Sports of Boston » College

Patriots 2012 Draft Report: Nick Perry, USC

zach — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:45:40 +0000

Nick Perry, DE, USC

Height: 6’2
Weight: 271
40: 4.64
2011 Stats: 54 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss

Overview:

Though only a full-time starter his final year, Nick Perry was a solid contributor to USC in all of the three years he played. As a freshman and sophomore he was used as a pass rush specialist and managed 12 sacks. His junior year he started all 13 games and recorded 9.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Perry is an extremely gifted athlete, with elite athleticism for his size. At the combine he measured in at 271 lbs, ran a 4.64 official 40 (with a 4.5 unofficial time), recorded a 38.5 inch vertical reach and 35 bench reps of 225.

Perry’s greatest strength is his speed. He is very quick off the snap, and uses his explosion to gain leverage on lineman. He does a very good job using his hands both to knock down blockers arms, and to set up his pass rush moves. He is one of the best speed pass rushers in this draft class.

Perry’s main weakness is his run defense. He tends to get pushed around by bigger, stronger lineman in the running game. Many project Perry to be a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, but as a defensive end in college, it remains to be seen whether he has the ability to handle the coverage responsibilities that come with that position.

Patriot’s Outlook:

While the overall performance of the Patriot defense improved during the playoffs, their mediocre performance during the regular season makes the entire unit in need of an upgrade.

While secondary has been under the most scrutiny, the Patriots would be wise to look at a pass rusher if the right player is on the board at pick number 27 or 31. The Pats were middle of the pack in terms of sacks with 40, and one of their main contributors, Mark Anderson, who recorded 10 of those 40, has left for Buffalo. Their other leading pass rusher, Andre Carter, who also had 10 sacks, is coming off a torn quadriceps injury and could be limited in his return.

Much like the recently departed Mark Anderson, Nick Perry is a pass-rush specialist. He has exceptional straight-line speed for someone his size, and has a wide variety of pass rush moves. When he gets off blockers he can make plays in open space. However, Perry struggles in the run game, especially when it comes to disengaging from bigger and stronger linemen.

What Perry brings to the table is a pure pass rusher who could develop into a great overall player. Many have talked about him playing 3-4 outside linebacker as opposed to 4-3 defensive end to which Perry says “I can handle both, but I prefer 4-3.”

Because Perry has only played in a 4-3, he could have problems with the coverage duties of linebacker. However, his willingness to play in the 3-4 shows that he can be a versatile player. And in Bill Belichick’s multifaceted defense, versatility is a very important trait.

No matter where Perry plays he can rush the quarterback well, and this makes him a valuable player in today’s pass happy NFL.

Patriots 2012 Draft Report: Harrison Smith, Notre Dame

zach — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:00:20 +0000

Harrison Smith, Safety, Notre Dame

Height: 6’2
Weight: 213
40: 4.57
2011 Stats: 90 tackles, 3 TFL, 10 Pass Deflects

Overview:

The 3-year Fighting Irish starter Smith has been on an up and down ride on his way to the NFL. After and impressive senior year in which he recorded 91 tackles and seven interceptions, Smith decided to come back for a 5th year during which he failed to record a single interception.

However an impressive combine during which Smith ran an impressive 4.57 40 and the fastest 3-cone of any safety (6.63 seconds) has boosted Smith’s draft stock.

Smith’s performance at the combine shows that he has very good athleticism to go along with excellent size. He has the intangibles you would like, is extremely competitive and was a leader on the field for Notre Dame.

He is a hard hitter and has the speed to make tackles all over the field. He also has the ability to play multiple positions, as he showed in 2009 when he played outside linebacker for much of the year.

In coverage, he is best suited for zone coverage, where he can utilize his athleticism and range to make plays, as he showed in ’10 when he had seven interceptions.

One problem with Smith’s game is he often fails to wrap up when going for tackles, looking for the knockout hit too often. He is also sometimes too aggressive at times, making him susceptible to play action.

