Jackson Free Press

It was a bloodbath for my picks in week one. I scratched and clawed my way to ten correct picks. TEN! That is good enough to get in the playoffs most seasons but instead I felt like the 2013 Arizona Cardinals after the week was over.

I was just one game above .500 to start the season. That puts me in a hole early.

Here is what I missed:

I picked the Saints over the Falcons but how was I supposed to know that the New Orleans 2012 defense would show up against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Either Atlanta is really going to bounce back this season or the Saints are really going to struggle. Saints fans hope last Sunday was an aberration.

It was a toss up between the Rams and Vikings. Matt Cassel versus Shun Hill quarterback battle didn't inspire confidence in either choice. Cassel and the Vikings pounded the Rams as Hill went out with an injury and former Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis didn't have any better luck.

So the Bills outlasted the Bears and I took Chicago. Buffalo is forced three turnovers making me wonder if the Bears are going to be a contender with Jay Cutler at quarterback. Chicago should be a better team than Buffalo. Maybe the Bills will be the surprise team of 2014.

I thought Washington would be a better team this season than Houston. Sure, there is a quarterback controversy building in Washington but Robert Griffin III should be a much better choice than Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Texans defense dominated the game and Fitzpatrick managed the game and made plays when he had to make them. If RG3 play doesn't improve quickly it, he could be on the bench in favor of Kirk Cousins.

Jake Locker out-dueled Alex Smith making my pick of the Chiefs over the Titans. Smith was Kansas City's leading rusher against Tennessee which is a bad sign. The Chiefs looked like they were ready to turn the corner and be a contender but maybe they were just a product of a weak schedule last season. If Locker can stay healthy it looks like the Titans might have some hope in the AFC South.

I totally blew the Patriots over the Dolphins. New England's offensive line was dreadful against the Miami. Brady had little to no time each time he dropped back to pass and there was zero running game. I don't think I have ever seen an offensive line play that badly after the team traded away a guard. Is the Patriots run finally coming to end? Is Miami, New York or Buffalo ready to take over the AFC East?

The first week is always tough to make picks. Week two isn't a cakewalk as teams that lost in week one know they need to bounce back quickly. Teams know going 0-2 means they need to throw the kitchen sink at their opponents the next two weeks. …

I correctly picked 16 of 19 games last week but I also had my first missed picked involving a Mississippi team. That brings my season record to 32-5 so far this young season, which isn't too bad if I say so myself.

So, I had Millsaps beating Mary Hardin-Baylor and go undefeated. That picked looked good when the game was tied 7-7 late in the first quarter. Then Mary Hardin-Baylor dropped 36 unanswered points on the Majors and pick was done. Millsaps faced one of the toughest teams in Division III and losing is not something to be ashamed of and the team can still have a strong season.

I picked Stanford to win over USC but then the Cardinal did everything they could possibly do to lose the game. Stanford punted deep in Trojan territory several times instead of rolling the dice and going for it. If the Cardinal wasn't punting when knocking on the USC door, they had penalties that killed drives and took scores off the board.

The strangest thing was USC Athletic Director Pat Haden coming down to the field help argue a call because head coach Steve Sarkisian asked him to come help him. No coach should ever call his AD down to the field over calls and someone as respected as Haden never should have come down.

It just looks bad for everyone involved. I don't think it will have any baring on Haden being on the playoff selection committee because he would have to recuse if USC was in the discussion. It was smart of the committee to set up the recusal system before the season before this incident happened.

My last incorrect pick was Michigan State over Oregon. That picked looked good in the third quarter then it looked like the roles sudden reversed. The Ducks had the relentless hard charging defense and the Spartans looked lost and slow on defense.

Oregon scored 28 unanswered points to win the game and they did pretty much what every they wanted on offense and defense while taking control of the game. Michigan State tackled poorly on defense and compounded their poor tackling with even poor coverage.

Stanford plays a similar style to Michigan State and had beaten the Ducks in their last few meetings. Oregon beating the Spartans might mean they have figured out how to go toe to toe with other more physical teams.

This week, Delta State is off and it would be a shame not to mention the Statesmen going on the road and demolishing Fort Valley State University. Delta State routed FVSU for a 56-13 win to get the season off on a nice foot. Now the Statesmen have two week to prepare for Valdosta State.

Be for getting to this weeks picks, here is something to keep an eye on for the rest of the season. Could BYU crash the playoff party. The Cougars are 3-0 after getting past Houston …

October is the time of year when college football begins to show who is contenders and who are pretenders. This Saturday the SEC West will begin to find out who are contenders and who are pretenders, in earnest.

Mississippi State and Mississippi will have the focus of most of the college football world. The Bulldogs and Rebels could be dark horses for the SEC West title and a spot in the new college football playoff.

Texas A&M and Alabama (who are this week's visitors) are already favorites for both the SEC title and the playoff. The Aggies and Crimson Tide will be expected to win by most but there is no reason not to believe in the Rebels or Bulldogs.

There has been a ton of speculation about both these games. Article after article has been written and I'm sure I haven't read them all by this point.

Let me say one thing. Football is simple.

