Minkah Fitzpatrick trade grades: Dolphins get what they want, Steelers get what they need
Miami in 2019 is becoming a joke of historic proportions, which is probably why team owner Stephen Ross was only “somewhat” surprised when Fitzpatrick requested a trade last week. The Dolphins drafted the 22-year-old in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, at No. 11 overall, yet they were willing to move such a young, promising player that could have been part of whatever rebuild they have planned — as long as they could get a first-round draft pick in return.The Steelers were able to provide just that, and given a return that includes an upgraded mid-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to compliment the potential Fitzpatrick brings to Pittsburgh, they likely were more than happy to do so. We expand below.WEEK 3 NFL PICKS:Against the spread | Straight-up picksMinkah Fitzpatrick trade gradesSteelers get: Defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, 2020 fourth-round pick, 2021 seventh-round pickDolphins get: 2020 first-round pick, 2020 fifth-round pick, 2021 sixth-round pickSteelers grade: B+We’ll start with the obvious: Pittsburgh is desperate for help in its secondary, and the team believes Fitzpatrick is a player with star potential who can transform that part of its defense. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora takes it a step deeper, reporting that the Steelers “view Fitzpatrick as a cornerstone player who out-grades most of what (is) likely to be there in (the 2020 NFL Draft).”That’s an important point: Pittsburgh is essentially using its 2020 first-round draft pick eight months ahead of schedule. And for a team currently stuck in an 0-2 hole and without its starting quarterback for the season, the we-still-believe message the Fitzpatrick trade sends to its players is only the cherry on top.That the Steelers may or may not need to draft a QB early in the 2020 NFL Draft — which remains undetermined both because of Ben Roethlisberger’s refusal to retire and because of the wild card that is Mason Rudolph’s potential — is irrelevant for a team that isn’t going to be bad enough to outright earn a pick high enough to select the only player who’s close to a sure bet. And there’s no guarantee Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, a junior this year, will even make himself available in 2020.MORE: Steelers’ Mason Rudolph pick now seems shrewd at worst, genius at bestBecause of the dead cap charges in the wake of the Fitzpatrick trade, he will cost the Dolphins $2.6 million in 2019 while the Steelers pay his $1.08 million salary. In 2020, Fitzpatrick will cost the Dolphins $5 million while the Steelers pay his $1.975 million salary. In terms of the salary cap over the next two years, the Steelers will pay less for Fitzpatrick to play for them than the Dolphins will pay for Fitzpatrick not to play for them.This is why multiple teams reportedly were interested in trading for Fitzpatrick, and why Pittsburgh was wise to jump to the front of the line with its first-rounder. Landing a potentially great player on the second year of his rookie contract is simultaneously a short- and long-term play.In that regard, kudos to the Steelers for not letting any anxiety associated with their record and/or the Roethlisberger injury stop them from making a trade that makes sense under almost any circumstances.Dolphins grade: BThis is simple: Miami wanted a first-round pick in exchange for Fitzpatrick, and it got the first-round pick. Now including their own, the Texans’ and the Steelers’, the Dolphins have three first-rounders in the 2020 NFL Draft.Miami’s strategy is evident, and in the context of that strategy, this trade is a success. But, as former Raiders CEO Amy Trask reminds us, “picks alone don’t make a team better.” Even though both NFL teams in any given trade almost always feel like winners upon completion of the deal, only in certain cases is the trade viewed as a win-win from the outside, where there seems to be an obligation to immediately determine a winner and a loser in the transaction.The Steelers’ trade for Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, reported Monday night and announced Tuesday, feels like one of those win-win deals. Fitzpatrick is a talented, versatile player who most believe was being misused by a bad team. He’ll have a chance to succeed in Pittsburgh, and if he does, the performance of the player Miami drafts with the pick it just acquired will be compared to that of Fitzpatrick. This is the danger associated with dealing young potential stars.Also, due to the aforementioned dead cap charges in the wake of the Fitzpatrick trade, the Dolphins lose roughly $535,000 in salary cap space for 2020, per Spotrac.They’ll chalk it up to the cost of a first-round draft pick, which evidently is all they care about, anyway.
