Ole Miss begins its preparations for the Allstate Sugar Bowl this week in Oxford. The Rebels’ basketball team entertains Louisiana Tech Tuesday and travels to Memphis on Friday. My thoughts on those topics, recruiting and an array of topics follows here, thanks to Oxford-based RE/MAX agent Harry Alexander.
1. The media will meet with Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze Monday for the first time since the Rebels’ Egg Bowl win at Mississippi State. We will have some practice access Monday night and again on Thursday. The first media opportunity in New Orleans will be Dec. 26. As of now, the RebelGrove.com staff will be in New Orleans on Dec. 27.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Freeze and Co. prepare for the Sugar Bowl a year after the Peach Bowl debacle on New Year’s Eve 2014. It’s a storyline for Monday, though the differences between last year and this year are significant.
Last year’s Ole Miss team, at least in my opinion, had one last bullet in its chamber in November. It used it against Mississippi State. By the time the Rebels got to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, there was nothing left. This Ole Miss team is healthier than its predecessor. It has more to prove and appears to have more of a chip on its shoulder.
TCU, which destroyed Ole Miss last Dec. 31, belonged in the playoff (I could launch into the argument for an eight-team playoff here, but, nah) and played angry in the Georgia Dome. Ole Miss didn’t have a chance to match the Frogs’ intensity. A blowout ensued. Oklahoma State limps into the Sugar Bowl, having been defeated by Baylor and Oklahoma in the final two weeks of the season. The Cowboys backed into New Orleans when injury-riddled Baylor lost to Texas in the season finale. It’s difficult to believe Mike Gundy’s team will play with any extraordinary fire.
Finally, New Year’s night is likely goodbye for Laquon Treadwell, Robert Nkemdiche and Laremy Tunsil, in addition to a senior class that will be remembered for starting the Oel Miss football renaissance. I actually anticipate an emotional effort from the Rebels, the polar opposite of what happened in Atlanta.
EDITED TO ADD: This is what happens when one gets ahead on 10 Weekend Thoughts. All hell breaks loose. Obviously, I wrote this before Robert Nkemdiche’s incident in Atlanta. We have a story out front and we’ll ask Hugh Freeze about it Monday. Gut feeling: This hurts Nkemdiche’s draft status, but does it hurt it enough to convince an NFL franchise to pass on an elite talent? As for Nkemdiche’s Sugar Bowl status, your guess is as good as mine. Freeze can’t be pleased that this will be a topic _ maybe the topic _ of conversation as he prepares to take his team to a storied bowl game for the first time in 45 years.
2. Mississippi beat Alabama in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic Saturday afternoon in Hattiesburg. I watched most of the first quarter and a good bit of the fourth and nothing in between, so I won’t pretend to have any profound observations.
I’ll simply offer this: I can’t begin to know how difficult of a job Mike Farrell and the crew have ranking the nation’s top prospects BUT if there are receivers better than Dakaylin Metcalf and A.J. Brown, I want to see them. Seriously, I’d like to see them. I love watching brilliance in any form. I tweeted this a week ago, but if any school lands both Metcalf and Brown, opposing defensive coordinators in the SEC are in for some sleepless nights. They’re both incredible players, and they appear to naturally complement one another.
Further, and I’ve been saying this a while now, Jeffery Simmons deserves five-star consideration. He’s a monster. Sugar Bowl prep
3. The recruiting dead period begins Monday and runs through Jan. 13. Recruiting continues, certainly, but I expect a slowing down of rumors and such over the next two weeks. The two all-star games, one in Orlando and one in San Antonio, will create a new wave of content just after Christmas and continuing to Jan. 9. Then official visits begin in earnest. Ole Miss is working to bring most of its targets in on Jan. 29, the weekend before National Signing Day on Feb. 3.
That’s a gamble, obviously, as prospects sick of recruiting might not take the process all the way to the end. However, Ole Miss starts its academic semester in late January and while my favorite part of being a temporary Oxford resident is the time when the students aren’t here, that’s not the ideal time to bring prospective student-athletes to town.
Everything points towards Ole Miss landing a top-10 _ and quite possibly a top-5 _ class, but the Rebels’ strategy of waiting until late January to bring prospects to town is going to lead to some tense, nail-biting moments for Rebel fans.
4. Shea Patterson did not respond to a text over the weekend asking him if he was taking an official visit to Alabama, as he had discussed as a possibility last week. The fact that in this day and age of social media and iPhones, no one posted a photo of Patterson in Tuscaloosa or stated he was there leads me to believe he didn’t take the trip.
Given that the dead period has begun and that Patterson intends to enroll in college next month, the odds are overwhelming that Patterson’s recruiting is finally over. He’ll be in San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Game on Jan. 9, so while he’d technically have two official visit weekends he could use before he started his college clock by attending a spring semester class at Ole Miss late next month, it appears the Rebels have successfully held his commitment for 11 months and will have their man on campus and in the program in time for that huge Jan. 29 recruiting weekend.
5. We get a lot of sports packages here at Casa McCready, including the MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, MLS Direct Kick and _ thanks to some negotiating on my part during a spat between myself and DirecTV _ NFL Sunday Ticket. We don’t, however, get the sports package or any college package.
I say all of that to say this: I couldn’t watch Ole Miss’ 11-point win at Southeast Missouri Saturday afternoon, so it’s impossible for me to comment on it. From a look at the box score, it appears the Rebels are still very reliant on All-SEC guard Stefan Moody and when outside shots don’t fall, things get tenuous. Still, a win is a win.
The Rebels, now 7-2 and winners of their past four games, entertain Louisiana Tech Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Memphis for a 7 p.m. date on Friday.
Ole Miss is ranked 72nd in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings (kenpom.com). Louisiana Tech (8-1) is No. 101 in the same ratings and Memphis (6-2) is No. 52. It’s a bit early to obsess over RPI and rankings and such, but this week does present an opportunity to get a couple of top-100 RPI wins, including one on the road.
6. I remember Jason Heyward’s major league debut. He homered off the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano in his first at-bat, and if I recall correctly, he hit seven or eight more runs that afternoon at Turner Field. I’ve followed the guy’s career ever since, growing more and more enamored with his all-around ability.
When he was traded to the Cardinals last year, I tried to hate Heyward. Usually, that’s easy. If someone is wearing that grotesquely red uniform with the stupid little birds on the pathetic little baseball bat, I find loathing comes easily. Instead, I obsessed over Heyward. Jeffrey Wright and I used to have a podcast called “The Beer Garden.” We might revive it sometime soon, but that’s another topic for another day. Anyway, we had the publisher of Birds on the Bat on the show at one point and I quizzed him about the idea of Heyward leaving via free agency and signing with the Cubs.
No, I’m not a Cubs insider, not at all. However, I read about the Cubs voraciously, listen to Cubs podcasts and wear out the ESPN Radio app, which allows me to listen me ESPN1000 out of Chicago. In addition, I have a couple of friends in high places in MLB, and yes, I knew something. I knew Theo Epstein coveted Heyward and if St. Louis let him get to market, the Cubs would be involved.
In a lineup that features several young power hitters prone to high strikeout totals _ Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Anthony Rizzo and _ to some extent _ Kyle Schwarber _ a contact hitter such as Heyward made so much sense. Further, with Schwarber and Soler in the outfield, the Cubs’ defensive challenges could be addressed at least partially by a Gold Glove-caliber defender such as Heyward.
In short, Heyward fit. Still, there was a great debate last week at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville regarding Heyward’s worth. He’s only 26, and while he’s won three Gold Gloves and helped lead two teams to the playoffs, he’s not a prolific power hitter nor is he a batting average machine or a great run producer. Sabrmetrics love Heyward, though, and over the past two years, he’s the fifth most valuable player in baseball when using WAR (wins above replacement) as the measuring stick.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained.shtml
For the Cubs, who won 97 games last season before being swept out of the National League Championship Series by the New York Mets, this has been an offseason that screams, “We’re going for it.” The Cubs signed John Lackey to a two-year deal before David Price and Zack Greinke could set the market, traded Starlin Castro to New York for pitcher Adam Warren and to make room for the signing of free agent second baseman Ben Zobrist and then signed Heyward to an eight-year, $184 million deal. I suspect they’re not through yet. Ultimately, I expect the Cubs to trade Soler for a quality starting pitcher (Cleveland’s Danny Salazar is the rumor du jour) and add a defense-oriented center fielder (Houston’s Jake Marisnick has been mentioned) via trade.
Heyward has an opt-out clause in his contact after three years and another after the fourth. If he exercises it, it likely means he has lived up to Epstein’s calculations of his value. And if that happens, the Cubs have a hell of a shot to end their 108-year World Series drought.
7. The Golden State Warriors’ 24-game winning streak ended Saturday night in Milwaukee, a night after Boston pushed the Dubs to double overtime. Even with Klay Thompson back from injury, Golden State just couldn’t handle Greg Monroe and Co. in a 13-point loss.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/what-s...ght-as-well-start-a-new-streak-153227174.html
What’s next for the Warriors? Well, likely a bunch of wins, but more importantly for their title hopes, a renewed emphasis on defense, which slipped over the weekend. The defending champions are a special team, one capable of beating opponents in multiple ways on the offensive end all the while taking attack options away on defense.
The offense gets the highlights, and watching Steph Curry shoot is indeed entertainment, but the Warriors know the path to a second championship is paved on the defensive end.
Don’t look now, by the way, but San Antonio heads into Monday’s game against Utah just four games behind Golden State. The Spurs, at 20-5, are quietly the league’s second-best team, and they’re still incorporating Lamarcus Aldridge into their system. It’s a testament to the brilliance of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, the emergence into superstardom of Kawhi Leonard and the mastery of Gregg Popovich.
Throw in some signs of life from Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers and the Warriors can’t rest on their laurels just yet.
8. I can’t find the link, but the NFL Network did a pregame feature on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton Sunday morning. Dalton and his wife have formed a foundation to help children with terminal illness and their families. My affection for Dalton is sort of an inside joke. I don’t have an NFL team, don’t watch much NFL because of my work and am stunningly uninformed on NFL matters. However, that story Sunday morning made me a real fan.
I now have two quarterbacks to cheer for – Dalton and that despicable Cam Newton. The Panthers’ quarterback has the audacity to dance in the end zone after touchdowns, to smile while playing football and to give away footballs to little kids in an attempt to _ it burns my constitution just to type this _ make them happy.
Damn him and the horse he rode in on, right?
I love Newton. The fact that he angers so many by being great at what he does and having fun doing it makes it even easier to cheer for him. A Carolina-Cincinnati Super Bowl probably isn’t the stuff of television executives’ fantasies, but it’s what I’m hoping for.
EDITED TO ADD: Not only do I write early in the day, but I write about the NFL for the first time in weeks. What happens? Dalton fractures his thumb and will miss significant time. My bad, Red. It won’t happen again.
9. I’m a “Rocky” geek. I love the series (well, except for Rocky V, which I pretend never happened). Rocky II and Rocky III are difficult to get through, if we’re being honest, and Rocky IV is a Cold War-motivated story that borders on absurd (even though if it’s on, I’m watching, no matter what else is going on).
The latest film chronicling the fictitious story of Philadelphia-bred boxer Rocky Balboa, “Creed,” is fantastic. In my opinion, one shared by many I’ve talked to, it’s the best film in the series since the original “Rocky.”
Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson provide remarkable performances, and while I’m never going to be mistaken for a movie critic, the film I saw deserves Oscar consideration.
It appears my view is shared by some whose opinions actually matter.
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/12/sylvester-stallone-golden-globe-nomination-2016-creed
10. Here are some links to articles I’ve either enjoyed or plan to enjoy over the next few days. I hope you find something you like as well. Have a nice week.
Stuart Sternberg believes the financial disadvantage for his Tampa Bay Rays has grown this offseason.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/base...nancial-disadvantage-growing-for-rays/2257031
Aroldis Chapman’s domestic abuse arrest has wrecked the Cincinnati Reds’ offseason.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...-plans-turmoil-after-chapman-ordeal/76989334/
The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is escalating.
http://m.stltoday.com/sports/column...5e9d-b36f-5ca18cc34ba1.html?mobile_touch=true
The Pirates’ crackdown on secondary-market brokers is helping the fans.
http://triblive.com/mobile/9592903-96/pirates-season-base
Clerc tests its watches by strapping them to submarines.
http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-a...80c4&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
Dusty Baker said some stupid stuff. Then he backtracked. The media gave him a pass.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-aroldis-chapman-domestic-violence-comments/
Scott Weiland’s family begs you not to glorify his death. It’s a powerful letter.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/scott-weiland-s-family-dont-glorify-this-tragedy-20151207
The smog is bad in China – really, really bad.
http://www.barstoolsports.com/iowa/...s&utm_source=BarstoolTw&utm_medium=Socialflow
The Clippers played in Chicago last week, and for Chicago native/Clippers coach Doc Rivers, this trip hurt.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/doc-695496-rivers-bettye.html
Floyd Youmans is coming to grips with life outside of baseball.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/youmans-695525-baseball-life.html
How Arne Duncan lost the Common Core and his legacy.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features...common-core-and-his-legacy/?ex_cid=538twitter
The new fad in Australia – avocado beer.
http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/drin...g-hit-australia?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_fw
Forensic science was used to study the “real face” of Jesus Christ.
http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a40399/jesus-real-face/
Bryce Harper will be a free agent after the 2018 season. So will Josh Donaldson, Clayton Kershaw, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez, Andrew McCutcheon, Adam Jones and more. Oh, and Heyward and Price can opt out of their new deals. If you love the Hot Stove League, prepare for utopia.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-th...l-change-mlb-as-we-know-it-051035127-mlb.html
How Steph Curry makes his daily peace with a contract not fit for an MVP:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-st...h-a-contract-unfit-for-the-mvp-014857274.html
Frank Sinatra has a cold. Read Gay Talese’s now famous Esquire profile of Sinatra in 1966. It’s one of the most celebrated magazine stories ever written.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/esq1003-oct-sinatra-rev/
I remember Starlin Castro’s debut. I was covering an Ole Miss baseball game on a Friday night, watching on MLB.tv as the Cubs and Reds played in Cincinnati. Six years later, after being traded to the New York Yankees, Castro said goodbye to Chicago. I’ll remember Castro’s time as a Cub by the class he displayed in the final two months of last season. I’ll be cheering for the Yankees next spring.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/12/12/levine-starlin-castro-says-goodbye-to-chicago/
A UT audit found Texas staffers used prime seats to play favorites and help ticket brokers. I’m betting that happens at lots of schools all over the country.
http://www.hookem.com/story/ut-audi...-seats-to-play-favorites-help-ticket-brokers/
The story behind Jed Hoyer’s Twitter account:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/12...r-account-that-has-1-epic-tweet-nothing-more/
