Best Coast Sports

By Donny Turnbaugh

There is no denying the Manti Te’o situation is one of the most absurd stories in sports history, and one that is far from being over. There are still so many unanswered questions that will either leave Te’o looking like the most narcissistic athlete around, the absolute dumbest person to ever be catfished, or some bizarre combination. Neither of those is good for him. While it may go down as the largest and most perplexing sports hoaxes of all time, it will never be the saddest.

No, the most pathetic hoax in sports history still belongs to one kid who just couldn’t face reality: Kevin Hart, the offensive lineman from Nevada who spurned Oregon to accept a scholarship from the Cal Golden Bears, despite never actually receiving a scholarship offer from any D-I school due to his 1.8 GPA and lack of athletic skill.

On signing day in 2008, Hart called a news conference in his school’s gymnasium with the entire student body, coaches, administrators, family, and the media to announce his college decision. It was the classic setup with an Oregon and Cal hat on the table and he awkwardly grabbed the Cal hat, claiming he would play for the Golden Bears and coach Jeff Tedford. It was heartwarming. He had a dream of playing Division I football and got his chance, becoming the first D-I player from Fernley High along the way.

“Coach [Jeff] Tedford and I talked a lot, and the fact that the head coach did most of the recruiting of me kind of gave me the real personal experience.”

Little did the public know, Hart was duping us all.

Well, he duped his community for a few hours, at least. A few hours is all it took for Cal to hear about its newest “recruit” and immediately call Fernley administrators to inform them that Tedford barely knew who the kid was and that the school certainly had not offered him a scholarship. Hart was making the whole thing up. The general public didn’t know about it until the whole embarrassing lie came crumbling down.

At one point he was being looked at by a few schools during his junior year, but his poor grades and actual on-field play made everyone back off and he slipped into obscurity. Hart wanted none of it so he just kept the ruse going, informing friends, family, and coaches that he was still being recruited. In the months leading up to his press conference he told the school newspaper that he had received offers from Oregon and Washington and was recruited by Nevada, Boise State, Oregon State, Illinois, and Oklahoma state

As with the Te’o story, building lies on top of lies usually ends in humiliation. After being completely painted into a corner about his lack of scholarship offers, Hart said he was duped by a recruiting agent and filed a false police report, but that was put to rest with a quick police probe and finally he came clean.

“I wanted to play D-I ball more than anything. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I made up what I wanted to be reality.”

And that quote is what makes this so much sadder than the Te’o story. We are still a ways a way from knowing what actually happened with Manti, but no matter what it seems that others were involved somehow. It’s doubtful Manti made the whole thing up by himself, especially with more reports on Ronaiah Tuiasosopo coming to light. There is no arguing that it will be one of the most complex, disturbing, and elaborate sports hoaxes of our time, but it certainly won’t be the most pathetic. That still belongs to Hart.

Kevin Hart was the mastermind behind his entire hoax. There wasn’t a distant cousin or a shady family friend who duped him; he was just a bummed out kid who wanted so badly to play college football that he made up one of the most ridiculous schemes to fulfill his dream, only to have it crash down on him in a matter of hours. He told everyone he was recruited by a slew of FBS schools. He held a press conference. He got caught in the lie and then tried to lie his way out by claiming he was played by a recruiting agent. He falsified a police report. It was all a lie based on a false sense of reality.

Hart ended up attending/playing/coaching at Feather River College (a junior college) for four years before heading to D-II Missouri Western this season. How he can put on a college football jersey and show up every day is mindboggling after what he put himself through, because he will always be the kid who fronted the saddest hoax in sports.

 

Tags: Cal, football, Hoax, Kevin Hart, Manti Te'o, Nevada, Oregon

With the______pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the _______ select Tony Wroten Jr. out of the University of Washington. The man has been dreaming of this moment since arriving on the scene as an 8^th grader in inner city Seattle. Like his teammate Terrence Ross, Tone is going to forgo the rest of his collegiate eligibly and enter the NBA Draft. Unfortunately, the lasting memory fans will have of him is at the free throw against Oregon State and missing four consecutive free throws with a chance to tie or win the game.

