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Ashton Kutcher's "Two and a Half Men" debut was huge: Monday night's ninth-season premiere of the CBS sitcom drew 27.7 million viewers and crushed the evening's competition.

The much-hyped reboot of what was already TV's biggest comedy, which officially introduced Kutcher as Charlie Sheen's replacement, landed "American Idol"-like numbers. (The 10th season finale of "AI" scored 29.3 million viewers in May.)

Monday's "Men" outing wasn't just the best-rated in the sitcom's history. It was also the highest-rated season premiere for a scripted series since "Desperate Housewives" premiered six years ago, according to ew.com.

The ghost of Sheen was all over the "Men" debut, as his character, Charlie Harper, was killed off and buried. The embattled sitcom star was also haunting cable TV Monday night. The "Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen" was a big ratings winner.

With 6.4 million viewers, it was Comedy Central's best-rated roast event ever (almost doubling the 3.5 million who tuned in to see Donald Trump get burned in March). It was also the second-most-watched show in Comedy Central's history, according to the New York Times.

Still, Monday night wasn't exclusively about Kutcher and Sheen.

Chaz Bono, David Arquette and George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis kicked off the 13th season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and drew 18.6 million viewers. By comparison, the 11th-season premiere of "DWTS" last September attracted 21 million viewers.

Though the "DWTS" numbers were decent, they weren't decent enough to top the premiere of "2 Broke Girls." It landed 19.1 million viewers thanks to its spot on the CBS lineup immediately following "Men."

The biggest loser of the night? Well, let's just say you'd better catch NBC's "The Playboy Club" while you can. Only 5 million viewers tuned in for the season premiere of the 1960s-set drama starring Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard.

