FSU Hoops Preview

It was a rough year for hoops in Tallahassee. A year after going 25-10, with a trip to the Sweet 16, the Florida State Seminoles regressed. In the 2012-2013 season, the ‘Noles went 18-16, with a 9-9 record in ACC play. None of their wins came against ranked opponents. Although they made the postseason for the eighth consecutive time, they were quickly dispatched as Rasheem Appleby (27 points on 12-19 shooting) and his Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated FSU 71-66 in the first round of the NIT.

Due to graduation, the Seminoles will be without former All-ACC shooting guard Michael Snaer. Snaer led FSU in points (489,489) and points per game (14.0, 14.8) in each of the last two seasons. He also came through in the clutch on a number of occasions. One of the more memorable moments came on January 21, 2012 when Snaer hit a buzzer beating three-pointer to beat the then  4^th ranked Duke Blue Devils. Without the 8^th leading scorer in team history, FSU will have to look elsewhere for production.

It appears that much of the load will be on senior Okaro White. The 6-8 forward from Clearwater, Florida, averaged 12.4 ppg last year (second on the team) and led the team in rebounds per game with 5.9. White also shot 51% from the field and 81% from the free throw line last season. White, in addition to his play on the court, will also be asked to provide leadership in the locker room.  

Okaro White will be looked to for his leadership.

The Seminole starting frontcourt will also feature 7-0 center Kiel Turpin. The senior transferred in from Lincoln College (junior college) last year and averaged 5.4 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 15.8 mpg. Despite the low per game average, Turpin showed in a number of contests that he is a big that can score the basketball. He also showed what he could do on defense as he averaged 1.3 blocks per game.

With Snaer leaving, Coach Leonard Hamilton will have to see which of his guards will be able to step into that spot the best. Luckily, the Seminoles a good amount of depth when it comes to their guards. Coach Hamilton usually starts three guards in his offense. If last year was any indication, it looks like one of the guards will be sophomore Devin Bookert.  The 6-3 Anchorage, AK product averaged 9.3 ppg in his 11 starts last year. This included a season-high 18 point game in a senior day win against NC State.

Aaron Thomas

The second guard position will, most likely, be filled by Aaron Thomas.  Another one of FSU’s sophomores, Thomas started 12 games last year. For the entire season, he would average 6.0 ppg and 2.4 rebounds. In a February 2 loss to Duke, Thomas came off of the bench to score a team high 14 points. The final guard spot looks to be in the possession of last year’s top recruit Montay Brandon. Standing at 6-5, Brandon has the trademark size that Florida State teams usually flaunt.  A top ten point guard in the country coming out of high school last year, Brandon will now have the stage to live up to that hype.

Montay Brandon

The Seminole bench will feature Ian Miller (g), Terry Whisnant II (g), Robert Gilchrist (f), Joell Hopkins (f),  Michael Ojo (c), and Boris Bojanovsky (c). With three seniors now gone, these players should see more minutes than last year. Whisnant II, should see some significant time at guard if one of the starters should begin to struggle as he started 19 games last season.  In the front court, Bojanovsky and Ojo could expect to see more of the court as Coach Hamilton will want to see what his two young 7 footers can do.

All the way until the day of his decision, Florida State was in the running to get the top high school recruit of 2013, Andrew Wiggins. The Seminole’s luck would run short though as Wiggins would choose to join Bill Self, and his Kansas Jayhawks. Despite this disappointment, the Semionles are still looking to put together a solid recruiting class. Their top recruit was Xavier Rathan-Mays, a 6-3, 180lb guard from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.  Rathan-Mays was rated as the 44^th best prospect and 8^th best guard in the country by ESPN.  Also coming into Tallahassee are 6-9 forward Jarquez Smith (GA). 

The Seminoles have a young, but somewhat experiences team for this upcoming season. In a ACC that now has Pittsburgh and Syracuse, in addition to mainstays like Duke, North Carolina, and Miami, the Seminoles will have to rely on their size and athleticism to carry them through the season.  While losing Michael Snaer may hurt, it will give a chance to guys like White to show that he can be the leader of this team and it will give guys like Bookert, Brandon, and Thomas an opportunity to show that they can replace that production.  

With all of that, look for Florida State to finish 5^th in the ACC,  and to be one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament this coming season.  

For more on Florida State Basketball, please visit http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-baskbl/fsu-m-baskbl-body.html.

She's Hot, They're Hot, Everyone's Hot, Baby!