There has been rumbling about his decision since the teams collapse in the Pac 12 Tournament and NIT. Many different prolific basketball sources think he should have came back to school due in part to different holes in his game. Chad Ford’s mock draft predicts Tony to be a late first round to early second round pick. I think he made a good decision to leave. Being placed in the right situation, you may see him flourish. Wroten has an NBA type body standing at 6’5 206 lbs. Most point guards in the league are shorter in height and smaller in stature. The quickness factor is the biggest attribute, like the saying goes “fast don’t lie.” Luckily he knows how to use his speed to his advantage. On defense he posses’ quickness to keep his defender in front of him and the anticipation to jump passing lanes and steal the ball. On Offense most defenders have a difficult time keeping up with him in the open floor, but everyone knows he is going left. Aside from shooting the focus needs to be on dribbling and finishing with his right hand, the off hand.

The comparison to a freshman Gary Payton is unreal. The finishing stat lines at the end of their first season are almost identical. In field goal percentage (GP: 45.9%, TW: 44.3%), steals (GP: 1.9 spg, TW: 1.9), rebounds (GP: 4.0 rpg, TW: 5.0 rpg), and turnovers (GP: 3.1 topg, TW: 3.8 topg).

Tony Wroten can be the biggest steal of the draft. Raw talent and quickness as well as basketball IQ make him an easy first round pick. If only he could shoot. If a jumper is developed and the erratic play slows down, you will be looking at one of the best guards in the game. Like mentioned above, a young Gary Payton had somewhat of a loose handle and struggled from the field. Those are things that you can correct with good coaching. Like Wroten, he had the intangibles and the work ethic, which lead to becoming a superstar and an All NBA defender.

It is going to take a lot of work for Tone to change the mind of scouts. Besides countless hours dribbling and shooting in the gym, I expect him to reach out to some of his Home Team friends Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford to help with shooting. If reaching out to them isn’t on his mind, it would not be a bad idea, especially with shooting being the strong suit of both players. The ball is tipped, the clock is running down, let’s see what Wroten can do before the draft buzzer sounds.

Tags: Gary Payton, Oregon, Seattle, Terrence Ross, Tony Wroten Jr

Arizona State (2-4) at Tulsa (4-4)- 1:00 p.m P.T.

ASU is coming off an 1-2 record in the Old Spice Classic tournament in Orlando, Fl, losing to Fairfield 55-44 in the first round and Depaul 68-64 in the final game. The lone win came against Wake Forest 84-65 in the second round of the tourney, which showcased an emergence of their sophomore wing player Kaela King to go along with the already consistent play of All Pac 10 second team performer in Trent Lockett. King averaged 23.5 ppg in the last two games and Lockett put up 18 points and 9 rebounds over the three. Tulsa is looking to end a two game losing streak. The last game was a nail bitter coming down to the final minutes against a instate rival Oklahoma State. The Golden Hurricanes will rely on their leading scorer and most consistent player Jordan Clarkson to lead them to victory. The sophomore point guard averages 15 ppg. Rebounding will be the biggest key of the game. Tulsa is one of the better rebounding teams in the country with a +11 differential in their fist eight games. Today will be too much ASU. The team is finally clicking and confidence is building. It will be a grind, but they will end up victorious

Prediction: ASU

Texas (4-2) at UCLA (2-4)- 1:30 p.m. P.T.

Texas is a team with great guards. Longhorns lost a lot of fire power to the NBA draft in losing Jordan Hamilton, Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson. Guard play continues to be the story with this team after an easy win against North Texas 73-57 led by the scoring and dishing of highly touted freshman guard Myck Kabongo. Junior guard J’Covan Brown is picking up where he left off last year with his scoring. He is the teams leading scorer at 20 ppg. UCLA has struggled all year, even with an easy win against Pepperdine in the last game.  Bruins have some great pieces in place with the transfer of the Wear twins from North Carolina joining a front court of Forward Reeves Nelson and Center Josh Smith. Scoring has been balanced. Only two Bruins are averaging in double figure scoring, but five players averaging eight or more points, Jerime Anderson 11.0 ppg, Travis Wear, 10.0 ppg, “Zeke” Jones 9.8 ppg, Tyler Lamb 8.8 ppg, and Josh Smith 8.2 ppg. This will be an interesting game. UCLA has size and length, but Texas has a team full of quick guards. UCLA struggles against teams with great guard play.

