Month: March 2021

E.J. Liddell to enter NBA draft, will retain college eligibility

Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell will enter the 2021 NBA draft but retain college eligibility, leaving the door open to returning to OSU.

Ohio State basketball forward E.J. Liddell has decided to enter his name into the NBA draft. However, one of the nice things about the process is that Liddell can go through all the paces, receive important feedback from decision-makers, yet still decide to remain with the Buckeyes next year.

It’s the same path that former OSU big man Kaleb Wesson took after his sophomore season before deciding to return and work on key elements of his game. He then went on to try to enter the NBA after his junior season. It was possible because of a very welcome rule change that came in 2016, and it really makes no sense not to take advantage of the benefits of valuable feedback that a player on the fence can get.

Liddell was asked about his desire to enter the NBA draft shortly after Ohio State got eliminated from the NCAA Tournament and said that he had not made up his mind at that point, but it felt like a foregone conclusion.

Now, that looks to have come to fruition.

“After spending time consulting with my family and coaches, I have decided I will be entering my name into the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility,” wrote Liddell. “Reaching the NBA has always been a dream of mine ever since I started playing basketball with my first YMCA team. Timing is everything, trust I won’t rush.”

We wish Liddell well in the process, and whatever decision he ultimately makes, but I feel good about him coming back next season. If he does, he’ll be on the shortlist for conference player of the year in the Big Ten, would likely garner All-American consideration again, and would make Ohio State a very dangerous team.

We’ll obviously keep an eye on this as news progresses.

Report: Alabama hiring Drew Svoboda to replace Jay Graham

Alabama has found its replacement for Jay Graham. Drew Svoboda is joining the Crimson Tide staff as the new special teams/tight ends coach.

The hole on Alabama’s coaching staff didn’t last long. According to Bama Insider, the Crimson Tide are hiring Drew Svoboda as their new special teams coordinator and tight end coach.

Svoboda has been the special teams coach at Memphis since January after coming over from Rice. It was a short stint, but when you’ve got a chance to join arguably the top coaching staff in the country, it’s hard to pass up.

The position originally became available because the newly hired Jay Graham is stepping away from coaching for mental health reasons. He was only on the job two months, and the timing at least gave Nick Saban and company a little time to find his replacement.

Prior to joining Rice, Svoboda was a high school football in the state of Texas. When he made the jump to the college level in 2018, he started off a the Owls’ running back coach before making the switch to special teams.

It’s been quite the climb, but Saban obviously sees something he likes.

Will Reichard and other special teamers have to be excited to have the void filled.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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Where does Mac Jones rank among top QBs in 2021 draft class?

Where does former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones check in on Mark Schofield’s top 11 quarterbacks available in the 2021 NFL draft?

The annual quarterback debate is thriving during draft season once again. Every year, the crop of signal callers are analyzed, criticized and compared to determine who will be the best on the next level.

Last year, Tua Tagovailoa was among those being talked about. His season-ending injury led had some believing a draft day fall could happen, but he was the second quarterback off the board and went to Miami with the No. 5 pick.

This year, it’s Mac Jones. And boy, do people love to criticize the Davey O’Brien Award winner. But how does he stack up against some of the other top quarterback prospects available in the 2021 NFL draft?

Opinions vary, but Mark Schofield with Touchdown Wire has Jones ranked in a typical spot. In his recent article ranking the top 11 quarterbacks in this year’s draft, Schofield put Jones at No. 5.

If you want to check out his list (I highly recommend) then simply click here. Enjoy!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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Los Angeles Kings vs. Vegas Golden Knights live stream, TV channel, start time, prediction, odds, how to watch the NHL online

The Los Angeles Kings will meet the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Los Angeles Kings will meet the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Kings are coming off a 4-1 loss to Vegas in their last week and will look to rebound tonight when they face the Golden Knights again. As for Vegas, they will look to make it two in a row against the Kings on home ice at T-Mobile tonight.

This should be a fun one to watch this evening, here is everything you need to know to stream the NHL action tonight.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Vegas Golden Knights

  • When: Wednesday, March 31
  • Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NHL Odds and Betting Lines

NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Wednesday at 9:20 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles Kings (+185) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-225)

O/U: 6

Want some action on the NHL? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

BLAZING! Watch Nick McCloud’s lightning-fast pro day 40

Don’t blink otherwise you might miss Nick McCloud…

If you follow Notre Dame cornerback Nick McCloud on Twitter you’re well-aware that certainly isn’t lacking any confidence about his football talents.

The former North Carolina State product who spent 2020 at Notre Dame and earned second-team ACC honors promised a big day at his pro day and he certainly delivered, especially in the 40-yard dash.

McCloud put up a blazing 4.37 40-yard dash, the fastest of any Notre Dame player to participate in Wednesday’s pro day.  Check it out for yourself below as even the camera had trouble keeping up with the speedster.

McCloud recorded 33 tackles and one interception for Notre Dame in 2020.

Related:  

Nick McCloud’s pro day press conference

Could a Crimson Tide reunion happen in Dallas?

