As the 2012 NBA Draft approaches, Hornets General Manager Dell Demps is currently setting his draft board and putting the finishing touches on all of his notes on all the players that will be available for Thursday Night’s Draft.
I got to speak with Dell on sports talk to talk about the Hornets and their plans for the draft.
"I do think it is a very deep draft,” said Demps. “We have worked out a lot of players and we are just trying to do all the work we can to get as familiar with the players as we can.”
The Hornets currently own three picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. New Orleans has the #1 overall pick and the 10th pick. Their third and final pick is the 46th overall pick on Thursday night.
Dell went on to talk about the Hornets possible #1 pick in Kentucky’s Anthony Davis as well as what the Hornets might do with the 10th pick in the draft. “We are in a rebuilding stage right now,” Demps said when asked about where his team is right now.
Dell went on to talk about the future of Hornets Guard Eric Gordon and the rest of the Hornets Team.
Tune into SportsTalk Thursday afternoon for NBA Draft Coverage live from the New Orleans Arena! Our coverage starts at 4:00 p.m. here on WWL 870AM, 105.3 FM, and online at wwl.com!
For the second straight year Bobby Hebert and I were able to go cover the events that took place surrounding the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. From the time the introduction press conference takes place to the annual Golf Tournament at Oak Wing in Alexandria to the induction ceremony, the Hall of Fame and its events should be on everyone’s list of things to do.
This year’s class had a little bit of everything in it. From one of the all-time greats in NCAA baseball history...to the first-ever draft selection by the New Orleans Jazz, to the legendary Southern University Coach...to a running back that has as much love as anyone in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi...the Class of 2012 was surely complete from top to bottom.
Being there last week and being able to interview, interact and of course just visit with these former greats is something that everyone should experience. Not just sports fans will get a lot out of their visit. For example I never knew much about Roger Carr until last week when I had a chance to interview him. The former star from Cotton Valley High School is a man that is truly someone that is here to make the world a better place.
Carr took the long, hard road to stardom, and now he gives back every day of his life as a Baptist Minister in South Carolina. Carr constantly praised his family as well as those who helped him become a two time All-American at Louisiana Tech and a star in the National Football League in the 1970’s with the Baltimore Colts.
"Without my family I would not be here," Carr said. "This is a great honor and I go into the Hall of Fame with a lot of folks. Not just myself.”
Then there were greats like Aaron James. James is most known for being the first-ever draft pick for the New Orleans Jazz back in 1974.
James led the nation in scoring while he was a star at Grambling State University, where he is employed today as an associate athletic director. James said that he developed his love for the game of basketball when he was at Walter L Cohen High School in New Orleans.
“I still to this day remember all the great games and the great players that I played with back in the day,” said James. James played alongside one of the greats of all time, Pete Maravich, while he played for the Jazz in New Orleans.
And then there were people that did not come from Louisiana but came here by a different route, like former Southern Coach Pete Richardson. Coach Pete was a legend in the making at Southern University and many members of the Jaguar Nation still wish Pete was their coach right now!
“This is especially important to me because I’m not from Louisiana," Richardson told us. "I just wanted to come in and make a difference with the players and the program on and off the field while I was at Southern,” Coach Pete said. Richardson did not rule out returning to the sidelines one day in the future if the opportunity is right for him and his family.
So in closing, I’ll say that many lessons can be learned and picked up from a trip to North Louisiana to visit the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. I think that most of the time the path to success is the real story about great individuals, and not so much how famous they became.
You just don’t make it to Hall of Fame status without having a lot of help and support along the way, and clearly the class of 2012 embraced and was honored to acknowledge the help that they had.
I can tell you personally that every year from now on I will be attending the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame activities as I have picked up many ideas, gotten a lot of great advice and plenty of real life stories that can only be told by those that have experienced them.
In one year a state of the art building will open, and it will be home to some of the greatest sports pioneers, players, coaches and members of the media of all time. That spectacular building will be in downtown Natchitoches Louisiana.
Yes, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will become a likely destination for sports fans all over the country as Louisiana has produced some of the greatest players and coaches of all time in many different sports.
