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Post Lottery Full Mock Draft

After tonight's lottery, I figured I would post a two-round mock draft. I didn't make any trades. I tried to go based on what I thing teams will do, not necessarily what I think they should do, though my opinions obviously impact the decisions as well. I also included my personal grades and some undrafted fits that I liked. Let me know what you think!
  1. MIN - LaMelo Ball PG (NBL) - LaMelo is the best player in the draft and is worth the gamble for the Timberwolves. It is reasonable to be concerned about his fit with their roster on both ends, but that concern would be fair regardless of who the Timberwolves select. Their defense would probably struggle with either LaMelo or Edwards. The fit with D'Lo would be clunky with either LaMelo or Edwards. LaMelo is a great passer and an underrated off-ball player. He played off-ball in high school and is a high IQ player on that end of the court. I expect him to be able to adjust to sharing time on ball with Russell. The offensive potential, particularly the two-man game with Towns, is far too enticing to pass up on at this spot.
  2. GS - Anthony Edwards SG (UGA) - Edwards adds depth to their backcourt that is lacking in talent outside of Steph and Klay. He can also gives them another ball handler to take some pressure off Draymond. The Warriors’ closing lineup has Draymond at the 5, so having Edwards on the roster could allow for him to play important minutes in a lower-usage role where he plays next to both Steph and Klay. The Warriors are a well-run organization and I expect them to get him to buy in on the defensive end and be more of a team player on offense, where they can take advantage of his underrated cutting abilities.
  3. CHA - James Wiseman C (MEM) - Wiseman will help anchor the Hornets’ defense for the foreseeable future. He fits well with Washington, who is big enough to provide weakside rim protection but also quick enough to guard the 4 and space the floor on offense. Wiseman can be a quality roll-man for Rozier and Graham and can help those guys get open by setting screens with his 7’1” frame.
  4. CHI - Deni Avdija SF (BSL) - Deni is a great fit for a Chicago team that needs a wing who can help their pieces fit together. He is a competent defender who plays hard on every possession, though his lack of length may limit his upside on that end of the floor. Offensively, he is a very good cutter and a capable ball handler. Even though he is not a good shooter, he is an intelligent floor spacer and knows where to be on the court. He can do a little bit of everything, and if his skills coalesce, he should be able to provide the Bulls with their wing of the future.
  5. CLE - Isaac Okoro SF (AUB) - Okoro is a great pick for the Cavaliers here at 5. They get one of the best defensive players in the class and fill a very substantial need in their roster, that being wing depth. Okoro is a good ball-handler and passer, which could help take some of the pressure off of Sexton and Garland, both of whom are probably undersized shooting guards, not true point guards. If Okoro is developed properly, he could turn into one of the best players in the class and could be an important building block for the Cavs in the future.
  6. ATL - Tyrese Haliburton PG/SG (ISU) - Haliburton can be the secondary ball-handler the Hawks desperately need. He is a smart defender and can help make up for some of Trae’s shortcomings, particularly if he is able to add strength. He will keep the ball moving and help make their pieces fit together better. He can play both on and off the ball thanks to his shooting ability, which is a plus for his fit next to Trae offensively.
  7. DET - Obi Toppin PF (DAY) - At the 7th pick, Obi will probably be viewed as the best available player. The fit with both Blake and Wood is less than ideal, but Obi has a bunch of avenues to being an effective offensive player. This is probably not a draft where you can get high level talent, particularly at pick 7, so it makes sense to go with a high floor player who can be an important piece of their multi-year rebuild. They can grab a star in next year's draft, and Obi will hopefully fit in with that player.
  8. NY - Killian Hayes PG/SG (BBL) - Though the Knicks unfortunately fell, they will still have the ability to acquire a good player for their future. I view Hayes as a tier 1 prospect, and although the consensus is lower on him than I am, I expect Hayes to be the pick for New York as they continue with their rebuild. He can run their offense and create for himself and others in the PnR. He is a good defender both on and off the ball. Surrounding Hayes with shooters will be crucial to the success of the Knicks in the future. The two-man game with Robinson looks like it could be a great way for the Knicks to reliably generate offense.
  9. WAS - Onyeka Okongwu PF/C (USC) - Okongwu is a great addition to the Wizards frontcourt and can be an anchor for the defense in the short and long term. Thomas Bryant has been relatively inconsistent and they lack depth outside of Bryant at the center position. Okongwu will be a good PnR partner with Wall and should be a solid paint presence for the Wizards.
  10. PHX - Devin Vassell SG/SF (FSU) - Vassell and Mikal Bridges on the court at the same time will be hell for opposing wings. Both are such instinctual and smart defenders who can get in passing lanes and disrupt the flow of the offense. Vassell is a capable offensive player, particularly on the perimeter, and if his off-the-dribble shot-making flashes are real, he could be a valuable secondary creator for a team lacking in creation outside of Booker.
  11. SA - Patrick Williams SF/PF (FSU) - I trust the Spurs development staff to mold Williams into the incredible player on both ends that he has the potential to become. They needed to improve their front court and Williams can provide value at the 4 spot with his elite weak-side rim protection. He has shown some ability to create off the dribble and his shot profile looks solid enough for me to believe in him as a capable floor spacer. Williams could turn into one of the better players in this class and his youth and athleticism would be great for a Spurs team in need of both.
  12. SAC - Aaron Nesmith SG/SF (VAN) - Nesmith would add much needed wing depth for the Kings. He has a 6’10” wingspan and may be able to guard some bigger players because of it, particularly if he is able to add strength. His off-ball movement coupled with Fox’s ability to create advantages off the dribble would be a lethal combination. Nesmith will be able to find a nice role on the Kings and be productive from day 1 as a lethal shooter and valuable floor spacer.
  13. NO - Cole Anthony PG (UNC) - Cole can provide a scoring punch off the bench for the Pelicans and give some clarity to their backcourt situation, as he can play both on and off the ball and should be successful with either Lonzo or Jrue as his backcourt partner. He would not be expected to be a big decision-maker for the Pelicans, which should help him integrate into the NBA more seamlessly and allow him to focus on his high-level shotmaking that should take the Pelicans’ offense to the next level.
  14. BOS (via MEM) - Tyrese Maxey PG/SG (UK) - The Celtics need bench scoring (they finished 29th this year). Maxey isn't a point guard in the NBA, but he wouldn't have to be one in Boston. His 3-level scoring will be a great addition to their bench and his defensive abilities would bolster one of the best defenses in the league. He can play off of Smart, Hayward, and Tatum on the offensive end and benefit from the advantages that Tatum can create. Watching he and Smart terrorize the other team on the perimeter would be amazing.
  15. ORL - Kira Lewis Jr. PG (ALA) - For a team that doesn’t have a ton of young offensive talent, Kira could be a very welcome addition and he fits reasonably well next to Fultz. His rim pressure could certainly help break defenses down and create open looks for shooters or dump-offs to their forwards. His small frame isn’t a huge concern when placing him on a team with such a deep and defensively versatile frontcourt.
  16. POR - Saddiq Bey SF/PF (VILL) - The Blazers have needed wing depth for the entire season, but the bubble certainly helped bring his issue to light. Bey is a great fit with the Blazers as he should be able to play either the 3 or the 4 and he can knock down perimeter shots. He may not be the wing stopper that the Blazers desperately need to compete in the West due to his limited lateral mobility, but he is still a better option than most of the players they have on their roster currently. He is a polished player who will be ready to help the Blazers compete from day 1.
  17. MIN (via BKN) - Precious Achiuwa PF/C (MEM) - Precious is a pretty good fit next to Towns if he can be a solid interior defender. He had a lot of moments where he was a good rim protector this season. He is also ostensibly switchable and should be able to bolster the Timberwolves’ defense. On offense, he fits well with Towns as well because Precious can play on the interior and Towns can space the floor.
  18. DAL - Jalen Smith PF/C (MD) - After losing Dwight Powell to an Achilles injury that could keep him from being 100% for a good portion of next season, it makes sense to invest in the frontcourt. Smith will be able to space the floor and should be able to provide rim protection as well. It may be difficult to play Smith and Porzingis simultaneously because Smith doesn’t move particularly well, but Smith should be able to provide floor spacing with Porzingis off the court. A frontcourt of Kleber and Smith might be among the better shooting frontcourts in the league and will help open up the floor for Luka and the rest of their perimeter players.
  19. BKN (via PHI) - Josh Green SG (ARIZ) - Brooklyn could definitely benefit from some wing depth, and with a backcourt of Kyrie and Dinwiddie, they are going to need some guys who can defend the other team’s guards. Green is very athletic and has great hips, making him one of the best on-ball wing defender in the class. If his shot comes around, Green will be a contributor for the Nets for a long time.
  20. MIA - Théo Maledon PG (LNB) - Though Kendrick Nunn had a productive rookie year, he struggled in the bubble and it might make sense for the Heat to invest in a better long-term option at point guard, as Maledon is about 6 years younger. Maledon is a good fit for Miami to strengthen their backcourt, which could be pretty thin if they don’t hold onto Goran Dragic. If they can develop him, Maledon could turn into a very effective guard for the Heat with his potential to dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level.
  21. PHI (via OKC) - Tyrell Terry PG (STAN) - Though I have soured a bit on Terry’s fit with the Sixers, particularly because I think he might be too weak to contribute in the short term, this is still a good pick for Philadelphia. Terry is one of the better shooters in the class and someone who can score from the outside both off the catch and off the dribble. Has some playmaking ability and fits very well next to Simmons. The Sixers’ size should be able to make up for his poor frame in the short term; as he develops physically, he should be able to be a competent finisher around the basket due to his high-level shooting touch.
  22. DEN (via HOU) - Jaden McDaniels SF/PF (WASH) - McDaniels is a great addition to a Nuggets team that is deep enough to take a risk on a high-upside prospect. Though there may be some overlap between McDaniels and MPJ in terms of role, McDaniels is not the shot-creator that Porter is and would likely end up playing a more complementary role, without the ball in his hands. He has shown potential as a weakside rim protector, which is helpful next to Jokic, especially as Millsap ages. McDaniels could be a fantastic 4th option for the Nuggets in the future if he is able to develop properly.
  23. UTAH - Aleksej Pokuševski PF (GBL A2) - Poku probably doesn’t fit the timeline that the Jazz are currently operating under, but he is worth the swing anyway. They desperately need athleticism in their frontcourt and although Poku isn’t a ridiculous athlete, he is still a very fluid mover and is highly coordinated for his size. If he is able to hit a high-end outcome, the Jazz should be a dangerous defensive team moving forward with Gobert in the middle and Poku providing weak-side rim protection. His floor-spacing potential should also open things up for Mitchell even more.
  24. MIL (via IND) - RJ Hampton PG/SG (NBL) - Milwaukee can take a swing here because of how well their roster is already built. RJ can develop his shot and decision-making in the G-League as a rookie and can then slide into a bigger and bigger role as Bledsoe gets older and he gives them the option to move on from George Hill at the end of next season if RJ can develop as I think that he can.
  25. OKC (via DEN) - Desmond Bane SG/SF (TCU) - With Gallinari potentially walking this summer and the Thunder being near the bottom of the league in terms of 3PT attempts, Bane makes a lot of sense as a 3&D player who may end up being the best shooter in the draft. Couple that with the playmaking flashes he has shown and you’re left with a really solid player who fills a clear need for the Thunder.
  26. BOS - Xavier Tillman PF/C (MSU) - Tillman is the smartest player in the class and would greatly bolster the Celtics interior defense. He is very strong and had a lot of success against bigger centers in the Big 10 this year like Garza and Oturu. I expect him to be able to carve out a similarly valuable role in the NBA. He will be able to do a lot of the little things that Theis does well, such as helping to give Tatum cleaner driving looks by sealing off in the paint. He's also a good passer and ball-handler for a big and may be able to fill some of the void left by Horford's departure. The Celtics have done a good job teaching big men to shoot (Olynyk, Baynes, Horford), and if Tillman can be a respectable shooter, he should be an incredibly valuable role player.
  27. NY (via LAC) - Robert Woodard II SF (MSST) - The Knicks could absolutely use a 3&D wing, and Woodard is one of the better ones available at this spot in the draft. He is a capable off-ball defender and is fairly athletic. Woodard shot 43% from three this year and has shown flashes of passing and ball-handling. He is exactly what the Knicks need and can be a valuable piece as they move forward.
  28. LAL - Grant Riller PG (COFC) - The Lakers lack self-creation from any of their perimeter players outside of LeBron. Adding Riller, who can get to the basket and finish better than any player in the class, would be a great addition to their offense. Riller could take some of the creation load off LeBron as he ages and he will provide them with an entirely new avenue of offensive opportunities, particularly with LeBron on the bench. Riller is an older prospect and is ready to contribute right away for a team that will be competing for the title next year. He has been good on spot-ups (albeit on limited volume), and continued success in that regard will be crucial to his fit with the Lakers.
  29. TOR - Zeke Nnaji C (ARIZ) - It is unlikely that the Raptors will be able to retain both Gasol and Ibaka barring one of them taking a massive pay cut. Adding Nnaji to their frontcourt would be a great move. He is mobile, can play on the interior on offense, and has shown some signs of being able to develop as a floor spacer, though there are better bets at this point in the draft if that is the desire. He is a smart big who can play a meaningful role for the Raptors long into the future.
  30. BOS (via MIL) - Leandro Bolmaro PG/SG (ACB) - Bolmaro is another draft-and-stash prospect (possibly for multiple years, if he wants) and could end up as one of the best players in the class. He's a high level passer already and as he matures, he should only get better in that regard. He's a phenomenal on-ball defender and that skill should be able to translate to the NBA, especially as he gets older and stronger. If he is able to hone his scoring craft overseas, he would be a great addition to this team in a year or two to take care of some of the ball-handling duties, especially as Kemba ages.
  31. DAL (via GS) - Jahmi'us Ramsey SG (TTU) - Ramsey can provide the Mavs with his perimeter shotmaking, particularly off the catch, and is a fairly dynamic athlete, which would be a great boost for a Mavs team that lacks traditional athleticism in their backcourt. Ramsey struggles to get to the basket, but Luka is good enough to create advantages and open looks for Ramsey. He still has a fair amount of room to grow as an off-the-dribble shotmaker, but he should be a valuable scorer for the Mavs. There are question-marks about his defensive awareness, but he is a good enough athlete to where he should be able to improve on that end of the floor.
  32. CHA (via CLE) - Elijah Hughes SG/SF (CUSE) - Hughes outside shot-making will be great for the Hornets. He can operate effectively as a catch-and-shoot player, but he may be given an opportunity to show off his off-the-dribble shotmaking as well. He probably needs to improve as a movement shooter and show that he can consistently defend outside of a zone in order to be a meaningful contributor on the Hornets, but Hughes is a great selection to add some wing depth in Charlotte.
  33. MIN - Tyler Bey SF/PF (COLO) - Tyler Bey is a smart and athletic forward who can complement Towns very well. He consistently makes great rotations and has a 40-inch vertical, making him a guy who can be a solid weakside rim protector next to Towns. The fit with Achiuwa is sub-optimal, but with a core of LaMelo, D'Lo, & Towns, the Timberwolves have to find impactful defenders wherever they can get them.
  34. PHI (via ATL) - Malachi Flynn PG (SDSU) - Though it may look strange to double dip at PG, especially when the two guards are broadly similar players, Flynn is too good of a fit with the Sixers to pass up. He is one of the best PnR players in the class and provides a lot of abilities that the Sixers are otherwise lacking. Flynn can be the Sixers answer at PG in the short term while Terry takes the time to develop his body and decision-making.
  35. SAC (via DET) - Daniel Oturu C (MINN) - With Harry Giles hitting free agency, Dwayne Dedmond getting traded earlier this year, and some reasons to be concerned about the durability of Richaun Holmes/Marvin Bagley, it makes sense for the Kings to invest in a big man who can grab rebounds, potentially space the floor, and add some depth. Though I am skeptical of Oturu’s defensive IQ and his offensive projection at the next level, he can slide into a fairly comfortable role with Sacramento where he doesn’t have a ton of responsibility.
  36. PHI (via NY) - Paul Reed PF/C (DEP) - Reed is among the better 2nd round bigs for the Sixers to select. This might be a bit of a reach considering his draft stock at the moment, but Reed is athletic and fairly coordinated. He should be able to hold things down on the defensive end when Embiid is not on the floor and has shown some ball-handling ability that makes me cautiously optimistic about his ability to develop some sort of perimeter game that would allow him to play some minutes with Embiid.
  37. WAS (via CHI) - Tre Jones PG (DUKE) - Though the Wizards might opt for a wing at this point in the draft, Jones is a borderline first round talent and a guy who can provide value for the Wizards as a backup point guard right away. He can defend on the ball and has improved greatly as a shooter. He also provides some assurance should John Wall be less that 100% after his injury. This is good value at this point in the draft.
  38. NY (via CHA) - Devon Dotson PG (KU) - Grabbing Dotson at 38 is a steal for the Knicks. With a bevy of point guards and relatively small number of teams in need of one, it makes sense that some might fall. Dotson can provide rim pressure that the Knicks do not have on their roster outside of Barrett and can be a menacing defender despite his small size. The fit next to Hayes is probably better than one would think at first glance because they add value in different ways; Hayes will succeed in a PnR-heavy offense, while Dotson will probably be maximized being able to drive to the basket and finish, which Hayes can struggle with at times.
  39. NO (via WAS) - Cassius Stanley SG/SF (DUKE) - The Pelicans could use added wing depth and Stanley has the ability to provide that for them. There are reasons to be concerned about how he adapts to the pros given how raw he is for his age, but he is at least a decent 3PT shooter and is a ridiculous vertical athlete. If he can put his tools together, he and Zion would make for an incredibly athletically impressive frontcourt.
  40. MEM (via PHX) - Isaiah Stewart PF/C (WASH) - Stewart may be viewed as one of the best players available at this spot and he fits reasonably well into the Grizzlies’ long-term plans. He is a solid rebounder, which they need next to Jaren Jackson, and has flashed some ability to space the floor, which could create space for Ja to drive. It may be hard to get him minutes in the short term with Valanciunas and Dieng ahead of him, but it is reasonable to assume they will move on from Dieng when his contract is up and Stewart can then get more minutes. JJJ and Clarke should be able to cover for some of his mobility issues, and Stewart should be able to provide a hard-nosed edge to their frontcourt that has defined Memphis basketball for a long time.
  41. SA - Vernon Carey Jr. C (DUKE) - Carey may be viewed as one of the best players available at this spot, and although his playstyle does not fit seamlessly within the modern NBA, he is certainly talented enough to carve out a role for himself. Compared to other bigs such as Stewart & Oturu, Carey is a much more willing passer and may be able to conduct some offense out of the post if his awareness improves. There are reasons to be concerned about his defensive IQ, but he is fairly nimble for someone his size and may have more success than one might think on the defensive end after the Spurs coach him up.
  42. NO - Abdoulaye N’Doye PG/SG (LNB) - N’Doye is among the better 2nd round stash prospects, and although he is relatively old, he has many avenues to becoming an impactful NBA player in the future because of his combination of size, length, and ball-handling. Because the have 3 2nd round picks, adding a stash prospect makes sense for the Pelicans, even if he is only stashed for one year. If N’Doye’s jumper can improve, he may end up as a steal for the Pelicans.
  43. SAC - Nico Mannion PG (ARIZ) - Mannion is a very capable decision-maker and will benefit from being in NBA offenses with more spacing. Yogi Ferrell’s contract expires after this year and Cory Joseph’s contract isn’t guaranteed after next year. Nico could easily slide into the backup point guard role and fill that role perfectly. If his shooting can develop, he may be able to play off-ball next to Fox due to his ability to move without the ball.
  44. CHI (via MEM) - Isaiah Joe SG (ARK) - The Bulls struggled to make 3s last year, but Joe should help to solve that problem off their bench. He will probably have fewer opportunities to create with the ball in his hands, which he was pretty good at in college, but he is a very good off-ball player as well, which should be great for the Bulls offense. Defensively, Joe can hold his own with his 6’5” frame and plus wingspan, though he may have to take fewer gambles in order to be successful on that end of the floor. The Bulls get a first round talent in the second round and begin to shape up their roster nicely.
  45. ORL - Cassius Winston PG (MSU) - Double dipping at PG might not look like the best decision, but Winston and Lewis fill different roles. Winston’s outside shooting is something the Magic are in need of, particularly if Fournier doesn’t re-sign. Winston also proved to be a great PnR playmaker with Tillman this year, and I expect him to have similar levels of success at the NBA level off the bench with Gordon, Vucevic, or even Bamba. Though they probably won’t ever play together, Winston and Lewis could be a very interesting contrast of offensive styles.
  46. POR - Skylar Mays SG/SF (LSU) - Mays is another solid addition to the Blazers roster to add to their wing depth. While Bey is ostensibly a 3/4 tweener, Mays should be able to play the 2 or the 3. He is another mature, smart player who produce in a relatively small role. He can hit open 3s, defend both on and off the ball, and take advantage of his craftiness to make a play with the ball in his hands. He is not a high ceiling player, but he is what the Blazers need for their roster.
  47. BOS (via BKN) - Udoka Azubuike C (KU) - The Celtics tend to struggle against big men who dominate in the paint (as we have seen with Embiid this week). Azubuike is not a high-minutes player, but he can play a necessary role in the NBA and fills a void on the Celtics roster as a rim protector, post defender, and lob catcher. He's much better than Tacko and could easily be given a 2-way and contribute meaningfully in small minutes.
  48. GS (via DAL) - Killian Tillie PF/C (GONZ) - If Tillie is fully healthy, he is a first-round talent. He can provide floor spacing, is a capable passer, particularly in the post, and is one of the more mobile bigs in the class. I really like the fit next to Draymond and if he is able to be the passer that I think he can be, Steph and Klay should be able to use their off-ball movement abilities to get open, where Tillie will easily find them. This pick has the potential to be a steal for the Warriors.
  49. PHI - Jordan Nwora SF (LOU) - Nwora is 6’7” and will probably shoot 40% from 3 in the NBA. That alone makes him worth taking a look at, though his ancillary skills are lacking. The Sixers could use a sharpshooter, and Nwora could be that player for them. He is not the best defender, but the Sixers have a number of high-level defenders who could make up for some of his deficiencies.
  50. SAC (via MIA) - Boriša Simanić PF (KLS) - With their 4th pick in the draft, the Kings will probably take a draft-and-stash candidate. Simanić is a solid stretch big with really high level shotmaking instincts. He could potentially fill a role similar to Bjelica should the Kings move on from him in the future, and if Simanić can be more aggressive offensively and improve defensively, he could be a welcome addition to their frontcourt.
  51. GS (via UTAH) - Yam Madar PG/SG (BSL) - Looking forward, the Warriors could greatly benefit from adding another ball-handler. Madar is one of the better 2nd round stash prospects and should be able to be a capable 3rd guard once he comes over. If the Warriors can improve upon his shot, he would have the potential to be a very productive player as a solid 3-level scorer and aggressive defender at the NBA level.
  52. OKC - Reggie Perry PF (MSST) - Perry could add depth to OKC’s frontcourt and give them another dimension on offense. Perry showed some ball-handling and passing abilities with team USA and if those abilities can translate, he should be a valuable piece for the Thunder moving forward, particularly because their frontcourt depth is lacking. Perry should also be able to bang in the post a bit and provide value off the bench.
  53. ATL (via HOU) - Payton Pritchard PG (ORE) - The Hawks are very thin at PG after Trae, particularly because there are concerns about whether or not Haliburton can be a full-time point guard and because Teague is unlikely to be in their long-term plans. Adding Pritchard, who can dribble, pass, and shoot at a high level will be a good addition to their backcourt. He doesn’t defend all that well, but the Hawks are accustomed to having a poor defender at the PG position.
  54. IND - Immanuel Quickley SG (UK) - Quickley may be viewed as one of the better players available at this spot due to his shooting ability and the defensive upside he showcases thanks to his wingspan. The Pacers could use another guard/wing, particularly if Oladipo continues to have injury issues, and Quickley may be able to be that player. He can find a role on the team as a sharpshooter and floor spacer.
  55. BKN (via DEN) - Mamadi Diakite PF/C (UVA) - Diakite is one of the better shot-blockers in the class and should be able to provide value for the Nets in that regard. Though he lacks the size to play full time center, the Nets already have Allen & Jordan, and Diakite's mobility is pretty good for a big, making me think he could play a bit at the 4. He showed some ability to stretch the floor this season and knows what it takes to win a championship, meaning he should be able to be a valuable role player for the Nets as they aspire towards a championship.
  56. CHA (via BOS) - Mason Jones SF (ARK) - Rozier and Graham had FTr’s of .202 and .242 respectively, which are not good. Enter Mason Jones, who, although limited athletically, was an exceptional off-the-dribble creator at Arkansas, leading him to an absurd .668 FTr. He can provide another avenue for offensive creation for the Hornets and is a great pick at the end of the 2nd round, despite the obvious defensive concerns.
  57. LAC - Nick Richards C (UK) - The Clippers could greatly benefit from a rim protector and paint presence, and Richards should be able to provide that for them in a low-minutes role. I have some concerns about how his game translates to the NBA, but he posted relatively good block rates during his time at Kentucky. Richards should be able to be a solid role player for the Clippers when they need to guard 7 footers.
  58. PHI (via LAL) - Georgios Kalaitzakis SF (LKL) - With a total of 5 picks in the draft, it makes sense for the Sixers to go with a draft-and-stash. Kalaitzakis doesn’t shoot the ball very well, which is particularly concerning with this Sixers team, but he is good ball handler and defender. If he can learn to shoot, he should be a solid bench contributor.
  59. TOR - Ty-Shon Alexander SG (CREI) - Ty-Shon is a great fit for the Raptors, regardless of whether or not VanVleet leaves in free agency. Ty-Shon has shown some ball handling ability but can also play off ball and spot up on the perimeter. He is a good 3&D prospect and will add another quality perimeter defender to a team that is already loaded with them.
  60. NO (via MIL) - Naji Marshall SF (XAV) - The Pelicans struggled defensively this year, so adding a versatile defensive wing in Marshall should help them in that regard. He will probably have to improve as a shooter in order to get real minutes in their rotation, but if he can, he will be a great addition. Given the success they have had with Ingram as a ball-handler, it may make sense for the Pelicans to take one of the better wing ball-handlers in the draft in Marshall, as he can slide into that role with Ingram on the bench or if he misses time due to injury.

