Bleacher Report - Articles by Calvin W Boaz

Joe Zeglinski Is Back for the Hartford Hawks—and Better than Ever

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:09:11 -0500

(Photo Credit: Pictoria.com)

Led by guard Joe Zeglinski, the Hartford Hawks entered the 2008-09 season with dreams of a winning season and an America East championship. However, the Hawks got off to a slow start by starting the season 3-6.

Just when coach Dan Leibovitz thought the season couldn't get any worse, it did. Playing against Brown, the 6'0" Zeglinski injured his left ankle and suffered a tendon tear that required season-ending surgery.

Hartford could not overcome the loss of his 15.3 points, 5.6 boards, and 34.1 minutes of experienced play per game before the injury. The Hawks finished last in the America East with a 2-14 conference record and were 7-26 overall.

Fortunately for the team, the NCAA granted Zeglinski a redshirt, leaving him two years of eligibility still remaining. The better news is that Zeglinski is displaying no ill effects from the injury and is now playing his best basketball of his career.

After four games, Zeglinski is averaging 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting 46 percent from three-point range with 17 makes. His stamina is back as well, as Zeglinski is only off the floor for 4.8 minutes per game.

The Hawks are currently 2-2 on the season and just missed obtaining one of their biggest wins in recent history. Zeglinski scored 23 points and connected on eight three-pointers against Baylor, but a last-second desperation shot by the Bears' Epke Udoh caused Hartford to lose, 71-69.

In his sophomore season, Zeglinski became the first Hartford player since the legendary Vin Baker to be named All-Conference First Team. In the 2007-08 season, he was only the eighth player in Hartford's Division I history to score over 500 points in a season.

Zeglinski's 103 three-pointers made that year set the school mark and placed him second in the history of the conference.

Zeglinski averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his freshman year while being selected to the America East All-Rookie team.

This talented competitor left high school as the all-time leading scorer at Archbishop Ryan high School with 1,300 career points. Zeglinski is the only athlete in Philadelphia history to rush for 3,000 yards in football and score over 1,000 points in basketball.

The return of Zeglinski to Hartford's starting lineup has given the other players renewed confidence and the open space to be productive.

Junior point guard Andres Torres is dishing out 7.5 assists per game. With the opponents focusing on Zeglinski's prowess from long range, forward Morgan Serbia has made nine three-point baskets so far this year.

Hartford recruited forward Joel Barkers from Kirkwood Community College, and he has the found the less-crowded paint to his liking. Coming off the bench, Barkers leads the Hawks in scoring with 17.0 points per outing.

It will not be easy for Hartford to go from worst to first in the America East in one season. However, with Zeglinski's hustle and toughness spreading throughout the team, the Hawks can again compete with anyone in the conference.

A Dog Has Died—Where Are the Michael Vick Haters?

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:18:06 -0500

This past Thursday, Uga VII, the four-year-old mascot of the Georgia Bulldogs, passed away from an apparent heart attack.

Based on the outrage dog lovers expressed when Michael Vick was reinstated by the NFL, I was expecting a public outcry demanding the banning of animal mascots at college sporting events. However, all I heard was statements of what a loss it was for University of Georgia fans everywhere.

An animal dies, and people feel bad for the humans who will no longer see a dog sit in the hot sun for at least three hours—it makes perfect sense to me.

There is no proof that the heart attack was brought on by the dog attending football games, but the fact remains that the use of animals at college football games is a clear example of animal cruelty.

The various Ugas may travel in air conditioned dog houses and sit on bags of ice during games, but the fact remains that the English Bulldog is a breed that is susceptible to heat stroke.

I doubt any of the Ugas were asked if they wanted to be a mascot for a football team. If I was a bulldog, I may want to root for Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, or Mississippi State, but certainly I would despise cheering for Georgia.

Not only is the practice of having live creatures at football games bad for the animal, is also dangerous for people. In 1996, Uga V attacked Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker. The first time Ralphie, a buffalo, was used at a Colorado football game, she broke free from her harness and trampled one of her handlers.

If live animals are not seen at baseball or soccer games, there is certainly no need for them at football games. You don't see them at college basketball games, although their presence would force ball boys to do a better job of wiping sweat off the floor if they also had to clean up animal excrement.

When I want to see animals parading around, I go to a zoo, not a football game.

It is not only in college football that so-called animal lovers turn a "blind eye" to animal cruelty in sports.

The thump created by Eight Belles, the 2008 runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, falling to the ground after breaking both front ankles in the race was much louder than the minuscule displays of protest that occurred afterwards.

In 2007, racetracks in California and New York combined to average than one thoroughbred death for every day of the year. Very few people seem to be bothered by the fact that a thoroughbred is forced to race at high speeds although their bones are thinner than most breeds.

There is not much outrage today about giving horses anabolic steroids just like there was not much concern in the 70's and 80's over doping them to hide sore limbs on the day of a race.

I believe there wasn't anyone demanding the abolishment of polo when 21 horses died in Wellington, FL in April 2009 because a dietary supplement they were given was improperly mixed. There is no time to allow horses to recover naturally after vigorous exercise when they are so desperately needed for the next match.

Thousands of greyhounds used in racing are killed each year, and there are not enough homes available for all of those discarded when they are no longer fast enough. Where were the protests in 2002 when the remains of approximately 3,000 greyhounds from Florida racetracks were discovered on the property of a former racetrack security guard who had been “retiring” unwanted greyhounds with a rifle for more than 40 years?

At least three dogs died in each of the last two Iditarod Trail Sled Dog events. In August of this year, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo was accused of refusing to give medical care to its injured animals.

It is very confusing trying to figure out why dog fighting is against the law, but other forms of animal cruelty are allowed to occur without much protest.

I guess there isn't enough money or entertainment involved in dog fighting to turn it into a legitimate sport. Long-standing traditions have to continue although they are based on ignorance and stupidity.

The people against Vick want you to believe that their anger towards him is because they are sensitive to the poor treatment of animals while the truth is that the outrage is actually more deeply rooted in the enviousness they have for athletes and the money they make.

The reality is that if people are so against animal cruelty, horseracing, dogracing, polo, and other forms of animal sacrifice for entertainment purposes would have been banned by this point in time.

I have a feeling that because of the love affair fans have with college football, that if a person died from heat exhaustion from wearing an animal costume, it would be considered mainly as a tragic loss for the fans of that particular school.

Preye Preboye Adds More Flow To Stony Brook

Calvin W Boaz — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:42:46 -0500

(Photo credit: Laura Merwin/MassLive.com)

During the college basketball season, Stony Brook does not immediately come to mind as a "must see" team. However, with the arrival of Preye Preboye on campus, that opinion may soon change.

Preboye is a 6'6" forward from Springfield, Mass. Before enrolling at Stony Brook, he spent a year at Winchendon Prep School where he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.

In two games this season, Preboye is third on the team in scoring at 10 points per game and second in rebounding with 5.5 per game. He leads the Seawolves in steals with five although he plays a little less than 15 minutes a game.

Currently, Preboye is playing behind Stony Brook's senior leading scorer Muhammad El-Amin. Coming off the bench, Preboye unleashes a dose of athleticism the opposition is not prepared to face.

He is already an accomplished defender who is able and eager to guard the opponent's best player. Preboye is a lethal weapon on the fast break as he can run the floor as well as anyone on the team.

Preboye is a left-handed player that does not look like one. He can drive to his left or right and is equally adept to finish with either hand. Once Preboye improves his three-point shooting, he will become almost impossible to defend.

Teaming Preboye with senior point guard Eddie Castellanos and the 6'10" Desmond Adedeji, Stony Brook possesses one of the best reserve units in the America East Conference.

Last season, Stony Brook finished 16-14 overall and 8-8 in conference play. Both those totals respectively represent the best the Seawolves have done in their eight years as a member of the America East.

That is quite the accomplishment for a team that started two freshmen, Bryan Dougher and Dallis Joyner, every game last year.

The Seawolves are currently undefeated with wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and Division III Mount Saint Mary College. With the help of Preboye, Stony Brook will soon find itself at the top of the America East and dancing in March.

It is too early to call Preboye the best player in Stony Brook history just yet. However, if one does it now, he will looked upon as a college basketball genius four years from now.

Alcorn State's Young Guns Misfire Against Ohio State

Calvin W Boaz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:17:36 -0500

Photo originally appeared at www.sports.espn.go.com

Senior Jonathan Boyd scored 20 points and converted six of his 10 three-point attempts, but it was not enough as the Alcorn State Braves lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes 100-60 Monday night.

The Braves knew that their first game of the 2009-10 season would present a significant, if not overwhelming, challenge. Alcorn State was facing a raucous crowd of over 11,000 at the Value City Arena eager to witness the debut of their beloved Buckeyes.

The Braves were competing against a team ranked 16th in the Associated Press top 25 preseason poll while Alcorn State won just six contests last season. Head coach Larry Smith inserted three freshmen into the starting lineup to face an Ohio State team returning all its starters from last year.

Alcorn State felt little comfort realizing that Ohio State forward/center Dallas Lauderdale would miss the game due to an injury to his hand.

The Braves gained momentum early by winning the opening tip, but the enthusiasm didn't last long. When Buckeye Evan Turner stole a Jamar Ragland pass attended for Keith Searcy and turned it into a fast-break slam dunk, the 2-0 deficit marked closest Alcorn State would be for the entirety of the game.

The score was 8-0 before Boyd made a three-pointer to get Alcorn State on the board. The Braves appeared jittery at the beginning of the game, and the size and athleticism of the Buckeyes made it difficult for the team to run its offense effectively.

Twelve minutes into the game, the Braves were trailing 34-15, and two players for the Buckeyes, Turner and Jon Diebler, had more points combined than the entire Braves' roster.

Boyd's three three-point baskets and some nice interior moves made by JaMarkus Holt were basically the only highlights to a first half that ended with Ohio State ahead 56-28. The Buckeyes leading 18 to five in assists and 15 to zero in points off of turnovers indicated that a blowout was occurring.

Despite the deficit, the Braves played the second half with more confidence and aggressiveness. Alcorn State was better able to run its half-court sets and drive to the basket.

The Braves converted on 11 of its 17 foul shots in the second half while attempting only three in the first. Unfortunately, the renewed sense of purpose didn't translate on the court as Alcorn State actually shot worse from the field and from three-point range in the second half.

Along with his 20 points, Boyd led the Braves in assists with three. Holt contributed nine points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks to the effort. Tony Eackles sparked the Braves off the bench, and his 14 points scored represented the most for any of the six freshmen that played forAlcorn State.

Ohio State finished the game with five players reaching double-digits in scoring. Diebler had 22 points, and William Buford chipped in 19.

Turner created a lasting memory by becoming just the second Buckeye to post a triple-double by registering 14 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. The only other Ohio State player to perform such a feat was Dennis Hopson in 1986.

The Braves will next take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road Nov. 13. Alcorn State does not play in front of its home fans until Dec. 30 against Central Michigan.

Spartans Learned Plenty From Game With Northwood University

Calvin W Boaz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:07:41 -0500

At first glance, Michigan State's 76-45 exhibition win versus Northwood University was just a meaningless dress rehearsal while awaiting the home opener on Nov. 13 against Florida Gulf Coast.

However, the reality is that each game is part of a long journey to reach the Final Four in Indianapolis, IN. Although Northwood is just a Division II school, Michigan State came away Sunday with lessons learned that will help the team reach its desired goal.

Michigan State doesn't want to play many games without the services of both Raymar Morgan and Chris Allen.

Morgan was out with an bad ankle, and Allen was nursing a groin injury. Michigan State started the game only making one of its first 11 shots. Against a better team, the Spartans could have been way behind instead of being ahead after the first four minutes.

Morgan can score in a variety of ways, and Allen can light it up from three-point range. It is very unlikely that the Spartans would get off to such a slow start with one or both players starting the game.

The injury bug can hit at any time. Michigan State has to have the depth to deal with such a crisis.

The Spartans already had two players out before Delvon Roe left with a head injury in the first half, and Durrell Summers developed a charley horse late in the second half. Although neither condition looks serious, the two exhibition games give Coach Tom Izzo the opportunity to play Austin Thornton and Isaiah Dahlman extended minutes to get them ready in case they are needed in clutch situations.

Summers and Draymond Green enter this season ready to emerge as major contributors.

The Timberwolves were only down 33-30 at halftime. However, the Spartans started the second half on a 7-0 spurt and never looked back.

Six of those seven points were scored by Summers. Already known as a fabulous dunker, Summers showed off his jumper against Northwood. He finished the game with a team-high 17 points.

Green scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He was aggressive on both ends of the floor and often found the open man to pass to after he drove to the basket. Green spent his summer shooting 100 three-pointers a day to extend his shooting range this season.

The Spartans have to communicate on defense to win a national championship.

Kalin Lucas was almost sent to a different county when he ran straight into a pick that nobody indicated to him was being employed. Korie Lucious is a fine athlete and can play either guard position, but the Spartans want Lucas leading the offense as much as possible.

The Spartans no longer have the services of their top rebounder and the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year from last season. Everyone must chip in to continue the tradition of the Spartans being strong defensively.

Michigan State might not be a "doughnut" team after all.

The conventional thought heading into Sunday's game was that the Spartans had great guards and forwards, but there was nobody to play the middle. However, the three-headed monster at center did quite well against Northwood.

Derrick Nix was the most impressive of the three. Rumor has it that Nix wears the No. 50 jersey to represent the 50 pounds he lost since graduating from high school. He was active throughout the game and finished with 13 points and five rebounds.

Tom Herzog is not the most athletic player around, but he knew how to position himself to get easy baskets, and he accounted for two of the three blocks Michigan State had.

Garrick Sherman was not spectacular in his debut but showed signs of being capable of contributing right away. It is still early but perhaps the Spartan doughnut is filled with something tasty instead of empty space.

Michigan State will play again on Nov. 9 against Grand Valley State at the Breslin Center. Two years ago, the Lakers defeated the Spartans 85-82 in double overtime.

Based on that result, Michigan State should take the game seriously and look to build upon the positive aspects of the previous outing.

Old Dominion Shows Barton College Who's King

Calvin W Boaz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:44:35 -0500

Photo originally appeared at www.media.hamptonroads.com.

Kent Bazemore led Old Dominion with 17 points and three steals as the Monarchs easily defeated Barton College 91-62 in an exhibition game Monday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Barton College was the NCAA Division II national champion in 2007 and won 25 games last season.

Along with Bazemore's stellar performance, Frank Hassell added 15 points and blocked four shots. Hassell's upper body strength was too much for the Bulldogs to handle as he led the Monarchs with 13 rebounds. For the game, ODU out-rebounded Barton 55-29.

Forward Ben Finney was the third double-digit scorer for the Monarchs as he chipped in with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Finney hit the only three-point basket ODU had in their 15 attempts from long range.