The Class of 2012 features eight former greats who made outstanding accomplishments throughout their sports careers. The eight new inductees will raise the total of Hall of Fame members to 292 men and women honored since the first induction class.
He is one of the most beloved Saints Players ever to play in Black and Gold, and now he is going into the Louisiana Hall of Fame. Former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints great RB Deuce McAllister headlines a very solid class of entries into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this weekend.
This year's class also includes greats like former Southern University Coach Pete Richardson, former Florida State and Tampa Bay Buc great Warrick Dunn, LSU All American Eddie Furness, Coaching legend Terry Robiskie along with Mark Guidry, Aaron James and Roger Carr.
"This is another great class. We are looking for a fun week with the golf tournament and of course then our induction ceremony as well,” said Doug Ireland of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Board. Ireland also serves as Sports Information Director at Northwestern State University.
Next year the brand new Hall of Fame will open its doors in downtown Natchitoches on Front Street. The class of 2012 is solid from top to bottom, but Deuce gets top billing in my book. The all time leading rusher in New Orleans Saints History is in a class all by himself.
"It's a tremendous honor that I'm very proud of. I was fortunate enough to play my entire career down in these parts, and it has been a great time,” said Deuce. McAllister had a great career at Ole Miss where he became a legend in the Magnolia State.
McAllister is the only player in Mississippi History to have three straight seasons of one thousand or more all purpose yards. Deuce finished his college career with Ole Miss records for carries (616), yards (3,060), rushing TDs (36), total touchdowns (41) points (246) and he recorded thirteen 100-yard games.
The Hall of Fame does an excellent job as several activities take place with the weekend coming to a close with the induction ceremony. Last year was the first time that I made the event, and it was more than worth it.
The new state of the art building will only add to the great history that our state has when it comes to sports legends. The success of athletes who have passed through the state of Louisiana ranks among the best in the nation.
"A lot of people have given a lot of time and effort to help make our new Hall of Fame possible. We are looking forward to opening our new home next year and adding more great history to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame,” said Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame President Lisa Babin.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame includes nine members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, six of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, six Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 13 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, seven Women's Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, 18 Olympic medalists (10 gold medal winners), 32 College Football Hall of Fame members, three National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees, jockeys with a combined 12 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, three College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees (Furniss will be the fourth), three NBA Finals MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs.
A complete membership list and biographical information on all 285 current members is available at the www.lasportshall.com website, with a steady stream of info available at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook page. The 2012 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 21 with the La Capitol press conference and reception. Join Bobby Hebert and Deke Bellavia for Sports Talk live from the kickoff press conference and reception from 4pm to 8pm.
Whether you want to call him Coach Vitt, Joe Cool or Cool Joe V, if we have learned one thing during the most-followed off season in Saints history, it is that Saints Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt is in total control.
From his calm, business-like demeanor when he speaks to the media, to the way he tosses hypothetical questions aside like a would-be tackler, Joe Vitt is one cool dude and the players he coaches and the organization he works for have nothing but the utmost respect for him.
''This is about our program, and the continued success of our program. Joe has been part of building our success along with our Head Coach Sean Payton and our General Manager Mickey Loomis,” said owner Tom Benson back in April at the announcement of Vitt taking charge of the team. “We are looking forward to the start of the offseason program, the NFL Draft, our minicamps and training camp. We are looking forward to the start of our season, as I know that all of our fans are and we are looking forward to competing and winning a championship right here in our own city, in our own stadium this year.”
Coach Vitt pays attention to detail. From the stats his team puts up (or does not put up) to recognizing the job that everyone on his staff does, Joe Vitt is in charge and his actions and the way he handles things make it very easy to understand why Coach Sean Payton left Vitt in charge.
This new role for Coach Vitt is not all that new, as he has been in the role of interim head coach before. Coach Vitt was the interim head coach for the St. Louis Rams back in 2005. Vitt had to step in for then Rams Coach Mike Martz, who was out for eleven games dealing with heart problems. And of course, last season Coach Joe Vitt filled in for Coach Sean Payton for three regular season games while coach Payton was out with a broken Tibia. So Coach Vitt is no stranger to being in this role and he has experience.
But this is a new NFL, a kinder, gentler NFL. So how does that affect Coach Joe Vitt’s old-school, hard-nose style? Coach Vitt says he’s learning on the fly and wants to get better at everything he does.
