Even though the Buzz Williams-era in Milwaukee is just beginning, it didn’t take long for the newest Marquette head coach to reel in his first big recruit, junior forward Jeronne Maymon, who ranks as the nation’s 58th best player in the 2009 class according to Scout.com. The Madison Memorial big-man announced his intentions today, choosing MU over USC, Tennessee and Providence, among others. Maymon will become the second player Marquette has plucked from Steve Collins’ Spartans in the past three years, the other being Wisconsin’s “Mr. Basketball” in 2005, Wesley Matthews, and is the second cornerstone recruit of Williams’ 2009 class, joining Erik Williams, a 6′7 forward at Cypress Hill High in Texas. I haven’t seen much of Maymon, but of the very little I did see, about 2 1/2 quarters worth, I was thoroughly impressed. Trekking down to Madison for the annual WBCA Christmas Tournament held in the UW-Fieldhouse, which my Xavier Hawks were fortunate to play in, I was able to catch Maymon light up non-conference foe Wisconsin Rapids for 27 points in their game, a game where he may have scored 40 had he not sat on the bench the 4th quarter. I just can’t believe this guy’s my age. As long as he can get his grades up Marquette got a really good player, and from what I hear, the school’s got excellent tutors.

While this is probably the first (and last) time I will consecutively post on Boston teams, anyone watching the NBA playoffs can’t help but feel good for the Celtics’ Paul Pierce. Pierce, who was originally drafted 10th overall by Boston in 1998, has only seen three winning seasons with the team in this his tenth season, and after last season’s second worst output in franchise history (24-58), he was ready to jump ship. Peering at his career stats for the first time, the partial observer could venture to guess Beantown’s All-Star guard had won it all at least once in his illustrious career, based on how rare a scorer he is (23 points-per-game lifetime scoring average). But now that I’ve hinted that isn’t the case, we should all agree he’s long past due for his first. This past summer, GM Danny Ainge obviously took offense to that, because he no longer hesitated to pull the trigger. Realizing he needed to make a big splash in order to keep his loyal star happy, he acquired not one, but two fellow All-Stars, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. And to nobody’s surprise, not a minute after the big trade that sent KG east, the team that posted one of the worst records in the league just a year before, was favored to win it all. And thus far, they haven’t disappointed. They’ve churned out their best season since Larry Bird’s heyday in the ’80s (66-16), and after tonight’s Game 7 win over the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, a game where Pierce scored 41 points, that elusive first ring is finally within his grasp. With just one series left until the Finals, a place Pierce has never been, you can bet he will be exerting himself just a tad more. If and when he hoists that trophy up high, it’ll be hard not to clap for this guy, who’s busted his butt for this long unrewarded.

With the Brewers long-awaited series at Fenway just a few days away, die-hard fans have already booked their flights. And what Milwaukee fan wouldn’t want to go catch this series? It’s not every year the team gets out to Beantown, in fact, it’s become a rarity. The last time the Brewers were fortunate to play the Red Sox in Boston was way back in 1997. Consequently, that year the two played each other six games in just over a week.  But due to the aforementioned fact, it would not only be a treat for traveling fans, but also wise for the front-office to make a minor personnel move. My proposal is this: push every starter back one day, to allow Ben Sheets to start Friday in the opener against Dice-K Matsuzaka, then subsequently recall Jeff Weaver from AAA to take Sheets’ spot Thursday (send down a reliever). Now this kind of move obviously isn’t plausible on a regular basis, but if there was ever a time to do it, this would be it. Why? Sheets, who is scheduled to pitch Thursday’s finale against the Dodgers, has posted a 4-0 record with a 2.53 ERA in 7 starts thus far. One day extra-rest would not only be advantageous for Sheets, it would be an opportunity for the Brewers to showcase Big-Ben on a national stage. And for all of you missing the point I’m getting at, Sheets’ contract is due up at the end of next season. While it’s always possible they could just resign him, they have a number of young stars entering arbitration in the upcoming years, and in order to retain them a chunk of change will have to be dished out. Allowing Sheets to start healthy, in Boston, against Dice-K, with six days rest, could be the last chance for the front-office to maximize his value before year’s end. It’s pure speculation, but if pulled off it would be a smart move looking down the road.

Fun Fact: Of the six games the Brewers played the Bo-Sox in ‘97, the lone game they won was against none other than Jeff Suppan, who was chased from the game after surrendering 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Suppan was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 1993 Draft (Courtesy of BaseballReference.com).

The Brewers received news today a MRI on starter Yovani Gallardo revealed a torn ACL. This is absolutely devastating news for Brewer Nation. The team will need to do more tests after the swelling has reduced to determine if Gallardo will need surgery, but the team is taking it as if he’ll be out for the season. Dave Bush is the likely candidate to replace him, and let’s hope he steps up. All we can do is hope for the best at this point. No timetable has been set, however, the best case scenario is the injury wouldn’t require surgery and Yo could possibly return to the team late in the season. Regardless, this is too bad. 

The Bucks and former-Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson has reportedly agreed to a deal that would make Sampson part of Scott Skiles’ coaching staff. ESPN reported the deal could be announced as early as tonight. Sampson has valuable experience, but his credibility took a major hit after he violated NCAA recruitment regulations. If he can put the issue behind him, and being in a new city should help, he’ll be a great pickup.

Undrafted UW-Whitewater standout Justin Beaver made his debut today in Packers’ rookie camp. The 5′8″ running-back is hoping to make a name for himself in the NFL after capping off his collegiate career as the D-III player-of-the-year. Beaver received some national exposure on ESPN last season, when his Warhawks defeated Mount Union in the Championship. I wouldn’t bet against this guy, but it would be a surprise if he made the final cut.

Marquette guard Jerel McNeal has decided to declare for the NBA Draft, but hasn’t  hired an agent. This leaves the door open for the junior-guard to make a possible return to the Golden Eagles for his senior year. Of the three junior guards, he has the best shot of making the jump to the NBA, but not this year, as the draft is heavily-laden with guards. I’m confident he’ll be smart and come back.

Brewers’ reliever Derrick Turnbow has been designated for assignment, meaning the club has 10-days to either trade, release, or send him to the minors. This was the only news Brewers’ fans wanted to hear today. Turnbow has pitched awful in the back end of the bullpen this season, posting an ERA better than 15. That was most recently inflated by an unsuccessful mop-up session at Wrigley Wednesday, as he only lasted 2/3 of an inning in the Cubs’ 19-5 drubbing. The club has already decided to bring up utility-man Joe Dillon for tonight’s opener in Houston.