Bishop Media Sports Network
Free Spending Jags
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The best part of the NFL offseason in my opinion is free agency. I like it better than the draft because these players are proven commodities in the league. The problem with the draft is we really don’t know how the players coming from college will pan out.
One team that’s been extremely active in free agency is Jacksonville. They do what every team is supposed to, address weaknesses. Last season the marquee signing was defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
He set the Jaguars single game sack record (4) in his first game. Campbell helped lead them to their first playoff berth in a decade. Jacksonville advanced to the AFC Championship game and they almost defeated New England. This year’s signings are supposed to make them better than the Patriots.
The franchise played it safe and resigned quarterback Blake Bortles. Bortles isn’t a great QB so he needs a lot of help. They are trying to surround him with talented playmakers.
The best playmaker might be wide receiver Marqise Lee, who re-signed with Jacksonville.
Fellow receiver Allen Robinson signed with Chicago. Allen Hurns is a candidate to be released so Lee is the best returning WR. Lee led the Jags with 56 catches and ranked second in receiving yards (702) playing in 14 regular-season games.
Former Colts WR Donte Moncrief was signed to a one-year deal. Moncrief didn’t have a great 2017 season but some of that was due to poor quarterback play in Indianapolis.
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins at 6’5, 260 pounds will be a big red zone target. He has not lived up to the hype since being drafted in the second round in 2014. He did have his best statistical season last year with 50 catches, 374 yards and 3 touchdowns.
They also signed another tight end, Niles Paul. The most receptions he has ever had in a season is 39 in 2014. That’s more than double the reception totals for any of his others between 2011-2017.
Guard Andrew Norwell signed a $66.5 million contract over five years. He really provides stability to a weak interior offensive line. His addition will help open holes for Leonard Fournette in the run game and provide pass protection.
The Jags also added some players on defense. Linebacker Lerentee McCray signed a two-year contract. He’s played sparingly in his four-year career. In 2017 he had 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He does help provide depth on defense and he contributes on special teams.
Cornerback D.J. Hayden signed a contract for 3 years and $19 million. Hayden has not had more than one interception in a season. He hasn’t had a pick since 2015. He will also provide depth and likely be the Nickel CB.
They continued with the theme of adding quality depth in the secondary. They signed safeties Cody Davis and Don Carey. The defensive unit was ranked second overall in total defense.
These moves might help improve an already dominant unit. I think the Jags will be the most talented team in the AFC after the draft. Now let’s see how that translates into winning games.
A Maddening Weekend
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It feels like just about every year you could make the claim “this year’s opening weekend to March Madness was the craziest one yet”!
Obviously, this year was no different. Over the course of the tournament’s four day opening weekend, among all the upsets and buzzer beaters, I learned a few things as well as had some beliefs reinforced.
For instance, I learned the next time Syracuse makes the tournament as one of the “last four” teams in, I need to automatically pick them to make it to the Sweet 16.
For the 2nd time in 3 years the Orangemen won 3 games in 6 days, to make it the second weekend. Two years ago, they made it all way to the Final Four. They’ll have to go through Duke and possibly Kansas, if they want to make a return trip this year; it’ll be rough, but I’m not counting them out.
I also felt more secure in my theory that when it comes to tournament knockout pools, under no circumstances should you ever pick a team coached by Sean Miller or Rick Barnes.
While the final score against Buffalo was a surprise, Arizona actually losing to them wasn’t. As for Tennessee, I thought about picking them for their game against Loyola Chicago, until I remembered who was coaching. Barnes may have a done a great job with the Vols over the course of the season but winning in the tournament isn’t exactly his forte.
I realized this year that if an ACC team makes their conference tournament and enters the NCAA tournament as a 2-seed, playing in the closest venue to their campus, just go ahead and pick them to be upset.
It happened to Duke last year. They won the ACC tournament; were upset by USC in Greenville, as a 2-seed and it happened this year with UNC getting completely dominated by Texas A&M.
This next one hasn’t exactly taken place yet, but I feel so confident that it will, I’m going to go ahead and include it under the “beliefs I had reinforced” category.
After complaining about Kentucky’s seeding and draw, John Calipari will somehow try to convince people that his Wildcats made the most miraculous run to the Final Four ever and that the other teams had a much easier route, although his own team won’t have played a team seeded higher than 9th.
For the record, if Kentucky makes the Final Four, I’m not diminishing their accomplishment because of who they played to get there; just pointing out one of the many ways Calipari contradicts himself. Trust me, it’ll happen.
One thing I probably knew but was finally forced to come to terms with is as good of a coach as Tony Bennett is, the style of play his teams run isn’t conducive to being successful in the tournament; at least not consistently.