Don't get caught up in all the long drawn out breakdowns of each position. Football games are rarely won by one single player.

Both these games are going to be won or lost by the team that can control the line of scrimmage on the offensive and defensive lines, who doesn't turn the ball over and gets turnovers and being sound in the kicking game. It is that simple.

IF the Bulldogs and Rebels can control the defensive line of the Aggies and Tide on offense to give Dak Prescott and Bo Wallace time to throw and the running backs a holes to run, offense won't be a problem.

IF Ole Miss and MSU can get penetration with their defensive line against the Texas A&M and Alabama offensive line, they can disrupt the running game and get pressure on quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Blake Simmons.

One more thing on defense, both the Rebels and Bulldogs must tackle well. There is no doubt that the Aggies and Tide are going to get yards and points but don't make things easy by missing tackles and giving them free easy yards.

As much busted coverage as I have seen already this season, Ole Miss and MSU better make sure they know what coverage they are in each play. I have seen the Aggies and Tide score a few easy touchdowns this season by blown coverage.

This is nothing revolutionary. It is just sound football. Block and tackle. Cover receivers.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss have the offensive and defensive lines to control the line of scrimmage. Anyone who watched the LSU game can't deny that MSU can be the more physical team. I have no doubts the Rebels can do the same.

No turnover is really ever good but some are worse than others.

Here are what the Bulldogs and Rebels need to avoid, turnover wise. Don't turn the ball over for guaranteed points (with Alabama's field goal kicking problems, that means from the …

Earlier today, the coaches and players were announced for the Mississippi roster of the 28th Annual Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game. The Mississippi Association of Coaches made the announcement.

The game will be played on Saturday, December 13th in Montgomery, Alabama. The game will be televised on WLBT.

Local metro coach, managers, and players are in bold.

Team Mississippi

Head Coach

Jamie Mitchell (Starkville)

Assistant Coaches

Toby Collums (Itawamba)

Chad Cook (Ripley)

Trent Hammond (Tupelo)

Lance Mancuso (Bassfield)

John Perry (Pearl)

Tony Vance (Hattiesburg)

Scout Coach

Jeff Breland (Lake)

Roster

Armani Linton (Walnut) - DB

Cameron Myers (Oak Grove) - DB

Chris Stamps (Warren Central) - DB

Ephrain Kitchen (South Panola) - DB

Jarvis Wilson (Tupelo) - DB

Richaud Floyd (Gulfport) - DB

Fletcher Adams (Brandon) - DL

Jauan Collins (Pascagoula) - DL

Marshean Joseph (Pascagoula) - DL

D.J. Henderson (Clinton) - DL

Keontye Garner (Murrah) - DL

Michael Godley (Starkville) - K

Fred Walls (Olive Branch) - LB

Joseph Dillon (Tylertown) - LB

Jamal Peters (Bassfield) - LB

Justin Clifton (Tupelo) - LB

Johnathan Abram (East Marion) - LB

Tijan Jallow (Olive Branch) - LB

Leo Lewis (Brookhaven) - LB

Tommy Champion (Callaway) - OL

Jordan Bradford (St. Stanislaus) - OL

Jarien Barksdale (South Panola) - OL

Thad Roberts (Petal) - OL

Ryan Gibson (St. Stanislaus) - OL

Rishard Cook (Hattiesburg) - OL

Javon Patterson (Petal) - OL

Drake Dorbeck (St. Aloysius) - OL

Marquez Griffin (Lake Central) - OL

Austin Riley (DeSoto Central) - P

Brady Davis (Starkville) - QB

J'mar Smith (Meridian) - QB

Darrell Henderson (South Panola) - RB

Ladarious Galloway (Gentry) - RB

Jordan Wright (Pearl) - RB

Terrance Davis (Southaven) - WR

Keenan Barnes (Madison Central) - WR

Willie Hibbler (North Panola) - WR

Malik Dear (Murrah) - WR

Trey Smith (Madison Central) - WR

Raphael Leonard (Starkville) - WR

Managers

Dylan McCollom (South Panola)

Daniel Baxter (Brandon)

As College Gameday prepares for their second visit in Mississippi for the second week in a row, and the first time at Mississippi State, the stakes keep getting higher for the Rebels and Bulldogs. Both teams are tied for third in the AP Top 25 football poll, and the eyes of the football world are once again on the Magnolia State.

Neither the Rebels nor Bulldogs are out of the playoffs with a loss this weekend. That is, unless the voters decide both we're frauds and dump our teams down the polls.

Texas A&M has more at stake this weekend than Ole Miss. The Aggies are coming off a lose to Mississippi State, and a Rebels victory would put an end to Texas A&M's playoff hopes.

Ole Miss must get past the Aggies to get a break in their schedule. Well, at least as much of a break you can get in the SEC.

The Rebels get Tennessee next Saturday at home before traveling to LSU. The Volunteers are an improved football team, and LSU is young but playing in Tiger Stadium is never an easy win.

A win this weekend means the Rebels could climb all the way to up to No. 2 or take sole possession of third place. It would be a step closer to the playoffs and a SEC West title.

