SB Nation Boston: All Posts by Peter Woodburn

Andrew Wiggins commits to the Kansas Jayhawks

2013-05-14T16:10:45Z

Andrew Wiggins, the top-rated high school basketball player in the class of 2013, committed to the Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday amongst a small gathering of friends, family and teammates.

Proving that one can never count Kansas coach Bill Self out of the equation, Wiggins spurned offers from the Kentucky Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels and Florida St. Seminoles and hopped on board with the retooling Kansas Jayhawks, who appear to be ready for another big NCAA Tournament run.

The Jayhawks, having won or shared the Big 12 title for nine straight years, had a bit of reloading to do after losing all five starters from the 2012-2013 team to either graduation or the NBA draft. Wiggins will make that pill easier to swallow, serving as the crème de la crème of Self's 2013 recruiting class, which is ranked second in the nation by most media outlets.

Wiggins led Huntington Prep in Huntington, W.Va. to a 30-3 record while averaging 23.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. He was named both the Naismith Prep Player of the Year and the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2013, the first player to receive both awards in the same year since Kevin Love in 2007.

Wiggins will join fellow five-star recruits forward Wayne Selden and center Joel Embiid as immediate impact players on the Jayhawk roster. Wiggins will likely be the centerpiece of Bill Self's offense, playing under a coach that made sure everyone knew the name of Ben McLemore by season's end. McLemore came to Kansas as a four-star recruit in 2011 and, after redshirting for one year, had an outstanding freshman campaign and now figures to be a top five pick in this June's NBA Draft.

Chattanooga hires Will Wade as new head coach

2013-05-14T13:00:07Z

The Chattanooga Mocs hired VCU Rams assistant Will Wade as their new head coach, ESPN reported on Monday.

The Mocs last made the NCAA Tournament in 2009 when they won the Southern Conference Tournament, but haven't been back since. Chattanooga hopes a little bit of Shaka Smart's success has rubbed off on Wade, who has been with VCU since 2009.

Wade graduated from Clemson in 2005, working with the basketball program throughout his time at school, eventually leaving in 2007. He then became Harvard's recruiting coordinator. At Harvard, he helped land the first top-25 recruiting class in 2008 and finished at .500 for the first time since 2002.

Wade replaces coach John Shulman, who was fired last month, and will become one of the youngest head coaches in the nation.

"I think it's an advantage," Wade told said. "I think I've got a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm. I think it helps in terms of being able to relate to the players and having the ability to relate to them and spend time with them and develop really good relationships with them."

Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn cited Wade's success with VCU, where he worked specifically with the Rams defense that was known for a constant press that resulted in steals. The Rams set a school record 422 steals as a team this past season.

DePaul reportedly in talks for new $300 million arena

2013-05-14T12:30:04Z

The DePaul Blue Demons might be getting a fancy $300 million arena upgrade if Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushes his proposal through, the Chicago Sun Times reported on Monday.

DePaul, which is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, has played its home games at Allstate Arena since 1980. The arena is located about 17 miles east of the school, next to O'Hare International Airport. The proposed 12,000 capacity arena would be located at McCormick Place, which is roughly six miles south of the university.

The mayor's office reportedly will issue a formal announcement of the proposal later in the week. The $300 million expected price tag will be equally paid for by taxpayers, the university and naming rights for the arena, according to CBS Sports.

Emanuel has pushed to bring the Blue Demons back to playing their home games closer to downtown Chicago. Earlier this year, he offered a 10-year, rent-free deal for DePaul to play in the United Center, home of both the Bulls and the Blackhawks. DePaul declined the offer, stating that they wanted to "do their own private building."

DePaul has struggled in recent years, finishing under .500 for the past six years, and the Blue Demons haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2004. Attendance during this time at the Allstate Arena has suffered as well, with the Blue Demons averaging around 7,500 fans this past season -- much less than half of the 18,500 capacity of Allstate Arena.

Although Emanuel has pushed for DePaul to play closer to home repeatedly during his term, budget troubles might make it tough for public-assistance to contribute to the $300 million price tag on a new arena. As Governor Pat Quinn said in a statement in March, "Direct state support for a private stadium is not something the state can afford... Illinois is facing a $97 billion unfunded pension liability and the most difficult budget in recent memory."

DePaul plays 16 home games a year, which counts for 11 percent of events at Allstate Arena. The team has a contract to play there that expires in 2015.