Indianapolis - You usually think that a veteran can come in and help a team stay somewhat on pace, but in this case the Colts seem to be falling off. The Colts took a tough loss today behind another average day from quarterback Kerry Collins.
The Indianapolis Colts (0-2) welcomed the Cleveland Browns (1-1) to Lucus Oil Stadium for a Week 2 match-up. The Colts are looking to get on track with Peyton Manning still recovering from another surgery, and the Browns are looking to take steps in a new direction. The Browns have their young tea ready to go as they pulled off a 27-19 victory over a veteran led Colts team.
The Colts started with the ball and moved it 33-yards to set up Adam Vinatieri for a 39-yard field-goal. The Colts used no huddle to try and get Kerry Collins (19/38, 191 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int) going with the offense. He made some nice passes, but the drive stalled and the field-goal gave them a 3-0 lead.
The Browns on the other hand came out running the ball or trying to as Peyton Hillis (27 carries, 94 yards, 2 TD’s) had minimal gains on the first two plays. The Browns punted the ball away after Colt McCoy (22/32, 211 yards, 1 TD) had an incomplete pass on third down and three. The Colts took over on the, but was forced to go three and out by the Browns’ defense.
Cleveland took over, but had trouble moving the ball as they could only go 31-yards on their next drive before being forced to punt. The Colts came out in no huddle again and got the ball moving as they got Vinatieri in position for another field-goal. Collins hit Reggie Wayne (4 receptions, 66 yards) with two big passes to set up the 27-yard field-goal to make it a 6-0, Colts lead.
McCoy and the Browns offense used a mix of run and pass to get the Browns offense moving. Hillis used his legs for the Browns and McCoy used his arm as they moved the ball 57-yards in 11 plays on the drive. McCoy finished the drive with a pass to tight end Evan Moore for his only catch and touchdown of the night. Moore caught a 16-yard pass that gave the Browns a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter.
The Colts had trouble moving the ball on this drive as they were only able to move it 34-yards in 10 plays. The Colts have yet to score a touchdown, but kept putting points on the board thanks to Vinatieri who made a 52-yard field-goal on this drive. Indy jumped back in front of the Browns with the field-goal to make it a 9-7 lead.
The Browns used what worked last time as they moved the ball with a good mixture of run and pass to score another touchdown. Hillis had run in for a touchdown on play, but it was reversed when the refs said that he did not cross the plane. Cleveland had moved the ball 81-yards on this drive and Hillis finally got in with a one-yard touchdown run that gave the Browns the lead back. Hillis gave the Browns a 14-9 lead going into halftime as the Colts just took a knee to end the half.
Cleveland opened the third quarter with the ball and moved it pretty well before Hillis fumbled. Hillis was hit and loss the ball while running off the left tackle, and Antonio Johnson knocked the ball loose. Antonio Bethea recovered the ball for the Colts and gave them decent field-position.
The Colts could not really capitalize as they moved the ball 42 yards. Indy was taking what the Browns defense gave them as they moved the ball 42-yards on this drive. Vinatieri then came in and kick another field-goal to make it a 14-12 game. Vinatieri came on to kick a 36-yard field-goal.
The Browns came on tried to get the ball moving, but could not accomplish much as they only moved it 29-yards. McCoy had some big incomplete passes that led to the drive stalling, and being forced to punt the ball away. Both teams struggled on their next drive as they both went three and out and was forced to punt the ball away.
Collins came in after the Browns punted them back the ball, but did not have it long as he threw an interception. Collins was trying to hit Wayne on a pass, but Usama Young picked it off and returned it 28-yards for the Browns. After the interception the Browns had decent field position but could not capitalize. The Browns settled for a 20-yard field-goal that was kicked in by Phil Dawson. The field-goal extended the Browns lead to 17-12 early in fourth quarter.
The Colts went three and out on their next drive as they punted the ball right back to the Browns. Cleveland took over and gave Hillis the ball as they tried to milk the clock and preserve the victory. They had some luck, but could not keep it going as they punted the ball away after six plays.
Indy then struggled on their next drive as they went three and out again before they were punted the ball back to the Browns. Cleveland took advantage of the good field-position behind a good return from Josh Cribbs. With the good field position the Browns ran the ball in with Hillis who broke for a 24-yard run to give the Browns a 24-12 lead.
The Colts had nothing to do but through the ball so they lined up in shotgun and gave Collins a chance for a comeback. Two plays in Collins was hit by Jabaal Sheard who forced it and recovered the ball for the Browns. The Browns ran the ball to run the clock out and Colts called their timeouts to save it. After four plays and 9-yards Dawson came on to kick a 23-yard field-goal that made it a 27-12 lead.
Indy did not stop trying as they put Collins back in the shotgun and ran no huddle to move the Colts down the field. Collins took them 84-yards and ended the game and the drive with a six-yard pass to Dallas Clark (4 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD) for a touchdown. The score made it a 27-19 game, and the Browns took one knee while the clock ran out.

HE WILL HAVE TO BE RICH when he grows up. Brenda Vick thought that about her oldest son, Michael, as far back as when he was 13. "Ookie" -- she can hardly remember to call him Michael -- had just started earning money painting apartment complexes with her brother Casey and would stick the majority of it under his mattress, saving for a new Polo shirt or the Jordans she couldn't afford. The rest of his earnings he'd break off piecemeal to his sister Christina or brother Marcus -- a dollar to fix him a cup of Oodles of Noodles, another to iron that Polo. "Nobody got mad at him," Brenda says. "He'd smile and tell you why he couldn't do it."

During Vick's spectacular free fall from his place as one of the NFL's top endorsers and highest-paid players, the public was shocked at the details of just how many dollars were passed out to Vick's fame-inflated circle.

For anyone in an NFL locker room, though, Vick's extravagant finances were uncomfortably recognizable. "We've all thought that we've received so much money and we're too smart to lose it," says former Lions defensive tackle Luther Elliss, a first-round pick who made close to $20 million in his 10-year NFL career and went bankrupt in 2009. "It's easier to lose a million than you think."

AT HIS PEAK, Vick's on-field theatrics and family-friendly-enough demeanor held major cachet with Madison Avenue marketers, landing him on the cover of Madden NFL 2004 and as a pitchman for Coca-Cola, Hasbro and Kraft in the kind of ads that run after school and during daytime soaps. In 2005, Forbes estimated that Vick was the world's fourth-highest-earning athlete, raking in $37.5 million.

