While the Pearl River baseball team has 12 seniors on the roster this year, only two of them are returning starters.
So when the Pirates kick off their 2012 season 4:30 p.m. today against Byram Hills at home, their team might have some familiar faces, yet at the same time a very different look.
“We’ve got [third baseman] Jake [Tedesco] and shortstop Connor Madigan back,” Coach Bruce Miller said. “So we have a lot of new guys starting, but they’re guys that played for us a bit last year, so they’ve got some experience.”
Still, Miller likes his team heading into the season and thinks they have a chance to improve upon last year, when the Pirates won their league going 15-5. The Pirates lost to Nyack in the playoffs, which then lost to Tappan Zee, which won the Section 1 championship. Both of those teams are in the same league as Pearl River, along with Albertus Magnus and Nanuet.
“In our league alone you have Nyack and Tappan Zee, who won the section last year,” Miller said. “So seeing both of those teams do well in the playoffs last year makes me think we can definitely compete.”
The way the Pirates plan to compete this year is the old-school approach of pitching and defense. The pitching staff is led by senior Brendan Ryan, who will pitch for Albany after graduating this year. Ryan also plays first base.
“We have a lot of pitching depth, and it starts with Brendan,” Miller said. “He’s our guy at the front of the rotation, and then I really like our defense, especially up the middle.”
For Ryan, he said he’s going to have to do more than just pitch well as the team’s number one starter.
“I have to lead by example,” Ryan said. “I have to show up everyday and work hard so the newer guys can see how we do things.”
Miller said seniors of the team, like Ryan and Tedesco, have already shown a willingness to do that.
“They’ve done a good job leading the team,” Miller said. “During practice they’re constantly talking to some of the younger players, helping them with drills and telling them what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Tedesco is the team’s leading returning hitter. He added, though, that pitching and defense is the team’s strength.
“Hitting is definitely a concern right now,” Tedesco said.
Ryan added that even if offense is a team’s weakness, he doesn’t think it puts added pressure on the pitching staff.
“We’ll just need to manufacture runs however we can,” he said.
The Pirates will get plenty of chances to learn more about themselves early in the year, as they travel to Florida from April 4-11.
By Adam Littman
Union Baseball Drops First Two Games
It wasn’t the way Union Head Coach Ryan Bailey wanted to start the 2012 Union baseball season.
The Wildcats dropped a pair of home games last week to O’Fallon Christian last Tuesday, 7-2, and Rolla last Wednesday, 7-0.
Union’s scheduled game for Thursday at home against Waynesville was rained out.
O’Fallon Christian
The Wildcats opened the season Tuesday with a 7-2 loss to Christian from O’Fallon at East Central College.
“It was about what I expected,” said Bailey. “To win games, we’re going to have to play sound, fundamental baseball and have above average to great pitching performances in order to offset some of the deficiencies we have at the plate. We had too many errors and too many hitters’ counts that allowed Christian to get the good part of the bat on too many balls. The good thing is we get two more chances this week to make corrections and improve.”
Christian scored once in the second and once in the fourth.
Union scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to tie the game.
“We went into the fifth inning in a 2-2 ballgame and things quickly went downhill from there,” Bailey said.
Union’s runs came on five hits and one Christian error.
From there, Christian did all of the scoring. The visitors scored three times in the fifth and twice in the sixth. The seven runs came on six hits and three Union errors.
Jordan Weaks pitched six innings and suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits, three walks and one hit batter. He also had one wild pitch and struck out two.
“Jordan pitched a fairly good first ballgame,” Bailey said. “He kept us in it when our defense was below par but then when it picked up he tired out and Christian took advantage. They have a good lineup and we just couldn’t find that knockout punch to ever get the lead.”
Offensively, TJ Johnson led the offense with two hits, one run, an RBI and a stolen base.
The other hits were by Derek King, Devon Fennessey and Logan Williams. Fennessey’s hit was a triple. He also scored a run and a walk. King recorded a sacrifice which helped to advance Union’s first run.
Ashton Dehn walked twice while Austin Bentlage and Trey Fink each drew one walk.
“We struggled hitting and when we had opportunities we didn’t always take advantage of them,” Bailey said. “We stranded eight runners on base and had five strikeouts looking which is something we have to fix if we’re going to score runs.”
Rolla
Playing Wednesday at home, the Wildcats were held to just one hit in a 7-0 loss to Rolla at ECC.
“I thought going into the season that hitting would be the area we would struggle the most with and so far that’s held up,” Bailey said. “We need to have a plan at the plate and then be able to adjust that plan to what the pitcher gives us. We’ve got a long season still left and the boys have been working hard, so we’ll have a shot to get this thing headed in a better direction.”
Fennessey had Union’s hit. He also walked twice and stole a base.
Rolla scored twice in the first, four times in the third and once in the seventh.
The Bulldogs managed six hits and took advantage of two Union errors. Besides the hit, Rolla allowed seven walks and did not make an error.
Bentlage was the starting pitcher and suffered the loss. Over four innings, he allowed six runs on four hits, five walks, and one wild pitch. He struck out three.
Dehn threw two innings while allowing one hit.
Williams finished out the game, allowing one unearned run on one hit. He struck out one.
“I thought our pitching would be our strongest part of the game this season, but so far it’s been a disappointment,” Bailey said. “Our starting pitchers have allowed hitters to get too comfortable at the plate by getting behind in the count and relying too much on the fastball. Christian and Rolla are both good hitting teams and when they know a fastball is coming they’ll put the good part of the bat on the ball. That’s been an area of concern so far this season.”
Union batters drawing walks were Fink, Bentlage, Dehn, Weaks and Johnson.
The Wildcats dropped a pair of home games last week to O’Fallon Christian last Tuesday, 7-2, and Rolla last Wednesday, 7-0.
Union’s scheduled game for Thursday at home against Waynesville was rained out.
O’Fallon Christian
The Wildcats opened the season Tuesday with a 7-2 loss to Christian from O’Fallon at East Central College.
“It was about what I expected,” said Bailey. “To win games, we’re going to have to play sound, fundamental baseball and have above average to great pitching performances in order to offset some of the deficiencies we have at the plate. We had too many errors and too many hitters’ counts that allowed Christian to get the good part of the bat on too many balls. The good thing is we get two more chances this week to make corrections and improve.”
Christian scored once in the second and once in the fourth.
Union scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to tie the game.
“We went into the fifth inning in a 2-2 ballgame and things quickly went downhill from there,” Bailey said.
Union’s runs came on five hits and one Christian error.
From there, Christian did all of the scoring. The visitors scored three times in the fifth and twice in the sixth. The seven runs came on six hits and three Union errors.
Jordan Weaks pitched six innings and suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits, three walks and one hit batter. He also had one wild pitch and struck out two.
“Jordan pitched a fairly good first ballgame,” Bailey said. “He kept us in it when our defense was below par but then when it picked up he tired out and Christian took advantage. They have a good lineup and we just couldn’t find that knockout punch to ever get the lead.”
Offensively, TJ Johnson led the offense with two hits, one run, an RBI and a stolen base.
The other hits were by Derek King, Devon Fennessey and Logan Williams. Fennessey’s hit was a triple. He also scored a run and a walk. King recorded a sacrifice which helped to advance Union’s first run.
Ashton Dehn walked twice while Austin Bentlage and Trey Fink each drew one walk.
“We struggled hitting and when we had opportunities we didn’t always take advantage of them,” Bailey said. “We stranded eight runners on base and had five strikeouts looking which is something we have to fix if we’re going to score runs.”
Rolla
Playing Wednesday at home, the Wildcats were held to just one hit in a 7-0 loss to Rolla at ECC.
“I thought going into the season that hitting would be the area we would struggle the most with and so far that’s held up,” Bailey said. “We need to have a plan at the plate and then be able to adjust that plan to what the pitcher gives us. We’ve got a long season still left and the boys have been working hard, so we’ll have a shot to get this thing headed in a better direction.”
Fennessey had Union’s hit. He also walked twice and stole a base.
Rolla scored twice in the first, four times in the third and once in the seventh.
The Bulldogs managed six hits and took advantage of two Union errors. Besides the hit, Rolla allowed seven walks and did not make an error.
Bentlage was the starting pitcher and suffered the loss. Over four innings, he allowed six runs on four hits, five walks, and one wild pitch. He struck out three.
Dehn threw two innings while allowing one hit.
Williams finished out the game, allowing one unearned run on one hit. He struck out one.
“I thought our pitching would be our strongest part of the game this season, but so far it’s been a disappointment,” Bailey said. “Our starting pitchers have allowed hitters to get too comfortable at the plate by getting behind in the count and relying too much on the fastball. Christian and Rolla are both good hitting teams and when they know a fastball is coming they’ll put the good part of the bat on the ball. That’s been an area of concern so far this season.”
Union batters drawing walks were Fink, Bentlage, Dehn, Weaks and Johnson.
Different paths to stardom for Blue Jays’ Romero and Morrow
One of the things a keen observer might notice before a baseball game is the way players play catch with each other.
Some warm up with short toss and then long, while others pick specific partners to toss with, and often stay with that partner all season.
Aaron Hill and John MacDonald used to toss to each other when they were Jays. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano do it. The list goes on.
At spring training this season, the Jays’ Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow have formed a similar partnership.
It’s built partly out of symbolism — these two are the team’s top starters, Romero the ace and Morrow the No. 2.
Their throwing partnership reflects the elite status they have achieved coming into the 2012 season. But there was a gap between the two in terms of development and management of their pitching arsenals.
Romero, six years after he was drafted in 2005, enters his third season at the big-league level on the threshold of becoming one of the game’s top left-handers. His 2011 season set him on the path to stardom.
Morrow is expected to arrive at that breakthrough point this season, but the process for him was much more complicated. Where Romero was groomed as a starter from the minor-league level, Morrow changed directions when he was with the Seattle Mariners.
Blessed with 98-m.p.h. stuff, Morrow was an obvious closer in the eyes of Seattle’s development personnel. It wasn’t bad thinking by any means, but somewhere along the line, the organization had a change of heart.
He was traded to Toronto in December 2009 for Brandon League, who became the organization’s closer, leaving him a raw package of power pitches but one with no real developmental roots as either a reliever or starter.
“They took different paths,” said Jays pitching coach Bruce Walton.
“Ricky came into the organization as a starter. He was a starter all the way through the minors. he took to the routine of pitching every five days and the things you have to do in between to be a starting pitcher.
“So he was set on what he needed to do when he got to the big leagues, getting his pitch counts up, the mindset, etc. Whereas Brandon never really had a good plan on which direction they (Mariners) were going with him, and it may have hindered his progress at bit.”
While both pitchers possess major-league fastballs, that developmental difference has left Morrow the difficult task of learning to be a starter.
The polish that Romero has on his pitching is now being fine-tuned down to percentage goals — throwing fastballs for first strikes, and to both sides of the plate. Romero possesses an impressive curve and has arguably the best changeup on the staff too, but his mission is now the same as all great starters, and all great starters build off their fastballs.
You’d think Morrow’s fastball would rocket him to instant success, on par with Romero, but the soft-spoken right-hander continues to learn his craft. Concepts like pitch management, pitch separation (developing the proper dropoff in speed between fastball and changeup) — things that Romero was exposed to in the minors — are relatively new to Morrow.
Morrow threw 111 innings in the minors. Romero tossed 430 innings. That gap itself led to different levels of pitching maturity. And now, Walton is masterfully ushering both along a path where they will soon — the Jays hope — become a powerful and fully rounded one-two combination.
“Ricky is a mature pitcher,” Walton says.
“Spring training is about getting him into game shape, getting his innings up, his fastball location, but not a lot of new things as far as he’s concerned. Other than that, we look at numbers . . . getting better at quality fastballs for strikes, more stats-oriented fastball percentages, fastballs for strikes, breaking balls for strikes, first-pitch strikes.
“Brandon is building a game plan, getting separation from his pitches, how to attack hitters, and get to 21 outs effectively, how we manage the game and getting guys out.
“The juggling of the starting rotation (by the Mariners) forced him to start over again,” Walton added.
“He didn’t get a chance to get sorted out. We’re developing a change-up at the major-league level, which is obviously tougher.”
Now, the two aces are playing catch together, and while it’s certainly symbolic of their pitching stations on the staff, it’s also a recognition of sorts of the catch-up work Morrow has performed so admirably in his short time in Toronto.
“We do talk about it,” Walton said, referring to the leadership expected from the two pitchers.
“Coming into spring training, Brandon had a tremendous finish to last year and put himself in position to get into the two-hole. They are creating that bond, the one-two punch. They bring different components of leadership and I lean on them there to bring it. But not too much pressure . . . we do depend on them for a lot, but you want them to just go out and execute and try not to overdo anything.”
By thestar
Some warm up with short toss and then long, while others pick specific partners to toss with, and often stay with that partner all season.
Aaron Hill and John MacDonald used to toss to each other when they were Jays. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano do it. The list goes on.
At spring training this season, the Jays’ Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow have formed a similar partnership.
It’s built partly out of symbolism — these two are the team’s top starters, Romero the ace and Morrow the No. 2.
Their throwing partnership reflects the elite status they have achieved coming into the 2012 season. But there was a gap between the two in terms of development and management of their pitching arsenals.
Romero, six years after he was drafted in 2005, enters his third season at the big-league level on the threshold of becoming one of the game’s top left-handers. His 2011 season set him on the path to stardom.
Morrow is expected to arrive at that breakthrough point this season, but the process for him was much more complicated. Where Romero was groomed as a starter from the minor-league level, Morrow changed directions when he was with the Seattle Mariners.
Blessed with 98-m.p.h. stuff, Morrow was an obvious closer in the eyes of Seattle’s development personnel. It wasn’t bad thinking by any means, but somewhere along the line, the organization had a change of heart.
He was traded to Toronto in December 2009 for Brandon League, who became the organization’s closer, leaving him a raw package of power pitches but one with no real developmental roots as either a reliever or starter.
“They took different paths,” said Jays pitching coach Bruce Walton.
“Ricky came into the organization as a starter. He was a starter all the way through the minors. he took to the routine of pitching every five days and the things you have to do in between to be a starting pitcher.
“So he was set on what he needed to do when he got to the big leagues, getting his pitch counts up, the mindset, etc. Whereas Brandon never really had a good plan on which direction they (Mariners) were going with him, and it may have hindered his progress at bit.”
While both pitchers possess major-league fastballs, that developmental difference has left Morrow the difficult task of learning to be a starter.
The polish that Romero has on his pitching is now being fine-tuned down to percentage goals — throwing fastballs for first strikes, and to both sides of the plate. Romero possesses an impressive curve and has arguably the best changeup on the staff too, but his mission is now the same as all great starters, and all great starters build off their fastballs.
You’d think Morrow’s fastball would rocket him to instant success, on par with Romero, but the soft-spoken right-hander continues to learn his craft. Concepts like pitch management, pitch separation (developing the proper dropoff in speed between fastball and changeup) — things that Romero was exposed to in the minors — are relatively new to Morrow.
Morrow threw 111 innings in the minors. Romero tossed 430 innings. That gap itself led to different levels of pitching maturity. And now, Walton is masterfully ushering both along a path where they will soon — the Jays hope — become a powerful and fully rounded one-two combination.
“Ricky is a mature pitcher,” Walton says.
“Spring training is about getting him into game shape, getting his innings up, his fastball location, but not a lot of new things as far as he’s concerned. Other than that, we look at numbers . . . getting better at quality fastballs for strikes, more stats-oriented fastball percentages, fastballs for strikes, breaking balls for strikes, first-pitch strikes.
“Brandon is building a game plan, getting separation from his pitches, how to attack hitters, and get to 21 outs effectively, how we manage the game and getting guys out.
“The juggling of the starting rotation (by the Mariners) forced him to start over again,” Walton added.
“He didn’t get a chance to get sorted out. We’re developing a change-up at the major-league level, which is obviously tougher.”
Now, the two aces are playing catch together, and while it’s certainly symbolic of their pitching stations on the staff, it’s also a recognition of sorts of the catch-up work Morrow has performed so admirably in his short time in Toronto.
“We do talk about it,” Walton said, referring to the leadership expected from the two pitchers.
“Coming into spring training, Brandon had a tremendous finish to last year and put himself in position to get into the two-hole. They are creating that bond, the one-two punch. They bring different components of leadership and I lean on them there to bring it. But not too much pressure . . . we do depend on them for a lot, but you want them to just go out and execute and try not to overdo anything.”
By thestar
ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is interested in Kansas State job
Doug Gottlieb wouldn't be the first to leave ESPN for a college coaching job. But he might be the first with no coaching experience.
The college analyst/radio host is throwing his hat into the ring for the Kansas State job.
"I'm pretty self aware and I understand that the idea is not necessarily out of left field, but it would not technically be the norm for an athletic director," Gottlieb told Cole Manbeck of The Mercury. "But I do believe if given the chance I would do it pretty well."
DOUG GOTTLIEB: ESPN analyst doesn't get paid by the word
Gottlieb starred at Oklahoma State and owns the school record for assists and is 10th in NCAA history. He has been at ESPN since 2003. His father Bob was once an assistant at K-State and is brother Gregg is a long-time assistant on the college level.
"Look, nothing great has ever happened without somebody taking a chance," said Gottlieb of the school taking a chance on a novice coach. "They took a chance on Frank (Martin) and he hit it out of the park. I think if a guy hadn't coached before — but somebody who people believe knows the game well enough to coach and is smart enough to surround himself with really smart people who have been head coaches and need a gig — because that's what I'd do. I'd love the opportunity."
By Reid Cherner
The college analyst/radio host is throwing his hat into the ring for the Kansas State job.
"I'm pretty self aware and I understand that the idea is not necessarily out of left field, but it would not technically be the norm for an athletic director," Gottlieb told Cole Manbeck of The Mercury. "But I do believe if given the chance I would do it pretty well."
DOUG GOTTLIEB: ESPN analyst doesn't get paid by the word
Gottlieb starred at Oklahoma State and owns the school record for assists and is 10th in NCAA history. He has been at ESPN since 2003. His father Bob was once an assistant at K-State and is brother Gregg is a long-time assistant on the college level.