Mock Draft Results by team (& my personal grades)
Atlantic
Celtics - Tyrese Maxey (14), Xavier Tillman (26), Leandro Bolmaro (30), Udoka Azubuike (47); GRADE: A
Nets - Josh Green (19), Mamadi Diakite (55); GRADE: B
Knicks - Killian Hayes (8), Robert Woodard II (27), Devon Dotson (38); GRADE: B+
76ers - Tyrell Terry (22), Malachi Flynn (34), Paul Reed (36), Jordan Nwora (49), Georgios Kalaitzakis (58); GRADE: B+
Raptors - Zeke Nnaji (29), Ty-Shon Alexander (59); GRADE: A-

Central
Bulls - Deni Avdjia (4), Isaiah Joe (44); GRADE: B+
Cavaliers - Isaac Okoro (5); GRADE: B
Pistons - Obi Toppin (7); GRADE: B-
Pacers - Immanuel Quickley (54); GRADE: B
Bucks - RJ Hampton (24); GRADE: A

Southeast
Hawks - Tyrese Haliburton (7), Payton Pritchard (53); GRADE: B-
Hornets - James Wiseman (3), Elijah Hughes (32), Mason Jones (56); GRADE: B-
Heat - Théo Maledon (20); GRADE: B+
Magic - Kira Lewis Jr. (15), Cassius Winston (45); GRADE: B+
Wizards - Onyeka Okongwu (9), Tre Jones (37); GRADE: B

Northwest
Nuggets - Jaden McDaniels (21); GRADE: B
Timberwolves - LaMelo Ball (1), Precious Achiuwa (17), Tyler Bey (33); GRADE: B
Thunder - Desmond Bane (25), Reggie Perry (52); GRADE: B
Trail Blazers - Saddiq Bey (16), Skylar Mays (46); GRADE: B+
Jazz - Aleksej Pokuševski (23); GRADE: A

Southwest
Mavericks - Jalen Smith (18), Jahmi’us Ramsey (31); GRADE: B-
Rockets - N/A; GRADE: N/A
Grizzlies - Isaiah Stewart (40); GRADE: C+
Pelicans - Cole Anthony (13), Cassius Stanley (39), Abdoulaye N’Doye (42), Naji Marshall (60); GRADE: A-
Spurs - Patrick Williams (11), Vernon Carey Jr. (41); GRADE: B+

Pacific
Warriors - Anthony Edwards (2), Killian Tillie (48), Yam Madar (51); GRADE: A-
Clippers - Nick Richards (57); GRADE: C-
Lakers - Grant Riller (28); GRADE: A-
Suns - Devin Vassell (10); GRADE: A-
Kings - Aaron Nesmith (12), Daniel Oturu (35), Nico Mannion (43), Boriša Simanić (50); GRADE: B-

Undrafted fits that I like (Only NCAA players were counted for the undrafted pool; no international players were counted; I assumed every player who has declared but was not drafted was eligible):
Bucks: Anthony Lamb; Bulls: Lamar Stevens; Cavaliers: Kaleb Wesson, Kristian Doolittle; Celtics: Justinian Jessup; Clippers: Jordan Ford; Grizzlies: Nate Hinton; Hawks: Ashton Hagans; Heat: Caleb Homesley; Hornets: Kahlil Whitney, Nathan Knight; Jazz: Yoeli Childs; Kings: Jay Scrubb; Knicks: Jalen Harris, Jake Toolson; Lakers: Malik Fitts; Magic: CJ Elleby, Nate Darling; Mavericks: Trent Forrest; Nets: Rayshaun Hammonds; Nuggets: Trevelin Queen; Pacers: Dwayne Sutton; Pelicans: TJ Holyfield; Pistons: Markus Howard, KJ Martin; Raptors: Lamine Diane; Rockets: Emmitt Williams; 76ers: Jon Teske; Spurs: Tres Tinkle; Suns: Saben Lee, Freddie Gillespie; Thunder: Myles Powell; Timberwolves: Josh Hall; Trail Blazers: Sam Merrill; Warriors: De’Riante Jenkins; Wizards: Christian Vital
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[OC] 2018 Spurs Draft Prospects

SPURS LONNIE WALKER IV FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AT #18 OVERALL. PROPSECT BREAKDOWN HERE

The draft is almost upon us...