They’ve had some success in the tournament over the past 5 years (1 Sweet Sixteen and an Elite Eight appearance), but they’ve also been purses in the first weekend three time; twice as a 1-seed and once as a 2-seed. Plus, there’s the loss to UMBC, which doesn’t help their case.
Speaking of UMBC, the most important thing I learned over the first four days of the tournament was what UMBC actually stands for; University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I mean, it’s only fitting I try to learn everything I can about the team that made this “the craziest opening weekend in March Madness history”!
Georgia Hires Crean Of Crop
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
They fired their basketball coach and so obviously they needed to find a new one. It was supposed to be Thad Matta.
There was a 5-year, $16 million contract offer made and he was expected to sign it, but on Wednesday he decided not to.
That’s was the first choice. To say that the guy who was hired was a second choice does a disservice to him. Simply, because it only took three hours after Matta’s contract rejection to make an offer to the next guy on the list.
Tom Crean showed up and showed off the kind of infectious enthusiasm he’ll be bringing to the table after he was announced as the new University of Georgia men’s basketball coach this week. He started off on an excited and positive note, leaving just one thing left to do, get ready for the next season of ball.
Exuberance and enthusiasm are good things for first impressions, certainly, but even beyond that I think that Crean is the right man for the job right now. His resume is one that shows a guy who can right a ship and build up a program that needs it.
Look at his successes at Marquette, where he took a rarely successful program and took them to the Final Four in his fourth year. As well as made every post season after. He also took a program that was on probation in Indiana and got them to the Sweet 16.
These aren’t just little schools either. Indiana is Indiana, with five National Championships to their name. Marquette had won the big one as well and both of those schools were in dire straits before Crean turned them around.
In both situations, Crean utilized the progams’ wide reaches and rich pools of resources to return them to glory. UGA is different in that its former glory doesn’t include championships, but it’s about where those two schools were before Crean came aboard and pushed them towards excellence.
It is no small matter that he was the head coach at Indiana. UGA is an SEC school, sure, but the pressures of a basketball coach at Indiana are more akin to what Kirby Smart faces each year than they are to the situation Crean now finds himself in.
He’ll need to produce wins to keep his job but the pressure of being the top dog (no pun intended) of a school’s sports program is off of him. That is likely to be a positive as he inherits the Bulldog’s basketball team.
Hugh Durham and then Mark Fox took a broken program after the 2002 scandal and led them back to winning ways but they were never able to implement consistency and take the next step.
That sporadic success has made UGA fans ravenous for more and more success.
The return of UGA’s football program to an elite level has also raised the expectations of its other programs. UGA is a football school and it will always come first, but success breeds expectation and Crean should be the guy to elevate the basketball program to an equal level of Kirby Smart’s boys.
February and March could merely be a continuation of sports fanaticism, not a just a lull in between the end of a bowl game and G-Day.
Crean can make that happen. He’s already been speaking about his approach and his plans to attack the Greater Atlanta area for recruiting once his staff is in place.
He’s got a history of getting programs past their previous barriers, and he can be expected to do the same thing at UGA.
Not bad for a second choice.
SSE Minute March 16
Oh, The Madness
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It is that time of the year again where you fill out your brackets and let the madness start.
As I type this story I am sitting here watching Arizona getting blown out by Buffalo by 21 points and not many will have predicted this. I had Arizona going to the sweet 16 in my bracket.
Another surprise in my bracket was Miami going down in the first round to Loyola Chicago. I had the Canes going deep into the tournament. How many people on social media will say they picked Buffalo and Loyola in their big money brackets?
So how are my brackets holding up? I am taking a beating in my South Bracket so far with Arizona and Miami losing.
I am on the Virginia bandwagon as I have the Cavs coming out of the South. Virginia plays defense like the old school Bad Boy Detroit Pistons of the late 1980’s and will be a tough team to beat in this tourney.
In my West bracket Houston came through for me with a first round buzzer beater against San Diego State. I have picked Ohio State to upset its way to the regional final by knocking off Gonzaga and number 1 seeded Xavier along the way.
I have Michigan beating North Carolina in the sweet sixteen to face the Buckeyes in the regional final. Can you imagine a Michigan/Ohio State regional final to go to the final four? The West is my upset bracket. I have Michigan coming out of the West.
My East bracket is all about Villanova. I have Nova going through this bracket and making it to the final four. I have seventh seeded Arkansas upsetting Purdue to get to the sweet sixteen. I have Texas Tech beating both Florida and Arkansas to get to Villanova in the regional final.
My Midwest Bracket held up today with Rhode Island beating Oklahoma in OT today. Now they face Duke where their season will end.