“I have a long way to go. I guess right now I am undefeated. This will be the last time I am undefeated,” Vitt said. “I still have to do a better job of coaching the linebackers. I want to do a better job with the tempo of practice. I want to do a better job of the efficiency of our practice, with what we are doing in individual period and what we are doing in the fundamental period is something that I am going to continue to critique every day. Let my coaches critique me and what I can do better. Unless you are Tom Landry, Don Shula, or Bill Walsh, you haven’t arrived. This is an ongoing process and we will work every day to get better at it.”
Vitt is a guy that lets you know how he feels. He’s a man who speaks from the heart and he pulls no punches. Vitt has coached many places in the past and he has been in the NFL since 1979 as a coach. He’s coached in Baltimore (with the Colts, not Ravens.) Coach Vitt also made stops in Seattle, Los Angeles with the Rams, Philly, Green Bay, Kansas City, St. Louis and he has been with the Saints since 2006.
With over thirty years of coaching experience at the professional level, it just seems like a natural fit for Vitt to be in charge of one of the most successful franchises in pro sports. And it was an obvious choice for the team to make. Saints Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mickey Loomis made the announcement that Vitt would fill in for Coach Payton back on April 12th of this year.
“It is important that we keep Sean Payton’s philosophy front and center during this season. Sean has been the driving force behind the tremendous success our team has enjoyed during the past six years, his leadership will be missed,” said Loomis. “But we need to set a course of action that gives us the best chance to win this season without our head coach, and that is why Joe Vitt will assume Sean’s duties.”
So as many of you have called, texted and emailed expressing their concern about the Black and Gold without Coach Payton being on board, to me the most important question is who will be in charge when Coach Vitt is out.
Because to me it obvious that the Saints are in good shape with Cool Joe V running the show!
The New Orleans Saints are done with their off-season program. The Saints held their final OTA workouts today, which were open to the media. Now, the team will take some time off before the start of training camp which begins on July 25th. The Black and Gold will have a fun day tomorrow as they will hit the golf course in what has become kind of an annual event to end the off-season work.
Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt talked to reporters following practice, saying, "We’re not only excited about what took place and happened in the OTA’s, we’re really, really looking forward to getting to training camp. This might be the most talented football team since we’ve been here."
Coach Vitt said that Saints back-up QB Chase Daniel was out of practice due to a thumb injury. Vitt said that Daniel would not be able to throw the football for about two and a half weeks due to a hairline fracture, but said that Daniel would be ready for the start of training camp.
Vitt said that all players will be ready to start camp on time with the exception of Jonathan Vilma and Greg Romeus.
The Cajun Cannon has three things that interest him as question marks for the Black and Gold going into training camp:
First up is the battle for the fourth wide receiver. Players like Adrian Arrington, Rookie Nick Toon, Joe Morgan and Chris Givens are all in a good battle to make the Saints WR Corp this season.
Another other thing that the Cajun Cannon tells me he is eager to see is how the defensive back rotation will shake out during camp. Johnny Patrick, Patrick Robinson, Elbert Mack, Marquis Johnson will be competing for time and Hebert thinks that others players like Corey White, Jose Gumbs, Jericho Nelson and Cord Parks could be in the mix during the defensive back battle this summer.
And finally, the Cajun Cannon wants to see which player steps up on special teams. In past years players have been able to contribute and make a name for themselves by making plays on special teams. If a lesser-known player is going to make the Saints roster again this season, they will more than likely have to do well on special teams.
In his final press conference before the start of training camp, Coach Joe Vitt said that he thinks that Coach Sean Payton would be proud of his entire staff and how they have all worked this off season.
Tune in for SportsTalk today from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. to listen to Coach Vitt's entire press conference, as well as get the off-season breakdown from our pros Bobby Hebert and Hokie Gajan.
The New Orleans Saints wrapped up their three day mini-camp with a Thursday morning practice at their facility on Airline Drive. The Saints will continue their off season program next week.
Some of the highlights from this morning’s practice included back to back touchdown passes from QB Sean Canfield to WR Adrian Arrington and Andy Tanner. All three quarterbacks looked good on the final day of practice.
