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1. I'm not sure where to start. With spring football done, Sunday culminated a fairly slow week on the beat.
I spent the overwhelming majority of my weekend in -- or driving to and from -- Memphis, as my son had a soccer tournament with his club team, Tupelo FC.
I heard about but didn't see the traffic in town for the Morgan Wallen concerts at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It's a cool thing for our town that an act that big would play in Oxford.
I have a feeling his Sunday night cancellation due to a "lost voice" is going to draw some attention. Oxford is a small town. People are going to talk. If his explanation, one put up on video boards less than 10 minutes before he was scheduled to take the stage, doesn't hold up under scrutiny, things could get a little salty, I'm guessing.
It's a shame, for prior to the cancellation, the weekend had appeared to be a banner one for Oxford and Ole Miss -- proof, if anyone needed it, that the town could handle major acts like Wallen. The pictures and videos from the stadium Saturday night were cool.
It's just a shame that so many people who had spent hard-earned money and given up vacation days and whatnot walked out of the stadium Sunday night without getting what they paid for and wondering if they were lied to as well.
2. Ole Miss dropped another series over the weekend, getting swept by LSU.
The Rebels are now 3-15 in the Southeastern Conference, and as we've chronicled for a few weeks now, the math is very much working against Ole Miss at this point. With four weekends remaining, the Rebels very likely have to go at least 10-2 in the SEC to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Georgia, which swept Arkansas over the weekend in Athens, heads to Oxford on Friday to start a three-game set.
At this point, if you harbor that type of optimism, you should get help. It's one thing to live life with a glass-half-full approach. It's another thing to walk around in your own personal fantasy land.
Sunday's loss, by the way, looked and felt like the ultimate dagger. The Rebels led 6-4 in the ninth. LSU was down to its final out, the bases empty. Ole Miss was on the verge of salvaging a game and at least keeping a whisper of hope alive heading into the final month of the season.
A walk, a hit batter and a screaming home run over the left field wall came next, giving LSU a 7-6 lead. The Tigers closed it out in the bottom of the frame and that was that. If we're going to talk about chasing the tournament, we have to discuss the possibility of this becoming a historically bad season. A spot in Hoover, Ala., next month for the SEC Tournament is very much in peril.
It's amazing, really, what a few hot weeks last June did for the Ole Miss program. First and foremost, that torrid stretch ended in a national championship, making legends of several players and cementing Mike Bianco's legacy. It also camouflaged, if we're being honest, two years' worth of regular-season struggles.
A postseason miracle is increasingly unlikely this spring, meaning Bianco and Co. are going to have some soul-searching to do when this season is over. How the roster is built, how aggressively they handle the transfer portal, evaluation, etc. Everything is -- or at least should be -- on the table in terms of self-evaluation.
3. Here's my sure-to-go-terribly wrong predictions for next weekend around the SEC:
Tennessee 2-of-3 versus Mississippi State
Texas A&M 2-of-3 at Arkansas
LSU sweep versus Alabama
Vanderbilt sweep over Kentucky
Florida sweep over Missouri
South Carolina 2-of-3 versus Auburn
Georgia 2-of-3 at Ole Miss
4. We're still waiting for some recruiting pursuits to come to fruition but new Ole Miss coach Chris Beard is continuing the process of overhauling his first roster in Oxford.
As I posted late Friday, I don't think there's any hurry to fill the roster. Beard wants to get it right.
Samford guard Quez Glover remains a target, as does Arizona State guard Austin Nunez and North Texas guard Tylor Perry.
Per sources, Nunez has privately committed to the Rebels and is just waiting for the go-ahead to make it public. Nunez shot 37.7 percent from the 3-point line last season for the Sun Devils.
College Basketball Blue Ribbon Yearbook's Chris Dortch told me he believes Perry will ultimately end up at Texas Tech, but others are optimistic about Ole Miss' chances. Perry visited Ole Miss over the weekend. Coaches in C-USA believe Perry's scoring ability absolutely translates to a Power-5 program. Perry is scheduled to announce a decision May 2.
Ole Miss is still working on Oklahoma State center Moussa Cisse, who began his career at Memphis and will need a waiver to transfer. Ole Miss is also in on Western Kentucky center Jamarion Sharp, and brought him to campus over the weekend. Missouri and Providence are in the mix for Sharp as well. Kentucky is in on the fringes.
The Rebels are also in the mix for Florida State center Naheem McLeod. The 7-foot-4 McLeod averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game over 46 games the past two seasons. He also started 16 games this past season.
5. Speaking of basketball, the NBA Playoffs are ongoing. Here are my quick thoughts on the first-round series:
-- Miami leads Milwaukee, 2-1, entering Monday's Game 4. From ESPN: Giannis Antetokounmpo (back) did individual work on the court at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Sunday afternoon, but Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer did not have further details on his star's status for Game 4.