And in what I believe is a necessary break from the recent Kawhi drama, I have put together all of the prospects that the Spurs have either worked out, interviewed, or, my personal favorite, "showed interest" in. This is my fourth year of making this post, and while the Spurs don't always pick someone the have publicly worked out, this gives some insight into what direction they may take in the draft this year.
I've said this before, but it needs repeating; this is not necessarily a list of players that I want or don't want personally, this is just a list of names that I could find that the Spurs had some level of communication with. This post is very similar to the posts I've made in other years, though I tried to clean up the formatting as well as provide sources for every prospect for anyone who is curious as to where I found this information.
Without any further ado, let's get to the players. If you would like to skip the prospect breakdowns and just get straight to the names, click HERE.

2018 NBA Combine

Stats & Scrimmages

Mock Drafts & Helpful Links

Basketball Insiders | Sports Illustrated | CBS Sports | NBADraft.net
The Stepien | NBA_Draft| Tankathon.com

Prospects

Miles Bridges

Forward | Michigan State | Sophomore
Height: 6’6.75” | Weight: 220 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’9.5”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
31.4 17.1 7.0 2.7 55.0% 36.4% 85.3%
Highlights
Miles Bridges is an explosive athlete who, though he was interviewed by the Spurs at the combine, will likely be picked before San Antonio gets a crack at him. If you watch his game tape, it is easy to see why.
Bridges plays all out anytime he is on the court, cutting hard and moving with a purpose around screens. He knows how to move off of the ball and get in position for easy passes leading to scores. His jump shot is above average, though he does best spot up shooting right now. He will likely need to become more comfortable shooting off the dribble than his is now. Bridges is good when attacking the rim and is a great finisher in the paint, either off of drop off passes or straight line drives to the basket. However, his average ball handling may limit his ability to drive early on against good defensive wings in the NBA. If he works on his ball handling, a lot will open up for him.
Defensively, Bridges is a stronger tweener forward who should be able to guard wings and fours on occasion. Bridges is great a "switching everything," a valuable commodity in the NBA today. He is not a defensive specialist though, and will most likely not take on the task of defending the other teams best player all over the court.
While he doesn't have the physical tools some other do on this list (aside from his strength), Bridges makes up for it with his athleticism and never-ending effort. Bridges is a fantastic rebounder for his size, combining instinct, hustle, and athleticism to gobble up a lot of rebounds for a 6'7" SF on both the offensive and defensive glass.
His combine measurables left a little to be desired, as his wingspan was slightly shorter than the reported 6'10". This shouldn't hurt his stock too much though, as his relatively shorter arms were already a known commodity. He chose not to participate in the strength and agility drills, though you can tell from game tape of him that he is definitely an NBA caliber athlete.
Most mock drafts project Bridges as a lottery pick, so he would either have to fall in the draft or have the Spurs trade up to get him in order to see him in Silver and Black next year. It's certainly unlikely, but a player like Bridges is always a good one to have and I know the Spurs would get the most out of a hard worker like Bridges.

Kevin Huerter

Guard | Maryland | Sophomore
Height: 6’7.25” | Weight: 194 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’7.5”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
34.4 14.8 5.0 3.4 60.5% 41.7% 75.8%
Highlights
Kevin Huerter is another play that the Spurs reportedly show interest in, and it is easy to see why. Last season the Spurs were 28th in three pointers made, 27th in three pointers attempted, and 26th in three point percentage. Enter Kevin Huerter, one of the best shooters in all of college basketball.
Huerter has NBA ready range right now and can even stretch past the NBA three. He has picture perfect form with a quick release and sets his body well when catching the ball. Huerter is best running off ball around screens for catch and shoot situations, but he can take defenders off of the dribble if they close out too hard. He is comfortable driving to the basket and is a good finisher at the rim even without being particularly athletic.
He has good height at the shooting guard position, though a short wingspan relative to his height. This doesn't stop him from being a helpful defender, however, as he uses body well, moves his feet, and doesn't make bad gambles on defense.
He is a high IQ player on both ends of the court and projects to fit great in almost any system in the NBA. I've seen a lot of comparisons of Huerter to either Klay Thompson or J.J. Redick, which I don't think are unfounded. I'm always hesitant saying someone will be a star like a Klay Thompson, but the skillset is definitely there. Huerter certainly is someone I could see the Spurs taking on draft night.
However, there was a report that a recent hand surgery will cause Huerter to miss two months of basketball action. This means he will almost certainly miss summer league, though he would be ready for the beginning of the season. This is not a deal-breaker, just something to keep in mind.

Troy Brown, Jr.

Guard-Forward | Oregon | Freshman
Height: 6’6.75” | Weight: 208 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’10.25”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
31.2 11.3 6.2 3.2 52.4% 29.1% 74.3%
Highlights
Troy Brown's workout with the Spurs continues the trend of San Antonio looking at versatile wing prospects for the 2018 NBA Draft. Brown is a jack of all trades (but shooting) kind of player and could give the Spurs an interesting option on the wing next season.
Showing shades of Kyle Anderson, Brown is a lengthy wing player whose biggest strength stems from his great basketball IQ on both sides of the ball. He has a knack for being in the right spot and thrives when making plays for others. He came into college as a point forward with great vision and could fit as another playmaker on the wing.
He fits well as team defender, though like Huerter he will not be your primary defensive stopper. He works well switching screens and his frame should help him grow on that end in the NBA.
However, Brown does have some things working against him. Like Kyle, Brown is not very athletic. He consistently finished near the bottom of the strength and agility drills for wing players, and at times all players, at the 2018 combine (he tied for the 3rd slowest three-quarter court sprint for ALL players).
His shooting also leaves a lot to be desired. His form did not look good in college and he did not shoot the three ball well. Obviously the Spurs have probably the best shooting coach in the league, so if the Spurs think they can improve it,he could be a solid role player in the league.

Džanan Musa

Guard-Forward | Cedevita (Croatia) | 19 Years Old
Height: 6’8” | Weight: 195 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’8”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
20.2 10.5 3.2 0.9 56.9% 36.5% 75.6%
Highlights
Džanan Musa is one of the more exciting overseas prospects in this draft and recently worked out for the Spurs. Musa is already showing signs of significant scoring talent and lead his team to the EuroCup championship this past season. Musa is a good shooter with a lightning quick release and ability to hit some off balance threes. He plays fearlessly with good ball handling and is willing to drive inside and finish at the rim creatively with both hands. He works well pulling up off the dribble or working around screens for open looks.
He is extremely confident, which can both help and sometimes hurt him. He plays recklessly at time and tends to settle for off balance shots and play too much iso-ball. This can lead him to make errant passes leading to costly turnovers. It must be said, though, that at least some of this was due to his team situation, where Musa was heavily relied on for baskets and had to bail his team out on broken possessions. He will have to learn to be a role player in his first few years and an NBA setting where he will be relied on less could help him break some of these bad habits.
Musa does have some concerning traits defensively. He is a below average defender currently and his relatively short wingspan combined with his skinny frame should give him some challenges early on. Adding some muscle could help, but i'm not sure Musa will ever be a reliable defender.
Musa has showed flashes of some real talent, and there is no team I would trust more handling his development than the Spurs should they go with Musa on draft night.

Donte DiVincenzo

Guard | Villanova | Sophomore
Height: 6’4.5” | Weight: 200 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’6”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
29.3 13.4 4.8 3.5 57.5% 40.1% 71.0%
Highlights
Donte DiVincenzo rocketed up draft boards after his stellar performance in the NCAA Championship game. This summer he looked to prove this game was a sign of things to come, and not just an outlier. The Spurs are one of many teams to look at DiVincenzo, interviewing him at the combine and working him out.
DiVincenzo shows a lot of offensive potential, as he's capable of driving to the basketball with both hands and shoots very well from deep. He has a very high basketball IQ, especially on offense, and makes great plays in a team setting. He shoots well off the dribble and is very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
He sets up his teammates well and is comfortable as the pick and roll ball handler. He uses his solid ball handling to effectively drive to the basketball and can finish at the rim with either hand. He also has a great motor and hustles every time he is on the court. He's a good team defender and doesn't make silly gambles for the ball.
His average wingspan and strength could hurt him as an NBA defender, so he will need to get a little stronger as a professional. His agility tested well at the combine, however, so he may be able to overcome those limitations.
DiVincenzo is hard prospect to ignore after his performance against Michigan and could fit well as an eventual sixth man type on the Spurs.

Omari Spellman

Center | Villanova | Freshman
Height: 6’9.25” | Weight: 253 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’2”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
28.1 10.9 8.0 0.8 51.1% 43.3% 70.0%
Highlights
Omari Spellman is one of the two players (so far) that the Spurs have held workouts with two separate times. Spellman certainly is an intriguing prospect for todays NBA and could fit well should the Spurs decide to look his way June 21st.
Spellman, like DiVincenzo, played for the high powered Villanova offense and proved to be vital in spreading the floor last year. Though his release is a little unorthodox, he hit threes at a fantastic clip in college and is comfortable screening and hitting shots off of the pick and pop. Spellman is a team player who will do all of the little things necessary for your team to win. He is all heart and does not take plays off. He has little in the ways of an post game, which on the Spurs could be mitigated depending on the lineup that he is in. Floor spacing bigs are extremely valuable in the NBA right now, which could help Spellman see a decent amount of run this year.
He's a decent defender with solid shot blocking instincts, though he bites on pump fakes more than he should. He has solid defensive position and though he struggles when switching out onto guards, he still tries to hang with them.
His body needs some work as he has a body fat percentage of 13.75% at 254 pounds. He will need to cut more weight and get leaner, which could help him defensively against guards, though this will likely never become a strength.
Spellman is not a go-to scorer, but he should fit well as a floor spacing big in the NBA. I've seen him slip a little recently in some mocks and if we could get Spellman somewhere in the second round, I'd be happy.

Gary Trent, Jr.

Guard | Duke | Freshman
Height: 6’5.75” | Weight: 204 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’8.75”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
33.8 14.5 4.2 1.4 43.0% 40.2 87.6%
Highlights
Gary Trent, Jr. was a solid player for Duke's ultra talented squad this past season and led the ACC in three point %. Trent has some solid talent on the wing, leading him to have a workout with the Spurs this month.
Trent's biggest strength is his fantastic outside shot which he used well as Duke's third leading scorer. While his 3 ball in fantastic, he is not a complete offensive player as he struggles to create offense off the dribble and is not really a playmaker for others at this point. While his free throw percentage is great (87.6%), he does not get to the line often as he usually just shoots catch and shoot threes when fed by his teammates.
In college, Trent was not a very good defender, though he has some tools that could help him get better in the pros. He has good-not great length, but is very strong for his size and is capable of switching onto bigger small forwards for stretches. However, he needs a lot of work defensively as the foundation is there, but he has not put it all together yet.
Trent will be drafted as a 3 and D hopeful, though right now he's much better at the "3." Either way, the Spurs could be a great situation for him as San Antonio could easily use more shooting next season.

Anfernee Simons

Guard | IMG Academy | Post-High School Prep Circuit
Height: 6’3.25” | Weight: 183 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’9.25”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Highlights
Anfernee Simons, who graduated high school in 2017 as a five-star player, decided to play a post-graduate season for the Florida Prep Team IMG Academy instead of playing college ball following his de-commitment from Louisville amid the NCAA scandal this year. While his route to the NBA Draft was certainly unorthodox, it reportedly did not stop the Spurs from showing interest.
Simons is extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands and is a good shooter off the dribble from deep or in the mid-range, though he needs work moving without the ball and shooting off of a pass. He will likely not be the primary ball handler in any lineup in the beginning of his career and will need to be effective playing off of others. He has great handles to go with a quick first step, though he struggles to finish at the rim due to his lack of strength.
For a combo guard like Simons, his passing could use some work. He has average vision and misses open players off of pick and rolls/pops at times, becoming too focused on shooting himself. He also has a tendency to make lazy passes, leading to completely unnecessary turnovers.
Defensively, Simons has the tools to be an above average defender, but his slight frame and lack of focus have held him back on that end of the ball. His wingspan and quickness should bode well for him should he lock in consistently on defense in the NBA, but he has yet to be consistently active on that end of the floor.
Simons has a ton of potential, but it'll be a matter of putting it all together in the pros. He needs to play much smarter and commit to playing defense, but his athleticism and solid shooting ability make him someone to watch.

Jontay Porter (Withdrawn)

Forward-Center | Missouri | Freshman
Height: 6’11.5” | Weight: 236 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’0.25”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
24.5 9.9 6.8 2.2 50.0% 36.4% 75.0%
Highlights
Jontay Porter was one of the first prospects to have a workout with the Spurs this offseason before he decided to pull out of this year's draft. He’s a solid shooter from outside and projects well hitting the NBA three. While he has some solid post moves in the paint, he is really more of a face-up big. An impressive passer for his size, Porter should work well in the high-low offense the Spurs have used with their bigs. He should also be able to function as the lone big man on the court. He could stand to cut down on his turnovers, however, with 1.9 turnovers for every 2.2 assists.
While solid on defense, he needs to cut down on his 3 fouls per game and show more consistent effort on that end. When he’s locked in, he’s a decent rim protector with active hands, though he is limited athletically and will struggle switching onto guards.
Porter did not have impressive measurables at the NBA combine. While his has good height, his relatively short wingspan combined with his limited athleticism could hurt his potential as a defender in the NBA. His body fat percentage, 13.85%, was the highest of any player at the combine. For a young player who is already limited by his speed and leaping ability, this is not ideal.
Overall, Porter is a very skilled prospect who the Spurs reportedly "loved" before he left the draft. He projects to fit like a glove either next to LaMarcus or as a big man off the bench and his floor spacing is vital in today’s NBA. Combined with his ability to pass, Porter could end up being a very solid player at the next level. Unfortunately, since he is heading back to Missouri next year and will likely improve, Porter will likely be gone before our chance to pick next year.