I have top seeded Kansas getting to regional final by beating Clemson. Kansas over the years has won me a lot money in previous editions of March Madness. I have third seeded Michigan State beating Duke in the sweet sixteen and then beating Kansas for a trip to the final four.
My final four match ups are: Virginia vs Michigan. Villanova vs Michigan State
Two number one seeds and two number three seeds. I am taking Virginia over Michigan because the ACC champs can defend better than any team in this tournament.
I am taking Michigan State over Villanova because the Spartans are just due under Tom Izzo to win a high profile matchup.
In the title game I have Virginia cutting down the nets baby. Virginia proves that the ACC is the best basketball conference in the country.
I will leave you this week with this little nugget my girlfriend picked Arizona to win the National Championship in her bracket.
March Madness is a national treasure.
NCAA Tourney Contenders and Pretenders
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA tournament begins this week. This is the biggest sporting event other than the Super Bowl. Let’s take a look at some of the teams from around the Southeast that made it in.
The Pretenders…
Georgia State: The Panthers (24-10) won the Sun Belt conference tournament. Coach Ron Hunter also led GSU to the tournament in 2015. GA State is the No. 15 seed in the South bracket and they play No. 2 seed Cincinnati. This would be a huge upset but I don’t see that happening.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide (19-15) snuck in the tournament. They finished 9th in a pretty weak conference. Advancing to the SEC Championship game is why they are in.
Freshman sensation Collin Sexton will be an NBA lottery pick in this year’s draft. Bama is the No.9 seed in the East and they face No. 8 Virginia Tech in the first round. I think they will win that game but they would play No. 1 Villanova in the next round. Their dreams will end after that game.
Arkansas: It must seem like I’m just picking on the SEC. The Razorbacks (23-11) finished fourth in the SEC. They are also in the East region and the No. 7 seed. They face No. 10 Butler and that will be a tough game. If they win they should face No. 2 Purdue in the second round. That means exit stage left.
Florida State: Another football school is having a resurgent year on the court. The Seminoles (20-11) are No. 9 in the West and take on No. 8 Mizzou. Talented freshman Michael Porter Jr. is returning from injury so I’m not sure if he will be rusty. The 6’10 forward was the top recruit in the country for the class of 2018 so he will give Missouri a great chance to win the game.
Clemson: honestly if this was a team with a winning history I would be more confident. The Tigers (23-9) had a very good year and finished third in the ACC. In the Midwest region they are the dreaded fifth seed. The twelve versus five game typically has several upsets each year. They will play New Mexico State. If they win they face the winner of No. 4 Auburn and No. 13 Charleston. I actually like their chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen but not beyond that.
The contenders…
Kentucky: The Wildcats (24-10) had a very inconsistent. They finished the regular season fourth in the conference but won the SEC tournament. Coach Cal always complains about seeding but he actually has a point this year. Kentucky is the fifth seed in the South and play No. 12 Davidson in the opening round. Round 2 should be against No. 4 Arizona.
The Wildcats recruit so well that they are more talented than most teams they play.
Duke: The Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest and they play No. 15 Iona in the first round. They would get the Oklahoma/Rhode Island match up in the second round. This is another blue blood program that has top 3 recruiting classes every year.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are the defending national champions. They have the No. 2 seed in the West and take on No. 15 Lipscomb. They will get the Texas A&M/Providence winner.
UNC isn’t as good they were last year but they have upperclassman leadership. They advanced to the national championship the past two years and look to make a new dynasty.
Out-Foxed
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Coaching turnover in college and professional athletics occurs about as often as The Fast and the Furious movies are released.
So, when Mark Fox was relieved of his duty as Georgia’s head basketball coach, you can understand why I was a little stunned to realize he had been at the helm for nine years.
In fact, entering this past season only Andy Kennedy (12 yrs), and John Calipari (signed his contract 4 days before Fox) had a longer tenure at their respective schools than the former Bulldog coach.
How, with all the rampant turnover in coaching did Fox, a coach with a .551 winning percentage, two NCAA Tournament appearances with no wins, and zero SEC conference or even divisional titles, last as long as he did?
The first thing that popped in my mind was that Georgia- Athletic Director, Greg McGarity in particular- was giving Fox a legitimate chance to succeed, when so many of his counterparts aren’t given that same opportunity.
I mean, nine years is more than enough time to gauge whether or not you need to make a change. I’m not sure how much truth there is within that scenario, but the optimist in me wants to believe it had to have played a little part.
The second thing was something my brother had said to me a few years ago; “When it comes to work, mediocrity is king.” If you’re completely inept at your job, it will be fairly obvious and you won’t last very long. If you are extremely successful, then you’ll be given more responsibilities and the expectations placed upon you will continue to increase. If you’re simply middle of the road and not causing any trouble, than you’ll fly under the radar and last longer in that position than most. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not encouraging mediocrity, but it does kind of make sense, right.
