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Patrick Peterson Receives Honorable Mention Among Top NFL Young Talent

2012-05-16T21:21:28Z

There are a lot of talented players in the NFL today, although many of them usually take a few years to acclimate to the physical and mental aspects of the game. Still, there are some players who blossom early, and they make their presence felt quickly.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com files this report of the ten best up-and-comers in the league under the age of 25, and although no Arizona Cardinals make the list, one comes close in Patrick Peterson.

Peterson's talent cannot be denied. He was emerging as one of the most lethal punt return threats in the NFL last year and was probably one of the most dynamic special teams weapons out there. There are still questions about how far he has to go as a cover corner though, which probably precluded him from being placed on this list.

To talk about Peterson with Cardinals fans, head on over to Revenge of the Birds.

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2012 NHL Playoffs: Coyotes' Shane Doan Avoids Suspension For Hit On Kings' Trevor Lewis

2012-05-16T19:37:59Z

The Phoenix Coyotes got themselves a bit of break on Wednesday as it has been reported that captain Shane Doan will avoid a suspension for his hit on the Los Angeles Kings' Trevor Lewis in game two of their NHL playoff series.

Per the NHL's Senior VP of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan on Twitter:

Doan/Lewis: Lewis turns just prior to the check. No SD. yfrog.com/odw6efinj
— Brendan Shanahan (@NHLShanahan) May 16, 2012

Doan told reporters this after the game about the hit:

"I mean, he [Lewis] turns, he looks right at me," Doan said. "I didn't even look at him again. I was looking down at the puck because I was trying to poke the puck free. He turns away as I'm coming in.''

Great break for Arizona, now the Coyotes just have to figure out a way to get a win against the Kings.

For more in depth discussion and analysis of everything Phoenix Coyotes, make sure that you check out Five For Howling and SB Nation Arizona. For the Los Angeles Kings side of the story, ensure that you head over to Jewels Of The Crown and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the NHL playoffs in general, make sure that you check outSB Nation's dedicated NHL hub.

Jamie Moyer Vs. Patrick Corbin, A Pitching Matchup You Never Could Even Think Of

2012-05-16T18:43:01Z

On Wednesday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Colorado Rockies in Coor's Field and have an interesting matchup on the mound with their starting pitchers. The Diamondbacks are sending out Patrick Corbin, a promising young left-hander that, outside of his start in New York, has been very impressive since the start of spring training.

The Rockies will send Jamie Moyer, who set a record earlier this season by becoming the oldest pitcher in history to record a win.

This matchup you could not even have dreamed up.

Moyer, who is 49 years old, made his major league debut in 1986. Corbin was born in 1989. By the time Corbin was born, Moyer had already logged 28 wins and lost 34 games.

Before Corbin made his big league debut this season, Moyer had appeared in over 685 games. Corbin probably has not yet played that many organized games in his life.

Both are lefties, but Moyer can only throw about 70 mph maximum. Corbin has a 90-92 mph fastball to go along with his other pitches.

Both pitch to contact...only Moyer still can get people out while throwing batting practice.

I remember when Moyer came up and struggled as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He was promising, but was one of the worst pitchers in the league at one point. The fact that he became later one of the better pitchers was impressive. At this point, the fact that he has survived in the league as long as he has is even more impressive.

Corbin might not ave been around in this world when Moyer started his career, but he certainly could look to his career for at least a model of how to survive in a league that doesn't see this sort of longevity often.

Get more Diamondbacks coverage over at AZ Snakepit.

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NBA Playoff Schedule and Results: Heat, Clippers Fall, Lakers, Celtics Look To Bounce Back

2012-05-16T17:24:33Z

The NBA Playoffs are starting to tighten up after Tuesday night, possibly signaling a big shift in this year's second season.

The Indiana Pacers topped the Chris Bosh-less Miami Heat 78-75 despite 28 from LeBron James, while the San Antonio Spurs continue their tear, absolutely owning the Los Angeles Clippers 108-92. Can't imagine a Pacers/Spurs final would have as big of a draw as say a Heat/Clippers final, but the cream is rising to the top, and it's doing so with fundamentals and defense.

Here's the NBA Playoff schedule for Wednesday, May 16:

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on TNT

The young and energetic 76ers face off with the precise yet timeless Celtics in game three of this series, currently tied at one apiece after Philly stole the last meeting with a Lavoy Allen bank shot with less than a second left. With Paul Pierce slowed with an MCL injury, the other three parts of the big four need to step it up at the Wells Fargo Center tonight.

Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT on TNT

Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Thunder ran the Lakers into the ground in the first matchup of the series earlier this week 119-90, looking more than capable to deal with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers bigs. OKC will likely have a similar game plan tonight against the Lake Show at Chesapeake Energy Arena, though Mike Brown will have to make som serious adjustments if they want to avoid an early 2-0 hole in this series.

Diamondbacks Vs. Rockies: Series Preview, Pitching Probables, More

2012-05-16T16:59:57Z

The Arizona Diamondbacks stop in for a cup of coffee in Denver.

The Arizona Diamondbacks finally saw some clutch hitting in Los Angeles and came out of their series with the first place Dodgers with a two-game split. Continuing on the road, their next opponents are the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado is struggling much like Arizona has been. They have lost eight of their last 10 games. They are below .500 both on the road and at Coor's Field.

Offensively, they are getting production, but their starting pitching has not been great. Their top starter ERA (for someone with more than two starts) is Juan Nicasio and a 4.65 ERA.