Josh Okogie

Guard | Georgia Tech | Sophomore
Height: 6’4.5” | Weight: 210 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’0”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
36.4 18.2 6.3 2.5 43.2% 38.0% 82.1%
Highlights
Josh Okogie has a great season for Georgia Tech and had great measurables for a 3&D wing at the combine, leading to the Spurs working him out. Okogie's fantastic wingspan and strength on the wing make him an intriguing option on draft night.
Defensively, Okogie is a competitor who uses his athleticism and length to help him get steals, blocks, and disrupt passing lanes. I think he could be a fit on the wing in a Danny Green type role as he grows his game. He is also a phenomenal rebounder for a 6'4.5" guard, averaging 6.3 per game.
On offense, Okogie projects to be a 3 point shooter who can take it off the dribble if teams closeout too hard. His ball handling is just average, so I don't think he'll be a primary or secondary ball handler, but he should fit well in most lineups regardless. He was great at getting to the free throw line in college and converting at a good rate, though he will likely get less calls in the pros as less is asked of him. He is a decent finisher in the paint, though his outstanding athleticism gives hime some room to improve here.
Okogie tested fantastically at the combine, posting the (tied for) highest max vertical at 42" and the fastest three quarter court sprint. While I dont know where he would go in the draft, Okogie's skill and room for growth makes him seem like a solid fit on the Spurs roster.

Jalen Brunson

Guard | Villanova | Junior
Height: 6’2.25” | Weight: 198 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’4”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
36.4 18.9 3.1 4.6 59.9% 40.8% 80.2%
Highlights
Jalen Brunson was the National Player of the Year and floor general for the most high powerd offense in college basketball, as well as the third player from Villanova to have a workout with the Spurs. While point guard does not currently seem to be a position of need for the Spurs, there are some factors a good fit on this team.
Offensively, Brunson is a classic point guard who truly is an extension of the coach on the floor. He is good at getting the ball in the hands of his teammates in spots where they can succeed either through a designed set or from the pick-and-roll or drive-and-kick situations. Brunson is a good shooter from three point range and is comfortable shooting off of the dribble from deep or mid-range. Brunson using great ball handling in order to get into the paint and attack the rim, though his average athleticism may limit his ability to finish in the NBA.
Defensively, Jalen's lack of above average athleticism and his average measurables for a point guard could limit his potential as a defender in the league. While not a great 1-on-1 defender, he is good team defender who plays passing lanes well, does not over-help or overcommit to steals.
Overall, Brunson is a smart player who could contribute early as a back up point guard. Depending on the other moves the Spurs make this offseason, he could be a solid pick up for the Silver and Black.

Brandon McCoy

Center | UNLV | Freshman
Height: 7’0” | Weight: 250 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’2”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
28.8 16.9 10.3 0.5 55.0% 33.3% 72.5%
Highlights
Brandon McCoy had a solid season for UNLV as he lead his team in points, rebounds, and blocks per game, which lead to him to get a workout with the Spurs.He is a strong inside presence that moves pretty well for his size, though he lacks the athleticism to witch out to guards on the perimeter.
McCoy is decent in the post, though I don't expect he will get many post touches in the NBA, especially early on in his career. To succeed in the league, McCoy will have to become a better shooter. Though his form and percentages looks solid,he only shot 9 three pointers all season long. If he improves from deep, he could become very valuable as a stretch 5 with solid defense.
He is a good rim protector, though is too undisciplined at times which can cause him to rack up fouls in a hurry. He also doesn't have the best positioning on defense against bigs and could be abused by low post scorers in the NBA.
He is not afraid of competition, however, putting up one of his best games of the season against consensus top-2 pick Deandre Ayton and Arizona with a 33 point, 10 rebound performance in an overtime loss. Overall, McCoy could be a solid pick for the Spurs in the second round, especially if we lose some big men this offseason.

Angel Delgado

Center | Seton Hall | Senior
Height: 6’9” | Weight: 230 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’10”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
30.9 13.6 11.8 2.8 50.8% 0.0% 61.2%
Highlights
Angel Delgado, who had a workout with the Spurs early last month, had an outstanding career with Seton Hall and lead them to two straight NCAA tournament appearances. Though he is undersized for an NBA center, his scoring ability around the basket mixed with his tenacious rebounding could eventually lead him to a successful NBA career.
Delgado scores well off the pick and roll and has good finishing ability at the basketball, though his post game is limited. He is a good passer for his position and looks to make smart reads within the teams offense. He never gives up on plays either offensively or defensively, and he uses his strength well to gobble up rebounds on both ends. He does lack a reliable jump shot, however, so he'd likely serve as a pick and roll big in the NBA.
He is a decent defender, but lacks the length and anticipation to get very many blocks or steals. However, he functions pretty well as a 1 on 1 post defender because of his strength.

Jordan McLaughlin

Guard | USC | Senior
Height: 6’1” | Weight: 170 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’3”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
35.3 12.8 3.7 8.8 48.2% 39.7% 74.6%
Highlights
Jordan McLaughlin is a small but skilled floor general who can run an offense well and whip the ball around the court. While his physical tools leave something to be desired, the Spurs saw enough in him to hold a workout with him this offseason.
McLaughlin is a good shooter from outside and is comfortable shooting off of the dribble or driving in the paint and finishing amongst the trees. While he is a great passer, at times he is too careless and will throw the ball away trying to make a flashy pass.
While he was passable defensively in college, his average length and skinny frame could cause other guards to overpower him on offense. While he could improve and put on some muscle, he will likely still struggle on defense due to these issues.

Drew Eubanks

Forward-Center | Oregon State | Junior
Height: 6’10” | Weight: 240 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’11”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
31.3 13.2 6.8 1.1 62.4% 0.0% 70.1%
Highlights 1 | 2
Drew Eubanks has flirted with declaring for the draft in the past, though this year he fully committed and held workouts with some teams, including the Spurs.
Eubanks is an hustle big man with a tendency to swat shots into the third row of the stands. While he plays with great energy, he can sometimes become lost on defense which will lead to easy scores and some careless fouls. However, he shows promise as a weak side shot blocker and rim protector due to is above average leaping ability.
Offensively he is limited to a rim running role, though his solid hands and good finishing ability can still cause defenses some issues.
Eubanks still has a long way to go, but could be an effective player after some seasoning in the G-League.

Kenrich Williams

Forward | TCU | Senior
Height: 6’7.5” | Weight: 236 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’7.25”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
36.0 13.2 9.3 3.9 52.1% 39.5% 68.8%
Highlights
Kenrich Williams is a smart combo forward who had a workout with the Spurs following an impressive senior season. Though he has a lot of skill, there is no one trait that sticks out from the rest.
He is a knockdown three point shooter off the catch, though he struggles when asked to shoot of off the dribble. He is a classic glue guy who will always make the right decision on offense, though he is not a go to scorer on that end. He showed solid playmaking skills and should hold his own when asked to drive to the paint on over aggressive closeouts. He plays with good motor and is a great rebounder, pulling down 9.3 rebound per game at just 6'7.5".
Defensively he is solid and strong, though his smaller length may hurt him when asked to guard bigger forwards in the NBA. Williams is older than your average rookie (he will be 24 as a rookie), but in the right situation he could become a solid role player, though he'll likely need time in the G-League early on.

Chimezie Metu

Forward-Center | USC | Junior
Height: 6’9.5” | Weight: 225 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’0.5”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
31.0 15.7 7.4 1.6 54.8% 30.0% 73.0%
Highlights
Chimezie Metu, who the Spurs interviewed at the combine, has some solid potential as a 3&D four or five in the NBA today. While his defense is already above average, his offense will need some work.
Metu mainly scores from hustle points and put backs, though he showed some solid ability to hit shots from outside. However, he will need to become a lot more consistent for him to get the green light on the perimeter in the pros. While is not hi strong suit, he has shown the ability to occasionally score or make decent passes off the dribble, which should help him once he fully gets his shot going.
Defensively, Metu moves his feet extremely well for a big man and could even stay with wings/guards on the perimeter. His decent wingspan and above average athleticism could help him develop as a rim protector, though he has a tendency to play over aggressively which leads to silly fouls.
Metu has a very intriguing profile for a modern big man and is someone I think the Spurs will take a long look at in the second round.

Elijah Stewart

Guard | USC | Senior
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 190 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’8”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
29.6 11.7 3.0 1.3 53.3% 39.1% 84.4%
Highlights 1 | 2
Elijah Stewart is the third (so far) Trojan to get a workout with the Spurs, and he could add some needed athleticism on the wing.
Stewart is a good shooter from deep off the catch, though his shooting mechanics could use a little bit of work. He moves well of off screens and is adept at cutting to the basket. He's a strong finisher at the basket, using his athleticism and touch to finish over bigger players. However, he struggles when asked to create for others and would have to learn to move the ball better on offense. Overall, though, he needs to be a lot more consistent offensively.
Defensively, while he is decent, he will need to get a lot stronger to guard wings in the NBA. He will be caught out of position at times, leading to easy scores for his opponent. However, Stewart is a surprising shot blocker for his size and does play with a lot of energy. If he can develop his defense, Stewart could find a role as a 3&D player.

Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr.

Center | Baylor | Senior
Height: 7’0” | Weight: 225 lbs. | Wingspan: 7’4”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
31.0 14.0 8.6 0.8 52.8% 28.6% 70.7%
Highlights 1 | 2
Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr., who the Spurs held a workout with in late May, may be old for a rookie, but he shows promise as a stretch big in the modern NBA.
Lual-Acuil works well in the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop and showed a willingness to take threes in college, though he will need to improve his shot before being regularly trusted to launch from deep. While he has some skill finishing at the rim, he occasionally misses shots badly right by the rim against aggressive defenses. He does have some moves in the post, but will likely not be asked to post up in the NBA unless it is to attack a mismatch.
His solid motor on defense, his height, and his long arms help him as a weak side shot blocker and rim protector, though he will need to add strength to better guard big men 1-on-1 as he tends to get bullied by stronger centers. He is also not very disciplined on defense, leading to him picking up some silly, quick fouls.
Lual-Acuil has some intriguing skills for a big, especially in the second round, so I wouldn't mind hearing his name called on draft night.

J.P. Macura

Guard | Xavier | Senior
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 205 lbs. | Wingspan: N/A
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
29.7 12.9 4.5 2.9 55.4% 37.7% 82.1%
Highlights
J.P. Macura is a solid glue guy who is a willing shooter, passer, and rebounder and will compete on every possession.
He is a solid shooter both off the dribble and off the catch and is more than willing to make the extra pas if a teammate has a better shot. However, his shot can be a bit streaky and he occasionally demonstrate poor shot selection, leading to misses at very inopportune times.
While he competes defensively, he could struggle in the NBA due to his lack of quickness and strength. He is undersized for a wing in todays NBA and may only be able to guard opposing shooting guards and could struggle when asked to switch onto small forwards.

Jordan Barnett

Forward | Missouri | Senior
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 205 lbs. | Wingspan: N/A
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
34.1 13.7 5.9 1.1 50.8% 41.4% 89.0%
Highlights
Jordan Barnett is another athletic, 3&D hopeful out on the wing that the Spurs have worked out this summer.
Though he would be older for a rookie, Barnett has shown a willingness to improve, bumping his 3pt% up a full 11% from the season before. He is not a feature scorer, but can hit shots for you off the catch at a great clip. He cuts well to the basket and can finish well among big men. He does struggle, however, when asked to create off of the dribble either for himself or others.
He is a solid 1-on-1 defender, though he does not cause many deflections or steals for a wing. Though he can get by on his solid defense now, teams will want him to become more disruptive on that end.
Every team is looking for their next 3&D wing and, with some work and probable time in the G-League, Barnett could become just that.

Desi Rodriguez

Forward | Seton Hall | Senior
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 215 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’10”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
30.3 17.5 4.8 2.0 56.9% 37.3% 73.6%
Highlights
Desi Rodriguez, the second player from Seton Hall the Spurs have worked out this offseason, is a jack of all trades, master of none player who is coming off a great 2018 season.
He scores pretty well off of the dribble, is a willing passer within a team offense, and is capable of knocking down some threes off of kick outs. He is a high IQ player who knows how to move without the ball to get open.
Defensively, Rodriguez is decent, but his above average physical tools give him room to grow. He is capable of switching around the wing, though he is not going to be drafted to be a defensive stopper per se.
As you can see, even potential 3&D wings are a valuable commodity today, which could lead Rodriguez to an (eventually) successful career.

Trevon Bluiett

Guard-Forward | Xavier | Senior
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 215 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’6.5”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
34.3 19.3 5.5 2.5 46.2% 41.7% 84.8%
Highlights
Trevon Bluiett is yet another wing that the Spurs have worked out in preparation for the 2018 NBA draft.
Bluiett is a talented scorer from all over the floor and is comfortable shooting off the catch or the dribble. He shows some skill posting up smaller guards and converts free throws at a high rate when he gets to the line. He can create for himself or others and moves the ball well due to his high basketball IQ.
Defensively, Bluiett is decent, though his lack of strength, average athleticism, and short wingspan could cause him to struggle against NBA level athletes. He does not cause many deflections on defense and NBA teams will want to see him a lot more active with his hands.
While Bluiett is more of a scorer than a 3&D wing right now, he could carve out a nice career if he improves on the defensive end.

Hamidou Diallo

Guard | Kentucky | Freshman
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 197 lbs. | Wingspan: 6’11.5”
MPG PPG RPG APG 2ptFG% 3ptFG% FT%
24.8 10.0 3.6 1.2 45.8% 33.8% 61.6%
Highlights
Hamidou Diallo initially declared for the 2017 NBA Draft after playing zero games at Kentucky, was interviewed by the Spurs and other teams before the 2017 NBA Combine, then decided to return to Kentucky for his first true season for Coach Cal. This was the right decision, though many of the questions about his ability remain unanswered. I do not know if the Spurs interviewed or worked out with Diallo this offseason, but I thought he was worth including.
Diallo is an extremely gifted athlete, posting a 44.5" vertical (2nd in combine history) at the 2017 NBA Combine. Though his numbers did go down this year, there is still no question about his speed and agility. Right now, Diallo is mostly an energy player out on the wing who does a little of everything, though he doesn't always do it well. His shot is a work in progress in both form and shot selection, as he has the same bad tendency as Russell Westbrook to pull up and take long twos and threes while not shooting a good percentage. However, he completely lacks Westbrook's skill, making these attempts even more frustrating. He is a willing passer but has poor vision and skill, leading him to have a negative assist/turnover ratio.
He is active on defense, but is just not very smart on that end of the floor. He will occasionally lose his man and has a tendency to gamble for steals too often, leading his team to need to cover for his mistakes. With his great length, he has the potential to be a good defender in the NBA, but will need to get both stronger and a lot smarter. Wherever he is picked, Diallo projects to spend a lot of time in the G-League early on in his career.

