'Thank you, Golden State Warriors': Hawks legend echoes fans after hu… — and more

This is already aging well for Atlanta.

It’s another week of the Mountain West Recruiting Roundup.

To officially close the book on the 2026 recruiting class, our cover photo winner needs to be mentioned. For the 2026 cycle, Boise State and Hawaii share the title of having the most cover photo appearances. Congrats to the Broncos and Rainbow Warriors.

Now it’s full steam ahead to the 2027 class. Teams have been handing out 2027 offers for quite some time and continue to do so at a high rate, with San Jose State leading the way. No commits this week, but UNLV already has a decommit, bringing their class from two players to one.

This post does feature our first Mountain West team rankings release, or at least the four teams that have signed a player thus far.

And San Jose State will kick off the 2027 cover photo series after recording 25 offers this week.

Class of 2027 Cover Photo Total:

• San Jose State: 1

Recruiting Calendar:

Starting today and going through mid-April, we are in a quiet period. On-campus contact is permitted, while off-campus contact is limited to text, calls, and DMs.

Next College Student Athlete says:

The NCAA defines the quiet period as a time when “a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college campus and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high school.” To break it down, the NCAA Quiet Period is a time you can talk to college coaches in-person on their college campus. However, the coach is not allowed to watch athletes compete in-person, visit their school, talk to them at their home—or talk to them anywhere outside of the college campus. Coaches can still text, call, email or direct message coaches during this time.

Commitment Spotlight:

Visit Recap:

2027 Mountain West March Team Rankings:

For this initial month, we also include the names of the commits to illustrate what each team has done so far. Only four Mountain West teams have a verbal pledge at this point in the cycle.

1) UNLV

• OL Phoenix Pollard

2) New Mexico

• DB Tayven Collins

3) Wyoming

• WR Alijah Landrum-Hamilton

4) Nevada

• QB Blake Nadler

Recruiting Updates:

Offers:

• Air Force: 5
• Boise State: 7
• Colorado State: 9
• Fresno State:
• Hawaii: 5
• Nevada: 2
• New Mexico: 9
• NIU:
• North Dakota State:
• Oregon State: 2
• San Diego State: 7
• San Jose State: 25
• Texas State: 1
• UNLV: 2
• Utah State:
• UTEP:
• Washington State: 1
• Wyoming:

Visits

Commits:

Decommits

• DL Jaxon Wilson: UNLV

Follow @Mike_SBN on Twitter for all the latest recruiting news and updates.

My dad turned 64 this weekend, and so far things are looking good. I still need him, and he’s been well-plied with an assortment of Thai food, homemade brioche and apple cobbler. He taught me about rhythm and keeping time one afternoon while we sat on the floor in his office, my clumsy five-year-old hands working hard to hit the one, TWO, three, FOUR of “Love Me Do” before giving up in the chaos of “Yesterday,” so there were lots of these jokes leading up to Saturday. 

Baseball isn’t really his thing. He’s more driven by nitrate-rich hot dogs than discourse around the hot corner, but we turned the radio on yesterday and midway through the seventh inning, as he sliced salami and cheese (are you sending a theme?), he looked up and asked, “Is this Shannon Drayer?” I was flabbergasted. 

“Wow. Um, yeah, it is.” And then, because meat isn’t the only thing this man thrives on, “Great job, Dad! I’m shocked – and so impressed!”

He smiled, pleased to still be surprising me. “Of course I know her. She was so nice to my girl, I’ll always remember that.”

Almost a decade ago, I was granted Mariners media credentials for a freelance piece I’d pitched without considering the consequences of my actions. Namely, that in order to write said piece, I’d have to actually conduct interviews with the players. I was so petrified of appearing as young, foolish and inexperienced as I was, I did something absurd. I asked for help. Specifically, I sent a message to Shannon Drayer on Twitter (rip), asking for any tips about how to navigate the clubhouse. Rather than send me some vague info, or leave me on read, or any of the other things she would have been well within her rights to do, she replied and said I could meet her in the press box and shadow her as needed that day. Sure enough, I arrived hours before first pitch, heart pounding, and there she was. I followed her everywhere, as she introduced me to folks, kindly explained the unwritten rules of the clubhouse, helped me navigate the elevators and did her best to get me in front of the players I needed to talk to. I’d never felt like a more grateful duckling, and it solidified me as a Shannon fan for life.