Despite an excellent cone time, usually a good measure at how good a prospect can turn and run, Smith is unable to turn and run smoothly, and plays too stiff in space. Because of this he struggles in man-to-man coverage.

Finally, Smith was unable to come up with a single interception his final season, which leads some to question how productive he will be at the next level.

Patriots Outlook:

After giving up the second most passing yards in NFL history, the Patriots are in need of an upgrade in the secondary. All three safeties from last year, James Ihedigbo, Sergio Brown and Patrick Chung, were unimpressive.

The Patriots have addressed safety early in the draft recently, picking Chung in the second round of ’09 and Brandon Meriweather in the first round of ’07. Meriweather showed promise, but in the end did not live up to his first round billing, and Chung has been average at best. This could scare that Pats off from using another early pick on this position.

On the other hand, this position is a huge need. Chung is young and has shown promise in the past, but Ihedigbo is too much of a liability to remain a starter. Despite starting more than Chung or Brown, he managed to break up just 1 pass while recording no interceptions. While the Patriots tried to address this need in free agency by going after former Redskins safety LaRon Landry, they were unable to land anyone.

Enter Harrison Smith. Smith benefits from a relatively weak safety class, and his stock has risen since his impressive combine. What Smith brings to the table is a big athletic safety who is an on-the-field leader and an aggressive player. He has moved up from a projected second round pick, to a projected low first/high second pick.

He has the speed to make tackles all over the field and excels in zone coverage. His speed and willingness to hit will make him at the very least an excellent special teams player at the beginning. What will make him appealing to Bill Belichick is his versatility: he played both safety positions as well as outside linebacker at Notre Dame.

Unfortunately, Smith is flawed in his coverage technique, and is a liability in man-to-man coverage. His aggressive style of play can make him susceptible to play action passes and misdirection plays.

Because of his difficulties in man-to-man coverage Smith translates to a strong safety in the NFL. Although the Patriots would ideally like a more polished cover safety, most likely Smith will be best one available at #27 if the Patriots do not trade up. While he may struggle at first, Smith could develop into a solid strong safety with proper coaching.

Another March Sadness for Boston College

Brendan Page — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:01:06 +0000

It was another disappointing year for the boys of BC, as they failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. The Eagles were at the bottom of the ACC with a horrible overall record of 9-22.

Our beloved BC hasn’t qualified for the big dance since the 2009 season, when they were a seventh seed and lost to the tenth seeded Trojans of USC. It seems that the BC won’t make the tournament anytime soon…or does it?

Look at this way: this may be one of the youngest teams in all of College Basketball. First, let’s start off with Steve Donahue, the head coach of BC. Donahue is only in his second year as head coach of the Eagles. It seems he’s still getting comfortable here, but I have faith in this guy. In 2010 he took Cornell to the Tournament, and as a 12^th seed, his team defeated fifth seeded Temple and fourth seeded Wisconsin (both by double digits). He took the reins there after the 09-10 season, in which they failed to qualify in the Tournament.

Next, we need to look at the team itself. Nine out of 16 players on BC are FRESHMEN. The best part about that is four out of the five starters are FRESHMEN. This, in my mind, is a good sign and plus, they did manage to beat 14^th ranked Florida State this season.

So how long will it take to get to the tournament? I’d have to say two more years for them to get back to the Big Dance. I feel this upcoming season will be a lot better than this past one and be a stepping stone for the team to bring back the good of Boston College Basketball.

But for right now, we will have to go through March without our beloved Eagles.

I only got one last thing to say: CRIMSON TIDE!

What A Week It Was: March Madness, Rounds 1-2

gcain — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:30:45 +0000

Locally, the NCAA tournament is always an afterthought. There is some talk on the local radio and television shows about the upsets that happen, but for the most part, without a local team in the “Big Dance” and a lack of local college basketball knowledge amongst the media, it’s no surprise discussion is almost non-existent.