Beating the Aggies would leave just Auburn and Mississippi State as the major tests left on the schedule. Sure, Arkansas is in the mix but, even as improved as the Razorbacks are this season, the Rebels should get a win like against LSU and Tennessee.

After this weekend, the road is wide open for the Rebels. Just about all the major stumbling blocks will be out of the way.

Mississippi State has a chance to move up to No. 2 in the nation with a win over Auburn. Much like Ole Miss, the road for the Bulldogs gets a lot lighter for a while after this weekend.

MSU gets Kentucky and Arkansas in SEC action. The Wildcats are improved like the Razorbacks, but that shouldn't trouble the Bulldogs much.

The road gets harder after that with road trips to Alabama and Ole Miss to finish out the season with a home date against Vanderbilt sandwiched between those two games.

This weekend sets up a nice stretch for both the Rebels and Bulldogs. After this weekend, much of the heavy lifting is over.

Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott has the most at stake this weekend. He can become the Heisman front runner with a solid-to-great game and a win. His counterpart Nick Marshall of Auburn could also take the lead.

Prescott can put a lock on the award with his normal play against Auburn. He can lock up the award with big games against Kentucky, Arkansas, and UT-Martin.

Keys to Rebels and Bulldogs wins

Things are easy for the Rebels. Just use the same …

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Any football players looking for another chance to play the game? Here is your chance to make an impression on professional scouts.

It doesn't matter if you didn't play college ball or just played at the junior college level or in the SWAC or the Sun Belt or Conference USA or the SEC.

Grant Worsley, Owner and General Manager of the Jackson Showboats, with his Worsley Group has partnered with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League to host a free agent tryout on January 24, 2015.

The tryout will be held at Smith-Wills Stadium (1200 Lakeland Drive) at 1:30 pm. There is a $100, cash only, registration fee. This tryout will consist of non-padded combine testing drills and one-on-one drills.

Anyone wanting to participate needs to dress for weather conditions and to run. Other scouts for other teams could be in attendance, if possible.

To register by email, or for more information or any questions, email Danny McManus at [email protected] or Grant Worsley at 769-203-2108.

After last Saturday's 59-27 loss to Grambling Stat, Jackson State made the decision to fire head coach Harold Jackson during the team's bye week. The firing was first reported by the Clarion-Ledger.

Jackson's tenure ended after just 17 games and a 1-4 start this season and a 1-2 record in SWAC play. In just a season and just over a quarter of a second season, Jackson had a 6-11 overall record and 3-8 record in SWAC play.

Jackson State has given up 30 or more points every game this season and has given up 50 plus points in three of four losses. The Tigers offense had only scored over 30 points twice this season. JSU's one win was by four points (34-30 to Texas Southern) and 10 points is the closest loss (35-25 to Tennessee State).

Last season, Jackson State lost to Mississippi Valley State for the first time in over twenty years but rallied to beat Alcorn State (2014-15 SWAC Football Champions) to end the season.

At the time of the Jackson's firing no interim head coach was named. Jackson State doesn't take the field again until October 17, when the Tigers hit the road to face Alabama A&M (who currently also has one win going into a game against Grambling State this weekend).

Update:

Jackson State has announced that former Tigers quarterback Derrick McCall will take over as head coach for the last six games of the 2015-16 season. McCall has is in his eighth season as a coach at JSU.

During his time with Jackson State McCall was wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He was a standout quarterback for the Tigers from 1979-82 were he helped lead the program to two SWAC Championships and two berths in the Division I-AA playoffs.

McCall's first home game as head coach will come on October 24 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The twists and strange turns of the 2015 Jackson State football season continued today as the Clarion-Ledgers announced it was going to halt beat coverage of the team. This decision was made after JSU stopped making players and assistant coaches available to the media on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before practice.

Since Harold Jackson was fired on October 6, the Clarion-Ledger says that JSU has violated its own media police by only making interim head coach Derrick McCall available to the media. The only time since Jackson was fired that players and assistant coaches were allowed to speak to the media was after the Tigers 28-22 loss to Alabama A&M this past Saturday.

JSU stated that mid-term exams as the reason players weren't made available and this week announced it was a coaches decision not to let them speak to the media. Due to only one person's view point, coach McCall, the C-L decided not to have a beat reporter cover Jackson State until the matter is resolved.

While it is unusual for local media to not cover a team, it is not unheard of even in this age of mass media. Last August, the Miami Herald stopped covering Florida International football after their beat reporter was denied credentials to the beat reporter.

The Clarion-Ledger says their beat reporter spot for JSU will remain vacant until the matter with the university is resolved. Reporter Antonio Morales will move to different sports coverage including other SWAC schools.

It could be a NFL Draft red herring but the Dallas Cowboys have shown an incredible amount of interest in Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. According to the Dallas-Morning News, Cowboys Quarterback Coach Wade Wilson is in Starkville, Miss today to workout the former Bulldogs single caller.

This will mark the third time that Wilson has meet with before this April's draft. Wilson, along with Dallas Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan, spent time with Prescott at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala and then met with him again at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in late February.

Multiple reports (here and here) have the Cowboys linked to Prescott in this year's NFL Draft. And why not, Dallas has to start thinking about like after Tony Romo at some point.