"Look, nothing great has ever happened without somebody taking a chance," said Gottlieb of the school taking a chance on a novice coach. "They took a chance on Frank (Martin) and he hit it out of the park. I think if a guy hadn't coached before — but somebody who people believe knows the game well enough to coach and is smart enough to surround himself with really smart people who have been head coaches and need a gig — because that's what I'd do. I'd love the opportunity."
By Reid Cherner
Kim Mulkey, Baylor Women's Basketball Coach, Diagnosed With Bell's Palsy: What Is It?
Kim Mulkey, the women's basketball coach at Baylor University, has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a form of (typically) temporary facial paralysis, according to news reports. The diagnosis comes as the team readies for its match against Stanford this weekend in the NCAA Final Four.
"When I smile it's crooked and when I talk, and talk loud, the hollowness in my hearing is weird," Mulkey told the Boston Globe. "But it’s not going to keep me from hollering."
The Boston Globe reported that Mulkey initially felt a sensation on her tongue, which then led to having an overall strange sensation in her mouth a week before. Upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, her left eye had dropped down, according to the Boston Globe.
Mulkey is one of 30,000 to 40,000 people who are affected by Bell's palsy each year in the United States, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. It occurs when the facial muscles become weak and drop, making it look like half of your smile is drooping down, and the eye on that side of the face won't completely close, the Mayo Clinic reported.
Bell's palsy's exact cause isn't completely known and can happen to anyone of any age, though it's more common in people who are pregnant and between ages 15 and 60, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
However, experts believe that it could be caused when the nerves of your facial muscles become inflamed, and may occur as a result of a viral infection, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The American Academy of Family Physicians reported that risk factors include being infected with the herpes simplex virus, having diabetes, having a cold or the flu, mono, sarcoidosis, HIV, or Lyme disease. However, the organization warned people not to panic because these are just risk factors -- not things that cause Bell's palsy.
When a person first exhibits signs of the condition, a doctor may check to make sure it's not actually something more severe like a brain tumor, and will conduct a CT or MRI scan of the head. Nerve conduction tests or electromyography (EMG) may also be conducted, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. In Mulkey's case, her doctors had her undergo an MRI to make sure she didn't have a tumor or wasn't experiencing a stroke.
Besides partial facial paralysis, other symptoms of Bell's palsy include jaw pain, sound sensitivity, impaired taste sensitivity, headache and tear or saliva production changes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, the Mayo Clinic noted that the symptoms are temporary, and usually get better in weeks without treatment. Rarely, the symptoms last forever or come back again.
The National Institutes of Health reported that three in four people will get better without any treatments for the condition. However, a doctor may prescribe eye drops if you're unable to close your eye, or corticosteroids for facial nerve swelling, the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia reported.
By Amanda L. Chan
"When I smile it's crooked and when I talk, and talk loud, the hollowness in my hearing is weird," Mulkey told the Boston Globe. "But it’s not going to keep me from hollering."
The Boston Globe reported that Mulkey initially felt a sensation on her tongue, which then led to having an overall strange sensation in her mouth a week before. Upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, her left eye had dropped down, according to the Boston Globe.
Mulkey is one of 30,000 to 40,000 people who are affected by Bell's palsy each year in the United States, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. It occurs when the facial muscles become weak and drop, making it look like half of your smile is drooping down, and the eye on that side of the face won't completely close, the Mayo Clinic reported.
Bell's palsy's exact cause isn't completely known and can happen to anyone of any age, though it's more common in people who are pregnant and between ages 15 and 60, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
However, experts believe that it could be caused when the nerves of your facial muscles become inflamed, and may occur as a result of a viral infection, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The American Academy of Family Physicians reported that risk factors include being infected with the herpes simplex virus, having diabetes, having a cold or the flu, mono, sarcoidosis, HIV, or Lyme disease. However, the organization warned people not to panic because these are just risk factors -- not things that cause Bell's palsy.
When a person first exhibits signs of the condition, a doctor may check to make sure it's not actually something more severe like a brain tumor, and will conduct a CT or MRI scan of the head. Nerve conduction tests or electromyography (EMG) may also be conducted, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. In Mulkey's case, her doctors had her undergo an MRI to make sure she didn't have a tumor or wasn't experiencing a stroke.
Besides partial facial paralysis, other symptoms of Bell's palsy include jaw pain, sound sensitivity, impaired taste sensitivity, headache and tear or saliva production changes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, the Mayo Clinic noted that the symptoms are temporary, and usually get better in weeks without treatment. Rarely, the symptoms last forever or come back again.
The National Institutes of Health reported that three in four people will get better without any treatments for the condition. However, a doctor may prescribe eye drops if you're unable to close your eye, or corticosteroids for facial nerve swelling, the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia reported.
By Amanda L. Chan
Valencia fall to defeat at AZ
Dutch league leaders AZ went ahead via Brett Holman's goal right at the end of a first half in which Valencia had looked very comfortable for the most part.
The Spanish side then drew level six minutes after the break via Mehmet Topal's fine header, but Maarten Martens struck with 11 minutes remaining to hand the advantage to Gertjan Verbeek's side.
Valencia, as usual looking like the best of the rest in La Liga behind top two Barcelona and Real Madrid, looked far more likely to open the scoring.
Roberto Soldado almost capitalised on some defensive confusion with eight minutes played, but was forced wide by goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado and hit the side netting. Soldado had an even better chance moments later from a short corner, which eventually saw Jordi Alba cross to the Spain striker, whose prodded effort at the near post forced a good reaction save from Alvarado.
AZ striker Jozy Altidore was often ploughing a lone furrow up front, and had to contend with being constantly man-handled by defender Angel Dealbert, something referee Martin Atkinson and his fellow English officials seemed disinterested in penalising.
The USA international managed to use his strength to hold the ball up with both centre-backs nipping at his heels. The ball broke for Johann Gudmundsson, who surged forward but could only fire high from range.
Tino Costa forced a fingertip save from Alvarado with a drilled free-kick which swerved in front of the keeper, but as the fourth official's board went up to show one added minute at the end of the first half it was AZ who took the lead.
Martens's corner to the far post found Holman completely unmarked, and the Australian guided a well-struck volley inside the far post.
AZ emerged after half-time with real swagger, and almost doubled their lead soon after the restart when some excellent build-up involving Altidore and Gudmundsson saw Adam Maher fire into the side netting.
Valencia drew level via Topal. The midfielder, who scored the winner away at Stoke in the last round, rose above his marker to head Ricardo Costa's cross back past Alvarado.
AZ once again had Alvarado to thank for keeping the score down as he twice more denied Soldado in quick succession as the hour mark approached. First he got a strong hand to parry the low shot at the near post before tipping Soldado's guided effort over the bar from the resulting corner.
Valencia looked content to go back to southern Spain with an away-goal advantage, but AZ pushed for the winner and it duly arrived on 79 minutes. Having had his own goal created by Martens, Holman returned the favour by pulling the ball across the box from the left and it rolled perfectly for the Belgian to side foot a calm finish home for the winner.
The two sides will resume hostilities next Thursday at the Mestalla, with the winner facing either Atletico Madrid or Hannover in the semis for a place in the Bucharest final.
Eurosport - Tony Mabert - @tony_mabert
The Spanish side then drew level six minutes after the break via Mehmet Topal's fine header, but Maarten Martens struck with 11 minutes remaining to hand the advantage to Gertjan Verbeek's side.
Valencia, as usual looking like the best of the rest in La Liga behind top two Barcelona and Real Madrid, looked far more likely to open the scoring.
Roberto Soldado almost capitalised on some defensive confusion with eight minutes played, but was forced wide by goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado and hit the side netting. Soldado had an even better chance moments later from a short corner, which eventually saw Jordi Alba cross to the Spain striker, whose prodded effort at the near post forced a good reaction save from Alvarado.
AZ striker Jozy Altidore was often ploughing a lone furrow up front, and had to contend with being constantly man-handled by defender Angel Dealbert, something referee Martin Atkinson and his fellow English officials seemed disinterested in penalising.
The USA international managed to use his strength to hold the ball up with both centre-backs nipping at his heels. The ball broke for Johann Gudmundsson, who surged forward but could only fire high from range.
Tino Costa forced a fingertip save from Alvarado with a drilled free-kick which swerved in front of the keeper, but as the fourth official's board went up to show one added minute at the end of the first half it was AZ who took the lead.
Martens's corner to the far post found Holman completely unmarked, and the Australian guided a well-struck volley inside the far post.
AZ emerged after half-time with real swagger, and almost doubled their lead soon after the restart when some excellent build-up involving Altidore and Gudmundsson saw Adam Maher fire into the side netting.
Valencia drew level via Topal. The midfielder, who scored the winner away at Stoke in the last round, rose above his marker to head Ricardo Costa's cross back past Alvarado.
AZ once again had Alvarado to thank for keeping the score down as he twice more denied Soldado in quick succession as the hour mark approached. First he got a strong hand to parry the low shot at the near post before tipping Soldado's guided effort over the bar from the resulting corner.
Valencia looked content to go back to southern Spain with an away-goal advantage, but AZ pushed for the winner and it duly arrived on 79 minutes. Having had his own goal created by Martens, Holman returned the favour by pulling the ball across the box from the left and it rolled perfectly for the Belgian to side foot a calm finish home for the winner.
The two sides will resume hostilities next Thursday at the Mestalla, with the winner facing either Atletico Madrid or Hannover in the semis for a place in the Bucharest final.
Eurosport - Tony Mabert - @tony_mabert
Talk Alabama football with beat writer Don Kausler Jr. on Friday
Alabama's second Pro Day featured three players who many project as first-round NFL draft picks. This time next year, will Nick Saban's team again have pro scouts excited about the NFL prospects?
Trent Richardson is a lock for the first round, the experts say. Will Eddie Lacy make it three years straight for a Tide running back in the first round, following in the footsteps of Richardson and Mark Ingram?
According to practice reports, the transition to new coordinator Doug Nussmeier's offensive scheme is basically seamless. What are your expectations for the team's offensive attack next fall?
Defensively, the coordinator and most of the coaches are the same, but there are a lot of new faces filling the No. 1 spots. How are the new guys handling their roles?
Join Don Kausler Jr. for his weekly live chat on all things Alabama on Friday at 2 p.m. to talk about these issues and more -- like the baseball team's slow start, the gymnastics squad's quest for a national title and the softball team's lofty national ranking.
Trent Richardson is a lock for the first round, the experts say. Will Eddie Lacy make it three years straight for a Tide running back in the first round, following in the footsteps of Richardson and Mark Ingram?
According to practice reports, the transition to new coordinator Doug Nussmeier's offensive scheme is basically seamless. What are your expectations for the team's offensive attack next fall?
Defensively, the coordinator and most of the coaches are the same, but there are a lot of new faces filling the No. 1 spots. How are the new guys handling their roles?
Join Don Kausler Jr. for his weekly live chat on all things Alabama on Friday at 2 p.m. to talk about these issues and more -- like the baseball team's slow start, the gymnastics squad's quest for a national title and the softball team's lofty national ranking.
Football Star Reggie Bush Becomes Partner in Barc Skincare, Named Official Spokesperson
Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush announced today that he is jumping into the entrepreneurial arena as a partner in Barc ( http://www.getbarc.com ) - the cult, indie men's grooming line whose flagship product "Bump Down Razor Bump Treatment" has drawn fans all over the US and Europe. The football star will also serve as the national spokesperson for the brand.
Under the terms of the partnership, Bush will be the face of Barc in an integrated print, TV and social media campaign. Bush will represent the brand as its official ambassador on national television outlets as well as at soon-to-be announced locations across the United States. In addition, the football star will help the company expand its retail distribution in the U.S. and globally.
"I'm excited to join the Barc team and help the company expand its loyal following," said Reggie Bush. "I'm a huge fan of Barc's skincare line and I'm looking forward to helping men discover how easy it is to experience smooth skin every day."??
"Today's announcement with Reggie Bush is a tremendous win for Barc and our retail partners," said Mark Pasetsky, a Barc principal. "Reggie appeals to men of all ages and demographics and is a recognized face around the world. As a partner in Barc, Reggie will be instrumental in helping drive the future growth and direction of the company, which includes the launch of four new products later this year."
Effective immediately, Bush will begin active promotions for Barc's flagship products, Bump Down and Cutting Up. Bump Down provides men with dramatic razor bump relief and helps to eliminate ingrown hairs from shaving and waxing. The alcohol and fragrance free formula is made with the highest quality ingredients including chamomile extract to calm skin and glycerin to keep it moisturized.
Cutting Up is an enriched shave cream that softens hair on contact to ensure a smooth shaving experience. The luxury cream is formulated with a superb beard softener to reduce razor bumps, bosellia serrata extract - a potent anti-inflammatory and glycerin to retain vital skin hydration.
About Barc?
Barc is a leader in skincare products for men. Pro-football star Reggie Bush is an investor and spokesperson for the company. Barc is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit http://www.getbarc.com .
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com
SOURCE: Barc LLC
Under the terms of the partnership, Bush will be the face of Barc in an integrated print, TV and social media campaign. Bush will represent the brand as its official ambassador on national television outlets as well as at soon-to-be announced locations across the United States. In addition, the football star will help the company expand its retail distribution in the U.S. and globally.
"I'm excited to join the Barc team and help the company expand its loyal following," said Reggie Bush. "I'm a huge fan of Barc's skincare line and I'm looking forward to helping men discover how easy it is to experience smooth skin every day."??
"Today's announcement with Reggie Bush is a tremendous win for Barc and our retail partners," said Mark Pasetsky, a Barc principal. "Reggie appeals to men of all ages and demographics and is a recognized face around the world. As a partner in Barc, Reggie will be instrumental in helping drive the future growth and direction of the company, which includes the launch of four new products later this year."
Effective immediately, Bush will begin active promotions for Barc's flagship products, Bump Down and Cutting Up. Bump Down provides men with dramatic razor bump relief and helps to eliminate ingrown hairs from shaving and waxing. The alcohol and fragrance free formula is made with the highest quality ingredients including chamomile extract to calm skin and glycerin to keep it moisturized.
Cutting Up is an enriched shave cream that softens hair on contact to ensure a smooth shaving experience. The luxury cream is formulated with a superb beard softener to reduce razor bumps, bosellia serrata extract - a potent anti-inflammatory and glycerin to retain vital skin hydration.
About Barc?
Barc is a leader in skincare products for men. Pro-football star Reggie Bush is an investor and spokesperson for the company. Barc is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit http://www.getbarc.com .
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com
SOURCE: Barc LLC
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has had quite a path from UM football player to pro wrestler and film star
Practically speaking, the day Dwayne Johnson became a University of Miami Hurricane was the day Dwayne Johnson became The Rock.
At 16 years old.
Flash back to February 1989, and there was a kid from Bethlehem, Pa., holding a news conference to announce he was signing to play football at UM. If ever there was an I'll-do-as-I-please moment, this was it, for part of the allure was that Miami initially showed zero interest in him.
So what does Johnson do? Not only barge his way onto the Hurricanes' wish list, but, upon signing, he flashes that raised right eyebrow for the cameras as his buddies roar.
You needn't be a fan of professional wrestling to know that "The People's Eyebrow," as he now calls it, has become a Johnson trademark. No, Johnson's dream of a professional football career didn't pan out, but everything else did, first by following his relatives into pro wrestling stardom, then by raising eyebrows by embarking on a movie career that has exceeded even his wrestling stardom.
Sunday night, everything comes full circle when Johnson makes a much-hyped cameo in the ring as John Cena's opponent in the main event of WrestleMania, World Wrestling Entertainment's annual Super Bowl.
The show, before an expected sellout crowd and worldwide pay-per-view audience in the millions, will be a few minutes from Johnson's Davie home, at Sun Life Stadium - the Hurricanes' current home.
"It sealed the deal for me," Johnson said of the venue proposed by WWE chairman Vince McMahon in negotiations more than a year ago. "It's going to be a fun night, an electric night, but also a very emotional night, considering South Florida has been my home for over 20 years."
He has traveled a rocky road here. No one will ever know how good a football talent he was. Johnson, a defensive tackle, saw his career bookended by a separated shoulder and then by two ruptured discs, although he stubbornly played through that as a senior even though teammates had to help him undress after games. In between, he helped UM reach three national-title games, winning one.
Johnson, 39, can only laugh now at how his football dream ended: clearing $175 a week in the Canadian league, where he and a couple of teammates were forced to scrounge wretched, soiled mattresses from a hotel dumpster just to have something to sleep on.
Yes, that's the same Dwayne Johnson who has been on the cover of Newsweek, hosted Saturday Night Live and commanded $5.5 million for The Scorpion King, a record for a first-time leading man, according to Guinness. Four years ago, a certain presidential candidate filmed a spot saying, "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" - a play on another of Johnson's trademarks.
Cena, an action star to a lesser degree whose credits include The Marine, said, "He is known throughout the world. His movies have grossed over a billion dollars. A success at the University of Miami. A tremendous success in the WWE. I have the world's greatest opponent."
Former UM teammates can't be shocked, having known then of his family's wrestling roots or having seen Johnson impersonate wrestlers in the locker room.
Last week, Johnson's shtick was for a TV audience, virtually ad-libbing for 6 1/2 minutes in front of the Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia. He showed an old picture of himself with that statue. ("The Rock knows what you're thinking. Yeah, The Rock looked like a chunky little girl at 12 years old.") He described how The Rock was going to take a Philly cheesesteak and shove it in a place that would make Cena extremely fidgety.
"He just knows how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand," Cena said.
Dave Meltzer, editor of wrestlingobserver.com, said plenty of wrestlers made movies, but no one else made the crossover so smoothly.
"Face it: The greatest thing to happen to him is he didn't play in the NFL," Meltzer said. "A lot of people looked at him first as, 'Oh, he's a wrestler trying to be an actor.' And nobody says that now. Everyone knows he's a wrestler, but when they see him in a movie, it's 'Dwayne Johnson, who used to be a wrestler.' "
His WWE shtick is over-the-top cocky, but his charm is in the smile that follows, as if to say, Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? Until I say the next craziest thing?
The exclamation point: the raised eyebrow.
