Santa Claus’ annual journey is just a few days away. Robert Nkemdiche’s journey, at least the part of it that included playing at Ole Miss, is over. The aliens are coming to get Tad Smith Coliseum soon. Ole Miss’ recruiting class continues to impress. Thoughts on those topics, my predictions for the Rebels’ recruiting finish and more follow here thanks to Oxford-based RE/MAX agent Harry Alexander.
1. Ole Miss players will break for the Christmas holiday on Monday and report to New Orleans on Saturday. The Rebels will practice all of next week inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, site of their Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup against Oklahoma State on Jan. 1.
The Rebels feel like they have something to prove, especially in light on their 42-3 blowout loss to TCU in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta last New Year’s Eve.
The focus every day is a lot sharper, particularly from our leader, which is our head coach,” Ole Miss senior defensive end/linebacker C.J. Johnson said. “The fire that he has had since we’ve started practice is just way different.”
Ole Miss, Johnson said, was just happy to be in an access bowl a year ago.
“I think last year we wanted to have fun and then being embarrassed like that, you still want to have fun but now it’s at the point where you try to balance not having too much fun and actually preparing for a game so we don’t have the same results,” Johnson said. “It means a lot (to go to the Sugar Bowl), just to go out kind of like this but then again if we get over there and it was like it was last year it really wouldn’t mean a whole lot to play in a Sugar Bowl if we get embarrassed. That’s one of the main goals this year is not really a matter of us getting to the game. It’s a matter of how we finish. The goal wasn’t getting to the Sugar Bowl.”
"It’s a great achievement for the university, a good accomplishment for us to get in the Sugar Bowl,” safety Trae Elston said. “It's been a long time, and we're just trying to get that win."
2. A year ago, TCU used the Big 12-SEC rivalry for a little extra motivation. Oklahoma State will do the same thing on New Year’s night. Johnson said he didn’t give conference rivalry much of a thought last year, but “definitely now.”
“For the last couple of years, I don’t think the SEC West has fared out at bowl games quite like we should because we play in the best conference,” Johnson said. “I think it shows how we beat up on each other during the regular season. That’s something we talked about as a team in front of everybody for us to represent the SEC the right way and how we’re supposed to because we’re one of the best conference in college football.”
3. On the field, the Rebels are preparing for Oklahoma State’s tempo. The Cowboys like to go fast, especially after big plays.
“They're pretty good,” Johnson said. “They've got the two guys who can really go get the ball no matter where you put it. They spread you out and they're able to run the ball. Again, on defense, if you stop people from running the ball you should be good.
“Kind of when you watch them on film it’s hard to gauge the tempo. Sometimes they go fast, sometimes they don’t. It kind of reminds you of us a little bit. They kind of get a big play they kind of like to go fast but other than that they just kind of take it down by down. You just really have to watch the film honestly and you can prepare for somebody up-tempo.”
"We've watched a lot of film on them,” Elston said. “They're going to compete. You know they're going to throw the deep ball and they're going to try to win the one-on-ones. It’s our play versus their play. It's who wins that battle. …They try to get the ball out fast and just try to get the defense to make mistakes. Really just throwing that deep ball and try to make their receivers win and score touchdowns very quick.
“They always have some big guys. They've got some good, talented receivers, guys that can run and play with physicality. Oklahoma State always has the Dez Bryants and Justin Blackmons. They're always going to compete."
4. In reality, Robert Nkemdiche’s Ole Miss career came to an end a week ago when he fell out of/jumped out of an Atlanta hotel-room window. Nkemdiche returned to Oxford last Monday, and at some point in the week, he met with Hugh Freeze and Ross Bjork. He wasn’t seen at Ole Miss’ practice Thursday, and when he posted photos of himself playing the saxophone at Ground Zero in Clarksdale, Miss., that night, anyone with a brain could see that the decision regarding his status in the Sugar Bowl had been made.
Ben Garrett of the Ole Miss Spirit made the trip to Clarksdale on Saturday night to see Nkemdiche playing the sax at Ground Zero again. Garrett talked to the All-Southeastern Conference defensive tackle, and Nkemdiche told him his Ole Miss career was over and that he was declaring for the NFL draft.
Later Sunday, Ole Miss released statements quoting Freeze and Nkemdiche that confirmed Garrett’s Scout.com report.