Last season, Romo spent more time injured than on the field and he has had back issues the last few seasons. The Cowboys have to figure that time is running out on Romo and taking a quarterback in the draft to develop for future is the smart idea.

Prescott has been projected to be drafted as high as the second round but most projections have him being selected in the third to fourth round of this year's draft. Most draft scouts see Prescott as a bit of a work in progress but could turn into a solid starter with time to develop into a NFL starter.

The Dallas Cowboys have nine picks in the draft. Dallas has the 34th pick in the 2nd round, 67th pick in the third round, 101st pick in the fourth round and 135th pick (a compensatory pick) in the fourth round. Other picks include the 189th, 212th, 216th, and 217th pick in the sixth round.

Every pick in the sixth round but the 189th is a compensatory pick. One thing to remember about the draft is that compensatory picks can not be traded and must be used by the team that was awarded the pick. That means the Cowboys don't have a lot of picks to trade if they must move around to get Prescott.

While Prescott has mainly stayed in the news for his on the field work or for being a good guy off the field, he has been in the news for the wrong thing. Last year, Prescott was seen on video being jumped in Panama City, Florida, but the quarterback handled that situation nearly perfectly.

Last week, Prescott was in the news for the wrong reason, when he was arrested for driving under the influence. While his draft stock will take a bit of a hit, because he was arrested so close to the draft, it is not the enough to send up red flags to teams who want to draft the quarterback.

Dallas currently hasn't signed a quarterback in free agency and have Kellen Moore as the only other quarterback on the roster besides Romo. The …

The Mississippi State's women's basketball team defeated Michigan State 74-72 in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday. The reward for that win is a date in Bridgeport, Conn. to face No. 1 overall seed the Connecticut Huskies at 10:30 a.m. on ESPN.

UConn defeated Duquense 97-51 Monday, March 21, and moved to 34-0 on the season. The Huskies also won their 71st straight game and reached the Sweet Sixteen for the 23rd straight time. Connecticut scored at least 20 points in all four quarters, and the Dukes never topped 20 points in a single quarter.

There might not be a more dominating force in all of sports right now than Connecticut women's basketball. The Huskies are seeking their fourth straight national championship.

Just how dominant have the Huskies been this season?

UConn has defeated every team on their schedule by 10 or more points this season. Only Notre Dame and Maryland lost by 10 points, and South Carolina lost by 12 points. The Gamecocks beat Mississippi State by six and 14 points in their two meetings this season.

The Huskies haven't had a game where they failed to score 75 or more points all season long and have topped the century mark five times this season. UConn has also defeated nine ranked teams as they steamrolled the competition.

Even Las Vegas is all in for the Huskies to win it all. Just to win $100, you would have to bet $900 that UConn wins it all. One Vegas sports bookie is allowing those who bet to take the field or UConn, where a $100 bet against Connecticut would net $600 should the Huskies loose.

Things don't get much better for the Bulldogs due to the site of the game. UConn is 54-1 in games played in Connecticut and 9-1 in Bridgeport, where Mississippi State will play.

All of these numbers don't mean the Bulldogs can't shock the world and beat the mighty Huskies. What it does mean is that Mississippi State has to play the best game in program history.

The Bulldogs have to be perfect on defense, force turnovers, get steals and don't under any circumstances give UConn easy baskets. On offense, Mississippi State has to hit shots and can't go cold from the field for long stretches like it did against both Chattanooga and Michigan State in the team's first two tournament games.

It would also help if the Huskies had an off day and played a little sloppy and were cold shooting. Because even if everything goes right for Mississippi State, it will take a monumental effort to defeat the Huskies.

A win by Mississippi State would be the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history for men or women. It would surpass, in my mind, the biggest upset ever when North Carolina State defeated heavily favored Houston and Phi Slamma Jamma and won the title.

If the …

Every NFL team wants to have stability at a few important spots in the franchise, from ownership to general manager to head coach to quarterback.

This morning, the New Orleans Saints made sure one of the major pieces of their stability was staying in town a little longer. Head coach Sean Payton announced during the NFC’s coaching breakfast that he and the Saints had reached a deal for a five-year extension.

ESPN’s Ed Werder said in a news article that the new deal will keep Payton in New Orleans until 2020 and pay him more than $45 million over the length of the deal. Payton was already one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL and made $8.5 million a year on his last contract with the club.

In the 10 years he has been with the Saints, he has put together an 87-57 record and led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title. Payton has been with the Saints since 2006, which ties him with Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers for third-longest tenured head coach in the NFL.

Payton slides to fourth place if you discount the 2012 season in which he was suspended for the whole year as part of the Bountygate. New England’s Bill Belichick has been with the Patriots since 2000, and Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis has been with the Bengals since 2003.

While in New Orleans, Payton has guided the Saints to the playoffs five times, and he had a 6-4 playoff record. He will forever be linked with the Saints' quick turnaround after Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast.

After last season, in which the Saints finished 7-9, people speculated that New Orleans might try to trade Payton. That notion was quickly dispelled when Payton himself said he wanted to finish his career as New Orleans head coach.