Prediction: Texas

Oregon (4-1) at BYU (5-2)- 2:00 p.m. P.T.

Oregon players are starting to buy into Coach Dana Altman’s system, which is translating to success on the floor. In his second season, senior leaders E.J. Singler (12.6 ppg) and Garrett Sim (11.6 ppg) are leading the charge with double figures scoring on the season. With the addition of Sophomore Johnathan Loyd (10.0 ppg), the trio is responsible for 35 of the 74 points team averages per game. The last game against UTEP was a display of Loyd’s three point shooting ability. He made a career high six three point shots in a 24 point effort where Oregon was victorious. BYU is a team that loves the three ball. For those who can remember, the team with a player named Jimmer can flat out shoot. As a team the Cougars shot 41% from three with three different players shooting above  40% on the season, Charles Abouo (57.1%), Noah Hartsock (45.5%), and Brock Zylstra (41.4%).  BYU also shoots above 51% in two point field goals. The offense will be too much for the Ducks to handle.

Prediction: BYU

Northern Arizona (2-5) at Arizona (5-2) 3:30 p.m P.T.

Northern Arizona comes in to Tucson losing two in a row. The last of which was by the high scoring BYU Cougars who had a run away victory. In the season, the Lumberjacks have not had much luck on the offensive end. They are turning the ball over more than they force them. However, they have been successful out rebounding their opponent 40-35 per game. Freshman guard James Douglas is one of the bright spots of the program. He only averages 12.6 per game, but he has scored 14 points or more in four out of seven games. NAU will be reliant on him if they have a chance against Arizona.  The Wildcats season has been very inconsistent. A young team is learning to grow up quickly because three freshman in the normal rotation. A hard fought road victory at New Mexico State University allowed Sean Miller to stumble upon a rotation that will give them the best chances of winning. Freshman guard Nick Johnson made his first start of the season scoring 19 points. The biggest play of the night was the emphatic dunk he made while drawing the foul. Arizona did not look back after that play. Jesse Perry also had a big game with 15 point and 12 rebounds. Tonight, Arizona will use this game as confidence builder because it should not be close in the end. I expect the Wild Cats to run away with the game by the second half.

Prediction Arizona

Eastern Washington (4-2) at Washington State  (3-4) 3:30 p.m. P.T.

EWU is coming off its first three game winning streak on the season. The Eagles are limiting mistakes, averaging 12 turn overs a game. A great key to being successful is limiting mistakes and not giving you opposition more opportunities to score. It also helps when you shoot well from behind the arc. Colin Chiverton (45.7%) and Cliff Colimon (41.7%) are both shooting about 41% from behind the arc. They make guard Jeffery Forbes job easier. Even Forbes is shooting an even 40% from three. Eagles make it extremely difficult for teams to play zone. The game outcome will often be determined by the three point makes.  WSU is a deflated team trying to find life without first round NBA draft pick Klay Thompson. Junior guard Reggie Moore has taken more of a leadership role with the young team. Forward Brock Motum has put together a string of strong performances to show that he can be a force down low. Against the Cougars last opponent, Motum recorded his first double-double game of 11 points and 10 rebounds. WSU started strong and did not look back. The final score was 69-37. It is very tough to pick a winner for this game. Given that the game is being played in Pullman, WA, I give the slight edge to Washington State. Cougars feast off the crowd energy and become victorious in Interstate 195 battle.

