2 days ago
Happy Gump Day: Basketball is finally eliminating one of the most tedious, hated rules in the sport
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Good vibes only on this Gump Day.
Bryce Young is coming into his own, so much that his improvement is 'a huge reason' why veteran WR Adam Thielen chose to return to the woebegone Carolina Panthers this year.
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There is finally some continuity for Young this year too, as it is the first time that he will run the same scheme under the same staff for a second straight year. That, with his maturation, could finally position him for a breakout season, or at least significant incremental growth.
More cynically, what else is there for the Panthers on the outside? Xavier Legette is a solid No. 2, and Ghost of Hunter Renfrow is somewhere buried on the bench, but it really is Thielen-or-bust at WR1.
There is an enforcer on the football staff, and his name is Ryan Grubb. And he apparently is an anal-retentive, detail-oriented workaholic and hard that Alabama needed in spades last season:
The All-American center and one of a handful of players to transfer from Washington performed a similar role of advanced scouting a year ago when his new teammates were getting to know Kalen DeBoer.
But the tone of the questions was different this time. Brailsford said the main thing he was asked about Grubb was, 'Is he mean?'
The answer was always the same: 'Yes.'
'But,' Brailsford added, 'it's when it's needed.'
Brailsford recalled his first fall camp as a freshman in Seattle. It was one of the early walkthroughs, he wasn't getting many reps and suddenly he was lined up over the football. Instead of going on a two-count like he as supposed to, he snapped on one
'And he yelled at me,' Brailsford said.
Not just for a minute, either. Grubb yelled at Brailsford as he jogged all the way to touch the TNT sign under the goalpost, and all the way back.
Hopefully the Good Cop / Bad Cop routine works a lot better this season than last year's relentless toxic positivity.
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But, more importantly, I hope that the players realize a lesson Terrion Arnold absorbed very early under Nick Saban: Be more concerned when they aren't getting on your ass. Tough coaching is not happening because the staff have written you off.
Yesterday, Alabama football got a huge commitment from fast-rising 4-star DE Mhari Johnson out of Muscle Shoals. He had been feted by dozens of programs, and held offers by just about every major one. But after his visit to 'Bama, he shut down recruitment, cancelled trips to Miami and Auburn, and announced:
'I'm home, T-Town!'
It's rare I gush over a recruit, but the 6'4', 260 4-star edge is the complete package. He has the size and smarts to man the SDE position. He has the power to take doubles and shed blocks. Devours running backs. Great backside pursuit. He's always looking to pressure the quarterback.
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And he is utterly tenacious, a pure havoc machine. This is one of the most exciting DL prospects the Tide have inked in a while.
Yesterday, college basketball finally eliminated a much-hated rule that often turned the final two minutes of games into refball slogs:
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Tuesday approved changes to help enhance the flow of the game in men's basketball for the 2025-26 season.
Changes include a coach's challenge at any point in a game to review out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc. The panel also approved modifications to the rule on continuous motion on field goal attempts.
Other enhancements to help with the flow of the game focus on the points of emphasis for officials for 2025-26. These will include directives to address delay-of-game tactics, limit time spent at the monitor, improve game administration efficiency and reduce physicality.
Under the coach's challenge rule, teams must have a timeout to request an instant replay review challenge.
If the instant replay review challenge is successful, teams will be allowed to have one additional video review challenge for the rest of the game, including overtime.
If the first video review challenge is unsuccessful, the team loses the ability to challenge the rest of the game.
Most of these all positive steps to take, it seems — though I will believe lessened physical play happens when I see it. And I dislike the one-or-bust challenge system. If you lose a critical 50/50 call, you shouldn't be punished the rest of the game or be held hostage to bad officiating later.
Additionally, there is some real movement beginning to happen towards taking the game to a quarter system, rather than halves. The hope is to lessen the delay and impact of the bonus, where teams are spending 12-13 minutes a half at the free throw line. Women's basketball is generally a poor product with a few standout elite teams, but they have got this rule right: the sport is better for quarters.
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And Pat Adams is gonna' be in shambles if that happens.
My favorite T-Town beat reporter, Emily Smarr (seriously, she's a great writer with some serious analytical chops), has a feature on Moundville's Gage Mayfield, touted as the next Herb Jones.
From Herb Jones to Mayfield, Hale County basketball at dawn of new age
When asked how their games were similar, Mayfield debated playing it safe. Instead, he welcomed whatever smack-talk ensues the next time Jones takes a break to visit Hale County.
'[Herb] will probably hate me for this, but I'm a better offensive player than him. He's got the defensive side,' Mayfield smirked, admitting he wants to improve his outside 3-point shot. 'But I'm definitely working hard to have the same defensive intelligence as him.'
According to Mayfield, Oats and Murphy want to see more of the 'killer mentality' and hustle that Jones had. Hale County High coach Antwan Butler already knows it's there, noting that the balance of HCHS's current team doesn't require Mayfield to 'attack' too much.
Butler sees Mayfield, who comes 88th on the ESPN Top 100, controlling the backboard the same way Jones did, guarding the on-ball efficiently when the gameplan allows it, but the biggest comparisons come in how the two operate off the court.
Gage has not committed yet, and he holds offers from most of the SEC (among others). But local the pressure is going to be high to commit to Hometown U — especially since Mayfield has been a Preston Murphy project for two years now.
OVs begin this week, and he's scheduled his first visit to much-hated Knoxville.
Good story here. Truly, hope for the best. The Tide could use him.
I've been trying to think of a good comparison for Labaron Philon, and I think I finally landed on it: a young, shorter Shai Gilgeous Alexander.
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Both are downhill players, pretty good rebounders, and ball distributors off of penetration. They both are streaky outside shooters, good on-ball defenders, and get to the rack. Both also have a nice stroke on midrange jumpers. Shai is a little taller, but like Philon he's also slightly built on a wiry like Philon, Shai was not a lottery pick either.
Look at this shot chart, especially the perimeter-to-rim shooting.
After a decade of elder abuse, The Mouse has finally decided that 90-year-old Lee Corso can finally ride off into the sunset. And he is getting one doozy of a sendoff too: Texas vs. Ohio State, Week One at the Horseshoe:
'Perfect setting for one last ride!' Herbstreit posted to social media upon the news being released. 'Coach's 'first love' as he says!!'
Corso, the legendary ESPN broadcaster who created the iconic headgear pick that caps each 'College GameDay show,' will finish his career with a final pick at the Week 1 stop at Ohio State.
Corso, who turns 90 in August, has been a part of college football's premier pregame show since it debuted in 1987, and his very first headgear pick – when he donned Ohio State's Brutus Buckeye mascot head – happened in Columbus on October 5, 1996.
For most Alabama fans, Corso popped into our conscious when he famously and loudly declared that Alabama's zone defense had no chance against reigning Heisman winner, Vinny Testaverde, and the skill-laden, speedy Miami Hurricanes.
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Welp.
It's been one helluva three-decade ride for Coach. I hope he makes it to Labor Day to get the valedictory he deserves — College Gameday was truly revolutionary in its time.
And, finally, your moment of levity.
I'm not sure what's funnier here. The farmer being a hype man, a bull literally going wide-eyed and saying 'bruh' when he sees the cows for him, or goobing out then trying to reclaim his dignity before rizzing up the ladies.
It's funnier every time I watch it.
Have a great day, and Roll Tide.
We have another Meet The New Guys for you in a soon as I finish writing it.
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