#jerome baker iii

[truecrimecrystals]

May 15th, 2016 was supposed to be a fun day for 28-year-old Jerome Baker III and his six children. That day, Jerome planned to take his children to Six Flags in Eureka, Missouri. Before they could leave for their trip to the amusement park, Jerome seemingly vanished from his home in St. Louis. He was never seen alive by his loved ones again. 

According to reports, a woman that Jerome was dating planned to join him and his children on the trip to Six Flags. The couple spent the morning at Jerome's residence, preparing for their day at the park. Then, around 10:00 AM, the woman borrowed Jerome's car, bringing one of his kids with her, to go pick up her own children for the trip. 

After the woman left, Jerome called his best friend to ask if he could borrow his car to drive the rest of the children to Six Flags. His friend agreed, and subsequently drove over to Jerome's house so he could use the vehicle. When his friend arrived, approximately 11 minutes after their phone call ended, Jerome was nowhere to be found. 

Most of Jerome's personal items, including his wallet, jacket, and extra cash were left behind. The only item that vanished with him was his cell phone - but all calls and texts to the phone went unanswered. Jerome's mother was alerted about her son's sudden absence, and as such, she went to his house to investigate. Once there, Jerome's mother noticed that there were drag marks in the dirt in her son's backyard. 

Jerome was reported missing to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police. Unfortunately, the police's investigation did not yield any clues to Jerome's whereabouts. Months later, in October 2016, a utility worker found a human skull in a vacant dump site on Bircher Boulevard and Riverview Boulevard. The skull was later identified as that of Jerome Baker III. His remains were found an approximate 10-minutes' drive from his home. Jerome's death was classified as a homicide.

It's been reported that Jerome's mother has pleaded with police several times to take more action in her son's case. In fact, after Jerome vanished, his mother reportedly made "pleas to have her son’s phone pinged, with law enforcement initially giving her the runaround. When they finally acted, a chilling revelation emerged – a 911 call made on the day of Jerome’s disappearance captured him fighting for his life against multiple assailants."

Despite this information, there have been no arrests for Jerome's murder. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly identified. The case remains unsolved, and Jerome's loved ones are left without answers. If you any information that could lead to the arrest of Jerome's killer(s), please contact St. Louis Police Department at (314) 444-5738.

[jeromebaker3rd]

TONIGHT!

[takemeout2sea]

BLACK LIVES MATTER. NO JUSTICE NO PEACE.

white silence is VIOLENCE..

they are more than just a hashtag.

George Floyd Breonna Taylor Tamir Rice Michael Lorenzo Dean Eric Reason Christopher McCorvey Steven Day Christopher Whitfield Atatiana Jefferson Maurice Holly Jordan Michael Griffin Nicholas Walker Bennie Branch Byron Williams Arthur Walton Jr.   Channara Tom Pheap Patricia Spivey Stephan Murray Ryan Twyman Dominique Clayton Isaiah Lewis Kevin Leroy Beasley Jr. Julius Graves Marcus McVae Marzues Scott Bishar Hassan Kevin Bruce Mason Mario Clark Jimmy Atchison D’ettrick Griffin George Robinson Andre Horton William Matthew Holmes Jesse Jesus Quinton Anthony Antonio Ford Mahlon Edward Summerrour Charles D. Roundtree Jr. Chinedu Valentine Okobi Charles David Robinson Antone G. Black Jr.   Darrell Richards Botham Shem Jean James Leatherwood Devin Howell Joshua Wayne Harvey Christopher Alexander Okamato Cynthia Fields Rashaun Washington Herbert Gilbert Anthony Marcell Green Antwon Michael Rose II Robert Lawrence White Thomas Williams   Marcus-David L. Peters Terrance Carlton Aries Clark Juan Markee Jones Danny Ray Thomas  Stephon Clark Trey Ta’Quan Pringle Sr. Ronell Foster Corey Mobley Arthur McAfee Jr.   Geraldine Townsend Warren Ragudo Thomas Yatsko Dennis Plowden Jean Pedro Pierre Keita O’Neil Lawrence Hawkins Calvin Toney Dewboy Lister Armando Frank Stephen Gayle Antonio Garcia Jr. Brian Easley Euree Lee Martin DeJuan Guillory Aaron Bailey Joshua Terrell Crawford Marc Brandon Davis Adam Trammell Jimmie Montel Sanders DeRicco Devante Holdon Mark Roshawn Adkins Tashii S. Brown Jordan Edwards Roderick Ronall Taylor Kenneth Johnson Christopher Wade Alteria Woods Sherida Davis Lorenzo Antoine Cruz Chance David Baker Raynard Burton Quanice Derrick Hayes Chad Robertson Jerome Keith Allen Nana Adomako Marquez Warren Deaundre Phillips Sabin Marcus Jones Darrian M. Barnhill JR Williams Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin Jamal Robbins Marlon Lewis Ritchie Lee Harbison Lamont Perry Bill Jackson Julian Dawkins Terry Laffitte Jermaine Darden Marlon Brown Kendra Diggs Deion Fludd Clifton Armstrong Fred Bradford Jr. Craig Demps Dason Peters Dylan Samuel-Peters Russell Lydell Smith Willie Lee Bingham Jr.   Clinton Roebexar Allen Charles A. Baker Jr.   Anthony Dwayne Harris Donovan Thomas Jayvis Benjamin Quintine Barksdale Cedrick Chatman Darrell Banks Xavier Tyrell Johnson Yolanda Thomas Roy Lee Richards Alfred Olango Tawon Boyd Terrence Crutcher Tyre King Levonia Riggins Kendrick Brown Donnell Thompson Jr.   Dalvin Hollins Delrawn Small Sherman Evans Deravis Rogers Antwun Shumpert Ollie Lee Brooks Michael Eugene Wilson Jr.   Vernell Bing Jr.   Jessica Williams Arthur R. Williams Jr. Lionel Gibson Charlin Charles Kevin Hicks Dominique Silva Robert Dentmond India M. Beaty Torrey Lamar Robinson Peter Wiliam Gaines Arteair Porter Kionte DeShaun Spencer Christopher J. Davis Thomas Lane Paul Gaston Calin Devante Roquemore Dyzhawn L. Perkins David Joseph Wendell Celestine Jr.   Antronie Scott Peter John Keith Childress Bettie Jones Kevin Matthews Michael Noel Leroy Browning Miguel Espinal Nathaniel Pickett Cornelius Brown Tiara Thomas Richard Perkins Jamar Clark Alonzo Smith Anthony Ashford Dominic Hutchinson Lamontez Jones Rayshaun Cole Paterson Brown Jr.   Junior Prosper Keith Harrison McLeod Wayne Wheeler Lavante Biggs India Kager James Carney III Felix Kumi  Mansur Bell-Bey Asshams Manley Christian Taylor Troy Robinson Brian Day Samuel Dubose Darrius Stewart Albert Davis Salvado Ellswood George Mann Freddie Blue Johnathon Sanders Victo Lorosa III Spencer McCain Kevin Bajoie Kris Jacksons Kevin Higgenbotham Ross Anthony Richard Gregory Davis D’Angelo Reyes Stallworth Dajuan Graham Brendon Glenn Reginald L. Moore Sr.  David Felix William Chapman Norman Cooper Darrell Lawrence Brown Walter Scott Eric Courtney Harris Donald Ivy Phillip White Jason Moland Denzel Brown Brandon Jones Askari Roberts Bobby Gross Terrance Moxley Anthony Hill Tony Terrell Robinson Naeschylus Vinzant Charly Leundeu Keunang DeOntre L. Dorsey Thomas Allen Jr.  Calvin A. Reid Terry Price and countless of hundreds of others have lost their lives to systemic racism and police brutality in the united states. THIS MUST END. “normal” shouldn’t be citizens afraid of those charged to protect them. “normal” shouldn’t be weapons banned in wars used on peaceful civilians. “normal” shouldn’t include the continued abuse of those who are treated as less than by the system. WE HAVE THE POWER TO INACT CHANGE. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AGAINST RACISM AND POLICE BRUTALITY.