"The eyebrow was something that came about when I was in high school," Johnson said. "We had this game that we would play, this contest. How could we get the attention of the girls without saying anything and without being vulgar? And I had this very unique talent - and I use the word 'talent' very loosely -- of raising one eyebrow. I never would have dreamed that it would create something that wound up being part of visual lexicon."
His mother, Ata, said his real-life persona is nothing like what he displays on film or between the ropes.
"He's very quiet and very soft-spoken," she said. "Half the things he says in the ring, I have to listen again: Did he really say that?"
Johnson, who for more than a year has had rings set up adjacent to his movie sets to train for Sunday, is vague on how he'll divide his time in the near future. Monday, he'll begin filming Michael Bay's true crime film Pain and Gain, "blowing up a few things" around Miami with Ed Harris and Mark Wahlberg. Sunday night, however, he'll be sweating in the Hurricanes' home once more.
"It was one of the most defining periods of my life," Johnson said of his UM days. "I look back on those memories at University of Miami and recognize that I wouldn't be the man I am today without those years at Miami."
By Hal Habib
At 16 years old.
Flash back to February 1989, and there was a kid from Bethlehem, Pa., holding a news conference to announce he was signing to play football at UM. If ever there was an I'll-do-as-I-please moment, this was it, for part of the allure was that Miami initially showed zero interest in him.
So what does Johnson do? Not only barge his way onto the Hurricanes' wish list, but, upon signing, he flashes that raised right eyebrow for the cameras as his buddies roar.
You needn't be a fan of professional wrestling to know that "The People's Eyebrow," as he now calls it, has become a Johnson trademark. No, Johnson's dream of a professional football career didn't pan out, but everything else did, first by following his relatives into pro wrestling stardom, then by raising eyebrows by embarking on a movie career that has exceeded even his wrestling stardom.
Sunday night, everything comes full circle when Johnson makes a much-hyped cameo in the ring as John Cena's opponent in the main event of WrestleMania, World Wrestling Entertainment's annual Super Bowl.
The show, before an expected sellout crowd and worldwide pay-per-view audience in the millions, will be a few minutes from Johnson's Davie home, at Sun Life Stadium - the Hurricanes' current home.
"It sealed the deal for me," Johnson said of the venue proposed by WWE chairman Vince McMahon in negotiations more than a year ago. "It's going to be a fun night, an electric night, but also a very emotional night, considering South Florida has been my home for over 20 years."
He has traveled a rocky road here. No one will ever know how good a football talent he was. Johnson, a defensive tackle, saw his career bookended by a separated shoulder and then by two ruptured discs, although he stubbornly played through that as a senior even though teammates had to help him undress after games. In between, he helped UM reach three national-title games, winning one.
Johnson, 39, can only laugh now at how his football dream ended: clearing $175 a week in the Canadian league, where he and a couple of teammates were forced to scrounge wretched, soiled mattresses from a hotel dumpster just to have something to sleep on.
Yes, that's the same Dwayne Johnson who has been on the cover of Newsweek, hosted Saturday Night Live and commanded $5.5 million for The Scorpion King, a record for a first-time leading man, according to Guinness. Four years ago, a certain presidential candidate filmed a spot saying, "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" - a play on another of Johnson's trademarks.
Cena, an action star to a lesser degree whose credits include The Marine, said, "He is known throughout the world. His movies have grossed over a billion dollars. A success at the University of Miami. A tremendous success in the WWE. I have the world's greatest opponent."
Former UM teammates can't be shocked, having known then of his family's wrestling roots or having seen Johnson impersonate wrestlers in the locker room.
Last week, Johnson's shtick was for a TV audience, virtually ad-libbing for 6 1/2 minutes in front of the Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia. He showed an old picture of himself with that statue. ("The Rock knows what you're thinking. Yeah, The Rock looked like a chunky little girl at 12 years old.") He described how The Rock was going to take a Philly cheesesteak and shove it in a place that would make Cena extremely fidgety.
"He just knows how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand," Cena said.
Dave Meltzer, editor of wrestlingobserver.com, said plenty of wrestlers made movies, but no one else made the crossover so smoothly.
"Face it: The greatest thing to happen to him is he didn't play in the NFL," Meltzer said. "A lot of people looked at him first as, 'Oh, he's a wrestler trying to be an actor.' And nobody says that now. Everyone knows he's a wrestler, but when they see him in a movie, it's 'Dwayne Johnson, who used to be a wrestler.' "
His WWE shtick is over-the-top cocky, but his charm is in the smile that follows, as if to say, Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? Until I say the next craziest thing?
The exclamation point: the raised eyebrow.
"The eyebrow was something that came about when I was in high school," Johnson said. "We had this game that we would play, this contest. How could we get the attention of the girls without saying anything and without being vulgar? And I had this very unique talent - and I use the word 'talent' very loosely -- of raising one eyebrow. I never would have dreamed that it would create something that wound up being part of visual lexicon."
His mother, Ata, said his real-life persona is nothing like what he displays on film or between the ropes.
"He's very quiet and very soft-spoken," she said. "Half the things he says in the ring, I have to listen again: Did he really say that?"
Johnson, who for more than a year has had rings set up adjacent to his movie sets to train for Sunday, is vague on how he'll divide his time in the near future. Monday, he'll begin filming Michael Bay's true crime film Pain and Gain, "blowing up a few things" around Miami with Ed Harris and Mark Wahlberg. Sunday night, however, he'll be sweating in the Hurricanes' home once more.
"It was one of the most defining periods of my life," Johnson said of his UM days. "I look back on those memories at University of Miami and recognize that I wouldn't be the man I am today without those years at Miami."
By Hal Habib
Italian football clubs deeper in the red
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Silvio Berlusconi’s words of warning to the new foreign owner of AS Roma – “you spend loads of money and earn nothing” – are borne out in a report released on Thursday showing rising losses and debts among Italy’s top football clubs last season.
Losses by the professional clubs, mostly owned by wealthy individuals, including Italy’s former prime minister, rose 23.2 per cent in the 2010/11 season to €428m. Debts in just the top league, Serie A, increased 14 per cent to €2.6bn.
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Even though Italy’s economy was going through a brief post-recession recovery at the time, the numbers of spectators at Serie A matches fell by 2.4 per cent, with average turnout at only 56 per cent of stadium capacity. The average top division ticket cost €20.9 euros, compared with €50.4 in Spain and €48.3 in the UK.
“Report Calcio 2012” – by the Arel think-tank, the Italian football federation and accounting group PwC – stressed the need for government legislation on financing and regulations governing new stadiums. Juventus is the only top-flight club to own its stadium, while AS Roma, newly acquired by US businessman Thomas DiBenedetto, is planning to build one.
The report did not give a club-by-club breakdown of financial results. Only three clubs in Serie A are listed on the Milan stock exchange. Mr Berlusconi, who watched his AC Milan draw 0-0 at home to Barcelona on Wednesday, welcomed Mr DiBenedetto to the world of Italian football last year, saying it was a “magnificent adventure”, but one that brought financial heartache.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012
Silvio Berlusconi’s words of warning to the new foreign owner of AS Roma – “you spend loads of money and earn nothing” – are borne out in a report released on Thursday showing rising losses and debts among Italy’s top football clubs last season.
Losses by the professional clubs, mostly owned by wealthy individuals, including Italy’s former prime minister, rose 23.2 per cent in the 2010/11 season to €428m. Debts in just the top league, Serie A, increased 14 per cent to €2.6bn.
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0abf6e36-79b7-11e1-9900-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1qYElZh1q
Even though Italy’s economy was going through a brief post-recession recovery at the time, the numbers of spectators at Serie A matches fell by 2.4 per cent, with average turnout at only 56 per cent of stadium capacity. The average top division ticket cost €20.9 euros, compared with €50.4 in Spain and €48.3 in the UK.
“Report Calcio 2012” – by the Arel think-tank, the Italian football federation and accounting group PwC – stressed the need for government legislation on financing and regulations governing new stadiums. Juventus is the only top-flight club to own its stadium, while AS Roma, newly acquired by US businessman Thomas DiBenedetto, is planning to build one.
The report did not give a club-by-club breakdown of financial results. Only three clubs in Serie A are listed on the Milan stock exchange. Mr Berlusconi, who watched his AC Milan draw 0-0 at home to Barcelona on Wednesday, welcomed Mr DiBenedetto to the world of Italian football last year, saying it was a “magnificent adventure”, but one that brought financial heartache.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012
College Football Tournament Not Preferred by Public, Poll Says
College football’s current format for crowning a national champion is preferable to holding a postseason tournament like college basketball, according to almost half of the people questioned by the Seton Hall Sports Poll.
The poll, conducted among 779 people by telephone across the U.S. from March 26 to 28, found 44 percent of the respondents said they would keep the Bowl Championship Series system, while 37 percent opted for a national tournament. The remaining 19 percent said they didn’t know. The poll had a margin of error for the full sample of plus or minus 3.6 percent.
The poll results were reported as executives from college athletic conferences and the BCS are discussing possible alternatives to the current system, which combines voting polls and computer rankings to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 teams that play for the national title in college football’s highest tier.
“I think the problem with a football playoff is that no one has been able to figure out what that would look like,” Rick Gentile, director of the poll at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. “Every proposal that has been laid out has been fairly unacceptable and this year’s game was controversy free. I think the problem is that people can’t envision how it would work.”
The University of Alabama, ranked No. 2 going into the game, beat No. 1 Louisiana State University 21-0 in the Superdome in New Orleans to win the national championship this past season.
Sports Fans
When Seton Hall’s poll focused on people who identified themselves as sports fans, 37 percent said they would prefer a tournament. Among those who said they followed sports “somewhat,” the number rose to 50 percent. Among people who said they watched sports closely, 61 percent said they would prefer a tournament.
“People are still leaning toward, ‘Yeah, it kind of works,’” Gentile said. “That’s what you are getting from the general population. That would probably change if you get into December and there are a few undefeated teams left out of the mix.”
By Curtis Eichelberger
The poll, conducted among 779 people by telephone across the U.S. from March 26 to 28, found 44 percent of the respondents said they would keep the Bowl Championship Series system, while 37 percent opted for a national tournament. The remaining 19 percent said they didn’t know. The poll had a margin of error for the full sample of plus or minus 3.6 percent.
The poll results were reported as executives from college athletic conferences and the BCS are discussing possible alternatives to the current system, which combines voting polls and computer rankings to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 teams that play for the national title in college football’s highest tier.
“I think the problem with a football playoff is that no one has been able to figure out what that would look like,” Rick Gentile, director of the poll at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. “Every proposal that has been laid out has been fairly unacceptable and this year’s game was controversy free. I think the problem is that people can’t envision how it would work.”
The University of Alabama, ranked No. 2 going into the game, beat No. 1 Louisiana State University 21-0 in the Superdome in New Orleans to win the national championship this past season.
Sports Fans
When Seton Hall’s poll focused on people who identified themselves as sports fans, 37 percent said they would prefer a tournament. Among those who said they followed sports “somewhat,” the number rose to 50 percent. Among people who said they watched sports closely, 61 percent said they would prefer a tournament.
“People are still leaning toward, ‘Yeah, it kind of works,’” Gentile said. “That’s what you are getting from the general population. That would probably change if you get into December and there are a few undefeated teams left out of the mix.”
By Curtis Eichelberger
Extensive Spring Ball Preview for the Buckeyes
Think of the tackling machines that Ohio State has had at linebacker, even in just the last 15 years: Andy Katzenmoyer, James Laurinaitis, A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter all dominated for the Scarlet and Gray. Now consider that Storm Klein occupied that coveted role at MLB for the Buckeyes in 2011, and he racked up all of 45 tackles on the season. That's a problem.
Klein is now embroiled in a position battle with Curtis Grant, the crown jewel of OSU's 2011 recruiting class. Grant played sparingly in his first season and has lots of room to improve, but with Klein nursing injury problems this spring, Meyer's going to want to see improvement from Grant immediately.
Additionally, Etienne Sabino underwhelmed at OLB for most of 2011 but seemed to show improvement late in the year. Also, Ryan Shazier looked like a future All-American in limited playing time as a true freshman last year; now, the test is to see how many snaps Shazier can handle.
Wide Receiver
Ohio State has more than its fair share of wideouts, but none of them really showed up in 2011. Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with the tandem of Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller struggling so much in the passing game (to the point where Ohio State went back to the "cloud of dust"-era running offense, but still, when nobody on the team registers more than 14 catches in an entire season, that's not only on the quarterback(s).
Corey Brown and Devin Smith were the primary receivers last season, but they'll both be pushed by Evan Spencer, T.Y. Williams and other receivers. If there's any position where the depth chart's written in pencil, it's here.
Early 2012 Prediction
Urban Meyer was one of the best coaches in the nation at Utah and Florida, and Ohio State fans are right to have big expectations for their new coach. He's going to use Braxton Miller in a variety of ways, much like he did with Tim Tebow (albeit with far fewer Baby Rhino dives, one would imagine). Miller's passing numbers will improve dramatically, as will the Buckeyes' offensive production as a whole.
Still, that improvement probably doesn't push Ohio State ahead of Wisconsin or Michigan in overall quality, so 10 wins looks like the absolute ceiling for Ohio State. Considering games against Nebraska and Michigan State also loom large on the schedule, it would probably be a miracle if a first-year coaching regime runs the table in the 10 games in which it'll probably be favored.
By bleacherrepor
Klein is now embroiled in a position battle with Curtis Grant, the crown jewel of OSU's 2011 recruiting class. Grant played sparingly in his first season and has lots of room to improve, but with Klein nursing injury problems this spring, Meyer's going to want to see improvement from Grant immediately.
Additionally, Etienne Sabino underwhelmed at OLB for most of 2011 but seemed to show improvement late in the year. Also, Ryan Shazier looked like a future All-American in limited playing time as a true freshman last year; now, the test is to see how many snaps Shazier can handle.
Wide Receiver
Ohio State has more than its fair share of wideouts, but none of them really showed up in 2011. Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with the tandem of Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller struggling so much in the passing game (to the point where Ohio State went back to the "cloud of dust"-era running offense, but still, when nobody on the team registers more than 14 catches in an entire season, that's not only on the quarterback(s).
Corey Brown and Devin Smith were the primary receivers last season, but they'll both be pushed by Evan Spencer, T.Y. Williams and other receivers. If there's any position where the depth chart's written in pencil, it's here.
Early 2012 Prediction
Urban Meyer was one of the best coaches in the nation at Utah and Florida, and Ohio State fans are right to have big expectations for their new coach. He's going to use Braxton Miller in a variety of ways, much like he did with Tim Tebow (albeit with far fewer Baby Rhino dives, one would imagine). Miller's passing numbers will improve dramatically, as will the Buckeyes' offensive production as a whole.
Still, that improvement probably doesn't push Ohio State ahead of Wisconsin or Michigan in overall quality, so 10 wins looks like the absolute ceiling for Ohio State. Considering games against Nebraska and Michigan State also loom large on the schedule, it would probably be a miracle if a first-year coaching regime runs the table in the 10 games in which it'll probably be favored.
By bleacherrepor
Call to end England football manager saga
The protracted hunt for a new England soccer manager risks destabilising the country's campaign at Euro 2012, the Football Association (FA) has been warned.
Speaking at the Soccerex football convention on Thursday, former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville said the delay in finding a successor to Fabio Capello was causing uncertainty.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite for the job but the FA has declined to make a swift move for any candidate who is in employment while the league campaign is ongoing.
Neville said that while there was "no right time" to approach a successor, he believes the delay to replace Capello could hurt England.
"The England manager has started being mentioned again this week. We are going into a tournament and who is taking the team, what tactics are we going to play, what principles?" Neville said.
"They say they are going to wait until the end of the season - that's May 13. There's something brewing at the moment. There are situations still not being dealt with.
"There are player situations going into the tournament - there are manager situations going into the tournament. It's going to come pretty quickly. It's April next week.
"The FA at this moment in time are in a difficult position as always. If they actively go in there now and do something, then it will be like a bull in a china shop. If they step away, it's a very difficult position to be in.
"I do fear that there's no right or wrong at times, just do your best, but I do feel the vultures are circling."
Former England manager Terry Venables also questioned the wisdom of leaving an appointment until just weeks before the start of Euro 2012.
"It seems to have gone on too long for me, there's now a double take and no one seems to really know what's going on apart from those that are in the seat," Venables said.
"They have to get someone in there straight away do to something about it.
"I don't see any benefit at all in coming in at the last moment with a rah-rah-rah. He's got to know those players, not just from what he has seen, but how they talk and what they feel is important, really getting into the individuals.
"The more time you can get in that, the better. There's nothing for you doing it cold."
By AFP 2012
Speaking at the Soccerex football convention on Thursday, former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville said the delay in finding a successor to Fabio Capello was causing uncertainty.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite for the job but the FA has declined to make a swift move for any candidate who is in employment while the league campaign is ongoing.
Neville said that while there was "no right time" to approach a successor, he believes the delay to replace Capello could hurt England.
"The England manager has started being mentioned again this week. We are going into a tournament and who is taking the team, what tactics are we going to play, what principles?" Neville said.
"They say they are going to wait until the end of the season - that's May 13. There's something brewing at the moment. There are situations still not being dealt with.
"There are player situations going into the tournament - there are manager situations going into the tournament. It's going to come pretty quickly. It's April next week.
"The FA at this moment in time are in a difficult position as always. If they actively go in there now and do something, then it will be like a bull in a china shop. If they step away, it's a very difficult position to be in.
"I do fear that there's no right or wrong at times, just do your best, but I do feel the vultures are circling."
Former England manager Terry Venables also questioned the wisdom of leaving an appointment until just weeks before the start of Euro 2012.
"It seems to have gone on too long for me, there's now a double take and no one seems to really know what's going on apart from those that are in the seat," Venables said.
"They have to get someone in there straight away do to something about it.
"I don't see any benefit at all in coming in at the last moment with a rah-rah-rah. He's got to know those players, not just from what he has seen, but how they talk and what they feel is important, really getting into the individuals.
"The more time you can get in that, the better. There's nothing for you doing it cold."
