Clemson: Tiger Legend Butch Zatezalo Passes At Age 57

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Clemson Legend Zatezalo Passes: Clemson basketball Hall of Famer George “Butch” Zatezalo has died at his home outside of Pittsburgh. He was 57. Zatezalo, a 1970 graduate, still holds the school record with a 23.5 points per game average. He also held the school scoring record with 1,761 points, which was broken in 1990 by Elden Campbell. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. The cause of death was not immediately known. [8/26/05]

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Indiana: Hoosiers Hire Twigg As Administrative Assistant

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Hoosiers Appoint Twigg: Indiana head coach Mike Davis has announced the hiring of Louis Twigg as men’s basketball program administrative assistant. Twigg, a Temple graduate, joins the Hoosiers after two seasons at LaSalle as Director of Basketball Operations. Twigg also has worked in that capacity at College of Charleston, and was video coordinator and student assistant at Temple under John Chaney, and also was a team manager at Maryland under Gary Williams. [8/26/05]

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New Orleans: Senior Guard Barnes Leaves Program

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Privateers’ Barnes Leaves Program: New Orleans announced that senior guard Chad Barnes has left the Privateer basketball program. Barnes, a Loyola-New Orleans transfer, appeared in all 30 games last season, starting 24. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 boards per contest. Barnes will stay enrolled at UNO in order to concentrate on completing his degree. [8/26/05]

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Baylor: Former Coach Bliss Named Head Coach For CBA Team

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Bliss Gets a Coaching Job?: Former Baylor head coach Dave Bliss has been named the new head coach of the CBA’s Dakota Wizards. Bliss, who resigned during the aftermath of the Patrick Dennehy murder investigation, was one of five candidates for the position to replace Casey Owens, whose contract was not renewed. In the last days of Bliss’ Baylor program, he admitted to paying $40,000 for Dennehy and one other player’s tuition under the guise of “scholarships,” failed to notify school administration of failed player drug tests, and told players to tell investigators that Dennehy paid for his tuition by selling drugs. Last June, former Baylor player Carlton Dotson plead guilty to killing Dennehy in June of 2003, and is now serving a 35-year prison sentence. The Bismarck, N.D.-based team is owned by Steve McCormick. [8/26/05]

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Cincinnati: Andy Kennedy Name Interim Head Coach

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Bearcats Name Kennedy Interim Coach: As expected, Cincinnati named assistant coach Andy Kennedy interim head coach for the 2005-06 season. Kennedy replaces Bob Huggins, who is stepping down as UC’s head coach after reaching a settlement with the university on the remaining term of his contract. Due to athletic director Bob Goin’s resignation, effective January 1st, 2006, the school will allow the new AD to hire the head coach of their choice, though it is expected that Kennedy will be considered for the position. Kennedy has been a member of the Bearcat coaching staff for the past four seasons. Prior to coming to the Queen City, Kennedy was an assistant at South Alabama and Alabama-Birmingham, his alma mater. Kennedy also played for one season under Jim Valvano in 1987, and also played professionally in the NBA, and internationally in Greece, Spain, and Puerto Rico. [8/26/05]

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Tennessee: Coach Pearl Wants Students In Standing Room Only

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Tennessee Creates SRO Section: At the request of new head coach Bruce Pearl, Tennessee will be removing over 200 folding chairs from the student section at Thompson-Boling Arena to create a new atmosphere for Vols home games. Designed for the pull-out seats in the west end of the arena, only the pep band will remain seated. Additional student seats will be moved around the Vols bench, closer to the floor. The move, similar to what Pearl did at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is designed to create a high-energy feeling among the student section. [8/25/05]

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The Citadel: Coach Dennis Hires Clyde Wormley As Assistant

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Bulldogs Hire Wormley: The Citadel head coach Pat Dennis has announced the hiring of Clyde Wormley to the Bulldogs’ coaching staff. Wormley, a Citadel alum who graduated in 2003, previously worked with Dennis as a graduate assistant in 2003-04, and played professionally in Mexico last season. Wormley replaces Terry Parks, who resigned to become the head coach at Brevard Junior College in North Carolina. [8/25/05]