[mondaymorning]

If you know anything about nightlife and djing, this video is for you. @jeromebaker3rd

[rockcreeksocial-blog]

See you guys TONIGHT at the best party in DC - #WednesdayNightHouseParty

[mutantsalon]

Queer California: Untold Stories April 13–August 11, 2019 at the Oakland Museum of California Image: Brown Rainbow Eclipse Explosion, 2017, Young Joon Kwak. Photo: Ruben Diaz @pingpongpaw , courtesy @commonwealthandcouncil Work by artists and collaborators including Absolute Empress III Shirley, Chloe Aftel, Laura Aguilar, Tina Valentin Aguirre, D-L Alvarez, Steven Arnold, Gilbert Baker, Lisa Ben, Andrea Bowers, Kaucyila Brooke, Ginger Brooks-Takahashi, Craig Calderwood, Pat Campano, Monica Canilao, Tammy Rae Carland, Cassils, Jerome Caja, Willy Chavarria, Kate Clark, Torreya Cummings, Amanda Curreri, Cyclona, Cecil Davis, Reed Erickson, Rhys Ernst, Edie Fake, Eve Fowler, William P. Gaddis Jr., Clay Geerdes, Rick Gerharter, James Gobel, Nicki Green, James Gruber, Barbara Hammer, Mick Hicks, William E. Jones, Lenn Keller, Joseph Richard Kapps, Young Joon Kwak, Vero Majano, DJ Brown Amy (Amy Martinez), Jaguar Mary, Helen Nestor, Yetunde Olagbaju, Kari Orvik, Frances Reid, Augie Robles, Peaches, Grace Rosario Perkins, Marlon Riggs, Nica Ross, Julio Salgado, Helen “Sanders” Sandoz, Jose Sarria, Patrick Staff, Chuck Stallard, Eric A. Stanley, A.L. Steiner, Elizabeth Stevens, Sylvester, Tina Takemoto, Xara Thustra, Wu Tsang, Chris E. Vargas, Lex Vaughn, Travis Y., and Cathy Zheutlin. Additional participants include L. Frank, Joseph Byron Jones, Miss Major, Toshio Meronek, Deborah A. Miranda, Donovan Nation, Kenny Ray Ramos, Kanyon Sayers-Roods, Kayla Strickland, and Karen Vigneault. Contributing archives include The American Philosophical Society; The Archives of the Archdiocese of San Francisco (AASF); Bay Area Lesbian Archives; California State Archives; The Collections of the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University; The Digital Transgender Archive; The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society; Lambda Archives; The Lesbian Herstory Archives; ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries; San Francisco Public Library; James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center; The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center; and Willard Library. Curated by Christina Linden @hotcorners (at Oakland Museum of California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BviSLVrl1Lf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nb5az71pdl0l

[eventsbyakil]

The Real HU Alumni Weekend Featuring DJ SNS Friday Night: DJ SNS @ The Warehouse on Okie St Saturday After The Game: DJ SNS + Jerome Baker III @ The Point Restaurant (1 block from Audi Field) (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT7TWtGrSkV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[a-bit-of-lit-blog]

i noticed y’all have been enjoying my novel masterposts. so im just going to keep posting because im obsessed with books like that T.T

for my study-like-rory studyblr friends who want to read all the books mentioned in gilmore girls (because hello?? who doesn’t??), here’s a list! pls let me know if i missed a book, but i think it’s quite a complete list! enjoy!!

#

1984 – George Orwell

A

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon

An American Tragedy – Theodore Dreiser

Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Archidamian War – Donald Kagen

The Art of Fiction  – Henry James

The Art of War – Sun Tzu

As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner

Atonement – Ian McEwan

The Awakening – Kate Chopin

Autobiography of a Face – Lucy Grealy

B

Babe – Dick King-Smith

Backlash – Susan Faludi

Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress – Dai Sijie

The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

Beloved – Toni Morrison

Beowulf – Seamus Heaney

The Bhagava Gita

The Bielski Brothers – Peter Duffy

Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women – Elizabeth Wurtzel

A Bolt From the Blue & other Essays – Mary McCarthy

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Brick Lane – Monica Ali

Brigadoon – Alan Jay Lerner

C

Candide – Voltaire

The Canterbury Tales – Chaucer

Carrie –Stephen King

Catch – 22 – Joseph Heller

The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

The Celebrated Jumping Frog – Mark Twain

Charlotte’s Web – EB White

The Children’s Hour – Lilian Hellman

Christine – Stephen King

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

The Code of the Woosters – PG Wodehouse

The Collected Short Stories – Eudora Welty

The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty

A Comedy of Errors – William Shakespeare

Complete Novels – Dawn Powell

The Complete Poems – Anne Sexton

Complete Stories – Dorothy Parker

A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

Cousin Bette – Honore de Balzac

Crime & Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Crimson Petal & the White – Michael Faber