Despite the dismal three-point shooting, the Monarchs still made 49 percent (34-69) of its shots. ODU was in fine form defensively holding Barton to 31 percent shooting from the floor.

The Monarchs proved they could use more practice from the free-throw line before their regular season debut on Nov. 15 against Bethune-Cookman by only converting 22 of 40 attempts.

The Monarchs might have found another reliable scorer last night when redshirt freshman Kyle Wright scored seven points in just 10 minutes of action. Forward Chris Cooper displayed signs of improvement in his limited action against the Bulldogs.

Barton College's Jaren Haley paced all scorers with 19 points. Greg Mammel attempted to keep the Bulldogs competitive by supplying his team with nine points and dishing out four assists.

Old Dominion will play its second and final exhibition game against Elizabeth City State University of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association at home Saturday night, Nov. 7.

Arizona Basketball 2009-10 Preview: It's Miller Time

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:51:46 -0400

Head Coach: Sean Miller—First year at Arizona; 120-47 overall

Previous Season: 21-14; 9-9 Pac-10 (tied for fifth); lost to Louisville in NCAA round of 16

Departures: G David Bagga, F Chase Budinger, C Jordan Hill, G Zane Johnson, F Fendi Onobun

Additions: F Ross Davidson, F Solomon Hill, G Lamont Jones, C Kyryl Natyazhko, G/F Kevin Parrom, F Max Wiepking, F Derrick Williams, G Dondre Wise

After a tumultuous 2007-08 season with Kevin O'Neill coaching the team, Arizona was prepared to welcome Lute Olson back after a leave of absence. However, weeks before the season would commence, he announced his retirement, and Russ Pennell was named the interim head coach.

The Wildcats started off with a 9-3 mark that included wins over Gonzaga and Kansas. Conference play brought Arizona back to earth, losing five of its first seven Pac-10 games.

The stepping on of Chase Budinger's face by Houston's Aubrey Coleman sparked the Wildcats to a seven-game winning streak. Conversely, the team earned a controversial at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after losing five of six contests. The Wildcats responded to the critics by defeating Utah and Cleveland State before losing to Louisville.

After initially turning down the position, Sean Miller decided to become the next head coach of the Wildcats.

Unlike Budinger and Jordan Hill, Nic Wise decided to say in school for his senior season. Despite getting a late start on the recruiting trail, Miller was able to secure a strong incoming class.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Nic Wise, 5'10", 180 lbs., Sr. (15.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 45 FG%, 85 FT%)

There might not be a point guard in the country that is more important to the success of his team than Wise.

Not only does Wise probably have to lead the Wildcats in scoring, he also has to keep his teammates involved while logging extensive minutes. Being the only senior on the team, Wise's leadership skills are invaluable.

Wise can carry a team with his ability to drive to the basket and to make the long-range basket. Wise converted on 66 of his attempts from three-point range last season at a 42 percent success rate.

Wise displayed that he can perform at a high level on both ends of the floor by leading the Wildcats last year with 52 steals.

SG Kyle Fogg, 6'3", 185 lbs., So. (6.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 45 FG%, 79 FT%)

Fogg had a solid freshman season but will be looked upon to take a more active role in the offense this time around.

Fogg can score effectively in the paint and possesses a smooth release on his jump shot. He is also developing into a devastating defender.

SF Solomon Hill, 6'6", 230 lbs., Fr.

ESPNU ranked Hill as the 54th best recruit in the nation. He averaged 16.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists as a senior at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, CA.

Despite his large frame, Hill has the ability to break down defenders off the dribble. He is a unselfish player that plays the game in a similar vein as a point guard.

Hill is a strong rebounder for his size but needs to work on his jumper.

PF Jamelle Horne, 6'7", 215 lbs., Jr. (6.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 43 FG%, 64 FT%)

Nobody on the roster fits the mode of a typical power forward, so Horne will probably inherit the position by default at the beginning of the season.

Horne is long and athletic but is not much of a perimeter player. Horne will be looked upon to become a reliable second option for Arizona. He should become a successful scorer with the ability of Wise to push the ball up the court.

C Kyryl Natyazhko, 6'10", 255 lbs., Fr.

Originally from the Ukraine, Natyazhko averaged 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. Rivals.com rated him as the ninth best center prospect in the country.

Natyazhko is comfortable in both the low and high-post areas. He has the ability to turn and face the basket and can shoot effectively from 17 feet out.

Natyazhko does not possess the instincts to become an elite shot blocker and needs to play more aggressively on defense.

Other Contributors

F Ross Davidson 6'7", 225 lbs., Fr.

Davidson is joining the team as a walk-on. His main role this year will basically be in the role of a practice player. Davidson averaged 4.3 points for Junipero Serra Catholic High School in California as a senior.

C Alex Jacobson, 7'0", 245 lbs., So. (1.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 44 FG%, 57 FT%)

Jacobson appeared in 25 games and averaged 6.9 minutes per game last season. Since arriving on campus, he has worked on toning his body and becoming more fit.

Because of Arizona's lack of size, Jacobson will be counted to play more minutes in the post but needs to display more aggressiveness on both ends of the floor.

G Lamont Jones, 6'0", 200 lbs., Fr.

Jones is a point guard with a score-first mentality. He averaged 21.3 points and 8.0 assists as a senior at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

Jones' body type is similar to that of former North Carolina guard Ty Lawson. He needs to improve his ball-handling since he appears to palm the basketball every time he dribbles.

Jones will back up Wise, but his time on the floor won't be long if he doesn't improve his shot selection.

G Garland Judkins, 6'3", 200 lbs., So. (2.4 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 40 FG%, 61 FT%)

Judkins is a fundamentally sound play that can substitute at either guard position. He is well-schooled at driving to the basket and possesses good ball skills.

G Brendon Lavender, 6'5", 205 lbs., So. (0.6 PPG, 0.3 APG, 0.2 RPG, 40 FG%, 63 FT%)

Lavender was a highly recruited player out of high school but didn't get much playing time last year. Lavender can score with either hand and has a quick burst when he is out in the open court.

Lavender possesses a soft touch on his jump shot with a range of about 20 feet. He plays unselfishly and often makes the extra pass to set up teammates for easier shots.

G/F Kevin Parrom, 6'6", 205 lbs., Fr.

Parrom is an athletic player that excels in the open court and can finish with either hand. He was a McDonald's All-America nominee that averaged 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds as a senior at South Kent High School in Connecticut.

Parrom needs to improve his ball-handling skills as he tends to over-dribble.

F D.J. Shumpert, 6'7", 190 lbs., So. (0.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG)

Shumpert only appeared in only four games last season and did not score a point. However, he is known as a shot-blocker and averaged a triple-double in his senior year of high school.

F Max Wiepking, 6'6", 193 lbs., Fr.

Wiepking is from Englewood, CO and is joining Arizona as a walk-on. He averaged 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in his senior year for Kent Denver High School. For his exceptional efforts, Wiepking was selected second-team All-State and first team All-Conference.

F Derrick Williams, 6'8", 235 lbs., Fr.

Williams was ranked as the No. 72 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com. He has a solid physique with long arms and broad shoulders.

Once known only as a back-to-the-basket prospect, Williams can now score from the perimeter. However, he still needs to quicken his release on his jump shot.

G Dondre Wise, 6'1", 215 lbs., So.

Dondre is the younger brother of Nic Wise. Wise is a transfer from Pima Community College. He is known as a slasher who averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as a freshman.

Key Games

Dec. 2 UNLV: Arizona lost to the Rebels last season and is looking for revenge.

Dec. 6 @ Oklahoma: The Wildcats face a tough test in their first true road game.

Dec. 28 @ BYU: Another tough test for the young Wildcats.

Dec. 31 @ USC: It is important that Arizona gets off to a quick start in conference play.

Feb. 21: Arizona State: The Wildcats lost to the Sun Devils three times last season.

Season Outlook

Coach Miller endeared himself to the fans early in his reign by converting a team that looked destined to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10 to a team that can now be competitive.

The recruiting class is strong, but the Wildcats will still suffer through growing pains. Nic Wise is a great leader, but he cannot do everything himself. The freshmen have to make an impact early for this team to be successful.

Miller has several options for his four-out, one-in offense. More importantly, he has to convince the players to buy into his man-to-man defense. Even while Olson was still the coach, the Wildcats had difficulty shutting down the better opponents.

It is doubtful that Arizona will finish ahead of California or Washington in the Pac-10 this season. It is equally unlikely that USC, Arizona State, or Stanford will be above the Wildcats. Beyond that, there is not much telling where Arizona will end up.

What the fans want most from this year's team is to see the Wildcats make their 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament.

California Basketball 2009-10 Preview: Bears Poised For Golden Season

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:22:55 -0400

Head Coach: Mike Montgomery; 22-11 in first year at California (569-255 overall)

Previous Season: 21-11; 11-7 Pac-10 (Tied third); Lost to Maryland in first round of NCAA Tournament

Departures: C Jordan Wilkes, C Taylor Harrison, G Eddie Miller, G Nican Robinson

Additions: C Markhuri Sanders-Frison, F Bak Bak, G Brandon Smith

Heading into last year, not much was expected of a California team coming of a 17-16 season. However, Mike Montgomery quickly reminded people that he was one of the best coaches in college basketball before he left for the NBA.

California got off to a fast start by winning 11 of its first 13 games. The Golden Bears stayed competitive in conference play throughout the season, but two disappointing losses to Oregon State and a close defeat to UCLA kept them from finishing higher in the standings or even winning the Pac-10 regular season title.

California returns four of five starters as Jordan Wilkes earned his degree and passed up on his one remaining year of eligibility. The main difference in this year's team will be at the end of the bench.

A left knee injury that wasn't getting better caused Taylor Harrison to file for medical retirement. Eddie Miller decided to transfer to UC Davis. With a surplus of point guards on campus, Nican Robinson was no longer needed by the program and turned down an offer to become an undergraduate assistant coach.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Jerome Randle, 5'10", 160 lbs, Sr. (18.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 50 FG percent, 86 FT percent)

Coach Montgomery prefers a slow-down style of set plays and inside-outside offense. However, he recognized the type of players he had and switched to a perimeter-oriented offense that was free-flowing.

Randle was one of several players who flourished under Montgomery's system. Randle is one of the quickest point guards in the nation. What makes Randle special is his ability to compliment his penetration skills with high-percentage shooting from long range. Randle made 86 three-pointers while converting on 46 percent of his shots from that distance.

Randle can be volatile out on the court at times, and it will be interesting to see who keeps him calm during games now that his good friend Robinson is no longer on the team.

SG Patrick Christopher, 6'5", 215 lbs, Sr. (14.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 44 FG percent, 83 FT percent)

Along with Randle, Christopher earned all-conference honors last season. Christopher is an explosive player that has the perfect body for a shooting guard.

He can drive to the basket as well as post up defenders inside the paint. Christopher is always a threat to score because of his ability to heat up at a moment's notice. Better shot selection could enable Christopher to become the Pac-10 Player of the Year.

SF Theo Robertson, 6'6", 225 lbs, Sr. (13.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 49 FG percent, 79 FT percent)

Robertson has a power forward's body to go along with the ball skills of a typical guard. Robertson displayed his sweet touch from long range by converting on 56 of 115 three-point shots (49 percent).

Robertson's all-round ability makes him one of the most important players on the team although not all his contributions show up in a box score.

PF Jamal Boykin, 6'8", 230 lbs, Sr. (9.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 53 FG percent, 70 FT percent)

Boykin maximizes his talent like nobody else in the Pac-10. He is not a skilled scorer, but Boykin finds his points on put-backs off of offensive rebounds and hustling on fast breaks.

C Markhuri Sanders-Frison, 6'7", 275 lbs, Jr.

Sanders-Frison is the prime candidate to take over at the post for Wilkes although Harper Kamp may also start. Sanders-Frison averaged 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game at South Plains Community College.

He is a left-hander with a soft touch that can extend his jumper to about 17 feet. Sanders-Frison brings a physical presence that the Golden Bears desperately need. Hopefully, two previous shoulder surgeries will take care of the injury problems he has had in the past.

Other Contributors

F Omondi Amoke, 6'7", 225 lbs. So. (2.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 48 FG percent, 57 FT percent)

The coaching staff believes that Amoke will develop into a consistent scorer despite only averaging 8.2 minutes a game last year. He is an athletic player that can be effective in transition.

To get more playing time, Amoke needs to work on his jumper.

F Bak Bak, 6'9", 210 lbs, Fr.

Originally from Sudan and raised in Kenya, Bak is a versatile big man despite his slight frame. He is a quick leaper that has touch on his mid-range shot and can extend to the three-point area.

As a senior at Village Christian High School in California, Bak averaged 18.2 points and 11.7 rebounds a game. Unless he puts on weight and muscle, Bak will basically be a face-up power forward.

G Nigel Carter, 6'4", 205 lbs, So. (1.3 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 100 FG percent, 100 FT percent)

Cater returns to the Golden Bears as a walk-on. He only scored five points all season long and again appears to be one of the last Cal players off the bench.

G Jorge Gutierrez, 6'3", 195 lbs, So. (4.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 45 FG percent, 64 FT percent)

Only a sophomore, Gutierrez is already regarded as the team's best defensive player. He led the team in steals as a freshman, and by the end of the season, Gutierrez started to receive starter's minutes.

He can play at either guard position and is expected to provide a spark off the bench. Improved free-throw shooting would mean Gutierrez could stay on the floor at the end of close games.

F Harper Kamp, 6'8", 250 lbs, Jr. (3.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 50 FG percent, 66 FT percent)

Having successful knee surgery during the off-season should improve his performance this season. Kamp plays an important role on a team that lacks size and physical intensity.

Kamp is a fundamentally sound player that always gives maximum effort out on the court.

G Nikola Knezevic, 6'3", 190 lbs, Sr. (1.3 PPG, 0.6 APG, 44 FG percent, 65 FT percent)

Knezevic again will serve Cal as a back-up point guard. He brings experience to the backcourt with 16 career starts.

Knezevic is a solid defender who is also a good passer that sees the floor well while the team is on offense.

G D.J. Seely, 6'4", 195 lbs, So. (2.0 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, 33 FG percent, 61 FT percent)

At times, Seely was lost among a crowded backcourt. However, he is expected to become a fine player in time.

Seely has a wiry frame with fairly long arms. He possesses a deceptive first step and has an innate ability to finish in traffic. Seely needs to move better without the ball and display more effort on defense.

G Brandon Smith, 5'11", 185 lbs, Fr.

Smith's dream was to play for the Golden Bears so he originally agreed to join the team as a walk-on. However, Smith was granted a scholarship when one became available this past spring.

He is a pure-point guard who is recognized as being one of the greatest defensive players in the history of De La Salle High School in Concord, CA. As a senior, he averaged 12.1 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds.

Despite only being a freshman, Smith is expected to immediately bring leadership and maturity to Cal.