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Southeast Missouri State: SEMO Lands Sooner Transfer Foust

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



SEMO Lands Sooner Transfer: Southeast Missouri State has announced that former Oklahoma forward Brandon Foust has transferred to the Redhawk program. Foust, a top high school recruit out of Columbus, Ohio, played in 28 games for the Sooners as a freshman in 2003-04, averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest. He left Oklahoma after five games last season, at the end of the fall semester. Foust will sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules and will have two years eligibility remaining beginning with the 2006-2007 season. [8/25/05]

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Ohio State: School Pins Blame On Former Coach O’Brien

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Buckeyes Argue Against Penalties: In the school’s formal (1,700 page) response to the NCAA, Ohio State argued that the school shouldn’t be held liable for some of the violations former head coach Jim O’Brien committed. The school pointed to O’Brien as the guilty culprit, as he hid violations from the school during its internal investigation. In June 2004, the school fired O’Brien after it was revealed that he gave over $6,000 to recruit Aleksandar Radojevic, and that he and former assistant Paul Biancardi arranged to have player grades altered. Biancardi, now the ead coach at Wright State, has denied any wrongdoing. Last season, Ohio State self-penalized the men’s basketball team by removing itself from the postseason, and announced that the team would have two fewer scholarships than the NCAA maximum of 13 for 2005-06. The NCAA will announce its findings on December 9th. [8/25/05]

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Cincinnati: Huggins Says Goodbye, Works on Buyout

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Huggins Says Goodbye, Works on Buyout: Former Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins appeared at a rally sponsored by a local radio station to say a tearful goodbye to his fans. Huggins, ousted by University president Nancy Zimpher earlier this week, thanked supporters for 16 wonderful years, and praised his former teams for representing the university and the city of Cincinnati. Huggins’ buyout will be settled next week, including the final sum owed Huggins and the terms of the three-month transition period to the new coaching staff and the school’s introduction into the Big East Conference. The school is expected to announce on Friday that Huggins’ top assistant, Andy Kennedy, will be the interim coach. [8/25/05]

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Louisiana-Monroe: Indians To Petition NCAA On Nickname

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Louisiana-Monroe Petitions NCAA: Louisiana-Monroe has announced that the school will appeal to the NCAA the new rule banning Indian names and imagery. The Louisiana-Monroe Indians are one of 18 schools listed by the NCAA determined to have a mascot that was “hostile or abusive.” Two days ago Florida State won its appeal to the NCAA to use its Seminole mascot in NCAA postseason appearances. Prior to the NCAA edict, the school stopped the use of the Chief Brave Spirit logo and stopped referring to campus as “The Reservation,” which can only help. The University of North Dakota, a D-II school with a D-I hockey program, announced it will also appeal the NCAA ruling. [8/25/05]

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San Jose State: Charges Dropped Against Former Spartan Recruit

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Charges Dropped Against Spartan Recruit: Former San Jose State recruit Lorenzo Keeler had statutory rape charges against him dropped on Tuesday in a Massachusetts court. Keeler, along with four other Winchendon School players, were accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in October of 2004. Charges in the incident were not filed until spring, after the basketball season and after the Spartans had offered a scholarship. San Jose State had his scholarship offer revoked after the arraignment in mid-June, due to the anticipated court commitments that Keeler, a 6-2 guard, was expected to face. Keeler, who was recruited by Creighton, Siena, and Kent State, is expected to attend a junior college this season. [8/25/05]

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Lipscomb: Auburn Big Man Daniel Transferring

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Lipscomb Lands Auburn Tiger: Former Auburn big man Ryan Daniel has announced that he has left the Tiger program, and has enrolled in classes at Lipscomb. Daniel, a 6-11 sophomore, played in 18 games for Auburn last season, averaging three minute of action per contest. Daniel will practice with the Bison as a walk-on this season while sitting out due to NCAA requirements. He will then be on scholarship for head coach Scott Sanderson for the 2006-07 season, with three seasons of eligibility remaining. [8/25/05]

