Bleacher Report - Articles by Allen Lopp

East Carolina's All-Time Greatest Coaches

Allen Lopp — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:48:56 -0500

East Carolina University is located in the city of Greenville, North Carolina and the football team was founded in 1932 when the university was know as teacher training school. East Carolina plays at Dowdy-Fricklen Staduim and on Bagwell Field, but they didn't always play there from the years 1942 and before they played at College Staduim located on the main stadium. The coaches and administrative support is located in the Ward Sports Medicine Building, which is located adjacent to the stadium. Strength and conditioning for the players occurs in the Murphy Center, which is located in the west end zone of Dowdy-Ficklen. The Pirates scrimmages at adjoining practice facilities named the Cliff Moore Practice Facility. East Carolina's main rivials are NC State, UNC, and Southern Mississippi, some of the other notable rivials are West Virigina and Virigina Tech. Some of the the retired numbers are 29 and 36 which belongs to James Speight and Roger Thrift.

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North Carolina State Football 2009 Season Outlook

Allen Lopp — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:49:47 -0400

The NC State Wolfpack are entering the 2009 college football season looking to become serious contenders in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. They are coming off of a 6-7 season, in which they started slow winning only two of their first 8 games but then they got healthy and went on four game winning streak. They made it to the PapaJohns.com Bowl, their first bowl game since 2005. They would lose the bowl game to Rutgers after quarterback Russell Wilson went down with leg injury. In the upcoming season the Pack are looking to go back to a bowl game in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In order to do that they need to start the season off better then they did last year, starting with beat the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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ACC's Best Linebackers of All Time

Allen Lopp — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:31:45 -0400

This is my sixth installment focusing on the ACC's best at every position. This slideshow will focus on the ACC's best linebackers of all time. The ACC was founded in 1953, with eight teams, but since then it has expanded to 13 teams. The original teams were Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, South Carolina. In 1971 South Carolina left for the SEC. Since 1978, five teams have joined: Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College. The ACC has a very rich tradition in many sports, especially football. I found it very tough to pick out the top linebackers, with a huge amount of talented present and past players to choose from.

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The ACC's Best Defensive Lineman of All Time

Allen Lopp — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:15:03 -0400

This is my sixth installment focusing on the ACC's best at every position. This slideshow will focus on the ACC's best defensive linemen of all time. The ACC was founded in 1953, with eight teams, but since then it has expanded to 13 teams. The original teams were Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, South Carolina. In 1971 South Carolina left for the SEC. Since 1978, five teams have joined: Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College. The ACC has a very rich tradition in many sports, especially football. I found it very tough to pick out the top defensive lineman, with a huge amount of talented present and past players to choose from.

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Yankee's Prospect Profile: Adam Warren

Allen Lopp — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:57:23 -0400

Adam Warren is a 21-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who currently pitches for the Yankees' Class A Short-Season Affiliate in Staten Island.

He is 6'1" and originates from New Bern, North Carolina.

He recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

According to Baseball America he is the 10th best player in the State of North Carolina.

Warren was one of the better collegiate pitchers this past season and was also very good in the College World Series.

He can consistently throw his fastball at 92 MPH and he touched 96 MPH in a recent outing. He also throws a good curveball that the pitching coaches have been tweaking, along with some minor mechanical issues. He also throws a two-seam fastball, a cutter, and an above average change-up.

He is currently dominating the New York-Penn League with a 4-1 W-L record, a 0.96 ERA, and 0.90 WHIP.

He has 28 strikeouts and three walks in 37.2 innings and his batting average against is .230

He has already shown that he has complete control on the mound, he as thrown 31 consecutive scoreless innings.

His pitching style reminds me of Pedro Martinez, but his minor league statistics remind me of a John Lannan.

His estimated time of arrival Would be at the earliest 2011 and no later then 2013.

The ACC's Best Offensive Linemen of All-Time

Allen Lopp — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:09:41 -0400

This is my Fiveth installment in focusing on the ACC's Best at every position. This slide show will focus on the ACC's Offensive Lineman of All-Time. The ACC was founded in 1953, with 8 teams but since then it has expended to 13 teams. The original teams were Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, South Carolina. In 1971 South Carolina left for the SEC. Since 1978 five teams have joined, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, Boston College. The ACC has a very rich tradition in many sports, epically football. I found it very tough to pick out the top offensive lineman, with a huge amount of talented present and past players to choose from.

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The ACC's Best Running Backs of All-Time

Allen Lopp — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:05:38 -0400

This is my second installment in focusing on the ACC's Best at every position. This slideshow will focus on the ACC's Best Running Backs of All-Time. The ACC was founded in 1953, with 8 teams but since then it has expended to 13 teams. The orignal teams were Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, South Carolina. In 1971 South Carolina left for the SEC. Since 1978 five teams have joined, Geogria Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, Boston College. The ACC has a very rich tradition in many sports, espically football. I found it very tough to pick out the top ten running backs, with a huge amount of talented present and past players to choose from.