As his income grew, Vick supported upward of 30 people. Suddenly everybody had a job or vested interest. His friend Charlie "CJ" Reamon acted as his money handler and personal assistant and the point person for a deal with AirTran. His friend Adam "Wink" Harris fielded Nike's calls. Marcus was given a new car every year on his birthday. His mom got her dream home -- a 7,800-square-foot mansion. "Anything I said I wanted, I got it," Brenda says. "Sometimes you can't say nothing around him because he'd try to do it."

Melissa Golden for ESPN The Magazine
Vick's younger brother Marcus received a new car every year.
According to September 2008 court documents, Vick outlaid $31,293.87 that month to pay for mortgages, cars, clothes, private school and myriad other expenses for Brenda; his fiancee, Kijafa Frink, and their two kids; ex-girlfriend Tameka Taylor and their son; and his two sisters. But no matter how many bills he paid or people he housed in his four homes, nobody drained his pockets as much as his business partners.

"I grew up laid-back and reserved," Vick says, "and all of a sudden I had become somewhat arrogant in some people's eyes, and I let in the wrong kind of people."

In 2006, Vick lost $40,000 he'd invested in a janitorial company that, he would testify, "was run into the ground by one of my friends." So was an airport medical service company that quickly lost Vick $150,000. He sunk another $827,000 into two wine bars and a package store that he co-owned with a surgeon and a lawyer, both of whom he met through his financial planner. Vick became partners with an animal dealer named Art Washington, first in a car rental business (a $1.4 million investment), then a horse farm on which Vick made a $200K personal guarantee. Vick didn't realize anything was amiss until he became suspicious of Washington's new cars and large salary. "At the time, Mike was getting large amounts of money, and he spent money," Frink says, "but he also saved. We'd have conversations about, 'Oh, I have this property in Atlanta, and in 10 years it's going to make me millions.' He was planning for his future on what seemed to be an appropriate path."

UNDER SCRUTINY FROM the courts in 2008, a year after his indefinite suspension from the NFL, Vick disclosed he had $16.1 million in assets and more than $20.4 million in debt. However, Vick didn't go broke because he wasn't on the field. It was due to a poor financial decision made long before his conviction.

In January 2001, with his agent, Andrew Joel, at his side, Vick announced he was leaving Virginia Tech to go to the NFL. Two weeks later, on the advice of his cousin, then-Saints QB Aaron Brooks, Vick mailed Joel a letter ending their deal in order to sign with Brooks' Octagon rep. Joel filed a $41 million suit against Octagon, which was not resolved. He also filed a $45 million suit against Vick that was settled in early 2008 for $4.5 million. After his imprisonment, Vick attempted to make amicable arrangements with his creditors and avoid bankruptcy, but Joel's aggressive litigation in pursuit of the settlement forced Vick to seek protection from all of them.

In prison, his finances went from bad to worse. With a mountain of debt and no NFL salary, Vick hired a fraudulent financial adviser, Mary Wong, who had made her way into Vick's accounts the same way investors had -- by making big promises and creating doubt. "When Art was doing business with Mike, instead of talking to everyone, Art would make it just them two," Reamon says. "Mary Wong came in and said, 'Put your trust in me. I'm an investment banker. I have [then-Falcons linebacker] Demorrio Williams. He has a private jet, and you don't.'"

In 2007, Vick gave power of attorney to Wong, who transferred an unspecified amount of Vick's cash into her personal accounts. His creditors successfully sued Wong in 2008 for $396,158, but she is unlikely to pay due to her own bankruptcy. The point remains that Wong and Washington came into Vick's life through people he trusted. "Everyone can get taken advantage of," says Carl Francis, director of communications for the NFL Players Association. "Yes, NFL players are a bigger target. You come in as a 21-year-old player. Compare that to a college student. There's not much difference between the two, except for their paychecks."