As a Villanova graduate, I have always been a big fan of college basketball, so I laugh at the local hosts who prove their ignorance by disparaging the sport itself.

The first four days of the tournament are still the most exciting four days in sports today. Yes, a large part of that has to do with bracket pools and gambling, but it’s the one-and-done format that makes for such entertaining viewership. This year, upsets are down primarily because of the experience of some of the better teams in the field.

Because of the impending NBA lockout, many players decided to remain in college last year as opposed to declaring for the draft. It does eliminate some of the drama of the early rounds, but in the end makes for far better games in the second week of the tournament. Boston will in fact be hosting a Regional Final thisweekend, but it will take fifth billing with the Boston media.

The first weekend did give us the first ever upsets of two #2 seeds in the first round and also displayed the dominance of the Kentucky Wildcats as the #1 overall seed of the tournament and favorite. The Sweet 16 begins Thursday night and currently all four #1 seeds still remain, so the best basketball is most likely still to come.

It was a week to savor and we don’t see anything like it on the sports calendar until late April when the NBA and NHL playoffs coincide with the NFL draft and the start of the baseball season. It was a great time to sit back pour yourself a Guinness and enjoy “madness” that went far beyond college basketball.

InfoGraphic: March Madness Bracket Facts

KC Downey — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:48:21 +0000

The NCAA Tournament, especially on Friday…was INSANE!

Here’s a few sobering facts you should know the next time you fill out your brackets (after the jump):

InfoGraphic created by: BusinessDegree.net

March Madness 2012 Bracket Preview

Dan Spritz — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:19:38 +0000

Here’s a region-by-region look as you all fill out your brackets. May the madness begin!

South Region

I don’t see any way in which Kentucky does not win this region. They’re set up to face UConn in the second round. While it will be an interesting game, it shouldn’t be too difficult for them.

In the rest of the bracket, a deceptively good Wichita State team will play a VCU team that people are certain to overrate. This game could go either way, but the determining factor could very well be Wichita State anger at the masses picking against them as a five seed. Then they’ll play Indiana because, honestly, New Mexico State doesn’t have a chance. The Shockers should win there as well, because Indiana is always vulnerable. If they don’t though, that will set up a rematch of Kentucky’s only first loss of the season (damn you Vanderbilt!).

The bottom of the bracket looks favorable for Duke, but they’ll probably be upset. They should play Xavier after they beat Lehigh, and despite a down year for the Musketeers, they have an upset in them. Watch out.

Meanwhile, I’ve heard multiple sources claim that South Dakota State is a good upset pick against Baylor. This is because… they have NBA prospect Nate Wolters? Have you seen Perry Jones III? Baylor’s soft, but not that soft. They should get past SDSU, where they’ll have UNLV. Another easy win will have them against Xavier, who will beat them before losing to Kentucky in the Elite Eight.

From there, Kentucky wins the championship. Easy enough, right?

West Region

Looking at this bracket, I feel like all of these teams are going to get upset, which is most assuredly not possible. Given Tom Izzo’s track record, I suppose I have the most faith in Michigan State, but just barely. It’s never a good idea to go with a 1 seed you don’t really believe in though. I feel comfortable saying they’ll win their first two games, but that’s it.
On the bottom of the bracket, I see Florida upsetting Mizzou. Welcome to the SEC! Between Billy Donovan’s tournament track record, Florida’s super play against Kentucky in the SEC tournament, and the Tigers’ inability to effectively slow the game down, they’ll get knocked out prematurely. From there, Florida will play Marquette, because Murray State’s only going to win one game. I’d like to see them win more, but their record is largely a function of their schedule. The Golden Eagles will probably win, but not by much.

On the other end of the bracket, Michigan State could wind up playing New Mexico, Long Beach State, Louisville, or Davidson. I would feel equally comfortable picking any of these teams, because Louisville hasn’t been quite right this year. Flip some coins, I don’t know. Whatever happens, Marquette’s playing someone. At this point, I don’t see the Golden Eagles losing to any of those teams. In fact, I believe they will win by more than they did over Florida. Then, of course, they’ll lose to Kentucky.

