his teammates/coaches that he wouldn't be back. That week his brother (I believe) called the coaches and said he was transferring. It's been widely suggested that his brother and AAU coach quietly talked to some coaches about a possible transfer. A lot of strong speculation that Gillespie and Kentucky were indirectly working to land him last season. ISU learned of it after he left, was angry and at first they weren't going to release him from scholarship. They then decided to release him but not to all schools he requested (Kentucky). Improved his 3-point shooting last year, really good slasher, good rebounder for his size when healthy. 6'6-6'7 but very skinny. If he bulks up a bit while healing that foot next year he can be an NBA guy in a couple of years. His final five were Ohio State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Syracuse.

I miss Reed Johnson.

2 strikeouts with one pitch that actually crossed the plate.

Ronny that was a pathetic AB. Now it's up to two lefties.

Bases loaded for Ronny, he has one GS on the year!

Good job Dero, come on Riot.

I think I would have gone with Ronny here.

Alright Jim can deposit another one of those low and away fastballs form Bradford into the leftf ield bleachers.

Come on D-Lee, no DP balls here. At least give Aramis a shot.

When would you save him for? They're probably bringing the lefty in for the 9th and you wouldn't pinch hit for 3-6 at least. Maybe Patterson's spot I guess.

She really likes to giggle.

You can always turn to the CWS. Georgia isn't done scoring yet.

The Cardinals (over/under) also blew a 4-line parlay on centsports where I already wrapped up the other 3. I really need to stop using logic and betting against that lineup.

"Special thoughts go out to 11 year old Johnny something of Downer's Grove who was recently hit by two cars fair ball down the line and Soto is out..." Terrible, but the way Len delivered that was kind of funny.

Damn it would have been nice if Marshall could have gotten through 5 with only 3 allowed for his confidence and Lou's. I thought he pitched pretty well tonight. Some bad luck and bad location on a few pitches just cost him those last two innings.

It's gotten to the point that as long as Patterson is hitting 2nd in front of Lee, I almost want him to run every time he gets on base.

What do you guys think of John Hollinger's draft analysis where he uses college stats to predict their eventual value? I never was a big fan but they seem especially wacky this year.

57 through 5. Only 6 that inning.

Look, I know you guys have some incredible talent coming especially in '10. If Iowa was recruiting like that I would be super excited also. But does every single Illinois discussion have to turn into "wait for 2 years"? I swear it seems like it gets thrown into every Big Ten discussion. Hell all I heard for a year was "wait til E.J. gets here" and we know what happened. Now that's completely different and I'm not saying that will happen with any of your current commits. But could we just talk a little more about the upcoming season and recruits that are at least signed? We will be better than them and you this year. Does that make you feel any better? Also we were as bad as we have ever been last year and still beat you at your gym. So as far as an Iowa fan is concerned, "what happened?" We beat you in your gym and made it to the Big Ten finals. Hell you would have hung two banners for that if Alford was still your coach. We got very depressed. God you are a hostile, angry man. I don't see how I talked any junk about your team at all, but in usual form you resort to juvenile smack talk. When even the Cub and Illinois fans on this board call you a lunatic and completely unreasonable, it's time for some self-examination. Seriously man, chill out. Oh and you're really going to try to talk after going 15-19, 5-13 in the league? Really? Because you finally beat Iowa in Carver when we had a first-year coach, misfit roster and only 8 scholarship players able to play? And you ask "what happened"? LOL