That's It!

If you made it this far, I want to say that I really appreciate it. The Spurs are obviously a big hobby for me and I always want to stay up to date with what they're doing. Do you have any comments, constructive or otherwise? I'm always trying to improve my writing, prospects analyses, and formatting, so please let me know.
Thanks again.
Go Spurs Go!
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132+ Teams in 132+ Days: USC Trojans

University of Southern California (USC) Pacific-12 Conference
Year Founded: 1880
Location: Los Angeles, California
Total Attendance: 38,010 (approx. 17,000 undergrad and 21,000 grad)
Nickname: Trojans
So why name your team after glorious warriors who were defeated in battle? It makes sense if you put USC into the historical context of the region: modern California first developed around the Bay Area. When USC was founded in 1880, LA was a backwater with a population of 20,000. For some perspective, here's a rare aerial balloon photo of LA from 1887 (north is roughly to the left); USC was founded on the southern edge of (town off the photo to the right) next to a fair ground called “Agricultural Park” (now Exposition Park). Meanwhile, despite being founded 8 years after USC, Stanford jumped ahead in every category because it was closer to the wealth and population. This gap translated into sports: although USC established itself as the most respectable regional program in contests between Oxy, Pomona, Whittier, Caltech and Loyola, it would routinely get crushed by Stanford and Cal.
During those early years the school had unofficial names like the Fighting Methodists or Wesleyans (which is odd because the school was never particularly religious and dropped it altogether not long into its history, more on that later). Finally, in 1912 (during a stretch where all California schools dropped football for rugby), a reporter assigned to cover an intercollegiate track meet noted that the USC players were competing hard despite an obvious lack of financial resources in a noble battle for the sake of sport. He said they “fought like Trojans.” The name quickly stuck. Soon afterward, Los Angeles and USC quickly grew up in size and relative power, and the Bay Area and their schools continue to hate both to this day. As Beano Cook once put it: Stanford and Cal want to beat each other, but they hate USC. Interestingly, the feeling isn't mutual. If you want to understand LA, the Big Lebowski and LA Story captured the blase feeling about anything... Dude, let's go bowling.
Mascot:
Official: Traveler – USC's mascot is actually the white horse... a Trojan horse, if you will, named after Robert E. Lee's trusty steed that rides around the stadium pregame and after touchdowns. Before the track was removed from the LA Coliseum, Traveler would gallop around the track. When Al Davis had the stadium renovated into something more NFL-friendly, they removed the track causing Traveler to run along a much more crowded sideline. Honestly_ was at the 2000 game where that galloping tradition ended as Traveler knocked down a totally unwitting guy on the sideline (the guy was okay). Now the horse has spotters who run ahead of him and clear a path, but it's still not quite as majestic as it used to be.
But Traveler was only the mascot since 1961... what was the USC mascot before that? A dog. But not just any dog: George Tirebiter. In the 1940s, students noticed a mangy stray chasing cars on a street through campus. They adopted it and the student body made it a mascot. Despite a penchant for biting tires, opposing mascots and a few people, folks were willing to look past his faults. He was even dognapped and drugged a few times by UCLA students. Alas, Tirebiter I got even more ferocious over time so he was forcibly retired, only to die a year later doing what he loved the most—chasing cars (such is the life of a true hunter).
"QamvIS Hegh qaq law' torvIS yIn qaq puS!"
He was followed by several other Tirebiters until the school went with the horse. Still, despite his 50+ year absence, he remains an icon at USC, and his cool statue, complete with a stack of tires, has a prominent spot on campus, on the same street he used to chase cars (which is now pedestrian-only).
Unofficial: Tommy Trojan, as represented by the Trojan Shrine at the heart of campus. The statue is the campus icon. Just don't try to pose like him: he's impossibly flexing every muscle in his body at once. Due to Bruin scheming, Tommy is usually mummified in duct tape during UCLA week, but occasionally they strike during off weeks. Meanwhile, the band's drum major is also decked out in an elaborate uniform and conducts the band with a sword. He plants his sword at the center of the field before every game, to the roar of the crowd.
Cheerleaders USC Song Girls!!! USC doesn't have cheerleaders, we have a dance squad. Here are the 2012 photos from their famed, annual summer Tahoe adventure. Because what's better than a Song Girl? A wet Song Girl. Meanwhile: we used to also have the all-male Yell Leaders (super-preppy guys that could walk on their hands), but they were phased out for a generic co-ed “Spirit Leaders” that deserve no further mention.
Band: The Spirit Of Troy, aka The Trojan Marching Band, aka "The Greatest Marching Band In The History Of The Universe". A contingent of the band has performed at every USC football game, home and away, since 1987, and the entire band always travels to South Bend for Notre Dame. This is Hollywood's college band, having appeared in a variety of shows and movies, ranging from the Naked Gun, to playing Alabama's band in Forrest Gump, to Glee. The band has played multiple Academy Awards (my favorite was “Blame Canada” in 2000), multiple Grammys (with Outkast and Radiohead), on American Idol, at Coachella and travels internationally every other year. The band famously had a platinum record in 1979 when Fleetwood Mac asked them to perform and record Tusk (official music video); it went platinum again in a later, live recording also with the USC band. They also make up the house band for the Lakers thanks to late-alum/owner Jerry Buss.
Fight Song: Fight On. If you play us, you'll hear it... a lot. The lyrics and tune are catchy, and it was used by American soldiers during the Pacific Theater of WWII.
We're also known by our opponents for Tribute to Troy, better known as “This is the only song we know!” (fans love it). I think the best way to hear the fight song and the almost Ben Hur-like sound of our band is to hear it as they play it at the beginning of every football game: combined as Fanfare, Tribute To Troy, and Fight On. Fanfare makes you want to grab a sword and charge.
We have two other signature songs that deserve mention: Conquest was actually written as the main theme of the 1947 epic film the Captain from Castile, for which the score was nominated for an Academy Award. During the pauses at the beginning of the song the fans all yell “Beat... the [opposing team's nickname]!” and start imitating the trumpets at the end. The other is Tusk, which was originally created and performed by Fleetwood Mac and the USC band for the eponymous album. It's best known for the chant “U-C-L-A SUCKS!” Part of the reason is while the UCLA fight song Sons of Westwood actually mentions USC, our fight song was written before they were relevant at sports so Tusk filled the gap.
First Season: 1888
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (93,607 capacity): The only stadium to host a combined: 2 Olympiads ('32 & '84), Super Bowl, World Series, Democratic Convention (Kennedy accepted the nomination here), Papal Visit, porn movie(s?), Hollywood movies, numerous GameDay and All State commercials, monster truck rallies, X-Games, international FIFA exhibition games not involving the US (hey, it's LA!), and much, much more. The Olympic cauldron/torch is lit at the beginning of the fourth quarter at all USC games.
Stadium Location: Los Angeles, California, right across the street from campus in Exposition Park. Now you can understand how odd it was when UCLA had it as their home stadium. The stadium is technically a public building, and until very recently was directly managed by the Coliseum Commission, made up of an even split of City/County/State appointees. After years of bungling, corruption (cough-cough, Bernard Parks), and delayed renovation in hopes of luring a new NFL team to do it all for them, USC lawyers skillfully wrested the Master Lease away from the Commission and into the hands of the university. Improvements are coming. Exposition Park also has a lot of cool museums and the popular rose garden. The neighboring Sports Arena used to be the home of the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and USC arena sports until everyone moved out--USC now plays out of the Galen Center (most recently seen as the site of Microsoft's infamous E3 conference).
All-time Record: 779-313-54 (.703)
Conference Championships: 38
Bowl Games: 31-16 (24-9 Rose Bowl record)
National Titles (11 claimed): 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004*
*BCS and FWAA titles vacated; sorry Auburn, we kept the AP trophy
Rivals:
Notre Dame – USC's greatest rival, most respected foe, historical brother-in-arms, yada yada yada. The entire nation gets shovelfuls of this stuff every odd October and even November... and USC fans love it. This really is an amazing rivalry, one that makes little geographic sense but has produced more national titles, Heisman winners and illegal forward motion assists than any other. Notre Dame leads the series 44-34, with the longest non-losing streak in the rivalry (13-0-1 between 1983-96). The Trojans are currently on a one game losing streak to the Irish. The winner of this game gets the Jeweled Shillelagh, which kind of looks like a knotted emerald and ruby penis (they're actually on the second trophy after the first filled). Little known fact: Brent Musburger has twice collapsed from a priapism (1999, 2005) while calling this game, and each stadium's press box has since been retrofitted with blood pumps to make sure the flow from the venerated announcer's brain to his nethers is even and uninterrupted.
UCLA – The largest intra-city FBS rivalry, the intensity of this match-up is somewhat mitigated by everyone having to constantly text each other to see which freeway to take to the game. Separated by a mere 11 miles and a solid hour of traffic, these two schools embody everything you could ask for in a dichotomy: private vs. public, rich vs. slightly less rich (you may be surprised which is which), red vs. blue, one is good at football and one is UCLA, etc. The Bruins enjoyed national and local relevance under Terry Donahue (1975-96) and Bob Toledo (1996-2002) as well as an eight game winning streak vs. the Trojans during the nineties, but USC leads the series 46-29-7. After two tumultuous coaching changes UCLA is currently enjoying a one game winning streak over USC under new coach Jim Mora. The two school shared the same home stadium until 1983, when UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl which is even farther away from its campus (USC remains closer to both stadiums). The winner of this match up gets the Victory Bell, which gets gonged obnoxiously and joyously by the victor during the rivalry game before it's rolled away into fratish secrecy. Both programs have recently agreed to a return to pre-1983 tradition by wearing their home colors for the annual tilt, making this the handsomest non-Saban rivalry in the nation. The rivalry extends to all sports, and even non-sports.
Stanford – Unbeknownst to the rest of the nation but knownst to both the current generation of Trojans and anyone who lived prior to 2002, this is an ugly, bitter hatred. Stanford is USC's oldest rival and, during the early and middle parts of the twentieth century, enjoyed regional and national success that pitted it against the West Coast's premier power in USC. That rivalry was renewed with 2007's epic upset at the hands of Jim Harbaugh's Cardinal, somehow using a quarterback named Tavita Pritchard – who is not a lesbian ceramics professor – to defeat a Trojans squad that was favored by 837 points. Harbaugh would go on to hand USC it's worse loss in 43 years by going for two in a 55-21 beatdown. Stanford has won the last five of six against USC, two of them in memorably late fashion. The two bands genuinely hate each other. The victor of this rivalry receives Smugness +1.
[“The Weekender”, takes places each year when USC plays Stanford or Cal up north, and includes a major rally in Union Square in downtown San Francisco. Alumni in the Bay Area are joined by throngs of SoCal fans and students who make the trip up. This tradition between the three schools (plus UCLA) is what allowed the schools to lobby and stay in the permanent yearly rotation despite being in different divisions... again, where there's a will, there's a way when it comes to scheduling your rivals]
Cal – The Bears enjoyed a mid-2000s renaissance, nearly winning the Pac-10, a berth to the Rose Bowl and a national title appearance like, 17 times, but stupid Texas something something. No, seriously, there was a rivalry here under since departed Jeff Tedford, with Cal playing USC nail bitingly close in a four year span with national implications in each game, the highlight of which was the 23-19 USC win on their way to the 2004 national title. The intensity of this rivalry was rekindled after the Trojans' 2003 triple overtime loss in Strawberry Canyon, Cal's last win in the series. This is an old match up dating back to 1915, but it is thoroughly lopsided with USC leading the series 64-29-5. Although it's not really relevant here's Marshawn Lynch riding a cart.
2012 Season, aka The Horror
Record: 7-6 (21-7 loss to Georgia Tech in 2012 Sun Bowl)
Coach: Lane Kiffin
“Look, Brohams, I know how last season looked but just don't fucking start with me, m'kay?”
2012 Roster
Key Players:
  • Matt Barkley (Sr. QB) - In many ways, Barkley did more for USC than any other quarterback in the school's long history. He holds the USC and Pac-12 career records for touchdowns (116 passing, 122 total), passing yards (12,237), completions (1,001), attempts (1,562) and total offense (12,214). He has beautiful golden hair and does charity work because he's a good person and could totally boff your sister but wouldn't because he's a gentleman, and also his AMAs are pretty good. And although he never won a Heisman or a national championship you'd be hard pressed to find a USC fan who didn't hold Barkley in the highest regard. As a true freshman starter he helmed the Trojans through a shocking change from Pete Carroll to Kiffin, providing hope and oddly humorous immobility within the pocket during a tenure of pre-sanctions uncertainty and then terrible, soul destroying certainty. Barkley turned down a probable first round draft selection to return for his senior season in anticipation of a special campaign, which was special but not in that kind of way. Although we are all regretful he didn't get the pay day he deserved, Barkley is probably too busy smiling at a sunflower to care.
  • Matt Barkley's Shoulder (RS Sr.) - Though the season didn't rest entirely on MB7's Shoulder, in the end it was The Shoulder that decided the season. A disastrous campaign could have been salvaged with season ending wins against UCLA and Notre Dame, continuing a winning streak and knocking the Irish out of the title game, respectively. Instead we got an unceremonious and frankly horrifying look at the future as RS Fr. QB Max Wittek took the stage and quickly took a big fat dump, followed by an even bigger, fatter dump. Little did we know that it was The Shoulder that wielded the Toilet Paper, and for four wonderful years we were protected by His Throwing Arm Mandate. But now The Shoulder is gone, and with it the Bum Wad. Please ignore any confusing metaphors.
  • Marqise Lee (So. WR) - He was not the most heralded. He was, in fact, the least heralded of a remarkable group of Gardena Serra HS wide receivers recruited to USC starting in 2010. Now Lee has shattered the single season Pac-12 receiving record with his 1,721 yards in 2012 winning him the Belitnikoff Award. Lane Kiffin designed every manner of screen imaginable to get his star receiver the ball and probably would have had Lee hike the ball to himself if it were legal. Lee will enter the 2013 season as the face of the team and on a short list of "most dynamic" players in the nation, which is to say he'll be a Heisman hopeful until they give it to a QB or RB. But that new award for Most Similar To A Cyborg Gazelle? Lee's going to win that.
  • Robert Woods (Jr. WR) - In many way Woods is the perfect symbol of the 2012 season. A consensus All-American in 2011 with a conference record 111 receptions for 15 touchdowns and 1,292 yards, he was on the short list for the Belitnikoff and everyone's preseason All-America. He finished 2012 with 76 receptions for 11 touchdowns and 846 yards, good for second team Pac-12. It was an otherwise good year but fell far short of expectations, prompting Woods to declare early for the NFL draft. When asked how much Lee's ascent factored into his decision, Woods said "Not much. I mean if the coaches wanted to keep me another year they would have probably got me the ball..." His comments echoed fans' misgivings over Kiffin's play calling and proved to be a fitting and sad coda for what was widely believed to be the start of one of the greatest offensive careers in USC history.
Biggest Plays:
2013 Season
2013 Schedule
Thanks to the @Hawaii rule, we have 13 regular season games with a potential total of 15 games if we win the Southern Division and are bowl eligible. As per tradition: No FCS, ever.
Aug. 29 at Hawai'i
Sept. 7 Washington State*
Sept. 14 Boston College
Sept. 21 Utah State
Sept. 28 at Arizona State*
Oct. 5 Bye Week boo NCAA!
Oct. 10 Arizona* (Thurs)
Oct. 19 at Notre Dame*
Oct. 26 Utah*
Nov. 1 at Oregon State* (Fri)
Nov. 9 at California* (The Weekender)
Nov. 16 Stanford*
Nov. 23 at Colorado*
Nov. 30 UCLA*
*Pac-12 contest
2013 Roster
The Greats
Greatest Games:
  • 1967 vs. #1 UCLA, "The Game Of The Century" - Gary Beban won the Heisman despite one of the most famous runs in college football history as OJ Simpson and the Trojans beat their city rivals 21-20 to gain a berth to the Rose Bowl and an eventual national championship. Simpson wins the Heisman the following year.
  • 1970 vs. #16 Alabama - Trojan FB Sam "Bam" Cunningham ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns to lead USC past an all-white Alabama team in Birmingham. All six USC touchdowns were scored by African-American players. Bear Bryant had previously flown to LAX to briefly meet with John McKay and secure the game. The Bear knew what he wanted and the loss reportedly gave him the ammunition to speed up the full integration of his team, leading to the slightly overwrought, possibly mythical quote: "Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 20 years."
  • 1974 vs. #5 Notre Dame, "The Comeback" - Down 24 points to Notre Dame, Anthony "Irish Killer" Davis caught a touchdown pass from current AD Pat Haden with ten seconds left in the first half to make the score 24-6. Davis took the second half kickoff and raced to a touchdown, setting off a barrage of 55 unanswered points as USC defeated Notre Dame 55-24 in one of the wildest games in the history of the Coliseum. Bring up this game if you know an Irish fan older than fifty. With Traveler galloping around the track for seemingly the entire second half, Keith Jackson commented: "I'll tell you one thing that game did: It made Ara Parseghian hate all white horses."
  • 2005 vs. #9 Notre Dame, "The Bush Push Game" - Billed as The Greatest Team Ever In The History Of Adverbs by ESPN, the Trojans entered South Bend faced with Charlie And The Touchdown Factory (self-dubbed) and his green jerseys. Trailing 31-28, USC was faced with a 4th-and-9 from its own 26 with 1:32 remaining. USC QB Matt Leinart audibled to WR Dwayne Jarrett for a 61-yard fade. A few plays later Leinart ran out of bounds as the time ticked off to zero and the fans stormed the field, only to be brought back as officials put seven seconds back on the clock. Carroll was shown on national television signalling for the spike as Leinart snapped the ball on a QB sneak. Made entirely of elbows and well sculpted hair, he was stopped short by the Irish defensive front only to be pushed into the endzone by Reggie Bush in what was later declared an illegal maneuver. An entire nation laughed, threw up in their mouths a little and prepared for another week of ESPN fawning.
  • 2006 Rose Bowl vs. #2 Texas - In perhaps the greatest game ever played and certainly one of the most memorable national championships, Vince Young and the Longhorns prevailed 41-38 over #1 USC in a contest that saw multiple lead changes, several controversial referee decisions and a spirit devouring 4th-and-2 defensive stand by Texas to give them an opportunity to win the game, allowing Vince Young to lope past USC's secondary with 17 seconds left. The teams entered the game as season long #1 and #2, and Young's performance is the greatest bowl game effort in the history of history. Joke's on Texas though because that game doesn't count.
Greatest Plays:
  • OJ's 64-yard run, see above
  • Haden-to-Diggs - QB Pat Haden completes a two point conversion to WR Shelton Diggs to beat Ohio State 18-17 in the 1975 Rose Bowl to win a share of the national championship.
  • Antuan Simmons' between the legs interception return - This high steppin' SOB somehow managed to pick off UCLA's Cory Paus in the first quarter of a game USC needed to win to qualify for a bowl game in Carroll's first year. The return of the Trojans' swagger after a long and depressing absence.
  • Leinart's reverse TD seals USC's first title in a quarter of a century:
  • USC scores 28 points on 8 plays for 246 yards in 1:28 - The epitome of the best offense in USC history, the Trojans ended its game vs. Arkansas in the first quarter. “Curses!”
  • The Bush Push, see above
Greatest Players: 80 consensus All-Americans; 38 people in the College Football HOF; 475 NFL Draft picks; and a couple of football players who won Academy Awards. There are a lot of people to pick from.
  • RB Mike Garrett (1965 Heisman)
  • RB OJ Simpson (1968 Heisman) – hey, he went crazy long after he left campus.
  • RB Charles White (1979 Heisman)
  • RB Marcus Allen (1981 Heisman)
  • QB Carson Palmer (2002 Heisman)
  • QB Matt Leinart (2004 Heisman)
  • RB Reggie Bush (2005 Heisman, since vacated) ಠ_ಠ
"Vacated--what does that mean, Heisie?"
"It means he didn't fucking listen to me, Johnny. I told him: pay off that criminal asshole to shut up, but he's like 'oh, people will disrespect me' and I told him 'you idiot you're a top-3 NFL Draft Pick, ain't no one gonna care' but he was too busy shagging a Kardashian to listen to sense."
"Wait... I can bang a Kardashian with one of these?"
"Argh! ^ ...just remember to wear a rubber this time, Johnny.
  • DB Ronnie Lott
  • OL Anthony Munoz
  • WR Lynn Swann
  • OL Bruce Matthews (you might have heard of his nephew, Clay)
  • DB Troy Polamalu
  • LB Junior Seau
Greatest Coaches:
  • Howard Jones (1925–1940) – 1928, 1931, 1932 and 1939 national titles, 121–36–13 overall. Jones put USC football on the national map. The Notre Dame rivalry started under his watch as his “Thundering Herd” squads smashed through schedules. He was known for being non-nonsense, and even bland, as he lived and breathed football. He died suddenly of a heart attack at age 55—who knows what he could've accomplished had that not happened.
  • John McKay (1960-1975) - 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974 national titles, 127-40-8 overall record. Unlike Jones, McKay was witty off the field and known for his quotes. Following the 51–0 loss to Notre Dame in 1966, "I told my team it doesn't matter. There are 750 million people in China who don't even know this game was played. The next day, a guy called me from China and asked, 'What happened, Coach?'" Following a game in 1967 in which OJ Simpson carried 30 times, McKay was asked "Why are you giving the ball to Simpson so often?" He replied, "Why not? It's not heavy, and he doesn't belong to a union."
  • Pete Carroll (2000-09) - 2003 and 2004 national titles, 97-19 overall record. Carroll was notably USC's fourth choice for the position after Mike Bellotti, Dennis Erickson, and Mike Riley all turned it down. Why? Because the pressure to succeed at moribund USC was so intense that it seemed like a no-win situation. Yet Carroll proved it could be done. His run at USC was nothing short of tremendous: the energy, passion, humor, etc. Here is the best article ever written about his tenure. It's hard to believe Carroll or anyone thought USC was going to get hit with the sheer force the NCAA opted to use. He always had an eye on the NFL, because his life was about “win forever” and after failing twice there was no way he wasn't going to take another swipe at the The League, but more on his own terms. He has seriously beautiful hair.
Traditions
  • The Victory Sign. USC fans love to give the V-symbol and pump their arms from the elbow.
  • "Fight On!" is a battle cry among Trojans, written and spoken everywhere.
  • No Names: USC players have never worn names on their jerseys. Those non alum a-holes wearing the fake #32 jerseys with "Simpson" on the back? We hate them too.
  • Band concerts: The band plays a free concert before the game (at away games it's sometimes only allowed at the private alumni gathering). On campus it's done in front of our main auditorium and the band then leads the march to the Coliseum. After the game the band plays a post-game concert in the stadium, including opposing stadiums. If it isn't clear already, being in the USC band isn't a bad thing.
  • Kicking the flagpoles: At the edge of campus, right before we cross the street to Expo Park, there are three flagpoles. Fans kick the bases for luck as they march by.
  • 55: Traditionally given to only the most deserving linebacker, and sometimes not handed out at all. Famous #55s include Willie McGinest and Junior Seau.