By AFP 2012
Montana fires football coach
The University of Montana fired football coach Robin Pflugrad and athletic director Jim O'Day on Thursday, adding more uncertainty to a program already dealing with sexual assault allegations against two players.
Pflugrad, who was honored as Big Sky coach of the year last season, and O'Day were notified in a meeting with university president Royce Engstrom that their contracts would not be renewed, said scholarship association executive director Greg Sundberg.
O'Day and Engstrom addressed staff and coaches in separate meetings Thursday morning, but neither gave a reason for the firings, Sundberg said.
"I think it was time for a leadership change, is what I gathered," Sundberg said.
Engstrom sent a statement Thursday afternoon that shed no light on the reason behind the firings, simply thanking O'Day and Engstrom for their service and saying the university plans to announce an interim coach and athletic director by the end of the week.
Sundberg said he did not know whether the football players have been addressed.
"It definitely sets us back a little, but we have a good group of staff and coaches that will keep us moving forward in a positive direction and build on what Jim O'Day has done in the last seven years," Sundberg said.
The Missoulian first reported the story on Thursday morning.
The firings cap six months of tumult for the university and the football program.
Earlier this month, a university student accused starting quarterback Jordan Johnson of sexually assaulting her. No charges have been filed.
Johnson was temporarily suspended from spring practice while a temporary restraining order was issued against him. After the restraining order was dissolved last week to be replaced by a civil no-contact agreement, Johnson was allowed to participate in a Saturday scrimmage.
Pflugrad welcomed him back to the field, calling Johnson a person of "tremendous moral fiber" in a statement that was criticized by the alleged victim's attorney.
In January, running back Beau Donaldson was suspended from the team after he was charged with raping an acquaintance in September 2010. He has pleaded not guilty.
Last fall, police used a stun gun against two football players after quarterback Gerald Kemp and cornerback Trumaine Johnson scuffled with officers responding to a noise complaint. They pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges.
Sundberg said none of those allegations were raised Thursday.
Pflugrad was the Big Sky Conference football coach of the year in 2011 after he guided the Grizzlies to a co-conference championship in his second year as coach. Sam Houston State defeated Montana in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Pflugrad was promoted from wide receivers coach to head coach after Bobby Hauck left for UNLV in 2009. It was Pflugrad's second stint with the Grizzlies, after being an assistant coach from 1986 to 1994. In between, he coached and recruited at Oregon, Washington State and Arizona State, and he previously coached at Portland State.
Montana went 7-4 in his first season in 2010.
O'Day was hired as athletic director in 2005, moving up from director of development for UM intercollegiate athletics after Don Read retired.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
Pflugrad, who was honored as Big Sky coach of the year last season, and O'Day were notified in a meeting with university president Royce Engstrom that their contracts would not be renewed, said scholarship association executive director Greg Sundberg.
O'Day and Engstrom addressed staff and coaches in separate meetings Thursday morning, but neither gave a reason for the firings, Sundberg said.
"I think it was time for a leadership change, is what I gathered," Sundberg said.
Engstrom sent a statement Thursday afternoon that shed no light on the reason behind the firings, simply thanking O'Day and Engstrom for their service and saying the university plans to announce an interim coach and athletic director by the end of the week.
Sundberg said he did not know whether the football players have been addressed.
"It definitely sets us back a little, but we have a good group of staff and coaches that will keep us moving forward in a positive direction and build on what Jim O'Day has done in the last seven years," Sundberg said.
The Missoulian first reported the story on Thursday morning.
The firings cap six months of tumult for the university and the football program.
Earlier this month, a university student accused starting quarterback Jordan Johnson of sexually assaulting her. No charges have been filed.
Johnson was temporarily suspended from spring practice while a temporary restraining order was issued against him. After the restraining order was dissolved last week to be replaced by a civil no-contact agreement, Johnson was allowed to participate in a Saturday scrimmage.
Pflugrad welcomed him back to the field, calling Johnson a person of "tremendous moral fiber" in a statement that was criticized by the alleged victim's attorney.
In January, running back Beau Donaldson was suspended from the team after he was charged with raping an acquaintance in September 2010. He has pleaded not guilty.
Last fall, police used a stun gun against two football players after quarterback Gerald Kemp and cornerback Trumaine Johnson scuffled with officers responding to a noise complaint. They pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges.
Sundberg said none of those allegations were raised Thursday.
Pflugrad was the Big Sky Conference football coach of the year in 2011 after he guided the Grizzlies to a co-conference championship in his second year as coach. Sam Houston State defeated Montana in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Pflugrad was promoted from wide receivers coach to head coach after Bobby Hauck left for UNLV in 2009. It was Pflugrad's second stint with the Grizzlies, after being an assistant coach from 1986 to 1994. In between, he coached and recruited at Oregon, Washington State and Arizona State, and he previously coached at Portland State.
Montana went 7-4 in his first season in 2010.
O'Day was hired as athletic director in 2005, moving up from director of development for UM intercollegiate athletics after Don Read retired.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
UNC basketball will bounce back
Today’s mass migration of North Carolina players for the NBA Draft will not mark the demise of Tar Heel basketball.
The losses of Kendall Marshall, John Henson and Harrison Barnes, coupled with the graduations of Tyler Zeller and Justin Watts, have dimmed the immediate outlook. It will get considerably worse for Tar Heels if freshman James Michael McAdoo also opts for the pros.
But Roy Williams can still recruit, the program is still among the most magnetic in athletics and Carolina will win big again.
And while the personnel drain is almost identical to what happened after the 2009 NCAA championship run, there’s no reason to think the 2013 team will have a season similar to 2010 – 20-17 overall, 5-11 ACC, no NCAA bid.
Replacing Marshall at playmaker will be the key to a revival.
But assuming Dexter Strickland makes a full recovery from knee injury and assuming recruit Marcus Paige is a better fit (and better player) than Larry Drew II, the point-guard situation shouldn’t be a back-breaker.
Adjustments
If McAdoo leaves, which is certainly possible, Williams will have to make a sweeping adjustment – from having exceptional inside size, experience and talent to having a 2013 team with more perimeter material.
Strickland, Reggie Bullock, P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald, who is also returning from knee surgery, have an abundance of experience. Recruit J.P. Tokoto (6-6, 185) is rated as an exceptional athlete but not yet a extraordinary shooter.
With freshman Stilman White scheduled to be on a religious mission next season, Paige and Strickland will need to stay healthy, and it’s for sure the Tar Heels are due to have some good luck on the injury front.
Other than point guard, the next pressure point is McAdoo. If he returns, the frontcourt has a chance to be above average. He’ll need help from fellow freshman Desmond Hubert. Big recruits Brice Johnson (6-9, 190) and Joel Jones (6-10, 280) will have to learn on the run.
Other options
Connecticut big man Alex Oriakhi (6-9, 240) will transfer to a school somewhere and will be immediately eligible. UNC is said to be in the mix. He averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 34 games (28 starts) on the Huskies’ 20-14 team, which has been ruled ineligible for the 2013 NCAA Tournament as a result of poor academic performance. If everyone stays healthy, the Heels should be good enough to finish among the top four or so in the ACC and land an NCAA bid.
Unlike 2005 and ’09, when scores of talent left for the program after having won NCAA titles, the current group won’t be remembered so fondly in the fan base.
But Marshall, Henson and Barnes are classy guys who honored the heritage of the program and very easily could have been at this weekend’s Final Four in New Orleans had it not been for Marshall’s wrist injury.
As Williams said after the loss to Kansas on Sunday in St. Louis, early exits are a part of the reality in top-10 programs. The top talents are identified early and sometimes lost just as early to the pros.
The losses of Kendall Marshall, John Henson and Harrison Barnes, coupled with the graduations of Tyler Zeller and Justin Watts, have dimmed the immediate outlook. It will get considerably worse for Tar Heels if freshman James Michael McAdoo also opts for the pros.
But Roy Williams can still recruit, the program is still among the most magnetic in athletics and Carolina will win big again.
And while the personnel drain is almost identical to what happened after the 2009 NCAA championship run, there’s no reason to think the 2013 team will have a season similar to 2010 – 20-17 overall, 5-11 ACC, no NCAA bid.
Replacing Marshall at playmaker will be the key to a revival.
But assuming Dexter Strickland makes a full recovery from knee injury and assuming recruit Marcus Paige is a better fit (and better player) than Larry Drew II, the point-guard situation shouldn’t be a back-breaker.
Adjustments
If McAdoo leaves, which is certainly possible, Williams will have to make a sweeping adjustment – from having exceptional inside size, experience and talent to having a 2013 team with more perimeter material.
Strickland, Reggie Bullock, P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald, who is also returning from knee surgery, have an abundance of experience. Recruit J.P. Tokoto (6-6, 185) is rated as an exceptional athlete but not yet a extraordinary shooter.
With freshman Stilman White scheduled to be on a religious mission next season, Paige and Strickland will need to stay healthy, and it’s for sure the Tar Heels are due to have some good luck on the injury front.
Other than point guard, the next pressure point is McAdoo. If he returns, the frontcourt has a chance to be above average. He’ll need help from fellow freshman Desmond Hubert. Big recruits Brice Johnson (6-9, 190) and Joel Jones (6-10, 280) will have to learn on the run.
Other options
Connecticut big man Alex Oriakhi (6-9, 240) will transfer to a school somewhere and will be immediately eligible. UNC is said to be in the mix. He averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 34 games (28 starts) on the Huskies’ 20-14 team, which has been ruled ineligible for the 2013 NCAA Tournament as a result of poor academic performance. If everyone stays healthy, the Heels should be good enough to finish among the top four or so in the ACC and land an NCAA bid.
Unlike 2005 and ’09, when scores of talent left for the program after having won NCAA titles, the current group won’t be remembered so fondly in the fan base.
But Marshall, Henson and Barnes are classy guys who honored the heritage of the program and very easily could have been at this weekend’s Final Four in New Orleans had it not been for Marshall’s wrist injury.
As Williams said after the loss to Kansas on Sunday in St. Louis, early exits are a part of the reality in top-10 programs. The top talents are identified early and sometimes lost just as early to the pros.
K-State basketball coaching search: Day two
On Day One of Kansas State’s search for a new basketball coach we examined a few of the known candidates for the job.
Today, we do the opposite. Here is a look at everyone we know who is out of the running or wasn’t interested from the beginning:
Mark Fox
The Georgia coach is a Kansas native and worked for the Wildcats as an assistant from 1994-2000. He was also highly successful as the head coach at Nevada and has taken his teams to four NCAA Tournaments. That track record combined with his connections to K-State had some thinking he would make a push to come back to Manhattan. But it doesn’t seem like he is interested. He sent out a tweet yesterday to reassure Georgia fans that he will remain with the Bulldogs.
Kelvin Sampson
I don’t know that anyone was tossing his name around for the job, but Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel reports he is not a candidate. Sampson was a successful coach at Oklahoma and then Indiana before a string of NCAA recruiting violations forced him out of the college game and into the NBA. Sampson is a respected assistant with the Houston Rockets, and has been mentioned as a potential head coach in the NBA. But he remains under the NCAA’s dreaded show-cause penalty through 2013. Don’t expect any college to seriously look at him until after that expires.
Bruce Pearl
John Currie helped bring Pearl to Tennessee, and he coached some great teams with the Volunteers. But he also got in trouble with the NCAA, and would face recruiting restrictions if he returned to a college sideline. K-State president Kirk Schulz has indicated on twitter he won’t be considered for the job.
Larry Eustachy
On Tuesday, I received word that the Southern Mississippi coach and former Iowa State head man was interested in coming to K-State. On Wednesday, I received word that K-State representatives have politely informed him he won’t be considered. Eustachy won two Big 12 championships at Iowa State and took Southern Miss to the NCAA Tournament this year, losing to K-State in the second round. But he has plenty of old baggage. He is a good enough coach to return to a power conference, but he might be better off avoiding the Big 12.
Lon Kruger
Plenty of K-State fans would love to see the former Wildcats player and coach return to his old stomping grounds. He turned UNLV into a Top 25 team, and has had success at several different jobs — K-State included. He is in a rebuilding phase at Oklahoma, but still managed to beat K-State twice this season. But he told me on Tuesday that he is not interested in returning to his alma mater. Instead, he recommended his top assistant, and a former K-State great, Steve Henson.
By
Today, we do the opposite. Here is a look at everyone we know who is out of the running or wasn’t interested from the beginning:
Mark Fox
The Georgia coach is a Kansas native and worked for the Wildcats as an assistant from 1994-2000. He was also highly successful as the head coach at Nevada and has taken his teams to four NCAA Tournaments. That track record combined with his connections to K-State had some thinking he would make a push to come back to Manhattan. But it doesn’t seem like he is interested. He sent out a tweet yesterday to reassure Georgia fans that he will remain with the Bulldogs.
Kelvin Sampson
I don’t know that anyone was tossing his name around for the job, but Oklahoman columnist Berry Tramel reports he is not a candidate. Sampson was a successful coach at Oklahoma and then Indiana before a string of NCAA recruiting violations forced him out of the college game and into the NBA. Sampson is a respected assistant with the Houston Rockets, and has been mentioned as a potential head coach in the NBA. But he remains under the NCAA’s dreaded show-cause penalty through 2013. Don’t expect any college to seriously look at him until after that expires.
Bruce Pearl
John Currie helped bring Pearl to Tennessee, and he coached some great teams with the Volunteers. But he also got in trouble with the NCAA, and would face recruiting restrictions if he returned to a college sideline. K-State president Kirk Schulz has indicated on twitter he won’t be considered for the job.
Larry Eustachy
On Tuesday, I received word that the Southern Mississippi coach and former Iowa State head man was interested in coming to K-State. On Wednesday, I received word that K-State representatives have politely informed him he won’t be considered. Eustachy won two Big 12 championships at Iowa State and took Southern Miss to the NCAA Tournament this year, losing to K-State in the second round. But he has plenty of old baggage. He is a good enough coach to return to a power conference, but he might be better off avoiding the Big 12.
Lon Kruger
Plenty of K-State fans would love to see the former Wildcats player and coach return to his old stomping grounds. He turned UNLV into a Top 25 team, and has had success at several different jobs — K-State included. He is in a rebuilding phase at Oklahoma, but still managed to beat K-State twice this season. But he told me on Tuesday that he is not interested in returning to his alma mater. Instead, he recommended his top assistant, and a former K-State great, Steve Henson.
By
Regis Jesuit grad Thomas, Mercer claim CIT championship
Winning championships is nothing new to Bud Thomas, and the Regis Jesuit graduate added to his title haul Wednesday night.
Thomas, a sophomore starter, helped his Mercer men's basketball team make history in a variety of ways with a 70-67 victory over Utah State in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship game in Logan, Utah.
A key member of two Class 5A boys basketball state championship teams (2008-09, 2009-10) while at Regis Jesuit, Thomas contributed 10 points — eight in the second half — as the Bears became the first team from the Atlantic Sun Conference to win a postseason tournament.
"We're trying to get people excited about the program," Thomas said Thursday from Macon, Ga., after a group of students and media greeted the returning tournament champions.
"We start four sophomores, so we're real young, but we're trying to get some excitement going. This was a big step in the right direction."
Mercer also set a school record for victories in a season with 27 against just 11 defeats.
The Bears — who were knocked out of the A-Sun tournament in the semifinals by Florida Gulf Coast in its bid to make the NCAA Tournament — strengthened their remarkable run of play on the road, improving to 13-8 away from their Macon, Ga., home by winning in a very tough place to play.
Utah State had won 100 of its last 106 games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and had the backing of a deafening student section. Mercer, meanwhile, had a contingent of 25-30 fans.
"Their student section is unreal; the arena probably seats 10,000 and half of it was the student section that was going nuts the entire time," Thomas said. "A couple of times when they made a run, you couldn't even think straight. It was like the ground was shaking. ...I don't think too many people thought we'd go in there and win, but we got 'em."
Mercer defeated Old Dominion (79-73), Fairfield (64-59) and Utah State in consecutive road games to close out the CIT Tournament after home wins over Tennessee State (68-60) and Georgia State (64-59).
The 6-foot-6 Thomas — a three-time Aurora Sentinel All-City selection and two-time Player of the Year, as well as Gatorade's Colorado POY twice — started all 38 games for Mercer, averaging just under 8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He had his best games of the CIT tournament in the last two, going for 13 points with five steals in a 64-59 semifinal victory over Fairfield and adding 10 points in the final.
Thomas has found the team chemistry and unselfish attitude at Mercer to be "eerily similar" to what he was a part of at Regis Jesuit.
"We have a bunch of versatile young players, so we're not going to have one superstar going off," Thomas said. "All five starters averaged 8-12 points per game, so it helps that other teams don't know what to expect. We're going to make the extra pass and we're going to get a great shot. It's such a unselfish team and we've all bought into the program."
Speaking of his former program, Thomas was as stunned as anybody to see Regis Jesuit's run of three consecutive 5A state championships come to an end when the Raiders lost to Poudre in the second round.
It was Regis Jesuit's first postseason loss since the 2007-08 season — Thomas' sophomore year — when it was eliminated in the Great 8 by Palmer.
"When the final buzzer went off, it felt like I had just lost a game," Thomas said."It was tough to lose like that, but it's a good reminder of how special three in a row were. It seemed for awhile like no matter what we did, we won in the playoffs. ...It's tough for the seniors, but at least they got to be a part of something special in the past years."
Thomas, a sophomore starter, helped his Mercer men's basketball team make history in a variety of ways with a 70-67 victory over Utah State in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship game in Logan, Utah.
A key member of two Class 5A boys basketball state championship teams (2008-09, 2009-10) while at Regis Jesuit, Thomas contributed 10 points — eight in the second half — as the Bears became the first team from the Atlantic Sun Conference to win a postseason tournament.
"We're trying to get people excited about the program," Thomas said Thursday from Macon, Ga., after a group of students and media greeted the returning tournament champions.
"We start four sophomores, so we're real young, but we're trying to get some excitement going. This was a big step in the right direction."
Mercer also set a school record for victories in a season with 27 against just 11 defeats.
The Bears — who were knocked out of the A-Sun tournament in the semifinals by Florida Gulf Coast in its bid to make the NCAA Tournament — strengthened their remarkable run of play on the road, improving to 13-8 away from their Macon, Ga., home by winning in a very tough place to play.
