Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Saturday, May 31st:

Hoopville has an early tee time, so it’s the all-bullet point issue of the Morning Dish, lightning-round style. Enjoy!

• Tubby Smith has decided to stay put at Kentucky, especially after signing a $20+ million contract last month. He had been identified by Philadelphia 76ers president Billy King as a potential candidate to replace Larry Brown for the 76ers head coaching position. Smith said it never was a consideration for him.

• Even more news out of Detroit, as General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner (played for Duke in 1971-72) has pitched in to help Detroit’s bid for a Final Four tournament at the end of the decade (2008-2011). Detroit joins Indianapolis, Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis and New Orleans as potential sites.

• California’s State Senate is dissing the NCAA by approving a bill barring in-state colleges and universities from abiding by NCAA scholarship rules. Essentially, the Senate voted 26-9 to bar affected schools from following NCAA rules on athletic scholarships and stipends, health insurance, non-sports jobs, transfers, and hiring agents or attorneys to help with career choices. Senator Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) called the NCAA rules Draconian, equating student athletes with sharecroppers on a plantation. It’s a fine line, as following the legislation would prevent schools from participating in NCAA events and championships. There are 17,000 student athletes at 45 California schools that would be affected.

• Former Pepperdine great Anthony Frederick passed away last night of an apparent heart attack. He was 38. Frederick was driving with his wife, Jocelyn, in the San Fernando Valley at the time of the seizure. Frederick, who played high school ball at Gardena High School in the Los Angeles area, first attended Santa Monica City College, and then transferred to Pepperdine for his final two seasons of college eligibility. During those seasons, 1984-85 and 1985-86, Pepperdine won two West Coast Conference titles, and was named to the All-WCC team as a junior. Drafted by the Nuggets in 1986, he played pro ball for the Kings and Pacers, and ended his career with the Charlotte Hornets in 1992.

• NC State sophomore forward Josh Powell has announced that he’ll stay in the NBA Draft and not return to Raleigh next season. Powell, who will find out next week at the NBA Draft camp that he’s likely not getting drafted in the first round, averaged 12 points and 5 boards per game for the Wolfpack.

• Illinois junior guard Luther Head is recovering from abdominal surgery Wednesday, and is expected to be ready for the upcoming season. Head had the surgery to ease abdominal pain that had become chronic over his career. He’ll begin rehab next week.

• New Mexico center Chad Bell has announced that his transfer destination is Nevada. Bell, who was attracted to the Wolf Pack for their opening at center and their reputation for developing post players. Bell averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 boards per game in two seasons for the Lobos.

• UTEP has announced that forward Roy Smallwood has been granted a fifth year of eligibility after suffering a torn ACL in the Miners’ sixth game of the season against New Mexico State. Smallwood was the 2000 WAC Freshman of the year, and had averaged 6 points and 7 boards in his abbreviated season.

Missouri Valley Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

Missouri Valley Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Mitch Schneider

One season removed from first round victories in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, Southern Illinois and Creighton once again dominated the MVC landscape, earning dance cards for the second straight season. Unfortunately, those cards warranted only one spin for both the Salukis and Bluejays, as Southern Illinois and Creighton each fell in their opening round games.

Still, their combined success (53-12 in 2002-03) brought some much needed respect and publicity to the often overlooked Missouri Valley Conference, finally putting “The Valley” on the college basketball map.

Along with Southern Illinois and Creighton, both Wichita State and Southwest Missouri State enjoyed solid seasons. And the Evansville Aces – a school that many predicted to end up dead last in the conference – surprised the rest of the pack by finishing in the top half of the MVC standings.

The teams of the Missouri Valley Conference collectively engaged in another standout season, which should spell trouble for other leagues in the future. Here’s a quick look back at The Valley’s 2002-03 year, with post-season results, conference awards and team capsules:

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (held in St. Louis, Missouri)

First round:
No. 9 Illinois State 63, No. 8 Drake 62
No. 10 Indiana State 61, No. 7 Northern Iowa 60

Second round:
No. 1 Southern Illinois 75, No. 9 Illinois State 63
No. 4 Southwest Missouri State 65, No. 5 Evansville 51
No. 2 Creighton 57, No. 7 Indiana State 56
No. 3 Wichita State 70, No. 6 Bradley 66

Semifinals:
No. 1 Southern Illinois 64, No. 8 Southwest Missouri State 55
No. 2 Creighton 70, No. 3 Wichita State 69

Finals:
No. 2 Creighton 80, No. 1 Southern Illinois 56

NCAA Tournament

Southern Illinois – No. 11 (Midwest)
First round: Loss, No. 6 Missouri (72-71)

Creighton – No. 6 (West)
First round: Loss, No. 11 Central Michigan (79-73)

NIT

Wichita State
Opening round: Loss, Iowa State (76-65)

Missouri Valley Conference – Awards

First Team
Kyle Korver, Creighton
Kent Williams, Southern Illinois
Phillip Gilbert, Bradley
Terrance McGee, Southwest Missouri State
Jamar Howard, Wichita State

Second Team
Jermaine Dearman, Southern Illinois
Clint Cuffle, Evansville
Greg Danielson, Drake
James Gillingham, Bradley
Ian Hanavan, Evansville

MVC Player of the Year

Kyle Korver, Creighton

Korver, an All-American selection, ranked second in the conference in scoring (17.9 ppg), and led The Valley in three-pointers per game (3.83) and free throw percentage (.897). The 6-7 forward guided Creighton to an impressive 29-win season as well as a sixth seed in the NCAA Tournament.

MVC Freshman of the Year

David Moss, Indiana State

In his first year of collegiate ball, Moss led the Sycamores in minutes (32.4 mpg), points (13.2 ppg) and free throw percentage (.806).

MVC Newcomer of the Year

Aaron Hogg, Wichita State

Hogg, a junior guard from Indianapolis, connected on over 46% of his three-point attempts, and earned the conference’s “Sixth Man” award.

MVC Defensive Player of the Year

Jamar Howard, Wichita State

Howard, a 6-5 forward, registered solid numbers in rebounds (5.8), steals (1.4) and blocks (0.4) per game, helping the Shockers to a third place finish in the MVC.

MVC Coach of the Year

Steve Merfeld, Evansville

In Merfeld’s first year as coach at Evansville, the Aces doubled their conference win total of a year ago, finishing much higher than expected in Valley play.

Southern Illinois (24-7, 16-2/1st MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 2/3

Key losses:
F Jermaine Dearman (graduated)
G Kent Williams (graduated)

Key returns:
G Darren Brooks
G Stetson Hairston
C Josh Warren

New coach for 2003-04: Matt Painter (replaces Bruce Weber who left to coach Illinois)

Leading scorer: Kent Williams, 15.3 ppg
Leading rebounder: Jermaine Dearman, 6.5 rpg
Leading assist man: Darren Brooks, 3.3 apg

Creighton (29-5, 15-3/2nd MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 2/3

Key losses:
F Kyle Korver (graduated)
G Larry House (graduated)

Key returns:
F Mike Grimes
F Brody Deren
F Michael Lindeman

Leading scorer: Kyle Korver, 17.8 ppg
Leading rebounder: Kyle Korver, 6.3 rpg
Leading assist man: Tyler McKinney, 4.1 apg

Wichita State (18-11, 12-6/T-3rd MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 0/5

Key losses:
G Craig Steven (graduated)

Key returns:
G Randy Burns
G Jerome Holman
G Aaron Hogg
F Jamar Howard

Leading scorer: Randy Burns, 15.1 ppg
Leading rebounder: Jamar Howard, 6.0 rpg
Leading assist man: Jerome Holman

Southwest Missouri State (17-12, 12-6/T-3rd MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 1/4

Key losses:
G Terrance McGee (graduated)

Key returns:
G Merrill Andrews
F Monwell Randle
F Shelton Colwell
F Tamarr Maclin

Leading scorer: Terrance McGee, 14.9 ppg
Leading rebounder: Monwell Randle, 7.1 rpg
Leading assist man: Terrance McGee, 4.1 apg

Evansville (12-16, 8-10/T-5th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 3/2

Key losses:
G Tobias Brinkley (graduated)
F Ian Hanavan (graduated)
F Larry Ferguson (graduated)

Key returns:
G Clint Cuffle
G Lucious Wagner
C Dan Lytle

Leading scorer: Clint Cuffle, 16.5 ppg
Leading rebounder: Ian Hanavan, 7.3 rpg
Leading assist man: Lucious Wagner, 3.2 apg

Bradley (12-18, 8-10/T-5th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 1/4

Key losses:
C Michael Stewart (graduated)

Key returns:
G Marcello Robinson
G Phillip Gilbert
G James Gillingham
F Danny Granger

Leading scorer: Danny Granger, 19.2 ppg
Leading rebounder: Danny Granger, 7.9 rpg
Leading assist man: Marcello Robinson, 4.6 apg

Northern Iowa (11-17, 7-11/7th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 0/5

Key losses:
G Ryan Paulsen (graduated)

Key returns:
G Ben Jacobson
G Chris Foster
F David Gruber
F Matt Schneiderman

Leading scorer: David Gruber, 13.3 ppg
Leading rebounder: Matt Schneiderman, 7.6 rpg
Leading assist man: Chris Foster, 4.2 apg

Drake (10-20, 5-13/8th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 2/3

Key losses:
F J.J. Sola (graduated)
F Greg Danielson (graduated)

Key returns:
G Lonnie Randolph
G Luke McDonald
G Josh Robinson

New coach for 2003-04: Tom Davis (replaces Kurt Kanaskie)

Leading scorer: J.J. Sola, 14.4 ppg
Leading rebounder: Greg Danielson, 8.9 rpg
Leading assist man: Lonnie Randolph, 3.4 apg

Illinois State (8-21, 5-13/9th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 1/4

Key losses:
F Baboucarr Bojang (graduated)

Key returns:
G Vince Greene
G Gregg Alexander
G Trey Guidry
F Marcus Arnold

New coach for 2003-04: Porter Moser (replaces Tom Richardson)

Leading scorer: Vince Greene, 12.3 ppg
Leading rebounder: Gregg Alexander, 5.0 rpg
Leading assist man: Vince Greene, 4.4 apg

Indiana State (7-24, 2-16/10th MVC)

Number of starters lost/returning: 1/4

Key losses:
F Brian Giesen (graduated)

Key returns:
G David Moss
G Wilfred Antoine
G Marcus Howard
G Lamar Grimes

Leading scorer: David Moss, 13.2 ppg
Leading rebounder: Brian Giesen, 5.1 rpg
Leading assist man: Wilfred Antoine, 3.2 apg

D-1 Independent 2002-03 Season Recap

D-1 Independents 2002-03 Season Recap

by Stephen Murphy

The 2002-03 season was like most other independent basketball seasons -
unawardful. No conference tournament to write about, no post season glamour.
The NCAA does not keep official statistics for Independent teams, so while
we’re paying attention, and giving tribute, most Athletic Directors wish
some Conferences were.

Birmingham Southern has just finished their
provisional status, and will be an official member of the Big South
Conference next season. Centenary is ecstatic to join the Mid Continent
Conference, and more elated to officially compete in that conference
immediately. Some Independent teams are new to D-1 so the struggle
they ensued was expected, as no Independent team finished above .500.
Centenary earned the highest marks at 14-14. Andrew Wisniewski was named the
Independent Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and was one of three players
from last year’s team to earn repeat honors.

The Islanders (Texas A&M
Corpus-Christi) were left with sour tastes in their mouths just missing the
.500 mark at 14-15. Texas Pan-American was the closest after those two with
a dismal 10-20 mark. Each year that goes by without earning an acceptance
into a conference a team is left to wither in anguish.

For some it seems
that there is no direction to go but down, an unfortunately for Morris Brown
not only were they pointed that way, they were expeditiously stripped of
their athletics for failing to meet the requirements.

In a decision not embraced by the Wolverine athletic staff at Morris Brown,
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools denied the historically
black college request to restore its accreditation in April. Morris Brown
has suspended its sports programs; all of the coaches were laid off. A lack
of Financial constancy caused MB to lose its accreditation in December, the
school has since just lost its appeal at the hands of the SACC. Morris Brown
is the only black college founded by blacks in Georgia, and they just lost a
trial for their athletic livelihood. It was certainly a season of streaks
for the coach Thompson and the Wolverines, and unfortunately those streaks
will come to an end.

Morris Brown was forced to fight in the final stage of the modern war on
horseback, and the result was inevitable. Morris Brown has been dealing with
rising debt of about $27 million, $10 million of which is supposedly due in
a couple of weeks. There are also accusations by Federal investigators that
the school illegally received millions in student financial aid and used it
to pay debts.

As a result of the loss of accreditation, Morris Brown no
longer qualifies for federal financial aid unfortunately relied upon by
nearly 90 percent of its students. Oh, by the way, the school’s membership
in the United Negro College Fund will be removed, and students will be
scrambling to find a University to accept some credits they obtained during
their tenure at MBU for transfer.

For some this comes as no surprise, In 2001 the situation was So bad
financially that the basketball team spent $3.5 million against $1.9 million
in revenues. Coach Derek Thompson forked out $1,500 from his own pocket
trying to recruit. Thompson had to take the place of the team trainer, and
tape ankles, also wash uniforms, The reason: One of his assistants had
resigned during the trip, the other was suspended, and the school (for
budget reasons) had forbidden the manager and trainer from traveling with
the team.

