Iowa: the Hawkeyes rise to the top

First Down - Iowa was so close to a perfect season last year...but those hopes ended when quarterback Ricky Stanzi broke his leg in the 10th game of the season...with Stanzi healthy, the Hawkeyes can run the table...

Second Down - one of the most under-rated big time receivers is Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (photo, right) who hails from Campbell, Ohio...DJK and partner Marvin McNutt can stretch defenses...

Third Down - Iowa has two possible first team All-Americans on defense: safety Tyler Sash and defensive end Adrian Clayborn...Clayborn is a sure fire NFL first rounder next season...

Fourth Down - the schedule breaks favorably for Iowa as they only have four away games...Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and in-state rival Iowa State all come to Iowa City this year...the only major hurdle comes on September 18th when Iowa plays at Arizona....Wildcats head coach and Iowa graduate Mike Stoops could cost his alma mater a shot at the national title...

Hail Mary - How many offers from the NFL will Kirk Ferentz get after this season?...

Prediction - 12-0 - the Hawkeyes make it to Glendale to play for the title...if Butler can make it to the title game in basketball, why not Iowa in football?...

Alabama: Another solid year

First Down - Let's get right to the point, Alabama will not win the BCS title this year...the Tide will be dang good, but there is no way they can replace three stud defensive players who have moved onto the NFL: Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, and Javier Arenas...these three players were leaders on the field who made plays when the team needed it most...remember Cody's blocked field goal against Tennessee...the Tide does get Dont'a Hightower back at linebacker after suffering a season ending injury last year...

Second Down - Mark Ingram is a battering ram...he will have an All-American season, but will not win the Heisman...Heisman voters are critical of current winners who can possibly win the award twice...

Third Down - Bama get Florida at home on October 2nd...but the next week they have to travel to South Carolina...be very careful my friend -- this smells of a trap game...

Fourth Down - All the focus will be on Ingram, but the player who may shine brightly this year is sophomore running back Trent Richardson who would be an All-American on any other team...

Hail Mary - It's nice to see Penn State and Alabama playing again...where is former Bama linebacker Barry Krauss who made that memorable goal line stop against Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to preserve the Tide's 14-7 win and national title...

Prediction - 12-1...South Carolina picks off the Tide...

Ohio State: Will the real Terrelle Pryor please stand up

First Down - Terrelle Pryor had a super game in Ohio State's victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl...was his Rose Bowl performance the type of play Ohio State fans will see for 13 straight games or will the Pryor from the USC and Purdue games slip in its ugly head?...

Second Down - the combination of Saine and Herron allow Ohio State to keep a fresh back in the game and pound away at defenses...this is the key to Tresselball...

Third Down - Interesting fact - former Wisky coach Barry Alvarez is the only Big Ten coach to beat Tressel in back-to-back years...it is highly doubtful that Purdue's Danny Hope will be joining Alvarez in that feat...

Fourth Down - the key to this season is keeping Pryor healthy...if Pryor gets hurt, Ohio State does not have a proven back-up who can step in...

Hail Mary - Did you ever wonder what color of underwear Tressel wears on game day?...

Prediction - 10-2...Buckeyes have another double digit win season...

Michigan - Rich Rod has to produce

First Down - Rich Rodriguez's future in Ann Arbor is very simple - he has to go either 8-4 or 7-5 and beat Ohio State...time has run out for excuses and stating that he has to get "his type" of players to operate the spread offense...

Second Down - pundits may think Michigan has no chance at beating Ohio State...however, last year's score was 21-10 and Tate Forcier's five turnovers doomed Michigan...a porous defense all season long tightened up and held Terrelle Pryor to 67 yards passing...also, Ohio State is ripe to get picked off soon in the series...an underdog Michigan team has never spoiled an Ohio State season while Jim Tressel has been the coach in Columbus...complacency and arrogance may bite the Buckeyes soon in this series...

Third Down - if Michigan is going to have any success this season, the defense has to improve...often times last season, the Michigan offense would score a touchdown only to have the defense allow the opponent to match the score in a matter of minutes...the secondary is very young and that is Rodriguez's fault for recruiting marginal players academically who have since been dismissed from the team (Witty, Turner, Dorsey, Cissoko)...

Fourth Down - Michigan opens the season and their newly renovated stadium on September 4th against Connecticut...is it possible that one year from now U.Conn's Randy Edsall may be back in Ann Arbor, but this time as the new head coach of Michigan?...