The Crucible – Arthur Miller

Cujo – Stephen King

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – Mark Haddon

D

Daughter of Fortune – Isabel Allende

David and Lisa – Dr. Theodore Issac Rubin

David Coperfield – Charles Dickens

The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

Deal Souls – Nikolai Gogol (Season 3, episode 3)

Demons – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller

Deenie – Judy Blume

The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson

The Dirt – Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mark, & Nikki Sixx

The Divine Comedy – Dante

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Rebecca Wells

Don Quijote – Cervantes

Driving Miss Daisy – Alfred Uhrv

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde ­– Robert Louis Stevenson

E

Complete Tales & Poems – Edgar Allan Poe

Eleanor Roosevelt – Blanche Wiesen Cook

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test – Tom Wolfe

Ella Minnow Pea – Mark Dunn

Eloise – Kay Thompson

Emily the Strange – Roger Reger

Emma – Jane Austen

Empire Falls – Richard Russo

Encyclopedia Brown – Donald J. Sobol

Ethan Frome – Edith Wharton

Ethics – Spinoza

Eva Luna – Isabel Allende

Everything is Illuminated – Jonathon Safran Foer

Extravagance – Gary Kist

F

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 911 – Michael Moore

The Fall of the Athenian Empire – Donald Kagan

Fat Land:How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World – Greg Critser

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson

The Fellowship of the Ring – J R R Tolkien

Fiddler on the Roof – Joseph Stein

The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom

Finnegan’s Wake – James Joyce

Fletch – Gregory McDonald

Flowers of Algernon – Daniel Keyes

The Fortress of Solitude – Jonathon Lethem

The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

Franny and Zooey – JD Salinger

Freaky Friday – Mary Rodgers

G

Galapagos – Kurt Vonnegut

Gender Trouble – Judith Baker

George W. Bushism – Jacob Weisberg

Gidget – Fredrick Kohner

Girl, Interrupted – Susanna Kaysen

The Ghostic Gospels – Elaine Pagels

The Godfather – Mario Puzo

The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy

Goldilocks & the Three Bears – Alvin Granowsky

Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell

The Good Soldier – Ford Maddox Ford

The Gospel According to Judy Bloom

The Graduate – Charles Webb

The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

The Group – Mary McCarthy

H

Hamlet – Shakespeare

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – JK Rowling

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – Dave Eggers

Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

Helter Skelter – Vincent Bugliosi

Henry IV, Part 1 – Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 2 – Shakespeare

Henry V – Shakespeare

High Fidelity – Nick Hornby

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – Edward Gibbons

Holidays on Ice – David Sedaris

The Holy Barbarians – Lawrence Lipton

House of Sand and Fog – Andre Dubus III

The House of the Spirits – Isabel Allende

How to Breathe Underwater – Julie Orringer

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Dr. Seuss

How the Light Gets In – MJ Hyland

Howl – Alan Ginsburg

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo

I

The Illiad – Homer

I’m With the Band – Pamela des Barres

In Cold Blood – Truman Capote

Inferno – Dante

Inherit the Wind – Jerome Lawrence & Robert E Lee

Iron Weed – William J. Kennedy

It Takes a Village – Hilary Clinton

J

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

The Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan

Julius Caesar – Shakespeare

The Jungle – Upton Sinclair

Just a Couple of Days – Tony Vigorito

K

The Kitchen Boy – Robert Alexander

Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

L

Lady Chatterley’s Lover – DH Lawrence

The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 – Gore Vidal

Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman

The Legend of Bagger Vance – Steven Pressfield

Less Than Zero – Bret Easton Ellis

Letters to a Young Poet – Rainer Maria Rilke

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them – Al Franken

Life of Pi – Yann Martel

Little Dorrit – Charles Dickens

The Little Locksmith – Katharine Butler Hathaway

The Little Match Girl – Hans Christian Anderson

Little Woman – Louisa May Alcott

Living History – Hillary Clinton

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

The Lottery & Other Stories – Shirley Jackson

The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

The Love Story – Eric Segal

M

Macbeth – Shakespeare

Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

The Manticore – Robertson Davies (Season 3, episode 3)

Marathon Man – William Goldman

The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov

Memoirs of  Dutiful Daughter – Simone de Beauvoir

Memoirs of General WT Sherman – William Tecumseh Sherman

Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris

The Meaning of Consuelo – Judith Ortiz Cofer

Mencken’s Chrestomathy – HR Mencken

The Merry Wives of Windsor – Shakespeare

The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides

The Miracle Worker – William Gibson

Moby Dick – Herman Melville

The Mojo Collection – Jim Irvin

Moliere – Hobart Chatfield Taylor

A Monetary History of the US – Milton Friedman

Monsieur Proust – Celeste Albaret

A Month of Sundays – Julie Mars

A Moveable Feast – Ernest Hemingway

Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf

Mutiny on the Bounty – Charles Nordhoff & James Norman Hall

My Lai 4 – Seymour M Hersh

My Life as Author and Editor – HR Mencken

My Life in Orange – Tim Guest

My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult

N

The Naked and the Dead – Norman Mailer

The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri

The Nanny Diaries – Emma McLaughlin

Nervous System – Jan Lars Jensen

New Poems of Emily Dickinson

The New Way Things Work – David Macaulay

Nickel and Dimed – Barbara Ehrenreich

Night – Elie Wiesel

Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen

The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism – William E Cain

Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell

Notes of a Dirty Old Man – Charles Bukowski

O

Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Old School – Tobias Wolff

Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

On the Road – Jack Keruac

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch – Alexander Solzhenitsyn

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey

One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life – Amy Tan

Oracle Night – Paul Auster

Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood

Othello – Shakespeare

Our Mutual Friend – Charles Dickens

The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War – Donald Kagan

Out of Africa – Isac Dineson

The Outsiders – S. E. Hinton

P

A Passage to India – E.M. Forster

The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition – Donald Kagan

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

Peyton Place – Grace Metalious

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

Pigs at the Trough – Arianna Huffington

Pinocchio – Carlo Collodi

Please Kill Me – Legs McNeil & Gilliam McCain

The Polysyllabic Spree – Nick Hornby

The Portable Dorothy Parker

The Portable Nietzche

The Price of Loyalty – Ron Suskind

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Property – Valerie Martin

Pushkin – TJ Binyon

Pygmalion – George Bernard Shaw

Q

Quattrocento – James McKean

A Quiet Storm – Rachel Howzell Hall

R

Rapunzel – Grimm Brothers

The Razor’s Edge – W Somerset Maugham

Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi

Rebecca – Daphne de Maurier

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm – Kate Douglas Wiggin

The Red Tent – Anita Diamant

Rescuing Patty Hearst – Virginia Holman

The Return of the King – JRR Tolkien

R is for Ricochet – Sue Grafton

Rita Hayworth – Stephen King

Robert’s Rules of Order – Henry Robert

Roman Fever – Edith Wharton

Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare

A Room of One’s Own – Virginia Woolf

A Room with a View – EM Forster

Rosemary’s Baby – Ira Levin

The Rough Guide to Europe

S

Sacred Time – Ursula Hegi

Sanctuary – William Faulkner

Savage Beauty – Nancy Milford

Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller – Henry James

The Scarecrow of Oz – Frank L. Baum

The Scarlet Letter – Nathanial Hawthorne

Seabiscuit – Laura Hillenbrand

The Second Sex – Simone de Beauvior

The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd

Secrets of the Flesh – Judith Thurman

Selected Letters of Dawn Powell (1913-1965)