Bad advice permeates NFL locker rooms, where players often lean on each other for financial referrals. Between 1999 and 2002, the NFLPA estimates, 78 players lost a total of $42 million in acts of fraud perpetrated by financial advisers. In response to the rampant conning, the NFLPA started its Financial Advisors Program in 2002, but critics say the union's vetting process for the more than 400 approved money managers isn't strenuous enough. In 2008, six players sued the NFL and the NFLPA when an investment planner named Kirk Wright defrauded the group out of $20 million. Wright was an NFLPA-approved adviser who had $400,000 in liens against him at the time he was verified.

The next year, several members of the Saints entrusted hundreds of thousands of dollars to the team's long snapper at the time, Kevin Houser, who is a registered broker. Houser had sold them nonexistent tax credits from a film studio for which he was also an investor. He's now a member of the Ravens, and there are several suits pending against him.

"Some of these guys grew up well," Francis says. "They have four-year degrees. But sometimes when you're dealing with money, you take financial risks, and sometimes they don't work out. People try to categorize NFL players, but Vick's decision is really no different from the guy across the street."

The first step in Vick's financial comeback was filing for bankruptcy while he was in prison. There are generally two types of personal bankruptcy filings. Chapter 11 requires people to pay back a percentage of their debts, usually 20 or 30 cents on the dollar, but enables them to liquidate fewer assets. Chapter 7 offers people greater protection from creditors but requires liquidation of nearly all assets. Typically, an athlete with debts as large as Vick's would file for Chapter 7 -- like Steelers backup QB Charlie Batch, who filed in 2010 -- but Vick opted for Chapter 11. "He just wanted to man up for what he did and not take the easy way out," Reamon says.

Before Vick was reinstated by the NFL, his legal team hired well-known bankruptcy financial planning specialist Ira Spiegel, who agreed to work with Vick for at least the first two years of his repayment. Once Vick was reinstated, a bankruptcy court reviewed a detailed six-year plan that committed Vick to paying his debts off at 80 cents on the dollar. Key to the plan was that, of every dollar he makes over $750,000, up to $2.5 million, creditors get 25 percent; over that, 30 percent; and if he breaks the $10 million threshold, 40 percent is taken.

Vick's first deal with the Eagles was for one year at $1.6 million. When he proved to be a reliable backup, the team signed him for the 2010 season at $5.2 million, increasing his contribution to the plan. With a Pro Bowl season in 2010 and a subsequent franchise player tag, Vick should earn between $16 million and $20 million this year, returning him to pre-prison income levels. His new salary gives Vick the chance to repay his entire debt and finish his obligation a year early. "To have someone say 'I'm going to give you 100 cents on the dollar' in a bankruptcy of his size is not common," Spiegel says.

Renewed interest in Vick as an endorser could also help him get there, but so far, Vick's appeal has been limited. "The deals he has signed are for performance-related brands. That's where he has credibility," says Dr. Stephen McDaniel, who studies sports and entertainment marketing at the University of Maryland. "He's been out doing community service and, oh by the way, becomes a stellar athlete again. I think those are the kinds of things that make people want to forgive. If he comes out and is maybe too present in the media, then a backlash could start. Reminding people what he did to those dogs isn't going to sell Coca-Cola and cookies to kids."

His past isn't keeping Vick from selling sneakers anymore. In July, he inked an undisclosed multiyear contract with Nike -- the first time the sneaker giant has ever terminated an athlete endorser and then brought him back into the fold. Having the NFL's sixth-best-selling jersey in 2010 didn't hurt.

THE QUESTION NOW is if Vick will avoid repeating his past financial and business mistakes. His eagerness to knock out his debt saw him signing endorsement deals this summer with two competing supplement companies, which resulted in one, Fuse Science, dropping Vick from its five-year agreement. But he says he's committed to changing for good, and separating friends and money is a first step. "I have friendships now not based on business," Vick says. "People who have been with me from my lifetime. They're genuine and real."

He has narrowed that circle of friends, even cutting off some relatives. Those who are left in his life are diversifying. Reamon is planning to get his MBA, and this summer Frink opened an accessories store, PNK Elephant, in Philadelphia. It's been successful enough that she's considering a second location. "I didn't want that to happen again," she says of the bankruptcy. "I had to branch out on my own. I want to make my own money."