Utah State had won 100 of its last 106 games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and had the backing of a deafening student section. Mercer, meanwhile, had a contingent of 25-30 fans.
"Their student section is unreal; the arena probably seats 10,000 and half of it was the student section that was going nuts the entire time," Thomas said. "A couple of times when they made a run, you couldn't even think straight. It was like the ground was shaking. ...I don't think too many people thought we'd go in there and win, but we got 'em."
Mercer defeated Old Dominion (79-73), Fairfield (64-59) and Utah State in consecutive road games to close out the CIT Tournament after home wins over Tennessee State (68-60) and Georgia State (64-59).
The 6-foot-6 Thomas — a three-time Aurora Sentinel All-City selection and two-time Player of the Year, as well as Gatorade's Colorado POY twice — started all 38 games for Mercer, averaging just under 8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He had his best games of the CIT tournament in the last two, going for 13 points with five steals in a 64-59 semifinal victory over Fairfield and adding 10 points in the final.
Thomas has found the team chemistry and unselfish attitude at Mercer to be "eerily similar" to what he was a part of at Regis Jesuit.
"We have a bunch of versatile young players, so we're not going to have one superstar going off," Thomas said. "All five starters averaged 8-12 points per game, so it helps that other teams don't know what to expect. We're going to make the extra pass and we're going to get a great shot. It's such a unselfish team and we've all bought into the program."
Speaking of his former program, Thomas was as stunned as anybody to see Regis Jesuit's run of three consecutive 5A state championships come to an end when the Raiders lost to Poudre in the second round.
It was Regis Jesuit's first postseason loss since the 2007-08 season — Thomas' sophomore year — when it was eliminated in the Great 8 by Palmer.
"When the final buzzer went off, it felt like I had just lost a game," Thomas said."It was tough to lose like that, but it's a good reminder of how special three in a row were. It seemed for awhile like no matter what we did, we won in the playoffs. ...It's tough for the seniors, but at least they got to be a part of something special in the past years."
Come get us then, say Breakers
Be careful what you wish for. That is the message the Breakers will want to ram down the throats of the Townsville Crocodiles in the first match of the NBL semifinals at Vector Arena tonight.
Several of the Breakers have taken umbrage at the Crocs' apparent "choosing" of the reigning champions and minor premiers as a semifinal foe.
Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson was in no doubt the Crocs had opted for a trip to New Zealand ahead of a date with second-placed Perth Wildcats by underperforming in the decisive final-round, regular-season match between the clubs in Townsville seven days ago.
"I watched the second half, how most of their starters just didn't play," Wilkinson said.
Friday night finals: Phoenix boosted by goalie's booze flight
Wilkinson also confirmed Townsville's actions had been interpreted as a slap in the face by some Breakers. "That's the way I took it.
"It's like 'you think you have a better shot against us?' It's for us to prove that was a mistake.
"Going into the playoffs I don't want my team to have the mindset we are scared to play these guys. That's a horrible mindset. If you are going to win a championship you are going to have to beat the best team so you might as well play the best team first."
Some might argue that is precisely what the Crocs are doing. The Breakers finished well clear at the top of the ladder with a 21-7 record. They dropped just one of 14 home matches - against Wollongong last November - and have won 11 on the trot in Auckland since then. They are also undefeated at Vector, having swept all three matches at the central city venue this season.
"I think they are crazy if they did," was Dillon Boucher's view when asked if he thought Townsville had picked the Breakers ahead of Perth. "Any teams that do that tend to get punished for it. If they really want to play us that bad then we'll show them what it's like when they come to Auckland."
The Breakers won the season series against the Crocs 3-0, winning by margins of 14, 11 and seven points. Wilkinson believed those results would have left a mark, regardless of how badly the Crocs really wanted to win the most recent encounter.
"We are happy to play them," he said. "We beat them three times, it is just a matter of going and getting the job done now."
No stranger to playing in big stadiums in the United States, Wilkinson believed the switch to the 10,000-seat Vector Arena for this season's finals matches would give the Breakers another advantage.
"The momentum that the fans give us and the energy that is going around these playoffs is going to be huge for us. In an arena like that and with fans excited about the game it just gives you that much more desire to go out and get the job done."
Last season the Breakers went into the playoffs having dominated the regular season only to flop in their opening match against Perth. Wilkinson was confident there would be no repeat of that letdown this time round.
"Last year we had first place locked up a month out. We were kind of just waiting for the playoffs and it was hard to get up after that. This year we have built momentum I think we are carrying through. Everybody is ready."
Having polled a ridiculous fourth in MVP voting despite leading the league in assists and steals, classy point guard Cedric Jackson appears to be the man with the most to prove in these playoffs.
"As far as I am concerned he is the premier player in this league," Boucher said. "We all know he is the premier player in the league and he is going to show it in the finals."
-Steve Deane
Several of the Breakers have taken umbrage at the Crocs' apparent "choosing" of the reigning champions and minor premiers as a semifinal foe.
Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson was in no doubt the Crocs had opted for a trip to New Zealand ahead of a date with second-placed Perth Wildcats by underperforming in the decisive final-round, regular-season match between the clubs in Townsville seven days ago.
"I watched the second half, how most of their starters just didn't play," Wilkinson said.
Friday night finals: Phoenix boosted by goalie's booze flight
Wilkinson also confirmed Townsville's actions had been interpreted as a slap in the face by some Breakers. "That's the way I took it.
"It's like 'you think you have a better shot against us?' It's for us to prove that was a mistake.
"Going into the playoffs I don't want my team to have the mindset we are scared to play these guys. That's a horrible mindset. If you are going to win a championship you are going to have to beat the best team so you might as well play the best team first."
Some might argue that is precisely what the Crocs are doing. The Breakers finished well clear at the top of the ladder with a 21-7 record. They dropped just one of 14 home matches - against Wollongong last November - and have won 11 on the trot in Auckland since then. They are also undefeated at Vector, having swept all three matches at the central city venue this season.
"I think they are crazy if they did," was Dillon Boucher's view when asked if he thought Townsville had picked the Breakers ahead of Perth. "Any teams that do that tend to get punished for it. If they really want to play us that bad then we'll show them what it's like when they come to Auckland."
The Breakers won the season series against the Crocs 3-0, winning by margins of 14, 11 and seven points. Wilkinson believed those results would have left a mark, regardless of how badly the Crocs really wanted to win the most recent encounter.
"We are happy to play them," he said. "We beat them three times, it is just a matter of going and getting the job done now."
No stranger to playing in big stadiums in the United States, Wilkinson believed the switch to the 10,000-seat Vector Arena for this season's finals matches would give the Breakers another advantage.
"The momentum that the fans give us and the energy that is going around these playoffs is going to be huge for us. In an arena like that and with fans excited about the game it just gives you that much more desire to go out and get the job done."
Last season the Breakers went into the playoffs having dominated the regular season only to flop in their opening match against Perth. Wilkinson was confident there would be no repeat of that letdown this time round.
"Last year we had first place locked up a month out. We were kind of just waiting for the playoffs and it was hard to get up after that. This year we have built momentum I think we are carrying through. Everybody is ready."
Having polled a ridiculous fourth in MVP voting despite leading the league in assists and steals, classy point guard Cedric Jackson appears to be the man with the most to prove in these playoffs.
"As far as I am concerned he is the premier player in this league," Boucher said. "We all know he is the premier player in the league and he is going to show it in the finals."
-Steve Deane
Ohio State Basketball Still In Shadow Of Buckeyes Football
Spring football practice began Wednesday as Ohio State's basketball team prepared for its second trip to the Final Four in the last six years.
Perfect symmetry there.
The basketball team is usually playing in the shadow of goal posts on the Ohio State campus, where fans love to pack the football stadium and watch the band spell "Ohio" in script at halftime. The Buckeyes' football team is the overriding talk of the town, even when it involves the program's recent scandals.
In the last few months, the city has been consumed by the hiring of Urban Meyer to resurrect a program that's banned from bowl eligibility for 2012.
All-America forward Jared Sullinger knows that even during March, most Ohio State fans would rather talk about TDs than 3s.
"We're never going to beat coach Urban Meyer," Sullinger said. "He brought the most buzz to Columbus, Ohio, in a long time."
Even so, the basketball team is generating a little of its own.
The Buckeyes will play Kansas in the national semifinals on Saturday night. They won their only national basketball title in 1960, starting a run of three straight trips to the title game.
For at least one week, hoops is grabbing its share of the attention around town, even though Buckeyes sports websites still count down the number of days until the annual football game against Michigan.
"The buzz we brought, being known not only as a football school but as a basketball school, is great," Sullinger said. "But at the same time, we don't want the train to stop at this particular moment. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling."
The Final Four timing is perfect for a school still recovering from last fall.
The football program brought the school notoriety last season. Coach Jim Tressel was forced out in May for lying about his players breaking NCAA rules. The team went 6-7 and dropped its last four games, including a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl. The program was banned from a bowl in 2012.
It was only the football team's second losing season since 1988. Meyer was hired in November, overshadowing the start of basketball season on campus.
No surprise. Even when the Buckeyes were on top of college basketball in the early 1960s, the basketball team took a seat in the second row.
"Maybe during our period we elevated it a little bit, but I think everybody knows the case is that football is predominant there," former Buckeyes basketball star Jerry Lucas said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Lucas, a member of the Ohio State teams that won the national championship in 1960 and lost to Cincinnati in the 1961 and 1962 title games, thinks football has never loosened its grip on the campus.
"Obviously, there's a lot more interest at Duke in basketball," Lucas said. "Football at Duke hasn't been very successful. I think it's the fact that historically Ohio State has been very successful in football. Basketball is kind of a Johnny-come-lately."
It's a fact that every Buckeyes basketball coach has to accept.
"I've always felt we could have the best of both at Ohio State," coach Thad Matta said. "I know with all the trials and tribulations that have gone on with football over the past year, I'm elated for the university probably most importantly that we've got some great things happening. With Coach Meyer coming in, things are really stepping up in that regard.
"For (basketball), over the course of the last few years, this program has identified itself. I've always said this: There is no greater feeling than being on the field when 105,000 people are cheering for the Buckeyes to come out and you've got a couple recruits with you.
"That is the ultimate right there."
Ohio State hadn't reached the Final Four since 1999 when Matta took over in 2004. He has returned the program to national prominence, leading the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 2007, when they beat Georgetown before losing the title game to Florida.
Reaching another Final Four should help the program build increase its profile on campus.
"It kind of puts a spotlight on the program because we're the last four teams playing in the NCAA tournament," Sullinger said. "I know recruits want to win. That was the biggest thing for me.
"For fans, hopefully people don't say we're a football school — just a football school. Now they can switch that and say we're a basketball school and a football school."
Could Ohio State be known just as much for basketball as football?
"I probably doubt that will happen," Sullinger said.
-Steve Deane
Perfect symmetry there.
The basketball team is usually playing in the shadow of goal posts on the Ohio State campus, where fans love to pack the football stadium and watch the band spell "Ohio" in script at halftime. The Buckeyes' football team is the overriding talk of the town, even when it involves the program's recent scandals.
In the last few months, the city has been consumed by the hiring of Urban Meyer to resurrect a program that's banned from bowl eligibility for 2012.
All-America forward Jared Sullinger knows that even during March, most Ohio State fans would rather talk about TDs than 3s.
"We're never going to beat coach Urban Meyer," Sullinger said. "He brought the most buzz to Columbus, Ohio, in a long time."
Even so, the basketball team is generating a little of its own.
The Buckeyes will play Kansas in the national semifinals on Saturday night. They won their only national basketball title in 1960, starting a run of three straight trips to the title game.
For at least one week, hoops is grabbing its share of the attention around town, even though Buckeyes sports websites still count down the number of days until the annual football game against Michigan.
"The buzz we brought, being known not only as a football school but as a basketball school, is great," Sullinger said. "But at the same time, we don't want the train to stop at this particular moment. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling."
The Final Four timing is perfect for a school still recovering from last fall.
The football program brought the school notoriety last season. Coach Jim Tressel was forced out in May for lying about his players breaking NCAA rules. The team went 6-7 and dropped its last four games, including a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl. The program was banned from a bowl in 2012.
It was only the football team's second losing season since 1988. Meyer was hired in November, overshadowing the start of basketball season on campus.
No surprise. Even when the Buckeyes were on top of college basketball in the early 1960s, the basketball team took a seat in the second row.
"Maybe during our period we elevated it a little bit, but I think everybody knows the case is that football is predominant there," former Buckeyes basketball star Jerry Lucas said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Lucas, a member of the Ohio State teams that won the national championship in 1960 and lost to Cincinnati in the 1961 and 1962 title games, thinks football has never loosened its grip on the campus.
"Obviously, there's a lot more interest at Duke in basketball," Lucas said. "Football at Duke hasn't been very successful. I think it's the fact that historically Ohio State has been very successful in football. Basketball is kind of a Johnny-come-lately."
It's a fact that every Buckeyes basketball coach has to accept.
"I've always felt we could have the best of both at Ohio State," coach Thad Matta said. "I know with all the trials and tribulations that have gone on with football over the past year, I'm elated for the university probably most importantly that we've got some great things happening. With Coach Meyer coming in, things are really stepping up in that regard.
"For (basketball), over the course of the last few years, this program has identified itself. I've always said this: There is no greater feeling than being on the field when 105,000 people are cheering for the Buckeyes to come out and you've got a couple recruits with you.
"That is the ultimate right there."
Ohio State hadn't reached the Final Four since 1999 when Matta took over in 2004. He has returned the program to national prominence, leading the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 2007, when they beat Georgetown before losing the title game to Florida.
Reaching another Final Four should help the program build increase its profile on campus.
"It kind of puts a spotlight on the program because we're the last four teams playing in the NCAA tournament," Sullinger said. "I know recruits want to win. That was the biggest thing for me.
"For fans, hopefully people don't say we're a football school — just a football school. Now they can switch that and say we're a basketball school and a football school."
Could Ohio State be known just as much for basketball as football?
"I probably doubt that will happen," Sullinger said.
-Steve Deane
Winthrop basketball hires former Wake Forest assistant
ROCK HILL Winthrop announced this afternoon that it has hired former Wake Forest assistant Pat Kelsey as the Eagles' new men's basketball coach. Below is the news release from Winthrop:
Winthrop Athletic Director Tom Hickman announced on Friday that 36-year-old Pat Kelsey, a former assistant coach at Wake Forest and an associate head coach at Xavier University in Cincinnati, has been hired as the sixth men’s basketball head coach in school history. He will be formally introduced to the media and Winthrop supporters sometime next week.
Kelsey, a former Xavier team captain spent eight seasons at Wake Forest (2001-09) under the late Skip Prosser and Dino Gaudio and two years on the staff at Xavier (2009-11) under Chris Mack.
“We were fortunate to have a large group of highly qualified and successful coaches in the candidate pool for our head men’s basketball coach,” said Hickman. “Our vacancy created a lot of interest in the basketball coaching community. Pat Kelsey emerged as a dynamic and energetic leader who has had a rich background in working for and learning from highly successful coaches. President DiGiorgio and I were highly impressed with all of our final candidates, but Pat really stood out during the interview process. We look forward to having him join the Winthrop family as our next head men’s basketball coach and know that he will excite our fan base.”
Kelsey says he is thrilled and honored to be the head coach at Winthrop and part of such a traditionally rich program that has made nine NCAA tournament appearances over the past 14 years. “Winthrop has a powerful name with its’ history in the NCAA tournament and the successful program it has built. I am not only looking forward to continuing the winning tradition, but hopefully helping the program to rise to levels never seen before.”
“Winthrop has hit a grand slam with Pat Kelsey as its head coach,” said Mack. “Pat is really good at what he does and he’s as hard a working and dedicated coach as there is in college basketball. Kids will love playing for him.”
Mike Bobinski, the Xavier athletic director and vice chairman for the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Committee, also has high words of praise for Kelsey. “Pat is a very dynamic coach who has been around nothing but success as a player and a coach at both Wake Forest and Xavier. He knows what it takes to win. He’s a high energy, high integrity person who leaves no stone untouched to get the job done right. Winthrop has made a great choice and he’s a guy that will represent the university in an absolute first class manner every day. I look forward to following his success,” he said.
Winthrop fans can look for their new coach to feature a fast paced offense, but they can also expect Kelsey to place a strong emphasis on defense. “My mentor, Coach Prosser who I played and worked under for more than a decade was famous for saying ‘the older I get the faster I want to play ’. I think that applies to me a little bit. Our brand offensively will be one that emphasizes playing with ‘pace’. . “We will be a tough, defensive-minded team that will play with a fast, ‘downhill’ offensive mentality. That is who we will be” said Kelsey. “Our brand offensively will be one that emphasizes playing with pace. We will push the ball, give our players freedom, but also execute in the half court.
“The thing that I think is most important in winning championships, however, is a team that can defend with great toughness, with great intensity and great resolve,” he says. “The combination of these things is who defines me as a coach.”
College Bound Hoops ranked Kelsey eighth in the nation among college basketball assistants. In addition to his recruiting prowess, Kelsey is also recognized as an excellent teacher and tactician in terms of player development, scouting and game preparation.
Kelsey also earned a reputation as an innovative marketer during his time in Winston-Salem. He worked with current XU head coach and former Wake assistant Chris Mack and Wake marketing to produce the "Tie-Dye Nation" campaign, which still thrives today as the heartbeat of the Wake Forest fan base.
Kelsey began his coaching career at his prep alma mater, Cincinnati's Elder High School, from 1998-2001 as an assistant coach. Kelsey went to Wake Forest in 2001 as director of basketball operations under Prosser. After three years that position, Prosser promoted Kelsey to assistant coach prior to the 2004-05 season.
During his time in Winston-Salem, Wake averaged nearly 21 wins per year in eight seasons, earning five NCAA Tournament berths, an NIT berth, a No. 1 national ranking in two different seasons and an ACC regular season championship.