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Open Mic: Bobcats And Hornets Swap Centers, Who Wins?

Allen Lopp — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:17:02 -0400

The Charlotte Bobcats are finalizing a deal that would send Emeka Okafor to the New Orleans for Tyson Chandler.

The deal is just one of many that has occurred since the team was taken over by coach Larry Brown last summer.

This deal is a gamble from the Bobcats point of view because of Chandler's injury history.

Okafor was the number two pick in the 2004, which was the franchise's first ever draft pick.

Just last year Okafor was re-signed to a six year, 72 million dollar deal.

While Chandler is signed for the next two years for a combined 24.5 million.

In the long term the Bobcats have freed up salary space, while the hornets have freed up salary space in the short term.

When you compare the two centers physically, Tyson Chandler is 7'1" and Okafor is slightly smaller at 6'10".

Statistically speaking Okafor has the slight edge with 13.2 PPG and 10.1 RPG, while Chandler averaged 8.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG

Okafor also has had trouble defending the NBA's big men because of his smaller size and lack of athleticism, but is a better rebounder then Chandler.

On the offensive side of the ball, he also struggles to score consistently and is a very poor free throw shooter.

Tyson Chandler makes the bobcats a better defensive team, along with improving the team's overall athleticism.

Who is the winner in this trade, comment and let me know what you think

Tom O'Brien Attends Seventh-Annual Triangle Pigskin Preview

Allen Lopp — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:08:14 -0400

Originally published by gopack.com

Tom O'Brien, David Cutcliffe, Moze Rinson, and Butch Davis all attended the seventh-annual Triangle Pigskin Preview.

Moderator Don Shea made sure every coach had their fair share of questions to answer.

Here is a few of the questions asked to Coach O'Brien:

1) "How is linebacker Nate Irving, who was injured in a car accident earlier this month?"

2) "How has first-team All-ACC quarterback Russell Wilson progressed since he was injured in the Papajohns.com Bowl game last December?"

3) "How much has the Wolfpack improved as a team since last year's 6-7 finish?"

4) "How many games do you expect to win this year"

O'Brien was armed and ready with answers to those questions.

1) "He doesn’t go back to the doctor until the end of August and that is all we can say right now,” O’Brien said. “I really don’t have an update. He still has some doctors to see, but until that happens, we will have to wait until later to see what his status will be."

2)"The coach said he and his staff used the spring to help Wilson – who missed time with three different injuries last year, all resulting from what the coach called “god-awful hits” – avoid situations where he might not have to tuck the ball in his arms and run, but they are by no means trying to keep him in check."

“We wouldn’t ever want to discourage Russell from running around with the football,” O’Brien said. “That is something that he does very, very well. In talking to a lot of defensive coordinators around the league, they don’t like him running around back there.”

“Do we get a vote?” asked Cutcliffe, sitting next to O’Brien. “We want him to stay in the pocket.”

The answer was no.

3) "O’Brien added that the Wolfpack’s internal expectations are high, now that the program is in its third year and players have completely bought into the system. He didn’t talk about the fact that the Wolfpack is frequently mentioned as a sleeper pick in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, but he learned throughout the course of the Wolfpack Club’s Spring Caravan that fans are excited about the coming year."

“This time a year ago, we went into the first game with a center who had never snapped in a college game and a quarterback who had never taken a snap in a college game,” O’Brien said. “We have a situation that for the first time since I have been in Raleigh, we are not relying on walk-ons. There is certainly reason for enthusiasm and high expectations, but I have found that you really don’t have to do too much to raise the expectations of the Wolfpack nation.”

"And, while Irving’s injury is potentially a setback to the defense, it’s not something that his team has never dealt with before. In each of the last two seasons, the Wolfpack has lost a projected contributor before the season began. Two years ago, it was tight end Anthony Hill. Last year it was wide receiver Donald Bowens, followed shortly by running back Toney Baker."

“We can’t possibly have as many injuries this year as we have had the last two,” O’Brien said. “Hopefully, we have turned that corner. Our kids are hardened to that fact and they understand that they may have to pick things up and play harder.

“I think we are much better physically and mentally prepared to accept what is in front of us in order to be a much more competitive football team this year.”

4) "We are going to shoot for all of they."

Top Free Agents Avalible For The Charlotte Bobcats

Allen Lopp — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:25:21 -0400

The Charlotte Bobcats have had a relatively quiet this off-season, add no new free agents. They also had another unsuccessful draft, drafting Henderson, a guard/small foward combination. The main area of need, a low post player and a proven scoring quard , was not addressed. Okafur isn't as dominate as originally thought when drafted out of UConn. Okafur needs another proven scorer down low to take some of the double teams away from him. Raja Bell started at the SG position last year and did a good job, until he got hurt and left the team short handed and the team needs another proven scorer at SG in case on an injury. That would also address another offensive issue, scoring. Year after year the bobcats come last or close to the bottom of the league in scoring. The Bobcats were mere games away from making the playoffs and this slideshow will show some free agents that may push the bobcats over the edge into the playoffs.