New Orleans has missed the playoffs for the last two years, but with this contract, Payton can keep working on his vision to keep the Saints' championship window open. Part of that vision is sure to include quarterback Drew Brees.

Reports are that the Saints and Brees are working on a four-year extension to keep him in New Orleans until 2020 as well. A new extension for Brees also might help ease some of his cap burden for the next season, which is currently $30 million.

Payton’s extension also helps the club entering the NFL Draft next month. New Orleans can focus on both short and long-term plays knowing that their head coach will be in-house for the next five years.

The New Orleans Saints have the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Overall, the Saints have seven draft picks to use in this year’s draft.

The NFL owners recently approved two new rule changes that will be one-year test rules next season. Both were highly controversial, one among coaches and the other among players.

First, here's a look at minor rule changes.

All chop blocks, which are when one offensive player is blocking a defensive player high, and another hits the same defensive player low, are now illegal in the NFL.

Defensive players are at risk to major injuries because of the blocks and in most cases, the NFL already outlawed them. Offensive linemen can still cut block (a one-on-one low block) a defensive player.

Now, just one season after the NFL experimented with the idea, points-after-touchdown kicks ("extra points") are permanent from the 15-yard line. There were 71 misses on extra-point kicks last season with the new rule change, and 27 teams missed an extra point. The defense is still allowed to try and score on missed extra points as well.

The owners also tweaked the horse-collar rule. Now, it is a horse-collar penalty to take a player down by the nameplate or above to make a tackle. Again, this is a player safety rule, but it will have some effect on games next season.

Other changes include:

Eliminating the five-yard penalty for illegal touching after a player goes out of bounds and reestablishes himself inbounds. Now, it is just a loss of down.

Coaches can use the coach-to-player radio system whether they are on the sideline or in the coaches booth.

Teams will receive a delay of game penalty if they try to call a timeout when they aren’t allowed to.

Eliminating multiple spots of enforcement on double fouls after a change of possession.

Teams now don’t have to designate which player will return from short-term injured reserve, although teams can still only bring back one player each season from IR.

Now, here's some information on the controversial rule changes:

First, players or coaches can be ejected from a game after two personal foul penalties. Players and coaches met this rule with resistance, with coaches fearing that players would bait others into penalties.

Only certain types of personal foul penalties will qualify for the ejection. Throwing a punch, forearm or kicking an opponent, if contact is made or not, will be part of the new ejection rule.

Using abusive, threatening or insulting language to an opponent, official, teammates or league officials or using baiting or taunting acts or words to foster ill will between teams can now lead to an ejection with two fouls.

While coaches or players won’t like the ejection rule, it isn’t likely to cause many, if any, ejections. A similar rule exists in college football but rarely comes into play as far as ejections go during games.

The biggest rule change that will affect every game is the new kickoff rule. Now, touchbacks after kickoffs will come out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20-yard line. …

This week, former Callaway High School and current Mississippi State University star Malik Newman declared for the NBA Draft. Looking back at last spring, this would hardly be a surprise, as Newman was one of the most sought-after prospects in the country.

Flash forward to this season, and him entering the NBA Draft is not the great prospect it was just one year earlier. In his freshman season, he really struggled to shine for large parts of the season.

His stats are the best way to tell the story. This season, he averaged 11.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Those aren’t the stats that NBA scouts were hoping to see in the guard’s one-and-done freshman season.

In fact, Newman finished No. 4 on the team in scoring, No. 3 in assists and No. 6 in rebounding. At the same time, fellow freshman Quinndary Weatherspoon averaged 12 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Newman also finished No. 2 on the team in turnovers with 1.9 per game, and he shot just 39 percent from the field; however, he did shoot a pretty good percentage from the three-point range at 38 percent from the field.

It is only fair to point out that Newman wasn’t healthy for most of the season. He started it sitting out games due to a toe injury and got banged up as the season went along.

You have to wonder what kind of numbers a healthy Newman would put up from the start to the end of the season.

While Newman declared for the draft, he didn’t hire an agent, which allows him to return to the Bulldogs if he doesn’t like his draft position. That means Newman will be able to attend the NBA Draft Combine and be able to get feedback about his draft prospects.

Newman will have options no matter how the NBA Draft Combine works out for him. Here are my opinions on Newman’s choices. Keep in mind that they are not a declaration for what the young man should do in the draft.

If he is told he will be a first-round pick, even late first round, he should probably stay in the draft.

Unless he is certain to be a top pick in the second round, like one of the first three to five picks, he should return to Starkville.

That is, unless he doesn’t mind playing in the NBA D-League or maybe even having to play overseas for a few seasons.

Newman staying in the draft all depends on how much he wants to just play basketball for a living or needs money from playing the sport. Bettering his game in the D-League or overseas is not a bad way to make a living.

But if Newman doesn’t like what he hears, he can always return to Mississippi State. Nothing says he is a bust or failure because he didn’t shine right away. …

The Manning Center was the place to be this morning. Breaking a University of Mississippi Pro Day record, 63 NFL representatives from all 32 NFL teams descended on Oxford, Miss., to look at the three stars entering the draft after their junior seasons at UM.

