Misi to Miami

Koa Misi was the first ProUte selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, followed five picks later by Zane Beadles. Both players were taken in the second round of the new three day draft format, making this the second consecutive year Utah has had two players drafted in the second round. Misi went to Miami at #40, and the Broncos picked Beadles at #45. Misi becomes the third ProUte on Miami's defense, joining last year's second round pick Sean Smith and Paul Soliai. If only they would bring back Steve Fifita! Like Paul Kruger, Misi will transition from defensive end to outside linebacker in the NFL. Unlike Kruger, Misi will be expected to contribute immediately according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Three more Utes were drafted in the fifth round on Saturday. Robert Johnson will carry on the proud tradition of ProUtes playing for the Titans, David Reed goes to the Ravens (the team that cut free agent Bradon Godfrey last year), and Stevenson Sylvester's a Steeler!

Here's the complete list from this year's draft:

#40, Miami Dolphins, Koa Misi, de/lb
#45, Denver Broncos, Zane Beadles, ol
#148, Tennessee Titans, Robert Johnson, s
#156, Baltimore Ravens, David Reed, wr
#166, Pittsburgh Steelers, Stevenson Sylvester, lb
#223, Carolina Panthers, R.J. Stanford, cb

With Stanford's selection in the seventh round Utah set a new school record of six players drafted! By way of comparison that's the same number that traditional powerhouse Texas had drafted this year - only four schools had more.

NBA Playoffs

Andre Miller tied his playoff career high of 31 points to lead Portland to a 105-100 upset win over Phoenix. Portland, a 6 seed, pulled off the only win by a visiting team in game 1 thanks to Andre's 31 points and 8 assists.

The Blazers managed to win without star Brandon Roy, but the Bucks didn't fare so well minus Andrew Bogut. They fell behind by a wide margin and lost to the Hawks 102-92.

In the D League Luke Nevill and the Utah Flash had their season come to an end in the first round of the playoffs. They took the first game against the Iowa Energy but lost the best-of-three series. Nevill averaged 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his first year in the developmental league.

Minor League Assignments

Looking for your favorite ProUtes on the baseball diamond? Brian Budrow, Ryan Khoury, and Chris Shelton have all been reassigned this season. Budrow is pitching for the South Bend Silver Hawks, the class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Khoury has gone from the Portland Sea Dogs to the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston's triple A affiliate. Shelton is now in the Houston Astros organization, currently assigned to the triple A Round Rock Express.

Utah Man in the Arena

Arena Football returns to action tonight, but I have to say I'm not as excited to follow the Utah Blaze now that I can no longer find Jason Boone or Derrek Richards on the roster. The only connection to the University of Utah on the team is Brett Elliott, the quarterback who lost his starting spot to Alex Smith due to injury. Elliott then transferred to Linfield, a Div. III school where he excelled, winning a national championship and setting all kinds of records. He signed with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent, then joined the AFL. Now that the league is back Elliott is back in Utah.

Tommy Grady, a qb who did not enjoy similar success after transferring from Oklahoma to Utah, returns to his roots as a member of the Oklahoma City Yard Dogz.

The player I'm most excited to see back on the field is Steve Fifita, one of the heroes of the Fiesta Bowl. Fifita spent a couple of years with the Miami Dolphins but didn't have the size for the NFL. He does have a non-stop motor, which may be a better fit for Arena Football anyhow! He plays for the Alabama Vipers.

One player who will not be returning with the revived AFL is Phil Glover, but that's probably for the best. Some guys don't know when to walk away from the game while they still can!

Bad Break

Andrew Bogut broke his right hand, sprained his wrist, and dislocated his elbow when he fell in Saturday's game against the Suns. The big fella got out on the fast break, threw it down with two hands, then fell and broke his hand. It's gruesome to watch on the replay and I won't post it or link to it here. It's sickening to watch and sickening because it forces an early end to what had been a breakout season for the big Buck. Bogut had 12 points in just 12 minutes against Phoenix, on 6-of-7 shooting. A big man ought to be rewarded for hustling down the floor like he did, not drop to the floor like he did. That's just not right. His team went on to win the game without him, but the injury is a serious blow to Milwaukee's playoff hopes.