East Region

Going into Selection Sunday, the only certainty I had was that Kentucky would beat Syracuse in the title game. I was a clean slate with the other 66 teams, because trying to pre-plan upsets is always futile. Now, with news that Fab Melo will not play in the tournament, that certainty has been shattered. Damn you, you fantastically-named Brazilian! However, I think both Harvard and Montana are going to win, which will mean Syracuse will have to play the winner of a 12-13 game in the third round. What luck for them. Three wins is totally respectable for them in this situation.

Fab Melo’s absence opens the region up for Ohio State. The bottom half of this bracket will be almost entirely chalk, with the exception of West Virginia (who’s basically playing a home game) over Gonzaga. That means Ohio State is going to play a broken Syracuse team. Without Fab Melo, Jared Sullinger will be able to have himself quite a game. The Buckeyes will win this handily.

Midwest Region

Almost everything here is going to be chalk, with two exceptions. Belmont’s going to beat Georgetown, because there needs to be a big upset somewhere and the Bruins almost beat Duke at the beginning of the year. Our other exception? Alabama is going to upset UNC in the second round. The Tar Heels likes to get out and run, but Alabama is going to be able to disrupt their running game. They are a fantastic defensive team and can slow down anyone. They’ve only given up more than 70 points three times this year. The last such occasion was two months ago, when they lost to Kentucky by 6. Kendall Marshall’s going to have trouble getting the assists he so desires. That means Kansas is going to waltz into the Final Four. Who’s getting in their way? San Diego State? Temple? Michigan? Please. The Jayhawks will then, of course, get knocked out by Ohio State.

Good luck with your brackets everyone!

@DanSpritz

Harvard Makes First NCAA Tourney Since 1946

Stephen Garcia — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:35:10 +0000

While the buzz of “Linsanity” has died down considerably in the past weeks, there is still reason to talk about Harvard basketball.

The Crimson men’s basketball team is going to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1946 after winning the first outright Ivy League championship in school history. The tournament appearance comes just one season after Harvard fell one heartbreaking game short of making the “Big Dance.”

Last year, after splitting the regular season Ivy League title with Princeton, the Crimson were forced into a one-game playoff to determine the league’s automatic NCAA tournament bid. Princeton’s Douglas Davis dashed Harvard’s tournament hopes with a buzzer-beater to give the Tigers a 63-62 win.

But this year was a different story.

After starting the season 8-0, including a win over ACC tournament champion Florida State, the Crimson made school history with the program’s first national ranking.

Harvard’s recent success has come at the hands of head coach Tommy Amaker. A former Duke standout point guard, Amaker began his coaching career with the Blue Devils under his former coach, legend Mike Krzyzewski.

Amaker landed in Cambridge in 2007 after head coaching stints with Seton Hall and Michigan and Harvard’s win total has increased each year under him. This includes a school-record 26 wins this season, breaking the previous mark set in the 2010-11 season (23), which stood for just one season itself.

A lot has changed since Harvard was last in the NCAA tournament. The field consisted of only eight teams, Harry Truman was in office, and gas cost 21 cents per gallon.

On Thursday the 12^th-seeded Crimson will face what some call the “Harvard of the South,” SEC tournament champion Vanderbilt.

Basketball AP Top 25 (Week 18): UNC Proves Superiority Over Duke

Dan Spritz — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:39:00 +0000

1. Kentucky (63)

I have trouble seeing them lose another game this season.

2. Syracuse (2)

The Orange have a #1 seed locked up, and are 30-1. They’ve proven to be the class of the Big East. Given the grueling nature of the conference tournament though, there is a very reasonable possibility that they could be upset. They don’t have anything to gain and may actually be weakened in the long run if they win the tournament. This isn’t to say that they will throw a game or anything, just that their respective hearts may not be in it.

