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Jimmer Fredette Could Become a Lottery Pick By Default

It almost seems like this year's NBA Draft class is shrinking a little bit each day. It started when Texas freshman Tristan Thompson announced that he was returning for his sophomore season, and Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger soon followed suit. Most recently, there are rumblings that North Carolina's Harrison Barnes may also stick around for his sophomore season.

At this point, who knows who will be next? Maybe Duke's Kyrie Irving or Kentucky's Brandon Knight will re-up for one more year. Heck, Arizona's Derrick Williams might even decide that one more year of college ball is the best thing for him.

Basically, the only players that we know will be drafted are the seniors. Headlining this group is none other than BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, whose professional prospects vary greatly depending on who you ask (hint: if you want an honest answer, don't ask somebody in BYU garb).

As things stand right now, Fredette is not a lottery player. There's no ifs ands or buts about it. We know he can shoot, and we know he can create for himself. We just don't know if he can do anything else. And when it comes to being a star in the NBA, simply being able to score doesn't always make the nut. You could point to Stephen Curry, but I think you'd be kidding yourself. Jimmer isn't that talented.

All this being said, you have to think Fredette would be more than happy if all the aforementioned players go back to school. After all, if the talent pool continues to shrink, he will only inch closer to the greener grass of lottery territory, maybe even as high as the Top 10, which is certainly possible if all the best players keep removing their names from consideration.

The elephant in the room in all this is the impending lockout in the NBA. The same situation in the NFL scared a handful of the best prospects (i.e. Andrew Luck) away from the draft, and we're already seeing a similar effect in the Association.

So like I said, who knows? Because the college basketball season isn't even over yet, and the NBA Draft isn't until later this summer, we have nothing but time.

In other words, this won't be the last time this topic is discussed. You have my word.

For more college basketball goodness, check out our March Madness 2011 Home Page. If you want more draft talk, check out our 2011 NBA Draft Hub.

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Masters 2011 Is a Battle for the Top Spot in World Golf Rankings

When it comes to the jugs, cups and assorted other goodies that the PGA Tour has to offer, you could argue that nothing is more prestigious than the Green Jacket one gets from winning the Masters.

The last person to earn the Green Jacket was none other than Phil Mickelson, as Lefty won the Masters for the third time in 2010. He is a heavy favorite to win the tournament once again this year, but the Green Jacket isn't the only thing he will be playing for at Augusta.

Also at stake is the honor of being the No. 1 golfer in the world. Thanks to his victory at the Shell Houston Open, Mickelson shot up to No. 3 in the latest World Golf Rankings, but he was unable to knock Martin Kaymer from the top spot.

Mickelson won't be the only player at Augusta with his eyes on the No. 1 ranking. According to Bryan Cross at SportsBookGurus.com, Mickelson is just one of six golfers who can earn the top spot with a win at the Masters.

In addition to Mickelson and Kaymer, the other players who have a shot at No. 1 are Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, and Tiger Woods. Because he is coming into the tournament as the No. 7 golfer in the world, the fact that Tiger has a shot at the top ranking is a bit of a surprise, but that obviously doesn't mean he's not capable of attaining it. After all, this is a guy who has been No. 1 for the better part of his storied career.

As for the other three, I personally think you can count Westwood out. Not winning majors is pretty much his specialty, and he hasn't looked all that great so far this season. Donald has also never won a major, but he has a win and a handful of top ten finishes under his belt in this young season. McDowell is also an intriguing possibility, but he needs to play better than he has in his last two tournaments.

If I had to pick one, I'd go with Mickelson. Winning the Masters is nothing he hasn't done before, and he's heading into the tournament with plenty of mojo. He's also never held the No. 1 ranking, and I'm willing to bet that he'd love to remedy that.

For more on the Masters, check out our countdown of The 10 Most Dramatic Finishes in Masters History.

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Tiger Woods Can Get Off the Hook with a Bang By Winning Fifth Green Jacket

Precisely one year ago, Tiger Woods once again had the golf world on the edge of its seat. After being out of contention for months so he could get his house in order, Tiger was making a legit run at a fifth victory at the Masters, an achievement that many thought was impossible after so much time away from the game.

As it turned out, Tiger didn't quite have enough at Augusta last year. He finished tied for fourth and watched Phil Mickelson put on the Green Jacket for the third time in his career.