Last May, Kelsey stepped away from the coaching profession as he was still dealing with the loss of Coach Prosser and he wanted to spend more time with his family. “The death of Coach Prosser had a profound effect on me and it took stepping away to come to grips with it,” he says. “I’m a teacher, a motivator and a coach and I feel like I do those things at a very high level. Coach Prosser’s legacy will live on in people like me who will instill in young men the same core values that he conveyed every day. The pillars of his program were based on his ‘ABCs.’ That was academics, basketball and character. These three letters were the fabric of what he taught and what he believed in.”
He was first associated with Prosser as a leader in the Xavier backcourt for three seasons (1996 to 1998), helping the Musketeers reach two NCAA Tournaments. The former point guard served as team co-captain during the 1997-98 season and was voted the team's Most Inspirational Player in 1996 and 1998. Kelsey began his college playing career at Wyoming in 1993-94, starting 22 games as a freshman, before transferring back to his hometown to play at Xavier. Prior to college, he earned All-City honors while leading Elder to a 25-4 record and the 1993 Div. I State Championship.
Kelsey, who was born May 15, 1975 in Cincinnati, is a 1998 graduate of Xavier with a degree in business administration and marketing. Kelsey and wife, Lisa, have two daughters, four-year-old Ruthie and three-year old Caroline.
- Darin Gantt The Herald
Winthrop Athletic Director Tom Hickman announced on Friday that 36-year-old Pat Kelsey, a former assistant coach at Wake Forest and an associate head coach at Xavier University in Cincinnati, has been hired as the sixth men’s basketball head coach in school history. He will be formally introduced to the media and Winthrop supporters sometime next week.
Kelsey, a former Xavier team captain spent eight seasons at Wake Forest (2001-09) under the late Skip Prosser and Dino Gaudio and two years on the staff at Xavier (2009-11) under Chris Mack.
“We were fortunate to have a large group of highly qualified and successful coaches in the candidate pool for our head men’s basketball coach,” said Hickman. “Our vacancy created a lot of interest in the basketball coaching community. Pat Kelsey emerged as a dynamic and energetic leader who has had a rich background in working for and learning from highly successful coaches. President DiGiorgio and I were highly impressed with all of our final candidates, but Pat really stood out during the interview process. We look forward to having him join the Winthrop family as our next head men’s basketball coach and know that he will excite our fan base.”
Kelsey says he is thrilled and honored to be the head coach at Winthrop and part of such a traditionally rich program that has made nine NCAA tournament appearances over the past 14 years. “Winthrop has a powerful name with its’ history in the NCAA tournament and the successful program it has built. I am not only looking forward to continuing the winning tradition, but hopefully helping the program to rise to levels never seen before.”
“Winthrop has hit a grand slam with Pat Kelsey as its head coach,” said Mack. “Pat is really good at what he does and he’s as hard a working and dedicated coach as there is in college basketball. Kids will love playing for him.”
Mike Bobinski, the Xavier athletic director and vice chairman for the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Committee, also has high words of praise for Kelsey. “Pat is a very dynamic coach who has been around nothing but success as a player and a coach at both Wake Forest and Xavier. He knows what it takes to win. He’s a high energy, high integrity person who leaves no stone untouched to get the job done right. Winthrop has made a great choice and he’s a guy that will represent the university in an absolute first class manner every day. I look forward to following his success,” he said.
Winthrop fans can look for their new coach to feature a fast paced offense, but they can also expect Kelsey to place a strong emphasis on defense. “My mentor, Coach Prosser who I played and worked under for more than a decade was famous for saying ‘the older I get the faster I want to play ’. I think that applies to me a little bit. Our brand offensively will be one that emphasizes playing with ‘pace’. . “We will be a tough, defensive-minded team that will play with a fast, ‘downhill’ offensive mentality. That is who we will be” said Kelsey. “Our brand offensively will be one that emphasizes playing with pace. We will push the ball, give our players freedom, but also execute in the half court.
“The thing that I think is most important in winning championships, however, is a team that can defend with great toughness, with great intensity and great resolve,” he says. “The combination of these things is who defines me as a coach.”
College Bound Hoops ranked Kelsey eighth in the nation among college basketball assistants. In addition to his recruiting prowess, Kelsey is also recognized as an excellent teacher and tactician in terms of player development, scouting and game preparation.
Kelsey also earned a reputation as an innovative marketer during his time in Winston-Salem. He worked with current XU head coach and former Wake assistant Chris Mack and Wake marketing to produce the "Tie-Dye Nation" campaign, which still thrives today as the heartbeat of the Wake Forest fan base.
Kelsey began his coaching career at his prep alma mater, Cincinnati's Elder High School, from 1998-2001 as an assistant coach. Kelsey went to Wake Forest in 2001 as director of basketball operations under Prosser. After three years that position, Prosser promoted Kelsey to assistant coach prior to the 2004-05 season.
During his time in Winston-Salem, Wake averaged nearly 21 wins per year in eight seasons, earning five NCAA Tournament berths, an NIT berth, a No. 1 national ranking in two different seasons and an ACC regular season championship.
Last May, Kelsey stepped away from the coaching profession as he was still dealing with the loss of Coach Prosser and he wanted to spend more time with his family. “The death of Coach Prosser had a profound effect on me and it took stepping away to come to grips with it,” he says. “I’m a teacher, a motivator and a coach and I feel like I do those things at a very high level. Coach Prosser’s legacy will live on in people like me who will instill in young men the same core values that he conveyed every day. The pillars of his program were based on his ‘ABCs.’ That was academics, basketball and character. These three letters were the fabric of what he taught and what he believed in.”
He was first associated with Prosser as a leader in the Xavier backcourt for three seasons (1996 to 1998), helping the Musketeers reach two NCAA Tournaments. The former point guard served as team co-captain during the 1997-98 season and was voted the team's Most Inspirational Player in 1996 and 1998. Kelsey began his college playing career at Wyoming in 1993-94, starting 22 games as a freshman, before transferring back to his hometown to play at Xavier. Prior to college, he earned All-City honors while leading Elder to a 25-4 record and the 1993 Div. I State Championship.
Kelsey, who was born May 15, 1975 in Cincinnati, is a 1998 graduate of Xavier with a degree in business administration and marketing. Kelsey and wife, Lisa, have two daughters, four-year-old Ruthie and three-year old Caroline.
- Darin Gantt The Herald
URI basketball player sought by Fla. authorities
A University of Rhode Island basketball player already facing video voyeurism charges was arrested for the second time in a week on Thursday after authorities in Florida issued a warrant for him.
Jonathan Holton was arrested by campus police at his URI residence on charges of being a fugitive from justice and possession of stolen goods worth more than $500, the university said in a statement.
Campus police arrested Holton, a 20-year-old freshman from Miami, for the first time this week on Tuesday. He was charged with two counts of video voyeurism and was released. Authorities allege he videotaped consensual sexual encounters with two 20-year-old female students without their knowledge. The videos were posted on Holton's Facebook account and were forwarded to about 30 people, an affidavit said.
Defense attorney John E. MacDonald has said that Holton did not post any graphic images on his Facebook account and that someone got into his account without his permission and sent the images under his name.
URI, which had already suspended Holton from the basketball team, said that he is no longer registered there. MacDonald said Holton was suspended for three semesters.
The warrant is for a robbery charge and was issued on Wednesday, URI said. Campus police also allege Holton had a MacBook Pro laptop computer that had been reported stolen from a common area of a residence hall suite on July 26. The $1,200 laptop was found in Holton's campus residence while officers were carrying out a search warrant on Tuesday, the university said.
MacDonald said Florida authorities allege Holton missed some appointments to check in with officials by email as part of an agreement to dismiss a robbery charge against him. Holton and others, he said, were charged in 2009 after someone was robbed during a fight that broke out in a park.
The evidence against Holton was "so weak" that he was allowed to complete 100 hours of community service as part of an agreement to have the robbery charge dismissed, MacDonald said.
Holton completed the community service, MacDonald said. He said he did not know how long Holton was required to check in with authorities.
URI spokesman Dave Lavallee said he did not know whether the athletics department was aware of the robbery charge. He said coaches are responsible for researching the backgrounds of recruits.
Holton was arraigned in District Court in South Kingstown earlier Thursday and was ordered held on $15,000 bail. MacDonald said Holton has to post a portion of that amount and his family is expected to provide the bail funds.
Holton, who has not entered pleas on the video voyeurism or possession of stolen property cases, should be in Florida by Friday, MacDonald said.
The allegations come as the team, which went 7-24 last season and failed to qualify for the conference tournament, is welcoming Daniel Hurley as head coach. The former Wagner coach agreed a week ago to a six-year deal to shepherd the struggling Atlantic 10 team.
Holton was named to the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, according to the URI men's basketball team website. He led the team with eight double-doubles and was the first player since 1998 to pull down at least 14 rebounds in his URI debut.
-Laura Crimaldi/Associated Press
Jonathan Holton was arrested by campus police at his URI residence on charges of being a fugitive from justice and possession of stolen goods worth more than $500, the university said in a statement.
Campus police arrested Holton, a 20-year-old freshman from Miami, for the first time this week on Tuesday. He was charged with two counts of video voyeurism and was released. Authorities allege he videotaped consensual sexual encounters with two 20-year-old female students without their knowledge. The videos were posted on Holton's Facebook account and were forwarded to about 30 people, an affidavit said.
Defense attorney John E. MacDonald has said that Holton did not post any graphic images on his Facebook account and that someone got into his account without his permission and sent the images under his name.
URI, which had already suspended Holton from the basketball team, said that he is no longer registered there. MacDonald said Holton was suspended for three semesters.
The warrant is for a robbery charge and was issued on Wednesday, URI said. Campus police also allege Holton had a MacBook Pro laptop computer that had been reported stolen from a common area of a residence hall suite on July 26. The $1,200 laptop was found in Holton's campus residence while officers were carrying out a search warrant on Tuesday, the university said.
MacDonald said Florida authorities allege Holton missed some appointments to check in with officials by email as part of an agreement to dismiss a robbery charge against him. Holton and others, he said, were charged in 2009 after someone was robbed during a fight that broke out in a park.
The evidence against Holton was "so weak" that he was allowed to complete 100 hours of community service as part of an agreement to have the robbery charge dismissed, MacDonald said.
Holton completed the community service, MacDonald said. He said he did not know how long Holton was required to check in with authorities.
URI spokesman Dave Lavallee said he did not know whether the athletics department was aware of the robbery charge. He said coaches are responsible for researching the backgrounds of recruits.
Holton was arraigned in District Court in South Kingstown earlier Thursday and was ordered held on $15,000 bail. MacDonald said Holton has to post a portion of that amount and his family is expected to provide the bail funds.
Holton, who has not entered pleas on the video voyeurism or possession of stolen property cases, should be in Florida by Friday, MacDonald said.
The allegations come as the team, which went 7-24 last season and failed to qualify for the conference tournament, is welcoming Daniel Hurley as head coach. The former Wagner coach agreed a week ago to a six-year deal to shepherd the struggling Atlantic 10 team.
Holton was named to the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, according to the URI men's basketball team website. He led the team with eight double-doubles and was the first player since 1998 to pull down at least 14 rebounds in his URI debut.
-Laura Crimaldi/Associated Press
5 Other Ex-NCAA Basketball Greats On The Sidelines Today
Kansas Jayhawks assistant coach Danny Manning has agreed to become the next coach at the University of Tulsa, becoming the latest ex-college basketball superstar to take over an NCAA men's basketball team.
"We are extremely excited to have Danny join The University of Tulsa as our new Head Basketball Coach. He epitomizes everything our university stands for. His impact on young people will extend far beyond the TU basketball program and reach well into our campus and community," said Tulsa Athletic Director Ross Parmley on the school's website. "His 15 years in the NBA combined with the last nine years under one of the best coaches in the country, have helped mold him into a great teacher and coach of basketball. He most definitely brings the excitement, the style of basketball, and character that we were looking for in our head coach."
Manning had a spectacular 1988 collegiate season, leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA championship. That year, Manning was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament and was awarded the Wooden, Naismith and Eastman awards as college's best player.
His success in college led the Los Angeles Clippers to select him No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft. Manning went on to have a solid NBA career with seven teams that included two All-Star appearances.
Manning has been an assistant coach at Kansas for six years before being hired Thursday by Tulsa.
He joins a multitude of ex-NCAA stars who now are coaching a college basketball team. Here are five others:
1. Steve Alford, University of New Mexico
Alford heads the University of New Mexico's men's basketball squad and had an outstanding career as a guard at Indiana University.
In his senior year at Indiana, Alford led the Hoosiers to the 1887 NCAA championship.
2. Johnny Dawkins, Stanford
Dawkins is head coach of the Stanford Cardinal and he knows a thing or two about leading after serving as a point guard for Duke in the 1980s.
While at Duke, Dawkins won the Naismith award and led the Blue Devils to the 1986 NCAA Championship game. Unfortunately for Dawkins and Duke, they lost to Louisville by three points.
3. Isaiah Thomas, Florida International
Thomas is head coach of the Florida International University Golden Panthers after an unsuccessful career as an NBA coach and executive - just as New York Knicks fans.
But Thomas's reputation as an elite basketball player is unmatched, having been voted on of the NBA's 50th greatest players.
His stellar NBA career was preceded by an outstanding stint at Indiana University,
While at the school, Thomas led the Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA championship and was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.
4. Billy Donovan, University of Florida
Donovan is a two-time NCAA Tournament champion as a coach at the University of Florida, achieving the pinnacle of men's college basketball in 2006 and 2007.
Donovan's playing career flourished in his last two seasons at Providence College under Rick Pitino.
Donovan led the Friars to the Final Four as a senior as was voted MVP of the 1987 NCAA Tournament's Southeast Region.
5. Corliss Williamson, University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas coach Corliss Williamson had an impressive college career at the University of Arkansas, where he helped the team win the 1994 NCAA Championship over Duke.
Williamson won a litany of awards while at Arkansas, including Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 NCAA Tournament, and twice being named SEC Player of the Year.
Williamson's skills in college led him to be selected 13th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
-IBTimes Reporter
"We are extremely excited to have Danny join The University of Tulsa as our new Head Basketball Coach. He epitomizes everything our university stands for. His impact on young people will extend far beyond the TU basketball program and reach well into our campus and community," said Tulsa Athletic Director Ross Parmley on the school's website. "His 15 years in the NBA combined with the last nine years under one of the best coaches in the country, have helped mold him into a great teacher and coach of basketball. He most definitely brings the excitement, the style of basketball, and character that we were looking for in our head coach."
Manning had a spectacular 1988 collegiate season, leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA championship. That year, Manning was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament and was awarded the Wooden, Naismith and Eastman awards as college's best player.
His success in college led the Los Angeles Clippers to select him No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft. Manning went on to have a solid NBA career with seven teams that included two All-Star appearances.
Manning has been an assistant coach at Kansas for six years before being hired Thursday by Tulsa.
He joins a multitude of ex-NCAA stars who now are coaching a college basketball team. Here are five others:
1. Steve Alford, University of New Mexico
Alford heads the University of New Mexico's men's basketball squad and had an outstanding career as a guard at Indiana University.
In his senior year at Indiana, Alford led the Hoosiers to the 1887 NCAA championship.
2. Johnny Dawkins, Stanford
Dawkins is head coach of the Stanford Cardinal and he knows a thing or two about leading after serving as a point guard for Duke in the 1980s.
While at Duke, Dawkins won the Naismith award and led the Blue Devils to the 1986 NCAA Championship game. Unfortunately for Dawkins and Duke, they lost to Louisville by three points.
3. Isaiah Thomas, Florida International
Thomas is head coach of the Florida International University Golden Panthers after an unsuccessful career as an NBA coach and executive - just as New York Knicks fans.
But Thomas's reputation as an elite basketball player is unmatched, having been voted on of the NBA's 50th greatest players.
His stellar NBA career was preceded by an outstanding stint at Indiana University,
While at the school, Thomas led the Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA championship and was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.
4. Billy Donovan, University of Florida
Donovan is a two-time NCAA Tournament champion as a coach at the University of Florida, achieving the pinnacle of men's college basketball in 2006 and 2007.
Donovan's playing career flourished in his last two seasons at Providence College under Rick Pitino.
Donovan led the Friars to the Final Four as a senior as was voted MVP of the 1987 NCAA Tournament's Southeast Region.
5. Corliss Williamson, University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas coach Corliss Williamson had an impressive college career at the University of Arkansas, where he helped the team win the 1994 NCAA Championship over Duke.
Williamson won a litany of awards while at Arkansas, including Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 NCAA Tournament, and twice being named SEC Player of the Year.
Williamson's skills in college led him to be selected 13th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
-IBTimes Reporter
Kentucky Is An NBA Team Playing College Basketball
It must be pretty terrifying to be a Kentucky fan right now. Once the game starts, it's GREAT to be a Kentucky fan, because there are about 30 different ways they're better than anyone else in America. But I mean, right now, this moment before all that, has gotta be pretty stressful for UK fans.
All anyone can talk about is how dominant this team is, how it's "Kentucky's title to lose," how Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist should probably go 1-2 in the NBA Draft this spring, what a John Calipari title would mean for college basketball. All the narratives you hear in sports movies ... Right before the big, bad dominating team gets shocked by the rag tag group of feel-good kids that everyone counted out (i.e. all of college basketball).
Star-divide
What I'm saying is, if this were Mighty Ducks 2, Kentucky is Iceland. The question is: Can Rick Pitino be Gordon Bombay? Can Peyton Siva be Charlie Conway? Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey are obviously Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Maybe Jared Sullinger is Russ Tyler, the knucklepuck master that teaches the team how to play "for real" when he replaces Adam Banks.
FWIW, nobody is Adam Banks, because Adam Banks is always Duke.
And Julie "The Cat" Gaffney is just perfect.
This marks the end of our Mighty Ducks discussion.
Star-divide
Where were we? Final Four predictions. Right. SB Nation asked a few of us to come up with predictions for this weekend, and the easy answer would be Kentucky. Err... Actually, that's my answer. Kentucky. Everyone else in the Final Four is a college basketball player. Kentucky is a team that has three-to-four NBA players playing college basketball.
For example: Thomas Robinson is a superstar for Kansas and one of the two or three best college basketball players in the country. Once he gets to the NBA, he'll be one of the two or three best players on his team. Same with Jared Sullinger, DeShaun Thomas, Gorgui Dieng, etc.