Hail Mary - I always wondered, with the last name of Rodriguez, does Rich Rod speak fluent Spanish?...

Prediction - 7-5 - Michigan will win seven games, but one will be against I-AA U.Mass....so in actuality, it is only six I-A wins...can someone get me Randy Edsall's phone number?...

A new Labor Day tradition?

Michigan vs. Ohio State in September???...accordining to Detroit Free Press columnist, that would make sense...

Drew Sharp

A new start

It's been a few months, but Stiles Points is ready to start running again...we got some new tires and did some work under the hood...

Ideally, I would like to post everyday, but realistically that cannot happen because of my job...and, I don't plan on quitting my job anytime soon...so I would like to post at least 2-3 times a week and if time permits, maybe more...

With football season ready to open and the baseball playoff races heating up, this is the best time to put some gas in this machine and start rolling again...

Sit back and enjoy..

Second round steals

With the first round of the NFL Draft over, here are some steals in the second round...these players were worthy of being first round selections:
- Taylor Mays, safety, USC (photo)
- Golden Tate, wide receiver, Notre Dame
- Briance Price, defensive tackle, UCLA
- Jimmy Clausen, quarterback, Notre Dame
- Greg Hardy, defensive end, Ole Miss
- Sergio Kindle, outside linebacker, Texas

I Wanna Be A Cowboy

Who can ever forget one of the best songs from the 1980s - I Wanna Be A Cowboy - by Boy's Don't Cry...there are so many great lines in the song, but the best one is at the end when he says, "My name is Ted, and one day, I'll be dead"...

Here are the words, then kick back and enjoy the video:
Riding on the range,
I've got my hat - on,
I've got my boots - dusty.

I've got my saddle
On my horse.
He's called....T-t-t-t-t-trigger
Of course.

I wanna be a cowboy
and you can be my cowgirl
I wanna be a cowboy
and you can be my cowgirl
I wanna be a cowboy

Riding on the chuck wagon,
Following my man.
His name is Ted,
Can you believe that?
Camping on the prairie
Plays havoc with my hair.
Makes me feel quite dirty,
Though we all do sometimes

I wanna be a cowboy
and you can be my cowgirl
I wanna be a cowboy
and you can be my cowgirl
I wanna be a cowboy

Looking like a hero,
Six-gun at my side,
Chewing my tobacco.
Out on the horizon,
I see a puff of smoke.
Indians on the warpath,
White man speak-em
with forked tongue.
Or not.

I wanna be a cowboy
and you can be my cowgirl
I wanna be a cowboy

My name is Ted,
And one day I'll be dead yo yo.

George Selvie - the forgotten man

George Selvie
Defensive End - South Florida
6'5", 252 lbs, 4.93 - 40
Two years ago, Selvie would have been a sure fire first round pick...he was coming off a national leading 31.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks...an ankle injury his junior led to a decline in stats...but in 2009, despite being healthy, Selvie's stats dropped to 9.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks...he is considered a tweener at LB or DE but will probably be a third-down rush DE...I have seen Selvie play over the last 3 years and believe he will be a late round steal...he is projected to go after round 5...NFLDraftScout has him rated the 17th best DE...

NFLDraftScout: "Can be a one-trick pony with the outside rush, so tackles easily push him around the pocket. Long arms and closing speed makes it difficult for ballcarriers to escape his grasp. Works had throughout the game no matter how often he's double-teamed."

The Sporting News: "Selvie is one of the fasted defensive ends but most of his production came early in his career. He is best suited to play as an undersized end in a 4-3 scheme."

Lonyae Miller - the other Fresno back

Lonyae Miller
Running Back - Fresno State
6'0", 221 lbs, 4.43 - 40

While at Fresno, Miller was behind the nation's leading rusher Ryan Matthews...had only 354 yards last season...would have been a starter on many other teams...has the size and speed...rated 17th best running back by USA Today...NFLDraftScout has Miller listed as 11th best back...

NFLDraftScout: "Some upside here as he has a rate combincation of size and straight-line speed and has a great deal of tread left on his tires. Quality teammate who handled the demotion behind Ryan Matthews well. Patient runner who will allow the hole to open."

The Sporting News" Projected as 5th rounder..."While it is doubtful he'll ever start at the next level, he showed the talent to do so at the Senior Bowl."

