WITHOUT SHULGA AT VCU ... DOUBTFUL ODOM GOES TO VIRGINIA
By the way ...
It would not be a stretch to suggest RYAN ODOM owes a
lot to “bashful” MAX SHULGA who was chosen in the
second round of the NBA draft by Orlando, acting on behalf
of the Boston Celtics … for whom the 2024-25 A-10 player
of the year and playoffs’ MVP should be a welcomed
addition … On arrival at VCU two years ago, Odom found a
group of talented but me-first players. Enter Shulga, who
followed Odom from Utah State … a tough kid who could
pass and shoot but, most of all, helped Odom turn the Rams
into a share-the-ball, cohesive winner.
On the day he was introduced as new University of Virginia
coach, Odom reacted to a throw-away line … ‘I doubt you
would be here now without Shulga.” … with instant
agreement. “You are right about that,” Odom siad.
*** Here we thought COOPER FLAGG was making a
mistake, getting $31 million in NIL money at Duke and still
opting for the NBA … drafted No. 1 overall … with a four-
year rookie contract for $62.7M through 2028-29 …
followed by a supermax extension that could result in
$930M before calling it a career ...And, that does not include
product endorsements. Ouch! … Wrong again, Jerry.
This is all you have to know what college athletics have
become … Duke lost its entire starting five in the draft …
and still rates among the two or three teams to beat for the
2025-26 NCAA championship. The Blue Devils simply
went out and bought – yes, PAID – more outstanding
players.
*** How strange was the first round of the National Hockey
League draft … when 12 teams did NOT have a pick? …
Only No. 1 overall (to the New York Islanders), defenseman
MATTHEW SCHAEFER, is considered a lock to play in
the NHL right away. He apparently made quite an
impression during pre-draft interviews … “a young man
who will be easy to root for a long time,” said former player
and coach TONY GRANATO on The NHL Network.
The NHL and players’ union agreed to a new four-year
bargaining agreement that commissioner GARY
BETTMAN said covered “everything that was really
important.” Like teams
no longer can set a dress code for players before and after
games. Wonderful! … Surprise! Not. SAM BENNETT
(Panthers), TRENT FREDERIC (Oilers) and JOHN
TAVARES (Maple Leafs) all were re-signed by their
respective teams … despite being among a rather large
number of free agents-to-be said to be bound for the New
York Rangers by the Big Apple press.
Until next time ...
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