“I thought that all of the QB’s made plays at times. You can see that Luke McCown is a veteran QB that has solid NFL experience. This is the best that Sean Canfield has every looked. In general the camp was very organized; the ball was hardly on the ground, no botched snaps. Mentally it looks like everyone knew what they were doing out there,” said Bobby Hebert.
One thing that stood out was depth at running back. Although there were no tackling drills during the camp, you could tell that the Saints once again have stockpiled the RB position.
“Travaris Cadet and Chris Taylor are players that may have a tough time making the Saints, but that does not mean that can’t make another team. They have good vision, they cut well and the do a good job of catching the football,” said Hebert.
Linebacker Martez Wilson had a sack and defensive end Greg Romeus did a good job of putting pressure on the QB at this morning’s practice. After the defense had an edge at the Wednesday morning practice, the offense looked to have the upper hand during the final practice of mini-camp.
QB Chase Daniel hit WR Lance Moore down the sideline for a 30-yard TD. Lance Moore hauled in the TD grab one handed. WR Chris Givens continued to stand out as he once again made a couple of nice grabs including a TD reception on an inside fade route from QB Luke McCown.
To get a complete breakdown of the entire three day mini-camp as well as a preview of game six of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals tune in to SportsTalk with Bobby Hebert and Deke Bellavia from 4 to 8pm. And for the latest on the Black & Gold log on to wwl.com.
Wednesday, June 6 - It was hot, frustration got the best of QB Chase Daniel, and a scuffle broke out! Yes, those were just a few of the high points at this morning’s practice for the New Orleans Saints as they continued their 2012 mini-camp.
The Saints will practice indoors this afternoon, so the practice will not be open to the public. After an installation period, the Saints stretched and then broke off into individual groups at about 10:51 a.m. this morning.
In the team’s first session in which the offense faced the defense, QB Chase Daniel connected with WR Marques Colston three times for completions. Back-up QB Sean Canfield completed a pass to WR Andy Tanner followed by a big gain to WR Joe Morgan. Morgan beat DB Cord Parks and made a nice catch.
Then later the Saints worked on seven-on-seven drills. On third and six, Chase Daniel completed a pass to WR Adrian Arrington for a first down. Then the defense came up big as Safety Malcolm Jenkins picked off a pass thrown by Daniel.
Jenkins and second year DB Johnny Patrick both had good practices this morning. Johnny Patrick had arguably his best day as a Saints player. After batting down a ball Patrick came right back on the very next play and picked off a pass.
"He’s doing well," Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt said of Patrick. "He has been having a very good off season and he made some plays this morning.”
Later in seven-on-seven drills Chase Daniel completed a short pass to FB Jed Collins...And then, the real action took place.
After an incomplete pass, QB Chase Daniel threw the ball down near the feet of LB Curtis Lofton. Lofton obviously did not appreciate the ball being tossed by his feet and he walked back towards Chase Daniel. Then a bit of a scuffle broke out with players from both the Saints offense and defense getting into with each other.
Coaches and players then broke up the scuffle and then the team got back to work.
"Sometimes tempers flare and things like that happen. You have to settle down and get back to work. That’s what we did," Coach Vitt later said.
One of the biggest plays thus far during the mini-camp took place this morning when QB Sean Canfield threw a 35-yard pass to WR Joe Morgan. Morgan has been getting the praise of coaches as well as players this camp.
The Saints then worked on Red Zone Offense versus Red Zone Defense at the end of practice. The Saints offense came up with TD’s, as Nick Toon hauled in a TD, and TE Jimmy Graham had a TD grab from QB Chase Daniel.
The Saints will practice indoors this afternoon, and then wrap up their mini-camp with a 10:15AM practice Thursday morning.
Be sure and get our experts' breakdown of today’s Saints Mini-Camp practice from our pros, Bobby Hebert, Mike Detillier and Hokie Gajan this afternoon on SportsTalk from 4pm-8pm.
He began playing football when he was four years old and he has dreamed of making it to the NFL. “I’m just trying to do everything I can to make the team. Whatever is asked if me I will do.” Jericho Nelson is off to a good start in his quest to make the New Orleans Saints roster.