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

A Separate Place – John Knowles

Several Biographies of Winston Churchill

Sexus – Henry Miller

The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafron

Shane – Jack Shaefer

The Shining – Stephen King

Siddartha – Hermann Hesse

S is for Silence – Sue Grafton

Slaughter-House 5 – Kurt Vonnegut

Small Island – Andrea Levy

Snows of Kilamanjaro – Ernest Hemingway

Snow White and Red Rose – Grimm Brothers

Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy – Barrington Moore

The Song of Names – Norman Lebrecht

Song of the Simple Truth – Julia de Burgos

The Song Reader – Lisa Tucker

Songbook – Nick Hornby

The Sonnets – Shakespeare

Sonnets from the Portuegese – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Sophie’s Choice – William Styron

The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner

Speak, Memory – Vladimir Nabakov

Stiff, The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers – Mary Roach

The Story of my Life – Helen Keller

A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams

Stuart Little – EB White

Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

Swann’s Way – Marcel Proust

Swimming with Giants – Anne Collett

Sybil – Flora Rheta Schreiber

T

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Tender is the Night – F Scott Fitzgerald

Term of Endearment – Larry McMurty

Time and Again – Jack Finney

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffeneggar

To Have and to Have Not – Ernest Hemingway

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

The Tragedy of Richard III – Shakespeare

Travel and Motoring through Europe – Myra Waldo

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith

The Trial – Franz Kafka

The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters – Elisabeth Robinson

Truth & Beauty – Ann Patchett

Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom

U

Ulysses – James Joyce

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath (1950-1962)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe

Unless – Carol Shields

V

Valley of the Dolls – Jacqueline Susann

The Vanishing Newspaper – Philip Meyers

Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

Velvet Underground – Joe Harvard

The Virgin Suicides – Jeffrey Eugenides

W

Waiting for Godot – Samuel Beckett

Walden – Henry David Thoreau

Walt Disney’s Bambi – Felix Salten

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

We Owe You Nothing – Daniel Sinker

What Colour is Your Parachute – Richard Nelson Bolles

What Happened to Baby Jane – Henry Farrell

When the Emperor Was Divine – Julie Otsuka

Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee

Wicked – Gregory Maguire

The Wizard of Oz – Frank L Baum

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

Y

The Yearling – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion

OTHER RESOURCES:

19th Century Novels Masterpost

20th Century Novels Masterpost

21st Century Novels Masterpost

Rory Gilmore’s Reading List

Series Masterpost

[lahiphopevents]

(via [02.01.20] #4THELUV WITH DJ PRINTZ, JEROME BAKER III & KENWAYLIVE (CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF THE GREATEST) |)

[jeromebaker3rd]

[junker-town]

College basketball’s 11 greatest recruiting classes of the decade

These recruiting hauls had the greatest impact on their programs from 2010-2019.

What are the greatest college basketball recruiting classes of the decade? The answer isn’t necessarily reflected in the rankings at the time.

While Duke and Kentucky have owned the top of the recruiting rankings over the last 10 years, it takes a deeper look to determine which incoming freshman classes had the greatest impact on their programs. We valued three things in building this list:

Contributions to team success at the college level

Players who emerged into NBA stars

Players who became NBA first round draft picks

There were a number of difficult cuts. An easy case can be made for Billy Donovan’s class of 2010 at Florida — Patric Young, Will Yeguete, Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin, Erik Murphy — a group that helped the program to three Elite Eights and a Final Four, but didn’t produce any real NBA talent. Michigan State’s 2012 class (Gary Harris, Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes) was a tough omission. UConn was one of three teams to win multiple national titles this decade and had a case with its 2010 class of Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb.

With a decade of college basketball from 2010-2019 now behind us, let’s figure out the most impactful recruiting classes of the time period.

11. 2017 Texas Tech

Players: Zhaire Smith, Jarrett Culver, Davide Moretti

Texas Tech had never advanced past the Sweet 16 in the history of the program when Chris Beard’s class of 2017 stepped on campus. No one would have expected this group to change that at the time. Ranked as the No. 39 overall class in the country, the Red Raiders’ six-player haul included two JUCO transfers and just one top-100 prospect in Italian shooter Davide Moretti. Ultimately, it was a pair of in-state three-star recruits who would change the perception of the program forever.

Texas Tech ran all the way to the Elite Eight in the class’ first season behind the emergence of Zhaire Smith. Ranked as the No. 194 recruit in America, Smith blossomed into one of the most unlikely one-and-dones ever as a ridiculously athletic wing who helped create the foundation for an elite defense. The team only got better after Smith went to the NBA thanks to a star turn from sophomore guard Jarrett Culver. Culver, who entered the program as the No. 312 recruit in his class, blossomed into a superstar and the eventual No. 6 overall NBA Draft pick. His big year helped take the Red Raiders all the way to the national title game.

Don’t overlook the contributions of Moretti, either: he would go on to become the team’s second leading scorer this past season and still has two years of eligibility left.

10. 2016 Gonzaga

Players: Zach Collins, Rui Hachimura, Zach Norvell, Killian Tillie

Gonzaga’s 2016 class featured the program’s first ever McDonald’s All-American in center Zach Collins. Collins was only on campus for one year before becoming an NBA lottery pick, but he was a key piece in the team’s first ever Final Four run as a freshman. This class, ranked No. 20 in the country at the time, kept paying dividends for the ‘Zags long after Collins departed.

Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie continued the program’s proud and successful pipeline of international talent. Hachimura came over from Japan and eventually grew into one of the best players in college basketball as a junior. Tillie, who arrived from France, was a stud as a sophomore before enduring injury problems last season. He could be poised for a big year in 2019-2020 if he can stay healthy. Novell was also a key piece on teams that would go to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in consecutive years after being redshirted his first year on campus. He averaged 15 points per game last season before bouncing to the NBA.