Hoopville’s All-Independent Awards

Player of the Year

Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary

Defensive Player of the Year

Corey Lamkin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Newcomer of the Year

David Simon, Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne

Freshman of the Year

James Poindexter, Lipscomb

Coach of the Year

Kevin Johnson, Centenary

First Team All-Independent:
Brian Evans, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Amien Hicks, Morris Brown
Corey Lamkin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Kevin Mitchell, Texas-Pan American
Andrew Wisniewski, Centenary

Second Team All-Independent
Travis Bailey, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Michael Gale, Centenary
Ryan Roller, Lipscomb
Chad Hartman, Lipscomb
Ric Wyand, Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne

Centenary

The Gents finished with the best record of any Independent team at 14-14,
not bad for smallest NCAA Division I school in the country. Centenary was
the cream of Independent crop, and hands down had the best player in the
conference in Andrew Wisniewski. Wisniewski finished the season as the
Independent player of the year, and was a selection on the all-Independent
team for the 2nd year in a row. Wisniewski started all 28 games for the
Gents and led the team in minutes, points, assists, and steals. Coach Kevin
Johnson is thrilled to have Andrew back for another season, as the Gents
aren’t losing a player to graduation.

Centenary won’t get complacent, as Kevin Johnson has announced that Cody
Hopkins has signed a letter of intent to play for the Gents beginning in the
2003-04 season. Hopkins is a 6’6″ small forward from Texas who comes from
Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. Hopkins can light it up from the arc
and can create shots off his dribble, which can give the Gents an additional
scoring option next season. Hopkins joins fall signees Stanley Turner and
Troy Williams in this year’s recruiting class. Centenary will become the
ninth member of the Mid-Continent Conference beginning in the 2003-2004
season, and the school will be eligible for conference championships and
NCAA tournament automatic bids immediately. With the return of their star
Wisniewski, and their four other starters, Centenary will have colossal
impact on the Mid Continent Conference. The Gents might have a small
enrollment of just 890 students, But Wisniewski and clan will be sure to
make their entrance is felt. Centenary will by far be the smallest school in
the Mid-Con.

Key players returning:
Senior guard – Andrew Wisniewski
Senior guard/forward – Michael Gale
Senior forward – Shawn Davis
Senior guard – Rickey Evans
Junior guard – Josh Thibodeaux
Senior guard/forward – Aaron Moseley

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi

A&M was the Independent’s second best team just finishing under the .500
mark at 14-15 this season. Head Coach Ronnie Arrow developed a reputation
for up-tempo, high scoring teams. Arrow’s fast pace style is what guided A&M
to a semi-successful season. Arrow and company will not stop there, the
Islanders envision something, and it is not prefaced with “semi” like their
supposed successful season. Arrow will keep ingraining his up-tempo style,
imploring his guards to push the ball up court. Whether or not the
comprehension and talent will come forth remains the question at large. The
good news for A&M is that the Bailey brothers will be back for their senior
season. The Bailey’s have adjusted well to Arrow’s fast pace, and can be a
prolific scoring combo for the Islanders next year. Thomas Bailey is a small
forward who can play the 2 (SG) Tracy Mcgrady like in his size for his
position, George Gervin like with his finger-roll style. Thomas has yet to
reach his potential, and lacks physical presence.

Derrick Murphy is a
contrast to Bailey. Murphy is more the blue-collar physical type, the 6’7″
Jr. power forward who has a knack for getting the ball, and puts up the most
consistent effort for the Islanders. The good news is that Murph is back,
the bad, outdated news is that Murph did not have the success the Islander
staff envisioned, and they aspire larger things for Derrick in 2003-04. With
all that said, the real news is that Brian Evans the floor General is also
back for the upcoming season, and he is the integral part in this run and
gun style. Second in scoring to Travis Bailey but the Islander leader in
assists, he will prove invaluable in the season to come where A&M will
return ALL of their starting lineup.

Key returning players:
Travis Bailey, forward – SR
Brian Evans, Guard – SR
Thomas Bailey, Forward – SR
Aaron White, Guard – SO
Derrick Murphy, Forward – SR

Texas Pan-American

UTPA finished the season with a 10-20 mark, slightly disappointing after
last season’s 20-10 finish, which left most Bronc fans livid after not
getting a NIT selection. The worst loss will be forthcoming for Coach Bob
Hoffman’s staff due to the graduation of Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell was an
immediate impact for UTPA upon arrival. Mitchell was named first team
All-Independent as the 2002-2003 A repeat winner after being named second
team All-Independent last year. Mitchell led the Broncs in scoring this
season, averaging 14.7 points per game, was tied for the team lead with 48
steals, and was second with 97 assists. One of two players to start every
game, Mitchell scored 20 points or more in a game eight times, and was in
double figures in scoring 22 times, including a stretch of 12 consecutive
games, a stretch that included only two home games. He broke the UTPA
all-time single-season record by playing 1,072 minutes and ranks fourth on
the all-time single-season list with 79 three-point field goals and 222
three-point attempts during the 2002-2003 season. He also is tied for fourth
on the all-time career list at UTPA with 134 three-point field goals, and is
fifth on the all-time career list with 351 three-point attempts.

UTPA will
also miss defensive minded guard James Davis, who Sparked the Broncs
defensively playing in 29 of the Broncs’ 30 games last season. Hoffman, to
the Bronc’s content decided to stay at UTPA, withdrawing his name in
consideration from Campbell University. Hoffman then quickly went on the
recruiting trail adding more recruits for the fall. Alvaidas Gedminas, a
seven-foot center from Plunge, Lithuania, Gedminas hopes to prevent the
Broncs from taking another plunge like they did this year. UTPA also landed
Ryan Lange, a 6-11 center from Inwood, Iowa will join the Broncs this fall.
Both Gedminas and Lange will enter as juniors, with two years of
eligibility. Gedminas averaged a double-double last season for the
Firebirds, scoring 12.6 points per game and pulling down 12 boards per game.
Gedminas ranked fifth in rebounding in Division I of the National Junior
College Athletic Association. Alvaidas will bring size and strength to a
Bronc team on the rebound next season. Also signing were two players from
Temple College in Texas. Sergio Sanchez, a 5-10 guard, and his Temple
teammate Ray Castillo, a 6-5 guard, will join the Broncs this fall. Both
players are from San Antonio, TX and South San Antonio HS. Sanchez and
Castillo will enter Texas-Pan American as juniors, with two years of
eligibility. Castillo was the leading scorer for Temple in conference play,
averaging 16.3 points per game.

Key players returning:
junior guard Eric Montalvo junior
Senior forward Allen Holcomb
Senior guard Prince Thompson

Indiana Purdue – Ft. Wayne

The Mastodons failed to improve on a 7-21 season the prior season. The
season got off to a very torpid start for the Mastodons, which saw them drop
their first five games, before finally earning a victory November 30th at
home versus Eastern Kentucky. IPFW defeated Lipscomb in their very next
game, but went on to drop their next eight. Things were so bad in FT Wayne
that they only had two wins by January 7th. Coach Knoll knew he had a
struggle on his hands, that’s why IPFW hired assistant Coach Cliff
Levingston in the off season to help his young Mastodon team in the low
post. Deangelo Woodall is out of eligibility, and Terry Collins had a
disappointing season for coach Noll, and staff. Knoll went on the recruiting
trail in 02-03 and landed standout guard Quinton Carouthers, and forward
Kyle Thrasher. The two only averaged 3.8 points combined last season. Next
seasons success is going to be attributed to the basketball augmentation of
those two. The ball is going to go through forward Ric Wyand, and center Jim
Kessinich. Kessinich is athletic for a big man who can stretch out defenses
with his outside ability, and can also run the floor well for a big man.
Wyand shot 42% from beyond the 3-pt arc, and was the second leading Mastodon
scorer. The Mastodons only lose one starter in Jeremy King. Simon was the
newcomer of the year in Independent play.

Back to the recruiting trail to help improve on 10 wins in the past two
seasons. Noll inked point guard Lewis Cass Bauer to play Basketball at IPFW.
Bauer led his team to a perfect 26-0 record this season, including a State
Championship. He led his team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals.
Bauer will be a point guard of the future, and can compete with Carouthers
for the point slot. Joining Bauer in this year’s recruiting class is Eric
Bergstrom, a 6-10 center out of Milaca, Minnesota. Bergstrom averaged 18
points and 9 rebounds per game in his senior year. Other recruits include:
Byron Malone, 6-0 guard out of Indianapolis North Central, Pete Campbell,
6-7 forward from Yorktown, Indiana, and Garrett High School standout Justin
Hawkins. Hawkins averaged 16.5 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game for
the Railroaders, as they went 18-5 this season.

Key returning players:
Jim Kessenich – F/C SR
Ric Wyand – F JR
Terry Collins – G JR
David Simon – C JR
Quintin Carouthers – G SO
Kyle Thrasher – F JR

Morris Brown

We can talk all day about the aforementioned budget dilemma that has caused
Morris Brown to suspend all athletics indefinitely. In a lesser dilemma the
Wolverines finished the season 8-20, a slight improvement over their prior
season. The dream is gone most likely for most MBU players; organized
basketball has come to a crashing end for members of this Wolverine squad.

Coach Dereck Thompson was gong to miss Amien Hicks anyway, Hicks led all
Independents in rebounding with an astounding 12.4 rebounds per game
average, that’s four more rebounds than Corey Lamkin who is second on the
list. Hicks was second in the nation, in rebounds per game, averaging 2.4
more than Nick Collison, and only .2 less than leader Brandon Hunter of
Ohio. Coach Thompson knew in the season prior that he had to get help on the
boards, that is why he was able to bring in some football players from MBU.
I suppose Hicks knows how to get into a 3-pt stance, as he had a lot of help
from members of an opposite sport. Guard Anthony Adams was second in
Independent scoring in points per game with 16.8. The Wolverines were
noticeably better, the team was coming together, although they were still
scheduling games with the elite (USC, Clemson, Rutgers) MBU was able to pull
together during the second half of the season. The Wolverines won for their
first time this season in their second contest; they would subsequently drop
their next 12 games before finally obtaining a victory over Clark Atlanta to
start a four game winning streak. Needless to say their eight victories
were three more than the five they earned in 2002. The Purple in Black will
no longer be allowed to assay their talent or try to elevate their games
against superior competition, and we salute Morris Brown for playing with
passion, and playing to win.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The
credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred
by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short
again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and
spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and
timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Lipscomb

Youth was a big concern with ten freshman and sophomores last season. The
learning curve was hard to adjust to, as we wait to see if the adjustments
can be made for some sophomores next year. The Bison had anything but a
successful season. Coach Scott Sanderson was signed to a contract extension
last year, and brought in two solid recruits in Craig Schoen, and James
Poindexter to battle out for the point guard slot. 8-20 is not what Lipscomb
had envisioned in 2003. Schoen, Poindexter, and Jeff Dancy (their best
athlete) are all returning next season. Lipscomb unfortunately will be
losing its senior leader, and scoring leader in Ryan Roller who averaged
13.1 points a game last season. Roller was named to the All-Independent
second team. 6’10″ SR. center Albert Hacker needs to throw his body around
and be a double-double threat. Hacker started 18 games, averaged only 7.4
points, and pulled down just under five rebounds per game, something he
should improve on in his Senior season. The bench should be improved this
season with Cameron Robinson, and. Charlie Jenney, a 220-pound freshman
center who return for their sophomore seasons ready to provide adequate
support.

Like all Independents, the Bison’s schedule as rugged. Kansas State, and
Pepperdine tuned up against the Bisons at home before Christmas, then it was
on to Nebraska where Lipscomb was handed a modest ten-point Husker defeat.
The schedules stay the same; it’s the execution that needs to excel. The
Bisons are geared up at the guard position with Dancy returning at the SG
slot, and with Schoen, Poindexter, and G/F Chad Hartman returning for his
Senior Season. With most of the Bison starters back next season, and
hopefully a steady point guard, and bench, a double digit win total may not
be out of the question.

Key returning players:
Chad Hartman – G SR
James Poindexter – G SO
Craig Schoen – G SO
Jeff Dancy – G JR
Albert Hacker – C SR

Savannah State

Rumors are starting to swirl that the transition to Division-1 will soon
have similar effects on SSU, as it had on Morris Brown. SSU finished the
season with a dismal 3-24 record, and is 6-47 combined in the last two
seasons. To cap it off, the Tigers have aren’t in double figures in wins
over the last three seasons (9-71). The school formerly known as Georgia
State, they were officially accepted to D-1 on September 1, 2002. Even with
the impressive playing resume of Head Coach Edward Daniels Jr., who played
at Indiana for two years, before transferring to Marquette (runners up in
73-74), SSU is still radically behind pace. Two of the three Tiger victories
have come over Independent teams, a 67-58 over a now defunct Morris Brown
team, and a 10 point win over Lipscomb. Of course the season came to an
immediate struggle as SSU opened against Florida State, and two games later
would face the Hurricanes of Miami. The good news is the Tigers are only
losing one player to graduation, or eligibility, as they will return 4/5 of
their starting line-up in 2003-04. Two of their three top scorers were
freshman in Jamal Daniels, and Sherard Redick. SSU did not have a senior on
their roster; experience was lacking and now can play into Daniel’s hands as
they try to keep their focus on Athletics, and off rumored fiscal
difficulties.

Key returning players:
Jamal Daniels – G SO
Sherard Redick – F SO
Christopher Daniel – G SR
Donald Carson – F JR
Brian Boatwright – F JR

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Thursday, May 29th:

First a hearty welcome back to Army Reservist Stephen Murphy, who has been active in the War on Terror overseas since February. Stephen returns with a great D-I Indpendent Recap. Welcome back, Stephen!

It’s Official: Michigan State made it official. As you’ll recall from yesterday’s dish, the Spartans are shooting for the college basketball attendance record by using the NFL Detroit Lions’ Ford Field. The opponent: A rematch of last year’s thrilling 71-67 win over Kentucky. The date: December 13th, 2003. Both coaches are thrilled with the opportunity.

But here’s the hidden story: The game is likely slated for the same weekend of the traditional Michigan-Duke matchup, scheduled for Ann Arbor – a mere 35 minutes away on I-94. This game is quite the opportunity for Michigan State to thumb its nose towards Ann Arbor, and Kentucky towards Durham. According to both Duke and Michigan basketball officials, the schedule hasn’t been announced, and CBS Sports representatives have not finalized their broadcast schedules as of today. First news should come from Durham, as the Blue Devils will be releasing their schedule by the end of June.