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Nate Irving Injured in Car Accident

Allen Lopp — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:22:55 -0400

As reported by gopack.com, and Yahoo Sports

NC State Junior Linebacker Nate Irving was, unfortunately, injured in a car accident on June 27. He is currently hospitalized at Wake Med Trauma Center with non-life threatening injuries.

In the accident Irving suffered a broken leg and a collapsed lung after running his vehicle off the road at 4:40 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 40 in Johnston County.

State troopers think Irving might have fallen asleep at the wheel before crashing into two trees. Irving has been charged with careless and reckless driving.

A WakeMed Trauma Center spokeswoman said Irving was in good condition Monday after surgery Sunday night.

Wolfpack head coach Tom O'brien has been quoted as saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with Nate and his family, All of his teammates and coaches will be there to support him as he recovers and goes through the process of rehabilitation.”

Irving was awarded honorable mention on the All-ACC team in 2008; last year he missed almost a third of the season with injuries.

This is a huge blow for the Wolfpack defense—one of the best Linebacking corps in the ACC is now spread a little thin with game experience.

The Wolfpack have two red-shirt freshman at linebacker in Terrell Manning and William Beasley.

Terrell Manning is four-star recruit and sixth ranked at weak-side linebacker by scout.com. William Beasley is a three-star recruit and ranked 36th at strong-side linebacker by scout.com.

Ray Michael has the most game experience, playing in 12 games twice, in 2006 and 2007, mostly on special teams.

Hopefully he will be healed in time for the College Football Season.

Cubs Fire Hitting Coach, Should The Braves Follow?

Allen Lopp — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:25:25 -0400

The Cubs fired their hitting coach Gerald Perry and will promote Triple-A Iowa hitting coach Von Joshua.

The Cubs were ranked 13th in the National League in hitting with a .246 average and 14th in the league in runs scored, well below expectations.

Joshua is in his fourth year at Iowa, and has been a hitting coach since 1984.

This needed to be done if they were going to compete in the National League Central.

Coming into the year the Cubs were picked to win the NL Central by almost everybody, including myself.

If the hitting can pick up then it is reasonable that the Cubs can retake the top spot in the NL Central.

Another team that could use a new hitting coach is the Atlanta Braves.

Terry Pendleton is the reigning hitting coach for the Braves and is a fan favorite.

He was one of the best third basemen the Braves ever had, winning the National League Most Valuable Player in 1991 his first year as a Brave.

The Braves are primed to compete in the National League East with the off-season acquisitions of Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, Kawakami and the upbringing of Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens.

The Braves have the pitching to win, but the hitting is questionable.

You never know what your going to get day to day.

The Braves are ninth in the National League hitting .257, 9th in On-base percentage .331, and 12th is runs scored with 261.

This needs to change also if they are going to win the East which is also a reasonable goal considering they are only 5.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies, and I know it is early but they are only three games back of the San Francisco Giants who lead the National League Wild Card.

If the Braves' team bats catch fire this can be a very dangerous team.

NC State Football Keys to Success

Allen Lopp — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:00:17 -0400

In 2008 Tom O' Brien and his crew decided to red-shirt freshman Mike Glennon and have relativity unknown red-shirt freshman Russell Wilson become the starting quarterback.

That year NC State Wolfpack were 6-7 last year with four straight wins to get to it's first bowl game since winning the 2005 Mieneke Car Care Bowl against USF.

In 2009 the Wolfpack need three things if they are to compete for the ACC Title: Keep the injuries to a minimum, find a third receiving option, and play better on defense.

1) In the first game of the season starting QB Russell Wilson and the rest of the offensive unit struggled to get anything started against a tough South Carolina defense.

During the game Russell Wilson suffered a Grade 3 concussion and had to be taken out of the game.

That wasn't Wilson's only injury that season he also suffer a shoulder injury against ECU and a knee injury in the bowl game against Rutgers.

Wilson wasn't the only major injury lose, Nate Irving among others missed games with an ankle injury.

The Wolfpack have been one of the most injured teams in college football and if they are to take the next step and compete in the ACC week to week the injuries need to be minimized.

2) There is no question that Russell Wilson can hurl the ball down-field to receivers like Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer, but who will step up to take pressure off of them?

In my opinion Red-shirt tight end George Bryan can step up to become Wilson's third Option.

He is 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, Bryan has been timed at 4.8-seconds in the 40-yard dash.

He has already shown that he is one of Wilson's favorite options in the end-zone catching four touchdowns. On the season he caught 18 passes for 201 yards

If he steps up it can also limit the amount of times Wilson has to scramble out of the pocket which could limit the amount of injury's which would also help the team.

3) There is no question that the Wolfpack can score on offense scoring at least 21 points in nine out of 13 games.

The Wolfpack have a on-the-field leader in Nate Irving who is one of the best athletes on the defensive side of the ball.