C Max Zhang, 7'3", 240 lbs, So. (1.3 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.9 BPG, 69 FG percent, 40 FT percent)

If Zhang starts to develop as a player, he could provide the missing piece to Cal's lineup. He is an exceptional shot blocker that alters shots just with his presence on the floor.

This summer at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, Zhang averaged 18.0 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks in six games. Montgomery may decide to play more zone defense this season just so Zhang can play extended minutes.

Key Games

Nov. 19 Syracuse: The Golden Bears play Syracuse in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden. Cal could play either North Carolina or Ohio State on the next night.

Dec. 2 @ New Mexico: This game should provide Cal with a nice road test.

Dec. 22 @ Kansas: It will be interesting to see how Cal fairs on the road against a team thought to be able to compete for a national championship.

Jan. 16 @ Washington : Sweeping Washington again should mean a conference championship this time around.

Jan. 23 Oregon State: The Golden Bears need to show they can beat the Beavers.

Season Outlook

California has not won a conference championship since 1960. With Randle, Christopher, and Robertson, that is definitely an attainable goal. The Golden Bears should also be able to make the NCAA Tournament without much difficulty.

If the NCAA Tournament was a three-on-three contest or limited to players under 6'8", California would be one of the favorites to win it.

Developing inside presence is the number one priority for this team. Montgomery would love to see Sanders-Frison duplicate the statistics he had last season at junior college. Zhang's performance during the summer also gives the team hope for improvement at the center position this season.

Generating more steals on defense would allow the Golden Bears to play more of the up-tempo style they enjoy.

As long as Cal can handle front-runner status, the Golden Bears should make the Sweet 16 and realistically believe they can advance even further.

Old Dominion Basketball 2009-10: Monarchs Looking to Regain Crown

Calvin W Boaz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:34:46 -0400

Head Coach : Blaine Taylor; 161-94, eight years at Old Dominion

Previous Season : 25-10:12-6 CAA (tied 3rd);won CollegeInsider.com Tournament

Departures : F Jonathan Adams, G Etoile Imama

Additions : G Josh Hicks, F/C Anton Larsen

Last season, Old Dominion initially found life difficult without guards Brian Henderson and Brandon Johnson, losing three of its first four games. The Monarchs rebounded by winning seven in a row.

However, the team was not ready to begin conference play with only one senior on the roster and started the meaningful part of the schedule off slowly. The Monarchs eventually began to gel as a unit, and the team won 14 of its last 16 games.

ODU enters this season with all five starters returning and a bench mainly comprised of returning personnel. Free-throw shooting was one of the few areas that the Monarchs were weaker at than their opponents.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Darius James , 6'1", 170 lbs, Jr. (6.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG,4.5 APG, 34% FG, 66% FT)

James was the only Monarch to start all 35 games last year. Entering this season, he is considered to be the best playmaker in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Last year, James finished third in the CAA in both assists and assist/turnover ratio. Along with controlling the pace of the game more effectively, James needs to improve his shooting percentage from three-point range.

SG Marsharee Neely , 6'2", 190 lbs, Sr. (7.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 40% FG, 62% FT)

Neely played in every game last year and improved as the season progressed. In the CIT Tournament, he averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Neely made 38 three-pointers last season, but is mainly known his strong defensive play. Like most of the Monarchs, Neely needs to improve his free-throw percentage.

SF Ben Finney , 6'5", 220 lbs, Jr. (9.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 45% FG, 58% FT)

Finney is a unique combination of a player who likes to shoot from the outside and enjoys banging inside for defensive rebounds. He is also an exceptional off-the-ball defender.

Along with his shooting ability, Finney is an accomplished passer. Finney's unselfishness and hustle are key to keeping the squad playing as one entity.

PF Frank Hassell , 6'8", 245 lbs, Jr. (7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.9 BLK, 52% FG, 64% FT)

Hassell displayed his toughness by being the MVP of the CIT Tournament while playing the championship game with a stress fracture in his right leg.

Hassell showed improvement during the year as he averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last ten games of the season. If he improves his shooting range, Hassell will find it easier to penetrate inside and open the paint for his teammates.

PF/C Gerald Lee , 6'10", 250 lbs, Sr. (15.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 54% FG, 76% FT)

Entering his senior season, Lee is regarded as one the best players in the CAA. Coach Taylor has built the offense around Lee's varied skills.

Lee has a wide range of inside moves but also possesses a polished jump shot that extends to the free-throw line. He can even bring the ball up the court when the opposing team presses.

Because of his strong foul shooting, the Monarchs are not afraid to feed the ball to Lee in pressure situations at the end of games.

Projected Contributors

G/F Kent Bazemore 6'5", 190 lbs, So. (4.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 43% FG, 43% FT)

Bazemore is the most athletic player for ODU and is a destined to become an all-time great if he improves his shooting.

Bazemore is as quick as lightning and is able to out-jump players that are much taller. He provides a needed spark of the bench by quickening the pace of the game. The challenge for Taylor is to find playing time for Bazemore behind an experienced starting five.

F Keyon Carter 6'8", 218 lbs, Jr. (7.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 44% FG, 71% FT)

Although Carter is mainly used off the bench, he did start 13 games last season. Carter made 22 3-pointers last season but is also able to score inside. Twice last season, he scored 17 points in a game.

F Chris Cooper 6'9", 215 lbs, So. (1.0 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 55% FG, 17% FT)

Cooper averaged 4.8 minutes per game last season, and he will not find playing time any easier to get this year.

When Cooper did find himself in a game, he often tried to play too quickly. Averaging 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in AAU basketball during the summer of 2008 proves that Cooper does possess the ability to play at this level.

G Marquel De Lancey , 6'0", 190 lbs, So. (0.9 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 48% FG, 33% FT)

De Lancey will again serve as the backup to James at the point guard position. As the season progressed, De Lancey was able to run the offense better. Decision making is the area he needs the most improvement in.

G Josh Hicks , 6'2", 180 lbs, Fr.

As a senior in high school, Hicks led his team in North Carolina to a 31-1 record. That year, Hicks averaged 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 steals.

After Hicks' senior campaign, the Charlotte Observer named Hicks to the Third Team North Carolina All-State squad. Hicks will probably play both guard positions in a substitute role.

G Trian Iliadis , 6'3", 185 lbs, So. (2.4 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 34% FG, 80% FT)

In some games last season, Iliadis sparked the team with his three-point shooting ability. However, at other times, he didn't get off the bench until garbage time.

With the arrival of Hicks, the Australian may not be able to expand on the 6.2 minutes per game he averaged last year.

F/C Anton Larsen , 7'0", 240 lbs, Fr.

Larsen is a current member of the Danish national team. His main role this year will be to learn from Lee and prepare to take over at the pivot next season.

F Nick Wright , 6'8", 205 lbs, Fr.

Coach Taylor redshirted Wright last season. In 2007, Wright averaged 12.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 6.4 blocks for Nansemond High School in Suffolk, Virg.

Wright will mainly be used off the bench for rebounding and defense. He may be able to display his scoring ability in blowout situations.

Key Games

Nov. 27 @ Missouri : This Missouri team may not be as good as last year's version, but the game will still be a challenge for ODU.

Dec. 2 @ Richmond : A competitive game between two teams looking for an NCAA bid.

Dec. 11 @ Dayton : The Flyers are probably the best team in the Atlantic 10 this year.

Dec. 19 @ Georgetown : It will be interesting to see how Lee plays against Greg Monroe.

Feb. 27 Virginia Commonwealth : The last conference game of the year could decide who is the regular season champion of the CAA.

Season Outlook

Unlike last year, ODU begins this season with an experienced roster. There are certainly some major tests in the non-conference schedule, but the Monarchs should be up to the challenge. It is also important for a team that wants to play in the NCAA Tournament to play a schedule that will allow the team to stand out.

Last season, seven of the 12 teams in the CAA finished with winning records, with five of those squads winning at least 20 games. The conference should be as good, if not better, this year.

Gerald Lee should challenge for Player of the Year honors in the CAA. Only devastating injuries or other unforeseen disasters will keep the Monarchs from playing in the post season this year.

With coach Anthony Grant and point guard Eric Maynor gone from VCU's program, ODU should win the conference title. If ODU finishes first, that achievement should be enough for ODU to secure an NCAA bid even if the Monarchs fail to win the conference tournament.

Rutgers 2009-10 Preview: Scarlet Knights Climbing Up With Hill

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:55:08 -0400

Head Coach: Fred Hill; 32-60 in 3 years

Previous Season : 11-21 overall; 2-16 Big East (15th)

Departures : G Anthony Farmer, G Corey Chandler, G Earl Pettis, G/F Jaron Griffin, F JR Inman, F Christian Morris

Additions : G James Beatty, G Muhamed Hasani, F Jonathan Mitchell, F Dane Miller, F Austin Johnson, C Brian Okum

Rutgers has struggled to win since Quincy Douby left school early after the 2006-07 season to pursue a career in the NBA.

But the Scarlet Knights might have finally found another star in Mike Rosario as he led the team in scoring as a freshman.

Last year, Rutgers was inconsistent early in the season as it lost to teams such as Saint Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Binghamton. A 9-4 start turned sour quickly when consecutive losses to North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut marked the beginning of a nine game losing streak.

DePaul and South Florida were the only Big East teams the Scarlet Knights were able to defeat all season long.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG James Beatty , 6'2,'' 195 lbs, Jr.

Fred Hill has been searching for a true point guard since being named the head coach, and he finally has one.

Beatty averaged 13.4 points and 7.9 assists for a Miami-Dade Junior College team that had a 26-3 season. As a high school senior, he was named the North Carolina 4A State Player of the Year.

Beatty's arrival could not come at a better time since combo guard Corey Chandler was dismissed in August for violating athletic department policy. The depth at guard was further thinned when Earl Pettis decided to transfer to LaSalle.

Beatty should be able to add creativity to an offense that often has difficulty scoring.

SG Mike Rosario , 6'3," 190 lbs, So. (16.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 39 FG%, 84 FT%)

Rosario was the first McDonald's All-American to attend Rutgers.

He proved the honor was no mistake as he set a freshman scoring record at Rutgers with 517 points. Rosario led the team in 3-point baskets and free-throw shooting percentage.

He worked on his game this summer by playing on Puerto Rico's Under-19 team. Going into the season, Rosario needs to improve his ball handling as he dished out 45 assists while committing 94 turnovers last year.

SF Patrick Jackson , 6'6", 210 lbs So. (0.6 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 7 FG%, 80 FT%)

Coach Hill needed to see enormous improvement out of Jackson after a sub-par freshman year. Jackson did not disappoint on the team's trip to Spain during the off-season.

He led the team in scoring during the four-game trip with nearly 14 points per game. He also displayed a willingness to battle inside by averaging 7.3 rebounds per game.

Based on the numbers he posted in Europe, Jackson is now expected to emerge as one of the most improved players in the Big East.

PF Gregory Echenique , 6'9," 265 lbs, So. (8.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 51 FG%, 67 FT%)

Last season, Echenique set the school's freshman rebounding record. His 78 blocks placed him second in school history for rejections for a freshman.

Following a similar path as Rosario, Echenique played for Venezuela's Under-19 team this past summer. The coaching staff is looking for the burly Echenique to average a double-double this year.

C Hamady Ndiaye , 6'11," 235 lbs, Sr. (5.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 59 FG%, 65 FT%)

Despite playing most of the season with back problems, Ndiaye continued to be a defensive presence for Rutgers. Although still limited offensively, Ndiaye proves invaluable with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability.

With Echenique helping inside, Ndiaye can take less chances defensively and stay on the floor for longer periods without fouling out.

Projected Contributors

G Mike Coburn , 6'0," 185 lbs, Jr. (4.0 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.6 RPG, 40 FG%, 68 FT%)

Coburn is a valuable player off the bench with the ability to play either guard position. He also provides leadership on a team lacking experience.

Coburn needs to keep his turnovers low and increase his shooting range to aid in the improvement of the Scarlet Knights.

G Muhamed Hasani , 6'3", 190 lbs, Fr.

Hasani was offered a scholarship without ever being seen by Coach Hill on the recommendation of Tim O'Shea, the head coach of Bryant.

In 2007, Hasani was recognized by the Basketball Federation of Kosovo as its best player under the age of 21.

Still only 20 years old, Hasani has lots of international experience and will provide Rutgers with another option at point guard.

F Austin Johnson , 6'8", 230 lbs, Fr.

As a senior for Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, Johnson averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Johnson will need time to develop but should pick up minutes due to his athleticism and passing ability.

F Tomaz Kokosinski , 6'7", 235 lbs, So.

Kokosinski only participated in three games last season and didn't score a point in any of them. He joined Rutgers as a walk-on and was a member of the 2008-09 Big East All-Academic Team.

Kokosinski is a hard worker in practice, but will find it difficult again to see much playing time.

G Mike Kuhn , 6'1", 185 lbs, So. (0.5 PPG, 0.0 APG, 67 FG%)

Kuhn averaged 1.5 minutes per game last season as a walk-on. As a senior at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while serving as team captain.

Since Rutgers is thin at the guard position, Kuhn's ball-handling skills will probably be put to more use this season.

F Dane Miller , 6'7", 210 lbs, Fr.

Miller is a versatile player who would rather shoot outside than bang inside. He was rated as the 37th-best forward by ESPN.com out of high school.

Miller averaged 21 points and 15 rebounds as a senior at Rush-Henrietta High School in New York. His ability to run the floor will allow Rutgers to play at a faster pace.

F Jonathan Mitchell , 6'7", 225 lbs, Jr.

Mitchell sat out last season as a transfer from the University of Florida. As a true freshman, Mitchell played on a national championship team.

The former New York Mr. Basketball is a natural lefty who averaged 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds two seasons ago. Mitchell will provide Rutgers with perimeter shooting and rebounding while battling Jackson for a starting spot.

C Brian Okam , 6'11", 245 lbs, Fr.

Okam is a versatile big man who will learn from Ndiaye as he adjusts to the college game. Okam did not play in high school last season because the Florida High School Athletic Association ruled him ineligible to participate.

Key Games

Nov. 14 Marist : It is always good to start off the season with a solid win at home.

Nov. 27 Massachusetts (Legends Classic in Atlantic City): This game will serve as a tool to evaluate how much improved this team really is.

Dec. 28 @North Carolina : Rutgers played well in a losing effort season against the Tar Heels last season.

Jan. 2 Cincinnati: It is vital that the Scarlet Knights start conference play on a positive note.

Feb. 2 St. John's : A key home game against a team Rutgers should be able to handle.

Season Outlook

Rutgers should be able to get to a strong start before facing North Carolina and starting conference play.

Much of Rutgers' success will depend on the play of Beatty at the point guard position. Turnovers have been a problem for the Scarlet Knights recently. Rutgers was next-to-last in the Big East in scoring last year and needs more quality possessions during the course of a game to increase its point production.