How much momentum are the Hawks riding?

2013-04-30T13:30:06Z

Just a quick glance to the recaps of each game in the series and it really looks like the Hawks firmly have the Pacers back peddling as Game 5 rolls around with the series even at 2-2.

More: Peachtree Hoops NBA playoff coverage

The Pacers won Games 1 and 2 in a convincing fashion, winning the two games by 17 and 15 points. But the Hawks fired back with a 21 point beatdown in Game 3 that included an 18-0 run to put the game seemingly out of reach for the Pacers before halftime even rolled around.

The Hawks uncorked another run of similar magnitude in Game 4 on Monday night, steamrolling past the Pacers 22-3 over the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter to take a 17 point lead at half. But in the end, the Hawks won by a deceiving 11 points, 102-91, with the Pacers cutting the lead all the way down to five with just under two minutes remaining.

Things got that way because as well as the Hawks played in the first half, and in the second quarter particularly, they were just as bad in the third quarter. After outscoring the Pacers 35-19 in the second quarter, the Hawks could only muster 12 points in the third quarter.

They were held to just 3-of-21 shooting from the field in the third quarter. Josh Smith, who finished the game with 29 points, was 0-for-5 from the floor in the third. He still sliced his way to the line, but missed to capitalize on the opportunities going just 6-of-12 from the free throw line. With Devin Harris sitting because at the start of the third because of dehydration issues and Al Horford heading to the bench because of foul troubles, the Hawks looked ugly for much of the quarter. Their ability to pass the ball was non-existent and they looked like a completely different team from the one that had dominated in the second quarter.

"It was all on the Hawks," coach Larry Drew said. "No adjustment on the Pacers," referring to the Hawks third quarter troubles. Although the Pacers didn't exactly take Horford out of the game (he still finished with 18 points), the Pacers were able to pound it inside during the third quarter with Horford out of commission courtesy of fouls. They outscored the Hawks in the paint to the tune of 18-4. The defensive adjustments, whether or not Drew wanted to admit were there, frustrated the Hawks visibly, especially Smith.

Coach Drew insists it wasn't so much the Pacers success as it was the Hawks panics. "We got very stagnant in the third quarter. Offensively, we just weren't very good. We became our worst enemy, just off the mere fact we didn't execute well in the third quarter." With Harris and Horford on the bench, the Hawks were rather lost. Their half-court sets were minimal at best and generally consisted of Smith dribbling up court and driving into the lane. But all of the open threes the team was hitting in the second quarter were no longer there in the third. Not from lack of trying, but more a lack of vision.

The Pacers nearly were able to capitalize and made the game a lot closer than it should have been in the first place. Drew commended the effort his players had in responding to the third quarter by the Pacers, but also said he didn't think his team played with the aggression they showed in Game 3. That might be slightly problematic, because the game is being played in Indianapolis and the Hawks haven't won there in four tries.

The Pacers also came in with a clear game plan, which they executed to a certain degree rather well. Ignoring their own second quarter debacle (which is a bit of a large albatross to ignore), the Pacers adjusted to Horford's Game 3 explosion to the tune of 42 points in the paint. Smith did a fantastic job guarding Paul George in the first half, but George scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, 14 of those in the fourth quarter.

Game 4 was a big win for obvious reasons for Atlanta. Instead of going with the series on the line, they get to take the fight back to Atlanta for Game 6 no matter what the result on Game 5. But they might have preferred a different second half on Monday night. Rather than coasting to the finish line, they had a slight limp as they jogged the final straightaway. If the Hawks play the game they played tonight, without the support of a home crowd, it might be chalked up as a loss. So although Atlanta has the two-game win streak on their hands, this series can still go either way on Wednesday.

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NBA Playoffs 2013, Pacers vs. Hawks Game 4: Josh Smith scores 29 as Atlanta evens series, 102-91

2013-04-30T02:17:10Z

At times it was the prettiest of basketball for both the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks, and at other times it was enough to make an entire coaching staff cry. In the end, the Hawks squeezed out a 102-91 Game 4 victory on Monday night to even the series at two.

The Hawks outscored the Pacers 35-19 in the second quarter to take a 17-point lead at half, and seemed well on their way to an easy victory. After a shaky third quarter, the Hawks regrouped in the fourth to even the series and send the Pacers to their 13th straight loss in Atlanta.