Overall, there were 15 current and three former players who took part in the Rebels' Pro Day. Most of the focus was on offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche.

One of the things everyone came to see was Treadwell run the 40-yard dash. He didn’t run at the NFL Combine, and this was the first chance all the scouts had to put him on a stopwatch.

Treadwell did run, but his times didn’t alleviate fears that he won’t have the ability to separate from defenders at the next level. His unofficial times were 4.65 or 4.69, depending on the scout, on his first attempt, and he had a minor improvement at 4.63 on his second attempt.

While his top-end speed might not get scouts' heartbeats racing, Treadwell does have other abilities that had to impress NFL teams.

He has a big body that he can use to position himself between the ball and defenders. He also has strong hands and makes each catch look easy. He is a solid run blocker in rush attack, and in fact, he might be above average in receiver blocking.

One thing to remember about Treadwell and his not-so-fast speed is the fact that he is returning from a serious broken leg that he suffered during his sophomore season. Treadwell still came out this season and put up great numbers as he worked himself back into the shape and got his football instincts back.

It is projected that an NFL team may draft him as early as the ninth pick or as low as the 20th pick. Some mock drafts have him going to the New Orleans Saints with the 12th pick. If you want an NFL comparison, think Anquan Boldin. Several teams could move up in the draft to get their hands on Treadwell since he is the near-consensus top wide receiver in the draft.

One player who didn’t run the 40-yard dash at either the NFL Combine or the UM Pro Day was Tunsil. The fact that he didn’t run at either event might not matter, as the offensive tackle is projected to go as high as the first pick but nearly guaranteed to go within the top five picks. He said in an interview that he didn’t run at the Pro Day due to a pulled hamstring.

Tunsil did an impressive 34 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press and added 10 pounds of muscle so far this offseason. There are very few knocks against the potential No. 1 pick, though his run blocking needs more work, and there are questions about his power.

However, there are no questions about …

College basketball will reach its climax from Saturday to Tuesday as both the men’s and women’s tournament play out the Final Four and championship games. None of the eight teams left will feature a team from our state.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get a taste of the Final Four from the past. Thursday night, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum will honor the 1996 Mississippi State University men’s basketball team that reached the Final Four in that magical season.

The event is sold out, but that doesn’t mean sports fans can’t catch the tribute. While you can’t be there in person, you can check the event out online.

Just like two seasons ago when the state was swept up in the great seasons unfolding at both Mississippi State and the University of Mississippi in football, 20 years ago, the state was swept up in the Bulldogs' astonishing run.

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame coach Richard Williams led team that season, guiding it to a 26-8 record and winning the SEC Tournament over eventual national champions the University of Kentucky.

The Bulldogs defeated Virginia Commonwealth University (58-51) and Princeton University (63-41), reaching the Sweet Sixteen. MSU shocked No. 1 seed University of Connecticut, which future hall of famer Ray Allen led, for the 60-55 win.

In the Elite Eight, MSU took down No. 2 seed University of Cincinnati 73-63, reaching the Final Four. The Bulldogs were underdogs against both Connecticut and Cincinnati.

MSU’s run came to an end in a 77-69 loss in one of the national semifinals against Syracuse University. In a strange twist, the Orange and coach Jim Boeheim are in this year’s Final Four.

On the court, future NBA players center Erick Dampier and forward Dontae Jones led the Bulldogs. Dampier went on to have a long career in the NBA, while Jones spent just a couple of seasons before heading overseas to play basketball.

Sharp-shooting guard Darryl Wilson led MSU in scoring that season. He also went on to play overseas for several years.

Other important players on the 1995-1996 Bulldogs were point guard Marcus Bullard, forward Russell Walters, center Tyrone Washington, forward Whit Hughes and guard Bart Hyche.

MSU finished with a losing record the next season, and Richard Williams was gone after the 1997-1998 season. The Bulldogs haven’t reached the Sweet Sixteen since the 1996 run.

The tribute to the 1995-1996 Bulldogs will feature highlights, team memories and a panel discussion. Farm Bureau, Weir Boerner Architecture and Mississippi State University sponsor the event.

View the livestream, which begins around 7 p.m. on March 31, at https://livestream.com/shorterproductions/events/5017289.

The old cliché that records are made to be broken just seems just perfect for sports. Nothing gets the fans attention more than when a seemingly untouchable record gets threatened or out and out broken.

Everyone pays more attention when an NFL team is undefeated near the end of the season to see if that squad can match the 1972 Miami Dolphins, when a hitter in Major League Baseball gets near Joe Dimaggio's 56-game hit streak, or when a horse wins the first two legs of the Triple Crown, like American Pharoah did last year.

Now that the NBA season is coming to a close, it is time for us sports fans to cast our attention to a potential record that could fall this season. The Golden State Warriors are now officially knocking down the door of matching or surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Those Bulls did what seemed impossible, as they became the first team to win 70 games in a season. In fact, they won 72 games and lost just 10 games. That team is the standard to which every great team since in the NBA is judged.

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls featured Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the enigma Dennis Rodman, who all went on to enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. But the Bulls also had great role players in Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Ron Harper and Steve Kerr that season.

