Ticker: Could Michigan State get top pick in 2017 NBA draft today? – Detroit Free Press
Top-ranked basketball recruit Josh Jackson speaks with the Detroit Free Press about Michigan State, his decision timeline and more Tuesday, March 29, 2016. Video by Joe Rexrode / DFP
Will it be MSU, Kansas or Arizona for Josh Jackson? We’ll find out via Twitter
Today, former Detroit Consortium star Josh Jackson, widely regarded as the No. 1 basketball recruit in the country, is supposed to announce which college he’ll attend in the fall.
Jackson, who now attends Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, is expected to choose between Michigan State, Arizona and Kansas via social media.
If Jackson picks the Spartans, it would catapult the class of 2016 into the stratosphere of one of the best classes in Big Ten history.
Already committed to MSU: newly-minted Mr. Basketball Cassius Winston (U-D Jesuit), McDonald’s All-Americans Miles Bridges and Josh Langford, and big man Nick Ward.
Since we’re only 14 months away from the 2017 NBA draft, ESPN draftnik Chad Ford ranked the top 10 prospects for that group and, lo and behold, Jackson leads Ford’s list.
Ford said Jackson is a “long, explosive wing who plays with an elite motor and competitiveness on both ends of the floor,” and is “aggressive without ever being selfish.” But he did say his jumper needs a lot of work.
For what it’s worth, Bridges was mentioned in the honorable mention of this prospects list.
Best Lions draft pick
In its ever-building leadup to the NFL draft, ESPN ranked the best draft move for every franchise in the last five years. Yes, every franchise, including the Lions. ESPN’s choice was Detroit’s selection of Ziggy Ansah with the No. 5 overall pick in 2013. He was raw prospect, but “the Lions saw potential in a freak athlete …”
Ansah had 14.5 sacks and was a Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Pro last year.
Murray moves on
Former Red Wings coach and general manager Bryan Murray is stepping down as GM of the Ottawa Senators to take an advisory role within the organization.
Murray was hired in 2004 as head coach and became GM in 2007, right after the team lost in the Stanley Cup finals.
Murray, 73, was coach/GM of the Wings in 1990-93 and was with the team until 1994.
He announced in 2014 he had Stage 4 colon cancer.
Attack of the moms?
At an Arizona Cardinals high school coaching clinic, head coach Bruce Arians didn’t hold back on what he thought was an attack against football.
“We feel like this is our sport,” Arians said, according to the NBC-TV affiliate in Phoenix. “It’s being attacked and we’ve got to stop it at the grass roots. It’s the best game that’s ever been (expletive) invented, and we’ve got to make sure that moms get the message, because that’s who’s afraid of our game right now. It’s not dads, it’s moms.”
Compiled from staff reports by Kirkland Crawford: [email protected].
