Mock Draft Monday 8/26 '24
No Lie
No Lie
- NFL Draft ‘25 Build a Board
- Houston Cougars Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is 2 Chainz’ No Lie which features Drake. This was 2 Chainz’ biggest hit off his album called Based on a T.R.U. Story which came out in ‘12.
Around this time, anytime you heard Mike WiLL Made-It as an intro of a song it was about to be a hit. The song peaked at #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while landing #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop category.
No Lie, it’s kinda late and I don’t feel like diving too deep into lyrics on this one, how about a did you know?
Tauheed Epps, better known as 2 Chainz, is from College Park, Georgia. He played high school hoops at North Clayton and as a sophomore was the 6th Man for the team that won the State Title. By his senior year in the mid-90s, Epps was a legitimate Division I recruit and even got attention from the likes of the University of Memphis who was hoping to replace Penny Hardaway. He ultimately would end up at Alabama State where he played 2 seasons coming off the bench for 35 games. 2 Chainz averaged 2.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, half a steal, and half an assist per game. As he put it, "I got into some trouble, went somewhere else, and came back. But I graduated, and that's that. That was then”, which would lead him to down the road to rap.
His former high school coach, James Gwyn, described him as…
“A tough matchup. He was a 6-5, 6-6 perimeter player…He could handle the ball very well, pass the ball very well. He was kind of a slippery guy. The little guys couldn’t guard him and the big guys couldn’t stay with him. He was very deceptive and kind of had a unique style, because all you really saw was arms and legs. He had good ball control but looked a little unorthodox. Reggie Miller in terms of the cockiness on the court. I’m just thinking of those guys because they had similar builds. He could shoot the 3, he could go inside. He played with a lot of confidence and could talk some trash.”
Donald Cunningham, his former high school teammate, said…
“He was such a good dribbler -- all the fancy moves and the streetball moves like they’re doing now [in the AND1 videos], he was doing that 17 years ago. Behind the back and the no-look passes, between the legs….I’d compare him to someone like Scottie Pippen or Lamar Odom. Versatile, who could play the 1 through the 5.”
(Source: How good was 2 Chainz? ESPN)
No Lie is high school jumper had good form.
On to the sports…
Got a while before Mock Draft Season so most Mondays will feature stars of College Football this ‘24 season who are eligible to turn pro in ‘25. Here’s the list so far, the draft board is subject to change.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Garrett Nussmeier was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but played his high school football in Texas. His father, Doug Nussmeier, was taken in the 4th Round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After spending a handful years as a backup QB in the NFL, Doug Nussmeier eventually turned to coaching all over the US college/pros and even in the Canadian Football League. During Garrett Nussmeier’s time in Texas high school football, Doug was the Cowboys QB coach and he currently holds the same position for the Philadelphia Eagles. At Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Garrett was rated a 4-star pro-style QB. Nussmeier decided to play for LSU and has served as the team’s backup the past 3 seasons, the last two behind Jayden Daniels. While Nussmeier hasn’t seen consistent playing time with the Tigers, he has certainly flashed potential when given the opportunity. During the Cheez-It Bowl in ‘22, Nussmeier went 11 of 15 for 173 yards and 2 TDs. He earned his first career collegiate start in the ReliaQuest Bowl last New Year’s Day against Wisconsin, throwing for 395 passing yards on 31 of 45 pass attempts and scored 3 passing TDs. After patiently waiting the past 3 seasons on the depth chart, Garrett Nuessmeir is hoping to follow the footsteps of other NFL QBs such as Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. His first true test will come against USC this Sunday night.
Jason Marshall Jr., CB, Florida
Jason Marshall Jr. is from Miami, Florida, where he was a highly recruited 5 star CB in high school. In ‘21 as a freshman, Marshall Jr. made 7 starts while playing in 13 games while coming down with his 1st interception. As a sophomore in ‘22, Marshall Jr. made all 13 starts for the Gators, again collecting another INT while swatting away another 9 passes. While the 6’ CB didn’t come down with any interceptions in ‘23, as a junior he had a career-high 10 passes defended while earning a 72.3 coverage grade by PFF College. As a senior in ‘24, Jason Marshall Jr. enters as one of the most experienced CBs in all of the land and the former 5 star recruit has a chance to have his best season yet as he will be tested right out the gate against the Miami Hurricanes with Cam Ward this upcoming weekend.
Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
Oscar Delp is from Cumming, Georgia, and was the #1 TE national recruit out of his high school of West Forsyth. He decided to play for Georgia despite the fact he would be behind Brock Bowers on the depth chart. As a freshman in ‘22, Delp saw limited action in 13 games as he caught 5 passes for 61 yards. He returned as a sophomore in ‘23 and earned himself 10 starts as Bowers dealt with injuries throughout the season. Although Delp may not have been prominently featured in the Bulldogs offense, he still flashed a ton of potential with 24 catches for 284 yards and 3 TDs. With the likes of Bowers and Ladd McConkey now playing on Sundays, expect Oscar Delp to shoulder much more of the load on offense in ‘24.
Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia
Wyatt Milum is from Kenova, West Virginia, and fits the bill as a Mountaineer. In high school, Milum played on both the offensive and defensive lines while being named by Sports Illustrasted as the #1 RT of his class. He chose to play for his home state and became a starting right tackle for WVU as a freshman. During his sophomore season in ‘22, moved to the left tackle position and was named Academic All-Big 12 1st Team. In ‘23 as a junior, the 6’6” Mountaineer again played left tackle and this time was awarded 2nd Team All-Big 12 honors. Milum as a junior did not allow a sack or QB hit in 753 offensive snaps. This past spring Wyatt Milum won the ‘24 Iron Mountaineer Award, which is a 6.2-pound coal statue made entirely of native West Virginian natural resources like coal, wood, and natural wood stain. It symbolizes the grittiest of grit and is displayed at the WVU stength-and-conditioning complex. As a total sidenote, in a recent interview Wyatt Milum also mentioned he is the best swimmer on the West Virginia Mountaineer team as well.