Under Hill, the Scarlet Knights have struggled to find more than one productive scorer each year. However, both Rosario and Echenique should average double-digits in points this time around. Based on his play earlier this year, Jackson should be able to establish himself as a reliable scoring option.

Rutgers has only been able to win five conference games over the last two years. This team should win at least that many this season alone. An NCAA bid is unlikely, but a trip to the NIT is a goal that the Scarlet Knights should be able to reach.

DePaul Blue Demons Season Preview: Addition by Subtraction or Division by Zero?

Calvin W Boaz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:58:58 -0400

Head Coach: Jerry Wainright; 52-72 at DePaul in four years

Previous Season: 9-24; 0-18 Big East (16th)

Departures: PG Jabari Currie, C Matija Poscic, F Dar Tucker

Additions: G/F Mike Stovall, G Nate Rogers, G Joe Belcaster, F Tony Freeland, G/F Eric Wallace, G Ryan Siggins

Last season, DePaul became the first team in the Big East since Miami in 93-94 to go winless in the conference during the regular season. The Blue Demons started off the year 4-0, but defeats to California, Northwestern, Morgan State, and UCLA sent the team into a tailspin.

Early on, DePaul had some close losses in conference play. However, as the season progressed, DePaul was getting blown out even by the lesser teams in the conference.

DePaul showed renewed energy during the Big East Tournament by defeating Cincinnati before losing a tough game to Providence.

Coach Wainwright fired three assistant coaches, including his son, Scott. Dar Tucker left two years early for the NBA Draft.

Although Tucker averaged 18.5 points per game, he attempted too many shots as the rest of the team stood around and watched him play. This year, the team will focus on being tougher on defense and working together more as a team.

One has to wonder if DePaul can recover from such an embarrassing season without a total overhaul and a new direction.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Jeremiah Kelly, 6'1'', 170 lbs, So. (4.3 PPG, 2.4 APG, 1.5 RPG, 33 FG%, 53 FT%)

Kelly was forced to play more minutes than Wainright anticipated after starting point guard Jabari Currie was lost for the season with a knee injury. Kelly struggled most of the season, but displayed good ball-handling skills and leadership ability during the Big East Tournament.

SG Will Walker, 6'0", 190 lbs, Sr. (14.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 42 FG%, 66 FT%)

After struggling in the first half of the season, Walker made 43 three-pointers and averaged 19.8 points over his last 12 games. He moves well without the ball and displays good form on his shot.

The Blue Demons would like to play Walker more at the point this year so the team can present a larger lineup on the floor. However, for this to become an effective strategy, Walker's ballhandling must improve.

SF Eric Wallace, 6'6'', 215 lbs, So.

Wallace is a transfer from Ohio State. As a freshman for the Buckeyes, Wallace averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 15 games. His career high in scoring is 10 points against Iowa.

Wallace provides DePaul with a athletic option at the small forward position. He will certainly entertain the home crowd with his ability to dunk.

After spending a year guarding Tucker in practice, Wallace is eager to display his rebounding and defensive abilities in real games.

PF Devin Hill, 6'9", 200 lbs, So. (3.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 31 FG%, 27 FT%)

Due to his slender frame, Hill is at his best when the pace is fast so he can shoot jumpers off the fast break and use his wingspan to deflect passes and block shots.

Hill needs to get stronger to keep defenders away from Mac Koshwal and help the Big East's second-worst rebounding team.

F/C Mac Koshwal 6'10'', 255 lbs, Jr. (12.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 0.4 BPG, 53 FG%, 58 FT%)

Koshwal put his name into the NBA Draft last spring knowing nobody wanted a player from a team that couldn't win a conference game. However, Koshwal received positive feedback during several official workouts.

Although Walker may be the leading scorer for DePaul, Koshwal is the best overall player for the Blue Demons. Koshwal is a physical player who wants the ball inside as much as possible.

Koshwal needs to become more consistent as a player, but is hampered by the lack of inside help as he wears down physically by the end of the season. Fans will look for Koshwal to have a huge season for DePaul and leave after the year ends for the NBA.

Projected Contributors

G Joe Belcaster 6'2'', 160 lbs, Fr.

Belcaster is joining the team as a walk-on from Chicago. As a senior, he led Morton High School to a 23-6 record. Last season, he averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds.

PG Michael Bizoukas 6'1'', 175 lbs, So. (2.0 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.6 RPG, 31 FG%, 52 FT%)

Bizoukas will be asked to come off the bench as a point guard. After last season's debut, he is mentally ready to defend the best guards the Big East has to offer. Bizoukas needs to improve his shooting in order to receive more playing time.

C Krys Faber 6'11", 260 lbs, So. (1.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.3 BPG, 49 FG%, 42 FT%)

Faber had the coaching staff excited when he scored 11 points in his first Big East game. Unfortunately, Faber only scored 16 points the rest of the season.

Faber needs to grow into a solid role player to help with DePaul with rebounding and give Koshwal an opportunity to play less minutes and stay out of foul difficulty.

F Tony Freeland, 6'6'', 200 lbs, Fr.

Freeland was named one of the top 300 players in the Class of 2009 by Athlon Sports. He joins the Blue Demons after averaging 21.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocked shots during his senior season at Freemont High School in California.

Freeland plays tougher inside than his height suggests that he would. Freeland is a hard worker that will definitely give DePaul some needed heart and athleticism. On the negative side, Freeman is still waiting for academic clearance from the NCAA.

C Kene Obi, 7'2", 275 lbs, So. (1.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.2 BPG, 41 FG%, 60 FT%)

Obi is the fifth seven-footer to play for DePaul, but he needs to improve in all areas to ever be considered the best.

Last season as a redshirt freshman, Obi scored nine points against Pittsburgh. His first basket as a collegiate came on a dunk against Southern.

G Nate Rogers 6'1'', 185 lbs, Fr.

Rogers has joined the team as a walk-on from Maywood, Illinois. As a senior, Rogers averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

Rogers is a strong defensive player but will mainly be used to make DePaul's bench look full.

G Ryan Siggins 6'5'', 210 lbs, Fr.

Siggins is a walk-on from Kettering, Ohio. As a senior at Archbishop Alter, he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. For his strong play, Siggins was named honorable mention All-State.

G/F Mike Stovall 6'5'', 200 lbs, Jr.

Last season, Stovall played for Mineral Area Community College and averaged 8.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. As a freshman for Oregon State, he averaged 5.4 minutes per game and appeared in seven contests.

Stovall provides DePaul with some versatility, and the coaching staff hopes he gives the Blue Demons key minutes off the bench and adds needed leadership.

F Mario Stula 6'7'', 210 lbs, Jr. (1.7 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 26 FG%, 80 FT%)

Stula was suppose to become a viable option from three-point range but showed little accuracy from that distance until the win versus Cincinnati. Stula only made 10 of 37 shots from long range all season long.

Hopefully, a positive end to the season will give Stula confidence heading into this year.

Key Games

Nov. 17 Columbia: A good chance of DePaul starting the season 1-0.

Nov. 20 @ Northern Iowa: The Panthers made to the NCAA Tournament last season. A win would give DePaul needed confidence.

Dec. 28 @ Pittsburgh: This is the first conference game of the season. An early upset of an established team would create momentum.

Jan. 14 Providence: Hopefully, the team would have a conference win by then. If DePaul doesn't, this is a must win against a team that may be worse than DePaul.

Mar. 2 South Florida: It is bad enough that DePaul has struggled recently. Matters are only made worse when it loses badly to a team that is only in the Big East for its football program.

Season Outlook

Coach Wainwright's future with DePaul is definitely on the line this season. However, one has to wonder why he chose assistants that are known for recruiting if this is his last season.

Koshwal and Walker are the only proven players on the roster. It will take loads of improvement in all areas for DePaul to finish in the top half of the Big East. Making the NIT would be considered a tremendous accomplishment for this team.

Many fans laughed at Tucker when he was not drafted by the NBA. Those same people believe the team will improve just because Tucker is gone.

However, if the team doesn't buy into Wainwright's system and early losses lead to poor effort on the court, Tucker may get the last laugh.

Mississippi State Basketball 2009-10 Preview: These Dogs Have Bite

Calvin W Boaz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:55:29 -0400

To begin the 2008-09 season, Mississippi State had to adjust to life without Ben Hansbrough, Charles Rhodes, and do-everything guard Jamont Gordon.

It was not an easy transition as the Bulldogs lost to Washington State, Texas Tech, Charlotte, Cincinnati, and San Diego before entering 2009.

Conference play was mainly an exercise in mediocrity as the team finished 9-7 and in third place in the SEC West.

However, to avoid NIT purgatory, Mississippi State defeated Georgia, South Carolina, LSU, and Tennessee to win the SEC Tournament and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State's momentum stayed in Tampa, Florida as the Bulldogs lost to Washington 71-58 in the first round in the West bracket and ended their season with a record of 23-13.

This year's version of the Bulldogs features all five starters returning and new recruits to help inside. The Bulldogs have the nation's top shot blocker and strong three-point shooting. Based on last year's results, the team needs to reduce its turnovers and rebound better.

Dee Bost will again be the starting point guard for the Bulldogs. As a freshman, Bost took control of the team and showed leadership way beyond his experience level.

Last season, Bost started all 36 games and averaged 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Bost has gained weight in hopes of improving his ability to finish his drives to the basket. Bost also needs to commit fewer turnovers than the 102 he had last year.

This year marks the third year that senior Barry Stewart will be starting for the Bulldogs. The 6'3" guard averaged 12.4 points last year and made 72 three-pointers. Stewart will be looked upon to make the big shot for the Bulldogs at the end of games.

Junior swingman Ravern Johnson looks to improve upon the 83 three-pointers he made last year. The designated gunner also needs to become tougher on defense.

Depending on the alignment, Phil Turner will be the fourth starting guard or one of the first players off the bench. At only 6'3", he averaged 5.5 rebounds and gave the team a physical presence in the backcourt.

Freshman Shaunessy Smith will be a valuable backup at both guard positions. Reserves Twany Beckham and Riley Benock will make their biggest impacts during garbage time in games against such teams as SE Louisiana, UT-Pan American, Centenary, and Mississippi Valley State.

For most of last season, 6'9" Jarvis Varnado was the only big man the Bulldogs had on the floor. Although the team was outrebounded by their opponents, Varnado controlled the post defensively by blocking an amazing 170 shots.

The returning SEC Defensive Player of the Year needs only 19 blocks for the all-time conference lead and 142 for the NCAA record. Along with his defensive prowess, Varnado averaged 12.9 points last season.

Sophomore forward Kodi Augustus hopes to stay on coach Rick Stansbury's good side and improve upon his 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds from last year. Athletic sophomore Romero Osby and freshman Wendell Lewis look to provide depth inside. Burly forward Elgin Bailey will also be in the mix as long as he is recovered from a severe ankle dislocation suffered last March versus Florida.

The amount of improvement the Bulldogs achieve inside will depend on the eligibility of and production by freshmen John Riek and Renardo Sidney.

Riek is a 7'2" center originally from the Sudan. He will be able to play for the Bulldogs after sitting out the first nine games. Riek will immediately give Mississippi State another shot blocker and an inside scorer.

Sidney was a surprise signee by the Bulldogs as he was thought to be going to either USC or UCLA. Sidney is a five-star power forward from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles who has been ruled academically eligible.

However, questions about his amateur status remain as the NCAA investigates how his family paid for two homes during the two years it lived in California. The Bulldogs remain optimistic that Sidney will play for the Bulldogs this season.

Even if Sidney is not able to play for Mississippi State this year, Mississippi State is the favorite to win the SEC West and a near lock to make the NCAA Tournament. However, if Sidney plays this year, the Bulldogs could be the best team in the SEC and advance to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

94 Reasons Why Wofford Needs To Defeat USF

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:59:27 -0400

Because of the BCS and the institution of a twelfth game, the first weekend of college football has become not much more than a test of anger management skills.

The schedule is full of unattractive match-ups between FBS and FCS schools. For those who enjoy FCS football, they have to listen endlessly to elitists and know-it-alls who know very little about the smaller institutions.

This season, 87 FBS schools have scheduled at least one FCS opponent. Seven teams enjoy double-dipping so much that they play two schools from the lower subdivision.

FBS institutions are looking for easy wins and as many home games as possible, killing two birds with one stone when scheduling FCS schools.

In 87 games played last season between FBS and FCS teams, the FBS school only lost twice. San Diego State lost to Cal Poly 29-27, and Army was defeated by New Hampshire 28-10.

In those 87 match-ups, Western Kentucky was the only team to travel to a FCS school when it played at Eastern Kentucky.

The FCS teams also benefit, to a degree, from the relationship between the two subdivisions. Most FCS schools, if not all, make more money travelling to an FBS institution than they would having a home game against another FCS team.

The constant losing by the FCS squads doesn't seem to effect their overall play. The Richmond Spiders lost to the Virginia Cavaliers in 2008 17-0 but went on to win a national title.

Despite playing a team from a lower subdivision, the FBS school doesn't get downgraded very much for the maneuver. The University of Florida defeated The Citadel last season and Western Carolina in 2006 and went on to win BCS championships in both of those campaigns.

Non-BCS schools like Utah, Hawaii, and Boise State also scheduled FCS teams the years they played in a BCS bowl game. In 2007, Hawaii defeated Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern and still gained the opportunity to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

As if that was the required punishment for needing funds to run an athletic program, more often than not, the FCS school gets destroyed by their FCS counterpart. However, the worst part of the experience is being humiliated and belittled by fans who don't follow the FCS.

A great example of this behavior is what is transpiring before the game between the University of South Florida Bulls and the Wofford Terriers. Sports talk show hosts in the Tampa Bay area have been bombarded by USF fans asking what a Wofford is and why the school nickname is not the Waffles. Even talk about eating cupcakes at night has entered many a conversation.

The reality is that recently Wofford has had more success as an FCS school that USF has had as an FBS team.

Since 2002, Wofford had achieved a record of 60-24, and USF is only 52-32. This season, Wofford is trying for its eighth consecutive winning season. USF's last non-winning campaign occurred in 2005.

Wofford won the Southern Conference title and an automatic playoff bid in both 2003 and 2007, while also making the FCS playoffs last year. USF has never won a conference title as a member of the Big East.

Just last season, USF finished fifth in the Big East while Wofford has achieved three straight seasons of finishing in third place or better in the Southern Conference.

The last current member of the Big East to win a national title was Pittsburgh in 1976, while Appalachian State won FCS titles in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Georgia Southern won national titles as a member of the Southern Conference in both 1999 and 2000.

Jim Leavitt has never been awarded a national coach of the year award in the FBS. Mike Ayers, the head coach of Wofford, won the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the most outstanding FCS head coach, in 2003.

In 2007, Appalachian State pulled off one the biggest upsets in the history of college football when the Mountaineers surprised the Michigan Wolverines 34-32 at Michigan Stadium. However, in retrospect, the victory damaged the FCS.

That isolated event caused the novice fan to view the FBS and FCS as equals. It also caused several FBS schools to find the weakest FCS teams possible to play.

This season, Michigan plays Delaware State. The Hornets are a far cry from playing a defending national champion.

Games between FBS and FCS institutions have made a mockery of the BCS system. Unless the NCAA steps in and forbids the practice, more FBS teams will try to reduce their chance of losing non-conference games by scheduling FCS opponents.

Perhaps, it is time the NCAA institutes a pre-season game that allows the two subdivisions to play each other. The FCS school will still get paid for travelling, and FBS teams get the opportunity to have their players participate against a live opponent without the game counting in the BCS standings.

Without NCAA intervention, the only other way these games will stop occurring is if more FCS teams win them. Villanova defeat of Temple on Thursday is a strong starting point, but many more bad results have to happen before the FBS schools end the relationship on their own accord.

With Wofford having to replace its top quarterback, running back, and wide receiver from last season, it will take a miraculous performance from junior halfback Mike Rucker and senior defensive end Mitch Clark to pull off the upset.

It will be close to impossible for the Terriers to contain quarterback Matt Grothe and stop one of the best defensive lines in all of college football from creating havoc all game long.

However, for the betterment of college football, Wofford has to find a way to stun USF along with other FCS schools pulling the same rabbit out of their helmets.

Syracuse Should Have Named Otto The Orange the Starting Quarterback

Calvin W Boaz — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:38:54 -0400

College football has not yet begun, and the Syracuse Orange has pulled off a publicity stunt worthy of the late Bill Veeck. Doug Marrone, the new head coach of the Orange football team, has named Greg Paulus as his starting quarterback.

For the last four years, Paulus has played basketball as a point guard for Duke University.

In 2004, Paulus was selected the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. While attending Christian Brothers Academy in suburban Dewitt, Paulus had 11,763 career passing yards and set six New York state records.

Despite the stellar statistics as a high school athlete, it is hard to believe Paulus legitimately earned the starting quarterback position. One has to question why Marrone would start his rebuilding plan with a player he will have for only one season.

Paulus has not played competitive football in five years. Of course, those who claim that Paulus deserves the starting position can say that Syracuse has not played competitive football in five years either.

It is inconceivable that a player that missed spring football would outplay other worthy candidates.

Despite completing less than 50 percent of his passes, Cameron Dantley tossed more than twice as many touchdowns as interceptions in 2008. Redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib was named one of four Philadelphia Daily News Players of the Year while in high school.

Nassib cannot that be that poor of a prospect, since Marrone named him the starting quarterback at the end of March.

If Syracuse wanted publicity, the school could have tried other tactics.

It would have been interesting to make the home opener versus Minnesota Britney Spears Demolition Day. Perhaps, the University realized it is easier to steamroll vinyl records than CDs.

Bringing back Donovan McNabb for a special presentation would have been a great idea as well. However, there is a possibility that McNabb might have declined the invitation since it has been a long time since he has been in a football stadium and wasn't booed.

If Marrone wanted to create a real buzz about the football team, he should have selected Otto the Orange as the starting quarterback.

Officially a member of the University since 1995, Otto the Orange has the same number of collegiate passing yards as Paulus. Paulus may have more high school experience than Otto, but it is not Otto's fault that his high school coaches felt he was not ripe enough to participate in sports.

Although Otto's swelled head would limit his passing ability, he has the upper body to be a successful wishbone quarterback. Otto has a strong upper body, and once he was able to build up a reasonable rate of speed, opposing tacklers would peel right off of him.

Otto's loyalty to Syracuse and his familiarity with his teammates cannot be underestimated. With proper nurturing, Otto could grow into quite the quarterback prospect.

If Syracuse insists in being the laughingstock of college football, the Orange should feature a quarterback that would the cause fans to smile instead of cry.

The student body would have been juiced to see Otto lead the football team. Unfortunately, Marrone squeezed him out of the opportunity.

Is Brandon Lang The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:19:32 -0400

Usually when a player makes an impact in the NFL, fans are quick to memorize where he went to college. However, many such aficionados don't realize that DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora attended Troy University.

Brandon Lang is another Trojan, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, making an impact. The 6 foot 3 inch, 256-pound senior is one of the best defensive ends in all of college football.

Last season, Lang lead the Trojans with 10.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hurries. He finished first in the Sun Belt Conference and 12th in the FBS in sacks. The 17.5 TFL ranked Lang second in the Sun Belt and 14th nationally.

Lang set a new school record for TFL yards with 115, breaking the the mark of 103 set by Ware in 2004.

Lang displayed an ability to also defend the run as he completed the season as the seventh best tackler with 69 tackles.

Against FIU, Lang was credited with 11 quarterback hurries, seven tackles, and a sack. In the game versus North Texas, he had a season-high 10 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss.

For his efforts in 2008, Lang was named first-team All-Sun Belt.

Lang's success last season did not come without hours of sweat and sacrifice.

He worked endlessly in the off-season to regain his renowned speed and explosiveness that was reduced when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2007. The season-ending injury occurred in only the third game of the season versus Oklahoma State when Lang was blocked.

In his freshman year at Troy, Lang played all 13 games in a reserve role and recorded 4.5 sacks, 26 total tackles, nine quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Not only are the Trojans overjoyed about Lang's success last season, they feel fortunate just to have his services.

Lang originally signed with Georgia but attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. in 2004 when he couldn't achieve the needed SAT score. Lang committed to Troy in June of 2005, but he didn't participate in football, instead working on his academics at Troy and at a junior college in Kansas.

The 2009 season has yet to begin, but the accolades for Lang are already accumulating.

Along with being named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team, he has been placed on the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, an award presented to the nation's top defensive end.

Lang is also on the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award. This trophy is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football.

Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. has Lang projected to be drafted by the New York Giants with the 24th pick in a mock draft that included collegiate players entering their fourth year on campus.

Obviously, Lang's stellar statistics are based on more than just playing in the Sun Belt Conference.

In Greek mythology, Greek soldiers hid inside a wooden horse as part of a surprise attack on the Trojans. In 2009, the Trojans possess a horse they unleash to attack on opposing offenses.

Bryan Anderson: The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard of?

Calvin W Boaz — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:13:49 -0400

At 6'5'', Bryan Anderson has several advantages over his competition.

The Central Michigan senior wideout is one of the first players to know when it is raining, and the crowd has an easy time recognizing him on the field.

Anderson may be able to stand out in a crowd, but the media must be looking for him at all the wrong places.

Heading into this season, Anderson needs only 379 receiving yards to become the all-time leader at CMU. He is already first in school history with 226 receptions and 21 touchdown receptions.

Anderson ranks 10th in receptions in Mid-American Conference history, and he currently owns the longest streak in the FBS with at least one catch in 40 consecutive games.

Since redshirting in 2005, Anderson has been a productive starter for the Chippewas. That is quite an accomplishment for a player who started out as a walk-on.

Anderson's best season to date occurred in 2007.

That year, Anderson caught 90 passes for 1,132 yards and a single-season school record 10 touchdowns. The 90 receptions rank Anderson second for most in one season at Central Michigan, and he caught at least 10 passes in a game three times.

For his efforts, Anderson was voted second-team All-MAC and the team's most valuable receiver.

Despite injuries to quarterback Dan LeFevour last season, Anderson still had a productive campaign. He caught 63 passes for 865 yards and six touchdowns. Anderson averaged 13.7 yards per catch while grabbing 15 receptions of 20 yards or more.

Although his statistics decreased, Anderson's status within the conference increased as he was named first-team All-MAC.

As a freshman, Anderson totaled 867 receiving yards on 73 receptions. Anderson caught eight passes in a game four times and had three consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving.

Sporting News selected Anderson as a first-team Freshman All-America, and he was a first-team All-MAC honoree.

Extra film study and hard work have enabled Anderson to become a well-rounded player. He started his career at CMU as a slot receiver because he was a poor route runner.

After hours of film study and practice, Anderson now lines up primarily as an outside receiver. He also has developed some versatility. He can be a finesse guy if defensive backs play off of him, or a physical player if the defense plays bump-and-run.

Anderson's strong work ethic extends beyond the football field. He is majoring in biomedical sciences and has a 3.31 GPA. He has twice been an Academic All-MAC selection.

Anderson is poised to have another excellent season for Central Michigan. The question is whether the media is ready to take notice of an individual who is hard to miss.

Is Cody Slate the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:25:20 -0400

According to Thefreedictionary.com, the definition of a clean slate is an opportunity to start over without prejudice. After a disappointing 2008, Cody Slate, the starting tight end for the Marshall Thundering Herd, is looking to regain his previous form.

Last season was the first year since arriving on campus that Slate did not lead Marshall in receiving. He only made honorable mention All-Conference USA.

Because of an MCL sprain, Slate missed two games and caught just 40 passes for 510 yards. On the bright side, Slate did record a career high eight touchdowns.

Not only did the injury set Slate back, but Marshall's passing game struggled all year long under the command of redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Cann. The Herd's passing offense was ranked 29th in the FBS in 2007 but saw its ranking drop to 95th in 2008.

In 2007, Slate caught 66 passes for 818 yards and five touchdowns. He was the only sophomore in the FBS to rank in the top three tight ends in receptions per game and receiving yards per game.

For that season, SI.com and CollegeFootballNews.com voted Slate honorable mention All-America. The coaches in the conference voted him second-team All-Conference USA, while the media put him on the first team.

As a freshman, Slate had 43 catches for 684 yards and six touchdowns. He became the first freshman since Randy Moss in 1996 to lead Marshall in receiving.

Faster than linebackers and bigger than safeties at 6'4'', 229 lbs, Slate is a nightmare for defenses to plan against. Slate's soft hands make him a reliable target to throw to in pressure situations.

Besides being healthy again, Slate enters this season with several reasons to expect a highly productive campaign this year.

Due to the graduation of wide receivers Darius Passmore and Emmanuel Spann, Slate will be the primary target Marshall will look at to produce. Based on spring practice, junior Brian Anderson will take over for Cann as the Thundering Herd's starting quarterback and help revitalize the passing game.

According to head coach Mark Synder, Slate has worked hard in the weight room to become more physical without losing any of his speed.

Cody has done his down-and-dirty best to wipe his slate clean.

Is T.Y. Hilton the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:56:49 -0400

Paris Hilton is a famous model, singer, author, fashion designer, and actress. Actually, Hilton doesn't seem to really excel at any of those things.

She is just famous for no apparent reason at all.

T.Y. Hilton is a sophomore wide receiver at Florida International University whose immense talent is surpassed sadly by his lack of notoriety in the world of college football.

Last season, Hilton was one of only three freshmen receivers that had over 1,000 yards catching in the FBS. Hilton caught 41 passes for 1,013 yards for an incredible 24.7 yards per catch.

Along with seven touchdowns receiving, Hilton ran for two touchdowns.

Due to his blazing speed and the lack of play makers on the Golden Panthers' roster, Hilton was utilized as the team's return specialist. Hilton averaged 23.4 yards on 36 kick returns and 14.8 yards on 18 punt returns.

Hilton's 2,162 all-purpose yards set the single season record at FIU.

Because of his tremendous skill set, Hilton was selected the Freshman of the Year by the Sun Belt Conference. He was named to the All-SBC First Team as a kick return specialist and all-purpose player.

The only tasks Hilton didn't perform for the Golden Panthers last season were to park cars before the game and sell popcorn at halftime.

In 2008, it didn't take long for Hilton to achieve success. In FIU's first game versus Kansas, Hilton scored a touchdown the first time he touched the ball on a 74-yard punt return.

Against Louisiana-Lafayette, Hilton returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

In a losing effort, Hilton caught four passes for 99 yards, giving him a season-best 295 all-purpose yards for the game.

An FIU single-game record for receiving yards was set when Hilton had 199 receiving yards on six receptions versus Arkansas State.

To make that game especially memorable for Hilton, he threw the game-winning 38-yard touchdown pass to fellow wide out Junior Mertile.

Hilton showed last year that even at 5'10'', 175 pounds, he can more than handle the punishment that all-purpose players take.

Hilton's impact on the offense may even increase this year as FIU looks for ways to get more passes thrown in his direction.

At Florida International, Hilton is majoring in sports broadcasting. Don't be surprised if Hilton starts doing voice-overs for his own highlight films.

Forget The Three Amigos—Remember The Michigan Three

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:12:32 -0400

The college football season hasn't even started yet, and I am already tired of hearing about the Three Amigos, otherwise known at Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow.

By the end of the season, I will know Bradford's favorite color, what McCoy eats for breakfast, and what songs are on Tebow's iPod.

There is no questioning the talent of these three quarterbacks, but their nickname makes no sense.

All three are in the chase again this year for the Heisman Trophy. Last season, Tebow and Bradford competed against each other for a national championship. Bradford and McCoy play for teams that are members of the Big 12 South.

It appears to me that is very unlikely that the Three Amigos are actually friends.

In addition, the nickname is probably one of the most overused in sports today. Ever since the movie The Three Amigos, featuring the talents of Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin, hit theaters in 1986, sportswriters with no imagination tag unsuspecting victims with the label.

The Denver Broncos had their version of the Three Amigos in wide receivers Ricky Nattiel, Mark Jackson, and Vance Johnson. When Patrice Evra, Ji-Sung Park, and Carlos Tevez played together for Manchester United, they were referred to as the Three Amigos.

The late wrestler Eddie Guerrero had his signature move, three consecutive vertical suplexes, called the Three Amigos. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics referred to themselves as the Three Amigos in a commercial for ESPN.

I decided that other college football quarterbacks should to be publicized this season, and their nicknames need to be creative and logical.

Most casual college football fans believe that the Big 12 possesses the greatest collection of quarterbacks. However, most don't realize the conference with the next-best signal callers is the Mid-American Conference.

To give the MAC some much needed publicity, I have decided to refer to Andy Schmitt, Tim Hiller, and Dan LeFevour as the Michigan Three.

Schmitt is a senior quarterback at Eastern Michigan. He holds the NCAA record for most passes completed in a single game with 58.

Schmitt enters 2009 as one the hottest quarterbacks in the FBS. In his last two games, Schmitt passed for 1,000 yards. The closest member of the Three Amigos to that number is McCoy with 725 yards.

At 6'4", 238 lbs, Schmitt has the ability to sit in the pocket and fend off pass rushers as he looks for open receivers. Schmitt has shown some mobility by running for 171 yards and five touchdowns last year.

From his sophomore to his junior year, Schmitt increased his passing yardage by over 1,000 yards. Now that new coach Ron English is implementing a pro-style offense at Eastern Michigan, expect another year of improvement from Schmitt.