“We might go a little bit shorter with him,” Boone said before the game. “Still expect him to get a lot of work and hopefully he pitches at least into the middle innings.”Paxton said he felt some discomfort during warmups but thought he was OK to pitch. He was removed as a precautionary measure. James Paxton exited tonight’s game with a tight left glute. He was removed as a precautionary measure.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 28, 2019Paxton was due to have a shorter outing as the Yankees have already locked up a playoff spot, but to see him pitch only one inning (21 pitches) was unexpected.Manager Aaron Boone’s plan was to keep the lefty’s pitches down anyway in this game. Related News “I was playing it super safe,” Paxton said. He said he doesn’t expect the issue to affect his playoff readiness.Paxton is 15-6 with a 3.73 ERA this season and has not lost a start since July 26.The Yankees have set a record this season with players sent to the injured list so to hear Paxton’s injury isn’t believed to be serious is good news for New York fans. Gary Sanchez injury update: Yankees catcher (groin) hopes to return for postseason
Gleyber Torres injury update: Yankees infielder (hamstring) to have precautionary MRI exam It’s a day of the week during the 2019 season so of course the Yankees could be dealing with yet another injury.Ace James Paxton left his final regular season start after one inning Friday with a tight left glute, the Yankees announced. 
Two of the best welterweights in the world are set to do battle as IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. takes on WBC titlist Shawn Porter in a title unification bout on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) won the IBF strap by 11th-round knockout from Kell Brook in May 2017. Since then, “The Truth” has defended the belt three times, including most recently a unanimous decision win in March against Mikey Garcia in front of a crowd over 47,000 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. After the fight, Spence was interviewed by Porter, who was doing analyst work, right next to him. On the spot, both guys declared they were ready and willing to square off. Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a yearPorter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) captured the WBC belt in September 2018, beating Danny Garcia by unanimous decision in a back-and-forth battle that was one of the best fights of the year. “Showtime” successfully defended the title for the first time a week before Spence faced Garcia, winning a narrow split-decision over Yordenis Ugas. Boxing pundits and fans alike feel Spence should beat Porter with relative ease to either set up another unification bout against either WBA titleholder Manny Pacquiao or (cross the fingers) WBO champion Terence Crawford.But can Porter defy the odds to pull off the upset? Or does Spence reinforce the point of why he’s one of the best in the fight game?Here’s all you need to know about Spence-Porter, including the start time and PPV cost to watch the fight.MORE: Who’s the best boxer in the world? Errol Spence Jr. is making his caseWhat time is the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter fight?Date: Saturday, Sept. 28Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (prelim) | 9 p.m. (main card)PPV: Fox Sports ($74.99)Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter commences on Saturday, Sept. 28. The preliminary card starts at 7:30 p.m. ET. The main card begins at 9 p.m., with Spence and Porter expected to make the walk to the ring for the main event at around 11:30 p.m.How much does PPV cost for Spence vs. Porter?The Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter fight is a pay-per-view card presented by Fox Sports. It costs $74.99.Those who purchase the card can watch it live on Fox Sports PPV or via live stream online across all internet-connected devices. You can also live stream the fight with fuboTV, which offers a free seven-day trial.Where is the Spence vs. Porter fight?Errol Spence and Shawn Porter will fight at Staples Center in Los Angeles. It’s the first time either boxer has fought in LA.Errol Spence vs. Shawn Porter betting oddsAccording to SportsbookReview.com, Errol Spence is a sizable favorite, coming in at -900, which means you’ll need to bet $900 to win $100. Meanwhile, Porter is a +600 underdog, meaning if you bet $100, you could win $600.Errol Spence record and bioName: Errol Spence Jr.Nationality: AmericanBorn: March 3, 1990Height: 5-9 ½ Reach: 72″Total fights: 25Record: 25-0 with 21 knockoutsShawn Porter record and bioName: Shawn PorterNationality: AmericanBorn: October 27, 1987Height: 5-6 Reach: 69 ½”Total fights: 33Record: 30-2-1 with 17 knockoutsErrol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter fight cardMatchupClassBeltErrol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn PorterWelterweightIBF, WBCAnthony Dirrell vs. David BenavidezSuper MiddleweightWBCMario Barrios vs. Batyr AkhmedovJr. WelterweightWBA (Regular)Josesito Lopez vs. John MolinaJr. Welterweight…Robert Guerrero vs. Jerry ThomasWelterweight…