RJ Oben, Edge, Notre Dame
RJ Oben is from Montclair, New Jersey, and attended high school at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City. During his senior season, Oben recorded 5 sacks with 28 tackles and was named 3rd Team All-State by NJ.com. RJ Oben’s father, Roman Oben, played football at the University of Louisville before getting drafted by the NY Giants in the 3rd Round. Roman Oben had a 12 year NFL career as an offensive tackle playing with the G-Men, Browns, Bucs, and Chargers while currently serving as the NFL Vice President of Football Development. RJ Oben’s collegiate start began at Duke University. As a freshman in ‘19, Oben saw action in 4 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury which forced him to redshirt. During the COVID ‘20 season, Oben returned to action but was more of a depth piece. Oben earned a starting role for the Duke Blue Devils in ‘21 and in 3 seasons he totaled 67 tackles, 20 TFLs, 14.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles. Due to his redshirt injury season and COVID, RJ Oben is eligible for a 6th collegiate season and he chose to transfer to Notre Dame. The local Jersey Kid has come along way from St. Peter’s Prep and be coming off the edge for the Fightin’ Irish in ‘24.
Previewing possible College Basketball starting 5s for this upcoming season. So far it’s been Duke, UConn, St. John’s, Kansas, and Alabama. This week it’s the Houston Cougars.
LJ Cryer, SG, Senior
LJ Cryer was born in New Orleans but moved to Katy, Texas after Hurricane Katrina. While playing at Morton Ranch High School, Cryer was a Texas high school legend as his 3,488 high school points finished 5th all-time in public school history of the Lone Star state. As a senior in high school, he averaged a ridiculous 34.2 points per game. The scoring didn’t initially come so easy for Cryer in college as he came off the bench of Baylor as a freshman to average 3.4 points per game during their National Championship season. As a sophomore, Cryer earned more opportunities to score but ultimately was plagued by a foot injury that held him out of 15 games. During his junior year at Baylor, the 6’1” shooting guard became a starter for the Bears as averaged 15 points per game on 42% shooting from beyond the arc. Last season LJ Cryer transferred to Houston and led his new team in scoring at 15.5 points per game while earning 2nd Team All-Big 12 recognition. This upcoming season, Cryer will once again take on the heap of the Cougars’ scoring load.
Emanuel Sharp, SF, Junior
Emanuel Sharp was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. His father, Derrick Sharp, professional basketball in Israel before becoming a citizen and playing for the national team. Emanuel Sharp played his high school hoops just outside of Tampa, Florida where he was coached by his father at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic School. A 4-star recruit, Emanuel Sharp decided to play for the Houston Cougars but missed his freshman season with a broken fibula from his senior year of high school. When Sharp returned in ‘22, he provided some scoring off the bench as he averaged 5.9 points in 15.6 minutes per game. Last season with the Cougars, Sharp’s scoring more than doubled as he recorded 12.6 points per game on 37% shooting from beyond the arc. Perhaps the best game of his collegiate career came in the Round of 32 last March Madness when scored a career-high 30 points on a career-high 7 3-pointers. The sharp-shooting Sharp has a natural lean to his jump shot that you wouldn’t necessarily teach but he’s comfortable with it and his swishes are pure. He’s also an excellent free-throw shooter, hitting at a career 86% from the charity stripe.
J'Wan Roberts, PF, Senior
J’Wan Roberts was born in St. Thomas on the Virgin Islands. He moved to Killeen, Texas for high school hoops where he was a 3-star recruit. After redshirting in ‘20, Roberts came off the bench in ‘21-‘22 during his freshman and sophomore seasons. While he may have only averaged 14 minutes per game, Roberts still made an impact on the boards as he averaged 4.5 rebounds per game in those 2 seasons. He entered the starting lineup as a junior and added scoring (10 ppg) while still maintaining his rebounding ability (7.7 rpg). This earned him 2nd Team All-AAC recognition while being named the Most Improved Player of the conference. Last season as a senior, the 6’8” power forward led the team in rebounds with 6.8 boards per game while chipping in 9.5 points. Roberts was named 3rd Team All-Big 12 as Houston switched conferences. His 117 career wins with the Houston Cougars make him the 3rd most winningest player in program history. Roberts is an excellent finisher around the rim and can put defenders on posters. As a graduate senior this upcoming season, Roberts has the opportunity to become the all-time winningest player in Cougar history as he trails only his former teammates Jamal Shead (120 wins) and Fabian White Jr. (121 wins).
Ja'Vier Francis, C, Senior
Ja’Vier Francis is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, however, he played most of his high school hoops in Houston and Florida. A 3-star recruit, Francis didn’t get much playing time during his freshman season at Houston. During his sophomore campaign, Ja’Vier Francis averaged 4.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game coming off the bench. Last season was Francis’ best one yet as the 6’8” center averaged career-highs with 6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game as he made all 37 starts. While 6’8” may seem a bit undersized for a center in College Hoops, Francis makes up for it with his 7’5” wingspan. The Houston big man can routinely guard opposing guards on switches and his wingspan more than makes up for his height, which isn’t a detriment because that helps him stick in front of smaller guards. The Houston Cougars are an excellent defensive team thanks to Ja’Vier Francis’ versatility as a defender.
Milos Uzan, PG, Junior