Patrick Surtain is slated to be the first cornerback drafted in the 2021 NFL draft. One popular spot for him is the Dallas Cowboys …

There are plenty of former Alabama stars in the NFL, who are spread out all across the league. With the 2021 draft quickly approaching and mock drafts heating up, numerous teams could select another Alabama player to add to their roster.

One of those teams could be the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys already have former Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper on their roster, but added former Crimson Tide cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

In his rookie season, Diggs played in 12 games where he recorded 14 pass deflections, three interceptions and a forced fumble.

Now, the Cowboys may look to add to their secondary by drafting another Alabama star, Patrick Surtain II.

Surtain recently spoke on the possibility of playing alongside Diggs in the NFL.

Vikings Place Former Alabama TE Hale Hentges On Retired List

Former Alabama tight end Hale Hentges was placed on the reserve/retired list by the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.

Former Alabama tight end Hale Hentges has been placed on the Reserve/Retired list by his current NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings.

That news was announced by the team’s Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon. No other details were given in the tweet.

https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1376995643793805314?s=20

After a successful career with the Crimson Tide, Hentges went undrafted back in 2019. He landed with the Indianapolis Colts and had a solid start to his career. Unfortunately, that didn’t last and he was waived.

The Washington Football Team snagged him off waivers (of course they did, they love former Alabama players) and spent some time on the practice squad. He then bounced back to Indianapolis before being signed by Minnesota in 2020.

During his time at Alabama from 2015-18, Hentges hauled in only 15 passes for 124 yards. He did add six touchdowns over his last two seasons, however. His teamed up with Irv Smith Jr. to give the offense a nice 1-2 punch at the tight end position.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens next for him.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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The Challenge: Double Agents power rankings after ep. 16

There’s a big moment for a “Challenge” legend.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE CHALLENGE AHEAD!

Ready?

The 36th season of The Challenge is here: it’s Double Agents, which features competitors pairing up in an attempt to win $1 million. But as the title of this edition suggests, all is not as it seems in a season filmed in Iceland filled with some devious twists and turns.

As usual, we’ll do some power rankings each week to see who’s in the lead … and who could fall short.

In this week’s episode: One of this season’s best stories comes to an end in The Crater and one of the most dangerous players might have punched his ticket to the final.

Cowboys’ offseason to start virtually with plans to move to on-field

he latest memo to NFL teams regarding offseason protocols for COVID-19, and what that means for the Dallas Cowboys.

The 2020 offseason was extremely unique and challenging for NFL franchises. Teams implemented game plans and playbooks almost completely virtually, and clubs had just a few short weeks of training camp.  This, of course, severely hampered most of the teams which were revamping with a new coaching staff and trying to implement new schemes and structures. The Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy were one of those teams, struggling to a 6-10 finish.

The league sent out a memo to it’s organizations on Wednesday that details upcoming plans for the offseason programs, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. While there still are plenty of COVID protocols still in place, the NFL believes the 2021 offseason will look much more like what teams are accustomed to, with months of time for on-field practices to take place.

The memo states,

“While the parties (meaning the NFL and the NFLPA) are still discussing possible adjustments to the meeting and on-field work rules and related COVID-19 Protocols, clubs should be prepared to conduct meetings virtually, at least during the early phase of the program.

As we expressed during yesterday’s meeting, we do not anticipate a duplication of last season’s virtual workout program.”

The NFL made it clear that they do not want a fully virtual offseason like last year, but the league also understands that teams can’t jump in head first in this situation, and that there is a process that must take place.

That process is set to include requiring teams to have adequate COVID-19 testing supplies by April 19, updated IDER (Infectious Disease Emergency Response) plans be put in place, loosened restrictions for vaccinated teams or players, and more.

While vaccination will not be mandatory by the league, Pelissero noted the incentives, writing,

“It is also anticipated that clubs that achieve a certain rate of vaccination among its tiered staff and players may be permitted to relax restrictions that apply to meetings, mealtime, and the use of locker rooms.”

The future prospect of an offseason full of  in-person meetings and on-field practices should exhilarate every NFL team, as performing these events virtually just isn’t close to the same.

The Cowboys should especially benefit from the return. The club missed out on much significant time during McCarthy’s debut offseason.

The team hired new defensive Dan Quinn just after the season ended, signifying the second defensive scheme switch in as many years as McCarthy admitted that Mike Nolan tried to install too much considering the hurdles they had to adjust to.

The in-person practice and meeting time will be priceless as Dallas attempts to further implement McCarthy’s system, and as Quinn attempts to catch his unit up to speed.

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Watch: Robert Hainsey meets media ahead of pro day

Which Notre Dame offensive lineman that is off to the pros will be the most difficult to replace?

Robert Hainsey was a mainstay on Notre Dame’s offensive line in recent years as he helped lead one of the best o-line units in all of college football the last couple of years.

Hainsey is now off to the NFL where his ability to play multiple positions will help him greatly in terms of team evaluations.

Hainsey met the media ahead of Notre Dame’s pro day and shared praise for former Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and discussed what the Irish have in current line coach Jeff Quinn.

Watch Hainsey’s entire press conference ahead of Notre Dame’s pro day here: