Dante's Inferno sparks a Blazer

Thursday night, the NBA took center stage as a very impressive draft class step forward as the next wave of basketball stars. Somewhere in this class could lie a Magic Johnson, Shawn Bradley or Moses Malone. There were many shocking developments during the evening including 4 impressive draft picks by the Timberwolves (Rubio, Flynn, Lawson, Ellington) in the first round, the Nets shipped Vince Carter back to his home in Orlando in exchange for Rafer Alston. But hidden deep in the chaos was a story that strikes home.

One of our own Villanova Wildcats was given a new home at Thursday's draft. Senior leader Dante Cunningham from Silver Springs, Maryland will be receiving a well deserved paycheck from an NBA squad. He was selected 33rd overall by the Portland Trailblazers, a team that finished the regular season fourth in a competitive Western Conference. The Blazers are a team that has a crop of young talent that could make them extremely potent in the years to come. If Dante can earn a spot on the team he could be a part of something special. Dante was selected early in the second round ahead of Big East rivals DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and AJ Price.

Other notable draft picks was Tyler Hansbrough to Indiana, Nova-wannabe Tyreke Evans went 4th Sacramento. Ricky Rubio fell to 5th to the first of a slew of T-Wolves first round draft picks which includes 3 point guards. My Philadelphia Sixers took Jrue Holliday from UCLA and Mike's juggernaut Golden State Warriors took firecracker Stephen Curry from Davidson.

Congratulations to Dante and all of the players selected in tonights' draft.

No June Gloom At Chavez Ravine

Baseball looks to close out its third month of play in the next week. The 2009 season has provided us with many great plays and great moments, with many more to come as we close in on October baseball. Let’s look at the top 5, and not so top 5, of this season as of now.

Top 5
1. Los Angeles Dodgers – Forget Manny being Manny…it’s just Torre being Torre here. Even without Ramirez’s bat in the middle of the lineup, the inhabitants of Chavez Ravine have been outstanding, cruising to the best record in baseball (47-24) and gaining an 8.5 game lead on the Wild Card-leading SF Giants (another impressive story). With a lineup that features young stars Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, and a rotation built around Chad Billingsly, the Dodgers are rock solid.

2. Zack Greinke – While he got hit hard for a couple starts, Greinke has put up obscene numbers. He was one of only five pitchers all time to have under a 1.00 ERA after 10 starts, and has thrown over five complete games already this season. Not only that, he’s helped keep the Royals out of the cellar…for now!

3. Jason Bay – The quiet Canadian has let his bat do all of the talking this season. Bay (.286/19HR/69RBI/49R) is in the top five in both HR’s and RBI’s, and has been the big bat at Fenway that Manny Ramirez used to be; but clearly with a better attitude. Also, he’s only missed 1 game this year, while Manny has missed 42, so far, on maternity leave.

4. Albert Pujols – You surprised? The guy has only been one of the best players in the game since he became a starter at age 21. Currently he’s the NL leader in both HR’s and RBI’s, and with a .328 average, could make a run at the Triple Crown. Most importantly though…he’s helped get the Cards a 2.5 game lead in the crowded NL Central.

5. Raul Ibanez – No ‘roids here! The 37-year old has put up phenomenal numbers this season, and has gained more attention than ever before. Why? Cause he’s no longer playing in the Emerald City, which since the M’s won 116 games in 2001, hasn’t seen much good baseball. Sitting in the middle of a lineup that features Howard and Utley, has helped Ibanez produce big time.

Bottom 5
1. New York Mets – Aside from being 2.5 back of the Philadelphia Phillies after adding K-Rod to their bullpen, the Metropolitans have seen Reyes, Delgado, and now Beltran side-lined with injuries. Not a good sign for a team who hasn’t made the playoffs the past two seasons.

2. The New Yankee Stadium – The Yanks themselves, not bad. Their ballpark…ugh! Aside for it costing an arm and a leg to get into the ballpark, a problem that the Yankees are starting to address, the ballpark has seen a ridiculous amount of balls fly out of the park this year. Either architects missed something or the ballpark turns every pitcher into Charlie Brown when they take the mound.

3. Chicago Cubs – This was the year! The Cubbies looked destined to make a run at a title this season, as they have the past few seasons, but this year was more promising than the others. However, the Cubs are only one game above the .500 mark and have had a losing streak as long as 8 games this season.

4. Oakland A’s – While it pains me to put them here…they definitely deserve it. A team that started the season as a dark horse in the AL West, they green and gold have done little to push themselves towards the top. The worst offense in the league last year is at it again, but this year they’re doing it with Giambi, Holliday, Cabrera, and Garciaparra, which makes it even more depressing. While this season is slipping away, there is a good sign on the horizon. The A’s young starters have been extremely good, especially lefty’s Josh Outman and Dallas Braden.

5. Manny Ramirez – REALLY MANNY!

Big East - Big Opportunity

The crapshoot that is the NBA draft commences this Thursday, with the Los Angeles Clippers having the top pick in the lottery. However, since the college hardwood interests me far more than the circus that is the NBA, I want to focus on the Big East and its representation in Thursday’s draft.

Out of ESPN’s top 20, five of the talents resided in the Big East Conference last winter. Coming in at number three is Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut. Anyone who brings over 7’ of height to the table is going to receive attention. However, the lanky Tanzanian has game to accompany that height. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East, averaging over 4 blocks a game, and also averaged a double-double. Speaking of Big East big men, DeJuan Blair is listed 17th. While roughly half a foot shorter, Blair is much bigger physically and used his strength to grab 12.3 boards a game, in addition to his 15.7 points a game. The only major downfall of these two beasts – foul trouble.

Louisville has both Earl Clark (11th) and Terrence Williams (18th) in the top 20, the two main leaders of the team that was the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament this March. Clark is a large small forward, who can go to the rim, yet help the offense outside. In his three years at Louisville, his numbers have improved annually, with his rebounds getting as high as 8.7 a game this season. Williams has defined himself by his presence on the court and his leadership. While he’s got good numbers 12.5PTS/8.6RBS/5.0A, GM’s take additional notice to the way he lead Louisville in the Big East tournament and down the stretch as a senior.

Finally, there is early entry Jonny Flynn(9th). The point guard from Syracuse enters early after two good seasons under Jim Boeheim. This season he led the Orange to a three-seed in the tournament and a 6-OT win over the UConn Huskies in the Big East Tournament. He also averaged 17.4 points a game and just under 7 assists. Many see him as an Iverson type, with perhaps a bit less scoring power and a bit more passing.

With all this talent leaving the Big East, it will be interesting to see how the conference shakes up next season. All indications I’ve seen have Villanova, Georgetown, and Notre Dame fighting for the conference title. However, there will be plenty of young talent coming in, and there are so many storied programs, that if anything is certain, it’s uncertainty about the Big East.

Best of luck to all those Big East players in this year’s draft, including Dante Cunningham. It will be much easier to root for you guys when you’re playing for the Memphis, Golden State, or Charlotte, rather than Pittsburgh, UConn, or Syracuse.