Around the Blogs

-- The Hoops Junkie asks "Does It Really Matter Who Coaches Golden State?" Tim argues Mike Montgomery was hired because the Warriors brain trust, having reviewed his body of work at Stanford, believes he’s the type of coach that can make something out of nothing.

-- Over at the Bulls Blog, Matt considers whether or not Chicago will use the third pick in the NBA Draft to take Duke's Luol Deng. Citing Chad Ford, he notes that both Andre Iguodala and Josh Childress have seen their stock rise. But while I'm an Arizona fan through and through and a PAC-10 enthusiast, Deng is a superior NBA prospect. Which may, of course, be more reason for Matt to fear that the Bulls will draft Childress in his place...

-- Dave Sez Dave Odom is correct. SEC clubs break the rules. In other words, Billy Donovan.

-- After having visited College Ball and been inspired to re-start Crooked Head, Andy has again gone silent. His last post revisits the age-old question of whether the NCAA ought to pay "student-athletes."

-- Chris at Chaz Sports has gone up with his Mock NBA Draft. I realize I'm going against the grain, but I disagree with his assessment that the Charlotte Bobcats will draft high schooler Shaun Livingston. Too big a risk for an expansion franchise. Deng if he drops, Iguodala is he's still available, or Childress if he rises. But not Livingston.

-- Skip Sauer, the Sports Economist, cites a study by Harvard Law School visiting researcher Michael McCann that found that "players who enter the NBA directly from high school average more points, more rebounds, and more assists than the average NBA player." The Harvard Gazette summarizes McCann's conclusions. Or you can read the entirety of McCann's review of the 29 high school players who declared for the NBA draft and signed with agents between 1975 and 2003. I'll have more on McCann's study in a subsequent post.

-- At Heels, Sox & Steelers, Ryan discusses the adjustments coaches are considering in light of the ever-greater number of high school players declaring for the NBA Draft. Interestingly, he too gives primacy to American high schoolers, all but ignoring the increased focus on international talent.

-- Trey and the Husky Blog note that Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith, and John Wooden were among the signees of a letter to Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., calling for a ban on alcohol advertising for NCAA sports.