"We'll continue to monitor him," Budenholzer said following a team film session Sunday. "We'll see how he feels from the session today and see how he wakes up tomorrow."
If he can't go, this thing gets dicey for the Bucks in a hurry.
-- Atlanta salvaged a Game 4 and will likely be eliminated Tuesday by Boston. I continue to believe the Hawks have some real soul-searching that needs to be done at the franchise level. Some of the decisions made have been idiotic.
-- Philadelphia swept Brooklyn, 4-0. The Sixers, behind Joel Embiid, are absolutely a title contender.
-- New York leads Cleveland, 3-1, heading into Tuesday's Game 5 in Ohio. I got this one wrong. I underestimated Jalen Brunson and didn't believe Julius Randle could be this effective on his injured ankle.
-- Minnesota, like Atlanta, salvaged a game on Sunday versus Denver. The Nuggets will likely close things out back in Colorado on Tuesday night. The Timberwolves have a talented roster. Last night was a glimpse of what they could have been.
-- The Lakers will go for a commanding 3-1 lead over Memphis Monday night in Los Angeles. The Grizzlies really need Dillon Brooks to just play basketball. Mouthing off at LeBron James and then taking a cheap shot at one of the game's historically great players isn't winning playoff basketball.
-- The Warriors tied things up with Sacramento, 2-2, winning a dramatic Game 4 Sunday in San Francisco. Can the Kings hold serve at home? On Sunday, their inexperience showed at times, though they closed the game well and had an open look from Harrison Barnes that would've been a game-winner at the buzzer. It hit the back rim and bounced away.
-- Phoenix leads the Clippers, 3-1, and should close things out Tuesday in Arizona. The Clippers, without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, just don't have enough. An aside: This series has been vindication of sorts for Russell Westbrook. The embattled guard has played extremely well.
6. Spring football is over, but football itself was very much in the news this past week.
According to a report from CBS Sports, the NCAA is set to make a significant rule change that has been in place for college football since 1968. In what has long differentiated the collegiate game from the NFL, the game clock would always continue to run following first downs. As of Friday, that no longer remains the case.
As noted by Yahoo's Pete Hernandez, the NCAA’s decision comes with the purpose of trying to speed up the pace, lower the total volume of plays, and make the games run in less time overall.
This has been met with mixed reactions. On one hand, fans say, "Hey, there aren't but 12 of these games guaranteed for my team each year. Why are we rushing to end them?" And I get that. It's a sensical argument.
On the other hand, we have to be honest about this. Television is footing the insane bills these days and if the game is too long for TV windows -- and more often than not, it is -- something has to be done to speed it up. Getting rid of some commercials, by the way, isn't something the networks are going to entertain, so Dikembe Mutombo with that stuff.
Four-plus hours for a college football game is just too long. This fix, in my opinion, has been a long time coming.
7. Speaking of football, the NFL Draft begins Thursday in Kansas City.
From ESPN Senior Writer Todd McShay:
Thursday night is going to be fun. I've been talking with execs, scouts, coaches and other evaluators around the league to get the latest surrounding how each team might use their 2023 NFL draft picks and which top prospects are on the rise. My biggest takeaway: We're in for some surprises.
Of course, we won't know for sure how the board will fall until the first-round picks start coming in, and you can always expect some smoke screens at this stage, but the buzz points to some unexpected targets in the top 10 and some potential shuffling up and down the board. Which teams are in on quarterbacks, and which passers are high on their boards? Who could be looking to jump up for a certain player or slide down for more draft capital? Which prospects could go higher than expected, and which selections might throw chaos into Round 1?
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman speculated Monday that Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud's stock has taken a hit.
“I’ll be honest, I had Stroud ahead of (Bryce) Young,” said one veteran NFL QB coach whose team isn’t in the market to take a quarterback high in this draft. “But then I dug into some other things and put Young ahead of him.”
The coach said Stroud checked all the boxes he likes to see from a first-round QB: “He’s got mobility and size; (he) can make all the throws and he throws with timing (and) anticipation.” All of those things shined in his film.
The coach dismissed some of the skepticism of people who ding Stroud because the program he’s come out of at Ohio State, despite all of its success, hasn’t produced a top-level NFL quarterback in generations. Perhaps Justin Fields will become that, but it’s much too soon to tell.
“I think people have some concerns over what those guys from that school have done the past few years,” he explained. “But I don’t think you can do that to the player. I don’t think that’s fair.”
Stroud’s stock, though — at least as reflected in media circles — has taken a hit as word has surfaced over his reportedly low score in the S2 Cognition Test. S2 researchers last year studied the scores of 117 quarterbacks who had taken the test through the 2022 draft and charted the data. According to the company, the S2 Eval for quarterbacks examines nine different cognitive skills: Perception Speed, Search Efficiency, Tracking Capacity, Visual Learning, Instinctive Learning, Decision Complexity, Distraction Control, Impulse Control, and Improvisation.