“Last week, our Athletics Director and I informed Robert that he will not be joining us for the bowl game,” Freeze said in the release. “In addition, Robert has decided to declare for the NFL Draft, and we will continue to support him as he prepares for the next chapter in his life. I look forward to sharing with NFL general managers and scouts what a unique and talented individual he is. Robert has made an immeasurable impact on our program, and we are forever indebted to him. He and his family will always be part of the Ole Miss family.”
“While I wish I could have finished this journey with my team, I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program, and I am ready to begin the next phase of my life,” Nkemdiche was quoted as saying in the university-issued release. “I have learned a valuable lesson in the last week, and I look forward to showing NFL personnel that this is not representative of my true character. I want to thank my coaches, my teammates and Rebel Nation for their support these past three years, and I look forward to making them proud for years to come.”
In my opinion, Freeze did the right thing. Nkemdiche’s presence in New Orleans would have created a media circus and been one hell of a distraction for the Rebels. Sure, he’ll be missed on the field, but Ole Miss has talent behind Nkemdiche who can more than adequately fill in.
No one close to the Ole Miss program is sad to see the Nkemdiche era end. Get as angry as you’d like at that statement, but it’s gospel. Nkemdiche is a phenomenal player, but he struggled to distance himself from people in his life who did not have his best interests in mind.
The incident in Atlanta last weekend could have been a tragedy. Here’s hoping it’s a wake-up call. Here’s also hoping Nkemdiche takes the extra time off and comes up with an explanation for what happened that night in Atlanta. The NFL is going to grill Nkemdiche about this off-field behavior, and the league won’t be satisfied with answers that strain credulity.
If Nkemdiche goes in the first five picks or so of the NFL draft in April, we’ll know he gave the NFL a satisfactory answer and wowed scouts with his impressive array of physical tools. If he falls to the middle of the first round or lower, we’ll know the concern over his behavior and habits is simply too great to justify risking a precious early selection.
5. Nkemdiche need not look far for a redemption story. He told Garrett late Saturday night he planned to go to Miami with his brother, Bryan, this weekend for some down time before beginning his NFL draft preparations. Perhaps while he’s chilling on South Beach, Nkemdiche will pull up The Buffalo News’ Tim Graham’s profile of Buffalo native/Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly. It’s a tremendous piece focusing on Kelly’s comeback from off the field issues that threatened to end his college career a year ago.
http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/1...rom-the-depths-to-college-footballs-pinnacle/
Included in the story is a note about Kelly exploring his NFL stock with a year of eligibility remaining. Everyone in Oxford, by the way, expects Kelly back for his senior season. With added consistency, Kelly could work his way up in the draft, and he’s expected to take that path.
6. Ole Miss picked up a huge commitment last week from five-star offensive tackle Gregory Little. The Rebels are currently ranked No. 1 in Rivals.com’s team rankings and could finish as high as third or fourth if they finish as most expect. It’s conceivable, per my math, Ole Miss could remain atop the recruiting rankings, but that would likely require the Rebels’ signing of the nation’s top-ranked player, Peramus, N.J., defensive tackle Rashan Gary.
Here are my predictions for some of the remainder of targets on Ole Miss’ board. I reserve the right to change my mind on a few, as things will change between today and Feb. 3.
RB D’Vaughn Pennamon – sticks to Ole Miss
WR Drake Davis – Ole Miss
WR A.J. Brown – Alabama
WR Nate Craig-Myers – Florida State
WR Mykel Jones – Alabama
TE Isaac Nauta – Georgia
TE Octavious Cooley – sticks with Ole Miss
OT Willie Allen – LSU
OL Gentle Williams – Ole Miss
DT Rashan Gary – Michigan (but Ole Miss is closer than anyone thinks)
DE Terrell Hall – Alabama (but as with Gary, Ole Miss is very much in it)
DL Jeffery Simmons – Ole Miss
DL Kobe Jones – Mississippi State
LB Mique Juarez – USC
DB Deontay Anderson – Ole Miss
DB Brandon Jones – Texas
DB Greg Taylor – Ole Miss
CB Shyheim Carter – Ole Miss
CB Nigel Knott – Mississippi State
7. Ole Miss’ basketball team improved to 9-2 Friday night with an impressive win over Memphis at FedExForum. For the Rebels, a team with plenty of ties to the Bluff City, the victory was special.
