Debriefing: Boston College hangs on to the good times

The least you should know about the 2011 Eagles. Part of ACC Week.

? You are entering a no-run zone. Twelfth consecutive bowl bid notwithstanding, 2010 was Boston College's worst season in more than a decade. But you could still set your watch by Frank Spaziani's defense: The B.C. D held opponents under 21 points per game from the sixth consecutive year, and finished in the top 10 against the run for the fourth time in the same span ?�and did it without producing a single defensive draft pick among seven departing senior starters.

That will change in the next year or two, when tackle machine linebacker Luke Kuechly finally makes every single tackle over the course of an entire game ?�his high last year was a mere 21 stops against Duke, tied for the best single-game total by anyone on the season ?�and decides it's time to fulfill his destiny as a likely first-rounder. Altogether, Kuechly led the nation with a truly absurd 183 total tackles after finishing second nationally in 2009, doubling up the No. 2 tackler on the team both years.

? OK, let's try that one again, kids. As good as the defense was, the offense was every bit as bad, crash-landing at the bottom of the conference in both yards and points per game in spite of the presence of the best running back in the conference, Montel Harris. Excluding warmup wins over Weber State and Kent State in the first two games, the Eagles failed to reach 24 points again all year.

That was due mainly to an inexperienced, turnover-prone trio of quarterbacks stuck throwing to an inexperienced, pedestrian group of receivers ? by the end of the season, the starting quarterback (Chase Rettig) and most productive receivers (Bobby Swigert and Alex Amidon) were all true freshmen. Normally, that means dramatic improvement is right around the corner. But Rettig didn't progress much over the course of nine starts, and even with progress he's still catching up to the curve.

? Our surgically repaired spark. The one obvious ? yet oft-overlooked ?�bright spot on offense is Montel Harris, who would already have Derrick Knight's school rushing record if he hadn't blown out his knee with 125 yards to go last November. Harris was healthy enough to suit up in the spring with limited contact, and the trajectory of the young quarterbacks ?�and of the offense in general ? will depend largely on how close Harris can come to his old workhorse routine of roughly 25 touches per game. Other reliable weapons are few and far between.

? Fasten your seat belts. Spaziani signed a two-year extension last December locking him up through 2015, and has another insurance policy if the season takes a southward turn: His athletic director's pride. Spaziani was promoted in January 2009 to replace his boss, Jeff Jagodzinski, who was canned by AD Gene DeFilippo on the heels of back-to-back Atlantic Division titles for having the audacity to interview with the New York Jets. After giving Jagz that the boot, DeFilippo said he was looking for "somebody who really wants to be at Boston College, and who is going to be here for the length of their contract," which he might as well have read directly off one of Spaziani's letters of recommendation.

But DeFilippo also wants to avoid a reputation as a meddler who goes through head coaches like socks. Even after two backwards steps in his first two seasons as head coach, Spaziani seems safe barring a worst-case collapse. Unfortunately, the front-loaded schedule that lent itself to a stark midseason turnaround after a 2-5 start last year is reversed: A stretch run that features trips to Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Miami, a visit from Florida State and dates with Atlantic Division equals Maryland and N.C. State in between is a recipe for coming up short of a bowl game.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Debriefing-Boston-College-hangs-on-to-the-good-?urn=ncaaf-wp3845

Joe Vitale Mitch Wahl Ben Walter Tom Wandell

Lames: Somewhere in Jayson Werth?s beard is an undervalued star

With his club clinging to a one-run lead Tuesday against the destitute Cubs, Jayson Werth confidently stepped into the box against touchable reliever Jeff Samardzjia. It was the bottom of the seventh. Two men, Danny Espinosa at second and Laynce Nix at first, crept away from their respective bags itching to advance. A timely insurance run or three was needed.

Instead of delivering in the clutch, Werth grounded out weakly to shortstop Starlin Castro ending the frame. Miffed by yet another blown opportunity, the perplexed outfielder, signed for an exorbitant sum this past offseason to produce in those exact situations, stood off first base, a smirk adorning his face. He swung his head side-to-side in disgust. Boos rained down from the stands.

His final line: 0-for-4, two strikeouts, six left on base.

Typical.

Werth backers who've combed box scores nightly hoping to see crooked numbers next to their $20-plus investment have often glanced at goose eggs. Mired in an 18-for-116 nosedive since June 1 ? he ranks 773rd overall and 109th among OFs over that span ? the fruitless Nat has triggered numerous expletive-laced tirades across Fantasyland, explosions that would make a Nancy Grace diatribe about Casey Anthony seem tame. After all, Juan Pierre has offered more value during that stretch.