More Bad News in Fresno: Adding more fuel to the fire, a former academic adviser for the Fresno State basketball program has allegedly been linked to the program’s cheating scandal. According to the Fresno Bee, former adviser Kaite Felten orchestrated some of the cheating during the Jerry Tarkanian reign, which she has denied. But according to documents obtained by the Bee, the NCAA and the school believe Felten was involved. This finding could lead to severe penalties against the Bulldog program. The NCAA infractions committee will hear from Fresno State on June 14th in Kansas City, Missouri.

Holding Court: Former Duquesne hoopster Courtney Wallace is suing the university and doctors for failure to properly treat his medical condition as a player. Wallace claims that Allegheny General Hospital, his health care provider while in school, didn’t treat him for hypertension after he informed the hospital of his ailment. Due to the condition, Wallace is now suffering from kidney failure. Last spring, after returning from playing professional basketball in South America, Wallace was diagnosed with kidney failure by Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. The university has not commented as of yet.

He’s Back. Nope, He’s Gone: Iowa State freshman forward Adam Haluska changed his mind again, and has indicated he will transfer from the Cyclones program. Haluska, who was troubled by the Larry Eustachy mess (weren’t we all), started every game as a freshman this past season and averaged over 9 points and 3 boards per game. Haluska has not mentioned a possible target school.

Senate Expands to 53 States: Congress believes in the Big East. Members of Congress wrote a letter to the “ACC Three” (Miami, Syracuse, and Boston College) imploring them to stick with the Big East so as not to screw up the gains made by women’s athletics. Senators from Connecticut, West Virginia, New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania signed the letter – all from non-transitional Big East states. No reaction from the schools, of course.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Wednesday, May 28th:

Big-Time Hoops: Well they’re at it again. Michigan State, who 19 months ago brought us college hockey under the stars in a football stadium, now wants to have a Spartan basketball game in the new Ford Field, home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. The goal, of course, is to break the attendance record for a college basketball game, set 13 years ago with 68,112 spectators in the New Orleans Superdome watching LSU versus Notre Dame. Ford Field holds 65,000 for football, but several thousand seats could be added to the floor. No date or opponent has been set as of yet, however one would wonder why MSU isn’t considering the Pontiac Silverdome, the NFL Lions former home, which is vacant and can accommodate over 80,000, and wouldn’t collide with a potential football game conflict. MSU holds the attendance record for hockey with 74,554 fans that witnessed a 3-3 tie with Michigan in October 2001, played on a special rink brought onto the Spartan Stadium football field.

New Assistant Bronc: Rider has named Lackawanna College (Scranton, Pennsylvania) head coach Tommy Dempsey as an assistant to Don Harnum’s staff. Dempsey, who has an 88-12 record in three seasons as a JuCo coach, led Lackawanna to the NCJAA D-2 Finals this season, and was named Region 19 Coach of the Year. Dempsey replaces Jim Engles on Harnum’s staff, as Engles left after six seasons at Rider to take a similar position on Columbia’s staff under new coach Joe Jones. Prior to last season, Dempsey was a coach at Keystone College (La Plume, Pennsylvania), where his squads went 27-0 at home, and he won three more Coach of the Year awards, and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year. For what it’s worth, head coach Don Harnum was MAAC Coach of the Year. Lots of hardware in Lawrenceville.

Ex-Hokie Hospitalized: Former Virginia Tech head coach Bobby Hussey was hospitalized over the weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a blood clot in his brain. Hussey, who led the Hokies from 1997 to 1999, and later was an assistant for Clemson under Larry Shyatt, had complained of headaches earlier in the week. Following tests Friday, he was hospitalized. Hussey was not retained by new Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell last month, but was scheduled to run two Charlotte-area basketball camps this summer.

SWAC On The Air: The Major Broadcasting Cable Network (MBC) announced an exclusive deal with the Southwestern Athletic Conference for five years of football and basketball telecasts, starting this fall. The Atlanta-based MBC, a minority 0&O 24-hour cable network in the south, is scheduled to air over 100 SWAC football and basketball games this upcoming season. Present at the press conference were notables such as Evander Holyfield and Cecil Fielder (both MBC Vice Chairmen), Grambling State’s football coach Doug Williams, and Jackson State’s golf coach Eddie Payton.

Huggins Mother Passes On: The mother of Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins passed away over the weekend. Norma Mae Huggins, 68, passed away in Canton, Ohio from colon cancer. By vocation she was a cook at her husband Charlie’s basketball camp for over thirty years. Funeral services will be private.

Off the Front Rim

Off the Front Rim

by Dean Austin

find myself fascinated by the story of Jayson Blair, the disgraced former New York Times scribe who resigned after allegedly filing false reports. Tom Goldstein in an article well worth reading in the San Francisco Chronicle opinioned, “No breach of faith in modern journalism measures up in size, scope and audacity to the misdeeds committed by Jayson Blair of the New York Times.”

Why are people surprised by this? We have evolved over the past 40 years into a society that thrives on instant gratification; a society that looks for the short cut in everything we do, where lay away is replaced by credit cards and where I want my ten minute brownies in five damn it! It used to be that an individual invested significant time in their career, hard work that brought reward after an appropriate time.

Why should journalism be exempt from this malaise? Now of course I always cite my sauces. A1 is kind of good, the veritable HP sauce is a classic but for just the right taste on those greens, try Heinz Salad Cream. And yet, all silliness aside, would you know if I didn’t? Take for example the case of San Jose State freshman Antonio Lawrence who declared for the NBA draft. Lawrence is a talent, and even as a freshman has enough of the dreaded “upside” to potentially intrigue someone at the end of the 2nd round. The young man has generally been dissed for declaring and ESPN even went so far as to label it the worst early entry decision. All true, but apparently the story behind this decision is rather sad. Lawrence’s Grandmother is said to have cancer and the freshman is going pro in the hope of raising some money. How do I know this, intrepid reporting, unique sources? The answer is in fact a quick couple of paragraphs, without even a reporter byline, at the end of an article in the Alameda Times Star talking about a Pacific 10 conference expansion.

But would you have known if I had started this column announcing my “exclusive?” And would I have been caught? The answer I’m afraid is probably no to both.

This need for instant gratification was never more evident this past week. King James signs a $90 million shoe contract, prevents the Gunds from selling their franchise and energizes an entire city whose current claim to fame is Drew Carrey. Hey whatta you know, Carey was right, Cleveland Rocks! Of course his LeBron-ness is a prodigious talent, can fly through the air with the greatest of ease and has a court awareness that leaves the scouts drooling. There does however remain more than a sneaking suspicion that he can use a little work on his game, especially his outside shot. The NBA is not the place to be learning such a skill, even Kobe and KG took time to adjust and could have used the time in college.

You can’t blame Carmelo Anthony for going pro after winning the National Championship. Well maybe you can’t but I can. It’s a dumb move. Sure he’ll go to Denver and play well with the Nuggets for a couple of years, see out his rookie contract and sign with the Knicks. But even given his supreme talent this is a young man that could have benefited from three more years of college. He’ll make his millions now and in the future but those missed years of fundamentals will prevent him from being a Superstar. Maybe he doesn’t care, but he’ll never be the player he could have been.

It seems a lifetime ago that Michael Jordan stayed three years at North Carolina and then you realize that it is a lifetime ago. LeBron was born after Jordan left North Carolina. There will never be “another Michael Jordan” until one of the great high schoolers bucks the trend and goes to college for more than a cup of tea. Jordan’s disdain for his teammates lack of work ethic was self-evident all year in Washington. Most individuals learn to knuckle down at the end of high school and during college. You learn what is required to be successful in the workplace. Remove that urgency and you end up with the self-centered lackadaisical pro basketball players we have today. The NBA is worse for it and so is the college game.

West Coast 2002-03 Season Recap

West Coast Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Jimmy Spencer

The 2002-03 West Coast Conference season was highlighted yet again by another amazing run by the Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9 overall, 12-2 in WCC). The Bulldogs, led by 2002-03 WCC Player of The Year, junior guard Blake Stepp, took No. 1-seeded Arizona to the wire in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately lost 96-95 in double-overtime.

The other exciting run came from San Diego (18-12 overall, 10-4 in the WCC), who finished second in the conference and upset Gonzaga in the conference tournament finals to win their first ever WCC tournament title. The Toreros, led by senior forward Jason Blair, made their third-ever tournament appearance and their first appearance since 1987. They earned a No. 13 seed, but dropped to Stanford in the first round.

In conference tournament play, San Francisco (15-14 overall, 9-5 in WCC) defeated Loyola Marymount, but fell to San Diego in the semi-finals. It was the fourth-consecutive year that USF has lost to the host team in the West Coast Tournament and the third-straight in San Diego. WCC first-team honorees guard John Cox and senior forward Darrell Tucker led USF.

Saint Mary’s (15-15 overall, 6-8 in WCC) beat Pepperdine in the conference tournament before bowing out to Gonzaga in the semi-finals. The Gaels finished fifth in the conference and were led by their defense, which was best in the WCC allowing just 64.1 points per game. Freshman forward Daniel Kickert was the team’s leading scorer at 11.6 points per game.

Pepperdine (15-13 overall, 7-7 in WCC) finished fourth in the conference, led by WCC first-team member, sophomore guard Terrance Johnson. Santa Clara (13-15 overall), Portland (11-17 overall) and Loyola Marymount (11-20 overall) all finished with a conference record of 4-10, respectively. Loyola Marymount got the edge in tiebreakers to advance to the conference tournament, but ultimately lost in the first round to USF.

First-team West Coast Conference
John Cox: junior guard, USF
Blake Stepp: junior guard, GON
Jason Blair: senior forward, USD
Jimmy Miggins: senior forward, PEP
Jason Keep: senior center, USD

Honorable Mention:
Terrance Johnson, sophomore guard, PEP
Samuel St. Jean, senior guard, SMC
Ronny Turiaf, sophomore center, GON
Cory Violette, junior forward/center, GON
Darrell Tucker, senior forward, USF

Conference Player of the Year:

Blake Stepp: junior guard, Gonzaga

Stepp is the third-straight Gonzaga player to win the WCC player of the year award. The Eugene, Oregon native averaged 18 points and six assists in 2002-03. He is a rhythm shooter with great range and excellent court awareness.

Stepp was the WCC’s top scorer in conference play at 20.6 points while also leading the league in assists at 5.79 per contest. Stepp, the third-straight Gonzaga player to win the award (Dan Dickau, 2002 and Casey Calvary, 2001), was one of 52 players invited to the 2003 USA Basketball Men’s National Team Trials.

Freshman of the Year:

Alex Acker: guard, Pepperdine

In conference play, Acker was the top-ranked freshman in scoring (13.9 points), assists (3.57) and rebounding (5.2 boards). Coming from Eisenhower High in Rialto, Calif., Acker red shirted in 2001-02, but became a starter for the injury-plagued Waves this past season. He was the first Gael to win a WCC individual award since Eric Schraeder was honored Player of the year in 1999.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Anthony Woodards: senior guard, Saint Mary’s

The Gaels will miss their 6-foot-1 senior guard, who played as their defensive stopper for the last two seasons and helped the Gaels to finish as the conference’s best defensive team. He was frequently utilized to offset the opponents top perimeter scorers, including the WCC’s player of the year, Blake Stepp, and First Team-All WCC members John Cox of USF and Jimmy Miggins of Pepperdine.

Coach of the Year:

Mark Few, Gonzaga (third-straight year)

Few guided the Zags to their third-straight conference title and is proving to quite possibly be one of the top coaches in college basketball. He became only the fourth coach to win the conference award in three-consecutive seasons.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-9, 12-2)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 1/4

Key Players Leaving:
Winston Brooks, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Blake Stepp: senior guard
Ronny Turiaf: junior forward
Tony Skinner: senior guard
Cory Violette: senior center
Kyle Bankhead: Redshirt senior G/F

Coach’s Corner: Head Coach Mark Few won his third consecutive WCC Coach of the Year honors in the 2002-03 season.

Scoring Leader: Blake Stepp, 18.0
Rebounding Leader: Cory Violette, 8.0
Assist Leader: Blake Stepp, 6.0

Notes: With the return of most of their starters, the Zags should be knocking on the upset door again in 2003-04.

San Francisco Dons (18-13, 9-5)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 2/3

Key Players Leaving:
Darrell Tucker, forward: graduated
Shamell Stallworth, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
John Cox: senior guard
Jason Gaines: junior guard
James Bayless: junior forward

Coach’s Corner: Head Coach Phil Matthews, who just completed his eighth season at USF, signed a multi-year extension to stay at the helm.

Scoring Leader: Darrell Tucker, 18.5
Rebounding Leader: Darrell Tucker, 8.1
Assists Leader: Jason Gaines, 5.1

Notes: USF announced the signing of California State Junior College Player of the Year Tyrone Riley (6-7, 220) to an NCAA Letter of Intent.