Hiller is a 6'5'', 228 lbs senior at Western Michigan. Hiller is only the second quarterback from WMU to throw for at 3,000 yards in a season. Hiller has an excellent opportunity to pass for at least 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns in his career.

Known to possess a stronger arm than any member of the Three Amigos, Hiller also receives high marks for his touch and trajectory on his passes—consistently putting the ball over the receiver's correct shoulder.

Hiller has already earned a degree in sales and marketing while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Although Hiller is recovering from a MCL injury to his left knee, expect him to have another great season running Western Michigan's West Coast offense.

Dan LeFevour is already the leading passer at Central Michigan University and could become the MAC leader in several categories.

He needs 27 touchdown passes to top Chad Pennington as the all-time conference leader. LeFevour is 383 total yards and 2,437 passing yards away from setting two more MAC records.

At 6'3'', 226 lbs, LeFevour is known for intelligence and poise in the pocket. Despite playing with a bad ankle last year, LeFevour still passed for 2,784 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2008.

In 2007, LeFevour achieved a feat none of the Three Amigos have yet accomplished. During that season, LeFevour became only the second quarterback ever to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards in the same year.

With two great wide receivers at his disposal, LeFevour is ready to regain the form he had two seasons ago.

As you can see, the Michigan Three can hold their own against the Three Amigos. Plus, the line to join the bandwagon of the Three Amigos is longer than the line to use the restroom at a NFL stadium at halftime.

If one supports the Michigan Three, he can stand out among the crowd of college football fans. Anyone with business experience can see the marketing opportunities associated with the Michigan Three.

Selling tee shirts of the Michigan Three would make you a "MAC Daddy".

Mack Brown's Fatal Recruting Error Proves He Is Slipping (Humor)

Calvin W Boaz — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:47:33 -0400

For some time now, Mack Brown has been known as one of the best college football coaches. He has the best winning percentage of any coach in University of Texas history.

Brown was the winner of the 2008 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year, and he guided Texas to the 2005 BCS National Championship.

However, Coach Brown is beginning to show signs that he is losing his touch. That fact is especially apparent in terms of recruiting.

Mack Brown won't even recruit himself.

Last Friday, Mack Brown, a 5'11'', 185 lbs running back from Martin Luther King High School in Lithonia, GA, verbally agreed to attend the University of Florida.

Brown also received interest from Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami(FL), Vanderbilt, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, and Clemson.

Apparently, Brown would have received more offers but due to the weight of the recruitment letters, Brown's mailbox fell over, and he was no longer getting any mail.

As a junior in high school, Brown gained over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rivals.com rank Brown as the sixth best running back in the country and the 56th-ranked player overall.

Despite all the accolades, Brown never received any correspondence from Coach Brown, even before the supposed demise of the mailbox.

It is inconceivable a competent coach would not recruit his namesake.

What player would not want to play for himself? Playing for themselves is what most professional players do now, and it is getting to trend that way in college sports.

Pete Carroll would certainly try to convince a Pete Carroll to attend USC.

Urban Meyer may at first faint from realizing that another set of parents would actually name their child Urban. However, once he was revived, Meyer would go to great lengths to explain the virtues of attending the University of Florida to the family.

Universities would relish the opportunity to publicize that a coach had the same name of his player, even if it was just the surname. I could only imagine what slogans schools would come up with:

This season, Purdue is Full of Hope.

All Rhoads Point to Ames, IA.

Notrhern Illinois is Going in for the Kills.

The possibilities are endless.

I can only envision what it would have been like at North Carolina in the 1980's if the Tar Heels fielded a team entirely of Dick Crums. By the end of the first quarter, the administration would have forced all the players to legally change their first names to Richard.

Coach Brown made a mistake Texas football may never recover from. Will Muschamp has already been appointed to replace Brown when he retires.

The time may be sooner than later.

Is MiQuale Lewis the Best College Football Player That You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:27:06 -0400

Most bowling balls live a mundane life. They only roll down lanes and knock over pins.

Human bowling balls also tend to go through life inconspicuously, but tend to enjoy life a lot more. This statement is especially true when they play college football.

In Muncie, IN, there is a human bowling ball that plays running back for the Ball State Cardinals, who goes by the name of MiQuale Lewis.

Not only is Lewis a human bowling ball, he is part invisible man.

At 5'6", Lewis hides behind his offensive linemen, until he finds a hole to sneak through. By the time the defense realizes where he is, Lewis is already in the process of running over an opponent.

Just like a bowling ball, Lewis comes with a hook. Although he enjoys punishing defenders, Lewis is also able to turn the corner and sprint by them.

Lewis begins 2009 as the leading returning rusher in the FBS in terms of total yards and is only behind Jahvid Best of California in yards per game.

In 2008, Lewis rushed for 1,736 yards on 462 carries with 25 touchdowns. Lewis gained at least 100 yards in 11-of-14 games. He gained over 150 yards in a single game five times.

Perhaps Lewis' best performance occurred on the road versus Indiana. Going into the game, Ball State had never defeated a team from a BCS Conference in 43 attempts and had never defeated a Big Ten team in 19 tries.

To make matters worse, Ball State's star receiver, Dante Love, was forced out of the game in the second quarter with a cervical spine fracture.

Not only did Lewis help keep the team composed after seeing a teammate carried off of the field on a stretcher, he stepped up his game to take pressure off of the passing game.

Lewis gained 166 yards and tallied four touchdowns to lead Ball State to a 42-20 victory over the Hoosiers.

Lewis' physical style of running has taken a toll on his 193 lbs. frame. As a freshman, Lewis only participated in six games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. In 2007, Lewis was playing well before suffering a leg injury that ruined his season in the fourth game of the year.

Despite the setbacks, Lewis only needs 1,540 yards to become the leading rusher at Ball State. That task will not be easy with Ball State needing to replace its starting quarterback and four offensive linemen.

Lewis will definitely do his best to lead Ball State to a successful season.

Expect the human bowling ball to channel all of his energy to strike fear in the opposition.

Because of Steve Spurrier, Ole Miss Vs. South Carolina Is a Must See

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:25:12 -0400

On Friday, Steve Spurrier, the head football coach at the University South Carolina, closed the book on one controversy, and at the same time, initiated a new rage in Ole Miss football fans.

On day three of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama, Spurrier admitted he was the head coach that did not vote for Tim Tebow preseason first-team All-SEC. Actually, he placed the blame on somebody else.

He revealed that Jamie Speronis, the director of football operations at South Carolina, filled out his ballot. Spurrier said he glanced at it quickly and signed off on it. It wasn't until later, Spurrier realized Speronis voted for Jevan Snead instead of Tebow.

The media speculated at first it was Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin that didn't select Tebow. Ironically, not only did Spurrier play and coach at the University of Florida, but Speronis is a 1985 graduate of Florida.

Spurrier might have appeased Gator fans with his confession, but Ole Miss supporters should be ready for some rebel rousing.

It is not surprising that the media proved to be hypocritical in this over-hyped affair. They acted like a coach had to be the dumbest person on the planet not to vote Tebow onto the first team, but three voters out of 64 on the media version of the All-SEC team selected someone other than Tebow on the first team. There were two votes for Snead and one vote for Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.

During his time at the media session, Spurrier revealed that he asked Charles Bloom, the SEC associate commissioner for media relations, to change his vote from Snead to Tebow, and Bloom agreed to do so.

Ole Miss should be very upset that Bloom and SEC commissioner Mike Slive allowed the change to occur. Coaches should not have the ability to switch selections around after the results have been tabulated.

There are probably several Americans who would like to change their presidential selection from Barack Obama to John McCain, but I don't expect to see the White House playground to be replaced by a shuffleboard court any time soon.

Spurrier apologized to Tebow and the Gators, but no apology to Snead was handed out. Snead deserves an explanation on why Spurrier decided to embarrass and disparage him on Friday.

Spurrier explained Speronis' reasoning for voting for Snead as an act of sympathy. Supposedly, Speronis' selection was not based on Snead's ability but the fact that he had to many Gator players on the first team.

I don't believe that is what Speronis did. I am under the opinion that Speronis truly believes Snead will be the best quarterback this season, but Spurrier made up a lame story so that the media wouldn't be making calls to Speronis questioning why he thinks Snead is better than Tebow.

Spurrier decided it would just be easier to demean Snead in front of the media.

Spurrier and the media have no right to treat Snead like he is a paraplegic. Snead is quite capable of outperforming Tebow this season. Snead did pass for more yards than Tebow while playing in one less game. Ole Miss also defeated the Gators 31-30 last year.

Tebow has been the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators for two years while Snead threw less than 50 passes in 2006 and had to sit out in 2007 due to transfer rules.

Tebow will be without Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy this year while Ole Miss returns its top five leading rushers and its top two wide receivers in terms of total catches.

Now that Spurrier's vote has changed, Tebow joins LSU offensive lineman Ciron Black, Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, and Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry as the only unanimous first-team selections. Therefore, there were several fine athletes that id not gather all the first-place votes

One has to keep in mind that a unanimous vote constituted 11 of the 12 votes since a coach could not vote for players on his team.

Snead cannot be as bad Spurrier makes him sound since Florida coach Urban Meyer voted for him on the first team.

Ole Miss fans everywhere need to circle Sept. 24 on their calendar. That is the date that Ole Miss travels to Columbia to face the Gamecocks on a Thursday night. A large viewing contingent would be nice, but the Rebels need as many supporters as possible to travel to the game.

Not only do the Rebels have to end their streak of losing five SEC openers in a row, but Ole Miss needs to humiliate South Carolina to remind Spurrier he cannot belittle a Rebel and get away with it.

Snead needs to have his best performance ever to prove to Spurrier that he is the best quarterback in the SEC.

Let me revise that-that game has to be his second best ever. Snead should save his greatest performance for the SEC Championship Game.

Is Anthony Parker The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:22:25 -0400

It is hard enough to get noticed as a great player as an offensive lineman. It is even more difficult when one plays on the offensive line in the Mid-American Conference.

Anthony Parker is doing his best to display that he is not only one of the best offensive linemen in the MAC but also in the FBS. Parker has the perfect mix of strength, power, and aggressiveness wrapped into one package.

After redshirting in 2007, Parker was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team in 2008 by Rivals.com. Parker started all 13 games for the Western Michigan Broncos last season.

Parker showed his versatility by performing well at both tackle positions during the season. The 6'5'', 305-pound lineman proved he was quick on his feet by succeeding at both run and pass blocking.

Not only was Parker durable enough to start in all the games for the Broncos, he participated in at least 70 snaps in a game eight times.

At North Miami Beach High School, Parker was named first-team All-Dade County and first-team All-State as a senior. Parker was also selected as his team's best two-way player in his final year of high school.

Parker provided further proof of his athletic ability by starting all four years on the basketball team.

For 2009, Phil Steele selected Parker first-team All-MAC in his magazine. Parker was the only sophomore to be bestowed such an honor.

Going into 2009, Parker is projected to be the starting left tackle for Western Michigan. Not only does Parker have to protect star quarterback Tim Hiller's blind side, he has the added pressure of knowing Hiller may need more time in the pocket while adjusting to three new starting receivers.

At signs point to Parker being up to the task. Parker is out to show football fans everywhere he is one of the best offensive tackles in the country.

Ten Things You Might Hear at an Army Football Game This Year

Calvin W Boaz — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:48:52 -0400

Lately, there hasn't been much to cheer about Army's football team. The Black Knights have not won more than three games since 2005.

Army fans have suffered through 12 consecutive losing seasons. In the past 11 years, Army has had six head coaches.

Head coach Rich Ellerson is bringing his triple option from Cal Poly in hopes of turning the fortunes of Army football around. Although there is hope in the air, there is much skepticism that Army football will ever return to its glory days.

For those of you who end up in West Point, N.Y. with nothing else to, you may wish to visit Michie Stadium and see what the new era of Army football is all about. However, before making the trip, one should know a few things that might be heard at Michie so not to be caught off guard.

1. Go Army, Beat Somebody!

2. Two, four, six, eight, we're only down by 28.

3. We're not good, we're not great. Army should schedule Utah State.

4. If Army scores today, remember to bring your ticket stub to a local MCDonald's for a free hamburger.

5. Now we know for sure that the Department of Defense is located in Virginia and not New York.

6. We have no hope, we don't believe. All for Army, get up and leave.

7. That's alright, that's okay. We have cannons to blow you away.

8. Instead of "Mr. Inside" and "Mr. Outside", this year we have "Mr. No Gain" and "Mr. Tackled for a Loss".

9. We like to thank you all for coming although some of you were forced at gunpoint.

10. Go Army, Almost Beat Navy!

Now that you are aware of what you can expect at an Army football game, your experience should be enjoyable... or at least tolerable.

Remembering Jack Bruen: A Great Man Hidden In Anonymity

Calvin W Boaz — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:42:09 -0400

After waking up at the break of dawn, I thought I was going to enjoy another informative edition of Mike & Mike in the Morning. Unbeknown to me, today was the day Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic helped raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Don't get me wrong, cancer is a horrible disease that causes great agony to people and their families. However, I feel the name of a charitable organization should not be linked to an individual of questionable character.

Jim Valvano became a legend as a college basketball coach when his North Carolina State defeated the Houston Cougars to a win the national championship in 1983. Valvano was named NC State's athletic director in 1986.

In 1989, the first edition of Personal Fouls: The Broken Promises and Shattered Dreams of Big Money Basketball at Jim Valvano's North Carolina State by Peter Golenbock was published. The book focused on the 1986-87 season and claims that there was corruption in NC State's program.

A 1989 NCAA investigation found that players sold shoes and game tickets illegally. Subsequently, the program was put on probation for two years and was ineligible for the 1990 NCAA basketball tournament.

During that time, stories of players' drug use and game fixing by members of the team ran rapid.

A state appointed Poole Commission later released a report that concluded Jim Valvano and his coaching staff circled around rules to keep players eligible. During Valvano's ten years as coach of the Wolfpack, only three of his recruits graduated from NC State.

Jim Valvano resigned as athletic director in Oct. 1989 and as head coach on Apr. 7, 1990.

Valvano is not the only college basketball coach to succumb to cancer. Unfortunately, the stories of others are not as well known.

John Francis "Jack" Bruen was born on Mar. 25, 1949 in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. At Power Memorial High School, Bruen played with Lew Alcindor, otherwise known as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.

After high school, Jack Bruen started for three years as the point guard at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. For two of those years, he served as captain. Bruen set school records for most assists in a season and best season assist average.

After graduating from Catholic University, Bruen became an assistant at Dematha Catholic High School under coach Morgan Wootten.

Jack Bruen was always know for his fiery personality. In his first year at Dematha, he was the head freshman coach. In his very first game, Bruen was ejected after arguing the initial call of the game.

In 1982, Bruen was named head coach at his alma mater. He was taking command of a team that posted 11 consecutive losing seasons. In Jack Bruen's first year coaching Catholic University, the team recorded a winning season and defeated a team that was ranked No. 1 in Division III.