Reminders of the hard times are not far. In Brenda's Hampton, Va., home -- the one Vick was allowed to keep -- furniture salvaged from the big house sits stacked in storage near bins of clothes and photo albums piled in the garage. A dining set meant for a grand home sits wedged in a room up front, with memorabilia piled around. In the sitting room, three breakfront cabinets overtake the space like real-life furniture jammed into a playhouse. Reamon and a friend loaded most of it in their pickups, helping Brenda move all of it during the worst time in their lives.

Successfully managing this restored money and image means Vick could once again put Brenda in a house that's big enough for all that furniture.

But for now, if he's smart, he'll cap the number of homes he buys at one.

The Carolina Panthers selected quarterback Cam Newton with the first pick in the 2011 National Football League draft, while both New York teams added to their defensive options.
The Giants selected University of Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara at No. 19 and the Jets took Temple University tackle Muhammad Wilkerson at No. 30. The draft, whose first round lasted three hours, 30 minutes, continues today with the second and third rounds.
Auburn University’s Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner as college football’s top player last season, joins a Carolina team coming off an NFL-worst 2-14 record. The Panthers scored a league-low 196 points last season, 75 fewer than the next-worst total by the Cleveland Browns.
“It was just like a shock went through my body,” Newton, 21, said yesterday in a televised interview at Radio City Music Hall in New York. “It’s a great organization and I’m ready to get to work.”
The draft began two days after the league was ordered by a judge to end a month-old lockout that followed the failure of owners and players to agree on a new labor accord. The league, which is appealing the decision, said players will be allowed to resume the use of practice facilities starting today. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was booed as he took the stage last night by fans who also chanted, “We want football.”
Boos to Cheers
The crowd’s reaction to Goodell contrasted with the cheers that erupted when the Giants selected Amukamara. The 21-year-old cornerback, who said it was his first trip to New York, was the 2010 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year after recording 59 tackles in his senior season. He joins a Giants defense that gave up 210 passing yards per game last year.
“We thought he would get picked a lot higher than that,” Giants General Manager Jerry Reese said in an e-mail. “But it happens like that sometimes in the draft. Guys can fall right in your lap.”
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Wilkerson was chosen as a second- team All-American last year after recording 70 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks in his junior season at Temple. The Jets gave up 1,454 yards on the ground last year, third fewest in the league.
The Denver Broncos selected Von Miller, a linebacker from Texas A&M, with the second overall pick. Miller is one of 10 players named in a lawsuit that accuses the league of antitrust violations and wage fixing.
Top Five
The Buffalo Bills opted for University of Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus with the third pick and the Cincinnati Bengals selected wide receiver A.J. Green of the University of Georgia next. The Arizona Cardinals completed the top five with Patrick Peterson, a cornerback from Louisiana State University.
The Atlanta Falcons moved up 21 places to sixth in a trade with the Cleveland Browns to take Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up six spots to the No. 10 pick, previously held by the Washington Redskins, to draft Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The Falcons gave up five picks; the Jaguars two.
Four of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks — Newton, Gabbert, Jake Locker to the Tennessee Titans at No. 8 and Florida State’s Christian Ponder to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12.
Newton, a junior who had one season at Auburn, follows Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions in 2009 and Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams last year as quarterbacks selected with the first overall pick. He was the oddsmakers’ favorite to be the first player selected.
National Title
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound quarterback led the Tigers to the Bowl Championship Series national title, the Southeastern Conference title and a 14-0 record in 2010.
Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, the University of Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, who has also entered the draft, and Newton are the only players in college football history to throw for 20 touchdowns and rush for 20 touchdowns in the same season.
“I could scream right now, but I know that’s not the sane thing to do,” Newton said. “Man, am I happy. There were a lot of sleepless nights.”
Newton faced a probe into recruiting violations during his junior season. The National Collegiate Athletic Association cleared him to continue playing, ruling during the season that he was unaware of a pay-for-play demand organized by his father.
Aldon Smith, selected No. 7 by the San Francisco 49ers, said that the league’s labor issue had little effect on his fellow rookies, aside from forcing them to coordinate workout spots if team facilities weren’t open. The defensive end said the dispute in no way diluted his draft experience, which he called “a dream come true.”
“It’s something I cannot control and I think things are working out fine,” Smith said at the players’ association’s welcome reception yesterday. “It’s like my Christmas today.”

