By Robert Cessna
robert.cessna@theeagle.com
View all Robert's Blogs

It’s exciting that the world champion Los Angeles Lakers drafted A&M’s Chinemelu Elonu, but the reality is he’s still got a long way to go before playing in the NBA.

Here’s what Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak told the LA Times about their plans for Elonu:

“Our next step is summer league.  Guys that are drafted in the 50s, they’re not going to sign long term guaranteed contracts.  So he’ll have a chance to come to summer league, and we’ll evaluate him [there] and if he’s as good as we think he is, than [he could] come to camp and [maybe] end up with a contract.”

Wow. He COULD make it to the Lakers’ camp and MAYBE he could sign a contract. Those aren’t exactly words of confidence.

More from Kupchak to the Times on Elonu’s position: “He’s definitely not a small forward.  He’s a low post player.  Long, athletic, plays very hard.  He’s a wonderful person. We had him in and worked him out.  He’s a great kid, plays hard.  He’s developing, and every year he’s getting better and better, so we think he has an upside.  In the NBA is he a center?  Yeah, he’s long enough to guard some centers, but some of the centers in this league, no he couldn’t guard them.”

These are the kind of things I hate about the NBA. Why not encourage him to stay at A&M  for another year? He could have improved and developed into a first-round pick next year, getting a guaranteed contract, and enjoying a heck of a senior year.

It could all still work out for Junior, and anyone who has been in contact with him I’m sure feels the same way.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas likes Elonu, and Bilas is seldom wrong. Elonu might have to go overseas or play in the NBA Developmental League to make it, but he probably will find a way. He has that kind of determination.

And if you’re going to be long-shot pick, why not do it with the Lakers?

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FYI, just got done reading the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and its story on Pitt’s DeJuan Blair getting drafted in the second round.

Blair was so sure he’d be a first-rounder he allowed the paper to follow him Thursday.

Here’s the first few graphs of their story:

Pitt All-American DeJuan Blair announced April 9 that he was leaving Pitt with two seasons of eligibility remaining. At his news conference, Blair said there was no reason for him to return to school, saying, "I'm guaranteed of being a first-round pick," Blair said. "I'm an Internet freak. I go on all the draft boards. No one has me going in the second round. That's almost a guarantee to me."

Blair found out last night there are no guarantees on draft night. Blair, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound forward, was not selected until the San Antonio Spurs made him the seventh pick of the second round.

There are absolutely no guarantees being a second-round pick. First-round draft picks receive a guaranteed contract for two seasons with club options for the third and fourth years. Second-round picks have to make a team in order to cash an NBA paycheck.

If you want to read more.. go to: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09177/980024-175.stm

Guess what? Blair didn’t speak to the media after falling from the first round. He had his publicist inform the press.

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Several UT fans e-mailed, telling me to enjoy A&M’s three national championships.

Hey, I get paid the same whether the team I cover wins or loses. Would I rather cover a winner? Sure, in all sports. Why would anyone want to cover a loser? No one would.

Then why would any fan want his school to lose?

If Texas doesn’t care about winning in track and men’s golf, why not shut down those programs? Oh, wait. Why did UT build Mike A. Myers Stadium? Was it for the UIL? And what about the University of Texas Golf Club and Academy? Is that for media golf tournaments?

You bet Texas wants to win in those sports, just as bad as A&M. And if Texas had won national championships in track and golf, you can bet Longhorn fans would have been bragging, and rightfully so.

Of course Myers Stadium brings up an interesting point. Isn’t that one of the best facilities in the country? Yet, A&M, which didn’t have an outdoor meet, wins the national championship?

There’s been talk of A&M building an outdoor facility to match its world-class indoor complex. All colleges might want to think twice about spending any extra money until the economy picks up. Besides, haven’t the Longhorns shown that you need more than facilities? At least in track and golf.

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One reader asked why I didn’t include equestrian when comparing A&M and UT. Simply, that sport is not big-time like fencing, rifle, rowing, skiing and water polo, which do crown NCAA champions. Equestrian was classified as an NCAA emerging sport in 1998. Many are hopeful it will gain championship status, which bowling recently did.

Archery, badminton, rugby, squash, synchronized swimming and team handball are other women’s sports that are classified as emerging. It will be interesting to see if these sports can continue to grow and earn championship status in these tough economic times.

FYI, there’s only 23 colleges and universities that offer equestrian as a varsity sport. There are 29 Division I and 15 Division II colleges that offer women's bowling scholarships, so it would appear that equestrian has a ways to go.

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