Bruen finished his seven-year tenure at Catholic with a record of 110-72. The 1985-86 team captured the first national ranking the school ever had.

In 1989, Bruen was named the head coach at Colgate University. At that time, Colgate nor the Village of Hamilton, New York were places to be.

The Colgate Inn was the only hotel in town. Hamilton didn't even get its first McDonald's until 1994.

Legend has it that in Hamilton, the only time it is not snowing is when it is sleeting outside.

Before Bruen arrived at Colgate, the joke was that the public address announcer stated the names of the fans at the game instead of the starting lineups because it took less time.

In time, Bruen did the impossible by establishing the Raiders, still known back then as the Red Raiders, as a winning team in the Patriot League.

The Raiders played Navy for the conference championship in 1994. Led by Adonal Foyle, Colgate won both the regular season and conference tournament championships in the Patriot League in 1995 and 1996.

The Raiders lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament each time, but the negative results could not detract from the excitement erupting in Hamilton.

Jack Bruen had Colgate playing an up-tempo style, and the team worked hard and played tenacious defense for 40 minutes.

Everything was going smoothly for Jack Bruen until the unbelievable occurred in 1997.

During that summer, Bruen began to complain of stomach pains. In October, doctors diagnosed Bruen with pancreatic cancer. To make matters worse, the cancer had already spread to his liver.

For people with that type of cancer, the prognosis was grim. 50 percent die within six weeks of the diagnosis and few live more than six months to a year.

Jack Bruen was determined to remain the head coach despite his terminal illness. He wouldn't allow questions about his cancer to be asked during press conferences.

He would never lose his self-deprecating sense of humor. Despite aggressive chemotherapy that left him weak and hoarse, Bruen only missed one road game.

At the season progressed, more and more of Bruen's former players from Catholic and Colgate would appear at the games.

Many of those players were at Colgate's home game versus Marist on Dec. 13. The players and fans more than made up for the energy Jack Bruen was laking. Colgate was victorious 80-69.

Six days later at the age of 48, Bruen died at his home. He left behind a wife, an eight-year-old son, and a daughter who was a senior at Virginia Tech.

Jack Bruen's career record at Colgate 109-127. His true impact as a basketball coach cannot be measured in pure numbers. He cared about his players on and off the court.

Foyle was a great player for the Raiders, but Bruen made sure he focused on his classwork. In 1996, Adonal Foyle was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1996.

Jack Bruen acted like a second father to Tucker Neale, the all-time leading scorer at Colgate. In 1992, Neale's aunt died from cancer. The next year, Neale's roommate was stabbed to death.

Bruen offered all the time off and help Neale needed and even told Neale a story about a tragic loss he had when he was in high school. In an quote about Bruen obtained by Buster Olney in 1997, Neale said that "Besides my father, his is the only shoulder I've ever cried on."

For the people that Jack Bruen touched during his life, he will never be forgotten. It is just unfortunate that the controversial or flamboyant tend to be remembered more vividly than those that were selfless and inspirational.

Thanks "MAC": A Preview Of Purdue's 2009 Non-Conference Schedule

Calvin W Boaz — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:56:15 -0400

As time draws closer to the beginning of the college football season, it is time to look at the Purdue Boilermakers' non-conference schedule.

Purdue is coming into 2009 with a new head coach and new offensive and defensive coordinators. The offense is in rebuilding mode, while the defense is experienced.

Game 1: Home game versus Toledo on Sept. 5

The Toledo Rockets enter 2009 in similar circumstances as the Boilermakers. Tim Beckman is in his first year as Toledo's coach and the team is coming off of a disheartening 3-9 season.

For Purdue to have an opportunity of success this upcoming season, the Boilermakers have to improve their run defense. The Rockets' running game will provide an early indication of how well Purdue's defense will play this season.

Toledo sophomore Morgan Williams ran for 330 yards versus Miami (OH) last season and a total of 1,010 for the season. Senior DaJuane Collins averaged 5.5 yards per carry while gaining 700 yards in 2008. The offensive line returns with players that have a total of 97 career starts.

With Matt Campbell as the offensive coordinator, the Rockets will run a lot of four-wide receiver sets. The receiving core is young, but senior Stephen Williams has caught 144 balls and 15 touchdowns in the past two seasons.

Senior Aaron Opelt returns as the starting quarterback for the Rockets. Last season, Opelt completed almost 60 percent of his passes for 2,176 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In 2008, the Toledo defense was a disaster. The defense allowed 31.4 points and 381 yards per game. To make matters worse, the Rockets recorded only 10 sacks for the entire season. Tim Beckham comes from a defensive background, so the unit should show improvement.

Safety Barry Church is one of the best defensive players in the Mid-American Conference. If the Purdue receivers don't keep their heads on a swivel, Church will knock some helmets off.

Toledo represents the perfect opponent for Purdue. Going against a poor defense will give the Boilermakers the opportunity to work out some of their offensive kinks. Purdue senior Joey Elliott has zero career starts and will be throwing to quite a few inexperienced wide receivers.

With 89 percent of their lettermen returning, Toledo will be improved. However, Purdue should be able to take advantage of Toledo's shaky defensive front.

If Purdue contains Toledo's running attack, the Rockets will be forced to attack the strength of the Boilermakers' defense with only one established weapon to throw to.

Toledo has lost the last four times it has opened the season on the road. Purdue is 11-1 in its last twelve West Lafayette openers. My prediction is that the Boilermakers prevail, 24-10.

Game 2: Road game versus Oregon on Sept. 12

With Mike Bellotti taking over as Oregon's athletic director, the Ducks have a new coach in Chip Kelly. Kelly does take over a program that won 10 games last season.

Jeremiah Masoli started last fall as the fifth-string quarterback, but enters 2009 as the starter after tossing 13 touchdowns and rushing for 10 more.

Oregon also returns LeGarrete Blount, the human bowling ball. Blount gained 1,002 yards and ran for 17 touchdowns—a single-season record—last season.

Ed Dickson is one of the better receiving tight ends in the country. The Ducks were not strong at wide receiver last season, but USC transfer Jamere Holland comes in and will scare defensive backs with his blazing speed.

The Ducks return only five starters on defense, but all five rate from above-average to exceptional.

Senior Defensive end Will Tukuafu was fifth in the PAC-10 last season with 17.5 tackles for loss. Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews are returning linebackers that accounted for a combined 162 tackles and four sacks.

Walter Thurmond III is one the best cornerbacks in college football, and safety T.J. Ward makes wide receivers wish they were on the track team instead of the football team.

Last season, Purdue led Oregon 20-6 at the half before falling 32-26 in double overtime. The Boilermakers will surprise many by keeping the game close this time around.

Jaycen Taylor, Ralph Bolden, and perhaps Al-Terek McBurse will have to run the ball exceptionally well to keep the Oregon offense off the field. If Purdue struggles to stop Toledo from running the ball, don't expect them to stop Oregon's rushing attack.

In 2008, the Boilermakers gave up 306 rushing yards to the Ducks and lost in overtime. Purdue will get clobbered this time around if this occurs again.

My guess is that Purdue will lose 42-21.

Game 3: Home game versus Northern Illinois on Sept. 19

The Northern Illinois Huskies finished last season at 6-7, but this team from the MAC made it to the Independence Bowl.

Sophomore quarterback Chandler Harnish completed 55.9 percent of his passes for 1,528 yards and eight touchdowns. Harnish was also the leading rusher for NIU with 539 yards.

Sophomore Me'co Brown opened up some eyes in the spring but has to improve upon his 510 rushing yards from 2008. As NIU recovers from losing five senior wideouts, their running game will have to strive early.

First-round draft pick Larry English led a strong defense last year. However, only three starters return to the defense. Senior defensive end Brandon Bice will try to duplicate English's success after recording 6.5 sacks last year in a reserve roll.

Kicker Mike Salerno returns as the starting kicker and will probably take on the punting duties as well this year.

This is the first time Purdue and Northern Illinois have ever played each other. On paper, this game looks like an easy victory for Purdue. The Boilermakers should be able to do what they want on offense. A strong pass rush led by Ryan Kerrigan and Gerald Gooden will neutralize the Huskies' offense.

My prediction is that Purdue will prevail 35-6.

Game 4: Home game versus Notre Dame on Sept. 26

Charlie Weiss and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish look to improve upon last year's 7-6 season.

Hot-shot recruit Jimmy Clausen enters his junior year still waiting for his breakout season. Clausen started off strong, but was throwing too many interceptions as the year progressed.

Junior Armando Allen returns after rushing for 585 yards and three touchdowns. The offensive line returns four starters after protecting Clausen much better. On the other hand, the unit still needs to improve its run blocking.

The appropriately named Golden Tate leads what many consider to be one of the best receiving units in the nation. Tate scored 10 touchdowns in 2008, but a defense cannot forget about fellow wideouts Michael Floyd, John Goodman, Deion Walker, and Shaquelle Evans.

Kyle Rudolph is one of the pass-catching tight ends in college and is just another part of the passing arsenal.

Jon Tenuta, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, is known as one of the best blitz-callers in the country. That expertise will probably come in handy as the Irish rebuild its defensive line.

Junior linebacker Brian Smith is the spiritual leader of the Irish defense. Freshman Manti Te'o is a future star at the linebacker position.

A strong secondary returns cornerback Raeshon McNeil, and safties Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith.

The Boilermakers appear to be overmatched in this game versus Notre Dame. Although the home team has won 10 of the last 13 match-ups, it doesn't look for the Boilermakers this time around.

Purdue's defense has to keep score down. There is no way Purdue's rebuilt offense can keep up with Notre Dame in a shootout.

My guess is that the Boilermakers will fall to the Irish 45-20.

It is a good thing that Purdue plays two games against the Mid-American Conference. It appears that the non-conference wins will come against Toledo and Northern Illinois.

Purdue has not fared well recently against ranked teams. Unfortunately, Oregon and Notre Dame will probably be ranked when they face Purdue.

Purdue needs to enter conference play with some momentum. An opening loss to Toledo would kill that possible impetus and could lead to a disastrous season.

Come See What Rickey Says About Rickey on Aug. 1

Calvin W Boaz — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:45:34 -0400

Over a half-season of poor play has kept hundreds of fans from convening at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Finally, there is a reason for those fans to come back for at least one night.

According to Oaklandathletics.com, the Oakland Athletics announced on Thursday that team will retire the No. 24 jersey of Rickey Henderson on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The entire weekend will be in honor of Rickey Henderson. Ten-thousand fans coming on the first will receive a Rickey Henderson replica jersey presented by Pepsi. The next day, 10,000 fans will be handed out a Rickey Henderson banner presented by Kingsford Capital Management.

The on-field festivities will take place before the A's game with the Toronto Blue Jays. The regular scheduled game is set to start at 6:20 PM PST.

Along with team officials, special guests for the evening will include Dave Stewart, Mike Norris, Bob Welch, Dave Henderson, Mike Davis, Rene Lachemann, and the infamous Shooty Babitt.

Rickey Henderson will join Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, and Reggie Jackson as the only Oakland players to have their number retired.

As of now, I have heard no plans of retiring Shooty Babitt's No. 3.

Rickey Henderson will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY on July 26.

A graduate from Oakland Tech High School, Henderson made his debut with the Oakland A's in 1979 at the age of 20. He played 25 major league seasons, including four stints with the A's that covered 14 years.

Rickey Henderson is all-time leader in both runs scored and stolen bases. He also still holds the record for most home runs leading off a game with 81.

His historic achievements with the A's include stealing 130 bases in 1982 for the single-season record and breaking Lou Brock's career stolen base mark in 1991.

After a trade with the New York Yankees, Rickey Henderson came back to Oakland to help lead the A's to their last World Series championship in 1989. In 1990, Henderson was named American League MVP after batting .325 with 119 runs scored, 28 home runs, 61 RBI, 33 doubles, and 65 stolen bases.

It is an excellent idea to retire Rickey Henderson's number this year, since the team needs to celebrate something. However, I would set up a doubleheader.

The first game can be the regular scheduled outing with the Blue Jays. The second game should between this year's version of the A's, and the players that show up for the Rickey Henderson celebration.

I'm quite curious to see who would actually win. Plus, I really miss seeing Shooty Babitt play.

Is Case Keenum the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard of?

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:07:30 -0400

If a quarterback throws for 5,000 yards in a season, but nobody pays any attention, does he still make a sound?

What sounds like a bizarre question is rooted in reality as Case Keenum had to fight for publicity last season with the likes of Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, and Matthew Stafford.

Even in his home state of Texas, Keenum was hidden behind Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell, and Chase Clement.

Case Keenum finished his 2008 sophomore season with 5,020 yards passing and 44 touchdowns. He only threw 11 interceptions in 589 pass attempts. Just for good measure, the 6'2'', 210 pound Keenum ran for 221 yards with seven touchdowns.

Keenum ranked ninth in the FBS in pass efficiency, second behind Harrell in passing yards per game, and first in total offense.

Despite all the statistics, the experts in Conference USA didn't quite know what to think of Keenum's performance. He was voted Conference USA Player of the Year but was only selected All-Conference USA second team.

Dating back to 2007, Keenum had a streak of 13 consecutive games of at least 300 yards passing snapped against Air Force in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on the last day of 2008.

The game also marked the only time he did throw for at least two touchdowns. On the bright side, Keenum did rush for two touchdowns in the bowl victory for Houston.

Known for his precision touch on short and medium-range passes, Keenum also has a sense for the dramatic.

After Houston trailed UAB at home 20-3 at halftime, Case Keenum orchestrated a 42-point explosion in the second half to defeat the Blazers 45-20. He led the Cougars on a 85-yard touchdown drive with 24 seconds remaining in a defeat of SMU 44-38.

Keenum threw for 480 yards and scored on a 1-yard touchdown dive with 41 seconds left in the game to complete a come-from-behind victory over UTEP 42-37.

Going into 2008, Case Keenum was not considered to be a prolific passer. Despite leading Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas to a state championship, he was only judged to be a two-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com.

After being redshirted in 2006, Keenum showed glimpses of his ability in 2007 by being named Conference USA Freshman of the Year by the coaches and media.

Ironically, the play of Hoston's defense in 2009 will greatly affect the publicity that comes Keenam's way.

Keenum already has proved he can lead the Cougars from behind to win a game, but now he has to lead Houston to a victory over a big-time opponent. This season, Hoston plays at Oklahoma State and at home versus Texas Tech.

Last season, Case Keenum had a tremendous performance against Oklahoma State with 387 yards passing and four touchdown passes. However, the Cowboys were victorious 56-37.

Keenum may look spectacular against those two Big 12 teams in 2009, but it is unrealistic to expect Houston to score 50 or more points in order to win those games. Houston's defense has to keep the games close so Keenum can perform his magic and pull off an upset.