Unfortunately the Wolfpack have lost Irving for the entire season due to injury, so experinced linebacker Ray Michel will have to step up and lead a relatively young linebacking core.

The defensive line also needs to put more pressure on the quarterback, more specifically Willie Young needs to apply more pressure on the QB.

The defensive back-field also needs to step up with the departure of second leading interceptions leader in Jeremy Gray.

If the Wolfpack can achieve these then they can reasonably reach the ACC Title game.

Matt Hill Wins 2009 Nicklaus Award

Allen Lopp — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:37:42 -0400

North Carolina State University sophomore Matt Hill was awarded the Jack Nicklaus Award for one of the greatest single-season performances in the history of college golf.

Hill is the third NCSU Wolfpack individual athlete to become a national champion, claiming a two-stroke victory at the NCAA Championship at the Country Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Hill played specularly in Toledo, making some amazing shots, like the 215-yard four iron he hit that allowed him to make an important eagle on the No. 8 hole to propell him to the top of the leader board.

The victory in Toledo brought his win total this season to eight, winning seven of the last eight tournments, including the ACC championship, the NCAA Central Regional Championship, and the NCAA Championship.

Hill joined Tiger Woods as the only player to win all three events in the same year, and was recently promoted to the world's No. 4 ranked amateur, according to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

Next up, Hill will tee off with PGA Tour veteran Brett Quigley in his U.S. Open Sectional tournament, a 36-hole qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open.

If he qualifies for the Open, he would have to squeeze it into an already busy schedule.

Hill is playing in two Nationwide Tour events, not to mention his NCAA Championship win earned him an automatic berth in the U.S. Amateur Open.

Wolfpack Senior Named Rimington Watch List

Allen Lopp — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:19:48 -0400

NC State Wolfpack Senior Ted Larsen was named to the Spring Watch List for the 2009 Rimington Trophy.

The Rimington trophy is given annually to the top collegiate center.

Larsen is a Palm Harbor, FL, native that was a major key in the success of the Wolfpack last season.

He started every game at center after switching from a defensive lineman to an offensive lineman—specifically center.

Last year Larsen was awarded the team's Jim Ritcher Award for playing in 730 snaps form scrimmage last year.

The Jim Ritcher Award is given for the most outstanding offensive lineman.

The winner of the trophy will be announce in January of 2010 in Lincoln, NE.

Wolfpack Uses Power and Speed to Beat No.1 UNC 9-4

Allen Lopp — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:37:47 -0400

Kyle Wilson (pictured above) went 3-for-3 with two home runs and Drew Poulk added another homer as the Wolfpack (24-28) defeated No.1 UNC (38-13) 9-4 to win the weekend series against the Tar Heels.

Jake Buchanan started the game for the Wolfpack and kept them in the game, going four-and-one-third innings and giving up three runs on nine hits, while striking out four and walking none.

Sophomore right-hander Matt Harvey got the start for the Tar Heels going four-and-two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked two batters.

Left-handed reliever Alex Sogard (4-2) earned the victory over the heels with three innings of relief.

Joey Cutler finished out the last one-and-two-third innings to get his third save of the year.

The Win keeps the Wolfpack's chances of qualifying for the ACC Tournament alive, since the tournament only takes the top eight teams in the standings.

The Wolfpack are currently 10th, but it is very possible that they finish in a tie with the Boston College Eagles.

In this scenario, NC State would be percentage points ahead of the Eagles and put them into the ACC tourney.

Big Ten/ACC Challenge: Northwestern at NC State

Allen Lopp — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:07:22 -0400

Match-ups for the 11th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge have been announced, and NC State will host Northwestern.

NC State has a 5-4 record all-time in the challenge, withs wins against Purdue (1999,2004), Penn State, Northwestern, and Michigan.

The Wolfpack have won all four games played in Raleigh, but are 1-4 on the road.

NC State previously defeated the Wildcats 74-47 in Raleigh during the 2002-03 season. Marcus Melvin scored a career-high 23 points, Julius Hodge added 17, and Josh Powell finished with 11.

The ACC has won each of the 10 Big Ten/ACC Challenges played so far.

The Challenge will feature 11 games, two of which will be telecasts on ESPNU, and the rest of the nine games will air on ESPN and ESPN2.

The Top 10 Seniors in the 2010 NFL Draft

Allen Lopp — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:10:34 -0400

This is the slideshow for the top ten seniors in next years upcoming 2010 NFL draft. This is a bit early so things can change through the course of the upcoming college football season but as of right now the list is in order. Please comment if you disagree with any of the picks, i mean any one of them or feel free to comment if you feel strongly that i made a right pick.

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N.C. State Football Recruiting 2010: Robert Crisp

Allen Lopp — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:01:19 -0400

Robert Crisp is an offensive tackle of out Chapel Hill, N.C. He is 6'7", 302 lbs. and he currently attends Chapel Hill High School.

Crisp is a talented offensive lineman that will probably start out as a right tackle at N.C. State.