Nelson has come a long way since his senior season with the Destrehan Wildcats. During his senior season Nelson rushed for 1,100 yards and twenty-two TD’s, going on to sign a scholarship to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Nelson was a part of a freshman group that helped turn the Arkansas Razorbacks into a national contender. The Razorbacks finished with a 5-7 record during Jericho’s freshman season, but from that point on Nelson and Arkansas became a national contender.
During Nelson’s final two seasons at Arkansas he helped lead the Razorbacks to a 21-5 overall record that included a 12-5 mark in SEC play. Nelson became one of the hardest-hitting players in the SEC, and several times during his final two seasons his big hits made various plays of the week!
Nelson, who many thought would get drafted, did not hear his name called over the three day NFL Draft back in late April. But not being drafted has not affected Nelson thus far as he is making the most of his shot at playing in the National Football League.
“I was a little disappointed because I got a call from a team that was thinking about drafting me in the seventh round but it did not happen. And then I got a phone call from the Saints. I was very excited to say the least, and it’s nice to be close to home,” Nelson said.
Nelson wrapped up a solid career at Arkansas with 267 tackles and four interceptions. And folks in these parts may remember one of his best days for the Hogs came against the Bayou Bengals. During his junior year, Nelson saved his best for last in the Hogs’ 31-23 win over LSU.
Jericho posted a team-high eleven tackles, including two for a loss, with a sack and a QB hurry, and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week back in 2010 as he helped lead the Hogs to a BCS Berth in the All-State Sugar Bowl.
When I mentioned that day to Jericho, he was all smiles. But that was then and this is now, and Nelson is trying to pick up as many things as he can right now during the Saints three day mini-camp. And thus far Jericho is making a good impression.
“Very impressive,” said Saints Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo when asked how Nelson is doing thus far with the Black and Gold. “He said something in the huddle the other day that a five year veteran in this league would say. I was very impressed by that. He’s very vocal, very confident and when you are a safety in this system you have to be that way because other people are listening to you. And I’m really impressed with what he (Nelson) has done up to this point. We will see more when we put on the pads but right now very impressive,” Spagnuolo said.
Jericho is without question a physical player and should benefit when the Saints don full gear. But right now he’s doing all the right things to enhance his chances to make the Saints Roster.
The New Orleans Saints took to the field this morning for their first of five scheduled practices for this year’s Mini-Camp. The Black and Gold worked for about two hours this morning at their facility on Airline Drive.
The highlights from this morning’s practice included Saints Safety Roman Harper making a nice play on the ball against Devery Henderson, followed by QB Chase Daniel completing a quick slant to WR Adrian Arrington.
Other notable plays that happened during the Saints team portion of practice that features the offense taking on the defense: Saints DE Will Smith applied nice pressure on Daniel, and new Saints LB Curtis Lofton picked off a pass in the morning session as well.
''It’s good to get back on the field,'' said Saints OT Zach Strief. ''The time we get on the field as a team is different now with the new rules so we have to take advantage of every snap we get out there.''
Saints LB’s Martez Wilson, David Hawthorne and Will Herring all got in the backfield putting pressure on Saints QB Sean Canfield. The Saints also brought in a new QB, veteran Luke McCown, to take some snaps.
Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has a real nice grab. Graham was in open space when Chase Daniel threw him a high ball that Graham leaped and brought down securely. Daniel then connected with TE David Thomas for a nice completion.
After practice Saints Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt acknowledged a couple of guests that were in attendance at this mornings practice. Former Saints Wide Receivers Coach and now Tulane Head Coach Curtis ''C.J.'' Johnson was at practice, as well former Dallas Cowboys VP Gil Brandt.
“It was great to have those guys out here this morning,” said Saints Coach Joe Vitt.
Did you know? Did you know that the Saints have twenty players currently on their roster from small schools? WR’s Marques Colston (Hofstra), Joseph Morgan (Walsh) and Andy Tanner (Midwestern State.) Also in that number is CB Kamaal Mcllwain (Newberry,) S Joseph Gumbs (Monmouth,) and CB Nick Hixson from Hillsdale...just to name a few!
Today at 4, you can get our experts' take on today’s practice this afternoon on "SportsTalk," Bobby Hebert and Hokie Gajan will break down both of today’s practice sessions.