3. Kansas

This year marks the Jayhawks’ eighth consecutive Big 12 title. While this isn’t particularly surprising, it is amazing. Now, if I may, I’d like to float a semi-ridiculous idea. Given the conference realignment talk the past few years and the seeming inevitability that the Big 12 will be split up, Kansas may never finish worse than first in the Big 12 again.

4. North Carolina

Even though they only split their games with Duke this year, I think we can safely say that UNC is the better team. After going up 22-5 Saturday night, the teams played a game that was pretty much even. That’s all the Tar Heels need though – a few minutes of poor play can put the game out of reach. With the win, it is almost certain that UNC will be a #1 seed while Duke will be a #2 seed. Given their proximity in the current rankings and the way the s-curve sets up every year, there is a legitimate possibility that that these two teams will be placed in the same region. How exciting.

5. Missouri

In one of the best seasons in Tigers history, how much credit should Frank Haith get? It’s his first year as coach, and these aren’t the players he recruited. However, he has helped guide them to some big wins, a 27-4 record, and a presumed #2 seed. In addition, he’s done all of this with almost no bench while playing a style that calls for a deep bench.

6. Duke
7. Ohio State
8. Michigan State
9. Marquette
10. Michigan

Michigan State lost to #7 Ohio State and #15 Indiana last week, but only fell from #5 to #8. I’m not fooled though. Tom Izzo’s teams have a habit of moving quietly through the season before exploding in the tournament. Those losses will knocked them down to #3 or #4 seed, which is an ideal position for them.

11. Murray State
12. Baylor
13. Georgetown
14. Wisconsin
15. Indiana

That’s right, Michigan State, Marquette, Michigan, and Murray State are all in order. This means nothing, but the chances of such an arrangement happening are exceedingly rare. In semi-related news, I can’t imagine any of these teams doing anything worthwhile in the tournament.

16. Wichita State
17. Florida State
18. San Diego State
19. Creighton
20. UNLV

After a season of mid-majors that America has no real memory of (hello Wichita and Murray State), expect Creighton to become a fan favorite in the next week. People know who they are, even if they haven’t been that great the last few years. They’re the kind of mid-major most people can name, and strike the perfect balance between “institutional constant” and “random trade school” that people feel comfortable picking them for an upset. They’re ranked, but that’s a recent development, so people will be able to talk themselves into thinking they’ve been undervalued. Don’t fall into this trap.

21. Temple
22. Florida
23. Notre Dame
24. Gonzaga
25. Iowa State

It is very rare for a team to jump up to #25 after a week in which they lost a game. While they lost to #5 Missouri and then beat a #12 Baylor team that is vulnerable, at most those two games should balance each other out. What a strange situation.

Basketball AP Top 25 – Week 17

Dan Spritz — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:15:05 +0000

1. Kentucky (63)

The Wildcats are 28-1. Their only loss was on the road against the #18 team in the country. All of their starters could be taken in the first round of the NBA draft. What more is there to say?

2. Syracuse (2)

I would like to know which two writers keep voting Syracuse #1 every week. Their consistency is admirable, despite the fact that they’re wrong.

3. Kansas

I was all set to write about how the Big 12 is a rock-paper-scissors conference, and the top teams only have trouble with specific teams who swept their season series. Had Missouri won, they would have swept Kansas, Kansas State would have swept Missouri, and both Missouri and Kansas would have swept Baylor, with very few other conference losses to speak of. Then Missouri had to go and lose, and this whole idea went up in flames. What we did learn (it wasn’t much of a surprise) is that Missouri can’t slow the tempo down and effectively hold a lead.

4. Duke

I covered this last week, but the Blue Devils proved again with wins over Virginia Tech and #22 Florida State that they are cool under pressure. They trust their system and will run it efficiently for as long as they have to.

5. Michigan State

The Spartans at #5!? Ridiculous!