Favre and Dortmund were forced to deny rumours that he is set to resign, and face Paderborn attempting to at least keep some pressure on reigning champions Bayern, who sit seven points clear with six matches remaining.Second-placed Dortmund may also have to make do without Erling Braut Haaland, after the teenage sensation was injured against Bayern, reportedly in an accidental collision with the referee.Swiss Favre was forced to clarify comments made on Tuesday when he said he would “talk about it (his future) in a few weeks”, saying the following day that he was not “giving up at all”.Several German newspapers have suggested Favre is set to leave at the end of the season, with Niko Kovac, who was sacked by Bayern last year, reported to be his likely successor.“We are certainly not having a coaching debate,” Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insisted to Sport1.“Lucien must have expressed himself misleadingly in a moment immediately after the game.”Barring an unlikely late-season collapse from Bayern, it will be the second straight season that Favre’s Dortmund have pushed their rivals close in the title race before ultimately coming up short.Dortmund led for much of the campaign last term but stumbled late to finish two points off the pace.“We said before the season that we wanted to play for the title again,” added Zorc.“We didn’t manage to be better than Bayern. Now we can be disappointed, take a deep breath, and then set a new goal for Sunday. Full focus is on second place.”Dortmund will be confident of getting back on track against a Paderborn side who are rooted to the foot of the table, eight points adrift of the relegation play-off spot, despite three consecutive draws since the Bundesliga resumed following the coronavirus lockdown.“We mustn’t talk of a miracle because there are still 18 points to be won,” said Paderborn coach Steffen Baumgart.“As long as it’s still mathematically possible we have to give it everything we’ve got.”– Bayern’s ‘big step’ –Joshua Kimmich scored a brilliant goal for Bayern against Dortmund. POOL/AFP/File/Federico GAMBARINIBayern are now firmly on track for a record-extending eighth straight title and on Saturday host a Fortuna Duesseldorf side who boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 midweek win against freefalling Schalke.“We set out to take a big step (against Dortmund). We succeeded. We showed a lot of determination,” said Bayern coach Hansi Flick.Duesseldorf, who occupy the relegation play-off spot, are five points clear of second-bottom Werder Bremen, although the four-time Bundesliga champions have a game in hand.Bremen, who have only spent one season out of the top flight since the Bundesliga’s formation in 1963, visit Schalke on Saturday.Schalke coach David Wagner is under pressure after his side threw away their European hopes with a 10-match winless run, including three straight defeats since the restart of the season.Player to watch: Jadon SanchoSancho (L) has scored 14 Bundesliga goals this season. POOL/AFP/File/Federico GAMBARINI— Dortmund will need Jadon Sancho to be back at his best on Sunday, with Haaland’s injury leaving them without a recognised out-and-out striker.English winger Sancho is yet to start a game since the restart after his own fitness problems, but has featured as a subsitute in all three matches.The 20-year-old has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season.Key statsGoals galore: Free-scoring Leverkusen are the team to watch. POOL/AFP/File/Ina FASSBENDER5 – Home wins in the 27 matches behind closed doors since the league returned.5 – Shots by Haaland without scoring against Bayern. He had previously scored 10 goals from 21 attempts on goal in the Bundesliga.45 – Goals in Bayer Leverkusen’s last 11 league matches, an average of 4.09 goals per game.FixturesFriday (all times GMT)Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen (1830)SaturdayHertha Berlin v Augsburg, Mainz v Hoffenheim, Schalke v Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (1330), Bayern Munich v Fortuna Duesseldorf (1630)SundayBorussia Moenchengladbach v Union Berlin (1330), Paderborn v Borussia Dortmund (1600)
