FanHouse Jack Mcclinton

The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.

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The Lakers have made a few things clear since winning the 2009 NBA Championship: the team wants to bring everyone back, which means the team won't be spending much on anyone who isn't currently a Laker, which means the No. 29 in today's draft is certainly for sale. It appears the Lakers found a buyer.

The Knicks have reportedly agreed to take L.A.'s pick in exchange for $3 million, which has been the going rate for a first-rounder lately. (It also happens to be the most cash a team can give another team in a trade.) ESPN reports the Knicks may be looking at Miami point guard Jack McClinton at No. 29, though I imagine a more ballyhooed prospect will end up falling there. The Lakers, however, will have to make the pick tonight (the team has already traded its 2010 first round pick to Memphis) and trade the rights to the player to New York tomorrow.

We have less than 10 days to go before the 2009 NBA Draft. That means now is the time for all teams and agents to blow as much smoke as possible. Got an iffy first-round prospect on your client list? Pull out of a workout, starting rumors of a promise! Worried about falling to a team with a bad situation? Ankle tweak! Concerned one of the worst general managers of our time is attempting to fleece you? "My, that Swedish power forward is looking pretty good ... maybe we'll just take him."

Of course, the greatest thing about the NBA draft is that there actually is a Swedish power forward this year, lost JoBro Jonas Jerebko. Searching for YouTube videos and scouting reports on improbably bred players you have never heard of is a time-honored tradition. (Miss you, Petteri Koponen!) We know the names who will fill the top end, but do we know where they'll end up? YOU BE THE JUDGE.

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Onion Peels is a recap of last night's action and an unofficial Bill Raftery blog.

Duke and North Carolina were separated by a single game in the ACC standings heading into Sunday; little did Duke know it, but they nearly had a chance to tie the Tar Heels again. However, games against Boston College and Miami, respectively, ended the wrong way for the Devils.

Boston College 80, Duke 74: The same problems that have plagued the Blue Devils all season -- point guard play as well as lack of an inside presence -- came into play again Sunday afternoon.

If you wanted to play a parlay on Miami and Clemson road-grading Duke and Wake Forest the kind of clubbings usually reserved for the Knicks or Andy Kennedy's cab rides, you probably would've had to look far, far down your betting slip.

Think somewhere in the area of Alex Rodriguez autographing a copy of Joe Torre's new book and Alex Rodriguez shacking up with a woman whose age is less than his homer totals.

And then keep looking down.

I have no clue why ESPN scheduled North Carolina and Miami for Saturday night primetime. Oh wait. Yes I do. It's because, two weeks ago, the line for that game would have been "Carolina minus infinity" and expecting anything short of a total Hurricane bloodbath would have been insanity.

Then UNC lost twice. And suddenly this matchup was more of a "holy mess let them lose!" type of event where the WWL and the Carolina national bandwagon would be thoroughly embarrassed. Frankly, the game had the making of a potential upset heading into half.

The Tar Heels were only up four, they looked totally ineffective and suddenly Miami was dangerous. Then Wayne Ellington happened.

The ACC has had an interesting start to the season. You have top-ranked North Carolina just rolling over everyone and flexing their muscle. Duke has looked very impressive for most of the year. Wake Forest and Clemson are still undefeated and climbing the polls.

Still, there have been some bad moments. Miami hasn't looked as good as advertised, Maryland followed up one impressive win by getting blown out twice. Virginia Tech has lost on two buzzer beaters. Then there is the glut of also-rans that litter the bottom half of the league.

Conference season doesn't get into full swing for another week or so and there has already been two league games played. There are some big non-conference game this week (Ga Tech at Alabama, Xavier at Virginia, NC State at Florida, Wake Forest at BYU) but the highlight will be the ACC's top two teams starting conference play.

When the ball is tipped -- in a sure-to-be blowout of Indiana by Gonzaga -- Saturday at 1:30, it will mark the first time basketball is played in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. While there have been some complaints from fans in the upper levels of the stadium, I personally think it's a phenomenal venue. As I stated in a FanHouse in the Stands for a Colts game, the concourses and exits are designed beautifully. You will rarely feel crowded when trying to reach your seats, and the restroom lines are nowhere near any concession stands.

I'll be very interested to see how everything works out for basketball, but space shouldn't be an issue, since half of the stadium will be unused. You can view a picture of the basketball setup by clicking here. I believe it's going to be a very solid basketball stadium for years to come, with many final fours in its future -- beginning in 2010 and coming back in 2015.

Neither the ACC nor the University of Miami will place any disciplinary action on guard Jack McClinton. McClinton was ejected from Tuesday's game against Ohio State after taking a swipe at the Buckeyes' Anthony Crater.

That means McClinton will play in the Hurricanes upcoming game at Kentucky Saturday. I guess zero tolerance policies work, eh?

McClinton was given a flagrant foul on the play -- not a foul for fighting which would have resulted in a suspension of at least one game. McClinton is sorry for his actions and says it won't happen again:

"That was definitely not me," he said. "I am not that type of person. I would never do anything to put myself or my team in jeopardy. It was a bad reaction on my part. You have to stay composed. The best ones do that."

In 2006, the football teams at the University of Miami and Florida International got into this ugly brawl:

In the aftermath of that brawl, Miami slapped the offenders on the wrist, simply benching them for one game, against a Duke team that Miami knew it would beat easily.

Stung by criticism of those slaps on the wrist, University of Miami President Donna Shalala claimed that her school would implement a "zero tolerance" policy toward on-field misconduct in its athletic program. But the truth is, Shalala was lying when she made that claim, and the case of Jack McClinton will demonstrate that.