Mock Draft Monday 4/7 '25
Live From the Gutter
Live From The Gutter
- NCAA National Championship Preview
- Jets Mock Draft
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake and Future’s Live From The Gutter. It’s the 3rd track off of What A Time To Be Alive.
Reporting live from the gutter of staying up all night all weekend, let’s get to the sports…
NCAA Men’s Final
The Florida Gators and Houston Cougars have only played each other on the hardwood twice. The Cougars are technically 2-0, but the games were played in 1970 and 1973, so throw that stat out the window. The Gators won back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007 but haven’t won since. Houston has not won a National Title and hasn’t been to the Final since 1984.
Florida Gators
- The Florida Gators finished 2nd in the SEC during the regular season but won their conference tournament. They enter Monday night on an 11-game winning streak with a 35-4 record.
Here are their Top 3…
- Walter Clayton Jr. is the Gators’ leading scorer, averaging 18.5 points per game for the season. The former Iona guard has elevated his output to 24.6 ppg in the NCAA Tournament while shooting an absurd 48.7% from beyond the arc in his last 5 games. Clayton Jr. is the top closer in the College Hoops. If there is a tight late-game situation where Florida needs a bucket, no doubt it’ll be in the senior’s hands. In Florida’s Final Four win over Auburn, Clayton Jr. scored 20 of his 34 points in the 2nd half. At 6’3”, most people will try to compare him to Steph Curry, which is a reach. Hear me out; he’s a combination of a taller Trey Burke from his Michigan days and a shorter Brandon Roy.
- Alijah Martin is the team’s wildcard. He put on a dunk show in the Final Four, throwing down 2 of the nicest in-game throwdowns this year. This NCAA Tournament, the senior shooting guard is averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting 39.2% from the 3. Against a Houston defense that may apply some full-court pressure, Martin may have some high-flying opportunities in the open court. This isn’t the FAU transfer’s first Final Four, as he scored 26 points for the Owls in their loss to San Diego State in ‘23, and he played his best game of the tournament thus far when the lights were brightest.
- A 6th Man floor-spacing power forward off the bench isn’t the typical #2 option in crunch time, but Thomas Haugh has oddly enough developed into Walter Clayton Jr.’s main sidekick. From the start of the season to February 4, the sophomore averaged 7.5 points per game while shooting 30% from deep. Since February 8, Haugh has averaged 12.9 ppg on 38% 3-point shooting. While he didn’t shoot particularly great against Auburn in the Final Four, Thomas Haugh did an excellent job sealing off his defender and getting an And-1 on an inbounds in the closing minute. It clearly wasn’t the play call, but Haugh had the confidence to go off script, and sure enough, Clayton Jr. found him. Teams have almost baited Haugh into taking shots in crunch time and thus far, he’s gotten the job done.
Coach
- Todd Golden is in his 3rd season as Head Coach for the Florida Gators. He was previously the head coach of San Francisco, helping them reach the NCAA Tournament in ‘22 for the first time in decades. During his college days, Todd Golden played 4 years at Saint Mary’s from ‘04 to ‘08. He started 82 games for the Gaels with a career stat line of 5.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game, but was an excellent shooter (83% free throw shooter & 39.5% from 3). This is Golden’s first National Championship Game in 9 seasons as a head coach.
Houston Cougars
- The Houston Cougars finished 1st in the Big 12, including winning the conference tournament. They enter Monday night on an 18-game winning streak with a 35-4 record this season.
Here are their Top 3…
- L.J. Cryer is the Houston Cougars’ leading scorer at 15.6 points per game. The combo guard has shot 42.7% from 3 this season. Aside from a rough Sweet 16 performance where Cryer was under the flu, the senior has been excellent in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 22 ppg in the other 4 games. Cryer shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range in Houston’s Final Four win over Duke and iced the game to put the Cougars up 3 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Due to his 6’1” stature and quickness, he’s a comparable score-first guard to Kemba Walker during his UConn days; we’ll see if he’s as clutch in the National Championship.
- Emanuel Sharp is Houston’s wildcard offensive weapon. He’s a catch-and-shoot guard with a sorta funny release that goes in. Sharp has shot 41.5% from 3 this season and 87.4% at the free throw line. The junior guard had ice in his veins down the stretch of Houston’s win over Duke. During the final 2:05 left to play, Sharp scored 9 straight points (1 layup, 4 free throws, 1 3-pointer) to cut the deficit from Duke up 64-55 to Duke up 67-64. While he hasn’t really gone off for any 30-point games this season, Sharp has been very reliable as Houston’s second scorer, and he could very well be in line for a big game if he carries that late-game magic from the Final Four into Monday night. Milos Uzan was also in consideration for the #2 spot, but Sharp has more potential for a bigger game, given his clutch factor.