6. North Carolina
7. Missouri
8. Marquette
9. Baylor
10. Ohio State

The Golden Eagles at #8!? Ridiculous! They’re a good team, like Michigan State, but both rankings are simply the result of inertia. They’ve both won most of their games, but they simply aren’t elite the way UNC, Missouri or Ohio State are.

11. Georgetown
12. Murray State
13. Michigan
14. Wisconsin
15. Wichita State

A brief primer on Wichita State: they’re 26-4, 1st in the historically strong Missouri Valley Conference. Their four losses are to Drake (in triple overtime!), #25 Creighton (which was avenged later in the season), #23 Temple (also in overtime), and then-#16 Alabama. There’s not a bad loss in there, and they could very easily shock some people in the tournament.

16. Florida
17. UNLV
18. Indiana
19. Louisville
20. Notre Dame

I can’t help but think that we are giving the Big East teams a bit of a pass because they’re in the Big East. Despite the fact that both teams lose with some regularity and both lost last week, they’re still ranked. Notre Dame has nine losses, while eight spots ahead of them, Murray State has only one.

21. San Diego State
22. Florida State
23. Temple
24. Virginia
25. Creighton

Who’s more impressive – Florida State at 19-9 or Creighton at 25-5? While the Blue Jays’ biggest win was over San Diego State, the Seminoles have losses to BC, Princeton, and Harvard (who held them to 41 points).

Basketball AP Top 25 – Week 16

Dan Spritz — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:04:55 +0000

1. Kentucky (63)

Bold prediction of the week: the Wildcats will get a #1 seed.

2. Syracuse (2)

Record-wise, the Orange have kept pace with the Wildcats. They’ve navigated a tough schedule and have a number of ways to beat you. With that said, a number of their games are very close. It’s good that they are able to close teams out late, but an inability to close them out earlier will leave them vulnerable in March.

3. Missouri

With Baylor sputtering to the end of conference play, this week’s game between the Tigers and #4 Jayhawks should determine the Big 12 regular season winner. With the Tigers’ loss to Kansas State, it could be their best chance to jump back into the top line and stay in the running for a #1 seed.

4. Kansas

Despite a surprisingly small amount of attention this season, the Jayhawks seem poised to once again be a #1 seed. I look forward to them getting upset in the second round.

5. Duke

I saw Duke play in person on Sunday, and my goodness are they impressive. They were completely unfazed by BC’s attack, and confidently wore the Eagles down. This is nothing new for a Mike Krzyzewski team. What is new is their attitude. Instead of the cold and calculating aura Coach K normally imbues his team with, they have some real swagger.

This starts with Austin Rivers, who is more petulant than I ever could have imagined. He constantly wants the ball, and makes sure everyone in the arena knows it. When something goes wrong, he has no problem bitching a teammate out in front of everyone. He also scowls constantly. Miles Plumlee is the other main proponent of this attitude. He constantly complains to officials and has a habit of going for highlight-reel dunks instead of taking intelligent looks.

6. Michigan State
7. North Carolina
8. Ohio State
9. Georgetown
10. Marquette

Michigan State is never an exciting preseason pick, and they are rarely a threat to actually win a national championship. However, they always find a way to work their way up the rankings and go deep into the tournament.

11. Michigan
12. Florida
13. Baylor
14. Murray State
15. Florida State

It looks like I was wrong to dismiss Murray State so quickly. I still don’t expect them to make a deep run in March, but if they win out they definitely deserve a high seed and could easily win two games in the tournament.

16. Wisconsin
17. Louisville
18. New Mexico
19. Wichita State
20. Notre Dame

What a week for New Mexico! They had wins over #21 UNLV and #24 SDSU. Too bad they couldn’t keep it up this week, immediately losing to Colorado State.

21. UNLV
22. Temple
23. Indiana
24. San Diego State
25. Virginia

Conversely, last week was terrible for San Diego State, with losses to #18 New Mexico and Air Force, knocking them down 11 spots. Also, I would like to give a warm welcome in the rankings to Temple, who have been toiling thanklessly in the A-10 (home of my alma mater!) all season.