San Diego Toreros (18-12 overall, 10-4 in WCC)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 4/1

Key Players Leaving:
Roy Morris, guard: graduated
Jason Blair, forward: graduated
Matt Delzell, g/f: graduated
Jason Keep, center: graduated

Key Players Returning:
Corey Belser, junior g/f
Nick Lewis, sophomore F/C

Scoring Leader: Jason Keep, 18.0
Rebounding Leader: Jason Keep, 9.1
Assists Leader: Matt Delzell, 3.5

Saint Mary’s Gaels (15-15, 6-8)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 1/4

Key Players Leaving:
Samuel Saint-Jean, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Daniel Kickert, sophomore forward
Chase Poole, senior forward
Tyler Herr, senior guard
Adam Caporn, junior guard

Scoring Leader: Daniel Kickert, 12.7
Rebounding Leader: Chase Poole, 8.2
Assists Leader: Samuel Saint-Jean, 3.7

Pepperdine Waves (15-13 overall, 7-7 in WCC)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 3/2

Key Players Leaving:
Boomer Brazzle, forward: graduated
Jimmy Miggins, forward: graduated
Mike Westphal, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Alex Acker, sophomore G/F
Terrance Johnson, junior guard
Robert Turner, junior forward

Scorer Leader: Jimmy Miggins, 15.4
Rebounding Leader: Boomer Brazzle 6.3
Assists Leader: Jimmy Miggins, 3.7

Portland Pilots (11-17 overall, 4-10 in WCC)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 0/5

Key Players Leaving:
Eric Knight, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Karl Aaker, junior guard
Casey Frandsen, senior guard
Dustin Geddis, senior forward
Patrick Galos, junior forward
Eugene Jeter, sophomore guard
Adam Quick, senior guard
Donald Wilson, sophomore guard

Scorer Leader: Casey Frandsen, 12.7
Rebounding Leader: Dustin Geddis, 5.9
Assists Leader: Adam Quick, 4.2

Loyola Marymount Lions (11-20, 4-10)

Starters Leaving/Returning: 0/5

Key Players Leaving:
Patrick Madigan, guard: graduated
Miroslav Neskovic, forward: graduated

Key Players Returning:
Charles Brown, junior guard
Kent Dennis, senior guard
Sherman Gay, senior forward
Keith Kincade, senior forward
Andy Osborn, junior forward
Wes Wardrop, sophomore guard
Brandon Worthy, sophomore guard

Scoring Leader: Charles Brown, 11.1
Rebounding Leader: Sherman Gay, 4.5
Assists Leader: Charles Brown, 4.4

Santa Clara Broncos (13-15, 4-10)

Starting Leaving/Returning: 1/4

Key Players Leaving:
Cord Anderson, forward: graduated

Key Players Returning
Bakari Altheimer, junior guard
Kyle Bailey, senior guard
Jim Howell, senior center
Jordan Legge, junior forward
J.R. Patrick, senior guard
Brandon Rohe, sophomore guard

Scoring Leader: Brandon Rhoe, 10.6
Rebounding Leader: Jim Howell, 6.2
Assists Leader: Bakari Altheimer and Brandon Rhoe, 2.4

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Tuesday, May 27th:

We’re back, and hope everyone had a good holiday extended three-day avoid-work o’rama. Back to business.

Trojans Jump to the Sun Belt: The theme of May seems to be schools jumping conferences, and today’s no different. Friday Troy State announced that they have accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference for all sports, effective after the 2004-05 school year. Due to A-Sun guidelines, a departing school has to give two-year’s notice by June 1st of the preceding year. The Trojans will become full members in the Sun Belt in the fall of 2005, while the football program will compete in the Sun Belt in the 2004 season.

NCAA Stays Out of It: Speaking of conference jumping, the NCAA has announced that they will stay out of the Big East-ACC tussle. Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, indicated Friday that he hasn’t spoken to ACC commissioner John Swofford or his Big East counterpart Mike Tranghese, and intends to let them make their own decisions. In a statement, Brand said “The role of the NCAA is to support our member institutions. However they align is up to them.”

UAB Settles with Victim: The University of Alabama-Birmingham settled a lawsuit Thursday brought by a teenager that implicated numerous student-athletes. The plaintiff, Brittany Benefield, now 18, sued the school in 2001, stating that she had become sexually exploited by more than two dozen UAB football and basketball players in her UAB dormitory, and that administrators, coaches, and campus police knew of the activity and failed to stop it. Before you do the math, Benefield received a high school diploma at age 13, and subsequently left UAB in the fall of 2000.

No Bobble: How do National Champion Syracuse, the Philadelphia Phillies’ farm team, and a fad gift item fit together into one story? Here you go: Syracuse’s other freshman phenom this season, Gerry McNamara, hails from Scranton (Bishop Hannan High School). The local Triple-A farm team of the Phillies, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, wanted to honor their hometown hero. So, being a baseball squad, they figured the best way to do it would be via a commemorative bobblehead doll. Not so fast, said Syracuse, who stated that the promotion would violate NCAA rules, and endanger McNamara’s eligibility. NCAA rules forbid student-athletes from taking part in promotions for commercial enterprises. The Red Barons are still working on a way to honor McNamara.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Friday, May 23rd:

Ping Pong Ball Show: The NBA Draft Lottery Selection Show Extravaganza was last night, and it looks like Cleveland go their man, er opportunity to get their man in June. Cleveland gets the first pick, followed by Detroit (passed on by Memphis in a trade), and Denver. Zach Van Hart has a good writeup on the Lottery Experience. Just think, most lottery commercial breaks have 2-3 ping pong ball pools, and last 30 seconds. Meanwhile this one went the full half-hour.

Bulldog Volunteer?: Jordan Howell, a high school recruit from Madison, Alabama, has been granted his release from his National Letter of Intent to Georgia, due primarily to the wreckage of the Jim Harrick regime. Howell has chosen to attend Tennessee this summer, and joining the basketball team later in the season. A 6-3 guard, Howell averaged 17.5 points and shot 47% from behind the arc this past season.

Dr. Tom Adds Son: New Drake head coach Dr. Tom Davis has named his son, Keno Davis as an assistant for the Bulldogs. Keno spent the last six seasons working under former Drake coach Gary Garner at Southeast Missouri State, and previously worked for his father as a graduate assistant at Iowa.

For Lease: New UCLA coach Ben Howland has granted a reprieve to high school recruit Sean Phaler, who is looking to enroll away from Westwood this fall due to the ouster of Steve Lavin. Howland notified Phaler, who averaged 19 points and 8 boards per game, that he is welcome to a spot on the squad and an athletic scholarship, but would see limited playing time under Howard’s new system. The real news is that Howland has given permission for schools to talk to Phaler, who is from Villa Park HS in Orange County, California. Currently New Mexico seems to be the leading candidate to bring Phaler to their school.

NBA Draft Lottery

Follow the Bouncing Ball

by Zach Van Hart

There is nothing like the NBA Draft Lottery. Thirteen executives, coaches or players sitting around, hoping their little ball pops up first so their team can select the best college, or high school, or foreign player out there. Forget the playoffs, this is NBA excitement.

Who cares that with each passing draft, teams are selecting less and less college players, let alone older college players. Does it matter the last time a college player was selected No. 1 was 2000 and one will not be the top pick this year either? Or the fact this year’s likely top three picks will have one combined year playing NCAA hoops? Ah, how cares it’s only the lotto right? So how did this year’s LeBron, I mean NBA, lotto breakdown? Let’s check it out.

First off, what’s the deal with the creepy guy moving his hands all over the place during the intro? I’m thinking it was Cleo, Neo’s long lost cousin. Did anyone else just want to yell, “You’re not the one,” into the TV?

From the get go it was made obvious this draft is all about LeBron, Carmelo and Darko Milicic. First, we heard about all three players’ past; then we even saw where each of three was watching the lottery. LeBron was heading up to a hotel in Akron, Carmelo was watching from home in Maryland, while Darko chilled at his agent’s office in New York.

None of them liked the camera too much, that’s for sure. It was great when they showed both Carmelo and Darko watching their own TV’s, so you could see them in their TV too. Couldn’t they just turn to the camera and wave? The camera doesn’t bite.

Then David Stern comes out and talks about how to handle the continuing younger crop of players entering the NBA. He even mentioned college credit programs. Now I thought the whole point of declaring early or jumping straight from high school is to avoid classes. Hey LeBron, I know you just signed a 90 million dollar shoe contract but we want to put you on a program to get a communications degree. Right.

But while Stern was talking, who caught the sweet revolving globe in the background? Forget a disco ball, I want that thing in the center of my living room.

Finally, 10 minutes into the show, we meet the thirteen guys hanging out in the background. Can you believe B. J. Armstrong still looks like he’s 10? I swear he is going to be the next Dick Clark with that young of a face. New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with B. J. Armstrong – has a nice ring to it.

Without a doubt, the coolest part of the draft is the mini-basketballs in front of each team’s representative. Reminds me of amusement parks, where you spend every penny you have just to shoot a free throw in hopes of winning a mini-ball, a ball you could easily buy for five bucks at Wal-mart.

This year, the last hoop showed off the new logo of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wow, this franchise even changed its colors for LeBron. There was some serious tension in the air, and all over northeastern Ohio as well.

The tension rose when the No. 6 envelope contained the Clippers, meaning the Grizzlies had moved up to one of the top three spots. And just to remind everyone this draft was about three players, the show went to commercial after the No. 4 envelope.

So we come back from commercial and all of a sudden Jerry West and Vince Carter have swapped positions. What was this about? Perhaps West’s crazy story about some farm animal was too much for Elgin Baylor and he requested a trade. Good thing those mini-basketballs were not glued in to those desks, or Baylor might have heard about West’s pets at home. And these guys were teammates for 12 years.

Then they announced the No. 3 pick, which went to Denver. So it was either Vancouver or Cleveland. Or Detroit as it turned out. Due to a trade many years ago, the Grizzles pick turned over to the Pistons unless it was the No. 1. So with his team warming up down the road at the Continental Airlines Arena, Pistons President Joe Dumars was rooting for an envelope. Man I love the lotto.

And when the No. 2 envelope revealed the Grizzles, did anyone else happen to think this must be the greatest moment in Cleveland owner Gordon Gund’s life? Gund stood up happier then a kid Christmas morning and then uttered the funniest line of the night – “We don’t know who we are going to pick yet.”

Ha, and I’m not sure if I would give Britney Spears a call if she gave me her digits. Gund could not even hold up for two seconds; he showed off the biggest cheese ever. I was half expecting him to announce the arena named after him would be changed to LeBron Arena for the next season.

So LeBron will be the top pick and play within an hour of home. And with the second pick, NBA analyst David Aldridge made it clear Detroit would select Mr. Milicic. Even when Dumars said at halftime the organization will discuss both players, Aldridge retorted with, “trust me folks, it’s Milicic.”

But do not fret college hoops fans, for it appears Mr. Anthony will be going No. 3 in the draft. And for all of those traditionalists out there, it sounds as if Kirk Hinrich will be a lottery pick. Well, that concludes another successful NBA Draft Lottery. Not only is it the most exciting NBA event of the year, but it’s also the only good reason for a lotto system in the first place.

So does anyone know the winning Pick 3 numbers from last night?

NEC 2002-03 Season Recap

Northeast Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Adam Shandler

2002-03 was the Year of the Seahawk. Dereck Whittenburg’s Staten Island club threshed through the season with a 21-11 overall record (14-4 in the NEC), while dominating at home with a 14-1 mark. The Seahawks, the clear favorite going into the NEC tournament, took home the conference crown then took an early but valiant exit against Pittsburgh in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Monmouth, at 13-5, and Central Connecticut, at 12-6, gave chase, but down the stretch, the Seahawks were just more poised.

NEC Tournament:

The Terriers were tough, but not tough enough for Wagner. St. Francis of New York tried to play spoiler in the conference tournament. The sixth seeded Terriers upset Cenn-Conn, 67-62, by hitting 13 3-pointers in the quarterfinals and followed that victory up with a semifinal smacking of Farleigh Dickinson, 88-66. (FDU, incidentally, upset No. 2 seed Monmouth in the quarterfinal round.) But it was Wagner who held on for the championship, a 78-61 W over its interborough rival. Jermaine Hall scored 27 points and hauled in 12 rebounds in the contest and took home NEC tourney honors — all under the watchful eye of hizzoner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Maryland-Baltimore County, who defects to the America East next year, Robert Morris, Mt. St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart failed to make the NEC tourney this season. Only the top eight schools qualify.

NCAA Tournament:

Pittsburgh’s 56-0 record against teams from the Northeast Conference was probably an omen of sorts. In its NCAA tournament game against Pitt, the 15th-seeded Seahawks were overmatched on two accounts — physicality and depth, and fell to the second-seeded (Midwest Region) Panthers, 87-61. NEC Player of the Year Jermaine Hall did not end his career without effort though. Hall hit for 17 points in the loss and finished with 2,278 points — good for fourth on the all-time NEC scoring chart.

First Team All-NEC
Antawn Dobie, Graduate Student Guard, Long Island
Darshan Luckey, Freshman Guard, St. Francis-PA
Jermaine Hall, Senior Forward, Wagner
Ron Robinson, Junior Forward, Central Connecticut
Clifford Strong, Senior Forward, St. Francis-NY

Honorable Mention
Joe Quintana, Freshman Guard, St. Francis-NY
Kason Mims, Junior Guard, Quinnipiac
Rashaun Banjo, Junior Forward, Quinnipiac
Rich Pittman, Sophomore Forward, Central Connecticut
Kevin Owens, Senior Center, Monmouth

Conference Player of the Year:

Jermaine Hall, Senior Forward, Wagner

A five-time player of the week this year, Hall opened up a bottle of offense and never corked it back up. The poor man’s James Worthy averaged 21.4 ppg and 7.1 rpg and became Wagner’s fourth all-time leading scorer. The Dublin, GA native tallied 47 straight double-digit games this year and poured in 17 in a loss to Pittsburgh in the first round of the Midwest Regionals of the NCAA tourney.

Rookie of the Year

Darshan Luckey, Freshman Guard, St. Francis-PA

In a conference laden with guards and rookies, Luckey stood out as the best of both. An eight-time NEC rookie of the week selection this year, Luckey was his team’s game-high scorer in 21 of 28 games. With a staggering average of 21.6 points a game, the Baltimore native was tops in NEC scoring among all players — not just frosh. Luckey dropped in 38 in a 102-89 loss to Wagner on February 3.

Defensive Player of the Year

Kevin Owens, Senior Center, Monmouth

Despite a tough opening round NEC loss to FDU in the conference tourney, the Hawks can hang their hat on the yeoman-like efforts of senior center Kevin Owens. At 6-10, Owens was one of the tallest and more dominating big men in the league. The native Jersey boy collected a league-best 6.54 defensive rebounds per game and was tops in blocks at 1.75.

