The Saints Rookie core could dominate the NFC for years

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by Roderick McLean

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The New Orleans Saints season came to an end with a loss against the Minnesota Vikings on January 14th. Case Keenum threw a game winning touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs that some now call the “Minneapolis Miracle” to defeat the saints 29-24. 

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Even though the season did not end the way the Saints wanted. New Orleans has positioned themselves to be a force in the NFC for years to come. 

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The Saints success this season was due in large part to a stacked collection of talent in their rookie class. Offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk and safety Marcus Williams were named to the PFWA all-rookie team. Ramczyk played 527 snaps (about 8 games) and was ranked 19th among all tackles.

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Marcus Williams will become infamous for not making the play on the game saving tackle against the Vikings. However, not many know that he had a silent impact the Saints all season. 

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He even had a major interception in the Division game against the Vikings to keep them in the game. Williams also had four interceptions and 73 combined tackles this regular season.

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Running back Alvin Kamara won PFWA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year with Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. Kamara had 728 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had 81 receptions, 826 receiving yards, and 5 receiving touchdowns and became one of the most noteworthy young breakout stars in the league. 

 

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Cornerback Marshon Lattimore won PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year. He had 52 combined tackles and 5 interceptions. Lattimore showed he can be a difference maker at the cornerback position.

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The New Orleans Saints are looking like they can be the NFL team of the future. With young athletes who are fresh out of college producing in major rules, and Drew Brees staying in the Bayou for another couple of seasons, the saints could potentially run the table in the NFC for years to come.

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The NFL awards

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Roderick McLean | Staff Writer

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The NFL season is coming to an end, and awards are up for grabs. There have been many surprises this season. Teams that were expected to be lackluster proved doubters wrong by making the playoffs and eliminating teams thought to be on top.

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The Coach of the Year Award is completely up for grabs, with the top candidates Sean McVay (L.A. Rams), Doug Pederson (Philadelphia), Mike Zimmer (Minnesota), Doug Marrone (Jacksonville) and Sean Payton (New Orleans). Each coach has something different to offer.

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McVay completely turned the Rams around. Last year, under Jeff Fisher, they finished 4-12. However, this year has been completely different. The first-year head coach has brought in a new culture for the team and it is clearly showing, as the Rams finished 11-5.

Marrone is another coach deserving of the award. The Jaguars finished a flat 3-13 in 2016. This year, they not only went 10-6 but also won their division and went to the AFC Championship Game.

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McVay and Marrone are most likely the frontrunners for the award.

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However, there are some underdogs. You can’t count out Bill Belichick (New England), Payton and Zimmer.

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When it comes to the Offensive Player of Year, it comes down to three main players, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have two of them. Antonio Brown was just incredible this year. The Steelers’ wideout led the league in receiving yards all while missing the last two games of the season.

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Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will be another contender for the award. He ended the season in third for total rushing yards and racked up 655 receiving yards as well.

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The Rams’ Todd Gurley caught the attention of fans, too. Gurley had 279 carries, 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns.

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Notable nominees for Defensive Player of the Year are Calais Campbell (Jacksonville), Demarcus Lawrence (Dallas), Aaron Donald (L.A. Rams), Everson Griffen (Minnesota) and Jalen Ramsey (Jacksonville). Despite the numerous nominees, it appears that Campbell should get this award. After all, Campbell finished the season with 67 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.

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Many players have had an MVP type of season, including Carson Wentz (Philadelphia), Tom Brady (New England), Drew Brees (New Orleans), Russell Wilson (Seattle), Brown and Gurley.

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The MVP race for the 2017 season changed multiple times as injuries haunted the NFL’s top players. Players like Wilson and Brown were clearly leading the pack, but injuries hurt their chances. Wentz looked to be the easy pick, but he was injured as well, tearing his ACL in week 14.

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Now, it looks as if the fallback guy will be who many consider the greatest player of all time, Brady. The Patriots quarterback had another stellar season, leading the league in passing yards while throwing 32 touchdowns.

Voters will decide the winners for each award Feb. 3.

