Here’s the problem when you write about only one sport. When you try to use a different sport’s procedures, you show your ignorance.

You have to appreciate the NCAA men’s basketball rule that allows those who enter the NBA draft but don’t sign with an agent or sign a contract to return to school if they’re not drafted. Only now, the NCAA must go one step further with respect to football — the sport that fuels revenue streams for every sport on campus.

Those who apply for the NFL draft and don’t sign with an agent or sign a contract should be allowed to return to their teams as long as they aren’t selected on the first day of the draft. In other words, if a player is picked in Rounds 4 to 7 — or not at all — he can skulk back and work that much harder for respect or to prove everyone wrong or to turn doubters into believers or any other cliche-driven theme that ignores the fact he can’t run a 4.4 40.

Now to a point I actually agree with Hayes that college football underclassmen have a ridiculously short time to make up their mind irrevocably to go pro. What he forgets (or conveniently ignores for the sake of making a quick blush decent argument) are the issues of scholarship limitations and national signing day.

Coaches would, in many cases, have to leave scholarships unoffered for fear that a Junior might decide to come back or pull out prior to the draft. At the very least, the first day for signing the letter of intent would have to be pushed further out. That would also necessitate an early signing period — which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

I can picture some argument for an exception for players who come back as permitting the school to carry extra scholarships for the players who do come back. Of course that would just reward the bigger programs by essentially allowing them to offer extra scholarships. Then there would eventually be the Rick Neuheisel-esque coach who would persuade half his Junior class to declare (wink, wink) and then come back a month before the draft so he could offer 10 extra scholarships.

What really makes the argument by Hayes so clueless, though, is his failure to understand how much college basketball coaches hate the present system. They essentially want what college football has. A very small window to return. Maybe 3 weeks.

Why? For the same reason it ultimately benefits the college football coaches to have a small return window. They can go out and recruit the replacement. Screw the kids and “wanting what’s best for them,” they need certainties and to be sure they have the scholarship available.

Heck, last year some college basketball coaches tried to push a limit on the declaration period to 72 hours after the NCAA Tournament ended. Former Arizona State head coach Rob Evans summed up the feeling of these “molders of men,” like this:

“That would be great,” Arizona State coach Rob Evans said of the proposal. “We end up sitting there wondering if we can recruit. This idea would be much better for us.”

That’s why college football won’t change it’s system.

Aw, Pitt didn’t want him anyways (grumble, grumble) . Eugene Harvey seems set to go to Seton Hall.

It looks as if the Seton Hall University men’s basketball team has found its latest star point guard.

Eugene Harvey, the coveted 5-foot-11 senior from St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, is expected to commit to the Pirates today or Thursday, according to sources close to the program.

The cat-quick Harvey, who led St. Benedict to the Prep A Tournamenttitle, is the top unsigned point guard in the class of 2006, according to top recruiting Web site Rivals.com.

Seton Hall was not even on Harvey’s radar until new coach Bobby Gonzalez was hired last month.

If there is such a thing as a luxury scholarship in college basketball, this would have been it. Harvey, though would have been battling decent depth at the PG position in Fields and Ramon.

Seton Hall could offer immediate playing time.

Josh Cummings was contacted for his chance with the St. Louis Rams during Commencement.

While his classmates made hushed cell phone calls and sent text messages to friends with inside jokes developed over a soon-to-be-ending lifelong career as a student, the former Hart High and College of the Canyons kicker was on the phone with the St. Louis Rams, being offered his dream job.

Not a bad way for a 23-year-old to end a college career.

“The whole graduation I was trying to be quiet about it, but I called everyone I knew and those were some of the most exciting calls I’ve ever made in my life,” Cummings says. “I ran out of people to talk to by the time it was over. The last three hours of the ceremony felt like it took 30 minutes.”

Bob Ligashesky, the Rams’ special teams coach, was the one who started the attack on Cummings’ cell phone minutes.

The coach, who had recruited him to Pittsburgh as a special teams coordinator in 2003 before making the leap to the National Football League himself, called Cummings just after the conclusion of that day’s NFL Draft, indicating his interest in Cummings as an undrafted rookie free agent.

The call came one hour into the ceremony.