In the case of Fox, he wasn’t horrible, winning between 18-21 games a season over the last five years. And because he never won anything of any significance, he never had a high bar that he needed to live up to. When you think about it, he really is the living embodiment of my brother’s philosophy.
The third reason I thought of, which goes along with being mediocre and probably has more to do with Fox’s longevity than anything, is that UGA fans feel the same way about basketball that Duke fans feel about football; just don’t be an embarrassment and we’ll get along fine.
I don’t mean that as an insult, just being honest.
When Georgia football, or Duke basketball, loses a game it’s as if the apocalypse is upon us. Whenever UGA’s basketball team makes the tournament, or Duke football makes a Bowl game, the season is deemed a success.
If you need another example, look no further than this publication, The Southern Sports Edition. Over the course of the college basketball season we’ve probably written more articles on Georgia football’s incoming recruiting class alone than we have on the basketball team and it’s not on accident.
We write about topics people want to read and trust me, as far as I know we’re not being inundated with emails complaining about the lack of basketball coverage.
I guess what it all comes down to is this: If misery loves company, then in the case of Mark Fox and Georgia basketball, apparently so does mediocrity. How else can you explain his tenure lasting as long as it did?
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch March 10
SSE Minute March 9
Flying High Hawks
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the NBA playoffs loom on the horizon there is one absolute we all know, and that is the Atlanta Hawks will not be in the NBA playoffs.
The Hawks are 20-45 currently and will be in the NBA draft lottery. If the Hawks tank down the stretch they could end up with the worst record in the NBA. That title is currently held by Memphis sitting at 18-46. Atlanta is currently tied with Orlando and Brooklyn with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Can we really expect great things from a Hawks franchise that traded Bill Russell to the Celtics in 1956 when the Hawks were based in St. Louis? Russell ended up leading the Celtics to 11 titles.
While these current Hawks aren’t very good here goes my all-time starting five for the Atlanta Hawks:
PG: Mookie Blaylock: While playing for Atlanta, Blaylock led the league in steals per game for two consecutive seasons in 1997 and 1998.
He made his first and only All-Star game in 1994. As a result of his quick hands, Blaylock was selected to two All-Defensive first teams and four All-Defensive second teams.
Mookie was a pretty good shooter from the outside as well with very good 3-point range. I almost picked Doc Rivers as my point guard, but I think Mookie was a better player overall.
SG: Pistol Pete Maravich: The Hawks drafted Pistol Pete with the third pick of the 1970 NBA draft out of LSU.
Pete played 4 years in Atlanta and made NBA all-star teams and averaged over 25 points a game twice in his time in Atlanta, and in grand Hawks style Atlanta traded Pistol Pete to the expansion New Orleans Jazz for two players and 4 draft picks.
During his ten-year career in the NBA, Maravich played in 658 games, averaging 24.2 points and 5.4 assists per contest. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and his No. 7 jersey has been retired by both the Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans, as well as his No. 44 jersey by the Atlanta Hawks.
Pistol Pete died at age 40 in 1988 playing in a pick-up basketball game.
C: Dikembe Mutombo: The 7’2 260-pound center who began his career with the Georgetown Hoyas was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players of all time, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times; he was also an eight-time All-Star.
Mt. Mutombo played in Atlanta for five years then was traded to Philadelphia in grand Hawks fashion at the trading deadline in 2001.
PF: Paul Millsap: Millsap played in Atlanta from 2013 to 2017 and was a four time NBA all-star after spending his first seven seasons in Utah. He helped lead the Hawks to a 60-22 record during the 2014-15 season and lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.
I was torn between Millsap and Al Horford at power forward.
SF: Dominique Wilkins: The Human Highlight Film is the greatest player in Atlanta Hawks history. Wilkins was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the third pick of the NBA draft in 1982.
Utah, with cash flow issues at the time, traded Wilkins to the Hawks for John Drew and cash.
Wilkins was the best dunker in the NBA and the leader of some pretty good Hawks teams of the 1980’s.
A nine-time NBA All-Star and the winner of two NBA slam dunk contests, Wilkins registered 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds in his NBA career.
He was also robbed of 2-3 slam dunk titles as well. His #21 jersey was retired by the Hawks in 2001.
Can you believe the Atlanta Hawks traded their best player ever to the Clippers in 1994? This is still the only time in NBA history a team in first place in their conference traded its leading scorer after the All-Star break for Danny Manning.
In 2006, Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Outside of Philips Arena now sits a statue of Dominique Wilkins. I have looked for the Danny Manning statue in the same location but it is nowhere to be found.
Please get back to the playoffs soon Hawks. We miss you.