NFL Week 5 Sunday Huddle: Aaron Jones helps Packers run over Cowboys; Eagles rout winless Jets Three takeaways from Colts’ upset on the road vs. ChiefsWhat happened to the touchdown duel?Sure, one could have pegged this as a high-scoring showdown with both Mahomes and Luck running the show. But not many would have thought the same would be true with Mahomes and Brissett. The two entered the week tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (10), which drew comparisons between Mahomes, the gunslinger, and Brissett, a third-round pick that bounced from New England to Indy.With those numbers, some expected the two to trade scores all night long but that just wasn’t the case. Chalk it up to a good night on the ground from the Colts (which we’ll get to) and an equally good night from Indianapolis’ defense, which dismantled a shaky Kansas City offensive line (see below). It left the quarterbacks to combine for just one scoring pass. Related News But when it came, boy, was it one-of-a-kind.Only Mahomes is right, Al 🚀#INDvsKC 📺: KSHB pic.twitter.com/c487FgDH9G— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 7, 2019Brissett finished 18-of-29 passing for 151 yards and one interception while Mahomes put up 321 yards and the lone touchdown on 22-of-39 passing. Mahomes also threw one interception.The Colts needed a big day on the groundThe Chiefs may be known for some positive things, including a high-powered offense, but one thing they have struggled with is stopping the run. As good as Brissett has been, the Colts needed yards on the ground as well.Kansas City has arguably the worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 5.9 yards per carry, the worst mark in the league, and ranking 30th in yards allowed per game (149.8). But Indianapolis, which ran the ball well to start the season, struggled to do so in its past two games. The Colts hadn’t rushed for more than 100 yards in either of their last two games. This week, however, Marlon Mack, who has been battling an ankle injury, led the charge. He was a game-time decision Sunday and he got the start, finishing with 132 rushing yards.Indianapolis totaled 180 rushing yards on the night. Kansas City needs to find a solution to its porous rush defense.Kansas City needs to protect Patrick Mahomes betterThe Chiefs need to stick Mahomes in bubble wrap. Whatever needs to be done to protect the reigning MVP must be done after he was sacked a game-high four times Sunday. He had been sacked three total times leading up to the game, but against the Colts things got worse — much worse — for the quarterback. When Jacoby Brissett took over under center for the Indianapolis Colts after Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement, the team was quickly counted out. However, thanks in part to Brissett’s efforts, Indianapolis entered Week 5 at .500 and has made the case that it is still a playoff contender.The Kansas City Chiefs, who entered Week 5 undefeated, posed a stiff challenge for Brissett and the Colts Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Brissett played well, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes might have been a little better, but the Colts won 19-13 to hand Kansas City its first loss of the season. Not only was Mahomes sacked four times but he also seemed to tweak his ankle in the second half, which seemed to have affected his movement — and for Mahomes, that’s a big part of his game.Here’s what happened to Patrick Mahomes’ ankle on that last drive: pic.twitter.com/OaSnu94DLC— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) October 7, 2019Yikes.Patrick Mahomes appears to have aggravated that ankle injury #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/DM09I4NYSU— Overtime Heroics (@OTHeroics1) October 7, 2019To make matters worse, Kansas City has had to play without injured left tackle Eric Fisher so backup Cameron Erving has taken his place, but it was Erving who stepped on Mahomes’ ankle during the game. If giving up sacks is bad, injuring your own quarterback, even by accident, is even worse.
The Dolphins head to Heinz Field to take on the Steelers for the final game of the Week 8 slate on “Monday Night Football.”Miami (0-6) is off to one of the worst starts in NFL history, being outscored by an NFL-worst 148 points through six games. Its scoring margin is more than 50 points worse than any other team in the league. Despite the slow start, the Dolphins have shown some positive signs in recent weeks. Miami had chances down the stretch to beat both the Redskins and Bills, but came up short. Sept. 9Broncos at Raiders (10:15 p.m. ET)Week 2Sept. 16Browns at JetsWeek 3Sept. 23Bears at RedskinsWeek 4Sept. 30Bengals at SteelersWeek 5Oct. 7Browns at 49ersWeek 6Oct. 14Lions at PackersWeek 7Oct. 21Patriots at JetsWeek 8Oct. 28Dolphins at SteelersWeek 9Nov. 4Cowboys at GiantsWeek 10Nov. 11Seahawks at 49ersWeek 11Nov. 18Chiefs at ChargersWeek 12Nov. 25Ravens at RamsWeek 13Dec. 2Vikings at SeahawksWeek 14Dec. 9Giants