Coach of the Year

Dereck Whittenburg, Wagner

He may be off to Fordham next year, but the NEC 2002-03 Coach of the Year is resoundingly Dereck Whittenburg. The man who made the 30-foot airball-pass to Lorenzo Charles in 1983 pulled off another miracle on Staten Island, taking an abysmal Seahawks team that was 6-12, 11-16 (overall) two seasons ago and making them the “it” team in the NEC. Whittenburg faces yet another uphill battle in the Bronx, where he inherits a struggling Rams program that has yet to find its footing in the A-10.

1. Wagner Seahawks (21-11, 14-4)

Team Leaders:
Jermaine Hall, Senior Forward, 21.4 ppg
Nigel Wyatte, Junior Forward, 8.6 rpg
Courtney Pritchard, Junior Guard, 4.9 apg

Coach: Dereck Whittenburg

Of Note: Wagner loses NEC conference and tournament player of the year Jermaine Hall, who came in first in team scoring, second in the conference. Dedrick Dye, second on the team at just over 12 ppg, also exits due to graduation…The Seahawks return nine of their eleven players next year…Wagner lost its last three regular season games but rallied to win three straight in the NEC tourney…Head coach Dereck Whittenburg has accepted the Fordham vacancy left by the embattled Bob Hill. No successor has been named at Wagner as of yet.

2. Monmouth Hawks (15-13, 13-5)

Team Leaders:
Dwayne Byfield, Sophomore Guard, 15.1 ppg, 1.6 spg
Kevin Owens, Senior Center, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Tyler Azzarelli, Freshman Guard, 3.2 apg, 1.6 spg

Coach: Dave Calloway

Of Note: Also a very young team, Monmouth loses just two seniors to graduation, but one of them is NEC Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Owens…Chris Kenny, an important freshman bench player this year, hit for 38% from 3-point range. He will join a very solid backcourt for next year…Hawks upset by Farleigh Dickinson, 63-51, in semifinal round of NEC Tournament.

3. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (15-13, 12-6)

Team Leaders:
Ricardo Scott, Junior Guard/Forward, 12.9 ppg
Ron Robinson, Junior Forward, 9.2 rpg

Head Coach: Howie Dickenman

Of Note: One senior leaves this program this year, team assist leader John Alexander…Forward Ron Robinson, the NEC’s leading rebounder is an all-NEC first team selection…Though his team has plenty of building blocks for the future, coach Howie Dickenman has been on a recruiting tear. He just signed forward Jemino Sobers (Scarborough, Ont.) and point guard T-Ron Christy of nearby Stratford, CT. Christy is an all-state selection and Top 15 player from the Nutmeg State. Sobers is a Canadian National Junior Team member who participated at Canada’s Nike Camp. The two new recruits join four others that were signed in the fall.

4. Quinnipiac Bobcats (17-12, 10-8)

Team Leaders:
Rashaun Banjo, Junior Forward, 13.4 ppg
Kason Mims, Junior Guard, 13.4 ppg, 4.6 apg
Jeremy Bishop, Senior Forward, 7.1 rpg

Coach: Joe DeSantis

Of Note: Quinnipiac enjoyed its second most successful season at the Division I level, and eighth-year coach Joe DeSantis is getting rewarded with a contract extension through 2007…Bobcats reached NEC tournament semifinals and placed Junior Forward Rashaun Banjo on the all-NEC tourney team after putting up an 18.5 postseason average…The “Q” graduates three seniors, including Jeremy Bishop, the team’s rebounding stud…Pierre Faye of the famed Trinity Valley (TX) Junior College has signed a letter of intent with the Bobcats. The 6-9 power forward from Senegal will have two years of eligibility left. He’ll fill the void left by Bishop nicely…Small forward Christian Burns of Hamilton (N.J.) High School has also agree to be a Bobcat. Burns averaged 19.8 ppg and 15.3 rpg, while leading his club to a 21-5 mark last season.

5. St. Francis of Pennsylvania Red Flash (14-14, 10-8)

Team Leaders:
Darshan Luckey, Freshman Guard, 21.6 ppg
Jason Osbourne, Sophomore Forward, 5.2 rpg
Dan Swoger, Senior Guard, 3.6 apg, 49.1% 3-Pt. Average
Erick WIlls, Junior Guard, 1.7 spg

Coach: Bob Jones

Of Note: Bob Jones got the most out of a very young team — especially out his youngest; freshman point guard Darshan Luckey, the NEC leading scorer…The Red Flash lose Dan Swoger, a very accurate guard and consummate team player…Six new faces will be seen on the St. Francis-PA roster next year, including power forward George Wright-Easy from Maine Central Institute — a real recruiting coup for Coach Jones. “[He's] a good rebounder who should bolster our inside game”, says Jones (source: team website)…SFC-PA will be very balanced next year: Three seniors, six juniors, one sophomore, five freshman and one redshirt.

6. Farleigh Dickinson Knights (15-14, 9-9)

Team Leaders:
Lionel Bomayako, Senior Forward, 12.4 ppg, 39% 3-Pt. Avg.
Gordon Klaiber, Freshman Forward, 4.0 rpg
Marcus Whitaker, Junior Guard, 2.4 apg

Coach: Tom Green

Of Note: Improved from 4-25 a year ago to 15-14 this season…Knights upset 2-seed Monmouth in the Quarterfinals of NEC tournament, 63-51, just five days after falling to the Hawks in OT in the last game of the regular season…FDU graduates four seniors, namely leading scorer Lionel Bomayako, a forward from Paris…Freshman guard Chad Timberlake was named to the NEC all-rookie team, averaging 6.5 ppg — 11 in the last five regular season games…Tom Green keeps with his overseas theme. 6-10, 245-pound center Andrea Crosariol of Italy recently signed a letter of intent to join the Knights. Crosariol played his high school ball at Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, NY. He’ll join fellow Knights from Croatia and Israel.

7. St. Francis of New York Terriers (14-16, 9-9)

Team Leaders:
Bronski Dockery, Senior Guard, 15.4 ppg
Clifford Strong, Senior Forward, 7.8 rpg
Tory Cavalieri, Sophomore Guard, 5.6 apg, 1.9 spg

Coach: Ron Ganulin

Of Note: The Terriers lose its two most potent weapons next year: guard and leading scorer Bronski Dockery and second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Clifford Strong. Strong was named to the 2002-03 all NEC first team…Terriers shocked NEC faithful by upsetting CCSU and FDU to earn a challenge against Wagner. SFU-NY fell to the Seahawks, 78-61…Terriers were 1-8 in January but won eight of their last ten games…Freshman guard John Quintana was named to the NEC all-rookie team.

8. Long Island Blackbirds (9-19, 7-11)

Team Leaders:
Antawn Dobie, Graduate Student Guard, 19.1 ppg, 7.4 apg, 1.7 spg
Derek Bell, Sophomore Forward, 7.6 rpg
JaJa Bey, Senior Forward, 82% FT

Coach: Jim Ferry

Of Note: Antawn Dobie received one extra year of eligibility this year and played as a grad student. The senior guard was an all-NEC first team selection this year and led the Blackbirds in ten statistical categories this year…Dobie scored 53 points and had 15 assists against St. Francis-NY in a double OT loss on Feb. 24…LIU averaged 17.3 turnovers a game, four less than opponents…Team loses five players next season, including Dobie and free throw shooting leader JaJa Bey.

9. Robert Morris Colonials (10-17, 7-11)

Team Leaders:
Maurice Carter, Sophomore Guard, 19.1 ppg
Chaz McCrommon, Junior Forward, 6.0 rpg
Aaron Thomas, Junior Forward, 6.0 rpg

Coach: Mark Schmidt

Of Note: Colonials had four players average in double figures but lost games by an average of four points…Failed to make NEC tournament…Graduates one senior this year, forward DeMarcus Ellis…Aaron Thomas named player of the week on November 25 for scoring 39 points in a win over UMKC…Schmidt signed four recruits and Penn State transfer Daren Tielsch, a sophomore forward who will be eligible at the end of the Fall semester 2003.

10. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (11-16, 6-12)

Team Leaders:
Landy Thompson, Freshman Guard, 15.6 ppg
Pat Atangana, Junior Forward, 5.0 rpg
Chris Sumner, Freshman Guard, 4.5 apg

Coach: Jim Phelan

Of Note: After 49 seasons and 1,354 games (the most by any coach at any level), Jim Phelan (and his bowtie) says goodbye to college hoops. Phelan, 73, won 830 games, all with Mount St. Mary’s. The National Coach of the Year Award will henceforth be named after him…Freshman Guard Landy Thompson was named to the NEC All-Rookie First Team with his 15.6 ppg average and conference fourth-best 62 3-pointers. Thompson scored 28 in his debut against NC State.

11. Sacred Heart Pioneers (8-21, 6-12)

Team Leaders:
Maurice Bailey, Junior Guard, 16.0 ppg
Zach Spivey, Junior Center, 4.6 rpg
Omar Wellington, Junior Guard, 4.6 apg, 2.2 spg

Head Coach: Dave Bike

Of Note: Lost nine out of their first 10 games this season…Outscored 2231 to 2007 in total this year, 1039 to 877 in the first half…Pioneers graduate two seniors this year and Bailey, Spivey and Wellington should make up nucleus…Four players were from overseas, including the nations of Luxembourg, Sudan, Cameroon and Trinidad.

12. Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (7-20, 5-13)

Team Leaders:
Kareem Washington, Junior Guard, 15.8 ppg, 2.9 apg
Andrew Feely, Sophomore, Forward/Center, 7.8 rpg, 55% FG

Coach: Tom Sullivan

Of Note: UMBC defects to the American East conference, effective next year. That bolsters the A-East at ten teams but leaves the NEC with eleven…finished 2002-03 campaign 1-10. Victory came in the last game of the season — an 80-58 quashing of Quinnipiac…Retrievers graduate two seniors, return nine…Assistant Coach Randy Monroe was one of only 21 Division I coaches (from all sports) to be honored as an AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Thursday, May 22nd:

Richardson Back in the News: It’s been a while since former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson has been in the news, but today’s the day. Yesterday, it was announced that his settlement with Arkansas after his March 1, 2002 firing did not preclude him from suing the school. So guess what? Richardson is now suing the school, three top officials and the Razorback Foundation, stating that he was fired because he is black and outspoken. Plus, apparently the school is including language not in the settlement on the actual checks, stating basically by depositing the check doesn’t mean that Richardson won’t have to repay the amount on appeal. The school has asked a federal court to dismiss the suit, as Arkansas is doing enough with the $3 million buyout. Circle May 3rd, 2004 on your calendars, as that’s when the trial is slated to begin.

Assistant Bobcat: Ohio University has announced that Brian Townsend has been named assistant coach under Tim O’Shea. Townsend replaces assistant Gary Manchel, who took the head coaching gig at Division II Mercyhurst College (Erie, Pennsylvania). Townsend has a colorful past. He was actually a starring linebacker for the University of Michigan in the early 90′s. Drafted in the 11th round of the 1992 draft by the Los Angeles Rams, Townsend spent a total of two seasons with the Rams and the Bengals, before returning to Northwest High School in Cincinnati as an assistant. His last job was as head coach at Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School, across the street from Michigan Stadium, where he led the Pioneers to their first state championship in 1999, three 20-win seasons, and was Michigan Region 6 Coach of the Year in 2002. Townsend earned a bachelors of Sports Marketing and Communication in 1991 and a degree in physical education and social science in 1996.

Dayton Names DOBO: That would be “Director of Basketball Operations”. Flyers’ new head coach Brian Gregory has named Jon Borovich to the DOBO post. Borovich, who was a graduate assistant with Gregory during his stay at Michigan State, got his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan in Coaching and Psychology, and was captain of the Chippewas basketball squad and was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Academic team his senior year (2001). He served as video analyst for the Spartan squad while pursuing his Master’s in Athletics Administration.

Ping Pong Balls Tonight: A reminder that tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery is being broadcast at 8:00pm Eastern on ABC, prior to the Nets-Pistons Game 3 tilt. Both Denver and Cleveland have an equal 22.5% chance of getting the number one pick. Toronto, Miami, and the Clippers round out the top (bottom?) five. This marks the 13th year of ping pong ball watching.

St Louis Eagles Invitational

Jordan Capital Classic Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

This past weekend, the eighth annual St. Louis Eagles Invitational was held at three sites near St. Louis. This tournament is a small event, with just 16 teams split into two divisions (17-and-under and 16-and-under), but it featured plenty of excellent individual talent from the Midwest.

The 16-and-under championship game was decided by forfeit, as the Tennessee Travelers made it to the game but had to leave beforehand. That made the Arkansas Wings victorious, but for good measure, the Wings dominated the St. Louis Eagles’ first entry in the 16-and-under in a game played in its place, winning 60-30.

In the 17-and-under championship game, the host St. Louis Eagles never got untracked offensively, committing numerous turnovers against an Illinois Warriors team that loves to run. The Warriors jumped out to an early double-digit lead before the Eagles tied it later in the half, then they got going again in the second half and never looked back in a 68-54 win. Tournament MVP Justin Dentman (6’1″ Jr. PG, Carbondale (IL) High) led the winners with 16 points, while fellow All-Tournament selections Eric Vierneisel (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Jacobs HS) and DeAaron Williams (6’5″ Jr. SF, Bartonville (IL) Limestone HS) each added 15.

Here is a look at some of the top performers from this tournament. Notable absences include the Illinois Warriors’ Cyrus Tate (6’8″ Jr. PF, Flossmoor (IL) Homewood-Flossmoor HS) and the St. Louis Eagles’ Tommy Liddell (6’4″ Jr. SF, East St. Louis (IL) High).

