The 2022 MLB Draft begins next Sunday, July 17, in Los Angeles. The 3-day event should feature dozens of SEC players hearing their names called.

I’m glad the draft was moved back. It used to be held during the NCAA Baseball Tournament, which didn’t make any sense at all. Players had to be worried about their futures while also working on leading their teams to a title.

This new setup makes way more sense, and is better for both players and fans. Now, we’ll see how many SEC standouts can work their way into the first few rounds. My bet? There will be plenty of guys getting nice paydays by the end of this month!

Now, let’s dive into your questions for this week’s Mailbag:

Jacob:

Keilan Robinson’s 2020 Alabama championship rings ended up being sold on an episode of Pawn Stars. If you could buy any piece of college football memorabilia, what would you want?

A championship ring from one of the best teams in college football history is certainly a great piece of memorabilia to add to any collection, but I’d have to go with something a bit more personal. So, yes, buckle up – this is going to be a Mizzou-themed answer.

I know some people collect memorabilia just to have rare and famous stuff, and to each their own, but I’d want something I connect with.

So, No. 1 on my list would be the football Gahn McGaffie returned 86 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff of the Oklahoma-Mizzou game in 2010 where the Tigers upset the No. 1 Sooners 36-27. I was at that game (and waited in line overnight to be at College GameDay that morning). We stormed the field after and it was one of the best experiences of my entire sports fandom.

I’d also potentially bid for the helmet Kansas QB Todd Reesing was wearing that got a chunk of turf lodged in it when he was sacked by the Tiger defense as No. 4 Mizzou took down the No. 2 Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium:

I’d obviously want the turf to still be lodged in the facemask. That adds to the aura. I’d also want signed Chase Daniel and Drew Lock touchdown passes. That would be a pretty great start for my Mizzou memorabilia collection.

Let me know what piece of your school’s memorabilia you’d most want in your collection, y’all!

Shane:

Which former SEC player are you most excited to watch in the NBA Summer League these next few days?

Well, I can tell you the team I’m most excited to watch is the Houston Rockets, as they have Jabari Smith Jr., TyTy Washington and Tari Eason in their draft class this year. I can’t wait to see those 3 ex-SEC stars share the floor in Las Vegas.

Individually, though, I’m really excited to see how Kennedy Chandler looks for the Memphis Grizzlies. I think he can be a big-time playmaker on the Grizzlies’ second unit, keeping the team competitive when Ja Morant needs a break.

Chandler has the skills to be an elite driver and pick-and-roll player in the NBA. And, Morant can be a great mentor for him. That’s an interesting team heading into the 2022-23 NBA season and I’m going to be watching closely to see how he plays.

I’m also bummed that Walker Kessler isn’t suiting up for Utah’s Summer League squad. That Jazz team playing this summer is not a good team by any means, but I’d love to see Kessler work on his 3-point shot a bit more.

If the Jazz manage to keep Donovan Mitchell (which isn’t likely, but could happen), Kessler would be a good fit to replace Rudy Gobert in that offense.

Neil:

If you’re the Big Ten and want to get to 20 schools, who are your ideal teams?

With USC and UCLA on board, the Big Ten stands at 16 schools. Obviously, one of the schools you’d ideally want to get to 20 is Notre Dame, so that’s where I’ll start. The Irish fit in well with the B1G both academically and athletically.

From there, the league would have 3 hypothetical spots to fill. I’m not sure how possible this would be logistically, but I think the ideal situation would be to also add Stanford, North Carolina and Duke to reach 20 teams.

Stanford gives the league a third foothold on the West Coast. It also brings plenty of money and prestige to the table. Meanwhile, North Carolina and Duke help the already strong Big Ten basketball brand.

Oregon, Cal, Washington, Kansas, Virginia, Boston College, Utah and others would also be intriguing options, but if I were Kevin Warren, I think Notre Dame, Stanford, North Carolina and Duke would be atop my wish list at the moment.

@Dobbe8:

With college football games officially starting next month, which Week 0 matchup are you most excited for?

It’s not a great Week 0 slate, by any means, but there are a few highlights. Nebraska and Northwestern head to Dublin, Ireland, for a conference matchup. Vanderbilt heads out to Hawai’i for a late-night showdown. Florida State gets its season started hosting Duquesne.

But, I’ll go a different way for my top game of the week. I want to see Wyoming at Illinois. The Cowboys are a solid Group of 5 squad. Illinois is a bottom-tier Big Ten team. I like what the Illini are doing under Bret Bielema, but there’s still work to be done.

I grew up in Illinois, so I like to watch the Illini when I can. I’ll have that game on, for sure.

And, I’ll be hoping the Illini can avoid an upset loss to start the season. Win or lose, though, it should be a close matchup!

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.