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- Demetrius Knox commits to the Ohio State Buckeyes
- North Carolina suspends P.J. Hairston indefinitely
- 2015 OG Patrick Vahe commits to the Texas Longhorns
- UNC's P.J. Hairston suspended indefinitely
- P.J. Hairston cited for speeding, reckless driving
- NBA free agency: Hawks claim Gustavo Ayon, according to report
- 2013 Brickyard 400: Tony Stewart defends quality of racing, others disagree
- Yasiel Puig hits first career walk-off home run
| Demetrius Knox commits to the Ohio State Buckeyes Posted: 28 Jul 2013 08:29 PM PDT  Once upon a time, Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints teammates and friends Demetrius Knox and Daniel Gresham planned on attending the same college. It didn't work out that way, but now both are headed home for college after Knox committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday. A Kentucky native, Gresham is headed back to Kentucky to play for Louisville, while the 6'4, 290-pound Knox will play offensive guard for his home-state Buckeyes. Throughout the recruiting process, when asked about Ohio State, Knox would respond, "I'll always be a Buckeye," which will now be the case in more than just his heart. A consensus four-star prospect who originally committed to Texas last fall to join Gresham, Knox was the first of the two to decommit from the Longhorns on April 22 after visiting Ohio State in violation of the Texas no-visit policy for recruits that head coach Mack Brown instituted after having five players decommit in the 2013 class. In June, he declared the UCLA Bruins his leader, but in the end, the opportunity to go home to play his college football trumped offers from the the Bruins and the other schools in his top five -- Miami, Florida State, and Oregon made up the other three schools -- among numerous other offers. Even if the All Saints product and Ohio native can't play outside in college, he projects well at guard because he's a lean 290 pounds, with little to no bad weight on his frame. By staying lean and quick, Knox can pass set well enough to stop pass rushers in high school and show some good reactive body movement to mirror defenders while playing tackle. In the area of staying back and balanced in his cylinder, Knox can allow himself to get out on his toes at times, something he will need to correct moving forward. In the run game, Knox has experience working out of two-point and three-point stances. Coming off the ball, he can show good leverage at the point of attack and at the second level, where he uses his flexibility to get under the pads of smaller defenders. Persistent enough to work to the whistle, Knox could stand to improve his overall punch and ability to plant smaller players on their backside, as he often ends up merely walling them off. An increase in core and upper body strength when he gets into a college strength and conditioning program should allow Knox to become more adept at relieving opponents of their footing. The All Saints product is now the 15th pledge for the Buckeyes in 2014, joining a class that now ranks No. 6 in the nation and tops in the Big 10. With four offensive linemen, Ohio State is building a strong corps for its future on the offensive line, while the class overall has enough highly-ranked prospects that Knox comes in at No. 8 overall in the class in terms of his overall grade. When the median commit in a class is ranked 94 by 247Sports? Yeah, it might be a good one.
All Saints (Fort Worth, TX) Demetrius Knox - OL #78 (via Maxprepssports) More from SB Nation:Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting • SB Nation’s media days coverage, live from the scene: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC • Video of FSU starter surviving horrifying motorcycle wreck • Texas coach Mack Brown: "Players need to be paid" • Projecting every 2013 college football conference race |
| North Carolina suspends P.J. Hairston indefinitely Posted: 28 Jul 2013 08:20 PM PDT  The University of North Carolina announced Sunday that men's basketball head coach Roy Williams has suspended junior guard P.J. Hairston indefinitely following a traffic citation for speeding and reckless driving. Hairston was pulled over Sunday on Interstate 85 outside Webb, N.C. for doing 93 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. The 20-year-old has a court date scheduled in Rowan County for Aug. 30. Hairston's suspension is the culmination of a summer chock-full of legal problems. Hairston was arrested on June 5 and charged with possession of marijuana and driving without a license, although those charges were dismissed because he was cooperative with the courts. There have also been some questions surrounding Hairston and several rented cars. The car that he was driving during his June arrest was rented under the name Haydn Thomas, a convicted felon. Hairston was also cited for speeding on May 13 while driving a car rented by Catinia Farrington, a woman who shares the same home address as Thomas. Hairston averaged a team-high 14.6 points last season as a sophomore. More from SB Nation:• LBJ likely done with Team USA | Best (and worst) Olympic moments • The top 61 rookies at NBA Summer League •SB Nation’s media days coverage, live from the scene: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC • Phil credits technology for Open win • Kenny Anderson reveals being sexually abused This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2015 OG Patrick Vahe commits to the Texas Longhorns Posted: 28 Jul 2013 08:06 PM PDT  The second commitment for the Texas Longhorns on the weekend of their first "Texas Stampede" recruiting event took a little longer to break than the first -- while there were reports of that Euless (Texas) Trinity