Breon Allen (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Whitefish Bay (WI) Dominican HS) This athletic finisher is highly regarded among Class of 2005 players, but didn’t play like it all the time. He doesn’t have the best body control, but he’s a nice athlete with the ability to score in transition and on jump shots out to long range.

Corey Brewer (6’7″ Jr. SF, Portland (TN) High) This lanky small forward was one of the top players at this tournament. He showed a great touch on mid-range jump shots, though the long range jumper needs some work, is a nice athlete with good body control and not flashy, and generally exhibited good shot selection. Defensively, he shows up to play; he anticipates passes well off the ball, talks to teammates, will block a few shots and grab some rebounds. He plays stronger than he looks, and could use some more strength, but he’s a big-time prospect.

Colin Brown (6’4″ Jr. SG, Kansas City (MO) Braymer HS) This slashing scorer has good size and is a good athlete who doesn’t shoot much from outside. He’s generally content to slash to the basket, though he did knock down a couple of three-pointers. Mid-major plus prospect.

Ronnie Carter, Jr. (6’6″ Jr. PF, Kansas City (MO) Schlagel HS) This undersized post player works hard on the post and was generally effective, though his limits were shown when he was overmatched against Kalen Grimes, as he fouled out in relatively limited minutes. He didn’t get a lot of touches offensively, but he has a solid body, got some rebounds and effectively defended on the post save for his matchup with Grimes. Mid-major prospect.

Eric Coleman (6’7″ Jr. PF, Oakdale (MN) Tartan HS) Lefty post player has a good frame and is very mobile, but he looked foul-prone this weekend at both ends. He didn’t get many touches to show his offensive skills, but he looks like he a mid-major prospect.

Jeremiah Crutcher (5’11″ Fr. PG, Hunters Lane HS) This quick guard looks to be too shoot-first to be a point guard, though he appears to have the quickness to play the position. His long range jumpers were not falling early, but he made a few later on at key moments.

Justin Dentman (6’1″ Jr. PG, Carbondale (IL) High) The tournament MVP did a nice job of running the show for the champions. He’s not a jet, but he’s certainly quick enough, makes good decisions with the ball and involves his teammates. He will drive to the basket, generally picking his spots well, and he’s a capable long range shooter. Mid-major plus/high-major minus prospect.

Matthew Dotson (6’7″ So. PF, Hickman County (TN) High) Skilled power forward showed some face-up skills. He knocked down a couple of jumpers and made alert passes in limited viewing, and has good size.

Ashton Farmer (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Charleston (MO) High) Athletic post player has good size and showed some quick and crafty moves around the basket. He looks to be more of a post player now, but he has the athleticism to play small forward one day.

Kalen Grimes (6’8″ Jr. PF, Florissant (MO) Hazlewood Central) At times in the early going, this solidly-built post player didn’t play up to his billing, especially since he lacked aggressiveness, but by the end of the tournament, he was more like himself. He’s at his best when he uses his good strength in the post to overpower opponents, which he did at times, and he’s also very mobile and has good footwork and strong hands. He scored when backing his man down on the post, generally not hitting turnaround jumpers that he took, and he generally rebounded and ran the floor well. Big-time prospect.

Tyler Hansbrough (6’8″ So. PF, Poplar Bluff (MO) High) Although he didn’t play very well in the championship game, he did nothing this weekend to tarnish his reputation as one of the elite prospects in the class of 2005. He’s a very aggressive forward who’s quick off his feet and rebounds well, can score in several ways and operates well near the basket, and he keeps the ball high on offensive rebounds to get put-backs. He shows some combo forward skills, runs the floor very well and plays stronger than he looks, though his frame isn’t close to being filled out.

Justin Hare (6’1″ Jr. PG, Bradley Central HS) He’s one of those rare point guards who blends in with his team and quietly runs the show. He’s not overly quick or a great shooter, and he looked a little turnover-prone at times, but for the most part he effectively ran the show to get the ball to the scorers. Low-major prospect.

Willie Howard (5’11″ So. PG, Wisconsin Lutheran HS) Although his height dictates that he plays the point, he’s more of a shooter than a slasher. He showed a good stroke on long range jump shots and some quickness.

Urula Igbavboa (6’8″ So. PF, Oakdale (MN) Tartan HS) This nice lefty power forward had a good showing. He has very good hands and a deceptively quick first step to the basket, though his forte isn’t driving when he faces up. He has a nice touch in close and is mainly a finesse post scorer, though he plays stronger than he looks. With added strength, he should be a very good prospect.

Marcus Landry (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Milwaukee (WI) Vincent HS) This athletic forward got better as the weekend went along, in part from getting more touches. He’s an active athlete on the glass, getting rebounds at both ends and put-backs at the offensive end. He blocked some shots and has some strength, and right now is clearly a power forward, but he has the athleticism to one day play small forward and some good upside.

Matt Marino (6’0″ Jr. SG, (IL) St. Patrick HS) This undersized shooting guard does one thing well, which is shoot the ball, especially when he gets an open look. Low-major prospect.

Cameron Murkey (6’2″ Jr. SG, St. Louis (MO) Gateway Tech) Scoring guard played well, looking like a nice complementary player. He’s a “scorer not a shooter”-type, scoring on drives or moving without the ball. Low-major prospect.

David Palmer (6’8″ So. SF-PF, Antioch (TN) High) This athlete has a great body to one day be a combo forward, though he looks like a power forward right now. He has good size and athleticism, but aside from that are question marks. His hands and defense left something to be desired, and almost every time the whistle blew on a play he was involved in, one of the first things he did was look over at the bench as if he expected the coach to say something to him. He has the body and athleticism to be a solid prospect once the skills and mental aspects come forward.

Everette Pedescleaux (6’7″ Jr. PF, Robbinsdale (MN) Armstrong HS) One of the most impressive post scorers at this tournament, this powerful forward can flat-out score inside and a little away from the basket. He’s athletic and can also face the basket, with range out to just inside the three-point line and good shot selection, and he’s a capable rebounder. His forte is definitely his post scoring ability. High-major prospect.

Xavier Price (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, O’Fallon (IL) High) This athletic wing has the physical tools, but the skills don’t appear to be there. He’s quick and can get to the basket, though he didn’t do that very much this weekend, and he didn’t shoot the ball well. Mid-major plus prospect.

Brandon Rush (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Kansas City (MO) Oak Hill Academy) Great athlete had one very high scoring game and is a scorer, especially in transition. He finishes very well close to the basket and is not afraid to attack the basket. He shot the mid-range jumper on the move well, and his three-point shot is not great but must be respected. He will block a shot or two at the defensive end. High-major prospect.

Matt Shaw (6’7″ Jr. PF, Centralia (IL) HS) Shaw has had a nice spring and continued it this weekend, showing that he’s a competitor who’s solid but unspectacular on the low post. He has good fundamentals and footwork, scoring with post moves and running the floor and slowly expanding his game away from the basket. He’s very effective near the basket as a scorer and rebounder, around the ball often and making plays. He’s an underrated athlete and a good student, and a high-major minus/mid-major plus prospect.

York Sims (6’1″ So. SG, Clarksville (AR) High) The MVP of the 16-and-under division is a very athletic wing who can really get up off the ground. He’s a lefty scorer who didn’t shoot a lot of jump shots in limited viewing.

Steven Stone (6’5″ So. PF, Conway (AR) High) Scrappy forward is a competitor and comes to play, earning a place on the 16-and-under all-tournament team. He showed a lot of hustle to get loose balls and make plays after it, and was around the ball a lot. He’s an above-average athlete whose main need now is to grow.

Eric Vierneisel (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF, Algonquin (IL) Jacobs HS) Combo forward played well in helping his team to the title. He was aggressive with the ball at the offensive end, at times trying to do too much, but he generally made good plays. He’s an above-average athlete capable of playing both forward spots, as he can run the floor and he knocked down several three-pointers with a good stroke. He’s a decent defender, though a little foul-prone at times, and he got some rebounds as well. High-major minus prospect.

DeAaron Williams (6’5″ Jr. SF, Bartonville (IL) Limestone HS) This very athletic wing loves to get to the basket, not shooting his unreliable jump shot very much. He’s great in transition, and the best thing is that he not only finishes by showcasing his leaping ability with nice dunks, but he’s also capable of leading, though his decisions could stand to improve a little. He seems to genuinely enjoy playing the game, is an active defender and will post up smaller players to score. High-major prospect.

Some other players at this tournament that will be worth keeping an eye on:

Alex Barnett (6’4″ So. SG, St. Louis (MO) Cardinal Ritter HS)
Rob Bledsoe (6’9″ So. PF-C, McMinn (TN) Central HS)
Brett Brielmeir (6’7″ Jr. PF, Mankato (MN) Loyola HS)
Lamar Howard (6’0″ So. PG, Florissant (MO) Hazlewood East HS)
Chris Kellerman (6’5″ So. SG-SF, O’Fallon (IL) High)
Demario Smith (6’5″ So. SF, East St. Louis (IL) High)
Cody Stoneburner (6’9″ So. PF, North Shelby (MO) High)
Ryan Williams (6’2″ So. SG, Jonesboro (AR) High)
Julian Wright (6’8″ So. SF-PF, Flossmoor (IL) Homewood-Flossmoor HS)

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Wednesday, May 21st:

Buckeye Splits: Ohio State announced yesterday that junior forward Zach Williams, a three-year starter, has left the Buckeye program to transfer to another school. Williams made highlight reels in March for a sideline argument with the Ohio State coaching staff during the Big Ten tournament championship game. He then left the bench to presumably go to the locker room for a few minutes before returning to the bench. He did not return to the court. This isn’t the first problem with Williams on the squad, as he was removed as team captain during his sophomore season following a locker room outburst. To pile more onto this story, the Big Ten has reprimanded Williams for nudging Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker on the chin during a timeout in the Big Ten Quarterfinals. Coach Jim O’Brien suspended Williams for the Buckeyes’ NIT loss to Georgia Tech for the incident. Over his career, Williams averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 boards per game.

Bearcat Freshman Fracas: Yesterday we reported on the star-cross’d career of Cincinnati freshman Eric Hicks. Now we know why he was suspended indefinitely from the team. At an arraignment yesterday, Hicks pleaded innocent to assault charges. He is being accused of throwing a beer bottle that hit a woman in the forehead and required stitches.

Finger-pointing in Athens: In today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Georgia points the finger of blame at Jim Harrick, Jr., former assistant coach under his father for the Bulldogs. Apparently Georgia compliance director Amy Chisholm told the NCAA that Harrick, Jr. “lied about his teaching credentials before he was hired to teach a physical education course in 2001, misled bosses about the structure of the class and asked players Chris Daniels and Rashad Wright to lie about their
participation in the class.” The two players were declared ineligible in March, and were reinstated last week. A third student in the “Coaching Principles and
Strategies of Basketball” class was Tony Cole, whose accusations to the Journal-Constitution led to the firing of Harrick, Jr., and the resignation of head coach Jim Harrick, Sr. The school is awaiting possible punishment from the NCAA on the case.

Primary Wildcat: Former Kentucky Wildcat Richie Farmer won the Republican primary with 71 percent of the vote for Kentucky State Agriculture Commissioner yesterday. Farmer (with that name, how can he not be Agriculture Commish?) played on Rick Pitino’s squad that lost 104-103 to Duke on Christian Laettner’s miracle shot, and later graduated with a degree in agriculture economics and agribusiness management. Farmer will face Democratic nominee Alice Baesler, who happens to be the wife of former Lexington mayor Scotty Baesler, who played for the Wildcats under Adolph Rupp in the 1960s.

Ole Miss [insert mascot here]: New: Mississippi is considering changing their Rebel mascot. “Ole”: There’s considerable pushback from Alumni and fans. Ole Miss AD Pete Boone stated that the Southern gentleman Rebel mascot should no longer represent sports teams at the school. Though the Rebel mascot has deep roots, especially in the south, it’s becoming tougher for Mississippi to recruit more enlightened students and student-athletes. The bigger problem is coming up with an alternative that everyone can agree on. This move, however, is a logical step in the reduction of symbolism that has been known to offend quite a few folks. In the 80s, the school eliminated the use of the Confederate flag, and the alumni association followed suit in the early 90s.

Studies have been conducted on suggestions from updating the current mascot to changing the team name, colors, and logo. The final say will have to come from students, faculty, and alumni, and contests are slated for the start of the school year this fall. Some polls are showing that 65 percent of fans are against any change, and local columnists are suggesting everything from Ocelots to just putting “662″ on the jerseys, a la American Idol’s Ruben Studdard and his “205″ Birmingham area code jerseys. 662 is the Oxford, Mississippi area code.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Tuesday, May 20th:

After two days of zero news, we found out several players are packing their bags. Here’s the rundown:

Coming: Kentucky landed a pair of 7-footers, as two prospects, Shagari Alleyne of Rice High School in New York, and Lukasz Obrzut, originally from Gliwice, Poland, and played last season for Bridgton Academy in Maine, signed to be the fourth and fifth Wildcats over 7-feet in school history. Alleyne, one of the most intriguing talents in the class of 2003, stands 7’2″ and has arms long enough to dunk the basketball almost without leaving the ground. He averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks last season for Rice, a perennial national power. He originally committed to Rutgers, but reneged on the commitment last month. Obrzut, who averaged 12 points and eight rebounds in his first season of hoops in the United States, stands 7-1 and is 240 pounds. They join two recruiting classmates that are 6-8 each, Bobby Perry of North Carolina, and Sheray Thomas from Montreal. Oh, the previous 7-footers in school history were Bill Spivey (1950-1952), Tom Payne (1970-1971) and Sam Bowie (1980-1984).