He has incredible height and athleticism, and his weight gives him a huge advantage especially in pass protection, where he is very consistent at leading with the hands and striking the defender first.

He possesses upper body strength and is impossible to power rush in drop back protection. And his huge wingspan keeps defenders from getting to his frame.

Crisp does a good job of locking out the pass rusher that comes straight ahead and setting back with quickness from both the three and two-point stance.

Though he anchors down in good leverage position, he sometimes still gets beat on the edge by speed rushers.

He gets caught flat footed and can't recover, and needs to narrow his base once anchored in order to shuffle and change direction.

Currently more consistent in quick set than deep drop protection, he demonstrates good foot agility in the run game.

He gets good knock-back off the line of scrimmage when pads stay down and is powerful enough to drive defenders to the second level.

He is still inconsistent at finishing blocks but, at times, completely dominates the opponent.

His athleticism shows in pulls and traps, and he displays good knee bend when delivering a blow at the second level or downfield.

Crisp has the potential to be an outstanding offensive lineman once he gets more consistent in the passing game.

He has very sound fundamentals and good quickness for such a large man.

NC State Wolfpack Basketball Recruiting: Jordan Vandenberg

Allen Lopp — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:39:36 -0400

Jordan Vandenberg is a 7"0', 230 lbs. Center from Melbourne, Australia

Jordan is a legitimate seven-footer who plays the game like a European big man.

He likes to step away from the basket and shoot jumpshots out to 15 feet.

He displays a very nice touch on his jumper and can consistently knock them down.

He is very thin, so the NC State Wolfpack strength program will be a big part of his development.

Right now he has limited post moves and is not a power player, but added strength will help him in this part of his game.

He is considered a top-10 center and a top-30 prospect overall among Australia's 2009 prospects.

He needs to become more assertive and bring a consistent effort when he arrives at N.C. State next season.

According to ESPN

Richard Howell: Wolfpack Basketball Recruiting

Allen Lopp — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:21:56 -0400

Richard Howell is a 6'8" and 220 lbs. power forward from Marietta, Georgia and another Wolfpack recruit.

He attends Wheeler High School and is graded a 92 out of 100 on ESPN.

Howell is a good sized player and looks like he should be practicing for the football team instead of playing basketball.

His muscular build should not confuse anyone into thinking he lacks skills, because he is a very versatile forward.

He has the ability to step out of the paint, knock down a jump shot, and also bump and grind for the tough points in the paint.

He has a unique feel for the game and ball handling skills as a post player, which should make up for the fact that he doesn't have ideal height for the post or outstanding athleticism.

He has a very unique and crafty spin move that gets defenders on his back.

He also has range on his jumper if left unattended on the perimeter.

Howell has very good court vision, and when it is coupled with his passing skills, it allows him to play the high post on offense.

He has very solid footwork when he gets the ball on the low block, excelling with his back to the basket.

Lorenzo Brown: Wolfpack Basketball Recruiting

Allen Lopp — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:58:00 -0400

Lorenzo Brown is a 6'4" and 180 lbs. point guard out of Roswell, Georgia. He attends Centennial High School and has committed to NC State University.

He is ranked 95 out of 100 by ESPN and was considered by many other major universities, such as Florida University and Ohio State University.

Lorenzo Brown is considered by many as a utility guard who can play the point or the two.

He has great size for a guard and a very good basketball IQ.

He isn't a pure point guard and doesn't have great floor vision, but he has the chance to develop into a point guard with more experience.

He does distribute the ball well to his teammates, has good rebounding skills for a guard, and he has a very solid pull up jump shot.

He also has a knack for getting to the basket and finding teammates for open looks. He is deceptively quick with the ball and that allows him to separate from defenders.

He is also a good defender that can hang with the best of scorers that play in the ACC.

Carolina Panthers Draft Picks Sherrod Martin - Captain Munnerlyn

Allen Lopp — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:49:08 -0400

Sherrod Martin was the 59th pick overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers:

Terrific athlete with good height along with great speed and acceleration.

Very physical an excellent tackler and will deliver the big hit.

Active and aggressive with very good range.

Nice hands and ball skills.

Offers some versatility also has solid intangibles.

Has some health and durability concerns. A little older than the average prospect could stand to add weight and bulk up.

Hails from the same college program that produced Osi Umenyiora, DeMarcus Ware and Leodis McKelvin.

Played free safety in college but will likely be tried at cornerback in the pros.

Will be a 25-year old rookie in 2009. Redshirted in 2006 after undergoing surgery to repair torn labrums in both of his shoulders.

Missed a couple of games after breaking three bones in his hand in 2007.

He has displayed a lot of perseverance over the years, and had a great senior campaign and really improved his draft stock.

With the 93 pick in the NFL draft the Carolina Panthers picked Corvey Irvin:

He has long arms with a square build and room for additional growth.

Adequate initial quickness off the snap.

Adequate lateral quickness to generate some pass rush from the interior.