9. 2012 Michigan

Players: Caris LeVert, Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary, Spike Albrecht

Michigan hadn’t been to the Final Four since the Fab Five era until its class of 2012 showed up in Ann Arbor. In their first season, Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary, and Nik Stauskas were each among the top five scorers on a team that went all the way to the national championship game. It was there that Michigan’s lowliest recruit forged his own legend. Spike Albrecht, ranked as the No. 221 player in his class, scored 17 first half points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting against Louisville to forever etch himself into college basketball lore on the sport’s biggest stage.

The next season hit a snag when McGary’s sophomore year lasted only eight games amid back problems, but the Wolverines still went to the Elite Eight behind a breakout season from Stauskas that helped turn him into a top-10 NBA Draft pick. At the same time, LeVert was making his debut coming off a redshirt and immediately established himself as a burgeoning talent in his own right. LeVert was on his way to becoming a star before foot and leg injuries cut short his next two seasons. He was still a first-round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

8. 2015 Villanova

Players: Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo

Villanova’s decade-long run of dominance is full of impressive recruiting wins, but we’ll give Brunson and DiVincenzo the slight edge over 2013’s Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins coup and 2012’s Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu haul. Brunson has a case to be the best player in the history of the program: a two-time starter on national championship teams and Villanova’s only national Player of the Year award winner. In his three seasons on campus, ‘Nova went 103-13.

DiVincenzo redshirted as a true freshman during the Wildcats’ 2016 title run, but made an indelible imprint on the 2018 championship team. Against Michigan in the national title game, DiVincenzo came off the bench to score 31 points and earn Most Outstanding Player honors. He is one of four first-round NBA Draft picks the program has produced since 2017.

7. 2018 Duke

Players: Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cameron Reddish, Tre Jones, Joey Baker

Duke’s 2018 class was hailed as the greatest of the modern era when it formed, but it feels like the most controversial selection on this list in retrospect. It’s hard to get past the Blue Devils’ upset loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight or just how shaky they looked in the two games before it. R.J. Barrett was undeniably productive, but his lack of efficiency and questionable shot selection made him feel like a slight disappointment given his recruiting hype. The same can be said for Cam Reddish, who struggled struggled immensely despite being the No. 2 overall recruit in the RSCI behind Barrett.

Still, this class makes the cut because it includes the superhuman phenomenon that is Zion Williamson. Williamson posted the best single season of the decade as a freshman, with his jaw-dropping highlights being matched every bit by his remarkable production and efficiency. Tre Jones’ surprising decision to return for his sophomore year, to go along with the debut of former top-50 Joey Baker, means this class still as a chance to add to its resume.

6. 2013 Kansas

Players: Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Wayne Selden, Frank Mason Jr.

Kansas’ 2013 class featured: a No. 1 overall draft pick, a national Player of the Year, and the best big man in the NBA today. That’s the easiest defense for how a group that will mostly be remembered for a Round of 32 loss to Stanford still makes this list. For as underwhelming as Andrew Wiggins was (and has been) given the hype, Joel Embiid lived up to every bit of superstar potential Kansas fans were promised. While his lone college season ended before the NCAA tournament because of a back injury, Embiid’s routine dominance on a per-minute basis stands out against the decade’s other top freshmen.

Mason was an afterthought in this class at the time, but he ended up leading Kansas to two Elite Eights and turning into the best player in the country as a senior. Factor in Selden, a former McDonald’s All-American who proved to be a productive wing for three seasons, and all four of these players are currently in the NBA.

5. 2014 North Carolina

Players: Justin Jackson, Joel Berry, Theo Pinson

UNC recruited in stark contrast from contemporaries like Duke and Kentucky over the course of this decade, only boasting one one-and-done (Tony Bradley) since 2010 before Coby White and Nassir Little each left after their freshman year this past season. Instead, Roy Williams found success targeting players that would stay in school, develop chemistry, and lay the foundation for multiple years of success. His class of 2014 is the greatest example of this.

Justin Jackson, Joel Berry, and Theo Pinson were all McDonald’s All-Americans. As sophomores, they teamed with veterans Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige to carry the Tar Heels to the national title game, where their hearts were broken by Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater for Villanova. UNC would find redemption the next season, as Jackson, Berry, and Pinson got the Tar Heels back in national title game and this time outlasted Gonzaga to cut down the nets. Jackson was the only player in this class to leave early for the NBA and even he stayed three years.

4. 2016 Virginia

Players: De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, Jay Huff

Tony Bennett knew he had the best recruiting haul of his career when he inked four top-100 prospects in the class of 2016. He didn’t know their story would produce enough highs and lows for a Hollywood movie. As sophomores, top-seeded UVA entered the NCAA tournament at 31-2 overall only to become the first top-seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed in UMBC. The starting backcourt of Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy vowed to be back the next year, this time hoping that De’Andre Hunter would be by their side and not out with a thumb injury.

Virginia was a No. 1 seed again the next year and had destiny on its side, using a miracle finish to advance past Purdue in the Elite Eight and then reaching the national title game when Guy hit three free throws at the buzzer to beat Auburn. The national title game against Texas Tech went into overtime — of course it did — only for UVA to come out on top. Hunter would go on to become the second-highest drafted player in program history at No. 4, while Jerome went at the end of the first round and Guy was picked at the end of the second. UVA may still be a powerhouse well into the future, but it’ll never have a more memorable class than this one.

3. 2011 Kentucky

Players: Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer

John Calipari’s 2011 class is the one that fortified his reputation as the king of recruiting for the modern era. Calipari pulled three top-five recruits out of the high school ranks and used them as the foundation for the most dominant national championship team of the decade. Anthony Davis will likely go down as the greatest player Cal ever coached, a brilliant two-way big man who won every national Player of the Year as a true freshman before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a tough and athletic wing, gave the team a versatile defender and rebounder who would go on to be selected one pick after Davis. It’s the only time in history teammates have gone with the top two choices in the NBA Draft.

Kentucky’s 38-2 season was so iconic that its most memorable moment might have been a loss, when Christian Watford hit a buzzer-beater to give Indiana a shocking December win. Calipari will continue to put together monster recruiting classes, but he’ll be hard pressed to ever field a more successful one than this.

