Garrett could be NFL star

I’m no Mel Kiper, Mike Mayock or Todd McShay.
Those three are some of the top names when it comes to NFL draft prognostication. They spend months studying tape of player after player, so that when a selection is made in the NFL draft this week they can immediately rattle off analysis.
I haven’t put in that kind of study on this season’s pro football prospects. My focus is more on local sports.
So, while I’ll be happy to answer this month’s first questions about the draft, I’ll also be much more comfortable fielding the last regarding the outlook for the Patriot runners, throwers and jumpers.
••••••••••
With the NFL draft this week, who will be the big bust and who will be a big breakout star?
—Jason McGraw,
Portland

While there is no obvious answer as there was two year’s ago — I’m looking at you, Johnny Football — I am going to put my bust target on another quarterback.
Despite the fact he has the size of an NFL quarterback — 6 feet, 6 inches, tall, 235 pounds — I’m scared off by a guy who couldn’t start until his junior season at North Dakota State. Even when Carson Wentz did start 23 games in his final two seasons, his numbers weren’t eye-popping.
Could he be good? Sure. But I’d be wary of picking up a small-school guy with limited reps against big-time talent at No. 2.
When I look for breakout stars, I tend to go the wide receiver route. It’s helped me on several occasions in my fantasy football dynasty league, most recently allowing me to acquire Martavis Bryant when he was on no one else’s radar.
I try to find guys who are big and fast, but for some reason are getting overlooked. This year, Keyarris Garrett, a 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound speedster from Tulsa, fits the bill. He caught 96 passes last season while averaging 16.5 yards per reception.
Garrett could be a late gem for a team looking for a deep threat.
••••••••••
My choice for NBA Coach of the Year is Luke Walton. Any chance that could happen?
—Jerry Sullivan,
Portland

Probably not, but it has nothing to do with whether or not he did a good job leading the Golden State Warriors.
Walton served as interim coach for the team for a little more than half of the season as coach Steve Kerr recovered from complications from back surgery. Golden State won its first 24 games this season, and it was 39-4 before Kerr returned to the bench and Walton went back to being an assistant as the Warriors kept rolling to their record-breaking 73-9 mark.
What would be most satisfying, and thus probably won’t happen, would be for Walton and Kerr to share the award. It’s more likely that Kerr wins it on his own and Walton gets ignored.
Other top contenders for coach of the year include Gregg Popovich (San Antonio), Terry Stotts (Portland) and Brad Stevens (Boston).
Though he gets no official credit for the victories (they go to Kerr), Walton will still be rewarded. Golden State’s success under his leadership vaulted him to the top of the list of coveted coaches along with Tom Thibodeau, who has already been put in charge of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Walton, who is just 36, should have his choice of NBA jobs, but could also decide to stay in Oakland and enjoy the ride.
••••••••••
Jay County High School girls track has had a great deal of success in recent years. How is the season shaping up so far?
—Phil Ford,
Dunkirk

After several years of painful near-misses, the Patriot girls ended a drought of more than a decade when they won the 2010 sectional title at Muncie Southside. They went on to rack up five straight championships before finishing second last season to Yorktown.
The goal for JCHS is to reclaim the crown, and the team got a good preview of its sectional standing when it hosted Delta and Yorktown on April 14. The Patriots won the meet by five points over the defending sectional champion Tigers.
The key to the victory was a strong effort in field events, with Rebekah Corwin winning the shot put, Taylor Muhlenkamp taking the discus, Audrey Shreve claiming the high jump and Lucy Laux earning the win in the long jump. Kyndal Miller (discus), Gwen Omstead (shot put) and Kendal Garringer (high jump) added top-three efforts in the field events, and Britlyn Dues (100 hurdles), Erika Kunkler (800 run) and Kendra Muhlenkamp (1,600 run) all earned victories.
Tournament meets often play out differently than head-to-head and three-team events, because the other teams involved play into the overall scoring. But at the very least, the Patriots proved they will be in the mix to win the title for the sixth time in seven seasons.