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A peek at top NBA draft prospects

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Roderick McLean |Staff Writer

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RJ Barrett (Left) and Zion Williamson (Right) | Nell Redmond | Associated Press

 

The college basketball season has finally come to an end, and players are already looking at their futures and have started to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft. There are few players who already look NBA ready.

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One of those players is Duke freshman Zion Williamson. Williamson is projected to be the No. 1 pick on most analysts’ draft boards. The AP Men’s College Player of the Year is 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds. This season, Williamson was a must-see on television, as he averaged 23 points and 9 rebounds. Williamson also shot 68 percent from the floor and was the leader of the Duke team that lost in the Elite Eight against Michigan State. Williamson is a very athletic and physical player who has a 45-inch vertical. Whoever gets the No. 1 pick will be getting a player everyone wants to see at the next level.

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Murray State guard Ja Morant is another explosive player who can make a big impact in the league right away. The sophomore, 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, averaged a double-double this season, with 25 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds per game. Right now, Morant is looking to be the No. 2 pick. Not only did he lead his team to get into the NCAA Tournament, Morant showed scouts why he can possibly be taken No. 1. Morant became the ninth player to record a triple double in the tournament, with 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds against Marquette. He scored 28 points in the second round against a stout defensive team in Florida State, and was 5-of-6 from the 3-point line. Morant is the type of player who can make a team better with his court vision. The Murray State guard also can create shots for himself with his athletic ability.

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Another Duke freshman standout who could be a lottery pick is RJ Barrett. Barrett averaged 23 points and 8 rebounds and knows how to take advantage of being a left-handed scorer. Barrett is very comfortable at attacking the basket and absorbing contact. This is a strength that will help him as he adapts to the NBA. The freshman already has the body frame of an NBA guard and should go in the top five.

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Coby White from North Carolina is another guard who’s looking ready to play on the professional level. White broke the Tar Heels’ freshman 3-point record and averaged 16 points this season. White helped the Tar Heels to a 29-7 season, which ended against Auburn in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He has the aggressive scoring mentality and the NBA speed which should benefit him at the next level.

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The season didn’t end the way Jarret Culver would have wanted it to, as Texas Tech lost in the championship to Virginia. Culver averaged 19 points and six rebounds on a Texas Tech team that finished with a 31-7 record. He’s a player who’s looking like a top-10 pick. Culver has a balanced floor game with strong footwork. He can only get better with the right NBA coaches and system.

 

These players are looking NBA ready. Only time will tell if they can actually perform to their potential.

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Lady Pirates make big push in Big South

Roderick Mclean | Staff Writer

 

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HU Athletics | HamptonPirates.com

 

The Lady Pirates have adapted to their new conference, the Big South.

 

The Hampton University women’s basketball (12-9, 8-2) is in a second-place tie with High Point University in the conference, one game behind Radford.

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So far, the Pirates have defeated Charleston Southern, UNC Asheville, Radford, Longwood, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, South Carolina-Upstate and Presbyterian.

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The young Pirates have been playing great defense, and their record shows it. The team was on a three-game winning streak before losing to High Point, 82-73, on Feb. 2. HU bounced back with a 79-62 win over Presbyterian on Feb. 5, with freshman guard Laren VanArsdale scoring 23 points.

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Jan. 22, the Pirates scored the first seven points on their way to dominating Winthrop, 84-63. Junior guard Ashley Bates finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Sophomore guard Mahaley Holit contributed 18 points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Kaylah Lupoe had 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. The team shot 50 percent from the floor and 39 percent from the 3-point line. The Pirates outrebounded Winthrop 45-38 and outscored the Eagles 50-14 in the paint.

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Jan. 15, the Lady Pirates ran past Longwood University, 66-44. VanArsdale had 14 points and four steals. Bates added 11 points, seven steals, five rebounds and four assists.

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In the Big South Conference, the Lady Pirates are first in steals per game, averaging 12.5. They are also second in points per game, with an average of 67.6 points. The Lady Pirates average 13.3 assists per game.