2. 2014 Kentucky

Players: Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Tyler Ulis

The most unforgettable college basketball team of the decade didn’t win a national championship, but it did captivate the country by coming tantalizingly close to perfection. The story of Kentucky’s chase for history started way back when John Calipari agreed to coach the Dominican Republic national team as a way of getting in tight with 16-year-old Karl Towns. Towns would go on to become a freshman superstar at Kentucky, the eventual No. 1 overall draft pick, and one of the most talented players Calipari ever coached. That Towns was only seventh on his own team in minutes per game during his lone year on campus is the ultimate testament to just how loaded his Kentucky team really was.

We’ll remember the 2014-2015 Wildcats for their platoon system, their impossible size, and their 38-0 start. Wisconsin ended Kentucky’s dream season in a Final Four classic, but the memory of this team lives on as a rare example of when one roster and one coach seemed bigger than the sport, if only for a moment.

1. 2014 Duke

Players: Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen

As the entire college basketball world focused on Kentucky’s pursuit of a perfect season, another freshmen super team was growing under the surface during in 2015. Duke didn’t always look like a national championship contender throughout the year, with a spotty defense threatening to sabotage an immense collection of talent. But when Mike Krzyzewski moved Justise Winslow to the four to get more speed and versatility on the floor, the Blue Devils suddenly looked the juggernaut they really were all along.

Jahlil Okafor lived up to every bit of hype as the No. 1 recruit in the country. A dominant low post scorer who would have been a Hall of Famer in a different era, Okafor was the hub of Duke’s offense and the ultimate matchup nightmare on the block. Tyus Jones was the perfect complement at point guard, a heady floor general who could take and make big shots while never surrendering control of the game. Winslow was an ace defender and valuable slasher. After not playing much throughout the season, Grayson Allen wrote the first chapter of his storied but controversial college career with a breakout performance in the Final Four.

After Kentucky fell to Wisconsin in the Final Four, Duke beat the Badgers in the national championship game because of a legendary performance from their four freshmen. Okafor, Winslow, Jones, and Allen combined for 60 of the team’s 68 points, allowing Krzyzewski to cut down the nets for the fifth time in his career. It’s hard to imagine four freshmen ever owning the biggest stage in the sport like this again. That’s why Duke’s 2014 recruiting class is the greatest of the decade.

[mondaymorning]

Peep the vibes from our Locals Only brunch party! Sounds by @jeromebaker3rd

[hirstory]

Queer California: Untold Stories 

April 13 – August 11, 2019

Oakland Museum of California

Work by artists and collaborators including Absolute Empress III Shirley, Chloe Aftel, Laura Aguilar, Tina Valentin Aguirre, D-L Alvarez, Steven Arnold, Gilbert Baker, Lisa Ben, Andrea Bowers, Kaucyila Brooke, Ginger Brooks-Takahashi, Craig Calderwood, Pat Campano, Monica Canilao, Tammy Rae Carland, Cassils, Jerome Caja, Willy Chavarria, Kate Clark, Torreya Cummings, Amanda Curreri, Cyclona, Cecil Davis, Reed Erickson, Rhys Ernst, Edie Fake, Eve Fowler, William P. Gaddis Jr., Clay Geerdes, Rick Gerharter, James Gobel, Nicki Green, James Gruber, Barbara Hammer, Mick Hicks, William E. Jones, Lenn Keller, Joseph Richard Kapps, Young Joon Kwak, Vero Majano, DJ Brown Amy (Amy Martinez), Jaguar Mary, Helen Nestor, Yetunde Olagbaju, Kari Orvik, Frances Reid, Augie Robles, Peaches, Grace Rosario Perkins, Marlon Riggs, Nica Ross, Julio Salgado, Helen “Sanders” Sandoz, Jose Sarria, Patrick Staff, Chuck Stallard, Eric A. Stanley, A.L. Steiner, Elizabeth Stevens, Sylvester, Tina Takemoto, Xara Thustra, Wu Tsang, Chris E. Vargas/MOTHA, Lex Vaughn, Travis Y., and Cathy Zheutlin. 

Additional participants include L. Frank, Joseph Byron Jones, Miss Major, Toshio Meronek, Deborah A. Miranda, Donovan Nation, Kenny Ray Ramos, Kanyon Sayers-Roods, Kayla Strickland, and Karen Vigneault. 

Contributing archives include The American Philosophical Society; The Archives of the Archdiocese of San Francisco (AASF); Bay Area Lesbian Archives; California State Archives; The Collections of the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University; The Digital Transgender Archive; The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society; Lambda Archives; The Lesbian Herstory Archives; ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries; San Francisco Public Library; James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center; The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center; and Willard Library.

[full-imagination]

Marion O. "Dixie" Hubbard

Marion Orcutt Hubbard, affectionately known to friends and family as “Dixie”, of Spartanburg, SC, died Sunday, December 1, 2019, at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. Born November 4, 1936, in Ashtabula, OH, she was the daughter of the late Lawrence Ralph Orcutt and Luella Hudson Orcutt and widow of John Keith Hubbard. Dixie was not only a homemaker, she was a free and creative spirit as well as a loving friend. She enjoyed spending time at the beach, decorating, painting, and especially dancing. She was also a talented landscaper as displayed in her beautiful yard and gardens. She was the energizing force for her family and friends, and will be forever loved and missed. A member of Saint Paul United Methodist Church, Dixie attended Columbia College and was formerly employed with Wofford College and later with Lady Lorraine. Survivors include her children, Karen Hubbard Block (Jeff) of Lilburn, GA and John Keith Hubbard Jr. (Renee) of Leawood, KS; grandchildren, John Keith “Trey” Hubbard III (Katirina) of Kansas City, KS, Alexandra Erin Hubbard of Solana Beach, CA, Peyton Grant Hubbard of Leawood, KS, Jeffrey John Block Jr. (Aimee) of Lawrenceville, GA, and Katlin Block Edwards (Bo) of Adairsville, GA; great-grandchildren, Anthony, Sophia, Jessie, and Baker; sister, Debbie Filyaw (David) of Florence, SC; brother, Jerome Holland of Florence, SC; and dear friend, C. W. Armstrong of Cowpens, SC. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by a brother, Jerry Orcutt. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM Wednesday, December 4, 2019, at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, by The Rev. John Warren. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307 with visitation following at the graveside. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Saint Paul United Methodist Church, 1320 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307. Floyd’s North Church Street Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary via Spartanburg Funeral

[hockeydraw3-blog]

Leaders in Law 2018: Firm Attorney of the Year Nominees

Dr. Dariush Adli, ADLI Law Group P.C.