he top seeded Washington Capitals are the first Eastern Conference team to advance, moving into the semifinals after defeating the New York rangers in five games.
While previewing the East, I had this to say about the Capitals-Rangers series:
The deciding factor is the Rangers’ offense; if New York’s top talent shows up, Washington could be in trouble. Still, Washington has been built to succeed in the playoffs this season, and they have the slight edge over an inconsistent Rangers squad.
Washington in 7
Though this series was over in only five games, it was a very evenly matched series between these two clubs. The Capitals won both games that went into overtime to take a commanding lead and were able to close the series out in front of their home crowd.
What Happened To New York?
It’s very simple. The Rangers’ top offensive talent failed to show up in this series. Young forward Brandon Dubinsky was the member of the Rangers to score two goals. Marian Gaborik? One goal and one assist. Midseason acquisition Wojtek Wolski? One goal, two assists. The Rangers as a team only scored eight total goals in five games, not nearly enough to win any playoff series and especially not enough to defeat the top overall seed.
Furthermore, their two advantages heading into the series — goaltending and top defensive pairings — were completely neutralized by Washington. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist played well, but was completely matched by the Capitals’ rookie goaltender, Michael Neuvirth.
What Did We Learn About Washington?
This is not the Capitals’ team that blew a 3-1 series lead last season against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. This team has been reinvented and rebuilt to win playoff series. The midseason trade for Scott Hannan has helped solidify their blue line presence, leading the entire team by averaging over 25 minutes a game on the ice. They no longer have to depend on their offensive talent to win playoff games; instead, they are comfortable in low scoring games. When it becomes crunch time, Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin can take over.
The revelation has been the play of Neuvirth in goal. Neuvirth played like a veteran in his first ever playoff start, matching Lundqvist game for game. A .946 SV% and 1.38 GAA after his first five playoff games? There’s always one new goalie that makes his presence known with a breakout performance. Last year was Jaroslav Halak for Montreal, this year it appears to be Neuvirth. He doesn’t have to carry his team this year, but his performance has certainly established the Capitals as a Cup favorite once again.
The Capitals are flexible enough to match up with any team in the East. Their new defensive mentality and solid goaltending gives them an edge in any playoff series, and the early series victory will ensure they are well rested at the start of their next series.

Whether it’s Mike Richards’ wayward elbow to Pat Kaleta’s coconut in Game 4 or Kris Versteeg and Tyler Ennis trading crosschecks at the end of Game 3, the Flyers and Sabres have shown a healthy dislike for each other.The Daily News compared the Flyers-Sabres with the other five series that had played four games heading into last night and saw the chippiness is just about the same across the board. Keeping in mind that credited hits vary depending among arena stat crews, here’s what we found.Again, Boston-Montreal and San Jose-Los Angeles were omitted because they had played only three games going into last night:Roughest overall series
1. Chicago-Vancouver: There have been more than 300 body checks and 64 percent of the penalties have been violent in nature (see below).
2. Nashville-Anaheim: Surprisingly nasty, given how Nashville was the second-least penalized team during the regular season. The lowlight was Bobby Ryan’s dangerous stomp of Predator defenseman Jonathan Blum with the blade of his skate. And Jarkko Ruutu was suspended a game for a late hit on Nashville’s Martin Erat in Game 4.
3. Flyers-Buffalo: Have combined for the most penalties of the six series in our little study. Despite the yelps from Flyersland, Richards’ Game 4 elbow was dangerously close to being suspension-worthy.
4. Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh: Gets dishonorable mention because of two ugly incidents in Game 3. The Lightning’s Steve Downie left his skates to deliver a smashing check on Ben Lovejoy. The Penguins’ Chris Kunitz delivered a horrible blindside elbow to Simon Gagne. Each got one-game suspensions.
5. N.Y. Rangers-Washington: Have been reasonably civil. Of the 329 hits, 38 came in the two overtimes played Wednesday. There has been snarling, but no fights yet.
6. Phoenix-Detroit: Johan Franzen, who needed 23 stitches and a nose plug after the Coyotes’ Shane Doan helped him face-first into the boards in Game 3, has to be thrilled this series ended in a Red Wings sweep.