“I know me and the Memphis guys were excited to play this game,” said guard Martavious Newby, a Memphis product who iced the Rebels’ win with five key free throws in the final minutes. “We were probably a like too excited. We had to compose ourselves, settle down and pull out a great road win. It is special to be able to win in front of your friends and family.”
8. The Rebels have now won six games in a row and have worked their way up to No. 57 in the KenPom ratings. In other words, with the caveat that there is a whole heck of a lot of season left, the Rebels are climbing their way onto the NCAA tournament bubble.
Stefan Moody is playing tremendous basketball from the point guard position. Rasheed Brooks is emerging as a scoring threat. Tomasz Gielo is making key shots when the Rebels need them and Sebastian Saiz, who suffered an eye injury against Memphis, has been a rebounding machine.
“That’s why our team’s got a chance, even though nobody thought we would,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. “Not a soul. This team’s got a chance because they compete.”
9. The Rebels compete next on Tuesday afternoon against Troy. The game will mark the final men’s basketball at Tad Smith Coliseum. The Rebels travel to Kentucky on Jan. 2 and then open the new Pavilion at Ole Miss on Jan. 7 when Alabama makes the trip west to Oxford.
On Friday night, power was lost in downtown Memphis, delaying the start of the Rebels’ game against the Tigers for one hour, 11 minutes. During that time, I talked to Ole Miss’ broadcast crew about their thoughts on the Tad Pad.
The longtime voice of Ole Miss athletics, David Kellum, said his fondest Tad Smith Coliseum memory came on Feb. 2, 2011, when Chris Warren’s last-second 3-pointer beat Kentucky.
“That was a cool night,” Kellum said. “Wins over them are so rare and few and far between and for him to show that much confidence and rattle that shot in was really incredible. That was kind of at the top of the list.”
Kellum’s color analyst, former Ole Miss standout guard Keith Carter, reflected back on a night his freshman season.
“My fondest memory was my freshman year when we beat Auburn,” Carter said. “We were 0-5 in the league, we had some guys suspended and (Auburn) was ranked 22nd or 23rd. We ended up winning the game with three or four scholarship guys and some walk-ons. I just remember how excited we were and I felt like that was the turning point in our tenure at Ole Miss. It was a great time. Two, it’s just the homecourt advantage Ole Miss has had there when it’s been right. When it’s rocking and loud and full, it’s a great environment. It’s tight and it’s kind of in your face.”
No Tad Smith Coliseum obituary would be complete without some of the tales that gave the outdated building some character.
“There were a lot of times when we were there over the Christmas holidays and the Christmas break and you’d show up for practice and it was too cold to practice,” Carter said. “Coach (Rob) Evans would say, ‘Just go back home. We’re going to work on getting the heat turned back on.’ I remember one day we showed up and everybody had their gloves and mittens on out on the court trying to shoot. Those happened all the time. I think what happened is everybody left and they forgot to turn the heat on.”
“I think back to the things the Tad Pad has produced,” Kellum said, laughing. “AK talks about a squirrel or a raccoon in the back. Some homeless person was living in there for a while. I thought they were making that up but it was kind of true. They had a rain delay and the power going out.”
Carter, now Ole Miss’ senior associate athletics director for development, has played a key role in raising the funds necessary to build the Pavilion at Ole Miss. That doesn’t mean he won’t feel a little sentiment when the clock hits all zeroes on Tuesday.
“The thing I’ll miss the most is when our teams come back, we won’t have a place to go and say, ‘This is where we played,’” Carter said. “It’ll be around for a couple more years but at some point, we’re not going to have it anymore and we won’t be able to go back and say, ‘So this is where it happened.’ I’ll miss some of that personally but professionally, it’s just going to be so much better to have better amenities, legroom and just the little things you can’t do in an old building like that. It’s going to be so much better.”
“I’m not going to take a chair with me or any of that kind of stuff,” Kellum said. “Somebody asked me the other day, ‘Are you going to shed a tear when you leave the Tad Pad?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t think so, but I’m going to shed a tear when we get to the Pavilion – tears of joy.’ It’s long overdue. It served its purpose. One of the things about it back in the day is the atmosphere was phenomenal. When you filled it up and everybody cared, it was a loud place. Hopefully we can take that to the Pavilion, but otherwise, it’s time to move on for sure.”
Kellum, an Oxford native, likely speaks for many when he talks about the memories he will leave behind when he exits the Tad Pad for the final time.