At the time, we had no way of knowing that Tiger's return to the PGA Tour was too good to be true. But 12 months later, with Tiger in the midst of a winless streak that stretches all the way back to September of 2009, we probably should have known.

Oh well. It's a new year, and Tiger is one of the favorites heading into the Masters anyway. He hasn't finished higher than 10th in the four tournaments in which he's played so far this season, but his track record at Augusta suggests that he'll be right in the thick of things. Tiger has finished in the top six in each of the last six trips to Augusta, and it goes without saying that he knows the course well.

If I were a betting man (and I am), I'm not so sure that I'm willing to bet the house on Tiger finally getting off the hook this weekend, especially not with Phil Mickelson coming off such a masterful performance at the Shell Houston Open.

I nevertheless don't have much faith in the field either, and I think Tiger has just as good a chance to win the tournament as any player not named Mickelson.

One thing I know for sure is that Tiger has to be none too thrilled with the fact that he was dropped all the way to No. 7 in the latest World Golf Rankings. If ever there was a guy who doesn't need that kind of extra motivation, it is Tiger Woods.

For more on the Masters, check out our countdown of The 10 Most Dramatic Finishes in Masters History.

Wayne Rooney Facing Heat from the Football Association for His Weekend Rant

As I understand it, hat tricks are pretty rare in soccer (or "football," if you prefer), but that apparently doesn't mean you're allowed to lose your cool if you accomplish the feat.

Just ask Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United star scored three goals against West Ham on Saturday, rescuing his club from a 2-0 deficit. After his third goal, however, Rooney decided to drop a few F-bombs on a nearby television camera.

The video of the incident is attached. You might just be able hear Rooney over the announcers and the roar of the crowd if you turn your volume all the way up, but just remember that doing so is obviously NSFW.

Needless to say, the Football Association was none too thrilled about the incident, and they handed down their judgment on Monday.

According to a report from Reuters, the FA has "charged" Wayne Rooney "for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language relating to an incident during his side's fixture with West Ham United."

Rooney has until Tuesday to respond to the charge. The Associated Press clarified that Rooney will draw an automatic two-game suspension if he accepts the FA's ruling. If he decides to challenge it, the case will be heard by a commission on Wednesday, and the punishment could actually be increased.

Charged? A chance to respond? What is this, an argument clinic?

If so, allow me to contradict. I've already gone on record with my opinion that Rooney should not be suspended, but I had no idea that he actually had a say in the matter. Am I the only person that doesn't see the sense in that?

For a quick point of comparison, just imagine what it would be like if NFL players had the option to challenge Roger Goodell's rulings. Whether or not you're a fan of Goodell's rulings, he would never get anything done. Same goes for David Stern in the NBA, Bud Selig in the MLB, and Gary Bettman in the NHL. The disciplinary system in each of the leagues oftentimes seems unfair, but it also seems to work.

I don't want to ridicule the system (okay, maybe a little), but maybe the FA should just come to a decision with what to do with wrongdoers like Rooney and then stick to it.

For more soccer coverage, check out our list of 10 EPL Games to Watch in the Final Weeks of the Season.

Dennis Rodman Adds Colorful Presence to Hall of Fame

So Dennis Rodman has officially been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. If you were to listen to the haters, that means that James Naismith is currently rolling in his grave.

Not me. I say bravo. Ever since Michael Jordan came into the league in 1984, the NBA has housed more colorful personalities than the NFL, NHL, and MLB combined, and Rodman fairly takes the cake as being the most colorful of them all.

In fact, I'm of the mind that Rodman could have gotten into the Hall of Fame based on his personality alone. Maybe I'm too easily amused.

Of course, we also tend to forget that Rodman was a heck of a player too. He averaged better than 14 rebounds per game in seven seasons in a row from 1991-1998 and retired with a career average of 13.12 rebounds per game, the 10th-best percentage of all time. His accolades also include two Defensive Player of the Year awards and five NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

The primary argument against Rodman's inclusion into the Hall of Fame is that he was always more of a role player than an actual star, which is a point made wonderfully by Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated.

One of the things McCallum points out is that Rodman never was much of a scorer. This is undeniably true. Rodman only had one season in which he averaged better than 10 points per game, and his scoring only decreased as his career progressed. McCallum argues that Rodman's offensive ineptitude allowed him to focus solely on defense, especially when he collected his three championship rings with the Bulls.