He is learning to utilize his long arms to keep blockers off his body and locating the ball and plays with good hustle in pursuit.

Good lower leg drive to anchor against the run.

Gets his arms up to provide obstacles in the passing lanes.

Improved throughout the week of practice at the Senior Bowl.

Raw and lacks the eye-popping athleticism to indicate high upside.

Not quick enough off the snap or when moving laterally to generate much of a pass rush.

Only short-area quickness he needs an open lane to close

Adequate size and strength to hold up against the run, but struggles to disengage.

With the 111th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft the Carolina Panthers Draft Mike Goodson:

Lean, athletic build, but one that seems better suited to wide receiver in the NFL.

Rare speed and agility and quick to and through the hole.

Can make defenders miss in tight spaces and flashes exceptional elusiveness in the open field also has rare balance and the ability to cut at top speed in either direction.

Experienced receiver out of the backfield.

Runs with functional power, despite less than ideal strength, as he keeps his legs churning and spins out of tackles.

A threat to go the distance every time he has the ball in his hands.

Lacks experience as a special teams returner, but has the potential to be a standout in this area

Lacks the bulk to be an every-down back.

Marginal leg drive for short-yardage situations.

Undeniable athleticism, but Goodson's production dropped in each of his three seasons with the Aggies and it can't be blamed on just touches as his yards per carry also dropped each year.

Legitimate intangible red flags regarding his struggles to coexist with former Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum and his staff, as well as current head coach Mike Sherman and his staff, especially considering that Sherman publicly touted Goodson as the player the offense would be centered around when he took the position.

There are questions Goodson's toughness after he missed time with sprains in his neck, groin and right knee since last spring.

Tony Fiammette was the next draft pick of the Carolina Panthers:

Good natural athlete, decent timed speed, terrific blocker.

Has soft hands and is a threat out of the backfield and is extremely tough and physical.

Has excellent strength, with outstanding work ethic, nice instincts and awareness.

Versatile still has upside and he has lots of experience contains real mature.

A leader and team captain.

He does not have very much experience carrying the ball does not very quick or elusive and lacks a burst.

Not extremely powerful and minor durability concerns.

First name is actually "Placido". He played in 44 games with the Orange. Broke his left leg in high school and missed some time with an ankle sprain, concussion and lower leg injury in college. Had a career-long 58-yard run against Cincinnati in his final college game.

The type who does all the little stuff that doesn't show up in box scores, and was grossly underutilized in college but he has the ability to be a weapon as a runner, receiver and blocker.

Duke Robinson was the Next Carolina Panther Drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft:

Robinson is a beast at guard.

He has all the tools and the mentality to be a pro bowler for many years in the league. He has very good size and the strength to dominate defenders at the point of attack.

He will drive his man off the ball and clear out consistent running lanes. Robinson is not just a mauler though, as he has impressive agility for a guard.

He quickly gets into his stance and easily adjusts to his mans moves, and keeps them in front of him.

Robinson is mean on the field and is always trying to find someone to hit or block until the whistle blows.

He may actually have the physical ability to slide out to right tackle.

Robinson is about as good a guard prospect as you can find. There really are no knocks in his game, unless you are trying to project him outside at tackle.

When you do that, his athleticism and agility drop a notch and aren’t as impressive.

Most of his experience is inside at guard and it could take some time to adjust to playing on the outside of the line.

With their last pick in the NFL draft the Carolina panthers draft Captain Munnerlyn:

Short, but has a legitimate NFL body.

Rare straight-line speed and agility also has loose hips to turn and run with receivers.

Good explosiveness out of his cuts and closes quickly and gets his hands on passes and he has soft hands for the interception and can high-point passes.

Good body control to contort in space and make the athletic catch.

Good returner with experience fielding both punts and kicks and plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Not afraid to mix it up with the big boys and is willing in run support.

Reliable open-field tackler who flashes surprising explosiveness as a hitter.Has forced three fumbles.

The Newest Carolina Panthers Defensive End: Everette Brown

Allen Lopp — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:29:50 -0400

Last Saturday the NFL Draft was held and the Carolina Panthers had zero first-round picks.

They traded up into the 43rd overall pick to take Everette Brown:

Florida State defensive end Everette Brown is arguably the most explosive pass rusher in this year's NFL Draft, and he has the potential to become a defensive force in the right system early in his career.

At about 245 pounds, Brown is a bit light to be an every-down player in a 4-3 system, but he has the perfect size and athletic ability to play the rush-linebacker position in a 3-4 set.

Brown might be a liability at the NFL level if he does play in a traditional 4-3 role unless he packs on a little more muscle.

In the run game, Brown can run from behind with the best of them.

He struggles when teams come right at him because he has trouble taking on the bigger run blockers at the point of attack.

He's as good as they get at coming off the edge and getting after the quarterback, while at this time he isn't what you would call a refined pass rusher.

Brown anticipates the snap well, has great initial quickness off the line, and displays a fantastic closing burst. He can also change direction quickly and fluidly.