Prediction: Washington State

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Arizona, ASU, Brock Motum, Bruins, BYU, Cliff Colimon, Colin Chiverton, Cougars, Ducks, E.J. Singler, Eagles, Garrett Sim, James Douglas, Jerime Anderson, Jesse Perry, Johnathan Loyd, Josh Smith, Kaela King, Klay Thompson, Lumberjacks, Nick Johnson, Oregon, Pullman, Reeve Nelson, Reggie Moore, Sun Devils, Travis Wear, Trent Lockett, Tyler Lamb, UCLA, Wildcats, WSU, Zeke Jones

Pacific 12 Championship game
UCLA vs. Oregon
Autzen Stadium
Friday, December 2, 2011
5:00 p.m. PT – FOX Network

How they got here: Oregon
One side of this equation makes sense: the 10-2 (8-1) Oregon Ducks rolled through the North division, outscoring its five opponents 222-111, including a 53-30 stomping of Stanford on prime-time television.  They opened up the season falling 40-27 to SEC power LSU by rushing for a dismal 95 yards on 28 carries – it marked the only game of the year Oregon did not surpass the 100-yard rushing mark.  The Ducks only had five first downs on the ground and the longest run came on a 13-yard scamper by LaMichael James.  A 69-20 bounce-back game against Nevada sparked a nine-game winning streak, highlighted by the win on The Farm and a crushing defeat of then-ranked Arizona State, which seemed to send the Sun Devils into a tailspin.  As expected, the Ducks put up a lot yards behind the three-headed beast that is James, Kenjon Barner and Pac-12 offensive co-freshman of the year De’Anthony Thomas, while quarterback Darron Thomas executed it all from the shotgun position.  The hiccup in their season came on November 19 when they lost to Southern Cal 38-35, snapping a 21-game home winning streak and any chance of getting back to the National Championship Game.  Despite the home loss, their head-to-head against Stanford earned them the North title and the chance to host the first Pac-12 Championship Game.

How they got here: UCLA
The other side of the equation is messy: USC was ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.  Insert 6-6 (5-4) UCLA who comes limping into the title game as 31.5 point underdogs while being led by Rick Neuheisel, the coach who was told he would be cleaning out his office once Friday’s game concludes.  After four years of sub-.500 football mixed with the 50-0 loss to cross-town rival USC to close out the regular season, the Bruins had no choice but to part ways with Neuheisel and there is no telling how the team will respond.  This is probably not what Larry Scott had in mind when the conference realigned.  While the Bruins may currently be the butt of jokes for everyone, their positive note for the season is that they managed to never post back-to-back losses and managed a few head-scratching wins that in the end, giving them second place in the South division.  On the field, the Bruins started the year with a loss to Houston and followed it up with a win over San Jose State.  There was no repeat of last year’s big win over Texas as the Longhorns went into the Rose Bowl to take a 49-20 victory.  A few games later, the Bruins had a come-from-behind win over Washington State, somehow beat Cal and were able to surprise Arizona State 29-28 to control their own destiny in the South division.  They managed to lose two of the final three but the Sun Devils and Utes played their way out of contention to close out the year.  While USC may be the first-place team in the Pac-12 South, UCLA takes the actual South championship.

How they break down statistically: Oregon
The Ducks are doing what they do every year under Kelly: run unbelievably well, good for fifth in the nation and first in the Pac-12 at 291 yards per game this season.  The rushing attack has accounted for three touchdowns in four consecutive games while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.  The 510 yards of total offense they put up ranks sixth in the nation and first in conference, almost 30 yards more per game than Stanford averages.  The bad news for UCLA is that Oregon averages a gaudy 568.7 and 48 points per game in Autzen, a place where very few teams can keep pace.  While they only throw for 219 yards per game (68th in the country) they have an efficiency of 158.93 which only trails Andrew Luck’s Cardinal and Matt Barkley’s Trojans within the conference.

The defensive numbers may not pop out, but part of this is because the offense races off the field so fast.  They allow 364 total yards per game with most of it coming through the air.  Opponents are throwing for 249 yards per game which puts them at 91st in the country but only sixth in the conference.  Translation: the Pac-12 does not stop the pass all that well which has to do with the amount of talented quarterbacks from top to bottom.  The secondary is very talented and the team has picked off passes in seven straight games, five of which the Ducks recorded two interceptions.  Pair that with the fact they get to the opposing QB at an alarming rate (39 sacks this year) and the defense really does terrorizes opponents.