All eyes are on Carolina and Young. He'll likely go first overall and the former Alabama star has a sky-high ceiling. But he's small, something an NFL coach said worries him if he were making the choice.
“I think people are viewing Bryce as a perfect prospect otherwise, but he’s not perfect even without the size,” the coach told Feldman. “His arm is not strong. It is below what most of the better quarterbacks in the NFL have. I think he will struggle to make some throws to the field outside the numbers. On seam routes, crossing routes, he’s going to be a little late. His footwork isn’t good because he’s got this Steph Curry style, that’s like, ‘I’m playing like I’m not even sweating.’ It’s awesome, but you’re gonna miss on some throws being a tick late on time throws. He was a little loose in college because I think he knew I can get away with this. C.J.’s footwork was tight, really good. He has a much higher floor. Bryce has a higher ceiling for sure.”
Then there's Florida's Anthony Richardson, Kentucky's Will Levis and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker. All have believers. All have critics. It should be a fascinating weekend as teams roll the dice on guys they hope become franchise quarterbacks.
8. We're almost one month into the Major League Baseball season. Here are some quick observations:
-- How about the Pittsburgh Pirates? The Bucs are 16-7, one-half game ahead of Milwaukee in the National League Central. The schedule has been soft, sure, but Pittsburgh has done a strong job of building a talented young core. They'll most assuredly fade, but they're a great early story.
-- Speaking of the Central, St. Louis is 9-13 out of the gate, 6.5 games behind the Pirates and six behind the Brewers. The Cardinals are better than that, but starting pitching is an issue in St. Louis. The Cardinals' rotation is old and if it can't get settled in pretty quick, there could be some panic at Busch.
-- Boston is 12-11. The Red Sox are in last place, already 7.5 games back. That's how good Tampa has been to start the season. The Rays are 19-3, winners of five in a row and playing phenomenal baseball. Baltimore is 14-7. The Yankees and Toronto are 13-9 each, and while it's early, probably already worried about the division getting away.
- The Angels are 11-11, 3.5 games back of first-place Texas in the American League West. Keep an eye on that story, as it's certainly possible the Angels move Shohei Ohtani at the deadline if they're out of contention. Has there ever been a bigger trade chip in late July?
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 183 — Pizza Fritta.
This is something that I ate in Italy a few weeks back and let me tell you…wildly delicious. That said, you only need 1 or 2 because it is oily. Of course, this depends on the size of the fried pizza.
Tidbit #1: For the pizza dough, go by your favorite pizza place and buy a few doughs. Let them sit in the fridge for a day before and you will get even more flavor.
Tidbit #2: When it comes to combos on the inside of the dough, stick to the ingredients below. The reason is that the ingredients won’t get too hot on the inside while the pizza is frying. Tomato sauce will burn your mouth. Trust me.
Tidbit #3: Use a few paper towels to wrap around the bottom of the pizzas to serve them. Easy cleanup!
Tidbit #4: A little history of fried pizzas from Naples for you - the reason they gained popularity was that they were easy to prepare after the war. Usually, you have huge wood ovens to prepare traditional pizzas but those were destroyed.
Things you will need:
4 people
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 10 minutes
Rest time - 3 minutes
Birra Moretti on draft if possible
Utensils needed:
Work surface and rolling pin
Stovetop
Soup bowl or cookie cutter
Spider
Saucepot
Paper towels
Cooling rack
Ingredients needed:
2 Pizza doughs
Sliced Mortadella with pistachios
Fresh Ricotta
Fresh buffalo mozzarella
Pesto sauce
Fresh Basil
Frying oil
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Heat your oil to 350°F. Place your ingredients on your work surface for an easy assembly process.
Step 2: Roll out the first dough to about a ¼ inch in thickness. Next, begin to cut out smaller rounds using the soup bowl or cookie cutter.
Step 2.1: Start with the mortadella in the center of the pizza, followed by the ricotta, mozzarella, pesto, and finally a few fresh basil leaves. Rub some water around the edge and then fold it to resemble an empanada.
Final
Step 3: Dip the spider in the hot oil and then place the pizza on top of the spider. Plunge both into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides. About 2-3 minutes. Take from the oil and place on your wire rack to let cool for a few minutes. Then dig in.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football/basketball recruiting and whatever else may pop this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
A 98-year-old superfan kicks off the Coach Prime era at Colorado
Rivals.com - Three-Point Stance: NCAA rules, Arch Manning, five-star candidates
How biometric data proved Justin Jefferson was a unicorn: 'Holy ... he is off the charts'
Meet the Celtics' Bus One Boys: Fun, fake meetings and Billy Joel sing-alongs
Anonymous NBA player poll 2023: Who’s the MVP? Most overrated player? Best and worst fans?
What Jason Heyward has brought to the Dodgers (and the Cubs): 'That kind of positivity'
Joe Maddon on Cubs' former core: 'We should’ve stayed together longer, there’s no question'