at EaglesWeek 15Dec. 16Colts at SaintsWeek 16Dec. 23Packers at Vikings Pittsburgh (2-4), meanwhile, entered the season with lofty expectations but haven’t had luck on its side for much of the year. Ben Roethlisberger went down to a season-ending injury, and then his backup, Mason Rudolph, suffered a concussion, paving the way for undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges to take over the starting quarterback position.NFL TRADE DEADLINE10 players most likely to be traded | Targets for all 32 teamsMinus a 33-3 blowout against the Patriots in Week 1, the Steelers have either won or been competitive in every matchup since. Their three non-Patriots losses have come by an average of three points.Monday’s matchup certainly lacks star power and playoff implications. What it does offer, though, is two teams showing strong efforts in recent weeks in hopes of salvaging their rocky seasons. This game might even provide a coming-out performance from a player who isn’t a household name yet.Below is all the info you need to watch “Monday Night Football” this week, including the TV channel and kickoff time for Dolphins vs. Steelers.Who plays on Monday Night Football tonight?Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh SteelersKickoff time: 8:15 p.m. ETBelow are the predictions from Sporting News’ picks against the spread and straight-up predictions for the Dolphins vs. Steelers game.Picks against the spread: Ryan Fitzpatrick is trying his best to get the Dolphins their first victory. But facing the Steelers’ pass rush in Heinz Field at night off a bye, with their active linebackers also ready to stuff the run, is daunting. The Steelers should be fine turning to their run-heavy game plan with James Conner, plus some more deep-shot opportunities off play-action for returning QB Mason Rudolph. Pick: Steelers win 34-14 and cover the spread.Straight-up prediction: Good news for the Steelers: Mason Rudolph is back. Better news for the Steelers: They get the free bingo space that is a matchup with the Dolphins. This is a timely game for Pittsburgh, still in the AFC wild-card race, as it gears up for three straight weeks of tough games against the Colts, Rams and Browns. The Steelers on Monday night will run at will against the NFL’s second-worst rush defense, and former Dolphin Minkah Fitzpatrick will have some fun against the Fitzpatrick who’s still stuck in Miami. Pick: Steelers 34, Dolphins 17.MORE: Full betting guide for Dolphins vs. SteelersWhat channel is Monday Night Football on?TV channel (national): ESPNLive stream: WatchESPNESPN (and ABC) has been the home for “Monday Night Football” since its inception in 1970. You can find a live stream for MNF games at ESPN.com or by downloading the ESPN app.
Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland will have the call from the booth. McFarland was a sideline analyst last year, but moved into the booth when Jason Witten returned to the Dallas Cowboys following a stint in broadcasting that was not particularly well-received.Lisa Salters returns for her eighth season as sideline reporter, and John Perry is the crew’s new officiating analyst for 2019.Monday Night Football TV schedule for 2019Games start at 8:15 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted.Week 1Sept. 9Texans at Saints (7 p.m. ET)
Trae Young’s right ankle injury showed enough improvement overnight that no MRI exam was necessary Wednesday, ESPN.com reported, citing unidentified sources.He’ll miss Thursday’s home game against the Heat and will be re-evaluated next week, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. The Hawks guard, who left Tuesday’s road game against the Heat and didn’t return, had X-rays on the ankle that were negative and the team was “optimistic” the injury wasn’t serious, ESPN reported earlier.Young, 21, sprained his ankle in the second quarter and had to be helped off the court after scoring five points, two assists and two rebounds in 11 minutes. An @emoryhealthcare injury update:Trae Young (right ankle sprain): Will not return pic.twitter.com/ks9IvwW6Ou— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2019Trae Young hurts his ankle and helped off the court pic.twitter.com/yGqh3GgpJN— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) October 30, 2019He finished second to Luka Doncic in last season’s Rookie of the Year race and is off to a great start in 2019. He was named the Eastern Conference’s player of the week Monday after averaging 38.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists through Atlanta’s first two games.Young leads a Hawks team with an abundance of young talent, and his combination of playmaking and scoring is critical to the team’s success.The Hawks host the Heat at 7 p.m. ET Thursday.