Because of his lack of size and strength, Brown must rely on his speed to get to the quarterback because he's not going to bull rush many blockers at the NFL level.

The good news is he has the frame to pack on some more bulk without losing his athleticism, and his strength will improve once he gets into an Carolina panther's training program.

NC State Football Spring Game

Allen Lopp — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:52:55 -0400

Last Saturday afternoon the Inaugural Kay Yow Spring football game was the end of spring practice for the NC State Wolfpack.

They showed their respect for Kay Yow by wearing pink along with hats by the coaches, pink pompoms by the cheerleaders, and pink tape around players' ankles and wrists. There was also a pink ribbon painted on the 50-yard line.

There was a total of 21,075 Wolfpack fans, the largest in recent memory, if not the history of Wolfpack Football.

Tom O'Brien asked all the attending fans to contribute a dollar to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Prior to the game a brief moment of silence was observed for Kay Yow and Corey Smith.

The main attraction was on the the performances of starting quarterback Russell Wilson along with backup Mike Glennon.

Wilson put on a passing and running exhibition for the Red Squad going 10 for 14 for 195 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to Owen Spencer.

Glennon is a red-shirt freshman and seemed to be just as sharp. He begin for the White team completing 15 out of 24 for 170 yards, including a 40-yard completion and a touchdown pass to sophomore Steven Howard.

In the second half he competed for both teams for certain part of the second half. On the afternoon Mike Glennon was 23 of 38 for 272 yards, and one touchdown.

Coach O'Brien wanted to make sure that Russell Wilson went into spring looking for the No. 2 receiver, not just the primary receiver like most young and inexperienced quarterbacks have a tendency to do.

They are still encouraging him to buy time with his feet, instead of taking off with the ball, and passing it to the No. receiver.

Glennon was a highly recruited player from Centrevill, Va. who was red-shirted last season and this was his Wolfpack debut and a very memorable one at that. With Glennon and Russell we will have a very good one-two punch.

Of course their are more than just a QB on a team and the offensive line is still going through development and the progress of the defensive secondary is a bit concerning.

The defense was strong throughout the day with Clem Johnson and Audi Augustion recording game-high seven tackles for the Red team. The White team was lead by Robert Bell's six tackles and Nate Irving's five tackles. Eight different players recorded touch-only sacks of the quarterback including Augustin, JR Sweezy, Wille Young, Shea McKeen, and Sterling Lucas each having two..

Overall the team looked good and the turn out of fans was impressive. It is obvious the team is a tougher along with more experience.

Facing Reality: The Dontrelle Willis Syndrome

Allen Lopp — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:51:04 -0400

Dontrelle Willis is a 6'4" 225, 27-year-old out of Oakland, CA.

He begin his major league career with the Florida Marlins in 2003.

That year he went 14-6,160.2 innings pitched,142 strikeouts, and a 3.30 ERA.

2004: 10-11, 197 innings pitched, 139 strikeouts, and a 4.02 ERA

In 2005 he was at his best going 22-10, five Shutouts, 236.1 Innings Pitched, 170 Strikeouts, and a 2.63. He also finished second in the CY Young voting and was elected to the All-Star Game.

In 2006 and 2007 his combined 22-27 win-loss record.

In the 2007 offseason he was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with Miguel Cabrera. Then he signed three year, $29 million dollar contract.

Dontrelle Willis' stuff isn't that great. He throws a 91-93 mph fastball and an average change-up and an average slider, but because of the high leg kick it has made his stuff more deceiving.

Because of his herky-jerky style of pitching he has problems controlling his pitches and can't throw strikes and then when he does, they are right down the middle.

Now this happens to pitchers all the time but unfortunately there are special cases when they loss it all together like Dontrelle and now unfortunately to Chien-Ming Wang.

Chien-Ming Wang is 6'3", 230 and was born on March 31, 1980 in Tainan.

Wang won 19 games in the 2006 season along with the 2007 season. In 2008 his season was cut short by a partial tear of the peroneus longus of the right foot.

This season he is 0-3 with a 34.50 ERA. Cleveland Indians beat the Yankees 22-4, Manager Joe Girardi said, "We have some time. We have a day off I think Thursday and we're going to have to decide what's best for Chien-Ming Wang and the team."

A finesse pitcher with a power pitcher's velocity, Wang relies on the combination of a mid-90s fastball, a sinker, along with a slider, changeup, and splitter.

His sinker which is responsible for his elevation to ace status, has very impressive lateral movement and is thrown at greater than average velocity. Sitting in the 91-94 mph range, his strikeout pitch is a sharp developing slider that closely resembles the fastball coming out of his hand, getting batters to swing ahead of the pitch.

Wang's splitter is decent though he only uses the pitch sparsely when in need of a strikeout or double play.

Wang's pitching style is characterized by efficiency, command of the strike zone, few walks, few home runs allowed but also records very few strikeouts.

Wang works quickly and uses his ground-ball inducing sinker to produce many double plays. This efficiency often allows Wang to maintain a low pitch count deep into games.