Interestingly enough, Kerr is the head coach for Golden State in its march toward the Bulls’ record. It seems fitting that a link to that great Chicago team would have ties to the Warriors squad that could steal the Bulls’ crown.

The Warriors have played 74 games this season and have eight games to go before they finish the full 82-game season. Golden State is one game ahead of where Chicago at this same point.

Through 74 games, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls had a sensational 66-8 overall record. Golden State currently owns a 67-7 overall record as they enter play against the Utah Jazz tonight, March 30.

Chicago fell to the Charlotte Hornets by just a single point in game 75, making it the ninth loss of that fantastic season. If Golden State wins tonight, it would put the team two wins ahead of the Bulls’ pace.

The Warriors have yet to lose back-to-back games all season long, and the Bulls lost back-to-back games just once during their record setting season. Golden State jumped off to a 24-0 start to begin the season, which was better than Chicago’s 22-2 start in 1995.

If Golden State is going to get the record, the team will have earned it. In the Warriors’ final eight games, they will face just one team that is currently not in the playoffs and has a under .500 record —the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Warriors get the 37-37 Jazz on the road before returning home for five games. In that five …

What if I told you that the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final on television drew more viewers than game six of the 2015 NBA Finals, game seven of the 2014 World Series and game six of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals?

The U.S. Women’s National Team were ratings gold with 26.67 million viewers on Fox and Telemundo for the World Cup Final agianst Japan. That was bigger than the 2015 Final Four Kentucky v. Wisconsin game, the final round of the 2015 Masters, a Triple Crown winning horse (American Pharoah) in the Belmont Stakes and more.

In fact, only a few NFL and college games surpassed the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final. The USWNT v. Japan was the 26th-most watched sporting event in 2015.

While the USWNT is breaking television records for women’s sports, the team isn't cashing record-breaking checks for its work. FIFA awarded the USWNT $2 million for winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup. For winning the 2014 Men's World Cup,

FIFA awarded Germany $35 million, so the German men earned $33 million more for winning the same amount of games as the U.S. women.

Germany also got to play all of its World Cup games on grass, and the US women tried to fight to get their game switched from artificial turf. The women’s players ultimately pulled their lawsuit before the World Cup and played on artificial turf.

You would be wrong if you thought that the USWNT would make more for winning the World Cup than the USMNT did for getting knocked out of the Round of 16.

The USMNT earned $9 million for the 2014 World Cup, so the men didn’t even win their group, much less the whole damn tournament, and made $7 million more than the women.

Last year, the USWNT generated more than $20 million in revenue than the USMNT. Yet the women get paid $1,350 win, lose or draw on friendly matches, and the men get paid $5,000 even if they lose, and can make a maximum of $17,625 for friendly match wins against teams ranked in the top 10, and Mexico, who is the main rival to the US.

This wage gap has caused the USWNT and the U.S. Soccer Federation to go to court after the USSF filed a lawsuit to stop any potential strike from the USWNT before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At issue is the USSF saying that both sides have an agreement until Dec. 31 of this year, but the USWNT says a memorandum of understanding that both sides signed in 2013 can be voided at any time. A court will have to sort out which team is right.

Five of the current stars for the USWNT, including Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd, have filed a wage-discrimination action against the USSF with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This is the right time for …

It’s time for “the Showcase of the Immortals,” “the Show of Shows” on “the Grandest Stage of Them All.”

Are you ready for WrestleMania 32?

It’s understandable if people aren’t excited about this year’s WrestleMania. Depending how the event goes, WrestleMania 32 might be remembered more for which performers are not in a match.

Several of the WWE’s biggest stars are on the shelf or won’t compete for the company again, including John Cena, the company's biggest face in more ways than one, who is out with a shoulder injury.

Randy Orton, multiple-time champion and crowd favorite, is also out with a shoulder injury, and Seth Rollins, the only former member of The Shield who won’t be on the card, is out with a knee injury.

Those are three big name stars, and you can add a couple more to the list. Daniel Bryan, leader of the Yes Movement and major fan favorite, recently retired due to injuries and concussions, and CM Punk won’t be making an appearance after walking out and deciding to fight in the UFC.

It is worth mentioning that Sting might have been on the card if Rollins hadn’t injured him in at a pay-per-view match called “Night of Champions.” There is no telling if Sting was going to be in a match at WrestleMania 32 or if he would simply slip away into the WWE Hall of Fame, since he was close to the end of his career before the injury.

Mid-card talents will also be missing, including Cesaro (billed as the “Swiss Superman”), who is out with a torn rotator cuff, Luke Harper (member of the Wyatt Family), who suffered a knee injury, Neville (billed as “the Man Gravity Forgot”), who is out with a broken ankle, and Tyson Kidd, who is dealing with an injured neck.

The women’s division is without some star power, as former WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella is out with a neck injury. That leaves her twin sister, Brie Bella, who is married in real life to Daniel Bryan, at WrestleMania.

Injuries are a part of professional wrestling. The outcomes of the matches are predetermined, but the potential for harm from falls, flips, chair shots and so forth, is real.