This is a long-winded series of anecdotes to get to the real question, but it’s an off-day during Spring Training and we are a community, not (just) a soulless pit of letters and numbers. Sometimes it’s nice to channel the beloved old-school blogger vibes. Anyway, what’s one of your favorite baseball celeb memories? Did you almost step on Mike Leake while he was lying on the floor? Did you lose by a country mile to Jonatan Clase in a foot race? Did you have to chase after a perhaps-not-sober Wade Boggs on a golf course? Did you flag a random guy over during BP to ask for an autograph without knowing who he was, only to show the accompanying picture to your family and learn it was mid-Cy Young Award-winning season Blake Snell? Did you have a near-death experience after choking on your coffee when Félix Hernández walked into Chace’s Pancake Corral while you were enjoying your Tuesday morning ritual? Lay it all on me (or try to guess which of these examples is made up)

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said in his Monday morning column, “I’d lean toward a Maxx Crosby trade happening, and maybe this week.”

As far as compensation, Breer said it’s unlikely the Las Vegas Raiders receive the haul they got for Khalil Mack eight years ago, what the Dallas Cowboys got for Micah Parsons last year, or even what the Miami Dolphins received for Laremy Tunsil back in 2019. Each of those deals included multiple first-round picks.

It’s also worth noting the age difference between those prospects at the time. Unlike them, Crosby is long removed from his rookie contract. The good news is that Crosby wants to win, which should make the San Francisco 49ers a potential suitor. Breer named seven teams. Unfortunately for Niners fans, the one he listed in the NFC West was not in the Bay Area:

We should know soon enough which path the Raiders are taking, with teams like Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia and the Rams keeping tabs on his availability.

The 49ers not being listed doesn’t necessarily take them out of the Crosby sweepstakes entirely, but Breer’s omission suggests they aren’t frontrunners in the trade that feels inevitable in the coming weeks. Perhaps the Niners value their first-round pick on a potential wide receiver in this upcoming class or at another position that is cost-controlled for the next four to five years, as opposed to Crosby.

If Crosby is traded for a deal that ends up looking affordable, it will be tough to stomach for 49ers fans—especially if Crosby ends up in the division.

AC Milan stars Matteo Gabbia and Davide Bartesaghi are reportedly at risk of missing Sunday’s Serie A clash against Inter.

According to Sky Sport Italia via FCInterNews, the question marks are hovering over both defenders’ heads.

Inter and Milan will renew hostilities in the second Derby della Madonnina edition of the season this weekend.

Despite emerging victorious in November’s reverse fixture, Massimiliano Allegri’s men are trailing the Nerazzurri by a whopping ten points.

Therefore, Cristian Chivu could all but secure the Scudetto in his first season at the club with a win on Sunday.

Gabbia & Bartesaghi Could Miss AC Milan vs Inter Milan Clash

TURIN, ITALY – OCTOBER 15: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of Juventus looks on prior to the Serie A match between Torino FC and Juventus at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on October 15, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Matteo Gabbia missed Milan’s last-gasp league win at Cremonese last Sunday due to a thigh injury.

However, the Rossoneri had hoped to welcome their defensive cornerstone back for the upcoming Milan derby.

Unfortunately for Allegri, this fixture will come too soon for the Italian center-back.

Meanwhile, Bartesaghi suffered a knock at Stadio Giovanni Zini, and Allegri is sweating over his fitness.

If the Milan academy graduate don’t recover, Pervis Estupinan is likely to take his place on the left wing.