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UMass: Minutemen to Host Blazers in Tip-Off Classic

by - Published September 19, 2005 in Newswire



Tip-Off Classic Set: The UMass Minutemen will host the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers in this year’s installment of the Tip-Off Classic, set for November 27th in Springfield, Mass. UAB is coming off a strong season in which they advanced to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Arizona. UMass will be led by first-year coach Travis Ford, and will be hoping to recapture the glory of their previous Tip-Off Classic appearance, defeating then-No. 1 Arkansas in 1994. [8/25/05] [9/19/05]

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Cincinnati: Huggins Goes Quietly

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Huggins Goes Quietly: A day after Cincinnati told coach Bob Huggins that he must resign or be fired, the school’s most successful coach opted for the former. Huggins walked away from the program where he has won 399 games, collecting what probably will be about $3 million in a buyout of his contract. But under Huggins, controversy consistently surrounded the program, from Huggins’ drunk driving arrest last year to low graduation rates to multiple players facing legal trouble. In May, school officials made it clear that they would not renew Huggins’ contract when it expired in 2007. The public lack of support hurt recruiting, so Huggins and his lawyer pushed for the school to reconsider. It did – and decided to make the coaching change sooner rather than later. Assistant coach Andy Kennedy is the frontrunner to become interim coach.
[8/24/05]

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Kentucky: Alleyne Has Hernia Surgery

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Alleyne Has Hernia Surgery: Kentucky junior center Shagari Alleyene had surgery recently to repair a hernia, and he should be ready to practice with the team in mid-October. Alleyne averaged 2.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last season, in addition to swatting 44 blocks.
[8/24/05]

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Arkansas: Illegally Fast

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Illegally Fast: Arkansas senior point guard Eric Ferguson, who has started 63 games for the Razorbacks, was arrested because he did not pay a speeding ticket. Coach Stan Heath said he did not plan to issue a severe punishment but said he was disappointed that the senior had not taken care of his business.
[8/24/05]

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Fordham: Nittany Lion Lands in the Bronx

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Nittany Lion Lands in the Bronx: Former Penn State guard Marlon Smith has transferred to Fordham, near his home in the Bronx, N.Y. Smith did not offer a reason for leaving the Nittany Lions, but he could use better luck at a new school. After finishing the 2003-04 season with honors as one of the best freshmen in the Big 10 and leading the team with 13.4 points per game, Smith suffered a partially blocked artery in his brain last season and spent nearly a week in the hospital. He missed the last 18 games of the season. Smith said he wanted to attend a school that would give him a better chance to contribute to an NCAA-bound squad. Although mentioning Fordham and NCAA Tournament in the same sentence would have been laughable in recent years, the Rams are improving under new coach Derreck Whittenburg. The team finished 13-16 last season and 8-8 in the Atlantic 10. [8/24/05]

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Tennessee: Volunteer Reserve in Trouble

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Volunteer Reserve in Trouble: Tennessee senior forward Jemere Hendrix was arrested Aug. 13 for marijuana possession and driving without a license. He was released shortly after police booked him. Coach Bruce Pearl said the staff is awaiting a legal resolution before determining possible punishment. Hendrix joined the Volunteers in 2002 after starting his career at Clemson. He played in 28 games last year and started three. [8/24/05]

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Iowa: Walk-on’s Scholarship Seals Fate of Recruit

by - Published September 18, 2005 in Newswire



Walk-on’s Scholarship Seals Fate of Recruit: Iowa senior forward Justin Wieck, a former walk-on player, will be on scholarship with the Hawkeyes this season, grabbing the 12th and final scholarship. Because Wieck received the final scholarship, freshman recruit Nathan Skinner will not have a scholarship and will not attend Iowa. Coach Steve Alford knew that Skinner was unlikely to qualify academically, so he didn’t wait any longer to dole out the team’s last scholarship. [8/24/05]

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Not a season to remember for Wake Forest

March 8, 2012 by

wakeforest

Although it wasn’t quite as bad as last season, this was hardly one for the books for Wake Forest. After an 82-60 blowout loss against Maryland on Thursday, the Demon Deacons finished 13-18 overall. That doesn’t seem so bad, and a few teams had worse records, but look deeper and you see a team that, quite simply, was not good.