E-mail: sor@desnews.com Item: Two United States soccer players receive red cards within five minutes of each other, leaving the Americans to play 9 on 10 for nearly half of their World Cup draw against Italy.Item: Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger says the referee “cheated” his team out of a possible game-tying goal by making an incorrect off-sides call in a 2-1 loss to Houston.First let me say that I’ve never been one to blame outcomes of sporting events on officials. Earlier this year, some of the 12-year-old players on my soccer team tried to blame their loss on the referees, after a couple of teenage officials made some calls they didn’t like. I told my players the better team won that day and to never to blame a loss on the officials.However, I have to wonder about the two aforementioned examples that happened Saturday. It sounds like the officials may have had a big impact on the outcomes of those two soccer games.Officials can undoubtedly determine the outcome of games in almost any sport. A wrong call at the plate in the bottom of the ninth can change the outcome in baseball. A penalty flag can wipe out a winning play in a football game. A foul call or lack of one in the final seconds of a basketball game, can determine the outcome.While those individual plays can determine a game, I’ve always felt that generally most incorrect calls are balanced out over the course of a game.In soccer, however, calls aren’t as easily balanced out when the official has the power to send a player out of the game and leave a team short-handed.Can you imagine a football team trying to play 10 on 11 or 9 on 10 against an opponent for more than half the game? It would make a huge difference. Also in soccer, as in the case of the disputed off-sides in the Real game, wrong calls are magnified in soccer because there are such fewer scoring opportunities than in other sports. At least in football, if a penalty costs you a touchdown, you usually have another chance to come back. Elsewhere on the sporting scene . . . Was that Jean Van de Velde playing the 18th hole Sunday at the U.S. Open? Have you ever seen two worse meltdowns than those of Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson? I mean, besides Van de Velde’s at the British Open in 1999? It just goes to show how even the best players in the world can fold under pressure. And make poor judgments, in the case of Mickelson.I admit I was kind of hoping Montgomerie would win. Despite his success in Europe, he has never won a tournament in the United States. What better way to break the streak than with a win at the U.S. Open in his 100th start here at the age of 42 . . .I enjoy listening to Johnny Miller for the most part. But I do get tired of the “easy bunker shot” and “not a very hard putt” comments. Maybe they’re easy for him, but not for everyone else . . .Did you see Utah’s Mike Weir on TV the last two days? I didn’t. You’d think a former Masters champion who’s in the top 10 at the U.S. Open the final two days would get at least a little TV time. I had to look on the Internet to see that Weir finished in a tie for sixth, three shots behind winner Geoff Ogilvy. It’s kind of cool to see former Ute teammates Keith Van Horn and Michael Doleac in the NBA Finals. They even guarded each other the other night. Too bad it was in the final minute of a blowout. But at least one of them will have a championship ring within a few days. The NHL has had quite an exciting postseason, capped off by the Finals between Edmonton and Carolina, now tied 3-3. However with the NBA Finals, the U.S. Open and the World Cup taking the spotlight, the NHL has gotten lost in the shuffle even more. Perhaps the NHL should move up the season enough that it ends in May, when there’s not as much going on. Of course, I wish the NBA would consolidate its playoffs and move them up also. It’s absurd for the NBA Finals to end on June 21, which may happen this year. 
Related E-mail: sor@desnews.com Utah fans expecting a marquee name to take over their basketball program may end up disappointed, unless athletic director Chris Hill has something up his sleeve.While it’s still early in the selection process, already a few top names appear unlikely to be interested in the Ute job to replace Ray Giacoletti.Not surprisingly, everybody’s first choice — former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery — isn’t interested in leaving his comfortable lifestyle in northern California right now, as was reported Monday.The 60-year-old Montgomery has worked as a TV analyst and could do that in the future or perhaps wait for a bigger job than Utah’s to open up.Another candidate at the top of many wish lists, Creighton coach Dana Altman, looks like an unlikely possibility, according to sources in the Midwest.The 48-year-old Altman, who has 465 victories as a college head coach and whose team won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament for the sixth time Sunday, won’t discuss other jobs, at least until his team is eliminated from the NCAA tournament.However, one source close to the Creighton program said Altman is “pretty entrenched” at the Omaha private university and has “great loyalty” to his athletic director and university, which hired him in 1994 after a four-year stint at Kansas State.Altman has already turned down “boatloads of money” for jobs at Illinois, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Penn State and others, which means he’d be unlikely to leave for Utah simply if more money was offered.Altman reportedly makes $750,000 a year from the university with a total package of around $1 million.He is a native of Wilber, Neb., 75 miles southwest of Omaha, and