“As a kid, when I first was getting accustomed to Ole Miss basketball and my mom and dad were taking me to the Tad Pad, we didn’t draw that many people and you could run all over the place and I thought it was greatest place in the world,” Kellum said. “Then I kind of grew up and realized, ‘We could do better.’”
10. This time next week, I’ll be in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. I’m not sure what my plan is for the next 10 Weekend Thoughts. Perhaps they’ll be ready for Sunday night. Perhaps I’ll publish them during the week. Perhaps I’ll take a week off and have a huge version in the aftermath of the Sugar Bowl. In the event this is the final 10 Weekend Thoughts for the year, please allow me to thank Harry Alexander for his sponsorship and continued support. Harry is a super guy and he will continue as the sponsor of 10 Weekend Thoughts into 2016.
Here’s hoping all of you have a wonderful holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It’s a special Christmas at our house as my brother, Ryan, and his family are coming to town for the weekend.
My daughters are hoping for new purses and jewelry for Christmas while my son, Carson, is hoping for an authentic FC Barcelona jersey, a Kyle Schwarber jersey and a soccer goal. Gus the puppy doesn’t know it, but he’s hoping for a new bed, a new chew toy and a bone to keep him busy on Christmas night. Here’s hoping Santa brings them and all of you what you want this Christmas.
In the meantime, here are some links of interest to me (and hopefully to you) for your reading pleasure here on this Christmas week. Have a great one.
Why Omar Linares remained loyal to Fidel Castro and Cuba.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-om...oyal-to-fidel-castro--cuba-000731190-mlb.html
People who swear have the biggest vocabularies.
http://m.nydailynews.com/life-style/people-swear-biggest-vocabularies-article-1.2465025?cid=bitly
Former MLB shortstop Royce Clayton now makes customized at-bat music for players.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/ex-...now-makes-customized-at-bat-music-for-players
Brandon Allen is gone after the Liberty Bowl. Who will replace him at quarterback for Arkansas?
https://arkansas.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=1834411
Joe Maddon knows the Cubs now have a target on their proverbial backs.
http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/joe-maddon-knows-cubs-have-nowhere-hide-‘we-are-target’
How Cleveland’s failure to keep LeBron James after the 2011 season is shaping the Thunder’s plan to hold onto Kevin Durant.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...haped-oklahoma-city-thunder-plan-kevin-durant
Could the luxury tax divide MLB’s owners during the next labor negotiation?
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...r-talks-luxury-tax-divide-20151216-story.html
The New York Rangers called on an emergency backup goalie who was watching the game at home.
http://mweb.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/25418167
Georgia could turn to a true freshman at quarterback next season.
https://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1837911
The Brewers are in a complicated spot with catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...-rumors-hot-stove-catcher-pitch-framer-121815
Early grades are in for first-year NBA coaches.
https://thecauldron.si.com/new-nba-coaches-that-inherit-set-personnel-are-in-tough-spots-e8cb8a5ac567#.q9yehyoho
Former Ole Miss defensive back Anthony Alford is the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization, per Baseball America.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/toronto-blue-jays-top-10-prospects-2/
I’m often asked how I became an Oklahoma City Thunder fan. My brother, Ryan, moved to OKC about the same time the Thunder came to Oklahoma. We went to a game there during the 2010-11 season and I became interested in the Thunder organization and the people inside it. Then they played the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, a series the Lakers won, 4-2, but not before the Thunder pushed the champs to the edge.
https://medium.com/@UpTheThunder/six-days-in-april-b3585abda35a#.gwdsgw68o
Are we all, at least sometimes, Martin Shkreli?
https://medium.com/the-lighthouse/we-are-all-martin-shkreli-c77ebad1de2a#.vvka95sta
Brock Huard says the player entitlement culture is off the charts.
http://coachingsearch.com/article?a...lement-today-is-off-the-charts-Heres-a-lesson
The price for the Pirates to keep Andrew McCutchen won’t be cheap.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...en-likely-won-t-be-cheap/stories/201512200087
Jason Heyward’s stated reason for leaving the Cardinals for the Cubs didn’t sit well with St. Louis manager Mike Matheny.
http://m.stltoday.com/sports/baseba...517c-a490-d00b7b1dad37.html?mobile_touch=true
Andrew Friedman is becoming a divisive figure in Los Angeles.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...an-is-becoming-a-divisive-figure-in-la-sports
How to decode any whiskey label.
http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/drink/how-decode-any-whiskey-label?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_fw