Ron Hunter a wonderful addition to the CAA coaching ranks

March 7, 2012 by

georgiastate

Ron Hunter is a terrific addition to the Colonial Athletic Association coaching ranks. That could have been said before the season given his track record and the impression he made on Media Day in October, but after the CAA Tournament it bears repeating because it was so obvious.

Bruiser Flint won’t be stressing out the next few days

March 6, 2012 by

drexel

In theory, the next six days should be quite stressful for Drexel and head coach Bruiser Flint. As the regular season champions of the CAA, they are guaranteed a bid to the NIT, but naturally hope the NCAA Tournament comes calling. Flint doesn’t seem stressed at all about it, however, and his experience is a key factor in that.

Northeastern has promise next season, but clear room for improvement

March 4, 2012 by

northeastern

Northeastern fought turnovers often this season, and had relatively mixed results with some streaks along the way. The Huskies should be better next season, but there is clear room for improvement and that was evident on Saturday night in the season-ending loss.

Despite the quarterfinal loss, the tournament is a positive ending for UNCW

March 3, 2012 by

uncwilmington

With UNCW’s season over, there’s a look toward a brighter future that was helped by this weekend in Richmond. The young Seahawks had some bright spots during the season in trying to rebuild, and capped it off with something else they can take with them.

James Madison fights the injury bug together and to the end

March 3, 2012 by

jamesmadison

James Madison came into the season as an interesting team to project. There was not a lack of talent, and it wasn’t a young team, but there were intangibles questions. In the end, injuries were the biggest problem, but the Dukes kept fighting right to the end no matter how demoralizing the injuries were.

2012 CAA Tournament – First Round Notes

March 3, 2012 by

colonial

Notes on the first round of the CAA Tournament, where the seeds held to form, the first 20-20 game in tournament history occurred and a team that went bowling to help get ready for the opening game of the day came out on top.

Quick Hitters – March 2, 2012

March 2, 2012 by

author_kasiecki

We check in with some quick hitters on a couple of America East teams, a contrast of freshmen from an earlier game, Georgia Tech’s defense against Boston College and the Missouri Valley.

Kyle Casey deserves a better ending

February 27, 2012 by

harvard

The last decisive play in Harvard’s 55-54 loss to Penn on Saturday night will stay in many people’s minds. For the Crimson player who was involved in it, one hopes the college basketball gods have a better ending in store later on.

Ivy League showdown looms between old rivals

February 18, 2012 by

ivy

The stage is set. Saturday night at Lavietes Pavilion will be a potentially epic battle with first place on the line after Friday night’s results. Old rivals Yale and Harvard will battle for the top, with Harvard hoping for a repeat of the result the last time these two teams met.

Conference Coverage

Idaho State makes a decision

March 15, 2012 by

Last Thursday, Idaho State finally made it’s choice, hiring Montana assistant Bill Evans as it’s head coach. So far, reaction has been mixed by at least one of the couple of forum posts dedicated to the decision as well as the local scribe’s feelings. Here’s the traditional “welcome to town” …

The Big Sky Championships: who’s gonna win

March 6, 2012 by

This is what the head honchos wrote on Monday: Big Sky (March 3) Top seed: Montana. The Big Sky regular-season championship came down to the final game, in which the Grizzlies avenged their only loss in Big Sky play by beating Weber State in Missoula. Tournament stakes: Although Weber State …

Playing catch-up: the Big Sky all-conference team & “first-round” analysis

March 5, 2012 by

bigsky

We take a look at the award winners, from the two-time conference Player of the Year to the Newcomer of the Year, as well as a couple of early tournament games.