How they break down statistically: UCLA
The Bruins are not as pretty as Oregon, but few teams are.  Neuheisel switched to the Pistol offense fulltime this year and the yards per game have improved drastically since last season.  It still is not great, but it went from averaging 317 last year to 393 this year – still low compared to the high-flying Pac-12 offenses but good for 56th in the country.  They rack up plenty of rushing yards behind running backs Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman while Kevin Prince has been a viable running option at quarterback.  The Bruins flip-flopped on the QB position in the beginning of the year but after Richard Brehaut went down with a broken leg against Washington State, Prince stepped in but has struggled with consistency.  He has seven interceptions and eight touchdowns, which is a bit inflated because of his four TD performance against a hapless Colorado defense.  He is only completing 59% of his passes on the year but is converting 70% for an average of 243 yards in his past two games.

Defensively, they struggle to get into the backfield and only getting about a sack per game which is 110th in the country.  Opposing quarterbacks have had time to sit back and throw at a high completion rate (64%) with an efficiency rating of 136.74 (82nd in the nation).  They also rank near the bottom of the barrel in tackles for loss and the front seven has clearly struggled to get penetration.  Opponents are averaging 5.0 yards per rush and have seen the endzone 22 times on the ground.

X factor: Oregon
De’Anthony Thomas, RB.  If Oregon can get this do-everything man into space and jump on UCLA early it could get ugly.  Thomas is third on the team in rushing with 440 yards and five touchdowns but is gaining 8.3 yards per carry.  He is tenth in the nation for all-purpose runners, gaining 159 per game.  The freshman is the team’s leading receiver with 558 yards and nine touchdowns but his biggest contribution to the team has been on kick returns.  He has taken 31 kicks back, accounting for two touchdowns and 858 yards for an average of 27.6 yards per return which is 13th in the country.  He has recorded a touchdown in eight straight games and looks to continue the trend.

X factor: UCLA
Nelson Rosario, WR.  UCLA’s defense is not going to stop the Oregon offense, so the offense and passing game are going to have to pick up to move the chains and put points on the board.  While the Bruins run well, they need Rosario to play a big game and continue his recent success.  The senior has gone over the 1,000 yard mark so far this season but only has two touchdowns to show for it – both of them have come in the month of November.  In three of the past four games he has reached 100-yards receiving and averaged 20.6 yards per catch in those contests.  Aside from helping out his quarterback in the passing attack, he needs to block and support the running game to try and keep the offense of the field and the Oregon offense off.

Matchup:
Rick Neuheisel has been fired but will coach this game regardless, so the most interesting matchup of all will be between him and his players.  After Thursday’s practice the team carried him off the field and embraced him, but things will still be touchy come game time.  It will be hard for the team to ignore the distractions and come out of the gates firing under the lights of Autzen Stadium on national television.  Remember, the last time the Bruins played a primetime game they got crushed 48-12 by an Arizona team that had just fired its coach days before.

With those distractions aside, it still does not look good for the Bruins.  UCLA has lost its past three road matchups, averaging six points a game while its opponents have averaged 43 and they come into the Pac-12 championship game as huge underdogs.  Oregon’s potent offense, led by Darron Thomas, should not have an issue moving the ball at will against a defense that has been allowing opponents bushels of yards as of late – minus Colorado.  Thomas only needs to distribute the ball and limit any sort of mistakes to take an early lead and run the rest of the game out behind the trio of tailbacks.  The Oregon defense will disrupt the pistol offense – the Nevada game earlier this year proves that – and wreak havoc on the UCLA offensive line.  The streak of interceptions for the Ducks should continue and they go down as the first Pac-12 championship game winners and head off to the Rose Bowl.

Prediction:
Oregon 48, UCLA 10.

Tags: Bruins, Ducks, Oregon, Pac 12, Prince, Rosario, Thomas, UCLA