Nothing Good Ever Happens After Midnight?

First off, let me say that I have found this cliche to be false many times before. Last night was another situation. I’m finishing up some research on an English paper due next week, about ready to hit the sack. My phone goes off, telling me I get a text message…

“California quarterback Josh Nunes has committed to Tennessee” 12:31 am

That was completely unexpected, but great at the same time. Of course, he’s from California, hence the lateness of the commitment news. But this is a big get for Tennessee for a couple reasons. Why, though? Tennessee should be used to getting highly-touted QBs right?

First off, Nunes has been new offensive coordinator Dave Clawson’s main QB target pretty much since Clawson was hired at Tennessee. So this commit lets us know that Clawson can recruit and gets guys he wants. I mean, he’s not always going to get his top target every year, but this lets Tennessee fans know he can recruit at least to a certain degree. Obviously we still are in a wait-and-see mode about his offense and his recruit evaluations.

Also, there was a question (more concern) of whether Nunes was even going to make a visit to Knoxville before the summer’s end. So the fact he commits after not even having seen Knoxville is slightly surprising, and at the same time concerning. What if does visit and doesn’t like it? To that I would say all he has to do is come for an SEC game during the fall and that should take care of him for sure.

Nunes had somewhere around 30 offers, but chose Tennessee. He joins Bryce Petty as the second QB for the Vols in this class

In the long run, all these early commits are (or should be, at least) allowing Tennessee to be more selective and recruit their other targets (like a DT or 3) more. This is already shaping up to be a good, solid class, and now the need of 2 QBs in this class after Casey Kelly’s getting drafted by the Red Sox has been taken care of – a position “of need”.

Barring something unexpected, it’s not too hard to see Nunes as the third “in line” to be Tennessee’s QB (yes, I know it’s still WAY early) behind Crompton for two years and Coleman for two more. Also, I’m really liking the trio that’s already nearly set with commits Nunes, RB Jarvis Giles, and WR Je’Ron Stokes. Hopefully Tennessee can continue this recent recruiting roll and pull in another top-10 class.

Time to Take Back What’s Ours

Any team with these two guys on it probably shouldn’t lose…EVER

The US Olympic basketball team was formally or officially announced Monday, with some new guys and some guys from the past Olympics and other international competitions. Here’s the 12 players representing the Red, White, and Blue in China in August:

Guards - Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Michael Redd

Scorers - LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade

Forwards - Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh

Center - Dwight Howard

Note that Anthony, Boozer, LeBron, Kidd, and D-Wade played in Athens in the ‘04 Olympics where they won…bronze.

Look, that’s a pretty sick lineup if you ask me. Really any team with Kobe, LeBron, Melo, D-Wade and Dwight Howard shouldn’t ever really lose. And it’s not like the rest of the team is awful either – arguably the two best possible PGs in Paul and Williams along with the experienced Kidd should give stability at the points.

You would think most international teams would play zone against the US because of this: even if a team has a shutdown defender, what are you gonna do when Kobe and LeBron and Melo are on the floor at the same time.? You’re in trouble. That’s where Redd comes in, as a zone-buster with his shooting.

With the five returners from Athens and the same guy at the helm in Coach K, I like the continuity that USA Basketball and Jerry Coangelo are going for here. Personally, I would have like to see Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, or Amare Stoudemire as the forwards, but I can deal with the guys that were chosen. Boozer is a physical player who fits the international style, and Bosh had a career year. Prince can do everything (although from experience I wouldn’t advise having him on your fantasy team) and excels on defense.

Hope to see a good bit of this Beijing…GO U-S-A!!

But this team is relatively small, with only Anthony, Bosh, Boozer, and Howard as the true 4 or 5 players. When it came down to the final spot, Prince was chosen over Tyson Chandler (with second-guessing from numerous experts), and I’m gonna have to say that could be troublesome. I think if I was presented that question, I would have gone with Chandler. At least in the case, you could pick-and-roll the hell out of the other teams with Paul and Chandler (worked for the Hornets pretty well this season).

Despite going a little on the small side, the US should win the gold medal for goodness sakes. Some of these other teams – Lithuania, Argentina, Spain, the host China (Spain and China will be in the same group as the US) – have some NBA players but lack the depth the US has. Then again, these guys have played together, but I don’t necessarily buy that as an excuse for the US recent struggles. I would say the NBA-International differences are a bigger reason for the struggles.

Argentina, with NBA players Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino, and Andres Nocioni, maybe be the biggest competition for the US in China

No matter what the reason is for not winning a gold medal in any international competition since 2000 in Sydney, enough is enough. Losing to Greece and Puerto Rico was embarrassing. Just look at the NBA? The best basketball players in the world go where to play basketball? Most come to America because we have the highest level in the world. Much like our football (with all due respect to international football), basketball I consider to be our sport, America’s sport.

Reliving 1992 in Beijing in August would be ideal for this US Team

We have the best players in the world and it’s time to reassert that in August. I certainly will be pulling hard for the 12 guys who care enough to represent the country in the Olympics to bring home the gold. And honestly, anything but is a serious failure.