Notes Written With Only Eight Empty Saturdays Until The Start of College Football:
*There aren't many people who can give you 500 words on the strength of the back-up linebackers at every Sun Belt Conference School. Mel Kiper Jr. Phil Steele. Paul Myerberg.
That's the list.
Kiper works for ESPN. Steele publishes a thick college football yearbook. And Myerberg writes PreSnapRead.com, as comprehensive as any college football blog I've uncovered.
Myerberg is counting down all 124 FBS college football teams. Indiana checked in at 109. Louisville has not been mentioned yet because Myerberg just posted No. 67 – Utah State – today.
But he has ranked the state's two other FBS programs – Kentucky and Western Kentucky.
And he likes the Hilltoppers (85th) better than the Wildcats (96th). If you read Myerberg's post about WKU, it is apparent he is a fan of coach Willie Taggart and his approach to controlling tempo with a running game. In fact, this is just one chunk of what he said about Taggart's team:
"For example: W.K.U. faced only 762 plays on defense last year, the sixth-fewest of any team in the country. This was a good thing. The Hilltoppers gave up 5.9 yards per play, a total that ranked 86th nationally, so it's safe to say that the Hilltoppers' hard-charging running game did more than just score points; it prevented opponents from doing the same."
It's www.presnapread.com. If you can't get enough college football, I highly recommend it.
*Remember this name: Dante Phillips.
He's a four-star defensive tackle prospect from Venice, Fla., who learned that he was denied admission to the University of Florida on Monday.
That means he is back on the market – and, according to Scout.com, the University of Kentucky was one of 11 other schools that offered Phillips a scholarship. The list also includes Alabama, Clemson, USF, USC, Tennessee and Purdue.
*One of the longest on-going contract sagas in the National Football League involves running back Matt Forte and Chicago Bears. Forte has been one of the finest all-purpose backs in the NFL for the last four seasons – and he wants to get paid.
Can't blame him. Four years in the NFL is like 25 years in most professions. The end is getting near. Forte suffered a sprained MCL last season. No reason for him to push it without some financial protection.
But the Bears have also protected themselves during this off-season by signing former Male High and University of Louisville halfback Michael Bush to a four-year, $14 million contract, with $7 million guaranteed.
And reports on Bush from the Bears' off-season workouts have been glowing, especially from Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler.
"(Forte's absence) is really helping him," Cutler said about Bush to Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times in a recent interview.
"He's such a pro. He does things the right way. He comes ready to work. He's a smart guy. He picks up the system quickly. Whenever we get Matt in here he's going to add a different dimension to this offense but right now Mike's doing a great job for us."
*The folks at Athlon Sports are also counting the days to the college football season. It's a popular approach.
And they've had some love for one of UK's top players – offensive lineman Larry Warford. This is what they said about Warford:
"We like to feature some of the big boys in the trenches on our countdown, and one of the more underrated blockers in the country plays at Kentucky — No. 67 Larry Warford. The powerful guard will be a top candidate this season for All-SEC and even All-America honors. Unfortunately, Warford's name is not better known because of UK's struggles on offense. In fact, the Wildcats only scored 22 touchdowns in 2011. Only three teams in the country — Akron, Florida Atlantic and New Mexico — had fewer visits to the end zone.
"Warford is one of three starters returning on the Kentucky offense, and that unit will need to be vastly improved to get Joker Phillips off the hot seat in Lexington. The Wildcats have suffered 14 losses over the last two seasons under the former UK player, and he took over a program that had won 30 games in Rich Brooks' final four seasons. Sophomore quarterback Max Smith played well late last season and in the spring, and he will have some veteran skill players in the huddle. Warford and center Matt Smith will lead an offensive line that will be challenged weekly in the brutal SEC."
There's plenty more college football at www.athlonsports.com.
*Who are Cody Zeller's favorite NBA players to watch?
Zeller, the Indiana sophomore, named these two – Pau Gasol of the Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. Zeller said he admired Gasol's collection of low-post moves as well as Nowitzki's ability to shoot from the three-point line.
IU coach Tom Crean said that Zeller can make three-point shots, even though he did not attempt any as a freshman last season. That's changing. Crean is developing offensive sets for Zeller to demonstrate his skills on the perimeter because Crean believes that stretching Zeller's talents is his responsibility as a coach.
*Billy Hamilton is the shortstop prospect that has everybody in the Cincinnati Reds' organization talking, but there is another young infielder the Reds like – former University of Louisville star Ryan Wright.
As a base-stealer, Hamilton looks like the next Vince Coleman or Rickey Henderson. Hamilton had 98 stolen bases in his first 77 games for the Reds' affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif, in high Class A ball. He added 99 and 100 Monday night. Dee Gordon of the Dodgers leads the big leagues with 28 stolen bases.
Hamilton is hitting .327 with 27 extra-base hits. Not all top prospects play in Triple A, but in a perfect world Hamilton would arrive with the Louisville Bats in July 2013.
Wright, the Reds' fifth-round pick out of U of L last season, can't run with Hamilton. Michael Bush can't run with Hamilton. But Wright ranks fifth in the low Class A Midwest League in batting average – hitting .308 with 30 extra base hits.
PreSnapRead, a college football blog, ranks Willie Taggart's WKU team ahead of Kentucky.