offensive guard Patrick Vahe had added his name to the 2015 recruiting class on Saturday, Vahe himself didn't confirm the news until Sunday. An early top-100 national player by 247Sports and ESPN, Vahe is also ranked as the No. 8 player in the early composite rankings (the two aforementioned services have put out their rankings), he's a four-star prospect at 6'3 and 280 pounds who pledged to the 'Horns without receiving any other offers. A cousin of Sione and Maea Teuhema, the brothers from Keller (Texas) who committed to Texas in late May, Vahe visited Austin last Monday after declaring the 'Horns his leader after receiving his offer in early May, facts that put him squarely on the commitment watch list entering the weekend. He's now the fourth offensive lineman in the 2015 recruiting class for Texas, which also includes Maea Teuhema, a five-star prospect by 247Sports. In fact, the class for offensive line coach Stacy Searels may nearly be done, depending on whether Texas can land an offensive tackle in 2014, a major remaining need for that group. Vahe won't help address long-term depth issues at tackle for Searels, but he does provide a highly mobile guard. Some interior linemen are at their best in a phone booth, dealing with nose tackles because of their ability to anchor and not give ground, while others are at their best on the move, taking out second-level defenders. There's no question that Vahe belongs among the latter group, showing both his motor and agility in space when pulling on lead plays or screens. Trinity is a run-heavy team, so Vahe will probably need some work in pass protection as he gets to college, but it's less of an issue since he clearly projects as a guard unless he grows. And while his cousin Maea can put defenders on their back simply with the extension of his arms, Vahe relies more on his flexibility to create leverage than he does on pure power with his hands, though he does have one highlight in pass protection in which a lightning-quick punch to a defender relieves his opponent of his feet, a remarkable play since the majority of pancakes come in the run game. Even some well-considered offensive linemen don't flash hard on film, instead providing evidence of talent and future value, but Vahe's highlights make it clear why the services are so high on him early, even if his offer list provides a counterpoint. More from SB Nation:Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting • SB Nation’s media days coverage, live from the scene: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC • Video of FSU starter surviving horrifying motorcycle wreck • Texas coach Mack Brown: "Players need to be paid" • Projecting every 2013 college football conference race |
| UNC's P.J. Hairston suspended indefinitely Posted: 28 Jul 2013 08:05 PM PDT  The school suspended the star guard after he was cited for reckless driving on Sunday, the latest brush with the law for Hairston. UNC guard P.J. Hairston was arrested for possession of marijuana and driving without a license in Durham on Wednesday night, according to local reports. The university is aware of the arrest, a spokesman told ABC11:
Hairston was stopped at a license check along with two other men near downtown Durham. It remains to be seen how the university and/or men's head basketball coach Roy Williams will respond. For more North Carolina coverage, visit Tar Heel Blog Hairston led the Tar Heels in scoring last season, averaging 14.6 points in 23.6 minutes per game. He was considered a flight risk to the NBA after UNC got knocked of the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament by No. 1 seed Kansas. Hairston announced in April that he would return for his junior year, however. |
| P.J. Hairston cited for speeding, reckless driving Posted: 28 Jul 2013 07:26 PM PDT  North Carolina junior guard P.J. Hairston is in trouble with the law again after being charged with speeding and reckless driving on Sunday, according to Rachel Axon and Eric Prisbell of USA Today. Hairston was pulled over in a 2008 Acura TL on Interstate 85 outside Webb, N.C. for going 93 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone and has a court date set in Rowan County on Aug. 30. It has been quite the eventful summer for Hairston, who was arrested on June 5 and charged for possessing marijuana and driving without a license after getting stopped at a license checkpoint. The 20-year-old had those charges dropped on July 19 because he completed a drug assessment and provided the court his current driver's license. There was also some controversy surrounding the car that Hairston was driving at the time of that arrest. Hairston was driving a 2013 GMC Yukon that was rented under the name Haydn Thomas, a convicted felon and party promoter who has ties to several college athletes in the area. Hairston was also cited for speeding on May 13 while driving a 2012 Camaro SS that was rented by Catinia Farrington, a woman who shares the same home address as Thomas. Hairston has not yet faced any discipline from North Carolina for any of his transgressions, although head coach Roy Williams said on July 15 that the guard could face "serious consequences." Williams also called Hairston's issues "embarrassing." More from SB Nation:• LBJ likely done with Team USA | Best (and worst) Olympic moments • The top 61 rookies at NBA Summer League •SB Nation’s media days coverage, live from the scene: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC • Phil credits technology for Open win • Kenny Anderson reveals being sexually abused This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| NBA free agency: Hawks claim Gustavo Ayon, according to report Posted: 28 Jul 2013 06:24 PM PDT  The Atlanta Hawks have claimed Gustavo Ayon off waivers, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. The Milwaukee Bucks waived Ayon on Friday despite recently picking up his $1.5 million team option for the 2013-14 season. Ayon played 12 games for the Bucks last season, coming over from the Orlando Magic along with J.J. Redick and Ish Smith. Ayon averaged 4.