  • SoCal Spellout: A raucous chant that is getting harder and harder to understand because everyone gets so excited yelling it. S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N... C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A... SouTHERN... Califoooooooornia!
  • 4th quarter lighting of the torch: Before the start of the 4th quarter of every USC home game, the Olympic Torch above the Peristyle end of the Coliseum is lit.
  • Tailback U: The Trojans have been known as Tailback U after featuring five Heisman Trophy winners at the position in addition to numerous All-Americans.
Campus and Surrounding Area
City Population: 3,857,799 in the city limits, but they're weird and relatively small borders, the metro is 12,828,837.
City Skyline
Iconic Campus Building:
Local Dining:
Where to begin, where to begin... this list will include the good options next to campus and some USC-friendly spots in LA.
  • Tommy's (Wikipedia article): The original location of local chain Original Tommy's isn't near campus but is a classic among Trojans. Chili Burgers and Chili Fries. There are no seats, just tables you can stand at with plenty of paper towels. It's open 24 hours, so the original shack has no doors or windows. They bought the entire block so they can move work to another kitchen in the neighboring building whenever one or the other needs to be cleaned. They also bought the lots across the street for more parking. This is a place where they say you will rub elbows with everyone from politicians to prisoners... and over the years I did. If you go, order a Chili Cheese Fries, it's heaven.
  • 901 Bar & Grill (website): The “Nine-O” is the USC neighborhood bar. Why go to th...wha...what were we talking about?
  • Chano's (website): Right by campus, Chano's has been a go-to spot for all sorts of great, greasy Mexican food sold at the counter or drive-through. All the seating is outside.
  • Philippe's (Wikipedia article): Inventor of the French Dip sandwich. Popular with USC fans and Dodger fans. Again, not near campus but heavily associated. Get a French Dip, double dipped, with their home made coleslaw (request it wet). The apple pie is solid. The mustard is kick-ass strong, but good on the sandwich.
  • El Cholo (website): This authentic Mexican restaurant opened in 1923 next to the Coliseum, but then moved to Western Blvd (again, a drive); but it has deep roots with USC and used to offer a discount for students on weekdays. The food and margaritas here are dynamite.
  • La Barca: Another popular Mexican restaurant not too far from campus. Has a very popular happy hour.
  • Bacon-wrapped hot dog carts: While Roy Choi's Kogi trucks are widely regarded as the grandfathers of the food truck revolution that has taken the falafel you never ate and turned it into the organic kimchee falafel with avocado crema you are definitely now not eating, we know the truth. Before and after every game at the Coliseum roving bands of Hispanic owned carts – literally shopping carts jury rigged with sterno cans and baking sheets serving as flat top – supply a heavily drunken populace with the sweet, poop-inducing ambroisia of the Gods: the bacon wrapped hot dog covered in onions, mayo and, if you're lucky, some kind of spice out of a nondescript can. The police shut down as many as they can but, like the American spirit glorious and free, the bacon dog cart will never die. Unless somebody gets botulism or salmonella, in which case we'll die. But not the carts.
Random Trivia
  • Trojan athletes have won 287 medals at the Olympic games (135 golds, 87 silvers and 65 bronzes), more than any other university. If USC were a country, it would rank 12th in most Olympic gold medals (and that includes the Winter Games, which we barely participate in). USC led the number of medals and golds in the 2012 Olympics among schools as well.
  • USC leads the total number of NFL Draft picks with 479; rival Notre Dame is a very close second
  • USC has a winning record against all other members of the Pac-12.
  • Female USC teams are called the Women of Troy. The two most famous are basketball greats Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie.
  • USC has won 120 team national championships, 98 of which are NCAA National Championships. Our men's teams are the most dominant: with the highest number of men's titles of any schools and 303 individual NCAA men's titles. Of those teams, 26 championships in track and field, 19 in tennis, 12 in baseball, 9 in swimming and diving, 7 in water polo.
  • USC's first All-American (1925), Brice Taylor, earned the accolades despite not having a left hand. He was later the head coach of the Southern from 1928 to 1931, and was instrumental in starting would become the Bayou Classic against rival Grambling.
  • The Super Fan: Although every school has their fan who has a streak of games, none anywhere come close to Giles Pellerin, who attended 797 consecutive USC football games home and away (including Tokyo) over a period of 73 years until his death at age 91. , He saw the Trojans go 532-225-40, win nine national championships, and play under ten different head coaches. He died in the same place he watched his first game: the Rose Bowl.
  • USC has the world's best film school, established in 1929 with the MPAA. The admissions rate for the school hovers under 5%. Since 1973, at least one alumnus of the school has been nominated for an Academy Award annually, totaling 256 nominations and 78 wins. Also since 1973, at least one alum has been nominated for the Emmy Award annually, totalling 473 nominations and 119 wins. The top 17 grossing films of all time have had an SCA graduate in a key creative position. Steven Spielberg has donated a ton of money and he was denied admission twice. George Lucas donated $175m to the school in 2006, leading to a new complex that replaced the old one which was anchored by... the Lucas Building. USC student films have won the Palme d’Or and Academy Awards. The faculty is similarly well regarded.
  • USC has the most International Students of any American university. USC maintains offices in Brazil, China (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong), India, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan.
  • Famous Trojans, in addition to OJ and Reggie (and leaving out football and the film school) include: John Wayne, Frank Gehry, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Darryl Hannah, Tom Selleck, Forest Whittaker, Dr. Drew Pinsky, John Ridder, LeVar Burton, Dexter Holland, Mark McGrath, Marilyn Horne, Macy Gray, DeMar DeRozan, Brian Scalabrine, Tex Winter, Paul Westphal, Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Randy Johnson, Mark McGwire, Jerry Buss, Salvatore Ferragamo, 16 astronauts, two Japanese Prime Ministers, two Jordanian Prime Ministers, the current President of Egypt, a South Korean prime minister, and the guy who founded Wham-O.
Due to character count, continued below
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132+ Teams in 132+ Days: Texas A&M Aggies