So, if you haven't heard yet, Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries revealed the reason why his store does not carry plus sizes for women. FYI, A+F only carries pants sizes up to 10 and shirt sizes up to Large. According to Jeffries, "larger" women do not fit in with his marketing scheme towards hot people. In a interview with Salon magazine
2006 he stated:

"That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” 

I read this article when it came through on my Facebook page yesterday from my favorite radio station's website blog. I shared it, thinking it may get some response. What I got was three of my friends, who are girls of varying sizes and shapes, commenting on this article in anger, disgust, and a bit of shock. It was because of these, and the push from them, that I had to post about this. Thanks Haydin, Chelsea and Hanna!

Well, tell us what you really think there Mikey! What this man fails to realize is that women (and everyone by extension) come in all shape and sizes.Whether you are slim, curvy, full-figured, or somewhere in between, you as a person are beautiful. I, personally do not want to trash Mr. Jeffries. I simply want him to think about what he's saying. You are telling potential consumers of your products that A+F does not want them in their stores. I just got a call, American Eagle, H & M, and Aeropostale all said "Thanks for the customers bro!"

Let's step away from the social impact of this. You are telling people not to spend money in your stores because they aren't "hot" enough to wear them. From a business prospective, as my good friend and Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley so eloquently puts it, "That's Turrible." But if you don't want people to spend money to give you more profit, I'm sure after this little statement, they will not mind obliging to your wishes Mr. Jeffries. I'm sure that these people will have no problem shopping somewhere where everyone is considered "hot." 

Sorry My Brethern: Tips for Ladies to "Entertain Themsleves" While Doing Things That Their Men Love"

So, a few weeks ago, I gave my guys some ways to "entertain themselves" while doing things with their girlfriends that they like to do. I would like to think it was a hit! Those who read it, especially females, loved it. In fact, FemFM radio host, Jerrel Phillips, thought it was actually pretty funny. So funny that she invited me to co-host the "Battle of the Sexes" episode of her show!

But, I made a promise that I would turn the tables, and I plan on doing that now. So ladies, here are some tips to "keep yourself entertained" when you are doing things your guy enjoys.

Let's start off at the living room couch. In this situation, he is tuned into some program in the wide world of sports. Now, I will agree that not all women dislike sports. Which is great! But for those of you who could care less who just scored that last touchdown, here's some helpers.

 Root against his team. Nothing will draw more emotion out of him than rooting against the team he holds near and dear. The key to making this tip work is to go all out with it. You cannot be soft. This means that you've got to do a bit of screaming, arguing, and a lot of clapping. A little teasing does not hurt either. This is especially effective in rivalry,playoff, and big games in general. If you know his favorite player (just check his closet for jerseys and, or, t-shirts) be sure to put extra effort and emphasis (Alliteration! Dr. Branam will be so proud when she sees this!) into railing on this particular person!

If your guy is like me, he will have a few fantasy sports teams. Fantasy is basically being the owner/general manager of your own fake sports team (usually online). For this tip, ladies, I want you to join his fantasy league. In order to make this tip work to its fullest, you have to have a little dedication. Keep up with your team. Make sure that your roster is the best it can be. Buy the fantasy magazine guides, look up player stats online, whatever you have to do, do it. The ultimate payoff for this tip will happen (if you do it right) when your team and his team go head to head, and your team wins! Not only will he be in disbelief, but you will have something to brag about to all of his buds. But, for his sake, don't rub it in too hard ;). If your team is good enough throughout the season, you could even make some money out of it! This tip works for my ladies that like sports and those who don't like them as well!

Not every guy is into spots. Some of us are video game guys. We enjoy the feeling that comes from winning a Free for All in Call of Duty or completing a mission in Assasin's Creed. Here are two ways to "enjoy yourself" when he's gaming.

Method 1- Instead of asking him to get off of it, let him play. During his playtime, ask bout each butto press, combo, move, basically anything he does in the game. If he starts to get annoyed, just tell him that you aren't a gamer, and that you are just curious! Do this with each game he plays. Just remember, you are letting him play, so he can't complain that you won't let him do things he enjoys.  As you may be able to infer, this tip works well with the sports situation too.

Method 2- This is more for those of you ladies who enjoy gaming. But even if you do not, this tip will work. If he's playing a multiplayer game, pickup a controller and play with him. You want to make it appear that you  are just sharing the experience with him. Your main goal, much like the fantasy football tip, is to get to a point where you can kick his butt on a consistent basis. Trust me, nothing drives us guys more crazy than losing at something (read as anything) we are doing.