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game for Milwaukee. More: Peachtree Hoops on Ayon Ayon had his most productive year in the NBA in his rookie season with the New Orleans Hornets. The 28-year-old averaged 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game that year, and he even got 24 starts. Claiming Ayon adds even more depth to a quite crowded Hawks frontcourt. Besides adding Ayon, Paul Millsap, Elton Brand and Pero Antic via free agency, Atlanta also drafted big men Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala. Bringing in Ayon could further signal that Nogueira may not be joining the team this upcoming season. More from SB Nation:• Kenny Anderson reveals being sexually abused • Luis Scola traded to Pacers | Ziller: Pacers may be East’s best • What cap space and exceptions do teams have left? • The top 61 rookies at NBA Summer League This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2013 Brickyard 400: Tony Stewart defends quality of racing, others disagree Posted: 28 Jul 2013 05:47 PM PDT  Even though the Brickyard 400 is NASCAR's second-biggest event in recent years, the excitement on the track hasn't always matched the prestige of winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There was hope heading into this year's race that NASCAR's new Generation-6 car would produce an increase in side-by-side racing and in turn, a more dramatic race. By most accounts that goal was not reached Sunday, as NASCAR's annual visit to Indianapolis again feature prolonged periods of single-file racing and left drivers frustrated with their inability to overtake. "This whole event, track position was key," said Carl Edwards, who finished 13th. "It was very difficult for me to pass people." Not wanting to incur a fine from NASCAR, Edwards stopped short of directly criticizing the Gen-6 car. (Denny Hamlin was fined $25,000 in March for inconspicuous comments made regarding the competitiveness of the redesigned car.) Edwards did admit that passing was more challenging than in years past. He attributed this in part to an overreliance on downforce and a tire that is not compatible with both the track and the Gen-6. "My opinion is that we saw it Wednesday night (during the Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway)," Edwards said. "If you are not racing aerodynamic devices and the tire and track can interact so that the car can slide around a little more, I think you will see more side-by-side racing. "I have been preaching that a long time. I am not an aerodynamicist, but that is just what I see." Edwards wasn't alone in lamenting how difficult it was to maneuver. Throughout the afternoon, multiple drivers voiced their frustration. "You can't pass. It's just awful. Our car is great, just aero s***," Jeff Gordon radioed to his crew at one point. Said Brad Keselowski post-race: "I think there is lots of things we can do to make the racing better. I am always open-minded." However, not everyone was in agreement that Indianapolis was devoid of excitement. Tony Stewart was one driver who was adamant that the quality of racing was high. "This is about cars being fast," said Stewart, who finished fourth. "It doesn't have to be two- and three-wide racing all day long to be good racing. Racing is about figuring out how to take the package you're allowed and make it better than what everybody else has and do a better job with it." Stewart's point of contention is that past races at The Speedway have featured even less passing and wider gaps between cars. The lead was exchanged a total of 20 times Sunday, which is three more than last year's race and two fewer than in 2011. And overall this year's edition of the Brickyard 400 featured the fourth-most lead changes in the 20-year history of the race. "We're racing here," Stewart said. "That's all I'm going to say. This is racing."
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• NASCAR's memorable night at Eldora Speedway • Despite risks, NASCAR's TV deal makes sense • NBC, NASCAR agree to 10-year rights deal • Drivers’ opinions mixed on whether IMS should add lights • Madness continues at Bowman Gray Stadium This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yasiel Puig hits first career walk-off home run Posted: 28 Jul 2013 05:32 PM PDT  The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their white-hot streak on Sunday as they took a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, although it took 11 innings to win their third in a row. This time, the theatrics were delivered by Yasiel Puig, the rookie lightning rod who has energized the team ever since being called up. In the bottom of the 11th inning in a scoreless game, Puig strode to the plate and delivered the coup de grace, in typical Yasiel Puig fashion. Yes, that's right. bat-flip, celebration hands AND sliding into home plate after a home run -- the trifecta of Puigsanity. Earlier in the game, Puig got picked off by pitcher Tony Cingrani after drawing a walk. It was the fifth caught stealing of the season for Puig and once again demonstrated his overaggressiveness on the basepaths. You can watch the video of that play by clicking here. For a time, it appeared as though the pickoff would be Puig's highlight of the game. With the walkoff, Puig went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts and a walk. He is now hitting .372 with 10 home runs.
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