Plus, we'll break down the Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 between Boston and Miami...We'll take a look at the LSU Tigers opponent Stony Brook in this weekend’s Super Regional...And listeners will hear from Saints OT Zach Strief, former Desterhan great and current Saints Rookie Jericho Nelson and also Saints Rookie DT Akeem Hicks. That’s SportsTalk today from 4-8PM here on WWL Radio.
After going a perfect 3-0 this weekend in NCAA Regional play, the LSU Tigers are now set to host a Super Regional this weekend at Alex Box Stadium.
I got to speak with Coach Paul Mainieri on Monday after the big sweep, and he was obviously tremendously proud of his men.
''It was a total team effort. Our fans were great and I thought our players went out and played hard in each game we played,” said Mainieri.
The LSU Tigers will host Stony Brook starting this Friday morning in Baton Rouge in a best-of-three series, with the winner moving on to next week's College World Series. Game one of the LSU vs Stony Brook series is Friday at 11 a.m., and game 2 is Saturday at 11 a.m. If a game 3 is needed, it would be played Sunday at Noon.
Stony Brook is the only team to advance to the Super Regionals as a #4 seed.
The Tigers took care of UL Monroe 4-1, Oregon State 7-1 and then LSU clinched a berth in the Super Regionals with a 6-5 comeback win over Oregon State in a ten inning affair. The Tigers scored one run in the ninth and tenth inning to complete the comeback and punch their ticket to the Super Regionals in their win over the Beavers. LSU outscored their three opponents 17-7 in regional play last weekend and the Tigers finished the regional with a perfect 3-0 record.
LSU placed four players on the Regional All Tournament Team including Most Outstanding Player Austin Nola. ''It’s a shame that they have those all tournament teams because so many players contribute. I thought we got a total team effort in each of the three games we played,'' Mainieri said.
Pitcher Kevin Gausman and Aaron Nola along with Catcher Ty Ross and Short Stop Austin Nola were all named to the all regional team. Gausman could be playing out his final season with LSU as he was drafted 4th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday.
Be sure and catch the Tigers all weekend long right here on your home for LSU Sports WWL 870AM and WWL-FM 105.3.
Just six months ago, things did not look so bright for the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets' best player, All-Star guard Chris Paul, was traded to the Clippers. The team's second-best player decided to play for the Pacers, and the NBA franchise was still without an owner...And, Commissioner David Stern had basically vetoed what looked to be the best trade for the Hornets in exchange for CP3.
But now, things could not be brighter! The Hornets now have the #1 and #10 overall picks in the NBA Draft, a solid owner in Tom Benson, and the franchise overall is more healthy than they have been in quite some time.
Bobby and I were able to visit with Hornets GM Dell Demps, who talked with us about the NBA Draft Lottery, as well as everything that was going on in New York prior to the lottery being held.
''What they do is actually hold the lottery in a room with just the GM's and security personal," Demps told us. "Everyone had to put all their phones and I-Pads and communication devices in a bag.''
Demps said he found out that his team would pick first in this year’s NBA Draft about an hour before anyone else, but he was not allowed to communicate with anyone until the lottery results were made public.
Yes, we are all excited about the Hornets landing the number pick in the draft, and that #1 pick is expected to be Kentucky’s Anthony Davis. But what does the #1 pick mean to the Hornets?
''It revitalizes the franchise. Not every year there is a player that becomes available like Anthony Davis. He is a franchise player. He’s a freak athlete. He’s going to get stronger, he’s going to get better," according to Chad Ford, NBA analyst for ESPN. "Anthony Davis is someone you can build your franchise around."
Many NBA experts say the Hornets, who were a twenty-one win team last season, could now become a playoff contender beginning next year. But as far as what’s going on down in the Big Easy right now, Dell Demps is all smiles.
''I was really happy for our fans,'' Demps said when asked what was going through his mind when he found out the Hornets would be picking first in the 2012 NBA Draft. ''I kind of did a little fist pump. I was excited.''
Dell Demps also talked with us about his days in San Antonio as a player and a member of the Spurs front office, as well as his relationship with Spurs Coach Greg Popovich.