For the love of Teddy Roosevelt!

Owner frustration over Werth is understandable, though somewhat overreactive. Yes, his downward-trending ISO ('10: .236, '11: .154) and dramatic groundball rise ('10 GB%: 37.0, '11: 45.3) are concerns. However, because of his proclivity for strikeouts (26.9 K%), he's often experienced prolonged dry spells throughout his career. No shocker.

His downturn in power was also predictable. Shifting from Citizen Bank's short porches to Nationals Park's neutral surroundings was bound to trim a handful of homers.

Though his owners will be the first to tell you how Werth-less the "bust" truly is, ignoring BA, he's still provided respectable across-the-board production. In fact, he's on pace to tally quite possibly the most deplored 20-20 season in virtual sports history, a feat only six outfielders accomplished last year.

Supremely confident a break out is near, the 32-year-old has remained levelheaded, banking on his bat to reignite in the second half. From the Washington Post:

"This game is all about guys picking each other up. You don't need everybody every night. But you do need somebody. I've always played my best ball towards the end of the season, not that that's any excuse. I'm not playing well right now, but I'm confident the numbers will be there at the end, and I'll make good on what I started out to do."

History tells us a resurgence is indeed just around the corner. His career splits verifies it:

Pre-All Star: .257/.350/.462/.811
Post-All Star: .276/.376/.479/.854

Traded this week for Adam Dunn, Shaun Marcum and Sergio Santos in one-for-one deals, he's a multi-cat scorer that should be pursued. Without question he's a top-level buy low option. With Roger Bernadina, Espinosa, a healthy Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse hitting in front of him, positive stats will eventually come pouring in.

Soon jeers over Werth will turn into cheers.

Fearless Forecast (rest of season): 286 at-bats, .274 BA, 12 HR, 37 RBI, 38 R, 11 SB

Other passengers currently riding southbound (or about to) on the Lames train ?

Elvis Andrus, Tex, SS ? A hunk, a hunk of burning love Elvis is not. After a blistering June, the prized shortstop has cooled, batting just .174 over his past 28 at-bats. A sore wrist and passive plate approach have fueled the mini-slump, an episode he experienced during his unmemorable July last year (.216 BA). To avoid a similar fate, Rangers hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh recently told Andrus to maintain an opposite-field approach but not at the expense of ignoring favorable pitches to turn on. In other words, be more aggressive. Evidently, the advice paid off. Going 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs on Wednesday against Baltimore, it appears his presence in Lames territory was only brief. On pace for career bests in steals (46), runs (98) and RBIs (57), he has definitely exceeded the Noise's "overvalued" preseason expectations. If he can stave off the injury imp and keep a mean streak, Andrus will be a fixture inside the shortstop top-five over the remainder of the season. I'll take my crow beak-side up please.

Fearless Forecast (rest of season): 277 at-bats, .273 BA, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 44 R, 19 SB

Jhoulys Chacin, Col, SP ? Over the first three months of the season, the righty Jhoulys'd the beast logging eight wins with a 3.01 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 7.95 K/9, good for the 28th-best line among starters according to Baseball Monster. But bothered by forearm stiffness ? his last start was skipped due to the setback ? Chacin's monstrous side has been caged. Over his past two turns, he's allowed 10 earned in 10 innings pitched. Even if healthy, expect his production to slip further. Under the microscope, his profile is diseased. A sharp drop in swinging strike percentage ('10: 10.8, '11: 9.3), severe case of gopheritis (17.6 HR/FB%, 1.23 HR/9) and presumably unsustainable 12.7 line-drive rate are�ominous�indicators. FIP (4.33) and tERA (4.50) tools both predict a significant ERA increase. Shipped this week for Ryan Zimmerman, Alexei Ramirez and C.J. Wilson in one-for-one deals, Chacin needs to be shopped. A rocky second half is likely coming.

Fearless Forecast (rest of season): 76.1 IP, 5 W, 4.48 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 62 K

Jay Bruce, Cin, OF ? Finally, this is the year Bruce has put it all together. Take note, Travis Snider. Fueled by a Jennifer Anniston-hot May (Diggin' the dominatrix "Horrible Bosses" look), he's on pace to obliterate previous career benchmarks in homers (35), RBIs (98), runs (91) and steals (11). Unfortunately, Cincy's multi-cat rock has softened in recent days seen in his 21-point BA declension since June 18. Bruce admitted last week to MLB.com maintaining consistency is his No. 1 goal. However, because of his rather wide strikeout-to-walk disparity (0.41 BB/K), wild stat-swings will continue to be the norm, not the exception. His extreme fly-ball tendencies should lead to several more homers, but with pitchers attacking him with more curves and changes, offerings he's struggled against, unsteady production over the second half is in the offing. That is, of course, if he doesn't make the necessary adjustments. Launching only his second homer since June 1 Wednesday in The Lou, he might be on the verge of another binge. But more than likely Bruce's production for 2011 has peaked.