The kicker, according to McCallum, is this: "The Hall of Fame is not for supporting players."

It's an interesting point, but I still don't agree with it. After all, it implies that only superstars should be allowed into the Basketball Hall of Fame. And as far as I can tell, the only thing that sets the superstars apart is their ability to score points. The notion that scoring is the only thing that matters in basketball is already inflated, and the last thing we should want is for this to become worse.

Besides, how can you say no to the idea of Rodman's likeness scaring young Hall of Fame visitors for years to come?

I know I can't.

For more on Rodman, see where he ranks on our countdown of The 50 Craziest Players in Hoops History.

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NCAA Championship Game Predictions Have Butler Cutting Down the Nets

In looking back at recent NCAA Tournament history, the only teams that have played in consecutive championship games are teams like the Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats, and Michigan Wolverines.

Now we have the Butler Bulldogs. Despite the fact we've all had a couple days to come to grips with the idea, it still doesn't make any sense. And it would make even less sense if Butler had managed to upset Duke in last year's championship game.

Oh well. The Bulldogs are just a few short hours from tipping off against the UConn Huskies. Time to make my pick.

On paper, the Bulldogs are pretty well overmatched. Kemba Walker has emerged as one of the best players in UConn history, and he's gotten all kinds of help from Jeremy Lamb throughout the tournament. Jim Calhoun also has some pretty good bigs at his service. Alex Oriakhi, Charles Okwandu, and Roscoe Smith may not be the flashiest players in the country, but they know their role in UConn's offense, and they have proven to be difference makers on defense.

That being said, you could make the argument that the Bulldogs have been outmatched in each of their tournament games so far, and here they are in the national championship game. We all know what Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard bring to the table, but the team as a whole is much better than the sum of its parts. This has a lot to do with the fact that they are pretty tough to crack on defense, and the amount of garbage points they get on offense is almost unfair.

It's all going to come down to which team has it. I obviously can't prove this with numbers, but I'm pretty sure Butler has more it than any team in the country. That's why they'll win this one.

Prediction: Butler

For more on the championship game, check out our March Madness 2011 Home Page.

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Shaka Smart Spurns Wolfpack to Stay at VCU

In just two years as the head men's basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth University, Shaka Smart successfully managed to transform the Rams from a perennial fringe team in to a Final Four team. Such accomplishments tend to garner quite a bit of attention, and not just from the legions of college basketball fans out there. Other programs were taking note too.

According to the Sporting News, one program that had its eyes on VCU's 33-year-old head coach was that of North Carolina State University. The NC State head coaching gig has been vacant since Sidney Lowe resigned last month, and VCU athletic director Norwood Teague confirmed that Smart was formerly offered the job.

Smart declined. And the word from ESPN is that Smart has agreed to terms on a new deal that will keep him in Richmond for the time being.

Now, part of the problem with NC State's proposal is that they didn't exactly time it all that well. David Glenn of ACCSports.com reported that NC State officials had given Smart a detailed presentation about the job over the weekend. I'm going to go ahead and assume that said presentation was given on Sunday, as Smart and the Rams had a rather important game to play against the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday.

That's where NC State went wrong. If they really wanted Smart all that badly, and the the $2 million annual salary they were reportedly prepared to offer him suggests that they did, NC State should have given Smart more time to come to terms with the end of VCU's season.

In speaking with the Sporting News, Teague made it sound like Smart's departure was never an issue.

"We’re still on the same page," said the VCU AD. "We do things to our program that a lot of BCS programs don’t do, because we’re really a basketball-only school.”

That latter part is undeniably true, but I think we can take it for granted that Teague did get a little nervous when he found out that NC State wanted Smart to come to Raleigh. After all, being in charge of a mid-major darling is one thing. The opportunity to be in charge of a traditional basketball team from a power conference is another thing entirely.

To be sure, it's been a long time since the Wolfpack was relevant. They haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2006, and their last Final Four was all the way back in 1983. Heading from VCU to NC State would have therefore been a significant downgrade for Smart.

