Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, July 5, 2016
It?s good to be Mike Conley. The former Ohio State Buckeye is expected to ink the richest NBA deal in history. I never envisioned Conley being this good of pro. He?s still going, while OSU teammate Greg Oden has been done for a while.
According to multiple reports, Conley is expected to sign a five-year deal worth $153 million to stay with the Memphis Grizzlies. Crazy money in the NBA right now.
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Speaking of former Buckeyes, can D?Angelo Russell become Ohio State?s next NBA superstar?
The other Ohio State players in the NBA: Jared Sullinger, Evan Turner and Kosta Koufos aren't superstars. Cleveland.com notes that Ohio State hasn't really had a superstar in the NBA since John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas. Russell is on the fast track to that right now. He's in the right market and has the right demeanor to develop a huge following in the NBA if he finds a way to consistently play at the level he's at right now.
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Zach Osterman of IndyStar.com has four Hoosiers to watch on offense in 2016. There are some key holes to fill, especially at QB with Nate Sudfeld gone. But the guy I am watching it OT Brandon Knight, who could be the next top lineman for IU. He?s already being compared to Jason Spriggs.
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Michigan State?s punt block for a TD vs. Michigan was the wildest end to any football game I had ever seen. Now, this: It is up for an ESPY. If it doesn?t win, there should be an investigation.
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Nice story on former Michigan wing Caris LeVert, who kept faith in himself in the NBA draft process and was selected with the 20th pick (Indiana traded to Brooklyn).
I was surprised LeVert went in the first round, given his injury history. But, he has a high ceiling and could be a good pro if he stays healthy.
"I wasn't really that surprised," LeVert said recently to Mlive.com. "I knew I was going to go somewhere in the 20s. … I thought anywhere from 21-29 I'd hear my name called."
Why was he so confident about this?
"(No reason) in particular, I just had a feeling that (the 20s) was the range that I had," he said. "At the end of the day, I kept perspective on everything.
"And I have a great faith in God. I knew, all things considered, I'd be OK."
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Penn State is going to start charging fans to park at the spring game. And David Jones of Pennlive.com isn?t happy about it.
Here is the school?s explanation: "Fans arriving on game day for the 2017 Blue-White game who did not have a 2016 season car or RV parking permit will be charged $20 (cash only) for car parking in the Blue-White game day car lots or $20 (cash only) for RV parking in the overnight RV lot. All RVs will park in the overnight RV lot for the spring game."
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Dan Duggan of NJ.com ranks the current Rutgers NFL players. Who is No. 1? Its? a DB who plays for the Patriots. C?mon, it?s easy. You know.
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Point guard play is a nagging question for Iowa entering next season. A platoon at the position between Christian Williams and Jordan Bohannon may do the job.
HawkCentral.com notes that Williams is the crafty, nibble-the-corners sophomore. Bohannon is the freshman who brings game-changing heat. And don?t forget about wing Peter Jok, who is supposed to get point-guard exposure, too, particularly when the shot clock?s winding down. Iowa should be OK at this key spot as it retools.
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InsideNU.com continues with is position breakdown summer guide. The Wildcats may have the most underrated collections of LBs in the Big Ten led by All-American candidate Anthony Walker.
Walker had an unreal 2015, piling up 122 tackles, 20.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, 1 INT and 1 TD. He did literally everything for this defense, and was probably the best player on the team.
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