More: Peachtree Hoops Indy Cornrows NBA playoff coverage

Josh Smith kept attacking the rim even during the Hawks' poor third quarter, leading Atlanta with 29 points and 11 rebounds. It could have been a much larger lead, but the Hawks continued to struggle from the free-throw line, shooting 25-of-38.

The Pacers limited Al Horford to a certain degree after his 26-point, 12-rebound effort in Game 3. Horford watched much of the third quarter from the bench because of foul trouble, and he finished the night with 18 points and five rebounds.

The Pacers kept it together for almost the entire first quarter, but the wheels came off for Indiana with a little over two and a half minutes remaining. The Pacers held a seven-point lead at 21-14, but the Hawks stormed back to end the quarter, taking a 22-21 point lead on a last-second Devin Harris shot. The Pacers opened the second quarter as cold as the Hawks were hot. When the dust had settled, the Hawks went on a 22-3 run to take a commanding lead into halftime. During the run, the Hawks hit 7-of-10 shots and the Pacers went just 1-of-8 from the floor.

The Pacers' defense did not resemble their regular season unit, which ranked as one of the best. The Pacers defense looked confused at times, and although the Hawks hit six straight three-pointers at one point during the first half, many of those threes were wide-open shots. There is no denying that most members of the Hawks were feeling the shooting touch, but the Pacers defense wasn't helping the cause at all.

The tables turned in the third quarter though, as the Pacers went on a 15-1 run to cut the lead to seven points after Horford picked up his fourth foul with 8:25 left in the quarter. The Hawks had trouble getting their half-court offense going without Devin Harris on the floor. Harris spent time in the locker room getting an IV drip during halftime because of dehydration and didn't see the floor until five minutes were left in the third.

Atlanta got complacent with the outside shot after shooting so well in the second quarter. They went just 3-of-21 in the third quarter, as the Pacers turned up the aggression to close the gap to a manageable number. The Pacers dominated inside, outscoring the Hawks 18-4 in the paint in the third.

The Pacers kept it within striking distance throughout much of the fourth quarter, but Smith and Kyle Korver hit consecutive three-pointers towards the end to put the crowd on their feet and seal the deal. The Hawks' bench was huge throughout the game, with Korver and Anthony Tolliver hitting eight three-pointers.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Tipoff has yet to be announced.

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Pacers vs. Hawks score update, Game 4: Hawks take a 17 point lead into halftime

2013-04-30T00:41:14Z

The Atlanta Hawks went on a multi-quarter 22-3 run to take a 57-40 lead against the Indiana Pacers going into halftime of Game 4 on Monday.

More: Peachtree Hoops Indy Cornrows

The Pacers were only down by one after the first quarter, but the defense just couldn't stop any shot as the entire Hawks team heated up during the run, who at one point made six straight three pointers during the first half. Josh Smith leads the Hawks with 16 points and Kyle Korver added 11 points from the bench as the Hawks held the Pacers to just 32 percent shooting in the second quarter.

Who's the bully?

Roy Hibbert started the game hot early, but he cooled off along with the rest of the team. The Hawks haven't necessarily abused the Pacers inside, although they do have a 18-16 edge on points in the paint. With as easily as all of the Hawks shots have been falling, they haven't had to go inside too much. On defense, the Hawks have collapsed every time the Pacers have tried to find any room in the post.

Will the Pacers find their offense?

The quick answer appears to be no, but It isn't so much the Pacers' offense going ice-cold as it is that the Atlanta Hawks' being red hot. Paul George has been a non-factor for the Pacers, with only three points on just 1-3 shooting from the floor. Hibbert made three of his first four shots, but proceeded to miss his next five. As a team, the Pacers are shooting just 36.6 percent from the floor and are 5-13 from the three-point line.

Can Indiana confuse Al Horford?

Horford hasn't had much trouble in dealing with the Pacers. He is lighting up the stat sheet with six points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Horford dragged the Hawks to victory in Game 3, but they haven't needed to see as much of him. Josh Smith has been lights out from the floor and the Hawks made six straight three-pointers at one point during the first half.

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NFL Draft best available: Quinton Patton leads wide receivers

2013-04-27T12:00:06Z

Eight wide receivers found new homes in the second and third rounds of the 2013 NFL draft on Friday, but there are still plenty of good wide receivers to be had as the draft continues on Saturday.