he has lots of relatives on both sides of his family nearby.And if the Utes are looking for a dynamic personality to bring excitement the basketball program, Altman isn’t the guy.”He’s a guarded individual,” the source said. “He’d probably make coach Giacoletti look like a stand-up comedian.”Another top coach from the MVC, Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery, has deep roots in the Midwest and also might be unlikely to leave for a job like Utah. He was born in Evansville, Ind., and played four years at Southern Illinois.Lowery was an assistant to coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois for three years and at Illinois for three years before getting the SIU job in 2004 at the age of 31. He was the youngest coach to take his team to the NCAA tournament his first two years as coach and has led his team to a 26-7 record this year and a likely NCAA berth.Another hot coaching prospect, Winthrop’s Gregg Marshall, whose team is 28-4 and winners of the Big South tournament, also appears to be unlikely to want to come West.A source close to the Winthrop program in South Carolina doubts that Marshall would be interested in the Utah job, saying, “his roots run rather deep in South Carolina and he really likes Winthrop.”The source believes Marshall would listen to any offer, but that he would probably prefer to stay in the area and wait for another big job to open up, perhaps at the University of South Carolina, in the next couple of years.While Utah’s Hill won’t be able to contact college coaches before the end of their respective seasons, he could talk to someone like Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant coach Larry Krystkowiak.The 42-year-old Krystkowiak coached two years at Montana, compiling a 42-20 record with two NCAA tournament appearances before taking the Bucks’ position last June. In his nine-year NBA career, he played for six NBA teams including the Utah Jazz in 1992-93.Hill will be rather busy the next few weeks besides searching for a new coach. He leaves today for Indianapolis, where he’ll spend the next five days holed up in a hotel, helping select the 2007 NCAA basketball tournament as a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee. Then he’ll be assigned to NCAA regionals the following two weekends as part of his committee responsibilities. 
Ute coaching vacancy doesn’t interest USU’s Morrill
Utes looking to move forward In losing its opener Friday night to Idaho, the young Utah basketball team showed some promise, particularly from young players such as Jason Washburn, who had 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and Marshall Henderson, who scored 18 points.Perhaps the biggest reason for the loss was poor shot selection.The biggest culprits were Henderson, who went 5-for-14 and Carlon Brown, who was 4-for-13. Both players forced up some ill-advised shots, but so did seniors Luka Drca and Kim Tillie, who each missed badly on a couple of 3-pointers.”Our shot selection hurt us. We tried to do it by ourselves, which young teams do,” said coach Jim Boylen. “But we have to learn what a good shot is and when is the time to take a good shot. We all tried to do it ourselves. Marshall Henderson is a very good player, but he took some bad shots. He needs to understand time, score and possession.”The players agreed they didn’t take great shots against Idaho.”I probably did try to force the issue a little too much,” said Brown. “I did that; Kim did that; Marshall did that. We’ve got to know who we are as a team and make better decisions and better reads.””I got frustrated there for a few minutes and forced shots and tried to drive the ball more than I should have,” said Henderson. “I should have let the game come to me and I really didn’t do that much in the second half like I should.”CENTER FUTURE BRIGHT: One of the positive things to come out of the first game was the play in the post.The Utes have big shoes to fill, replacing four-year starter Luke Nevill, who was Mountain West Conference Player of the Year last year when he averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds per game.However, the Utes got way more than that from their “two-headed monster” of David Foster and Jason Washburn in the middle.Between the two of them, Foster and Washburn combined for 28 points on 12 of 13 shooting and 10 rebounds as well as two blocked shots.”Our center position is going to be very good,” said Boylen. “Washburn is what we said he would be and Foster played well. I like to throw the ball inside. That’s how we want to play. That’s the future of our program.”NOT THAT GOOD: Idaho seemed like a pretty darn good team to the Utes last Friday when the Vandals stormed into the Huntsman Center and nearly laid 100 points on the Utes in a 94-87 victory.However, the Ute loss looked even worse when the Vandals went down to Houston two days later and were beaten by Texas Southern 72-65. The two JC transfers, Staffan Johnson and Jeff Ledbetter, who each scored 16 against the Utes, could only manage 9 and 0 points, respectively, the latter after making 5-of-7 against the Utes.Maybe after getting up for the 8,127 fans at the Huntsman Center, the Vandals just weren’t inspired in front of 659 fans in Houston.UTE NOTES: Wednesday’s game with Utah State begins at 6 p.m., one of two 6 p.m. starts for the Utes this year (the other is the Feb. 3 home game against Colorado State). It will be televised live on The mtn. network. … Last year in Logan, the Aggies won 66-64 on a last-second basket by Tai Wesley. The last time they played in Salt Lake, Utah won 72-48 … After Wednesday’s game, the Utes take on Southern Saturday at 7 p.m.e-mail: sor@desnews.com Related