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Bates is second in the Big South with 17 points per game. She also leads the conference in steals at 4.5 per game.

Jan. 26, the Lady Pirates edged Gardner-Webb University 82-80 in overtime. VanArsdale scored 26 points. Lupoe had 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

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The Lady Pirates took the lead 81-77 with 17.6 seconds left in overtime. After a Pirates turnover, Gardner-Webb hit a 3-pointer, but it didn’t count due to an offensive foul. Holit hit a free throw to seal the victory.

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The Lady Pirates, who play host to Campbell at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, look to take first place in the conference. They are one game behind Radford University.

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Super Bowl preview: Rams and Patriots take different

Roderick Mclean |Staff Writer

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   Flickr User Don Sniegowski

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The Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3.  These two teams took different routes that got them to this point.

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Rams quarterback Jared Goff became the youngest quarterback to win the NFC championship. Los Angeles defeated the New Orleans Saints, 26-23, in overtime this Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which was an extremely hostile environment.

The Rams started off slow, down 13-0 after the first quarter, but they were able to get back into the game as they scored a field goal and got a 6-yard rushing touchdown by running back Todd Gurley to make it 13-10 at the half.

 

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In the third quarter, Saints quarterback Drew Brees increased their lead with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill. Saints kicker Wil Lutz made the extra point to put the Saints up 20-10.

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Goff answered Brees by throwing a touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee with three minutes left in the third. Greg Zuerlein made the extra point to bring the Rams to within 20-17. Greg Zuerlein hit another field goal in the fourth quarter to tie it 20-20.

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In the final minutes of regulation, the referees missed a crucial pass interference on Rams corner Nickell Robey-Coleman. The NFL admitted a penalty should have been called. This caused the Saints to kick a field goal with 1:45 left.

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In nine plays, the Rams got in field goal range to tie it 23-23 and send the game to overtime.

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The Saints got the ball first in overtime, but Brees was intercepted by Rams safety John Johnson.

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Since L.A. was already in great field position, it didn’t take much for the Rams to get in field goal range. The kick was not an easy one, though. Zuerlein had to line up from a whopping 57 yards out to send his team to the Super Bowl.

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The final score was 26-23 Rams, and head coaching phenom Sean McVay will, at 23, be the youngest coach to make a Super Bowl appearance.

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In the AFC, the New England Patriots traveled to Kansas City to defeat the Chiefs. The Patriots’ running game was a factor, as running back Sony Michel scored a first-quarter touchdown. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed a touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett before the half to make it 14-0.

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The Chiefs got their offense together in the third quarter. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered a touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce. The extra point was good, and the score was 14-7. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski then converted on a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-7 Patriots.

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At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Mahomes threw another touchdown pass to Damien Williams. The extra point brought the game 17-14.

It was clear that the tide was turning toward Kansas City.

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When the Chiefs got the ball back, Mahomes converted again, hitting Williams again to take a 21-17 lead. Both teams battled back and forth this quarter. The Patriots answered with a Michel 10-yard rushing touchdown. The score was 24-21 Patriots with 3:36 left.

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The Chiefs would answer with a Williams 2-yard rushing touchdown. The Patriots had 2:03 to come back, down 28-24. New England marched down the field in dramatic fashion, converting on multiple third-and-long to score and take a 31-28 lead.

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Mahomes and the Chiefs had 39 seconds left to win it or send it to overtime. Mahomes put his team into field goal range, and kicker Harrison Butker sent the game to overtime.

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The Patriots won the toss and did not look back. They drove down the field and won it 37-31 on a Rex Burkhead 2-yard touchdown.

This year’s Super Bowl, at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, will be a battle between experience and inexperience.

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The most recent time the Rams were in the Super Bowl, it was against the Patriots in 2002. The Rams — then located in St. Louis — lost 20-17.

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This will be the Patriots’ third straight year in the Super Bowl, as well as Brady and Belichick’s ninth time in the Super Bowl. Will they add another ring to their dynasty or will a young coach and quarterback secure their first championship?

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