Repeating the first round, only three wide receivers were taken in the second round, with Justin Hunter going to the Tennessee Titans as the No. 34 pick. The run on the receiving corps took a bit of time to get going, not until the 12th pick of the third round, when Terrance Williams headed to the Dallas Cowboys as the No. 74 pick. Three of the next five picks would also be wide receivers. With that said, there are still players ready to contribute quickly this season.

Top wide receivers available

1. Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech, 22

2012 stats: 12 games, 104 receptions, 1,392 yards, 13 touchdowns

Considering the big numbers Patton put up in Louisiana Tech's high-flying offense last year, it is surprising to still see his name in the pool of players waiting to be picked. Patton has quick acceleration, runs routes with the best of them and is a threat to be reckoned with if it's a jump ball in the end zone.

2. Da'rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech, 21

2012 stats: 11 games, 61 receptions, 893 yards, 10 touchdowns

Rogers also has some stellar looking stats, but his off the field troubles pushed him down the draft board. He was suspended indefinitely from Tennessee in 2012 and transferred to Tennessee Tech. He is one of the strongest receivers left on the board, as long as a team is willing to overlook his troubled college past.

3. Ryan Swope, Texas A&M, 22

2012 stats: 13 games, 72 receptions, 913 yards, eight touchdowns

Swope posted one of the better NFL Combine 40-yard times, but he doesn't always play at such a high speed. He works well when the play breaks down and knows how to deliver a block to help out the run game.

4. Josh Boyce, TCU, 22

2012 stats: 13 games, 66 receptions, 891 yards, seven touchdowns

Boyce's short stature doesn't make many scouts drool, but he opened eyes at the NFL Combine, being the only receiver to rank in the Top 4 in both the 40 yard dash and bench press. He is a strong guy that is hard to bring down and would fit in nicely as a team's slot receiver.

5. Chris Harper, Kansas State, 23

2012 stats: 13 games, 58 receptions, 857 yards, three touchdowns

Harper didn't show his promise until transferring from Oregon back to his home state of Kansas. Once there, his play earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches.

Honorable mentions

Tavarres King, Georgia
Aaron Mellette, Elon
Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas
Ace Sanders, South Carolina
Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

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NFL Draft 2013 best available: Kevin Reddick among middle linebackers left

2013-04-27T12:00:05Z

Arthur Brown, Alec Ogletree, Manti Te'o and Kevin Minter all came off the board by the end of the second day of the NFL draft. What is left is a lot of potential role players but not too many diamonds in the rough.

Te'o was the first middle linebacker chosen, picked at No. 38 by the San Diego Chargers. The Cardinals took Kevin Minter at No. 45 and Kiko Alonso followed immediately by the Buffalo Bills at No. 46. The Bears took Jonathan Bostic at No. 50, the last middle linebacker to have their name called on Friday.

Best available middle linebackers

1. Kevin Reddick, North Carolina, 23

2012 stats: 12 games, 85 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two fumbles forced

Reddick has a knack for getting behind the line of scrimmage, as evidenced by his 18.5 tackles for loss his senior year. He isn't the quickest individual in a long distance race, but has solid bursts of speed to close in on the run game.

2. A.J. Klein, Iowa State, 21

2012 stats: 13 games, 117 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one interceptions

Klein is has some of the better hands of the remaining middle linebackers, getting four pick-sixes throughout his college career. He isn't the fastest one of the group and has to make up with it by trusting his instincts, which usually are right.

3. Nico Johnson, Alabama, 22

2012 stats: 14 games, 55 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss

Johnson's stats aren't eye-popping, but that is attributed more to the depth of Alabama than anything else. He just wasn't required to be on the field as much as most other middle linebackers. He can handle the strongside role in a 4-3 formation and isn't alien to a 3-4 either.

4. Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers, 22

2012 stats: 13 games, 82 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one interception

Beauharnais is overshadowed by fellow Rutgers teammate Khaseem Greene, and lacks the speed to be a consistent pass rush threat. But he is a solid leader and a smart player who uses what he has, good strength in his lower half, to take down most runners he gets his hands on.

5. Vince Williams, Florida State, 23

2012 stats: 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack

Williams is an aggressive run defender who goes after the ball like a rabid dog chasing a squirrel. He posses a short and stout frame, which only contributes more to his angry style of playing.