Chien-Ming Wang has showed the symptoms of the Dontrelle Willis Syndrome by not being able to throw strikes and walking a unreasonable amount of batters.

This a huge blow to the Yankees organization and rotation.

This disease has increasingly infecting pitchers at random, with no certain race but to relativity younger pitchers then older pitchers.

Their is no proven cure yet but their is being research done at NC State but no conclusions have been found yet.

As for the Yankees they should just give him a couple of more starts and see what happens.

NFL Draft Watch: Anthony Hill

Allen Lopp — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:21:47 -0400

Anthony Hill is a 6'5", 262 lbs. Tight End.

Anthony Hill went to North Carolina State University for 4 years.

He had a promising career at NC State to only be cut sort by injuries. His freshman year he had 15 catches and 140 yards with 1 touchdown.

His Sophomore year he was specular catching 45 passes for 478 yards averaging 10.6 yards per catch.

He suffered a torn ACL in 2007 and missed every game.

This past year he caught 19 passes for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns a career high.

He is tall with some strength and long arms.

Presents a nice target to his quarterback on bootlegs and in zones.

Physical blocking for the run and pass. Finds his target in space, can latch on and push him down field.

OK lateral movement to stay in front of defensive ends on the line. Lines up in the slot and with his hand down.

Uses his length and height to stretch the field.

Reliable, soft hands and physical enough to push off defenders and gain yardage after the catch.

He is built like a receiver. He is a long strider who lacks quickness out of his stance or the speed to separate, although his height is an advantage down field, he does not have suddenness in and out of routes, and will round them off.

He fails to sustain blocks against quicker defenders in space because he does not bend his knees, has slow footwork and stiff hips. Waist-bender when blocking defensive ends on the edge.

Durability is concerning with ACL and chest injuries keeping him out over the past two seasons.

Juan Miranda Called Up to the Show

Allen Lopp — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:27:29 -0400

Juan Miranda is a 6', 200 pound first baseman out Consulacion del Sur, Cuba.

Miranda signed a four-year contact with the Yankees in 2006.

Juan displays solid power and patience at the plate. He can also be a decent run-producer from the first-base position.

He isn't much of a hitter for average, so he needs to continue to hit for power on a consistent basis. His defense at first is only average.

In 2008 Miranda played in 99 games and had 356 at bats in AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He hit 12 homers, 52 RBI, 22 doubles, and a .287 batting average.

He played five games at the major league level collecting 10 at-bats. He hit .400 with one double and one RBI.

The Top 10 Yankees of All-time

Allen Lopp — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:22:40 -0400

This slide show is about the best Yankees in franchise history. Majority of the Yankees played with the team their whole career exception of those couple at-bats with another team for some people. You may say Allen you are the stupidest person to ever live after you read this but i stand by this 100%. Career stats will be listed as AVG/HR/RBI/SB or W-L/ERA/SV/K

Begin Slideshow

The Rise, Fall, and Potential Rise of Robinson Cano

Allen Lopp — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:20:11 -0400

Robinson Cano was born in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic.

His father Jose Cano was signed by the Yankees in 1980, and played in six games for the Astros in 1989.

Robinson Cano started his major league career in 2005, taking over Second Base from Tony Womack.He was phenomenal batting .297 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI, along with 34 doubles. He also never one to take walks. So that year he finished third in lowest walk percentage with 3 percent.

Robinson Cano showed that he had presence at the plate and smoothness in his swing.

He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year Balloting to Huston Street. Joe Torre once compared him to Hall of Famer Rod Carew.

His Second Year in the league was a Giant Success. His batting average was .342, with 15 home runs, and 75 runs batted in.

His average was good enough to finish third behind Derek Jeter and Joe Mauer. He finished 22nd in the MVP race that year while teammate Derek Jeter finished second. Again his walk percentage was one of the worst in the league at 3.6 percent.

He was also the leading vote getter at second base for the American League, but was unable to play because of an injury.

In 2007 he gave up his number 22 so that Roger Clemens could wear it when he joined the team. He changed his number to 24 the reversal of Jackie Robinson's number who he was named after.

He started off slow batting a weak .249 through May 29th, but in July he batted .385. By the end of the season he bought his average back up to .306 to finish out the season. His rest of his offensive numbers saw a rise in whacking in 19 home runs and 97 RBIs.

Like the whole team in 2008 Cano's offensive numbers declined.

His batting average fall to .271 and the RBI fell to 72, along with the homers to 14.

Cano recorded the final walk off game winning hit in Yankee Stadium history by singling in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning in the Yankees 1–0 victory over the Orioles on September 20, 2008.

In the final game at Yankee Stadium the next night, Cano recorded the final RBI in Stadium history with his sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, scoring Brett Gardner with the Stadium's final run.

This year he has started off strong hitting .571 with one homer, three RBI, and one stolen base.

Hopefully he can continue on this path and help the Yankees grab another World Series Title.