On Kentucky, a guy like Terrence Jones plays the same role in college that he'll eventually inherit in the NBA. A solid third option. Then you have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis, a duo that would be deadly in the NBA for the next decade if they wound up together. Marquis Teague is the only one who still plays like a freshman, but he's every bit as talented as someone like Russ Smith or Tyshawn Taylor. And if that weren't enough, they've got guys like Darius Miller and Doron Lamb, two would-be NBA role players who... Yeah, they're role players at Kentucky, too. That's an NBA team right there.
People freak out anytime someone says that a college team could be a pro team, but Kentucky has been so good you can't help but wonder. When someone asked Gary Williams if Kentucky could beat this year's Wizards team, he weighed in this week with this:
I think one game — Kentucky couldn’t play in the NBA or anything like that — but one game at Rupp Arena, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kentucky win one game. Because you’re gonna have five players off that team playing in the NBA, and probably playing significant roles in the NBA. And that’s why I say that, for one game.”
I don't think they'd win even a game, though. John Wall would eat Teague alive, Jordan Crawford could go for 40, and Nene could neutralize things inside. HOWEVER... The difference between Kentucky and great college teams from the past is that you could make a pretty solid case that if you put this exact roster in the NBA and waited three years, they'd contend for a playoff spot. They'd definitely beat the crap out of this Wizards roster in three years. How many college teams have we been able to say that about since the Fab 5?
The Fab 5 never won a title, though. Which brings us to the final point. The Fab 5 lost to great college basketball teams. UNLV did, too, even they had a similar NBA makeup. Kentucky could be beaten, but it'll take a great college basketball team. Their biggest threat (North Carolina) lost its best college basketball player (Kendall Marshall) and is now watching at home. The other threat (Syracuse) had their best player (Fab Melo) declared ineligible. Among everyone else? There are All-Americans and Hall-of-Fame coaches, but none of these other teams look great. So the pick is Kentucky -- not because they can't be beaten, but because the team to beat them isn't here.
-Andrew Sharp/sbnation
All anyone can talk about is how dominant this team is, how it's "Kentucky's title to lose," how Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist should probably go 1-2 in the NBA Draft this spring, what a John Calipari title would mean for college basketball. All the narratives you hear in sports movies ... Right before the big, bad dominating team gets shocked by the rag tag group of feel-good kids that everyone counted out (i.e. all of college basketball).
Star-divide
What I'm saying is, if this were Mighty Ducks 2, Kentucky is Iceland. The question is: Can Rick Pitino be Gordon Bombay? Can Peyton Siva be Charlie Conway? Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey are obviously Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Maybe Jared Sullinger is Russ Tyler, the knucklepuck master that teaches the team how to play "for real" when he replaces Adam Banks.
FWIW, nobody is Adam Banks, because Adam Banks is always Duke.
And Julie "The Cat" Gaffney is just perfect.
This marks the end of our Mighty Ducks discussion.
Star-divide
Where were we? Final Four predictions. Right. SB Nation asked a few of us to come up with predictions for this weekend, and the easy answer would be Kentucky. Err... Actually, that's my answer. Kentucky. Everyone else in the Final Four is a college basketball player. Kentucky is a team that has three-to-four NBA players playing college basketball.
For example: Thomas Robinson is a superstar for Kansas and one of the two or three best college basketball players in the country. Once he gets to the NBA, he'll be one of the two or three best players on his team. Same with Jared Sullinger, DeShaun Thomas, Gorgui Dieng, etc.
On Kentucky, a guy like Terrence Jones plays the same role in college that he'll eventually inherit in the NBA. A solid third option. Then you have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis, a duo that would be deadly in the NBA for the next decade if they wound up together. Marquis Teague is the only one who still plays like a freshman, but he's every bit as talented as someone like Russ Smith or Tyshawn Taylor. And if that weren't enough, they've got guys like Darius Miller and Doron Lamb, two would-be NBA role players who... Yeah, they're role players at Kentucky, too. That's an NBA team right there.
People freak out anytime someone says that a college team could be a pro team, but Kentucky has been so good you can't help but wonder. When someone asked Gary Williams if Kentucky could beat this year's Wizards team, he weighed in this week with this:
I think one game — Kentucky couldn’t play in the NBA or anything like that — but one game at Rupp Arena, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kentucky win one game. Because you’re gonna have five players off that team playing in the NBA, and probably playing significant roles in the NBA. And that’s why I say that, for one game.”
I don't think they'd win even a game, though. John Wall would eat Teague alive, Jordan Crawford could go for 40, and Nene could neutralize things inside. HOWEVER... The difference between Kentucky and great college teams from the past is that you could make a pretty solid case that if you put this exact roster in the NBA and waited three years, they'd contend for a playoff spot. They'd definitely beat the crap out of this Wizards roster in three years. How many college teams have we been able to say that about since the Fab 5?
The Fab 5 never won a title, though. Which brings us to the final point. The Fab 5 lost to great college basketball teams. UNLV did, too, even they had a similar NBA makeup. Kentucky could be beaten, but it'll take a great college basketball team. Their biggest threat (North Carolina) lost its best college basketball player (Kendall Marshall) and is now watching at home. The other threat (Syracuse) had their best player (Fab Melo) declared ineligible. Among everyone else? There are All-Americans and Hall-of-Fame coaches, but none of these other teams look great. So the pick is Kentucky -- not because they can't be beaten, but because the team to beat them isn't here.
-Andrew Sharp/sbnation
Groce named new men's basketball coach at Illinois
Illinois has named John Groce as its new men's basketball coach.
Groce spent the past four seasons at Ohio University and guided the Bobcats to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. This year's squad was 29-8 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16, taking North Carolina to overtime before losing to the Tar Heels in a Midwest Region semifinal.
"I am extremely pleased to introduce John Groce as our men's basketball coach," said Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas on Thursday. "It became very clear during the process that John is a terrific fit at the University of Illinois. He has won at a high level wherever he has coached and he has some great mentors. His Ohio team made a great run to the Sweet 16 during the current NCAA Tournament, taking a No. 1 seed into overtime in their final game last Friday. John has recruited and coached at the highest level, and I have no doubt he will be an outstanding leader for the young men in our basketball program."
In four years at Ohio, Groce posted a record of 85-56. He also took the Bobcats to the 2010 NCAA Tournament and they pulled off another surprise that spring with a first-round upset of Georgetown.
Before taking over at Ohio, Groce had numerous stops as an assistant from 1993 through 2008. He spent three years at his alma mater, Taylor University of the NAIA level, then moved on to North Carolina State, Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.
"I am thrilled to be the basketball coach here and feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family," Groce said about joining the Illini. "The Midwest background and values we share makes this University of Illinois a perfect for us and we're looking forward to making an impact on the basketball court as well as in the Champaign-Urbana community."
Illinois needed a replacement for Bruce Weber, who was fired on March 9, one day after the Fighting Illini lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and finished with a record of 17-15. Illinois was off to a 15-3 start and entered the rankings in mid-January after an upset of Ohio State, but went 2-12 the rest of the way.
Weber was 210-101 in nine seasons with the Illini, winning a pair of Big Ten regular-season championships and one Big Ten Tournament crown. He also took the program to the brink of an NCAA championship, as Illinois lost to North Carolina in the title game of 2005 NCAA Tournament.
-foxnews
Groce spent the past four seasons at Ohio University and guided the Bobcats to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. This year's squad was 29-8 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16, taking North Carolina to overtime before losing to the Tar Heels in a Midwest Region semifinal.
"I am extremely pleased to introduce John Groce as our men's basketball coach," said Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas on Thursday. "It became very clear during the process that John is a terrific fit at the University of Illinois. He has won at a high level wherever he has coached and he has some great mentors. His Ohio team made a great run to the Sweet 16 during the current NCAA Tournament, taking a No. 1 seed into overtime in their final game last Friday. John has recruited and coached at the highest level, and I have no doubt he will be an outstanding leader for the young men in our basketball program."
In four years at Ohio, Groce posted a record of 85-56. He also took the Bobcats to the 2010 NCAA Tournament and they pulled off another surprise that spring with a first-round upset of Georgetown.
Before taking over at Ohio, Groce had numerous stops as an assistant from 1993 through 2008. He spent three years at his alma mater, Taylor University of the NAIA level, then moved on to North Carolina State, Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.
"I am thrilled to be the basketball coach here and feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family," Groce said about joining the Illini. "The Midwest background and values we share makes this University of Illinois a perfect for us and we're looking forward to making an impact on the basketball court as well as in the Champaign-Urbana community."
Illinois needed a replacement for Bruce Weber, who was fired on March 9, one day after the Fighting Illini lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and finished with a record of 17-15. Illinois was off to a 15-3 start and entered the rankings in mid-January after an upset of Ohio State, but went 2-12 the rest of the way.
Weber was 210-101 in nine seasons with the Illini, winning a pair of Big Ten regular-season championships and one Big Ten Tournament crown. He also took the program to the brink of an NCAA championship, as Illinois lost to North Carolina in the title game of 2005 NCAA Tournament.
-foxnews
NCAA president would like to be done with one-and-done rule
NCAA president Mark Emmert came down hard on college basketball careers that last one season.
“I happen to dislike the one-and-done rule enormously and wish it didn’t exist,” Emmert said Friday during a panel discussion hours before the Midwest Regional semifinal round tipped off. “I think it forces young men to go to college that have little or no interest in going to college.
“It makes a travesty of the whole notion of student as an athlete.”
But Emmert is quick to remind that the one-and-done isn’t a college rule. The NBA requires players to be 19 years old or have completed one year of college before becoming eligible for the NBA Draft.
The rule went on the books in 2007, as players such as Texas’ Kevin Durant and Ohio State’s Greg Oden spent a year on campus. That was the first class not allowed to follow such players as LeBron James into the NBA straight from high school.
Memphis guard Derrick Rose was in the next class of one-and-dones.
Critics on the college level have howled. Coaches must continue to recruit the game’s top talent but one-year careers play havoc with future recruiting and roster plans.
School officials say the rule has made a mockery of the term “student-athlete.” To be eligible, an athlete essentially has to be eligible for the fall semester. Academic performance can slip in the spring semester but an athlete can complete a basketball season without consequence.
“It simply creates the wrong type of environment for us,” Emmert said.
Kansas has had two one-and-done players in the last three years — Xavier Henry, who played in 2009-10, and Josh Selby in the next season. Kansas State’s Michael Beasley was a one-and-done as the Big 12 player of the year in 2008.
Duke’s Kyrie Irving left after his freshman year in 2011.
This year, Kentucky could have two players — Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — leave after this season. The website draftexpress.com projects college freshmen to be four of the first players drafted in July, starting with Davis.
Don’t blame the player, Emmert said.
“I’m not critical of the kid who does that,” Emmert said. “Why would we object to a young man pursuing their life’s pleasure? If a young woman wants to dance with the New York City ballet at 16 we don’t see her on our college campuses. That’s fine. If someone is a great musician they may or may not come to us. We don’t think less of them.
“But if you’re coming to us to be a collegiate athlete we want you to be a collegiate athlete. We will give you the best opportunities in the classroom, in the training room, with coaches. If you want to become a professional athlete, there is no better place to go generally than to come to one of our schools to develop your skills and abilities. But if you do that, you have to be a student.”
There has been sentiment to change the rule, and NBA commissioner David Stern has expressed interest in a two-year minimum between high school and the NBA. The league’s union said it might be willing to change if colleges allow stipends above scholarship costs, an idea that has gained traction among major conferences as television contract revenue increase.
More Emmert
Over the past year, the NCAA has handed down punishment for violations committed by some of the college sports biggest brands: Ohio State, Miami, Fla., Southern California, perhaps sending a message that no program is above the rules manual.
Emmert was encouraged by what he saw on Thursday when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell penalized the New Orleans Saints for the team’s bounty payments, punishment that included a one-year suspension without pay for head coach Sean Payton.
“I thought it was a very direct powerful message from the commissioner as to what was and was not tolerable in their culture,” Emmert said. “While their goals and culture are different than ours, they held the adults in the room accountable in a very powerful way. I think that’s a useful lesson for us.”
-kansascity
“I happen to dislike the one-and-done rule enormously and wish it didn’t exist,” Emmert said Friday during a panel discussion hours before the Midwest Regional semifinal round tipped off. “I think it forces young men to go to college that have little or no interest in going to college.
“It makes a travesty of the whole notion of student as an athlete.”
But Emmert is quick to remind that the one-and-done isn’t a college rule. The NBA requires players to be 19 years old or have completed one year of college before becoming eligible for the NBA Draft.
The rule went on the books in 2007, as players such as Texas’ Kevin Durant and Ohio State’s Greg Oden spent a year on campus. That was the first class not allowed to follow such players as LeBron James into the NBA straight from high school.
Memphis guard Derrick Rose was in the next class of one-and-dones.
Critics on the college level have howled. Coaches must continue to recruit the game’s top talent but one-year careers play havoc with future recruiting and roster plans.
School officials say the rule has made a mockery of the term “student-athlete.” To be eligible, an athlete essentially has to be eligible for the fall semester. Academic performance can slip in the spring semester but an athlete can complete a basketball season without consequence.
“It simply creates the wrong type of environment for us,” Emmert said.
Kansas has had two one-and-done players in the last three years — Xavier Henry, who played in 2009-10, and Josh Selby in the next season. Kansas State’s Michael Beasley was a one-and-done as the Big 12 player of the year in 2008.
Duke’s Kyrie Irving left after his freshman year in 2011.
This year, Kentucky could have two players — Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — leave after this season. The website draftexpress.com projects college freshmen to be four of the first players drafted in July, starting with Davis.
Don’t blame the player, Emmert said.
“I’m not critical of the kid who does that,” Emmert said. “Why would we object to a young man pursuing their life’s pleasure? If a young woman wants to dance with the New York City ballet at 16 we don’t see her on our college campuses. That’s fine. If someone is a great musician they may or may not come to us. We don’t think less of them.
“But if you’re coming to us to be a collegiate athlete we want you to be a collegiate athlete. We will give you the best opportunities in the classroom, in the training room, with coaches. If you want to become a professional athlete, there is no better place to go generally than to come to one of our schools to develop your skills and abilities. But if you do that, you have to be a student.”
There has been sentiment to change the rule, and NBA commissioner David Stern has expressed interest in a two-year minimum between high school and the NBA. The league’s union said it might be willing to change if colleges allow stipends above scholarship costs, an idea that has gained traction among major conferences as television contract revenue increase.
More Emmert
Over the past year, the NCAA has handed down punishment for violations committed by some of the college sports biggest brands: Ohio State, Miami, Fla., Southern California, perhaps sending a message that no program is above the rules manual.
Emmert was encouraged by what he saw on Thursday when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell penalized the New Orleans Saints for the team’s bounty payments, punishment that included a one-year suspension without pay for head coach Sean Payton.
“I thought it was a very direct powerful message from the commissioner as to what was and was not tolerable in their culture,” Emmert said. “While their goals and culture are different than ours, they held the adults in the room accountable in a very powerful way. I think that’s a useful lesson for us.”
-kansascity
Kentucky vs. Indiana
It’s time for a little bit of payback as the NCAA Tournament chugs on, as the Kentucky Wildcats set out to avenge their only regular season loss of the year when they get set to take on Tom Crean’s Indiana Hoosiers.
If you’re a college basketball fan, you’ve been constantly reminded of this game with TV replays, commercials and the like. It’s almost as if Christian Watford’s last second three-pointer has been etched into our minds permanently. A lot has changed since that shot was taken, as we’re dealing with two completely different teams.
For starters, Indiana lost its starting point guard, Verdell Jones III, on March 3 in their Big Ten tournament game against Penn State. Jones III provided leadership for a team who has seen a lot of adversity over the last few years, an emotional leader on the floor. This is not to mention his penchant for finding the open man, having been one of the team leaders in assists with 3.2 per game.
Freshman Cody Zeller is the rising star of this team. I joked in the first Indiana/Kentucky preview back in December that there must be a farm somewhere in central Indiana that grows nothing but Zellers, since we’ve seen so many over the past few years. Cody has done his share of carrying on the Zeller name, leading the team in points (15.5) and rebounds (6.4) per game. He’s scored no less than eleven points in 11 of his last 12 games.
And of course, Mr. Watford himself, or Laettener Lite as I like to call him, (that’s not a compliment, by the way), he’s still going strong for the Hoosiers, scoring 12.0 points and 5.9 boards per game. He shoots 44.5% from long distance to boot. He can create a matchup problem with some teams with his length and his speed, but a defensive platoon of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Anthony Davis should be able to contain him this time around.
PREDICTION: The Cats are shown that they’re a much different team than in their last meeting with the Hoosiers. Terrence Jones’ play has improved tenfold since last time, when Cal elected to sit him on the bench in the last minutes of the game. Anthony Davis hasn’t been in major foul trouble since that game, not having any more than tree fouls in any contest thereafter. Marquis Teague has shown he can be a capable point guard in John Calipari’s system. The tables should turn this time around, but we can’t forget that anything can happen in the NCAA tournament. That said, look for the Cats to rectify their previous loss and head on to face the winner of Baylor/Xavier.
-nationofblue
If you’re a college basketball fan, you’ve been constantly reminded of this game with TV replays, commercials and the like. It’s almost as if Christian Watford’s last second three-pointer has been etched into our minds permanently. A lot has changed since that shot was taken, as we’re dealing with two completely different teams.
For starters, Indiana lost its starting point guard, Verdell Jones III, on March 3 in their Big Ten tournament game against Penn State. Jones III provided leadership for a team who has seen a lot of adversity over the last few years, an emotional leader on the floor. This is not to mention his penchant for finding the open man, having been one of the team leaders in assists with 3.2 per game.
Freshman Cody Zeller is the rising star of this team. I joked in the first Indiana/Kentucky preview back in December that there must be a farm somewhere in central Indiana that grows nothing but Zellers, since we’ve seen so many over the past few years. Cody has done his share of carrying on the Zeller name, leading the team in points (15.5) and rebounds (6.4) per game. He’s scored no less than eleven points in 11 of his last 12 games.