- In the 2020s, Houston has garnered a reputation around College Basketball as an elite defensive unit. Joseph Tugler isn’t just the team’s best defender but has won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award (the Nation’s top defender). JoJo, as he is nicknamed, is 6’7” with an insane 7’6” wingspan. Tugler can guard all 5 positions on the floor on any given possession. Against Duke, Tugler not only blocked 4 shots but caused a pivotal Blue Devils’ turnover when he knocked the ball off Procter’s leg. The momentum-changing play wasn’t his only contribution in the closing minutes, as Tugler was also tasked with guarding Duke’s inbounds, and had the huge putback dunk. Senior forward J’Wan Roberts was also in consideration for this spot, but JoJo Tugler’s freakish defensive abilities give him the edge. I can’t say JoJo Tugler is on par with Ben Wallace during his Afro Days with the Pistons, but maybe with dreads.
Coach
- Kelvin Sampson is in his 11th season as the Houston Cougars’ Head Coach. He began his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at Michigan State the year after Magic Johnson won the Spartans’ National Championship in 1979. Before that, Kelvin Sampson was a ballplayer himself at Pembroke State University, where he captained both the baseball and basketball teams during his senior season. Over the years, Sampson has been a head coach for Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma, and Indiana. He has even worked as an assistant in the NBA with the Bucks and Rockets. In his five decades of coaching experience, the two-time AP Coach of the Year has never coached in a National Championship.
Prediction: Houston Cougars 68-66 (+1.5, Under 140.5)
This week’s NFL Mock Draft features a 7 Round Mock of the New York Jets…
Round 1
- Kicking things off with Tetairoa McMillan with the Jets 1st pick. As a 3-year starter at Arizona, McMillan caught 213 passes for 3,414 yards and 26 TDs. At 6’5”, T-Mac runs a 4.48 40-time and has elite ball skills. Most scouts compare him to Drake London, which would be hitting on a pick, but he may have more T.O. potential. The concerns around McMillan are that he might not totally live and breathe football. There was a clip circulating the World Wide Web of him as a freshman saying he doesn’t enjoy watching films. While that might scare Jets fans into thinking he’s the next Justin McCareins, McMillan has the talent to be coached with Aaron Glenn. Having a big play threat like T-Mac opposite Garrett Wilson would make the Jets offense exciting.
Round 2
- If Benjamin Morrison could have been draft-eligible after his sophomore season, he likely would’ve been a sure thing 1st Rounder. Unfortunately, Notre Dame’s star CB underwent hip surgery halfway into the ‘24 season after playing through the pain in ‘23. During his freshman season in ‘22, Morrison came onto the scene strong with 6 INTs. QBs decided not to target him as much in ‘23, but as a sophomore, he still produced 3 INTs and 10 pass breakups. At 6’ tall, Morrison is an outside, ballhawk corner who would be great to pair opposite Sauce Gardner.
Round 3
- Wyatt Milum, with a big beard, looks every bit the part of a West Virginia Mountaineer. He began his collegiate career as a Right Tackle and was named a Freshman All-American. Milum then flipped over to Left Tackle for his remaining 3 seasons at WVU and never gave up a sack as the blindside blocker. I’m not exactly sure if he’s athletic enough to play LT in the NFL, but at 6’6” & 315 lbs., he has all the toughness and run-blocking ability that should translate to RT. Put him opposite Olu, and the Jets might be set at both tackle positions for the next near decade.
Round 4
- Tate Ratledge rocks a mullet. 9 times out of 10, an elite offensive lineman in the NFL either has a mullet or mountaineer beard. Ratledge was a 3-year starter at Right Guard for Georgia, who only gave up 2 sacks in 1,180 passing dropbacks for his collegiate career. While the All-American guard may not be a Day 1 starter for the Jets, Alijah Vera-Tucker has missed plenty of time with injury and is on the final year of his rookie deal, so the depth helps. Plus, long-term-wise, Milum and Ratledge would be a badass tandem on the right side of the line.
Round 5
- Oklahoma Sooners’ safety Billy Bowman Jr. is a bit undersized at 5’10” but makes up for it with excellent instincts. Bowman Jr. had 11 career interceptions to go with 9 pass breakups. He has the sort of versatility that Aaron Glenn could get creative within his secondary; however, his tackling issues may limit some in the NFL. With plenty of experience in the box and slot, Bowman Jr. may be best as a deep centerfield safety. While that role is currently set for newly-signed Andre Cisco, it’s only a 1-year deal. The Jets need more ballhawks in their secondary.
- Notre Dame isn’t quite Tight End University, but they’ve produced their fair share of quality pros. Mitchell Evans is the Fightin’ Irish’s latest TE prospect. Despite tearing his ACL 8 games into the season in ‘23, Evans led the Irish in catches with 29 for 422 receiving yards. He returned in ‘24 and again led the Irish in receptions with 43 for 421 receiving yards and 3 TDs. While his receiving production isn’t eye-popping, it’s important to note that Notre Dame was a run-first offense, and the 6’5” TE was plus in run-blocking. Evans and Jeremy Ruckert wouldn’t be much of a threat in the passing game, but one of the two has gotta at least be decent with the starting job up for grabs.
Round 6