At least, that would have been the immediate implication of the move. The truth is that Smart's coming would put NC State back on the map pretty much by default. You probably won't get him to admit it, but Smart is a true hot shot these days, and he's just the kind of coach that could threaten to lure talented prospects away from Duke and North Carolina. Such things tend to rescue a sagging program.

It's a tough decision, no doubt about that. Heading to NC State definitely would have required a leap of faith, and I'm not about to suggest that Smart was foolish enough to not see the potential upside. Instead, my question is how he was able to bring himself to avoid reaching for that upside.

In short, I'm just not so sure that Smart made the right decision. One Final Four is not going to turn VCU into a perennial powerhouse, and it just seems to me that Smart made the safe choice rather than the right choice.

Either way, I wish Smart nothing but the best. He's a great coach, and this is one of those times where I would have no problem whatsoever with being proven wrong.

Goodness knows I'm used to it.

For more college basketball goodness, check out our countdown of The 10 Most Memorable Final Four Moments Since 1975.

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Phil Mickelson Can Claim World No. 1 Ranking with Win at Masters

Before this weekend, the last time we got to see Phil Mickelson win a tournament was 12 months ago at the 2010 Masters. At the time, Mickelson's third victory at Augusta bumped him up to No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings, just behind Tiger Woods at No. 1.

Twelve months and no wins later, Mickelson had slipped all the way to No. 6 in the world, and he went into the Shell Houston Open looking to get off the hook.

As we all know, he did just that, and in a big way too.

Mickelson wrapped up his weekend at Redstone at -20 overall, notching his first tournament victory since last April and putting himself on the fast track towards a fourth Green Jacket. As a result, the latest rankings have Lefty all the way up at No. 3.

Now, most people will tell you that the World Golf Rankings really don't matter all that much. After all, they allow players like Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood to be No. 1 and 2 in the world, and the two of them have one major victory between them.

Nevertheless, the rankings certainly give us fans plenty to talk about, and you have to think there's not a player in the world that wouldn't like to be No. 1. After so many years of excellence, it is still surprising that Mickelson has never been acknowledged as the best golfer in the world. Such is life playing in Tiger Woods's shadow for so many years.

But Woods has slipped all the way to No. 7 in the latest rankings, and Mickelson will probably never have a better shot at the top spot than he does right now. A win at Augusta would give Lefty second straight Green Jacket, a feat last accomplished by Tiger back in 2000-2001, and it would also give Mickelson 100 points in the rankings, giving him a stranglehold on the No. 1 ranking.

Worthless formality or no, I'm sure Mickelson would take it.

For more on the Masters, check out our countdown of The 10 Most Dramatic Finishes in Masters History.

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Minnesota Twins Gunning for Third Straight Division Championship in 2011

The good news for the Minnesota Twins is that they were able to avoid a season-opening sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. The bad news is that they were outscored by 14 runs in the three games, and that seemingly every single one of the team's most glaring question marks was on display.

First and foremost, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau did not get off to good starts, going a combined 2-for-17. Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano were knocked around a little bit in their starts, and Joe Nathan was hardly sharp in his long-awaited return.

If the Twins are to make a run at their third straight AL Central championship, each of the aforementioned players is going to have to get back on track. And that's exactly why panicking at this point in time is not exactly advisable. Track records are oftentimes a lovely thing, and the track records of Mauer, Morneau, Pavano, Liriano, and Nathan suggest that they are going to be just fine as long as they're on the field.

Unfortunately, that last part is a pretty major "if," that has already been dwelt upon by a rather large number of baseball fans and pundits alike in the early goings of the 2011 season. Health is going to be a major concern for the Twins, particularly when it comes to Mauer and Morneau, both of whom are former MVPs that are capable of putting the team on their shoulders in times of need.

Provided Mauer and Morneau can stay on the field, the Twins are going to be as steady as ever. But in all honesty, that's another thing that should have Twins fans feeling worried. The AL Central seems to be much stronger this year, and simply being steady might not to cut it. The Chicago White Sox are going to score runs in bunches, and the Detroit Tigers look as strong as they've been in years. Heck, even the Kansas City Royals look like they have some fight in them.

All this being said, the Twins are still my pick to win the division, and I'm not about to take it back quite yet. One subpar series doesn't hold that kind of sway in my mind.

However, I will admit that I'm more worried now that I was before.

For more baseball coverage, check out our list of Each Team's Stars That Will Break Out This Year.