The Inaugural Truth Awards
Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2008 @ 12:40 am
The Western Athletic Conference handed out it’s awards yesterday, but who cares about all that legitimate basketball-related crap? Here are the awards that matter:
The All-NBA Prospect Team
Marcelus Kemp, Sr., G, Nevada
Jaycee Carroll, Sr., G, Utah State
JaVale McGee, So., F, Nevada
Herb Pope, Fr., F, New Mexico State
Justin Hawkins, Sr., F, New Mexico State
Analysis: While Carroll deservedly won the WAC player of the year award, Kemp is a better player and better NBA prospect. Carroll is limited athletically and doesn’t offer much more than that sweet jumpshot. Kemp, on the other hand, has a decent body and scores from everywhere on the floor.
I still think Carroll can play in the NBA if he lands with the right team. Steve Kerr played an awfully long time, and Carroll is a good enough shooter to fill a similar roll.
The best prospects on the team, however, are McGee and Pope. McGee is one of the most naturally gifted players in the country and Pope has huge upside as well. Pope, though, also has the best chance of never actually reaching the league based on his immaturity and questionable past.
The Kicked Puppy Player of the Year Award
Hector Hernandez, F, Fresno State
Runner-up: JaVale McGee, F, Nevada
Analysis: Hernandez deserves some credit for his signature facial gestures. McGee’s also an emotional player who can bust out a pretty impressive I-think-I’m-going-to-cry face after getting called for fouls, but Hernandez pretty much constantly looks like he just got kicked in the groin. Plus, McGee showed at San Jose State that he’s capable of kicking back.
Worst Tattoo
Reggie Larry, Boise State
Runner-up: Any player who has an area code tattooed anywhere
Analysis: Let’s put meaning aside and go straight off terrible appearance. Larry wins for the clip artish tat on his left arm that features two people holding hands in front of a basketball hoop. The area code fad has victimized shortsighted teens for years, but how can you beat a Hallmark card on the arm?
Best-Dressed Coach
Mark Fox, Nevada
Analysis: The man is in a class of his own when it comes to rocking the suit.
The All-Arrest Team
Herp Pope, F, New Mexico State
Jahmar Young, G, New Mexico State
Chris Cole, G, New Mexico State
Tyrone Nelson, F, New Mexico State
Analysis: So what if there are only four players? With that sort of arrest record, this group doesn’t need to observe conventional rules.
Nelson didn’t play this year after pleading no contest to robbing a Domino’s delivery man before last season. Still, he was allowed to play last season under the allegations and a hearing was actually pushed back so he could play in the WAC Tournament.
The other three were arrested this season and were suspended one game combined.
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© 2008 The Nevada Sagebrush
March 11th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Although the truth hurts, there’s no denying it.
However, taking a cheap, easy shot like that won’t win you friends or admiration.
What a sophomoric approach to writing an article. Where will you put the Pulitzer?
CI
March 11th, 2008 at 10:45 am
This crap sucks. First of all Nelson is not part of our team, and didn’t play for NMSU this season. Kemp is not the best player in the WAC. Justin Hawkins is the best player in the WAC so get your facts right. Pope made one mistake, and he is going to learn from his mistake, and you will see him in the NBA pretty soon. Young is also going to learn from his mistake, and should be a great scorer for NMSU. Cole was only arrested, because he didn’t have the money to pay for his traffic fines. That crap happens all the time you stupid ass.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hey if you’re gonna throw Tyrone Nelson in there from last year. Mark Fox can coach the All-Artest team with his brush with the law after losing in the 2nd round of the WAC tournament.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:45 am
CI - I think I’m going to put it on the shelf above my computer, right between the bottle of Jack Daniels and the participation medal I won during junior high track day.
Frank - Didn’t say they weren’t good players. Actually, that’s sort of the point. Fresno doesn’t even have NMSU’s offcourt issues and UNLV just dismissed a player for DUI.
Jordan - Touche (although Fox was never actually arrested).
March 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Wow some of our fans sound like they went to the beach and still can’t get the sand out of our crevices. Ignore Frank Allison, he’s a internet celebrity.
Funny article. Quit poking fun at the Aggies or I’ll put in a call to Tyrone Nelson and you’ll be sorry.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am
You Reno fans act like they were the only guys in the nation that got arrested. I can’t wait until the day a Nevada player gets arrested, because you Reno Junior College fans won’t hear the end of it.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
hey aggie fans! don’t even bother. it’s idiotic and i’m not even surprised because the article is written by a reno jc fan from nevada. there’s not a damn thing in nevada except las vegas!
March 11th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Ha! Great stuff. I think Matt Gibson makes a strong case for the Kicked Puppy award. Not only was Nelson visibly aggitated by being the focus of the boo birds on Saturday, In today’s Las Cruces Sun-News there is an article where Gibson whines about things such as
1. Getting sore throats from traveling;
2. Missing team meals due to not being hungry; and then
3. Waking up in the middle of the night starving.
Harden up mate!
Here’s the link:
http://www.lcsun-news.com/sports/ci_8527866
March 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Hey Frank, I can name 3 players that are better than Hawkins, Kemp, Carroll, and Larry. Carroll won it, Kemp would have, had Nevada been the #1 seed, and Larry would have if Boise could have beaten USU on Thursday. As for Pope, I can name 4 mistakes and possibly a fifth for you, 1: Punching out his AAU coach, 2: Dropping his runner up medal at half court and walking off the court after his team lost in a tournament, 3: going to a party and getting shot 4 times while “defending himself”, 4: Getting drunk over the christmas holidays, passing out in the fast lane one a freeway, being awakened by the cops, and striking a patrol car in the process, and now for the possible 5th: he should have made sure he complied with the NCAA regulations regarding his online class, then he wouldn’t have had to sit out for a semester.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I guess we can add Frank Allison to the list of “Kicked Puppy Award” recipients.
Pope made one mistake? Was that the DUI, punching his high school coach, the underage drinking, pouting and leaving the court after losing in the state final game (then, after being dragged back out to accept his medal, dropping it on the floor and walking off)? Sorry….just for clarification, which one of those is the mistake we’re talking about?
Hawkins is the best player in the WAC? If Kemp is not the choice (and I don’t think he is, but he’s very close), JC Carroll (USU) and Larry Reggie (BSU) would get the nod. Of the 13 official stat categories, Hawkins doesn’t even make the top 10 in six of those, and outside of rebounding, he doesn’t rank higher than 7 in those that he does make the top 10….how is he the top player again?
And Nelson gets the nod on the all-arrest team because he was allowed to stay on the team last year after armed robbery (not to mention intimidating a juror). Since the NMSU administrators boofed it and gave him a year of basketball that he shouldn’t have had, we’re giving him an extra year for the all-arrest team…..that’s how we roll.
Until the NMSU admin gets tough, they will be called on it.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Hey Frank, how many times did NMSU beat Nevada this year?
*crickets*