Kemba Walker couldn’t of had a better college basketball season. He carried the UConn Huskies on his back to levels that seemed impossible to achieve.
Walker won the National Championship because of his ability to get points even when he isn’t shooting well. Whether it be taking it to the hole and finishing strong or drawing the foul—Walker excels at it.
He combines off the charts quickness with incredible patience and smarts. Offensively there isn’t a single thing to question on Walker.
Defense may be an issue.
According to mynbadraft.com, Walker isn’t guaranteed NBA success:
Walker is a little difficult to project at the next level. Although he has a similar skill set to Ben Gordon he is not as tall or as strong. At just 6ft, he probably will not get the minutes at sg like Gordon does, and although he does have a solid assist/turnover ratio, he is a shoot first guy and doesn’t do a lot of penetrating, or have the vision of most nba pgs. Walker will have to tailor his game to the next level, he will not have the same freedom and will be called to distribute more.
The lack of size is a concern. He will be a liability as bigger guards will be posting him up in the paint. He will have to bulk up to achieve consistent success at the next level.
MUST READ: How Harrison Barnes Staying in the School Effects the Draft
Good Fit or Bad Fit?
The Kings have a point guard in Tyreke Evans that may be better off at shooting guard. Slide him over so Walker can run the point and the offense of the Kings will be fun to watch.
He will also fit right in with the atrocious Kings defense.
Chances of NBA Success: 70%
Walker is going to stick in the NBA because of his wide arsenal of offensive weapons. If he works hard on his defense—Walker has All-Star potential.
If the defense doesn’t come, he will be a bench guy that plays no more than 15-20 minutes a night.

Things are changing rapidly in Cleveland and if they really want to continue improving they will have to find some serious talent in this draft.
Fortunately for them they sit at No. 6 and are almost assured a super-talented player at major positions of need.
Offensively they could go with a wide receiver to help Colt McCoy out immediately, but I do not see that happening unless A.J. Green is on the board.
So, defensively they will get a look at some great pass rushers in addition to the best cornerback (and player) on the board.

MUST READ: Matt Miller’s Full Two-Round Mock Draft With Team Needs Analysis

I do not think Mike Holmgren will opt for another cornerback in the first round and he will instead go with a defensive end he can fit immediately into the team’s new 4-3 scheme.
Robert Quinn didn’t even play football in 2010, but he is still a top-10 talent and has top-3 potential.
The explosive edge rusher from North Carolina has the advantage of positive word of mouth behind him from his college coach (a well-respected former NFL coach) and his tape speaks for itself.
He still has a lot of developing to do, but he could be a double-digit sack guy as rookie if he can adapt to the physicality of the NFL game quickly.
Cleveland will now have the defensive force they need ruin quarterbacks lives in their division.

Tennis • Serena Williams’ absence from tennis could stretch to a year after two new health scares — a blood clot in her lungs and a hematoma — have added to her injury woes.
Her agents confirmed Wednesday that Williams was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism last week and later needed treatment for a hematoma.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played an official match since winning Wimbledon last July because of a foot injury she sustained at a restaurant.
Her latest health problems have been “extremely hard, scary and disappointing,” Williams said.
’Caps tab DeMerit
Soccer • Jay DeMerit has been selected captain of the Vancouver Whitecaps for their first season in Major League Soccer.
Midfielders Terry Dunfield and John Thorrington are the team’s alternate captains.
DeMerit, 30, started all four matches for the United States during the World Cup in South Africa.

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