Angela C. Agrusa, DLA Piper

James L. Arnone, Latham & Watkins LLP

Ryan Baker, Baker Marquart LLP

Bob Baradaran, Greenberg Glusker LLP

Brandon E. Barker, Mintz Levin

Michele J. Beilke, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Ivy Kagan Bierman, Loeb & Loeb LLP

Jonathan Bloch, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

Mark A. Bonenfant, Buchalter

Susan J. Booth, Holland & Knight LLP

Karie Boyd, Boyd Law, APC

Lee S. Brenner, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Brad D. Brian, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Kimberly Buffington, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Richard S. Busch, King & Ballow

Christopher Caldwell, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP

Alexander Calfo, King & Spalding

Ronald R. Camhi, Michelman & Robinson, LLP

Ralph A. Campillo, Mintz Levin

Meryl K. Chae, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Apalla U. Chopra, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Dawn T. Collins, Barnes & Thornburg

David M. deRubertis, The deRubertis Law Firm, APC

Juan J. Dominguez, The Dominguez Firm

Kevin M. Ehrhart, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Matthew Erramouspe, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Mia Farber, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Marc A. Fenster, Russ August & Kabat Law

Alfred Fraijo, Jr., Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Jerome H. Friedberg, Isaacs Friedberg LLP

Yesenia M. Gallegos, Fox Rothschild LLP

Stephen M. Garcia, Garcia & Artigliere

Jasmine Gevorkyan, Gevorkyan Law Firm

Dale J. Giali, Mayer Brown

Lisa Gilford, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Patrick D. Harder, Nossaman LLP

Genie Harrison, Genie Harrison Law Firm

Arash Hashemi, Law Offices of Arash Hashemi

Terri Hilliard, Terri Hilliard, PC

Gerry Hinkley, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Mark Holscher, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Harry I. Johnson, III, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Mitchell A. Kamin, Covington & Burling LLP

Franklin D. Kang, Polsinelli LLP

Richard Kaplan, Kaplan Marino, PC

Andrew T. Kirsh, Sklar Kirsh LLP

Gregory W. Knopp, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Eric M. Krautheimer, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Dana A. Kravetz, Michelman & Robinson, LLP

Bethany W. Kristovich, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Kevin B. Kroeker, Crowell & Moring LLP

Barry Kurtz, Lewitt Hackman

Michael Leventhal, Holmes Weinberg, P.C.

Aaron Lewis, Covington & Burling LLP

Timothy Long, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP

Tre Lovell, The Lovell Firm, A Professional Law Corporation

Sarah M. Luetto, Hersh Mannis LLP

Mike Margolis, Blank Rome LLP

Nina Marino, Kaplan Marino, PC

Jaime Marquart, Baker Marquart LLP

Thomas J. Masenga, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Source: http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2018/nov/07/leaders-law-2018-firm-attorney-year-nominees/

[auburnfamilynews]

I would imagine this costume will not be comfortable in Dallas in late August! (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for the first Auburn game preview of the year! On August 31st, Auburn will travel to Arlington, Texas to take on Oregon in the season opener. These are a pair of dangerous, yet underachieving, teams that were close last year but did not crack the major bowl picture. Auburn exploded offensively in the Music City Bowl, while Oregon managed to hack out a 7–6 win over Michigan State in the Redbox Bowl in Santa Clara.

     Head coach Mario Cristobal has had an interesting career, becoming the first Cuban-American head coach in the FBS at Florida International, and delivered the team a Sun Belt title, before being fired a couple of years later. He was snapped up as the offensive line coach by Nick Saban at Alabama and produced some dominating lines. Cristobal left Alabama to take a co-offensive-coordinator spot at Oregon under coach Willie Taggart and coached in one bowl game. Taggart left to take the Florida State job, and Cristobal was elevated to head coach after just 1 game as an assistant.

     Last season, Oregon had some issues on defense and allowed over 20 points in every FBS game except in the season ending game against woeful Oregon State. The Ducks lost 4 games last season, and gave up over 30 in every one of the losses. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt left, and Coach Cristobal hired defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, who did a good job at Boise State. Avalos is installing a 3-3-5 defense. Oregon is loaded with veteran upper class defensive players, but sometimes the transition to that defense takes time.

     Oregon’s offense was good for much of the season behind an offensive line that mostly dominated Pac-12 defensive lines. The last time Auburn played Oregon, the story was a wide-open hurryup offense. Current Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo is much more deliberate, running a mix of pistol and shotgun sets with some jet motion. Oregon’s offense last season was an attempt at balance, handing off to a committee of running backs, and trying to get the ball to star receiver Dillon Mitchell. Unfortunately for Oregon, Mitchell is gone, and it will have to try and replace his 75 catches last season. Big quarterback Justin Herbert decided to return for his senior year, and he’s the prototypical tall, strong-armed quarterback NFL scouts are looking for. Dillon’s numbers could have been higher, but the offense was plagued at times by dropped passes.

     Oregon has a good punter in Blake Maimone, with a strong leg and good placement. Kicking was a bit more dicey with rising junior Adam Stack as he hit on only 6 of 10 field goal attempts. Like Auburn’s Anders Carlson, Stack tended to miss from long range. Oregon was average on kick coverage and pretty good on punt coverage last season.

     As of yet, neither team has decided on a punt returner, both having to replace departed seniors. Auburn has the edge in terms of kick returns as teams were deliberately kicking the ball away from Noah Igbinoghene by midseason.

     Last season, I pointed out that West Coast spring games tend to be rather lightly attended. Oregon is an exception. Over 35,000 fans turned up for the Duckfest this spring. The most notable thing about the spring game was the oft-maligned receiver corps did not drop a pass.

Unit matchups after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Oregon offensive line: Many folks believe this is the money matchup of the game. Auburn brings back a big, athletic defensive line. Likely starters at tackle are senior Derrick Brown and junior Tyrone Truesdell. Senior strong-side end Marlon Davidson will be a 4-year starter. The buck side is a rotation between juniors Nick Coe and Big Kat Bryant. Auburn can play monster sophomore Nick Coe at any position on the line with great results. Auburn has serious depth all across the line as well. Some pundits claim that Oregon will have the best offensive line in the country. From left to right, that is sophomore Penei Sewell, senior Shane Lemeieux, senior Jake Hanson, senior Dallas Warmack, and senior Calvin Throckmorton. This is a veteran line that allowed just 22 sacks last season, despite the Ducks putting the ball in the air 418 times. Advantage: Even.