Here is something you can do when you are getting ready to go somewhere he wants to go, but you aren't too fond it. Before you go, you have to get dressed right? Well, you need to know, before you put anything on, how he thinks you look in it. So, instead of showing him two outfits to compare, act like you're in Paris, and make it a fashion show!! Parade each and every outfit and random combination of clothing you have! This will be fun for you as you can channel your inner Tyra Banks and be a model for a hour! Once you settle on the outfit, if you are feeling up to it, do the same thing with your accessories. But, as a warning, at this point, he will pretty much say "Whatever, I don't care anymore, just put something on and let's go!" Once this statement is uttered, you know you've done your job!


Well ladies, I think I've done my job well here. Hopefully this makes up for the tips I gave the guys on how they could enjoy themselves when they were out and about with you! If I missed anything please tell me! I love feedback! Also Stay Strong Boston!

2013 NFL Mock Draft: Part Dos

Here is Part 2 of the 2013 NFl Mock Draft (picks 6-10) as done by my awesome sports writers on The Bottom Line!

Cleveland Browns


Chris- QB Matt Barkley

Southern California

6-3 227 lbs

For the Cleveland Browns, Brandon Weeden, Thad Lewis, and Colt McCoy just have not performed well as their quarterback. The Browns have definitely struggled to put together a successful season in the last ten years. In fact, Rob Chudzinski will be the seventh head coach the team has had in the past fifteen years so the issue comes from more than just the QB position. To some, Matt Barkley seems to be a better and safer pick for a quarterback than Geno Smith. Matt Barkley’s pedigree, being a high school All-American, and fitting well in a pro-style offense could make him a perfect fit for any team.

Brad-CB Dee Milliner

Alabama

5-11 201 lbs

The Cleveland Browns select Alabama CB Dee Milliner with the sixth pick. The Browns have looked to improve their front seven with the signings of DEs Paul Kruger and Quentin Groves. Milliner could provide help opposite CB Joe Haden.

Antonio- CB Dee Milliner  

Alabama

5-11 201 lbs

 

Chris-OG Jonathan Cooper

North Carolina

6-2   311 lbs

Brad-OT Lane Johnson

Oklahoma

6-6 306 lbs

The Arizona Cardinals select OT Lane Johnson from Oklahoma. The Cardinals surrendered the most sacks in the league in 2012 (58) and need to provide their QB with better protection. With Fisher and Joeckel off the board, Lane Johnson is the top remaining OT.

Antonio-DE Ezekiel Ansah

BYU

6-5 271

 Buffalo Bills

   

Chris- QB Geno Smith

West Virginia

6-3 208lbs

Brad-WR Tavon Austin

West Virginia

5-9 174 lbs

The Buffalo Bills select WVU WR Tavon Austin. New acquisition Kevin Kolb can be a starting QB if given sufficient support. Tavon Austin is an ideal fit for the Bill’s spread offense. He could give Kolb a speedy complement to WR Steve Johnson.

Antonio-WR Tavon Austin

West Virginia

5-9 174 lbs

With 572 all-purpose yards, including a school record 344 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Oklahoma Sooners, Austin seems to be one of the best playmakers in this draft. Austin was also clocked running a 4.34 official time in the 40-yard dash at the Draft Combine.

New York Jets

 

Chris- DE Ezekiel Ansah

BYU

6-5 271 lbs

Brad- NT Star Lotulelei

Utah

6-3 320 lbs

The New york Jets select Utah NT Star Lotulelei. Defensive minded head coach Rex  Ryan’s units have not given up much to opposing running backs in years past. This year, the Jets are hooping to better than the 26th ranked rushing defense they were in 2012. Lotulelei could be a piece that makes the run defense stout again.

Antonio- NT Star Lotulelei

Utah

6-3   320 lbs

With five sacks from the Nose Tackle position, Lotulelei has raised eyebrows from many scouts. He is a force against the run as well as the pass. Loulelei helped the Utes to be the 22nd rushing defense in all of Division 1-A. He even had four swats last season.

 Tennessee Titans

   

Chris- ILB Manti Te’o

Notre Dame

6-1 248 lbs

  

 Brad- OG Chance Warmack

Alabama

6-2 317 lbs

The Tennessee Titans select Alabama OG Chance Warmack. The Titans could benefit from some help on the inside of their 0-line and Warmack could be the right addition. The Alabama product plows through defenses and paves holes in the run game. Fellow Alabam draft prospect Eddie Lacy ran for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns behind Warmack and the rest of the ‘Bama line.

Antonio- S Kenny Vaccaro

Texas

6-0 214 lbs

Safety Kenny Vaccaro has done a great job to impress scouts. ESPN.com has given him a grade of 93. With few long passes allowed, the Texas Longhorns had a very formidable pass defense (second in the Big 12 conference). Vaccaro had two interceptions and 91 tackles in his senior season.

Be sure to watch the NFL Draft tomorrow and this weekend on ESPN or the NFL Network!