But even with the injuries, the show must go on, and while the card might be underwhelming, in some areas, it has some potential.

There are three matches on the preshow to WrestleMania 32 that will be televised on the USA network. The chance for some of the biggest early pops might come from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz (tag-team match)

Expect the Usos to get the win here in a quick match that will feature some of their highflying moves and a table or two at some point.

Total Divas vs. B.A.D. and Blonde

The WWE is going to have the Total Divas team (Brie Bella, …

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Comes to a Close

This regular season of college basketball turned out to be wild and unpredictable, so fans hoped that the NCAA Tournament would be the same.

The first weekend of the tournament played out just like the regular season, with upsets and potential Cinderellas. Reality came crashing down during the second weekend as most of the upstarts went home, and the major conferences or basketball powers from non-football conferences were the only programs still standing.

Slowly, the tournament turned into the Atlantic Coast Conference invitational. Seven teams from the ACC got into the tournament, and six went to the Sweet Sixteen. Four ACC teams reached the Elite Eight and two reached the Final Four.

The ACC was so dominant in this tournament that three out of the six of the conference's losses have come at the hands of other ACC teams. University of Wisconsin's win over University of Pittsburgh, University of Oregon's win over Duke University and Villanova University's win over University of Miami (Fla.) were the only non-ACC on ACC losses.

So what began as wild and unpredictable became a question of whether anyone could stop the conference's march to end up as the eventual champion. The uncertainty became full-on blowouts in the Final Four as the University of North Carolina and Villanova rolled Syracuse and the University of Oklahoma, respectively.

Tonight, either the Tar Heels or the Wildcats will win a national championship.

This run in the tournament is something positive for North Carolina after an academic scandal rocked the school. UNC is still waiting for the NCAA to decide what will happen after former athletes and students were found to be taking no-show classes, where students signed up to take a class but didn’t ever see the inside of a classroom even though they earned high grades.

Villanova on the other hand, is living life like it is 1985. The eighth-seeded Wildcats were the last team to win a title with no shot clock.

On its way to the title in 1985, Villanova beat North Carolina, but the Tar Heels won titles in 1993, 2005 and 2009. The Wildcats are looking for their second title in program history.

This game should feature two great defenses and two solid coaches. Villanova reached the final without a possible NBA player on the roster. North Carolina looks for its sixth title and is seemingly always loaded with top talent.

The Wildcats are a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. UNC is athletic and long and can control the paint area.

This matchup is the best overall team against the best conference. North Carolina is a three-point favorite in Las Vegas, but Ken Polmeroy’s model favorites Villanova.

Coverage starts at 8 p.m. on TBS for the national broadcast, TNT will provide the homer call for North Carolina, and Tru TV will give the Villanova homer call.

Right now, the most dominant team in sports is the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team. The Huskies are on a 74-game winning streak, and with a win tonight in the national championship game, they will claim their fourth straight title.

A fourth consecutive championship would be a record in women’s basketball and would only trail the University of California, Los Angeles men’s seven titles from 1967 to 1973. Those great John Wooden-led Bruins teams won 10 titles in 12 seasons overall.

The Huskies’ dominance doesn’t sit well with some people. Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe thinks Connecticut’s program is bad for women’s basketball.

Shaughnessy tweeted: “UConn Women beat Miss St 98-38 in NCAA Tourney. Hate to punish them for being great, but they are killing women’s game. Watch? No Thanks.”

The Boston Globe scribe doesn’t want to punish the Huskies for being great but then goes on to say he doesn’t want to watch said greatness? How is that not punishing UConn for being great?

Did UCLA men’s basketball dominance kill the men’s game? Did Pennsylvania State University women’s volleyball team, who won four straight titles from 2007 to 2010, kill women’s volleyball?

Did Penn State men’s wrestling winning five of the last six national titles ruin men’s wrestling? Did the Green Bay Packers ruin professional football by winning three straight titles, including the first two Super Bowls?

Has the New York Yankees’ dominance of baseball killed the sport following their five of six title wins from 1936 to 1943, their five titles from 1949 to 1953, or their four of five titles from 1996 to 2000?

The Boston Celtics didn’t ruin the NBA when they won eight championships in a row from 1959 to 1966. Even the WNBA is still standing after the Houston Comets captured four straight titles from 1997 to 2000.

Every sport at some time or another has seen a single team dominate the sport. Other teams had winning streaks and championship streaks like UConn .

They Huskies aren’t different from any of those. UConn might be winning by a larger margin, but in the end, winning is winning.

If it is boring or “killing” a sport to see the same team win over and over again, then at some point, everyone should have stopped watching sports. But we still watch.

Fans hold UCLA’s streak of titles in high esteem now, and when history looks back at the Huskies, their streak will be equally revered. There are only so many times in your life when you get to see greatness, and it should be enjoyed, not put down.

If Syracuse University defeats UConn tonight, the Orange should be celebrated as champions, and the Huskies should be celebrated for what they accomplished, as well. But it won’t end the sport if the Huskies win.

Connecticut’s level is what every team should strive to reach in men’s and women’s sports. The very idea that greatness …