And of course, Mr. Watford himself, or Laettener Lite as I like to call him, (that’s not a compliment, by the way), he’s still going strong for the Hoosiers, scoring 12.0 points and 5.9 boards per game. He shoots 44.5% from long distance to boot. He can create a matchup problem with some teams with his length and his speed, but a defensive platoon of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Anthony Davis should be able to contain him this time around.
PREDICTION: The Cats are shown that they’re a much different team than in their last meeting with the Hoosiers. Terrence Jones’ play has improved tenfold since last time, when Cal elected to sit him on the bench in the last minutes of the game. Anthony Davis hasn’t been in major foul trouble since that game, not having any more than tree fouls in any contest thereafter. Marquis Teague has shown he can be a capable point guard in John Calipari’s system. The tables should turn this time around, but we can’t forget that anything can happen in the NCAA tournament. That said, look for the Cats to rectify their previous loss and head on to face the winner of Baylor/Xavier.
-nationofblue
Ohio University Fighting UNC And Cinderella Label
Danny Spewak, Rush The Court
They hail from a league nestled in America’s heartland, playing in relative anonymity in the Mid-American Conference. Each winter, they travel through Ypsilanti, Mount Pleasant, Kalamazoo and a host of other industrialized college towns with funky names, occasionally appearing on ESPNU or regional television. They toil in obscurity behind one of the largest and most powerful state universities in the United States, keeping to themselves in a town called Athens situated about 157 miles away from Cincinnati and 217 miles from Cleveland.
The point guard grew up in Chicago but had no offers from the Big Ten out of high school. The team’s vocal leader and second-leading scorer used to average five minutes a game at Ohio State. The two leading rebounders stand tall at an undersized 6’8”, each averaging just 5.0 boards per game. The head coach is a young, refreshing sparkplug with a load of energy, but his shaved head and small stature seem to fit the mold of an athletic trainer– not the leader of a team in the Sweet Sixteen.
At first glance, nothing about the Ohio Bobcats suggests they should have any shot against top-seeded North Carolina Friday evening, even if standout point guard Kendall Marshall’s wrist injury leaves him unavailable to play. UNC center Tyler Zeller, a former McDonald’s All-American from a well-known basketball family in Indiana, paid polite compliments to the 13th-seeded Bobcats on Thursday afternoon. But even he admitted they are vulnerable in the frontcourt, claiming his team “can attack them a little bit down low and try to play to our strengths.” So it’s settled: as long as the bigger, badder Tar Heels show up to play, they’ll have no trouble dispatching a little Cinderella that finished third in the MAC East Division.
But how much do the Tar Heels really know about the Ohio Bobcats from Athens?
They may not know Ohio’s four leading scorers have already played in the NCAA Tournament before this season, three of whom played on the team that stunned Georgetown in the first round in 2010. Or that Walter Offutt is no stranger to the Sweet Sixteen, having reached one with Evan Turner, David Lighty and a cast of other Buckeyes stars before transferring. And as for D.J. Cooper, that point guard nobody from the Big Ten wanted after high school? He’s a Cousy Award finalist who averages nearly six assists a game and just might be the most complete guard in this regional.
Forgive these guys if they’re not scared of North Carolina. “I’m not really scared of anybody,” Offutt said. “We think we’re a good team. And we know we’re a good team.”
As Zeller alluded to, the Tar Heels certainly have an advantage in terms of size. Zeller and shot-blocking phenom John Henson are elite, NBA-ready rebounders with long wingspans and off-the-charts athleticism. Offutt will draw the assignment of leading scorer Harrison Barnes on most possessions, but even he gives up five inches to the UNC star. From a purely physical standpoint, Ohio probably does not have an answer for any of those players, but they still have their own hidden strengths in this matchup. For starters, the Bobcats’ guards have no problem playing at the frenetic pace Roy Williams wants to dictate. In fact, they prefer it: This is a group of guards that prides itself on forcing turnovers and pressuring the ball. Cooper ranks second all-time in program history with 257 steals, and his team ranks in the top five nationally in turnovers forced. They don’t rely on the three-point shot, but just as VCU did a year ago, they’ve heated up from beyond the arc lately. In the third-round win against South Florida, Offutt made four threes and finished with a team-high 21 points.
“We are the 13 seed,” Cooper said. “But nobody in our locker room feels like we’re a Cinderella team. We feel like we can compete with anybody on a national stage.”
That may sound like a generic quote from Cooper, but it also may be a mistake to dismiss Ohio on account of a rather soft schedule and a lack of quality wins before the NCAA Tournament. The Bobcats still won at Marshall in December in the midst of a 12-1 stretch to open the season, and they blasted NCAA tourney participant UNC Asheville in a BracketBusters matchup. This is team that beat East champion Akron twice, including a 24-point victory in Athens. If Marshall cannot play– and Williams says he has a “strong, strong inclination” that he will not — Cooper will easily be the best point guard on the floor Friday night.
Now appearing in his fifth career NCAA Tournament game, the bright lights in St. Louis won’t bother Cooper. It won’t bother Offutt, either, and it won’t bother coach John Groce, who said he has learned how to better handle the national attention this season as opposed to 2010. That year, the Bobcats fell flat in a second-round game against Tennessee on the heels of an upset of the Hoyas. This season, Groce said he took away his team’s cell phones after it upset Michigan to avoid a distraction.
Still, making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1964, Ohio naturally has a different, more happy-go-lucky attitude in St. Louis this weekend– an attitude Henson called “dangerous.” “They’re shooting better than they shot all year three-point wise, they’re playing more confident,” Henson said. “It’s gonna be a challenge.”
Cinderella storyline aside, most of the attention in this Sweet Sixteen matchup has focused on Marshall’s status. The dynamic point guard changes the game with his ability to see the floor and create for his teammates, but he told Williams he cannot even brush his teeth right now (true to form, Williams asked the media out loud, “How the dickens can he play a basketball game if he can’t brush his teeth?”) Marshall removed his cast earlier this week, but Williams said backups Stilman White and Justin Watts will indeed step in for Marshall if he cannot play with the pain. White, a wide-eyed freshman who Williams said needs to carry his ID around to simply gain entrance into arenas, was a late signee with North Carolina and has never logged more than 11 minutes in a single game. Watts is a senior, but Williams said he has spent a total of “six or seven minutes” as a point guard during his entire career.
“As long as their hearts aren’t beating so fast that they don’t pass out before they get to the court,” Williams said, “I think we’ll still have five guys starting.”
Groce said Marshall’s injury status obviously affected his game plan this week, but his staff has prepared for a healthy Marshall to appear for the Tar Heels. If the Cooper vs. Marshall matchup does not materialize, though, Groce said he will adjust. “I hope he’s healthy,” Groce said. “Obviously, you’ve gotta have some kind of contingency plans in your mind in terms of offensive and defensive strategy. It does make it difficult because he makes them a different team.”
Regardless of who plays, Williams responded to all of the media attention on Marshall and Ohio’s Cinderella run by simplifying the situation the best he could. “The game’s still gonna start at zero to zero,” Williams said. “At this stage, everybody’s equal.”
-huffingtonpost
They hail from a league nestled in America’s heartland, playing in relative anonymity in the Mid-American Conference. Each winter, they travel through Ypsilanti, Mount Pleasant, Kalamazoo and a host of other industrialized college towns with funky names, occasionally appearing on ESPNU or regional television. They toil in obscurity behind one of the largest and most powerful state universities in the United States, keeping to themselves in a town called Athens situated about 157 miles away from Cincinnati and 217 miles from Cleveland.
The point guard grew up in Chicago but had no offers from the Big Ten out of high school. The team’s vocal leader and second-leading scorer used to average five minutes a game at Ohio State. The two leading rebounders stand tall at an undersized 6’8”, each averaging just 5.0 boards per game. The head coach is a young, refreshing sparkplug with a load of energy, but his shaved head and small stature seem to fit the mold of an athletic trainer– not the leader of a team in the Sweet Sixteen.
At first glance, nothing about the Ohio Bobcats suggests they should have any shot against top-seeded North Carolina Friday evening, even if standout point guard Kendall Marshall’s wrist injury leaves him unavailable to play. UNC center Tyler Zeller, a former McDonald’s All-American from a well-known basketball family in Indiana, paid polite compliments to the 13th-seeded Bobcats on Thursday afternoon. But even he admitted they are vulnerable in the frontcourt, claiming his team “can attack them a little bit down low and try to play to our strengths.” So it’s settled: as long as the bigger, badder Tar Heels show up to play, they’ll have no trouble dispatching a little Cinderella that finished third in the MAC East Division.
But how much do the Tar Heels really know about the Ohio Bobcats from Athens?
They may not know Ohio’s four leading scorers have already played in the NCAA Tournament before this season, three of whom played on the team that stunned Georgetown in the first round in 2010. Or that Walter Offutt is no stranger to the Sweet Sixteen, having reached one with Evan Turner, David Lighty and a cast of other Buckeyes stars before transferring. And as for D.J. Cooper, that point guard nobody from the Big Ten wanted after high school? He’s a Cousy Award finalist who averages nearly six assists a game and just might be the most complete guard in this regional.
Forgive these guys if they’re not scared of North Carolina. “I’m not really scared of anybody,” Offutt said. “We think we’re a good team. And we know we’re a good team.”
As Zeller alluded to, the Tar Heels certainly have an advantage in terms of size. Zeller and shot-blocking phenom John Henson are elite, NBA-ready rebounders with long wingspans and off-the-charts athleticism. Offutt will draw the assignment of leading scorer Harrison Barnes on most possessions, but even he gives up five inches to the UNC star. From a purely physical standpoint, Ohio probably does not have an answer for any of those players, but they still have their own hidden strengths in this matchup. For starters, the Bobcats’ guards have no problem playing at the frenetic pace Roy Williams wants to dictate. In fact, they prefer it: This is a group of guards that prides itself on forcing turnovers and pressuring the ball. Cooper ranks second all-time in program history with 257 steals, and his team ranks in the top five nationally in turnovers forced. They don’t rely on the three-point shot, but just as VCU did a year ago, they’ve heated up from beyond the arc lately. In the third-round win against South Florida, Offutt made four threes and finished with a team-high 21 points.
“We are the 13 seed,” Cooper said. “But nobody in our locker room feels like we’re a Cinderella team. We feel like we can compete with anybody on a national stage.”
That may sound like a generic quote from Cooper, but it also may be a mistake to dismiss Ohio on account of a rather soft schedule and a lack of quality wins before the NCAA Tournament. The Bobcats still won at Marshall in December in the midst of a 12-1 stretch to open the season, and they blasted NCAA tourney participant UNC Asheville in a BracketBusters matchup. This is team that beat East champion Akron twice, including a 24-point victory in Athens. If Marshall cannot play– and Williams says he has a “strong, strong inclination” that he will not — Cooper will easily be the best point guard on the floor Friday night.
Now appearing in his fifth career NCAA Tournament game, the bright lights in St. Louis won’t bother Cooper. It won’t bother Offutt, either, and it won’t bother coach John Groce, who said he has learned how to better handle the national attention this season as opposed to 2010. That year, the Bobcats fell flat in a second-round game against Tennessee on the heels of an upset of the Hoyas. This season, Groce said he took away his team’s cell phones after it upset Michigan to avoid a distraction.
Still, making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1964, Ohio naturally has a different, more happy-go-lucky attitude in St. Louis this weekend– an attitude Henson called “dangerous.” “They’re shooting better than they shot all year three-point wise, they’re playing more confident,” Henson said. “It’s gonna be a challenge.”
Cinderella storyline aside, most of the attention in this Sweet Sixteen matchup has focused on Marshall’s status. The dynamic point guard changes the game with his ability to see the floor and create for his teammates, but he told Williams he cannot even brush his teeth right now (true to form, Williams asked the media out loud, “How the dickens can he play a basketball game if he can’t brush his teeth?”) Marshall removed his cast earlier this week, but Williams said backups Stilman White and Justin Watts will indeed step in for Marshall if he cannot play with the pain. White, a wide-eyed freshman who Williams said needs to carry his ID around to simply gain entrance into arenas, was a late signee with North Carolina and has never logged more than 11 minutes in a single game. Watts is a senior, but Williams said he has spent a total of “six or seven minutes” as a point guard during his entire career.
“As long as their hearts aren’t beating so fast that they don’t pass out before they get to the court,” Williams said, “I think we’ll still have five guys starting.”
Groce said Marshall’s injury status obviously affected his game plan this week, but his staff has prepared for a healthy Marshall to appear for the Tar Heels. If the Cooper vs. Marshall matchup does not materialize, though, Groce said he will adjust. “I hope he’s healthy,” Groce said. “Obviously, you’ve gotta have some kind of contingency plans in your mind in terms of offensive and defensive strategy. It does make it difficult because he makes them a different team.”
Regardless of who plays, Williams responded to all of the media attention on Marshall and Ohio’s Cinderella run by simplifying the situation the best he could. “The game’s still gonna start at zero to zero,” Williams said. “At this stage, everybody’s equal.”
-huffingtonpost
Syracuse Vs. Ohio State Preview
Two men's college basketball juggernauts will square off Saturday, when the No. 1-seeded Syracuse Orange and No. 2 Ohio St. Buckeyes meet in the NCAA Tournament's East Region final in Boston, Ma. (7:05 p.m. ET on CBS). The winner advances to the 2012 Final Four to face either the winner of the Midwest Region next Saturday in New Orleans, La.
Despite finishing its regular season as Big East Conference champions, the No. 2 team in the college hoops rankings and earning the East Region's top seed, Syracuse enters Saturday's contest as the underdog. If the Orange (34-2) pull off the slim upset, they will advance to their first Final Four since '02-03 and fifth in program history.
Recap: Syracuse Edges Wisconsin, 64-63
On Thursday, Syracuse edged the No. 4-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, 64-63, to snap a three-game losing streak in the Sweet 16 round. Sophomore forward C.J. Fair shook off his recent struggles to net a team-high 15 points and collect seven rebounds off the bench for the Orange, who survived an unbelievable 3-point shooting night from the Badgers -- 14 total makes and a blazing percentage of 51.9-percent.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes (30-7) eased past No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats, 81-66, in Thurday's night cap. Ohio St. was paced by a pair of sophomore forwards in forward Jared Sullinger (23 points and 11 rebounds) and Deshaun Thomas (26 points). The Buckeyes shot 48.2-percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Bearcats 33-26.
So for in the tournament, Ohio St. earned victories over No. 15 Loyola, Md. Greyhounds and No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, respectively.
If the Buckeyes were to pull off a victory Saturday, they would head to their program's 11th Final Four trip and first since '07, when they lost in the National Championship game to the Florida Gators.
Overall, Sullinger leads Ohio St. in points (17.9) and rebounds (9.2) per game, while Thomas is second-best in both categories averaging 15.4 and 5.0. Sophomore guard Aaron Craft is the team's best passer (4.6 assists per game) and one of the best defenders in the nation. Look for Craft to guard Syracuse's senior point guard Scoop Jardine or sophomore guard Dion Waiters.
As for Syracuse, senior forward Kris Joseph still leads to the team in scoring (13.8 ppg), however, is coming off one of his quietest performance of the season (seven points and two rebounds). During the postseason, which included the Big East Tournament, Waiters (12.6 ppg) has been the team's go-to scorer as he's averaging 15.8 ppg and shooting 53.5-percent from the field.
Of course, the Orange's weapons don't stop there, as junior forward James Southerland netted 15 points in each of SU's first two tournament games before being shutout on Thursday. Jardine has a mean of 13.6 points during the three tournament games, while junior guard Brandon Triche tallies 9.3 ppg.
Nationally, both teams are ranking in the top 15 in both total offense and defense, however, the big difference is Ohio St. rebounding margin, which is far better than Syracuse's.
-sbnation
Despite finishing its regular season as Big East Conference champions, the No. 2 team in the college hoops rankings and earning the East Region's top seed, Syracuse enters Saturday's contest as the underdog. If the Orange (34-2) pull off the slim upset, they will advance to their first Final Four since '02-03 and fifth in program history.
Recap: Syracuse Edges Wisconsin, 64-63
On Thursday, Syracuse edged the No. 4-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, 64-63, to snap a three-game losing streak in the Sweet 16 round. Sophomore forward C.J. Fair shook off his recent struggles to net a team-high 15 points and collect seven rebounds off the bench for the Orange, who survived an unbelievable 3-point shooting night from the Badgers -- 14 total makes and a blazing percentage of 51.9-percent.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes (30-7) eased past No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats, 81-66, in Thurday's night cap. Ohio St. was paced by a pair of sophomore forwards in forward Jared Sullinger (23 points and 11 rebounds) and Deshaun Thomas (26 points). The Buckeyes shot 48.2-percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Bearcats 33-26.
So for in the tournament, Ohio St. earned victories over No. 15 Loyola, Md. Greyhounds and No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, respectively.
If the Buckeyes were to pull off a victory Saturday, they would head to their program's 11th Final Four trip and first since '07, when they lost in the National Championship game to the Florida Gators.
Overall, Sullinger leads Ohio St. in points (17.9) and rebounds (9.2) per game, while Thomas is second-best in both categories averaging 15.4 and 5.0. Sophomore guard Aaron Craft is the team's best passer (4.6 assists per game) and one of the best defenders in the nation. Look for Craft to guard Syracuse's senior point guard Scoop Jardine or sophomore guard Dion Waiters.
As for Syracuse, senior forward Kris Joseph still leads to the team in scoring (13.8 ppg), however, is coming off one of his quietest performance of the season (seven points and two rebounds). During the postseason, which included the Big East Tournament, Waiters (12.6 ppg) has been the team's go-to scorer as he's averaging 15.8 ppg and shooting 53.5-percent from the field.
Of course, the Orange's weapons don't stop there, as junior forward James Southerland netted 15 points in each of SU's first two tournament games before being shutout on Thursday. Jardine has a mean of 13.6 points during the three tournament games, while junior guard Brandon Triche tallies 9.3 ppg.
Nationally, both teams are ranking in the top 15 in both total offense and defense, however, the big difference is Ohio St. rebounding margin, which is far better than Syracuse's.
-sbnation
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