The Fighting Texas Aggies of Texas A&M
SEC
"Howdy. I've got a little story for ya, Ags!" Traditional start to Midnight Yell.
Year Founded: 1876, the first public institution of higher education in Texas.
Location: College Station, Texas
Total Attendance: 53,337, with roughtly 40,000 being undergrads.
Live Mascot: The first Reveille came to Texas A&M in January 1931.
A group of cadets hit a small black and white dog on their way back from Navasota. They picked up the dog and brought her back to school so they could care for her. The next morning, when the bugler woke the students with the song "Reveille", the dog started barking. She was named after this morning wakeup call.
The following football season she was named the official mascot when she led the band onto the field during their half-time performance. When Reveille I died on January 18, 1944, she was given a formal military funeral on the gridiron of Kyle Field. She was then buried at the north entrance to the field, as all Reveilles are, facing the scoreboard so that she can always watch the Aggies outscore their opponent.
Reveille I, mut.
Rev II, a Shetland Sheepdog.
Rev VII, a Rough Collie, was aparently quite the player
Rev VIII, the current Rev, hanging out with Obama
When she dies, there is a special cemetery located outside the north endzone of Kyle Field that features it's own scoreboard so the Rev's can always keep up with the team.
Cheerleaders:
Why put the prettiest girls in school out on the track?
We choose to hang out with them in the stands.
In exchange we have Yell Leaders. (See Traditions for more info)
Stadium: Kyle Field and get ready, we're about to spend half a billion making Kyle much bigger.
Kyle Field is named after Edwin Kyle, an 1899 graduate of the school and a professor of Horticulture. At the time, the school didn't want to give money for a football field, so Prof Kyle fenced a part of his fields used for agriculture.
Using $650 of his own money, he purchased a covered grandstand and built wooden bleachers. The seating capacity was 500 people.
Kyle Field is currently the 13th largest football-only stadium in the NCAA, and next year the stadium should hold 109,000 and then we'll come back down to 102,500 to settle as the largest stadium in the SEC.
Football games have been played at the same location since 1904, and it was designated a football field in 1905. Permanent stadium construction began in 1927.
Stadium Location: Construction began last Monday on campus across from the Memorial Student Center.
• Texas A&M is the 18th all-time winningest program in Division 1 with 691 wins.
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are both within 4 wins, so moving up on the list might happen in the near future.
Conference Champions (18): 1917, '19, '21, '25, '27, '39, '40, '41, '56, '67, '75, '85, 86, '87, '91, '92, '93, '98. Second most conference championships of the SWC.
Number of Bowl Games: (34) 15-19.
National Titles (3ish): 1939 AP National Champs; 1919 - undefeated, unscored on, 275-0 for the season; 1927 - Sagarin gave us a retroactive MNC on this one. We don't really claim it, either.
Rivals
Texas - While currently inactive, this is still the 3rd most played rivalry in CFB at 118 games played. Texas leads the series, but here is a little history to help keep perspective.
Until the late 1960's, A&M faced the most difficult recruiting impediment in CFB. We were all-male and all-military. The service academies were seen as being 'more legitimate' than A&M, and Texas, being co-ed without restrictions pulled in a lot more talent over the years, as you can imagine. It's quite amazing that A&M won at all, much less having come in 2nd in conference championships during that time.
In 1975, the Aggies finished the season in the Top 25 for the first time since opening up the campus, and in an epic win over Texas made the series dramatically more even. Since 1975, the Aggies lead the series 19-18 over the Longhorns.
Texas Tech - Mostly ignored by the Aggies during the SWC, it became heated when Mike Leach set his sights on A&M. Aggies lead the series 37-32-1.
Baylor - This rivalry was over-heated during the early days. Play was suspended for years after an A&M student was killed at a game in Waco, and other Aggies threatened to load up military gear and invade Waco.
Under Coach Fran, the Aggies gave Baylor their first conference win in the Big12. Aggies lead the series 68-31-9.
LSU - The Aggies have played the Tigers off-and-on since 1899, and with bordering states, shared recruiting territories, and starting next year, a Thanksgiving game, this series looks to be heating up quite nicely.
The Aggies are 7-2-1 at Kyle Field and 10-22-1 in Baton Rouge. Overall, the Tigers lead 28-20-3.
2013 Season
The Aggie faithful are excited. We've got a lot of returning talent, and coaches that proved their worth last season in the SEC. Plus our schedule is very nice ... you know, as far as SEC schedules featuring Alabama can be nice.
8/31 - Rice
9/7 - Sam Houston State
9/14 - Alabama
9/21 - SMU
9-28 - at Arkansas
10-12 - at Ole Miss
10-19 - Auburn
10-26 - Vanderbilt
11-2 - UTEP
11-9 - Mississippi State
11-23 - at LSU
11-30 - at Mizzou
The Greats
Greatest Games:
2012 Cotton Bowl. What? Not the Alabama game? After a turbulent transition from the Big12 to the SEC, beating the Big12 co-champion was the greatest way (outside of playing beating Texas) to cap off our move to the SEC. Beating Alabama in their house was nice, but Oklahoma was retribution for the Fran and Sherman years.
• 2002 - Aggies knock off #1 Oklahoma with new offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin calling the shots.
• 1998 – A&M hands #3 Nebraska their first loss in almost 2 full years, then knocks off #2 Kansas State in the CCG.
• 1990 – - BYU's Heisman Trophy winner, Ty Detmer, has both shoulders separated against the Aggies in the Holiday Bowl. Warning, the first half of the footage is brutal.
Bo knows the Aggies. - - Auburn faced the Aggies in '86 in the Cotton Bowl after Bo Jackson won the Heisman. Watch at 3:20 when Bo gets three shots in a row at scoring from inside the 5 and walks off the field with a big bag of nothing.
• 1975 - You didn't think we'd go without a UT game here, did you? The 1975 season was the first season that A&M ended the year with a top 25 ranking, after going co-ed and ROTC-optional.
It also featured the highest ranked A&M and UT teams to ever play. The #2 Aggies knocked off Earl Campbell and the #5 Horns ushering in a new era of Aggie football.
• Honorable Mention: The '99 "Bonfire Game" against Texas. That was the last year A&M held bonfire on campus, as tragedy struck. 11 students and one former former student lost their lives in the accident leading up to the game against Texas.
In all my years at A&M, and in all the years following the team, I've only seen two visiting bands receive standing ovations from the Aggie fans. One was Rice's MOB back in the Southwest Conference days, and the other was the Longhorn band on that afternoon.
We were all Texans and friends that day, and not rivals.
• In case you want a solid history of our program, here are two fantastic videos of A&M football history, each about 12 minutes long:
Texas A&M history from 1894 to 1971
1971 through the end of the Big12.
Greatest Plays:
Aggies beat Texas in '88. Texas QB Brett Stafford tries to quiet the Aggie crowd, and it ends poorly.
• Quentin Coryatt lays down The Hit against . The recever's jaw is broken in three places.
Sirr Parker wraps up double OT and drives a nail into the heart of #2 Kansas State and ends Bill Snyder's best chance to get into a National Championship game.
Greatest Players:
College Hall of Fame players: Ray Childress, DT; Dave Elmendorf, S; Joel Hunt, QB; John Kimbrough, FB; Charlie Krueger, T; Jack Pardee, FB; Joe Routt, G; Gene Stallings, DB; Joe Utay, HB.
Heisman Winners: John David Crow and Johnny Manziel.
Honorable mention:
Bucky Richardson, local hero and QB.
Dat Nguyen, LB, Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award.
Shane Lechler, starter at punter and kicker, on the depth chart for linebacker and was the backup QB in '98, and currently has a Hall of Fame worthy NFL career is still going.
Luke Joeckel, Outland Award.
Randy Bullock, Lou Groza winner.
Von Miller, Butkus Award.
• A&M has had 22 Consessus All-Americans:
Sam Adams, DE; Marcus Buckley, LB; Randy Bullock, PK; Ray Childress, DT; John David Crow, RB; Dave Elmendorf, FS; Tony Franklin, PK; Aaron Glenn, DB; Johnny Holland, LB; Robert Jackson, LB; Luke Joeckel, OT; Darren Lewis, RB; Johnny Manziel, QB; Von Miller, DE/LB; Damontre Moore, DE; Dat Nguyen, LB; Marshall Robnett, OG; Joe Routt, OG; Ed Simonini, LB; Pat Thomas, CB, and John Kimbrough, RB was named consensus All-American in both '39 and '40.
Aggies in the NFL as of July 25:
Ben Bass, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago Bears
Michael Bennett, DT, Seattle Seahawks
Red Bryant, DT, Seattle Seahawks
Randy Bullock, K, Houston Texans
Terrence Frederick, DB, New York Giants
Jeff Fuller, WR, Miami Dolphins
Cyrus Gray, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Goodson, RB, New York Jets
Danny Gorrer, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Geoff Hangartner, C, Carolina Panthers
Tony Jerod-Eddie, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Luke Joeckel, T, Jacksonville Jaguars
Johnny Jolly, DT, Green Bay Packers
Jorvorskie Lane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Shane Lechler, P, Houston Texans
Kevin Matthews, C, Washington Redskins
Jamie McCoy, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stephen McGee, QB, Houston Texans
Christine Michael, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos
Damontre Moore, DL, New York Giants
Don Muhlbach, LS, Detroit Lions
Spencer Nealy, DL, Minnesota Vikings
Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR, Houston Texans
Sean Porter, OLB, Cincinnati Bengals
Jordan Pugh, S, Washington Redskins
Lionel Smith, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jonathan Stewart, LB, St. Louis Rams
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
Steven Terrell, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brian Thomas, OL, Miami Dolphins
Cody Wallace, C, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Greatest Coaches:
'Uncle Charlie' Moran ('09-'14) - coached Jim Thorpe in high school. Went 38-8-4 at A&M, and left to go to Centre College. He racked up a 42-6-1 record and a MNC there. He was also coaching Centre against A&M when the Aggie 12th Man tradition began.
Also was a National League umpire in 4 world series.
Dana X. Bible - Inducted into the College Hall of Fame in '51. Invented the T-formation. Led A&M to two undefeated, unscored on seasons.
Took a year off coaching to be a pilot during WWI.
Came back and coached the Aggies to a SWC conference championship in football, basketball and baseball in the same season. Left to go to Texas where he won 3 SWC championships and finished in the AP Poll 5 times in 10 years.
• Other coaches deserving credit: Hall of Fame coaches and their year of induction that were head coach at A&M include - Matty Bell, '55; Bear Bryant, '86; Homer Norton, '71; Gene Stallings, 2010; R.C. Slocum, 2012.
Former Aggie players who are current coaches:
Dennis Allen, head coach, Oakland Raiders
Gary Kubiak, head coach, Houston Texans
Dan Campbell, tight ends, Miami Dolphins
Kyle Caskey, offensive QC Cincinnati Bengals
Jerry Fontenot, assistant offensive line coach, Green Bay Packers
Kirk Parrirsh, college scouting coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
Shawn Slocum, special teams coordinator, Green Bay Packers.
Traditions
I've included both a short version and a link to some of our most interesting traditions. I know I've skipped more than a few, but this is a good start.
Yell Leaders – A&M was an all-male school, but often times girls from a local women's college would get bussed in. Some seniors thought it would be funny to haze the freshmen in front of the women.
So they made a group of freshmen put on janitor's clothing and stand out on the track and be stupid.
But after the game something amazing happened. Those freshmen all had no problems getting dates.
The next week it was Seniors out there with the overalls on.
100 years later, and it's two juniors and three seniors. Each year there is a campus-wide election, and Yell Leader vote is dramatically more important to the average student than class president or any of the other boring votes.
Why do we keep the Yell Leaders instead of switching to cheerleaders? When a 'cheer leader' does a cheer of more than 4 sylables, guys gawk at them and girls ignore them. When a Yell Leader leads a yell, any yell, 30,000+ fans raise their voices to chant along.
The Yells - There are a bunch of them, and if you go to any Aggie Yell Practice or game, you'll most likely hear all of 'em. In order to do a yell correctly, you have to 'hump it.' See below.
• [The Spirit and the War Hymn] - Other schools have a school song and a fight song. The Aggies have The Spirit of Aggie Land and The War Hymn
There has been much controversy at ESPN and newspapers outside of Texas A&M over the lyrics of both songs.
The ending of the Spirit has been officially changed from "We are the Aggies / the Aggies are we / We're from Texas AMC" to "We are the Aggies / the Aggies so true / We're from Texas AMU" to designate that we are no longer Texas A&M college.
The media has also called for A&M to change the War Hymn as Texas is no longer playing us in any sport.
Lyrics feature, "'the eyes of Texas are upon you' / That is the song they sing so well / Sounds Like Hell / So good bye to Texas University / We're gonna beat you all to ...
After which is the most striking part of the Hymn, when fans put their arms around the people next to them and 'saw' while singing "Saw Varsity's horns off" and "Varsity's horns are sawed off."
This is, of course, in reference to the Texas mascot that was known simply as Varsity before they changed it to Bevo.
As for the "controversy", all Aggies have completely ignored it and we are unanamous in sticking with our traditional songs.
Gig 'em - Rather than end a conversation with "goodbye", many conversations between Aggies end with "gig 'em", usually accompanied by a thumbs up. This tradition began at a 1930 Midnight Yell Practice held before the football game against .
In an attempt to excite the crowd, Pinky Downs, a 1906 Texas A&M graduate and member of the school's Board of Regents, asked "What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?" Using a term for frog hunting, he answered his own question, "Gig 'em, Aggies!"
For emphasis, he made a fist with the thumb extended. The phrase and hand signal proved popular, and it became the first hand sign of the Southwest Conference. All 12 schools evenutally adopted hand signs of their own.
The 12th Manhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Man_(football) - A&M is playing Centre College, one of the most dominant programs of the era. So many Aggies are injured that a former player, E. King Gill, is called out of the stands.
Gill jumped into an injured player's jersey and stood ready to help the team if they needed him. Now all 30,000 plus students stand ready through every game to go help the Aggies if the coach calls.
Midnight Yell - Where else would you want to be at midnight on Friday before a game but with 30,000 fans hanging out at the stadium. For road games we normally find a bar to crash with the travelling fans.
Aggies go through all the yells, and listen to very well thought out stories and anectdotes by the Yell Leaders decipher the somewhat humerous jokes made by the (we're almost positive) not drunk Yell Leaders.
This is open to any one, including fans of opposing schools and curious onlookers ... unless you force us to block you out.
Hump it - Look again at the picture for Midnight Yell. Those fans are all leaning over with their hands on their knees in the middle of a yell. Why? Because you can yell louder when you lean over.
Aggies Hump it for all Yells, and during crunch time, you'll see plenty of Aggies in the stands humping it while screaming.
Howdy - The traditional way to start every speech to Aggies. If you say Howdy, normally the crowd will respond with "Howdy" back to you. You will also hear the word Howdy more times per day on our campus than anywhere else in the world. It's our greeting and we use it. A lot.
Parson's Mounted Calvalry and the Spirit of '02 - a 1902 Howitzer that we fire off on kickoffs and scores at football games. We found it in a ravine while chopping wood for Bonfire. You never let good military hardware go to waste.
Corps of Cadets - Once mandatory at A&M, the Corps is much smaller than it was back in the 60s. During WWII, A&M put more servicemen into the armed forces than any other school, including West Point.
A&M still produces more officers than any university, except for the service academies. 42% of Corps members receive a commission in the US Armed Forces.
The Fighting Texas Aggie Band. - Texas A&M features a military style marching band. They are fantastic. Especially if you are used to the standard 'show bands' that everyone has. Click the link and see some of their performances.