Arizona has struggled offensively with runners in scoring position, that is, aside from Tuesday's game. They hope that they can continue and build on that.

Here are the pitching probables for Wednesday and Thursday:

Wedensday, 5:40 PM: Patrick Corbin (2-1, 4.50) vs. Jaime Moyer (1-3, 4.66)

Thursday, 12:10 PM: Trevor Cahill (2-4, 3.65) vs. Juan Nicasio (2-1, 4.65)

Get more Diamondbacks coverage over at AZ Snakepit.

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Diamondbacks Vs. Rockies: Series Preview, Pitching Probables, More

2012-05-16T16:59:11Z

Colorado is struggling much like Arizona has been. They have lost eight of their last 10 games. They are below .500 both on the road and at Coor's Field.

Offensively, they are getting production, but their starting pitching has not been great. Their top starter ERA (for someone with more than two starts) is Juan Nicasio and a 4.65 ERA.

Arizona has struggled offensively with runners in scoring position, that is, aside from Tuesday's game. They hope that they can continue and build on that.

Here are the pitching probables for Wednesday and Thursday:

Wedensday, 5:40 PM: Patrick Corbin (2-1, 4.50) vs. Jaime Moyer (1-3, 4.66)

Thursday, 12:10 PM: Trevor Cahill (2-4, 3.65) vs. Juan Nicasio (2-1, 4.65)

Get more Diamondbacks coverage over at AZ Snakepit.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Mercury Cut Three More In Johnson, Reed, And Simon

2012-05-16T16:09:53Z

Just 12 hours after a scrimmage and 6 days before the season opener Corey Gaines and the Phoenix Mercury made a few more roster cuts. The team has let go Amanda Johnson (2012 No. 33 pick), forward Chastity Reed, and local point guard product Dymond Simon out of Arizona State.

These moves are not the last as the team needs to cut the roster down to 11 total players by May 17^th in preparation for the season opener against the Minnesota Lynx.

Johnson and Simon were not full participants in Training Camp, did not play in the exhibition against the Japanese National Team, and were reaches to make the roster. As profiled on draft day Johnson is an elite shooting center that Coach Gaines thought would be a perfect fit in fast breaks as the trailer shooting threes. Then there was Simon who was a part of an overhaul at point guard that now features three options in rookie Samantha Prahalis and newcomers Alexis Hornbuckle and Andrea Riley.

Reed was an interesting cut as she looked good in the scrimmage as a mid-range shooting forward. She plays with a lot of energy and passion. Unfortunately she played a position that was not of major need and was let go because of that.

This is what the roster looks like as of right now:

PG - Andrea Riley

PG - Alexis Hornbuckle

PG - Samantha Prahalis

SG - Diana Taurasi

SG - Alexis Gray-Lawson

F - DeWanna Bonner

F - Candice Dupree

F - Charde Houston

F - Penny Taylor (Injured, out for the year)

C - Nakia Sanford

C - Krystal Thomas

C - Avery Warley

C - Zane Tamane

Of the 13 players left only Taurasi, Taylor, Dupree, and Sanford have more than four years experience in the WNBA. The youth movement has begun and the future of the team could be in the players that make the roster this season.

Two more cuts are coming soon and they will likely come from the center pool that currently has four player. As the Mercury host Media Day on May 16^th more information on roster moves is surely to come out.

Sean Miller Talks Impact Of Mark Lyons, Solomon Hill For Arizona Wildcats

2012-05-16T15:00:31Z

Following a wild past month for the Arizona Wildcats through transfers both into and outgoing from the program, head coach Sean Miller met with the media on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of topics. Among the hottest topics on the agenda: how Mark Lyons will fit into the program, Kevin Parrom's recovery from a broken foot and Solomon Hill moving to his natural position.

Here were news and notes from Miller's press conference:

Coach Miller addressed T.J. McConnell, who transferred from Duquesne and will sit out next season, and thinks his impact in practices will be huge for the Wildcats. Not only will McConnell get to learn the system for once he becomes the starting guard in 2013, but also get to compete and challenge everyone else in practice. Miller mentioned his ties to T.J. and his family, and really gained respect for him after he played against Arizona this past year.
As expected for weeks, the plan is to redshirt Matt Korcheck next year. He will be eligible for two seasons after that. Similar to McConnell, coach Miller was very excited to see what Korcheck brings to the program in practice. He felt Korcheck will develop very nicely once he gets in a full year or practices and working in the weight room.
Miller had nothing but great things to say of Mark Lyons, who recently decided to become a Wildcat after four years at Xavier. Miller praised his work ethic and competitiveness on the court, and feels that his toughness will be huge for the team next season. Look for Lyons to arrive in Tucson around the Fourth of July, just in time for the start of the final summer school session.
After playing the four-spot for much of last year due to a lack of size, Solomon Hill will exclusively play small forward as a senior. Miller also said that Hill has earned 30+ minutes a game due to his talent and experience.
Kevin Parrom's foot is completely healthy after breaking it last January. Coach Miller emphasized just how import Parrom will be to the team given his experience and ability to be a physical presence on the wings. Look for him to play a little bit of small forward behind Hill, and also to see quite a few minutes in the backcourt at the two.
Coach Miller believes the size and strength of his team will be a huge advantage over the competition. He also hinted at many possible lineup combinations, going big or small at any point in the game. Miller feels that the balance on his roster will be huge throughout the long season.
And finally, this might have been the most telling quote from Miller's entire press conference: "I feel like we finally have two feet on the ground."