“It was really out of the blue,” says the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Cummings of the Rams’ interest in signing him.

His only tryout prior to the draft was with the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.

“(Ligashesky) just said, ‘What’s up? It’s Coach Lig. You want to play for us'” Cummings recalls. “All I could say was, ‘Yes sir.'”

Cummings will join the Rams over the weekend in St. Louis for their rookie mini-camp as one of the team’s 10 undrafted rookies signings.

He says he will receive $3,000 to sign and will have his personal expenses taken care of in addition to some “extra pocket money” every week.

He’s realistic in knowing that a spot on the team is far from guaranteed as St. Louis already has a proven starter in 13-year veteran Jeff Wilkins.

In fact, Cummings says Ligashesky has already explained that he will likely eventually be cut before the regular season starts, as the Rams, like many other teams, only carry one kicker on their roster once the league imposes its maximum roster size in order to carry more depth at other positions.

But the Rams do offer him an enticing opportunity during the preseason as the only kicker other than Wilkins on the roster.

While the 36-year-old incumbent rests — he typically doesn’t kick until late in the preseason — the spotlight will belong to Cummings.

“I saw my name No. 2 on a depth chart on NFL.com and it was just shock and awe,” Cummings says. “To be a professional at a sport, that’s something every kid always dreams about. This opportunity to come in without a tryout is one I didn’t think I’d get for at least a couple more years.

“They told me they want me to take all the preseason kicks, all the kickoffs, all the field goals, and all the extra points. It’s all mine.”

Cummings says the Rams have told him that with a strong camp and preseason, they will attempt to sign him to an NFL Europe team.
…
[Adam] Graessle was Cummings’ holder for both of his seasons with the Panthers and one of his best friends on the team.

He was vacationing with his family in Florida on April 30, when he got the call from his buddy and heard the excitement in his voice.

“He was loud. He didn’t even care how loud,” Graessle says. “He was excited that he’s getting a chance. Getting a degree? Who cares? It’s the NFL.”

It never sucks if you can claim to have a job by the time you graduate. Good luck to Josh “Sunshine” Cummings.

The Post-Gazette picks up on Pat Bostick of Manheim-Township holding a press conference on Friday.

Pat Bostick, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, will hold a news conference Friday morning and is expected to announce his verbal commitment to Pitt.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is scheduled to meet with Bostick tomorrow. Manheim Township coach Mike Melnyk declined to name Bostick’s college choice, but he gave a strong indication with this comment:

“I don’t want to take away his thunder and tell you,” Melnyk said yesterday in a telephone interview. “But we would love to have someone from [the Post-Gazette] here for the news conference.”

The press conference has been scheduled for nearly a week. Bostick seemingly had been to as many Pitt spring practices this past April as some of the actual players. He was a long range target of Coach Wannstedt and the staff for some time.

The closest school that had a shot was Michigan. Following Ryan Mallet’s verbal to Michigan, the road was essentially plowed for Pitt. Penn State was virtually out of the hunt right away with Pat Devlin committing. If Pitt takes any other QB in the 2007 recruiting class it will likely be an athlete-hybrid type with plans to convert him to another position.

ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. really likes Bostick (Insider subs).

This kid gets better the more you watch him and he may be a bit unorthodox in his methods, but he is competitive, tough and shows great command of the game under center. Bostick has very good height and adequate bulk at this stage. He’s tall enough to see over his offensive line and he does a good job of finding passing lanes. He is not a great athlete and he only has decent speed, but he has very good pocket presence and does a good job of avoiding the rush. He will feel the pocket collapsing around him and will use his foot quickness to sidestep the pursuing pass rusher in order to buy himself a lot of second-chance passing opportunities. Does a great job keeping his eyes downfield under duress. … Bostick has very good physical tools, but not elite. However, it’s about more than that. It’s about accuracy, leadership and decisions and making plays. Bostick does all these things well.

Bostick is the best QB recruit in Pennsylvania. Rivals.com lists him in their “Pre-Evaluation Rivals100” and Scout.com has him as a 5-star recruit — one of only five 5-star QB recruits.

Bostick will be Pitt’s second verbal for the class of 2007, joining Chris Jacobson.