Que Karnac the Magnificent

Let’s talk recruiting and drafting. Since there’s no real news and the Reds are off to another terrible start; maybe it’s best we look into the future to see if we can find something to get excited about. First, it’s NFL Draft time. Mel Kiper is undoubtedly preparing in his man cave, fogging up every mirror he sees with hair spray and Binaca. And the Colts are probably looking – again – for “best player available who no one else had that high on their board.” The Colts are notorious for keeping their cards very close to their vests, and predicting who they’ll take is just this side of playing a 5 spot Keno ticket. Depending on who you believe, at their current draft position of #31, they’ll go for UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price (Career 97 tackles, 44.5 tackles for loss – strong statistic, and 12.5 sacks); Florida Center Maurkice Pouncey (and with a name like that, he’d better be incredible); or Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson (151 career tackles and 11 INT’s. Would also be a good fit because he can return punts; and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the pick). Personally? I see them going for a linebacker or DE here. They just don’t have much quality depth, and were prone to over-pursuit. My gut says TCU’s Jerry Hughes in round 1. In round 2, probably an offensive lineman, and I'd love to see them take Indiana tackle Roger Saffold. They might grab a safety though, as no one knows how Bob Sanders will ultimately recover.

The Indiana Basketball Hoosiers have been a popular message board darling this week. Rumors abound that Washington, IN high school junior Cody Zeller will soon make his college decision, and that school may likely be Indiana. Would be a terrific get for IU, but we’ve had letdowns before. Zeller is also seriously considering Butler, and that speaks volumes for how far the Bulldogs have come in the past year or two. Other names popping up lately have been 5’11” Park Tudor point guard Yogi Ferrell (2102); 6’3” North Central guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (2012); Medina, OH 6’7” forward Kenny Kaminski (2012), 6’3” Muncie Central guard Jeremiah Davis (2011), and several other players from around the Midwest and country. The 2010 class boasts 2 wing players in Victor Oladipo, a pogo-stick guard from the Washington DC area; and Will Sheehey from Florida. Both players are rated in the top 130 or so, and will be vying for minutes on a guard-heavy IU roster. Coach Tom Crean is still in hot pursuit of a big body (6’8” 240 pound JUCO forward Dwight McCombs seems the only real possibility), but may bank the scholarship for 2011 in hopes of building a terrific class around Hoosier commit Austin Etherington, a 6’5” wing from Hamilton Heights. What strikes me as interesting is how giddy the message boards get every time a player says he likes Indiana. Almost automatically, that player’s ability gets elevated, and he’s a difference maker no matter where he’s ranked or what his deficiencies are. One such recent player is West Orange New Jersey guard Sterling Gibbs. The kid’s ranking by almost every service is somewhere around #135, and barely in the top 50 guards. But he says he “really likes Indiana and Tom Crean,” and you’d think he’s Jerry West. He sounds like a really neat kid reading his interviews; but the over-inflated expectations of despondent IU fans is pretty alarming. Not every recruit’s a savior, and I hope people will have patience enough to see the rebuilding project through. Crean needs at least another 12-18 months. My gut says Indiana will snag Zeller, Kaminski, and maybe 2 of Smith-Rivera, Davis, or Ferrell. My bet is Ferrell and Smith-Rivera. Indiana gets those guys, or some combination? Fans will calm down in a hurry; especially if one of the “gets” is Zeller.

Then we have the hapless Indiana Pacers. I have a friend who’s got a thing for spreadsheets. He’s created them for about every worldly scenario one can imagine, and just showed me his “where the Pacers stand” 2010 version. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem. The Pacers have over $65 million already committed for the 2010-2011 season, and the NBA salary cap is somewhere around $60 million with a luxury tax threshold expected to be around $72 million. (How a ‘cap’ can be $12 million below a threshold is beyond me; but I’m not about to go into it) What all of that means is the Pacers are still 10 months away from being in any real position to trade expiring contracts or get anyone who might sell tickets; and they once again have a very small chance at anything other than a mediocre draft choice (they would get #10 if all ping pong balls bounce as they theoretically should). Right now, NBADraft.net says that’s 6’6” Kansas shooting guard Xavier Henry. Wake me up when that sounds interesting. Round 2 has the Pacers picking up Maryland wing Greivis Vasquez, who IU fans remember from the Big 10/ACC Challenge in December; and West Virginia forward Da'Shaun Butler who’s still recovering from a sexual assault from college coach Bob Huggins…I….I mean a knee injury. The NBA Draft is 66 days away, but Larry Bird was dealt a really sh*tty hand, and the Pacers are still a year away.

Gear up for the weekend, sports fans. The NFL Draft is upon us, so back to you Mel. Any idea what Bill Tobin’s doing right now?