Still Coming: New Iowa State head coach Wayne Morgan took care of business by showing JuCo transfer Damion Staple the love. Staple, who was left on his own during the Larry Eustachy scandal, agreed to stick with the Cyclones after visiting Ames and meeting with Morgan over the weekend. Staple, a Jamaican who is coming from Southeastern Illinois College, had his JuCo coach Todd Franklin covering his back, as Franklin expressed concern over the lack of contact from the school, and the ouster of the two coaches that Staple had met with (Eustachy and assistant Steve Barnes, who was suspended). Knowing how to pick them, Staple originally committed to Western Kentucky, before withdrawing after Dennis Felton left to be head coach at Georgia.

Gone?: Cincinnati freshman forward Eric Hicks was suspended indefinitely yesterday for conduct detrimental to the program. Hicks, who averaged 2.5 points and 3.6 boards as a sub last season, has a checkered past in his short stay for the Bearcats. Prior to coming to Cincinnati, Hicks had been shot in the leg in a high school fracas in Greensboro, North Carolina, and also disappeared from the Bearcat team for a few days during the season.

Going Once: East Tennessee State junior guard Tiras Wade is leaving the program. Wade, who took a leave of absence last season to deal with personal issues, was the leading scorer with 16.3 points and 5.6 boards per game in 18 contests.

Going Twice: The Georgetown Hoyas announced that two players are looking to make a move. The school has granted an official release for sophomore starting point guard Tony Bethel, who averaged just under 11 points per game this season. It is not known where Bethel will be transferring to. Also considering asking for his release is reserve sophomore guard Drew Hall, who had recently visited Dayton. Hall averaged 3.5 points in 22 minutes per game , and played in every game this season. Hat tip: Dayton Daily News.

Where’s He Going?: Duke has granted recruit Kris Humphries a release from his National Letter of Intent. Humphries, a 6-9 forward, was a McDonald’s All-American and a two-time Minnesota Player of the Year. Rumors and speculation say he may end up with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who has playing time and scholarships available for a big man, and where his father (a former Gopher footballer) is active in the alumni association.

Interview with Joe Jones

Columbia’s basketball Jones

by Adam Shandler

Most aspiring college coaches would avoid a program like Columbia’s much like they would a patch of poison sumac. The Lions had two wins in the 2002-03 campaign and didn’t win a game in the Ivy League. The Harlem-based program gets a much-needed facelift by replacing Armond Hill with Joe Jones — a seasoned assistant coach who spent nine seasons with Jay Wright’s Hofstra and Villanova teams. How is Jones being received by the Ivy community? Let’s just say people will be watching. In fact, Ivybasketball.com is offering a poll that asks, “What

Joseph Jones

movie title will describe the Joe Jones era at Columbia?” with choices ranging from Mission: Impossible to My (Light) Blue Heaven. Clearly, the fans care.

I recently spoke with Joe about his new job, recruiting in the Ivy League, and what could be a Harlem Renaissance at Columbia.

Adam Shandler: This isn’t one of the winningest programs in the Ivy, much less college basketball. Why take this job?

Joe Jones: I think that Columbia can be a real good program. I met with the administration and just felt comfortable. We talked about the direction of this program and where we want to take it and I felt that there would be a major commitment to Columbia basketball. Everything about the job just felt right.

Also, I had a chance to walk around campus. This is a great New York City school with a really nice campus. I saw students sitting on the steps of these beautiful buildings and just fell in love with the atmosphere.

AS: Bobby Hurley, Jr. and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were two marquis names that interviewed for this position. Why do you think the school went with you and not these guys?

JJ: A lot of people have been asking me that, but I really can’t say. I can’t speak in terms of what made me a better candidate because I wasn’t on the committee.

AS: It’s a tough sell recruiting in the Ivy League. Not only are you looking for good players, but you also need kids who can handle the academic pressure of a school like Columbia. How do you handle such a challenge?

JJ: First we have to designate players that are on the mid-major level and try to recruit them. If you want to be good, you can’t be afraid to recruit players at the mid-major talent level and compete with those kinds of programs. We have a challenge of rebuilding here, so we’re going to try and bring in the best players possible. If that means going out and trying to recruit a Big East-type player, we’ll go and do that. Then, of course, the player has to have a good academic record, good character and value the importance of family.

AS: Have you been able to recruit any of your own players yet?

JJ: We just landed Gerard Barrett (6-6, 240, F) from Virginia. He’ll give us good size inside and help us out a great deal in defense and rebounding. Gerard had Stony Brook, Winthrop and Vermont on his list.

AS: Your brother, James, is the head coach at Yale. Not to manufacture a lot of hype, but this isn’t going to be just another, game is it?

JJ: To be honest, we’ll approach [Yale-Columbia] as any other game. Once the ball goes up, we’ll both be doing what we need to do to win…just like we would with any other team.

I’m sure the rivalry will be fun for our families, and when we’re old and gray we’ll reflect on those games, but again, once that ball goes up, we both have a basketball game to coach. Whatever the outcome, I’ll be happy for him and he’ll be happy for me.

AS: How much of an impact did (Villanova head coach) Jay Wright have on your development as a coach?

JJ: He had everything to do with my development and maturation as a coach. Attitude is the best thing I learned from Jay. The tough times will come and you can’t get upset or blame anyone, you just need to find the answers. The first few years at Hofstra we were not very good, but we went out and got some really good players, built for the future and made our first NIT appearance in 1999. During the tough times, Jay knew how to find the answers.

I admired how he handled himself and how he was with his own family.

AS: So if Columbia makes the tourney under your watch, can we officially call it the “Harlem Renaissance?”

JJ: (Laughs) You can call it whatever you want. Right now, we just want to get better as a team everyday and become closer as a family.

Big Sky 2002-03 Season Recap

Big Sky Conference 2002-03 Season Recap

by Nicholas Lozito

The 2002-03 Big Sky season saw one team obliterate the competition, and several others rise from their annual positions in the conference cellars. Weber State (26-6 overall, 14-0 in Big Sky), led by senior shooting guard Jermaine Boyette and junior forward Slobodan Ocokoljic, became only the second team to go undefeated in conference play in the history of the Big Sky. After knocking off Sacramento State in the semifinal round of the Big Sky Tourney, the Wildcats beat Eastern Washington, 60-57, in the championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats lost to No. 5-seed Wisconsin, 81-74, in the first round of the NCAAs. Ocokoljic and Boyette finished the game with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Wisconsin advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Kentucky.

Eastern Washington, who finished second in regular season play, lost in the Big Sky Championship Game for the third-consecutive season. However, this time the Eagles earned a bid into the NIT, marking their first ever postseason berth at the Div. I level. Eastern Washington fell to Wyoming in the first round, 78-71, despite receiving nineteen points from senior Chris Hester and seventeen from junior Alvin Snow.

Idaho State and Sac State each had impressive conference seasons to advance to conference tournament play, with Sac State making their first-ever appearance. Idaho State was sparked by a pair of junior college transfers, point guard Marquis Poole and power forward Scott Henry, who led a balanced Bengals attack to a fourth-place finish. The Hornets, despite having their top-two scorers from the prior season out with academic ineligibility, snatched the final conference tournament seed with a 25-point performance by senior Derek Lambeth in the deciding game against Montana State. Lambeth scored 24 in a first round upset at Montana.

Montana, the 2002 Big Sky Champs, finished in third place under first-year coach Pat Kennedy. Northern Arizona, who was the hottest team coming into conference play having knocked off UCLA in the preseason, finished in fifth place. Montana State and Portland State both failed to make the conference tournament.

First Team All-Big Sky
Jermaine Boyette: senior guard, Weber State
Alvin Snow: junior guard, Eastern Washington
David Bell: senior guard, Montana
Derek Lambeth: senior forward, Sacramento State
Ryan McDade: senior forward, Northern Arizona

Honorable Mention:
Chris Hester: senior forward, Eastern Washington
Slobodan Ocokoljic: junior forward, Weber State
Marquis Poole: junior guard, Idaho State
Scott Henry: junior forward, Idaho State
Seth Scott: junior forward, Portland State

Conference Player of the Year

Jermaine Boyette: senior guard, Weber State

Boyette was unstoppable in the Wildcats’ championship game win over Eastern Washington. His play down the stretch single-handedly took Weber to the NCAA Tournament. Boyette (20.5 points, 1.78 steals) has the complete offensive package. He can pop from long range, take his man off the dribble and back him down in the post. Boyette finished his career No. 14 on the all-time conference scoring list.

Freshman of the Year

Kevin Criswell: shooting guard, Montana

Kevin Criswell is as scrappy as they come. This 6-foot-2, 180-pound kid (of the pasty complexion) used his unorthodox shooting style to finish fourth in the conference scoring, at 15.1 points. Criswell moved his way into the staring role as the year progressed, and finished the year with six games of 25-or-more points. Other candidates were Sac State freshman point guard DaShawn Freeman, Idaho State shooting guard David Schroeder and NAU swingman Kelly Golob.

Newcomer of the Year

Slobodan Ocokoljic: junior forward, Montana

Despite being suspended the first nine games for making unauthorized long distance phone calls from a Weber State office phone, Wildcat forward Slobodan Ocokoljic made a huge impact once he hit the floor. The Ohio State transfer averaged 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds his junior season, complimenting MVP Jermaine Boyette.

Defensive Player of the Year

Alvin snow: junior point guard, Eastern Washington

If Alvin Snow were to ever stop playing basketball, he could probably find a lucrative career as a football fullback. He’s a strong man. For now, Snow uses his powerful 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame to destroy him offensive opposition on the court. Snow finished second in the conference with 2.19 steals, while blocking 0.45 shots per game.

Coach of the Year

Doug Olivier: Idaho State

In one year’s time, Idaho State head coach Doug Olivier turned a program in shambles into a conference contender. And that was after he lost leading scored D’Marr Suggs to graduation. Olivier took a collection of JuCo transfers, freshmen and returning players, and molded them into a team of believers.

Weber State Wildcats (26-6, 14-0)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 3/2

Key Players Leaving:
Jermaine Boyette, shooting guard: graduated
Stephen Bachman, center: graduated
Guard Brad Barton, guard: graduated
Stevie Morrison, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Nic Sparrow: senior forward
Slobodan Ocokoljic: senior forward
John Hamilton: senior guard

Coaches Corner: Weber State signed coach Joe Cravens to a four-year contract.

Scoring Leader: Jermaine Boyette, 20.5
Rebounding Leader: Slobodan Ocokoljic, 8.4
Assist Leader: Brad Barton, 3.6

Notes: Weber State signed two JuCo transfers on April 16. Troy Goodell, a 6-foot-6 forward, and Ryan Davis, a 6-foot guard, will both be eligible to play for the Wildcats next season.

Eastern Washington Eagles (18-13, 9-5)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 2/3

Key Players Leaving:
Chris Hester, small forward: graduated
T.J. Williams, power forward: graduated
Keith Brown, small forward: graduated

Key Players Staying:
Alvin Snow: junior point guard
Brandon Merritt: senior shooting guard
Danny Pariseau: sophomore guard
Greg Smith: senior center
Marc Axton: junior forward

Coaches Corner: Carl Howell, former head coach at Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, will join the Eagles’ staff as an assistant, replacing the departed Mike Burns.

Scoring Leader: Chris Hester, 14.0
Rebounding Leader: T.J. Williams, 5.7
Assists Leader: Alvin Snow, 3.8

Notes: Eastern Washington signed two high school recruits on April 16. Josh Love, a 6-foot-7 forward from Rainier Beach High School in Tacoma, and J.J. Jackson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Jefferson High in Portland.

Montana Grizzlies (13-17, 7-7)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 3/2

Key Players Leaving:
Sam Riddle, point guard: transferring to Montana-Western
David Bell, shooting guard: graduated
Marcus Rosser, forward: graduated

Key Players Returning:
Brent Cummings, senior forward
Kevin Criswell, sophomore guard
Derrick Mansell, senior guard
Mike Chavez, sophomore forward
Steve Horne, senior forward
Victor Ventors, senior forward

Scoring Leader: David Bell, 17.6
Rebounding Leader: Marcus Rosser, 7.2
Assists Leader: Sam Riddle, 2.9

Notes: With Sam Riddle leaving the program, Derrick Mansell will take over at the point with Kevin Criswell at shooting guard. Brent Cummings will also most likely return as a starter after red shirting due to injury.

Idaho State Bengals (15-14, 7-7)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 2/3

Key Players Leaving:
Jeremy Brown, shooting guard: graduated
Danny Boticki, guard: graduated
Rashad Kirkland, small forward: graduated
Ray Munyagi, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying
Marquis Poole, senior point guard
Jesse Smith, junior center
Scott Henry, senior forward
Arzelle Lewis, senior guard
Davis Schroeder, sophomore guard

Scoring Leader: Scott Henry, 11.7
Rebounding Leader: Scott Henry, 8.2
Assists Leader: Marquis Poole, 4.2

Notes: Idaho State signed four players in the month of April. Carl Lee, a 6-foot-6 forward from Fresno City College, Logan Kinghorn, a 6-foot-5 guard from Rigby High, Nate Rede, a 6-foot-7 forward from Monterey Peninsula, and Jeff Gardner, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Snow College will all be eligible to play this season.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (15-13, 6-8)

Players Leaving/Staying: 1/4

Key Players Leaving
Ryan McDade, power forward: graduated
Chris Ferguson, guard: graduated

Key Players Staying
Kelly Golob, sophomore forward
Stephen Garnett, junior shooting guard
Kyle Feuerbach, junior guard
Aaron Bond, senior forward
Kodiak Yazzie, senior forward
Ben Powell, senior power forward

Scorer Leader: Ryan McDade, 18.0
Rebounding Leader: McDade, 8.6
Assists Leader: Kyle Feuerbach, 5.3

Notes: Northern Arizona added a much needed big man this off-season, signing Joakim Kjellbom, a seven-foot center from Irvine Valley College.