Joique Bell: Division II's best

Joique Bell
Running Back, Wayne State (Mich)
5'11", 220 lbs, 4.68 - 40
First name is pronouced "joyk"...Bell was the Division II Harlon Holl Award Trophy winner last season which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy...he rushed for 2,094 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2009...he finished his career with 6,728 yards and 89 TDs...the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs have shown an interest...Bell is rated the 12th top running back by NFLDraftScout...

NFLDraftScout: "Lacks breakaway speed or second gear once in the open, but smaller defenders have a tough time tracking him down. Strong runner in trash who keeps legs churning until he's on the ground."

Bleacher Report: "Running back Joique Bell of Wayne State, a Division II school in Detroit, took a chance on a smaller school over bigger local schools like Michigan and Michigan State because they saw him as a safety, and Bell wanted to be a running back. In retrospect, Bell made the right positional choice -- factor in his return totals, and he's top ten in NCAA total yardage no matter the school.

Of course, that's the question: How do we look at Bell's NFL potential when all we have are his numbers against giants like Ferris State, Mercyhurst, Saginaw Valley and Findlay? No offense against those fine schools, or Wayne State itself, but it's generally tough to get a sense how a kid will do against the Baltimore Ravens if he's been facing players whose college careers will be the end of their football days.

That's where the Senior Bowl comes in. After he gained over 2,000 yards in each of his last two seasons, Bell got an invitation to Mobile, Ala., and immediately impressed the pro coaches, scouts and personnel people in attendance. After the third day of Senior Bowl practice, Ravens running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery told the Detroit Free Press that Bell had been, "as offensive skill guys [go], the most impressive guy."

"You see if a guy can make a guy miss when he's in the hole," Montgomery continued. "What I saw ... four times when he had the ball, he was able to front up a guy right in the hole and shake him and get out of there."

Montario Hardesty - a solid back in the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away...over that span, Stiles Points will be looking at some of the "sleepers" to keep an eye on...these players will more than likely be drafted late or are overshadowed by others at their position...but it doesn't mean they will not make an NFL team...

Montario Hardesty
Tennessee, Running Back
6'0", 225 lbs, 4.49 - 40
NFLDraftScout has Hardesty rated the 6th best running back...I saw Hardesty play 3-4 times last year and really like how he operated in an NFL style offense under then head coach Lane Kiffin...

Hardesty has a history of injury problems, but when healthy he is a horse - a type of back that I love...he rushed for 1,345 yards last season...

NFLDraftScout has this about Hardesty: "Characterized as the consumate teammate. Twice voted team captain. Breaking tackles is one of his best attributes. Lacks elite staight-line speed, but can beat the linebacker to the edge and turn the corner.. Good receiver used on a variety of routes."

The Examiner: "Prior to the combine Hardesty was projected as a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. With this demonstration of athletic ability and proof that he is focused and willing to work and improve, he may very well have vaulted himself into the 2nd round of the NFL draft."

Favorite Quotes

I am starting a new topic called "Favorite Quotes"...every so often I will discuss some of my favorite quotes and its meaning...today, there are two quotes that I always liked...

Quote 1
"Every dog has its day."
When I was a kid, I was watching Scarface and Tony Montana said this quote. But after doing a little research, I found out that it was first spoken in the Shakespeare play "Hamlet" (Act 5, Scene 1)

HAMLET:
Let Hercules himself do what he may,
The cat will mew and dog will have his day."

In "Scarface,", Tony says, "Every dog has his day, huh, Mel? We fucked up. He got away"...

Basically, the most common interpretation is that any person's moment of glory is inevitable...

Quote 2
"I'm Tony Montana! You fuck wit me, you fuckin' wit da best!"
This is another "Scarface" quote...I love this quote because at this point in the movie, Tony's back is against the wall, but his confidence shines as he believes that he is going to take down all these federal agents...and these agents don't realize who they are actually dealing with...Tony Montana is not some run-of-the-mill thug...

Jimmy Chitwood: The Milan Miracle

With Butler's run during the tournament and the Final Four being held in Indianapolis, there has been a lot of talk about the movie "Hoosiers"...Jerry Crowe of The Los Angeles Times writes a feature about the star player in that movie - Jimmy Chitwood . . .  "Maris Valainis, 47 and now living in Southland, is still recognized from his portrayal of the player who made the winning jumper in the 1986 film, one of the most beloved sports movies of all time. The Indiana native's acting career was short-lived, but his cinematic basket is immortal." Jimmy Chitwood

The Summertime Blues

Summer is fast approaching and we will soon be having days of sun, humidity, and things that annoy me...