What Was The Reason Behind Cleveland State’s Five Game Losing Streak?

February 26, 2012 by

clevelandstate

Why did the Cleveland State Vikings recently have a five game losing streak? It’s simple–whenever a team loses their most valuable player, they’re going to suffer. The Cleveland State Vikings have had their fair share of above-average talent on the roster over the past few years. Cedric Jackson played briefly …

Cleveland State Vikings Use Solid Contributions By Freshmen To Defeat Detroit Titans, 77-64

February 24, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Detroit Titans squared off on Thursday evening at the Wolstein Center in a matchup with major ramifications for seeding in the Horizon League Tournament. Both the Vikings and the Titans headed into Thursday’s matchup riding drastically different five-game streaks. Picked by many preseason analysts to …

Much Is At Stake In The Final Week Of Horizon League Play

February 21, 2012 by

horizon

The last week of conference play has arrived in the Horizon League. Over the past few years, the battle for the top seeds in the Horizon League has not been decided until the final game of conference play. This year is no exception, with multiple teams having a legitimate chance …

Cleveland State Loses To Drexel Dragons 69-49 In ESPN BracketBusters Matchup

February 18, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Drexel Dragons squared off on Saturday morning at the Wolstein Center as part of ESPN’s BracketBusters series. Saturday’s contest marks the second straight year in which the Vikings have participated in the BracketBusters series. Last season, the Vikings dropped a hard-fought contest to Old Dominion …

Butler Bulldogs Hang On To Defeat Cleveland State Vikings, 52-49

February 11, 2012 by

horizon

Although the rivalry between the Cleveland State Vikings and Butler Bulldogs may not be as nationally known as the rivalry between Duke and North Carolina, the intensity that is in the air whenever these two Horizon League rivals square off is just as strong. In fact, the animosity between these …

Valparaiso Crusaders Dominate Cleveland State Vikings 59-41

February 9, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Valparaiso Crusaders squared off on Thursday night at the Wolstein Center in one of the most important games of the season for both teams. While the Vikings’ season-opening victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores may have been extremely important with regards to quality wins that are …

Big Sky Conference update – Jan 26, 2012

January 26, 2012 by

bigsky

JUST IN TIME FOR TONIGHT’S GAMES… All the news you ever wanted to know about the Big Sky, the weekly edition. YOUR WEEKLY DAMIAN LILLARD IS A STUD LINK-FEST: A Salt Lake Tribune story on his success. USA Today also jumped in sometime in the last week to talk about …

Cleveland State Vikings Overwhelm Milwaukee Panthers 83-57

January 22, 2012 by

horizon

In a game with major implications for the regular season Horizon League championship and seeding for the Horizon League Tournament, the Cleveland State Vikings dominated the Milwaukee Panthers by a score of 83-57 in a game in which the Panthers never led. The Vikings and Panthers began the day in …

Big Sky Conference update – January 18, 2012

January 18, 2012 by

bigsky

One team stands alone atop the standings for now, with another a little behind them and a logjam near the middle of the pack.

Cleveland State Use Barrages from Outside to Defeat Loyola

January 7, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings started 2012 off on a winning note with a 69-48 victory at home on Saturday afternoon over the visiting Loyola Ramblers. In his pregame radio comments, Vikings coach Gary Waters stated that the Ramblers’ 5-10 record heading into Saturday’s matchup was deceiving and that the Ramblers were …

Big Sky roundup, week 1

January 5, 2012 by

bigsky

Opening weekend in the Big Sky Eastern Washington Record: 7-7, 1-1 Weekend: 1-1 Major superlatives: Won by 16, lost by 8; 76.5 ppg for, 72.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin; 52-112 FG; 20-53 3pt; 29-43 FT. Summary: One night, the lead stuck. The other, it didn’t. The Eagles made an early …

Your Big Sky Conference primer

December 28, 2011 by

bigsky

The Big Sky is about to dive in to conference play, and so far, the season has unfolded pretty much as expected, with Sacramento State looking like the one surprise.