Perhaps with a little help from his friends, Case Keenum will achieve the acclaim he richly deserves.

Larry Doby: The Forgotten Pioneer

Calvin W Boaz — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:34:14 -0400

There is a huge difference between a historical fact and trivia knowledge. A historical fact is a piece of common knowledge and trivia knowledge is esoteric information people learn to show off to their friends.

Everyone knows George Washington was the first President of the United States. If you know that Martin Van Buren was the eighth President, Jeff Foxworthy needs to have your cell number.

In the sports world, Roger Bannister being the first person to break the four-minute mile is basic information. However, although John Landy was the second to do so, he is mostly confused for the rotund actor that starred in Uncle Buck.

Jackie Robinson has been revered and honored for years for being the first black player in the major leagues. Sadly, Larry Doby's status in baseball lore is reduced to simply being an answer to a trivia question of who was the first black in the American League.

Lawrence Eugene Dody, the son of David and Etta Doby, was born in Camden, SC in 1923. David Doby was a World War I veteran who worked in the horse industry as a groom. Mr. Doby played semi-pro baseball and was known as a tremendous hitter.

Unfortunately, Larry Doby didn't get a chance to learn much baseball from his father. He was out of town working most of the time, and he died when Doby was still quite young.

His mother was absent quite often in Doby's upbringing as well as she moved to Paterson, NJ while he stayed in Camden living his with grandmother at first and eventually with his aunt and uncle.

It was at the Mather Academy in Camden that Larry Doby first participated in organized baseball and other sports.

He learned the intricacies of the art of baseball from Richard DuBose, a well-known presence in African-American baseball in South Carolina for more than 25 years. DuBose had also coached Doby's father.

In 1938, Larry Doby graduated from the eighth grade and moved to Paterson. Despite the move, he lived with a friend of his mother and only saw his mother one day a week.

At Eastside High School, Larry Doby earned 11 varsity letters in baseball, basketball, football, and track. While still in high school, Doby played with semi-pro teams in both baseball and basketball.

Before Doby graduated from high school, he played in the Negro Leagues with the Newark Eagles under the assumed name of Larry Walker since high school students were not allowed to play. He played his first pro game at Yankee Stadium.

After graduation, Larry Dody continued to play for the Eagles throughout the summer.

In September of 1942, Doby attended Long Island University on a basketball scholarship. The situation was not to his liking so he transferred to Virginia Union.

In 1943, Larry Doby was drafted into the segregated Navy. For a time, he was stationed at Camp Robert Smalls in Great Lakes, IL where he was a physical education instructor.

Doby spent the last year of World War II on a coral reef in the Pacific unloading ships and organizing recreational activities for other servicemen.

After Larry Doby was discharged by the Navy in 1946, he returned to professional baseball. He spent the winter playing in Puerto Rico and then went back to the Newark Eagles to play second base.

For the Eagles in 1946, Doby batted a sparkling .348, and the Eagles won the Negro League World Series.

Doby batted a league leading .458 In the first half of the 1947 season.

On July 3, Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians and the only person to call Larry Doby "Lawrence", purchased Doby. Doby's first game playing for the Indians was on July 5. Larry Doby's only at-bat against the Chicago White Sox that day came as a pitch hitter, and he struck out swinging.

Despite later attempts to revise history, society's attitude toward blacks did not change much in the 11 weeks between Jackie Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Doby's first game with the Indians.

"The only difference [was] that Jackie Robinson got all of the publicity," Doby was quoted as stating according to Historicalbaseball.com. "You didn't hear much about what I was going through because the media didn't want to repeat the same story."

When Larry Doby first met his teammates, some of them would not shake Doby's hand.

On July 6, the Indians were scheduled to play a doubleheader against the White Sox, and the Indians' manager Lou Boudreau penciled Doby in at first base in the second game.

The problem was that Larry Doby didn't have the proper glove to play at first, and regular first baseman Eddie Robinson refused to give Doby his glove. Traveling secretary Spud Goldstein had to convince Robinson to lend him the glove and then Goldstein gave the mitt to Doby.

Fortunately for Larry Doby, a few of the Indians, such as Joe Gordon, Bob Lemon, Jim Hegan, and Steve Gromek befriended him.

Larry Doby only appeared in 29 games in 1947 and had just five hits in 32 at-bats.

In the winter following his first year in the majors, Doby became the first African-American player in the American Basketball League.

He signed with the Paterson Crescents on Dec. 30, 1947 and made his professional debut in January of 1948. Doby scored 15 points in eight games that season.

Having moved ton center field in 1948, Larry Doby began to blossom. He batted .301 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI.

Doby batted .396 over the last 20 games of the season to help the Cleveland Indians clinch the American League pennant. in the World Series, Doby batted a team-leading .318 .

In the fourth inning of the fourth game of the series, Larry Doby launched a 420-foot home run off of Boston Braves' pitcher Johnny Sain to propel the Indians to a 2-1 victory and a commanding three games to one lead in the World Series. Two games later, the Cleveland Indians won the World Series by shutting out the Braves on the road.

Finally, Doby beat Jackie Robinson to the punch. Larry Doby was the first black to hit a home run in a World Series game and the first to be on a championship team.

!n 1949, Larry Doby batted .280 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI. That year, Doby joined Robinson, Don Newcombe, and Roy Campanella as baseball's first black All-Stars.

Doby was selected to participate in seven straight All-Star games starting in 1949. In 1954, Batting as a pitch-hitter, Doby became the first African American in the American League to hit a home run in an All-Star game in 1954.

!n 1950, Sporting News named Larry Doby the best center fielder in baseball over the likes of Duke Snider and Joe DiMaggio.

Doby led the American League in home runs in 1952 and 1954 by hitting 32 in each season. Doby led the league with 126 RBI in 1954.

The Indians made it back to the World Series in 1964, but the New York Giants swept them to claim the championship.

Although Larry Doby made several errors when he first converted to a center fielder, Doby went 167 games without an error between 1954 and 1955.

Doby's last good season with the Cleveland Indians was in 1955 when he slugged 26 home runs and 75 RBI while batting .291.

After the 1955 season was over, Larry Doby was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Jim Busby and Chico Carrasquel. Doby had a solid year for the Sox batting .268 with 24 home runs and 102 RBI.

Injuries started to take their toll on Doby and he started to get traded quite often. Larry Doby ended up belonging to the Baltimore Orioles and never playing for them when the White Sox traded him to Baltimore on Dec. 3, 1957, and the Orioles turned around and sent Doby back to the Cleveland Indians on Apr. 1, 1958.

Larry Doby played his last season in the majors for the the Detroit Tigers and White Sox 1959. Doby's professional career in the United States ended when he broke his ankle playing with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League later that season.

Larry Doby finished his career with 1,515 hits, 253 home runs, 970 RBI, and a batting average of .283. Doby only had three fewer hits in his career than Jackie Robinson.

Doby played briefly in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons in 1962 and return to the states to coach with the White Sox, Indians, and Montreal Expos.

Larry Doby enjoyed coaching so much he dreamed about becoming the first black manager in baseball. He thought the Indians were going to hire him in 1975 but management selected Frank Robinson instead.

Again, Doby was stuck being second again.

!n 1978, Bill Veeck, who then owned the Chicago White Sox, fired Larry Doby's old friend and ex-teammate Bob Lemon and hired Doby to manage the team.

The team improved under Doby but was only 37-50 the remainder of the season.

Bob Lemon became the fortunate one because after he was fired by the White Sox, the New York Yankees fired Billy Martin and hired him. As fate would have it, the Yankees won the World Series that year under Lemon.

Veeck did not retain Larry Doby for the 1979 season. Bill Veeck was hoping that the hiring of Doby would increase ticket sales but it didn't. Veeck decided that a white manager would do a better job of bringing back the White Sox fans, the majority of which were white.

Between 1980 and 1989, Larry Doby worked the New Jersey Nets of the NBA as a director of community relations. He worked for Major League Baseball Properties, handling the licensing of former players and being a special assistant to American League President Gene Budig from 1990 to 2003.

Larry Dolby finally began to receive the honors he greatly deserved later in his life. In 1994, the Cleveland Indians retired his No. 14.

The 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland was dedicated to Doby. He threw out the first pitch and was an honorary American League captain.

In 1998, Larry Doby received the honor all players dream about during their career. It was long overdue, but the Veterans Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame.

Even before his induction, Doby's health was being to fail. In 1997, Doby had his left kidney removed because of the presence of a cancerous tumor. In 2001, Doby began treatment for bone cancer, the same year his wife Helyn died of cancer.

On Dec. 18, 2003, Larry Doby finally succumbed to cancer at the age of 79.

The lack of honor and respect that Larry Doby has garnered during his career and after his death shows that racism is alive and well in baseball.

The media back in the '40s and '50s acted like it was a chore instead of a honor or duty to follow the trail of a black athlete breaking the color in baseball and in society.

Sportswriters just didn't think it was worth their trouble to cover another black athlete fighting for equality.

It was always apparent that the sportswriters were against Larry Doby. Although Doby finished second in MVP voting behind Yogi Berra in 1954, he also had strong seasons from 1950 to 1952. The best Doby could finish in MVP voting those years was eighth, and in 1951, Doby received no votes at all.

As disheartening as it sounds, Major League Baseball is treating Jackie Robinson like a token black. MLB has no issue celebrating the achievements of one African-American, but they behave like nobody should expect them to honor another for similar achievements.

Racism didn't end when Larry Doby started playing for the Cleveland Indians. For several seasons, Doby faced tougher obstacles than Jackie Robinson.

Larry Doby was younger than Robinson, and Robinson had almost a year and a half head start. Jackie Robinson had two winters and year in the International League in Montreal to prepare physically and mentally for the anguish and abuse he was about to face.

Larry Doby went directly from the Negro Leagues to the Indians with no time to think out a strategy.

It seems contradictory that when it comes to integration Major League Baseball is one league but in regards to everything else, it it two distinct leagues. Each league has it own rules and awards. A team from each league is represented in the World Series.

So why doesn't the American League honor its representative the same way the National League does?

The Cleveland Indians have already retired the No. 14. There is no reason for Major League Baseball not to mandate that every American League team retire the number like all teams retired the No. 42.

Bud Selig always kind words to describe Larry Doby, but he is all words and no action. Selig can fix this injustice but chooses to do nothing.

Major League Baseball should not forget the great contribution and sacrifice that both men made to baseball and to all society.

I also blame living African American ballplayers that played around the same time as Robinson and Doby. Most of these players are willing participants in celebrations of Robinson but don't take the opportunity to speak up against the injustice done to Larry Doby.

Perhaps one day, Major League Baseball will become colorblind, and we will see the No. 14 jersey on display at all American League stadiums.

Is Naaman Roosevelt The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Calvin W Boaz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:46:28 -0400

Naaman Roosevelt once said he chose the University of Buffalo because he wanted to help turn the struggling program around. Being the star wide receiver of a team that went 8-5 and won the Mid-American Conference championship last season, Roosevelt has done just that.

Despite the fact that the city of Buffalo has ties to such famous people Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland and that Naaman has a presidential surname, Roosevelt gets as much attention as someone from the Green Party.

Last season, Roosevelt was tied for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision in catches with 104 and was fourth in receiving yards with 1,402. Along with those great stats, Naaman Roosevelt scored 13 touchdowns to aid him in being named first-team All-MAC as a junior.

At 6', 187 pounds, Roosevelt is strong enough to gain position on his defenders. He is a tremendous route runner with an ability to run in and out of his cuts with great acceleration.

Naaman Roosevelt also has a great sense for the dramatic. At UB Stadium, he caught a 35-yard Hail Mary pass from Drew Willy with no time remainding to defeat Temple 30-28.

Roosevelt scored three touchdowns in the Bulls' defeat of Ball State 42-24 in the MAC Championship game. Nathan Roosevelt's first touchdown as a Bull came in his freshman year on a 94-yard kick return.

Roosevelt is already tied for the most receiving touchdowns in Buffalo Bulls' history with 18. If he catches at least 43 passes and obtains 813 receiving yards, Roosevelt would be the all-time leader for the University of Buffalo in those two categories.

Going into 2009, Roosevelt will have to adjust to catching passes from a new quarterback. Zach Maynard is the most likely candidate to take over for Drew Willy.

With his ability to know when to come off a route to help a pressured quarterback, Roosevelt should be able to equal, if not improve upon, his statistics from last season.

With all the press that Terrell Owens obtained when he signed with the Buffalo Bills, it would be funny if the most productive wide receiver in the city of Buffalo turns out to a Bull and not a Bill.

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Rutgers 2009-10 Preview: Scarlet Knights Climbing Up With Hill

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Thanks "MAC": A Preview Of Purdue's 2009 Non-Conference Schedule

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Is Case Keenum the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard of?

Larry Doby: The Forgotten Pioneer

Is Naaman Roosevelt The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Bleacher Report - Articles by Calvin W Boaz

Joe Zeglinski Is Back for the Hartford Hawks—and Better than Ever

A Dog Has Died—Where Are the Michael Vick Haters?

Preye Preboye Adds More Flow To Stony Brook

Alcorn State's Young Guns Misfire Against Ohio State

Spartans Learned Plenty From Game With Northwood University

Old Dominion Shows Barton College Who's King

Arizona Basketball 2009-10 Preview: It's Miller Time

California Basketball 2009-10 Preview: Bears Poised For Golden Season

Old Dominion Basketball 2009-10: Monarchs Looking to Regain Crown

Bleacher Report publishes the best Notre Dame Basketball newsletter on the internet.

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Bleacher Report Newsletters

Vote Now! - Author Poll

Results - Author Poll

Yes

NIT-bound

Rutgers 2009-10 Preview: Scarlet Knights Climbing Up With Hill

DePaul Blue Demons Season Preview: Addition by Subtraction or Division by Zero?

Mississippi State Basketball 2009-10 Preview: These Dogs Have Bite

94 Reasons Why Wofford Needs To Defeat USF

Syracuse Should Have Named Otto The Orange the Starting Quarterback

Is Brandon Lang The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Bryan Anderson: The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard of?

Is Cody Slate the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Is T.Y. Hilton the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Forget The Three Amigos—Remember The Michigan Three

Mack Brown's Fatal Recruting Error Proves He Is Slipping (Humor)

Is MiQuale Lewis the Best College Football Player That You've Never Heard Of?

Because of Steve Spurrier, Ole Miss Vs. South Carolina Is a Must See

Is Anthony Parker The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?

Ten Things You Might Hear at an Army Football Game This Year

Remembering Jack Bruen: A Great Man Hidden In Anonymity

Thanks "MAC": A Preview Of Purdue's 2009 Non-Conference Schedule

Come See What Rickey Says About Rickey on Aug. 1

Is Case Keenum the Best College Football Player You've Never Heard of?

Larry Doby: The Forgotten Pioneer

Is Naaman Roosevelt The Best College Football Player You've Never Heard Of?