The FTAB is part of the the Corps. I doubt there is an Aggie who graduated in the last 40 years that doesn't get a chill when they hear, "Now forming at the North end of Kyle Field ... "
Remember the part of the 12th Man tradition where I said the students stand for the whole football game? They stand for the FTAB, too. Even when the temperature is well above 100 degrees, the Aggie students will stay standing for everything except the opposing team's band.
Century Tree- Want to propose on campus? We've got a tree for that. All Aggies grab a kiss under this tree at some point in their time at A&M.
Elephant Walk - Elephant Walk marks the end of the usefulness of the Aggie seniors to the student body. Like dying elephants, which wander the jungle looking for a place to die after their value to the herd is over, thousands of seniors will join hands and wander aimlessly about campus visiting landmarks for the symbolic "last time."
This happens after the last home football game becaues the other sports don't matter.
Reveille - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reveille_(dog) - She really is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets.
She goes to classes with Corps members, where if she barks, you stand a good chance of the prof cancelling the class for the day.
She has her own bed, and the right to take over the bed of any Corps member on campus.
The grass at the MSC. The Memorial Student Center building and the grounds around it is a tribute to our servicemen around the world. If you are in the MSC, you are asked to take off your hat, and if you are around the MSC, you are asked to not stand on the grass.
The MSC also features the Medals of Honor won by seven former students.
Aggie ring - Many schools have rings, but for Aggies this it the most visible way for graduates of Texas A&M to recognize each other. The Aggie Ring is worn by current and former students, and may be used to distinguish seniors from other students on campus.
The first Aggie Ring was designed by E. C. Jonas in 1894, and the design has remained relatively unchanged since; the only major change came when the school's name was changed from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas to Texas A&M University in 1963.
Ring dunking - After receiving your Aggie Ring, you aren't really entitled to wear it until you've dunked it, normally in a pitcher of beer. From the time you put it in, your friends will time how long it takes to get it out, so you get to chug beer and try to catch the ring in your teeth.
As a member of the Class of '97, I had 97 seconds to get it out. Kids these days are pushing 113 seconds. Way too easy.
I've seen people 'dunk' their rings in a super sized banana splits and drink them out of non-alcoholic drinks, and I've seen them drain a pitcher in under 15 seconds. My wife ('99) and I both finished ours in under a minute and a half. It was nerve wracking, but well worth it. We still have the pitchers.
Bonfire - I was kind of hoping that someone else would write this section. I helped build three bonfire's at A&M and there is nothing like it. Thousands of students going out into the woods, doing heavy labor and realizing the rewards right before the Texas game.
It fostered huge competitions between the residents halls over the 3-4 months of work. It brought out tens of thousands of folks before the big rivalry game. It was simply epic, and I miss it a lot.
My freshman year, the BCS Eagle, the local paper, estimated the crowd at over 100,000 people. The next year when the game was held in Austin, there were still over 60,000 people at Bonfire on A&M's campus.
The tradegy that ended bonfire was impossibly awful. As a person who had climbed the stacks for years, I know how and why things went wrong, but I'll never understand it. It should not have happened, and my heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones.
Wrecking Crew – Once the name of the highly respected and feared Aggie defense, Coach Fran removed the monicar and told the team to 'win it back.' What he forgot to do was teach them to play defense. As the defense gets better the name comes out more often, and soon the Aggie D will leave the field to chants of Wrecking Crew again.
Aggie Terminology Yes, we have a glossary of terms that every Aggie knows and uses on a pretty regular basis. Except for the 'two percenters'. Have you ever heard an Aggie 'Whoop'? That's a privilege held for only the juniors, seniors and graduates. Catch a 'Fish' 'Pulling Out' and you can make them 'Push'. (for explinations, read the terms in the links)
Fish Pond - When the Aggies win a home football game, the freshmen in the Corps of Cadets chase the Yell Leaders around Kyle Field, and, once they are captured, carry them across campus and toss them into Fish Pond, a fountain full of very cold water. And yes, in '93 it snowed during the Texas game and the Yell Leaders were still given a nice bath after the win. The freshmen dunking is what gives 'Fish Pond' it's name, as no fish live in the water.
Fish Drill Team - The award winning drill team can often be found practicing in the Quad by the Corps dorms. The team was featured during the opening credits to A Few Good Men, linked here. They are pretty amazing to watch.
Fish Camp - The summer before a students' freshman year, the 'Fish' are invited to a 4 day camp in Palestine, Texas where they learn the Aggie Tradtions and Yells.
Fish Camp features over 900 counselors, if that give you an idea of how big it is.
Texas A&M has a pair of extraordinary traditions. I've tried to capture the spirit, but I'd invite each of you to join with us any time to see these live.
Silver Taps - On the first Tuesday of any month, if an undergrad or graduate student has passed away, there will be a small card with the deceased students name, class, major, and date of birth placed on the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross in the Academic Plaza.
That night, lights are turned off all over campus, and at 10:15, students and family members will gather silently around the statue. Shortly there after, the Ross Volunteers will march in, stand at attention, then fire three rifle volleys, breaking the silence.
Then Silver Taps, a special version of Taps, is played three times from the top of the Academic Building ... once to the north, south, and west. It is not played to the east to signify that sun will never rise on that Aggie again. After the buglers play, the students silently return to their homes.
I can not properly put into words how striking this ceremony is.
My freshman year, as Silver Taps slowely faded away, the silence was broken by a mother who had cried quietly during the ceremony. She softly said, "Thank you" in the darkness to the faceless people gathered, in a voice wracked with tears, and I doubt any of us left with dry eyes.
Muster - Muster is the tradition that forever unites the Aggies past with Aggies present. It is Texas A&M's most solemn and most visible tradition.
Muster was first held on June 26, 1883, and it's been held on San Jacinto Day, April 21st, since 1903. This is a day where former students of Texas A&M gathered together to '... live over again our college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon drill ground and classroom. Let every alumnus answer a roll call.'
No matter where Aggies are, whether it is two or three, or the thousands who gather on the Texas A&M campus, they find other Aggies to celebrate the day. Each year there are 300-400 musters held around the world.
And it is a celebration. While the ceremony is moving and reminds you of the lives lost, the day full of activities, including a 50 year reunion spot light, Camaraderie Barbecue, and campus tours shows off the life of the students, current and past.
At each Muster ceremony a speaker will be followed by the 'Roll Call For The Absent.' Names of those from that area who have died in the past year will be read, and as each name is called, a family member or friend will answer 'Here' to show that Aggie is present in spirit, and a candle will be lit.
Following the candle-lighting ceremony in Reed Arena, a rifle volley is fired and then Silver Taps is played.
During World War II, Aggies and other servicemen held Muster at Corregidor, the last American stronghold in the Pacific before the island was overrun by the Japanese. Only 12 Aggies survived the battle, the death march and ensuing POW camps.
Campus and Surrounding Area
The campus of Texas A&M University, also known as Aggieland, is situated in College Station, Texas. Aggieland is centrally located within 200 miles of three of the 10 largest cities in the United States and 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations.
Bryan-College Station area population: 228,660
City Skyline and other places
Iconic Campus Building:
Kyle Field dominates the 5,200 acre campus, but some other building include:
The Systems Building welcomes visitors to our campus
Rudder Tower named after James Earl Rudder who led one of the most daring raids in the Normandy Invasion during WWII scaling a 100 foot cliff under enemy fire to destroy German gun batteries. He was also the 16th President of Texas A&M.
George Bush Presidential Library - Former President George Bush, the older one, has his presidential library on campus. It features tons of history on his presidency and an apartment for him to stay in upstairs when he is visiting.
Which is good, as he makes it to many A&M football games. He even led the team onto Kyle Field once.
The Academic Building stands behind the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross who turned down a third term as governor of Texas to be A&M's president. He actively fought for A&M, literally and figuratively. If you need a little luck, drop a penny on his statue.
• The O&M building was once the tallest building between Houston, Dallas and Austin. Many aggies take Astronomy simply so they get to hang out on the top floor.
Sbisa Dining Hall - once the largest dining hall in the world, A&M and Air Force spent much of the last century fighting over the rights to the who's was larger. Sbisa was named after Bernard Sbisa who only missed cooking one meal in 50 years for the Aggies. That breakfast was on Nov. 11, 1911 when the campus burned down, including the mess hall, kitchens and his own home. Lunch that day was served on time.
Local Dining:
If you come to College Station, don't you dare leave before spending some time at Northgate. Since 1930 (8 years before College Station was incorporated) this has been the traditional place for students to relax across the street from campus.
Northgate is College Stations premier bar district located along the Northwest edge of campus across University St. Most places are open until 2am and are open to 18+ with some 21+ exceptions.
Many Texas Country musicians got their start in Northgate, including Aggie legends Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Dub Miller, and Roger Creager.
Northgate
Some favorites include:
The Dixie Chicken - The Dixie Chicken, also known as The Chicken, has been "College Station's most famous watering hole since 1974," and is notable for its role in Texas A&M University tradition.
"Nationally known," the Dixie Chicken claims to serve the most beer per square foot of any bar in the United States.
The tradition of Ring Dunking started at the Chicken. If you do visit The Chicken, you should take the opportunity to learn Texas 42. It's essentially spades with dominos and a ton of fun.
Dry Bean Saloon - Shot bar next to The Chicken. Order favorites like the Angry Japanese Minnow Farmer.
The Corne Rooftop - It's been a while since I've been, but this place was always one of the favorites, mostly for the multiple floors, large bars, and rooftop atmosphere/ view.
Logan's - If you're 21+ and don't wants teens around this is one of the few options. Solid bar with giant 36 oz chuggers. Looks like $4 is what they'll cost you now, but I could swear there were nights they were $2.
O'bannon's Taphouse - If you're a beer connoisseur this is your spot. They have over 100 beers on tap, and a beer tour card. Filling with the 100+ beers takes weeks and give you mad street cred. And a drinking problem.
HOOKAH STATION!!! GATSBY'S!!! V-BAR!!! - The places Johnny famously frequents. The scooby doo shots were definitely in one of the latter two.
There are many more, but those will get you started. Watch the door for 5 minutes and you'll be able to tell exactly what kind of crowd frequents each.
Late Night Snacks
Antonio's - Incredibly diverse selection of Pizzas that are pretty perfect around 2am. The line will be out the door and down the street, so get there at 1:30 if you really want some. Worth the wait.
Fuego - Delicious alternative to Taco Cabana that popped up in the last few years. It's pricer, but the quality is head and shoulders above.
Breakfast
Hullabaloo - Diner a ways out east of town down wellborn.
Los Norteños - Downtown Bryan taco place. Tacos better described as burritos they barely fit on the already large plates.
Brunch / Lunch
Layne's - Heard of Raising Cane's? It's that, but with better sauce, actual Texas Toast, and better fries. Plus it's half the price.
Freebirds - Oh my god I wish they had these where I live. Chipotle is dogshit compared to a good bird. I've put back multiple Super Monsters in my time.
Koppe Bridge - Great Burgers. Enough Said.
La Bodega - Shakers and Queso is all you need, but the rest of their food is good too.
Dinner
Cafe Eccel - Across from La Bodega. Solid food if you want to get a little fancier.
Christopher's - Kinda out of the way, but great if you want to get real fancy.
This is in no way an all inclusive list. I have no doubt many more recently in CS Aggies will fill it out further in the comments.
Random Trivia
A&M currently has the most current students attend each game. Season tickets cost $225 for just football, or $350 for all sports. A normal football game will feature 30,000+ students in the stands.
A&M won 79.8% of their games during the 1910's, including two undefeated, unscored on seasons.
Kyle field opened in 1904, making it the SEC's oldest field. After renovations, it will be the largest stadium in the SEC at 102,500 seats. Next year, during construction, it will hold 109,000 fans for the year.
On Nov. 24, 1921 the A&M vs. Texas game was broadcast in real time by morse code. This was the first play-by-play broadcast in history.
There is also plenty of rivalry between A&M and UTx off the field as well.
The opening scene of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is the Aggie football team beating the Longhorns and being rewarded with a visit to the women of the night.
Students that went to A&M for one year, then transferred elsewhere: T. Boone Pickens, Tennessee's General Robert Neyland, and the LA Clippers' DeAndre Jordan.
Lots of famous folks have come from A&M but the head of the list is professor Norman Borlaug. The 'Man who saved a Billion lives' is one of seven people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal.
What Is and What is to Come
Here we go with year 2 in the SEC, and the Aggie faithful have a lot to be excited about.
Our schedule has 8 home games, including Alabama at Kyle Field.
On offense, our O-Line should be just as good as last year, if not better, despite losing Outland Trophy winner Luke Joeckel.
We return outstanding tackle Jake Matthews who will move to left tackle, and Cedric Ogbuehi will take right tackle which is his natural position. We also have Mike Matthews (Jake's brother) stepping in at center.
Germain Ifedi and Jarvis Harrison will fill out the guard positions. All of them have a lot of experience from last year.
At running back, we have size, speed, power and blocking. We have hungry backs that want to play. Possibly the most talented backfield in the NCAA this year.
To catch the ball we have tall, strong, fast receivers all over the place. Mike Evans returns after a stunning freshman year. Freshman Ricky Seals-Jones (RSJ) will join Cam Clear to give us a normal receiving package including three receivers over 6'4”. All of them can run, and they might all be lining up on the same side just to screw with defenses.
In a press conference last week, Coach Sumlin said RSJ is 6'5" and 245 lbs. They did a body fat analysis and realized that he is carring the minimum amount of fat the trainers will allow. That's all muscle.
And we have Johnny Manziel. No matter what you think you know about him, the kid can play football.
On defense, we have a lot of new faces, including some true freshmen that should be playing plenty this year. Of course, last year we thought our D would be terrible and it came out plenty okay, so there is hope!
Overtime
Heisie, there isn't enough about me here! WTF?
I'm a statue, Johnny. This is all in your head.
More Information
Subreddit: /Aggies
Contributors: FarwellRob, Thrav, Theyus, laminak
And finally, my thanks to the many good Ags that have helped put this together.
There is a traditional saying at A&M: From the outside looking in, you can't understand it; and from the inside looking out, you can't explain it.
I've done my best to capture A&M and what we feel is special about Aggieland ... but I'm going to bet I've missed a few things.
For more information on the 132 Teams in 132 Days Project, click here.
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