Sunday Truth

Jon Major, the big 6-foot-4, 230-pound Parker (Colo.) linebacker from Ponderosa High School is being hounded by college recruiters and now can brag on 27 scholarship offers, according to Adam Munsterteiger of BuffStampede.com.

How heart-pumping a sight it would be to see the big thumper in a Colorado uniform, becoming another elite state player to believe in Buffs' coach Dan Hawkins' vision.

The questions that beg asking here are is Major truly open to staying in state and two, what will CU have to show him this fall to make that decision the one to make.

It might be too much to ask to get a "yes" from a another premier talent (see Ryan Miller) coming off another terrible season.

Would six wins and an exciting brand of play do the trick? Would an upset over a ranked team sell Major when he will likely have his pick of powerhouse schools?

You have insight, don't be shy, get off the wall and bring it. This is your place to be heard and respected. No bar-room insults thrown in this saloon.

Hittin' the field

Colorado State will get a real charge for not only its' offense but the whole team when running back Kyle Bell proves healthy. His loss a season go was too much to bear as the Rams had no dependable alternative at his position.

The 6-foot-2, 226-pound bruiser is a difference-maker if the repair work on his body sticks by the school-accredited mechanics. He's that pack mule CSU can load up and ride, making life a lot easier for quarterback Caleb Hannie.

Laying it down

Florida is too big, too experienced, better on defense and too much for a solid Oregon team and North Carolina will scrap out another win and deny Georgetown's advancement on Atlanta.

Ain't no lie

The Big 12 has been vanquished from the NCAA Tournament as Kansas was dismantled by UCLA's defense while allowing the Bruins to also shoot lights out from the floor in an Elite 8 matchup. Brandon Rush, a supposed defensive stalwart was thoroughly undone by UCLA's Arron Afflalo.

Said before the tournament that, despite the records, there were no dominant teams in college basketball this season. That has been proven in March. Yet the better teams keep finding ways to win and advance, which shows how important know-how and intestinal fortitude mean and how far all that goes toward victory. The margin for error, even for no. 1 seeds, is slimmer than slim, razor thin.

Enough already! Greg Oden shows flashes for dominance, no doubt, and he has played with one hand and there simply aren't enough great centers around but he is not anywhere near as polished and ready to roll out and star in the NBA like Kevin Durant is -- case closed. Think of Oden as more Dwight Howard for now, an excellent player, but not The Boss.

Oden is good and he's going to get better but give me a young Akeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson or Patrick Ewing. See the point? Oden just seems to be missing that necessity for greatness -- passion, hunger, whatever you want to call it. He certainly doesn't lack athleticism, skill or potential.

John Calipari should be one of Kentucky's top desires to replace Tubby Smith, who jetted out of Lexington for some northern outpost. Why? Calipari's track record of success, recruiting ability and maybe most of all his confidence/arrogance, which all coaches need at UK to deal with the Wildcats' fans and their sense of entitlement. Rick Pitino had it, Calipari has it.

On the streets

Is it just me or are Colorado State and Wyoming shopping from the bargain bin, hiring Tim Miles and Heath Schroyer to head their respective basketball programs? Not saying those two aren't fine men and won't be upgrades over their predecessors but neither inspire much confidence and excitement from the fan bases. Good luck selling tickets. For an alternative point of view, look how Minnesota fans are acting like they are in the promised land now in response to the hiring of Tubby Smith. You'd think Phil Jackson or John Wooden were taking over the Gophers.

The good news? The Colorado Rockies won't be any worse than they were last year and general manager Dan O'Dowd and skipper Clint Hurdle will retain their jobs come 2008. Will the team be better? Maybe, if it stays healthy, the young players take a step forward and the pitching surprises (don't hold your breath). A lot to ask but certainly possible. O'Dowd has done an excellent job building the farm system, which is producing quality position-player prospects, something it rarely has done in the past. Now, some pitchers have to emerge as top-quality prospects. The book is still out on that, especially on the starters.

What this team still lacks is not more sinkerballer pitchers but that dominating power broker on the mound. Yet, last June, the Rockies passed on both lefthander Andrew Miller of North Carolina (over signability concerns), who went to Detroit and another lefty, Clayton Kershaw from a Texas high school, who ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's how bad teams stay bad -- the Colorado Cubs.

The real deal on Broncos' linebacker Al Wilson is Denver management either thinks he is damaged goods or isn't making enough plays for them, not that his salary is too much to bear. After trying to dump him off to the New York Giants, one might think reconciliation between Wilson and the Broncos might be too difficult, no matter what the two parties spin in public. We'll have to see what goes down as the draft approaches and then mini-camp.

The question

Should CU athletic director Mike Bohn be talking to the long list of outstanding coaches who's teams have been bounced from the postseason or is Jeff Bzdelik just too good to turn your back on?

That's one tough question here, even for one who greatly respects Bzdelik's accomplishments.

Check my eyesight

Think I'm ugly? Check out Charley Rosen here. Dude is delusional on LeBron James. And you think all his chatter on James is sick, read on to see what Rosen says about college basketball compared to the pro game. Then make an appointment and come see me. We'll talk. Warning you, Rosen is wild and out there, which I like, but his medication probably should be changed, one way or another. Just can't tell if he needs a higher or lesser dose. Although, I do wonder if his reasoning is why college coaches struggle to be effective in the NBA.