Sacramento State Hornets (12-17, 5-9)

Starters Leaving/Staying: 3/2

Key Players Leaving
Derek Lambeth, small forward: graduated
Raashad Hooks, point guard: graduated
Jimmy White, power forward: graduated

Key Players Staying
DaShawn Freeman, sophomore point guard
Chris Lange, sophomore forward
Tony Champion, senior center
Cedric Thompkins, senior forward
Brandon Guyton, senior guard
Joel Jones, senior guard
Joseth Dawson, senior guard
Emir Medunjanin, senior small forward

Coaching Corner: Head coach Jerome Jenkins recently received a two-year rollover contract worth $70,000 a year.

Scorer Leader: Derek Lambeth, 13.0
Rebounding Leader: Jimmy White, 6.0
Assists Leader: Raashad Hooks, 4.0

Notes: The Hornets will add Div. I transfers Jameel Pugh, a shooting guard from UMass, and E.J. Harris, a point guard from Washington State. The Hornets will also likely see the return of their top-two scorers from the previous year’s team, as swingman Joel Jones and shooting guard Joseth Dawson return from academic ineligibility. With a stacked backcourt, expect senior swingman Emir Medudjanin to most likely redshirt. The hornets recently signed power forward Mark Schmidt to a letter of intent. Schmidt, who played one season at Yuba College, will be eligible to play next season as a sophomore.

Montana State Bobcats (11-16, 5-9)

Starters Leaving/Returning: 2/3

Key Players Leaving
Pete Conway, shooting guard: graduated
Casey Reynolds, forward: graduated
Shea Washington, sophomore forward: transferring

Key Players Returning
Jason Erickson, senior point guard
Bo Segeberg, senior center
Josh Barsh, senior forward
Calvin Ento, senior forward
Frank Brown, sophomore guard

Coaches Corner: Bobcat head coach Mick Durham can’t expect to have another season without a conference tourney and expect to keep his job.

Scoring Leader: Pete Conway, 14.3
Rebounding Leader: Casey Reynolds, 6.1
Assists Leader: Frank Brown/Jason Erickson, 3.1

Notes: Sophomore forward Shea Washington has announced that he’s leaving to Bobcats to transfer to Southern Oregon University, an NAIA school closer to his hometown.

Portland State Vikings (5-22, 3-11)

Starting Leaving/Returning: 1/4

Key Players Leaving
Jeb Ivey, point guard: graduated

Key Players Returning
Seth Scott, senior forward
Kevin Briggs, senior guard
John Glaser, senior guard
John Giannoni III, senior guard
Marshal Hartman, freshman forward
Seamus Boxley, junior forward
Brandon Haughton, senior forward

Scoring Leader: Jeb Ivey, 15.0
Rebounding Leader: Brandon Haughton, 6.2
Assists Leader: Kevin Briggs, 3.1

Notes: After using their medical red shirts last season, Marshal Hartman and Seamus Boxley will both return to start on the Vikings’ frontline. Portland State head coach Heath Schroyer also signed JuCo transfer Nguye Kaladokubo, a 6-foot-10 center from Midland College in Texas.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Saturday, May 17th:

Pinckney Back in Philly: Villanova University announced that former Wildcat Ed Pinckney was hired to join head coach Jay Wright’s staff as an assistant. Pinckney replaces Joe Jones on the staff, who is now head coach at Columbia. Pinckney worked with the Wildcats as a mentor to younger players in the last few years, following a successful 12-year career in the NBA, and a stint as a broadcaster for the Miami Heat (both radio and television). As outstanding player of the 1985 Final Four, Pinckney notched 16 points and six boards in the Wildcats’ National Championship.

Hokies Go Home: The ACC has lined up its expansion invitations, and Virginia Tech is on the outside looking in, as Miami (Florida), Syracuse, and Boston College have made the guest list. The Commonwealth of Virginia legislature, who was keen on having both UVA and Virginia Tech in the same conference, were pushing for Tech’s inclusion in the ACC expansion, but it fell short of the required 7 votes in ACC discussions. This announcement comes on the eve of the Big East Conference meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese needs to make a slam dunk this weekend to keep his conference together. The proposed expansion would be the third in the 50-year history of the ACC, having added Georgia Tech in 1978, and Florida State in 1991.

Oh, no, UNO: The University of New Orleans has lost a scholarship for next season due to NCAA rules violations. The penalty, self-imposed by the school and approved by the NCAA yesterday, is partially the result of not counting an injured player, Kyle Smith (knee ligament injury), as part of their scholarship player tally, thus having one over the limit for the 2001-02 season. An additional infraction was allowing the NBA Phoenix Suns’ scout Phil Weber provide instruction during an informal offseason scrimmage. Weber is friends with Privateer coach Monte Towe, and was in town to speak at the coach’s summer camp. Meanwhile, the school declared Smith’s injury “career-ending” (without a school medical official reviewing the case) and removed him from the roster, but Smith has filed a lawsuit due to the fact that he’s healthy and wants to continue his basketball career, with his scholarship.

Bobcat Moving On: Montana State has announced that returning starting forward Shea Washington has transferred to Southern Oregon, an NAIA school in Ashland, Oregon. Washington, who averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 boards per game, was the leading shot blocker this season and was expected to be a major contributor next season. “It’s mind-boggling to me when a player would leave a Division I program to play NAIA; I’m puzzled by this decision. But his best friend is playing point guard (at SOU) and he was homesick. He wanted to be closer to home,” head coach Mick Durham said yesterday in a press conference.

Cole Trial Pushed Back: Tony Cole, who you’ll remember as the whistle-blower that led to the downfall of the Harrick regime at Georgia, got a bit of a reprieve yesterday, as the woman who accused him of misdemeanor assault did not show up for the trial in Baton Rouge. Cole is accused of coming to his former girlfriend’s apartment late on January 14th with an Uzi and threatening to shoot the house up. The gun was not fired and no one was injured in the incident. Back in February, Cole told an Atlanta paper that Georgia assistant Jim Harrick, Jr. had payed Cole’s bills, performed schoolwork, and was teaching a bogus coaching class. Harrick, Jr. was subsequently fired, and the senior Harrick retired at the end of the season. School officials then held Georgia out of the SEC Championship, as well as any post-season tournaments. Georgia was ranked in the Top 25 at the time.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Saturday, May 10th:

Bosh Bolting: It’s official. Georgia Tech freshman forward Chris Bosh will enter the NBA Draft. He has not retained an agent as of yet, thus allowing him to return to Atlanta for his sophomore season if he chooses. However most pundits have Bosh projected as a lottery pick, so a return is doubtful.

So is Lorbek: Michigan State University announced today that freshman forward Erazem Lorbek, a native of Slovenia, will enter the NBA Draft. Unlike Bosh, Lorbek has already hired an agent, so he cannot return to East Lansing. Lorbek averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds per game, but kicked it up a notch in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 11.5 points and 5 rebounds in four tournament games.

And This Guy, Too: Mississippi State has announced that recruit Travis Outlaw has made himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Outlaw, a forward from Starkville High School, has not retained an agent, and can thus withdraw from the draft by June 19th and enter college with full eligibility. Outlaw, is the second McDonald’s All-American Bulldog recruit to enter the draft prior to enrolling. In 1999, Jonathan Bender (also a MSU recruit) entered the draft and was signed 5th overall by the Indiana Pacers.

Promotion: Arkansas-Pine Bluff has removed the “interim” tag from head coach Van Holt. Holt presided over a 4-24 record last season after replacing the fired Harold Blevins over the summer. Progress was everything, as the Golden Lions ended a 25-game losing streak in February, and going 4-6 from that point on.

Returning: George Mason University announced that Scott Cherry is returning as an assistant coach after a one-year stint with Tennessee Tech. Cherry spent the previous three seasons with the Patriots before jumping to the Ohio Valley Conference school. Cherry takes the place of GMU assistant Mike Gillian, who was hired as the head coach of Division II Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. (Longwood is making the leap to Division I for the 2004-05 season.) Cherry is a graduate at North Carolina under Dean Smith, was a part of the 1993 National Championship squad, and played professionally in Cyprus for one season.

Returning?: Various reports have former UCLA coach Steve Lavin joining Purdue as an assistant. Lavin, who was an assistant to Gene Keady in West Lafayette from 1989-91, would like to join the staff and become the eventual head coach after Keady retires, expected after the 2004-05 season. This story came to light after Southern Illinois coach (and longtime Keady assistant) Bruce Weber took the Illinois head coaching position last week, making it unlikely that he would succeed Keady at Purdue. It is also reported that Lavin is mulling offers as a television analyst from ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and CBS.

Maybe?

Off to the NBA . . . Maybe?

by Jed Tai

Who’s not going pro?

With the deadline past for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft, that’s the question on the minds of college basketball fans. As seemingly every top underclassman has made it known that he wants to try their luck at professional basketball, it seems that the college game will be losing most of its stars. But it’s not a done deal for many of these players, as they could still come back to the collegiate ranks next season.

With the existing rules regarding eligibility for the NBA Draft in place, you can’t really blame some of these kids for at least “testing the waters”. For current college and high school basketball players, they can declare for early entry in the NBA Draft and still retain their eligibility if they do not sign with an agent and either are not drafted, or withdraw from consideration one week prior to the actual draft. So as long as someone follows these rules, they don’t actually risk much by declaring for the draft.

Why would a player “test the waters”? Most are simply interested in gauging their NBA worth. The main lure of going to the NBA is obviously the money, and with the way the current rookie contracts are structured from the last Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s guaranteed money at stake. All first round picks are guaranteed a three year contract, with their salary based on where they are selected in the first round. The fourth year can be picked up at the team’s option, and after that year, the player is a restricted free agent whose team can match any outside offer the player gets. However, for second round picks and obviously players that go undrafted, there are no guarantees – financial or otherwise. So the key is becoming a first round selection.

By declaring early for the draft, players can get the attention of NBA teams and scouts, and get an idea of whether or not it would be worth their while to go through with the entire draft process. The key event that most players are concerned with is the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp — the only pre-draft event sanctioned by the NBA that allows underclassmen to participate. This year’s camp will take place June 2-6 as always at the Moody Bible Institute. If a player is one of the 60 or so invitees to the Chicago camp, he will have the opportunity to work out and play in games in front of just about every important NBA scout, coach, and general manager in the league, as practically all of them will be in attendance for at least a portion of the event. Player performances in Chicago have been known to make or break a player’s draft position. In fact, some of the players who have already declared for the draft seem to be hedging their decision whether or not to return on whether or not they are invited to participate in Chicago.

This year, it seems to be even more of a factor as the NCAA has eliminated the restrictions surrounding the Chicago camp. In the past, a player not only had to reimburse for all expenses on the trip, but also had to serve a one-game regular season suspension for each game he participated in during the camp if he chose to return to school. However, the NCAA made a ruling this year that players would now be able to participate fully in the camp without further penalty, and even better yet, would not have to reimburse the NBA for costs incurred. So basically, players would get a free trip to Chicago to try and impress the scouts as a potential first round selection.

Not all players that declare early however, may be in the position to be first round picks. There are only 29 of those available, and there are still seniors such as Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, and David West who are certain first rounders. So obviously not everyone may be in a secure position to get the guaranteed money. But if these players don’t like what they’re hearing or it looks as if they won’t be a first round choice, they can withdraw from the draft – something they have until a week prior to the draft to decide.

But is it really worth it to declare, say if you are projected to be a late first round pick? An argument exists that if you are in position to be even a late first rounder, you should go because you not only will get the guaranteed contract, but can get the “clock started”. What this means is that the player starts earning the money from his rookie contract sooner, so that when he does become a free agent after 3-4 years, he can sooner earn the really big dollars – the type of money the likes of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan got after their initial rookie contracts.

But what many people fail to realize is that even if you do get the “clock started” early, you still have to prove that you’re good enough to get the big money after the initial rookie contract. All you have to do is ask former Duke point guard William Avery how life is overseas or Corey Benjamin how the ‘D’ league is working out. Just because you went through that first contract doesn’t necessarily entitle you to the big bucks. And with late first round picks, you’re usually talking about selections that are made by playoff teams; teams that don’t have much playing time available and would allow someone to develop into a position where they could command big dollars after their rookie contract. Why not return to school and increase your draft stock for next season?

Another things that players don’t consider is name recognition. By playing in college, players make a name for themselves, especially when they excel on the national stage. Four year players such as David Robinson, Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, and in recent years, Shane Battier and Jay Williams – all became superstars at the college level so that endorsements were lining up at their door by the time they entered the NBA. By staying in school for such a long time, they also were able to build up a fan base that followed them to the next level. For some of these kids who declare so early in the college careers – or even out of high school – they don’t get these advantages. For example, two freshmen who went pro – Tim Thomas (Milwaukee Bucks) and Larry Hughes (St. Louis) – were lottery picks and have proven themselves to be solid NBA players. But having played so little in college, it could be argued that they really never made themselves marketable, and never really built themselves a fan base. Remember, there is no salary cap on endorsements, but unfortunately most young kids don’t realize this when choosing to leave school early.

A lot of noise has been made about the actual number of players who are declaring for this year’s draft, that it may be an all-time high and that it is alarming how many people seem to be leaving the college game. But the number, at this point or even after the deadline, isn’t really all that relevant, especially when you consider the number of players who are merely “testing the waters”. Also to be considered will be a good number of players who declare for the draft simply because they have run out of options at the college level, whether it be due to academics, team suspension, or other issues (not all that declare are “dreamers”). The important number when it’s all said and done will be the number of players who remain in the draft after the deadline to withdraw one’s name from consideration. After that point, there is no turning back for players (unless they go undrafted). And if the number is high at that point, then maybe there’s cause for alarm.

But players will still go pro and will always go pro as long as the current rules stay in place. How can the tide be stemmed? There has been talk of an age limit on the draft, and perhaps underclassmen shouldn’t be allowed at the Chicago camp. But as usual, the college game will move on and continue to prosper. Even if everyone who has said they’ll try the draft decides to stay in, there are still some great players returning. The college game has always survived the loss of a few stars, and will again do so in 2003-04.