Auburn linebackers vs. Oregon backs: Auburn will be breaking in a new starting linebacker rotation, but there is a good bit of playing experience as these guys have been rotating for a couple of years. Auburn will go with junior K. J. Britt in the middle and some combination of junior Chandler Wooten and sophomore Zakoby McClain on the outsides. I would also expect true freshman Owen Pappoe to play early and often. Oregon rotates a couple of good backs. Sophomore C. J. Verdell rushed for 1,018 yards last season as a redshirt freshman. Sophomore Travis Dye added another 739 yards. Verdell caught 27 balls out of the backfield last season as well. Advantage: Even.

Auburn corners vs. Oregon receivers: Auburn has a fairly good combination of starting corners in senior Javaris Davis and junior Noah Igbinoghene . Auburn has depth and experience behind the starters. Oregon has loads of talent in the receiving corps, but they will have to step up this season. I look for sophomore Daewood Davis and junior Johnny Johnson III to start on the outside for the Ducks. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Oregon secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn’s starting unit features Seniors Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas at safety. This is a veteran crew with experienced backups. I think Auburn would like to start sophomore Christian Tutt at the nickel spot. Senior Duck quarterback Justin Herbert is a good one and can make every throw. Behind a good offensive line, Herbert can really throw the ball around, throwing for 29 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions last season. Junior Jalen Redd Jones is expected to be the starting slot receiver, and senior Jacob Breeland should start at tight end. Advantage: Even.

Punting: Aaron Siposs had a good rookie campaign punting the football (averaging 44.2 yards per punt) and is expected to be one of the better punters in the SEC this season. Likewise, Oregon returns senior punter Blake Maimone, who averaged 42.5 yards per punt last season. Auburn improved dramatically in coverage last season (3.36 yards per return), and Oregon was good, allowing 7.4. Advantage: Auburn.

Kickoffs: Auburn sophomore Anders Carlson had a great year kicking off, last season, hitting 51 touchbacks on 70 kickoffs. When Carlson didn’t kick it to the end zone, Auburn gave up only 19.44 yards per return. Junior Oregon kicker Adam Stack takes over as the kickoff man this season. Last year, he had 4 kickoffs and zero touchbacks. Oregon gave up 22.7 yards per kick return. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn sophomore Daniel Carlson hit on just 15 of 25 field goal attempts and was 5 of 14 from 40 yards or more. Adam Stack hit on 6 of 10 field goal attempts last season and was 0 for 2 from long range. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Oregon defensive line: Auburn has 5 veteran seniors returning on the offensive line, and they looked very good in the Music City Bowl and on A-Day. From left to right, it will be Prince Tega Wanogho, Marquel Harrell, Kaleb Kim, Mike Horton and Jack Driscoll. Oregon will use a 3-man line with junior Jordan Scott anchoring the middle. Junior Austin Faoliu and senior Gary Baker will handle the end spots. Oregon will rotate seniors Gus Cumberlander and Drayton Carlberg extensively. The book on beating the 3-3-5 defense is to run right at the 3-man line and get offensive linemen to the second level, creating mismatches against defensive backs and linebackers. The key to Auburn’s success on offense will be whether these Oregon guys can force Auburn to have to double-team block them. I don’t think they can. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Oregon linebackers: Auburn lost H-back Chandler Cox, a 4-year starter who blew open holes. The real question is who will replace Cox. Right now, senior Spencer Nigh is the only fullback/H-back listed on the roster. Sophomore John Samuel Schenker is likely to get work here as well. Senior Kam Martin is blazing fast but has had durability issues in the past. Sophomore JaTarvious Whitlow took over the top spot last year and is said to be much improved this spring. Senior Malik Miller has size, power, and a few carries here and there but hasn’t been used much. Auburn will face a good, well-coached linebacking corps. Projected to start on the inside are senior Troy Dye and junior Samson Niu. On the outside edges, expect to see senior Lamar Winston, Jr. and sophomore Adrian Jackson. This is a tough matchup for Oregon as linebackers typically have the most trouble converting to this sort of defensive system. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. Oregon corners: Auburn is moving sophomore Seth Williams to the boundary (X) side of the offense, and the likely starter in the flanker spot is either redshirt freshman Matthew Hill or junior Marquis McClain. While Auburn is young here, Oregon is veteran and capable at cornerback. Juniors Thomas Graham, Jr. and Deommodore Lenior have been there, done that. Advantage: Oregon.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Oregon safeties: All eyes will be on a new Auburn starting freshman quarterback. Whether that will be Joey Gatewood or Bo Nix has yet to be determined. I would expect Oregon to try to go after these guys and cause confusion in the backfield. Auburn has a very speedy and dangerous group of secondary receivers, including junior Eli Stove, senior Will Hastings, and sophomore Anthony Schwartz. Auburn can put big senior receiver Sal Cannella in and get a size mismatch. Oregon’s safeties return from last season, sophomore Jevon Holland and junior Nick Pickett. I think Auburn can create some mismatches in space, but can freshmen quarterbacks take advantage? Advantage: Oregon.

     I believe that Auburn must keep this a low-scoring game to have a chance on the fast track in the domed stadium. Offensively, Auburn has so many questions at this point. There is talent across the board, but will it be a polished product on September 1st? History says no. Only once in 6 years has the Gus Malzahn offense come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, and that was in 2014 with a 45–21 pasting of Arkansas. In 2013, Auburn struggled to move on a bad Wazzu defense. In 2015 against Louisville, Jeremy Johnson led the nation in interceptions. In 2016, Auburn tried to run the single wing against Clemson’s 8-man fronts. In 2017, Auburn struggled with sacks and hamstrings against Georgia Southern, which turned out to be a really bad team that year. Auburn sputtered against Washington last season in Atlanta. There’s not enough sunshine for me to pump on this subject. I’d love to be proven wrong by the Auburn players and coaches!

     On the other hand, there is a great deal of criticism on the Oregon side about the play calling of Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, who is said to be too predictable. I’m not sure I buy it. Footage of the Redbox Bowl was pretty dreadful, but I had more issues with execution than with play calling. Michigan State also showed a good defense in that game. I saw dropped passes. The Spartans would blitz, and the Ducks couldn’t pick it up in the backfield. Sometimes the Ducks had good play calls to take advantage of alignments, and a missed block or two would kill it.

Prediction: Auburn had a virtual home game against Washington last season in Atlanta. The Ducks travel well, and I expect the crowd in Texas to be much more evenly split. It is hard to pick Auburn to win with a freshman quarterback in this game. Auburn falls, 31–27.

The post Auburn Squares Off Against the Ducks in Arlington: Previewing Auburn’s Season-Opening Matchup Against the Oregon Ducks appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

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