Fearless Forecast (rest of season): 266 at-bats, .261 BA, 13 HR, 39 RBI, 38 R, 4 SB

Want to bean Brad in the head? Bring the heat on Twitter @YahooNoise.

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Image courtesy of US Presswire

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/Lames-Somewhere-in-Jayson-Werth-s-beard-is-an-u?urn=fantasy-wp4691

Dany Masse Jon Matsumoto Shawn Matthias Greg Mauldin

Evaluating this year?s best NBA draft prospects by category

The NBA Draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. EST.� Here's a look at some of the best players available by category:

BEST SHOOTER:

1. Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU: Showcased unparalleled range in college, scoring 28.9 points per game and shooting 39.6 percent from the 3-point line. If he's not the best college shooter we've seen in the past five years, he's certainly in the conversation.

2. Klay Thompson, G, Washington State: Is Thompson a better shooter than Fredette? He thinks it's a worthwhile debate. "I think I'm right there with him, just because of being 6-7 with a quick release," he told the San Jose Mercury News. "I think I can stretch the floor with anybody."

3. Andrew Goudelock, G, College of Charleston: Made his case as the draft's best shooter during the combine by sinking 19 of 25 from behind the arc in a spot-up shooting drill and all 21 of his 15-to-18-foot jumpers in a 35-second moving shooting drill.

BEST DEFENDER:

1. Chris Singleton, F, Florida State: Standing 6-foot-9 with long arms and a strong frame, Singleton was the standout defender on a Florida State team that was one of the stingiest teams in college basketball. He's versatile enough to defend in the paint or on the perimeter and he's a menace choking off the passing lanes.

2. Kawhi Leonard, F, San Diego State: ESPN's Jay Bilas called Leonard one of the best defenders in the draft in a conference call this week because the 6-foot-7 wing can guard multiple positions. Like Singleton, Leonard puts pressure on the ball yet can generate steals in the passing lanes.

3. Malcolm Lee, G, UCLA: The latest in the line of perimeter defensive stoppers from UCLA, Lee possesses some of the same credentials as Arron Afflalo and Russell Westbrook. NBA teams have brought the athletic 6-foot-5 guard in for workouts against potential first-round picks to see how they fare against an NBA-style defender.

BEST REBOUNDER:

1. Kenneth Faried, F, Morehead State: Even though the 6-foot-7 Faried is undersized for an NBA power forward, he's an extraordinary rebounder who will get the team that drafts him extra possessions. He's an elite athlete with a long wingspan, an unmatched motor and an understanding that rebounding his ticket to the NBA.

2. Kawhi Leonard, F, San Diego State: A Mountain West coach said late in the season that Leonard had "hands the size of manhole covers." That's a slight exaggeration, but the combination of Leonard's freakish mitts, long wingspan and high-energy style make him easily the best rebounder of the perimeter players in this draft.

3. Enes Kanter, C, Kentucky: Everything about Kanter's game is essentially a mystery since he sat out last season and worked out for so few teams, yet the one area scouts are confident he'll excel is rebounding. He has the size, strength and hands to be dominant on the glass.

BEST PLAYMAKER

1. Kyrie Irving, G, Duke: Irving may not be a surefire all-star like other No. 1 overall picks, but he's the safest pick in this draft. His quick first step allows him to get to the rim and he has ability to finish or to dish to an open teammate.

2. Kemba Walker, G, Connecticut: Those questioning whether Walker is a true point guard are neglecting the role he played prior to this season. The junior morphed into a 20-point scorer because that was what it took for a young Huskies team to win.

3. Tyler Honeycutt, F, UCLA: You could easily make a strong case for Darius Morris, Jimmer Fredette or Isaiah Thomas here, but Honeycutt may be the best passer of the non-point guards in this draft. The 6-foot-7 sophomore showed excellent court vision and unselfishness for a player his size, though his tendency to make high-risk passes is a concern.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Evaluating-this-year-s-best-NBA-draft-prospects-?urn=ncaab-wp3460

Nick Schultz John Scott Rob Scuderi Brent Seabrook