We have had a few nice sunny days so far this year and already people are annoying me...the first telltale sign that the temperature is going up is when you have to hear someone else's car music...the earth rattling bass of some young punk who has their music blasting and car windows down...I don't want to hear your freakin music!!!!...

Another annoying part of warm weather is the dust!!!...when will the street cleaner come around and clean my street...I can't even open my windows because all the dirt and dust just flows through the air anytime a car goes past...

My final annoyance has not happened yet this year, but it is just a matter of time...guys who wear no shirts and guys who wear no shirts but long jeans...

As Ricky Ricardo would say, "let me splain,"....I don't want to see some dude with his bare chest...I could understand if some young muscular fella does not wear a shirt, but I hate when these old leather skinned or flabby disgusting men walk around with no shirt like they are some stud...PUT ON A FREAKIN SHIRT!!!!...

The topper is when you see men who do not wear a shirt because of the heat but they wear jeans...haven't you ever heard of something called "shorts"...if you are that hot, put on a pair of shorts and light t-shirt instead of walking with a stiff pair of jeans...

Yep, it is that time of the year...the time of dust, music, and leather skinned men...as I sit on my back porch and complain about it, there is one good thing that I can look forward to -- hot women in short shorts...the misery!!!!...

Khalid El-Amin: the dough boy who paid off

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun won his first national title with a beefy, cocky sophomore point guard from Minnesota named Khalid El-Amin...El-Amin scored the last four points for the Huskies 77-74 upset of highly touted Duke in 1999...

During his career in the Big East, El-Amin was an easy target for opposing crowds to taunt him with the chant "fatboy" or "doughboy"...that did not detract him as he finished with career numbers of 15.3 PPG and 4.4 APG...

El-Amin was drafted in the second round by the Chicago Bulls and played only 50 games in the NBA over two seasons...he found more success in the European Leagues...in 2006, he was named the MVP for the regular season and playoffs as he led Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukraine Superleague to the league championship...

For more about El-Amin, check out his website - Khalid El-Amin Website

Landon Turner: what could have been

In the last game that he ever played, former Indiana star junior forward Landon Turner helped the Hoosiers beat North Carolina to win the national title...that happened in April 1981...four months later, Turner was paralyzed from the chest down after being involved in a one-car accident...

Turner was highly recruited out of Indianapolis and chose to play at Indiana because of head coach Bob Knight...during his freshman year, the Hoosiers won the NIT...two years later they took the national title...

But the championship year was a rocky road for Turner who often found himself in Knight's "doghouse"...late in the season, everything finally clicked for Turner as he began hustling and understanding what Knight demanded from the team...once inserted back into the starting lineup, the Hoosiers never lost another game that season...

Turner was named MVP in the semi-final win over LSU, in which he was the leading scorer and second in rebounds...he was named to the All-Tournament Team

Since his accident, Turner completed his degree at Indiana...Turner is now a motivational speaker...he does not let his confinement to a wheelchair deter him from anything...

In a 2006 article on ESPN.com, Turner is featured during hunting season in which he annually gets a gobbler...Landon Turner - The hunter

Monte Towe: Small but mighty

In 1974, the N.C. State Wolfpack put a brief, yet small dent in the UCLA dynasty led by head coach John Wooden...the Wolfpack upset the defending champion Bruins 80-77 in the national semi-finals...two days later N.C. State won the National Title by beating Marquette 76-64...

N.C. State had superstar David Thompson, but the engine of the team was a 5'7" point guard from Converse, Indiana named Monte Towe...during his time at N.C. State (1972-74), Towe was named to the 1974 All-Tournament team and was also an All-ACC selection...

The Wolfpack posted a 79-7 overall record during Towe's three-year career, including a 57-1 stretch from 1972-73 (27-0) and 1973-74 (30-1)...the Wolfpack won two ACC titles (1973 and 1974), and Towe did not lose a conference game until his senior season...

Because dunking was illegal in that era, Towe and Thompson are credited with "inventing" the alley-oop...Towe would throw the ball to Thompson while he was in the air and Thompson would gently drop the ball in the basket...

Towe was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the third round of the 1975 ABA draft and by the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth round of the 1975 NBA Draft...he joined Thompson in Denver...

After his playing career, Towe got into coaching as he served as Norm Sloan's assistant at N.C. State (1979-80) and then at Florida (1981-89)...Towe later served as general manager and coach in the Global Basketball Association...

In 2000, Towe landed his first legitimate head basketball coaching job at the University of New Orleans....he compiled a 70-78 record over five seasons before leaving to become associate head coach at North Carolina State under current head coach Sidney Lowe (photo, above)...

All-Stiles Points Team

In 1982, CBS Sports took over broadcasting the NCAA Tournament from NBC...over the last 28 years there have been some remarkable players who have been part of college basketball...below is my All-Stiles Points college basketball team since 1982...

If I was comprising a team, these are the players who I would want...to make it fair, I have excluded Michael Jordan because everyone would select him...this team is built to win games and not be a squad of former Players of the Year...it doesn't matter what these players did in the NBA, if they even made an NBA team...I want a team that has an emphasis on scoring from the three point line, but decent enough to have an inside presence in case the jumpers were not falling...the one prerequisite is that they had to play at least two years of college basketball...

Starting Five
Small forward - Lenny Bias, Maryland - Bias (photo above) was a Jordan-like player who could score from anywhere on the floor...

Power forward - Christian Laettner, Duke - he may have been the most hated college player during his playing days, but Laettner was like money in the bank...he was the best clutch player that I have seen in college basketball...

Center - Patrick Ewing, Georgetown - the face of the Big East Conference...Ewing was a defensive stopper who led the Hoyas to the championship game three times, winning once...Georgetown has never been back to the finals since Ewing left...

Point guard - Bobby Hurley, Duke - best pure point guard I have ever seen in college basketball - period!!!...a floor general and a leader...

Shooting guard - Chris Mullin, St. John's - (photo, right) the best pure shooter in the Big East Conference during its heydays of the 1980s...he led St. John's to the Final Four in 1985...

Bench
Shooting forward - Glen Rice, Michigan - I need a forward who is a deadly pure outside shooter and Rice fits that mold...his role would be to shoot, shoot, and shoot from the outside...

Power forward - Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina - Psycho would be my Kurt Rambis-like player who would do all the dirty work yet still be a scoring threat...

Center/Forward - Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma - Tisdale (photo, right) died last year of cancer...he was not a spectacular player in the NBA...but he was a great college player who could pull down rebounds and play either the 4 or 5 spot...

Point guard - Steve Alford, Indiana - if Hurley was to get injured, I would need another floor general...no one better than Mr. Alford...plus he may have been the best free throw shooter of his era...

Shooting guard - Stephen Curry, Davidson - his performance in the NCAA tournament two years was the most amazing I have seen in years...

Specialist

Three point specialist - Gerry McNamara, Syracuse - don't laugh at this selection...just ask Kansas how explosive G-Money can be from the three point arc...and who can forget his clutch shooting in Syracuse's memorable run to the Big East title in 2006...I could have went with J.J Redick, but G-Money is more my type of player because he has heart...

Defensive stopper - Gene Smith, Georgetown - another selection that will have people scratching their head...Smith was a guard for the Hoyas title teams during the Ewing-era...he was the best defensive guard ever...he would set up opponents and get them to commit a charge...he made it look so easy...I don't need any more scorers with this team...so that is why I went with defense...

Mateen Cleaves: his name is "magical" at MSU

When asking who is the second greatest player to ever wear a Michigan State basketball uniform (with Magic Johnson being the greatest) most often you will get the name Mateen Cleaves...

Cleaves, a native of Flint, Michigan, led the Spartans to the 2000 national title over Florida - their second in school history - and was named the tournment's Most Outstanding Player...Cleaves will be remembered for spraining his ankle early in the second half and limping to the lockers...with Florida closing in to take the lead, Cleaves returned four minutes later to help Michigan State go on a 16-6 run to put the game away...

Cleaves was the Spartans only three-time All-American and was named Big Ten Player of the Year twice...he is the Big Ten's all-time leader in career assists with 816...in his final home game on senior night, Cleaves dished out 20 assists, breaking the Big Ten single-game and career assist marks...

But Cleaves' success never translated at the NBA level...he was drafted 14th overall by the hometown Detroit Pistons...he lasted just six years in the NBA - mainly as a bench warmer...he then played for the U.S. D-League and for teams in Europe before finally calling it career after the 2009 season...

On March 14, 2010, Cleaves joined Fox Sports Detroit as a Detroit Pistons studio analyst...he is also involved in the music industry as an owner of the record label All Varsity Entertainment, featuring Jon Connor...it was reported in today's newpaper (March 24th) that Cleaves was recently arrested for drunk driving...