Take Me to the River

My weekend was largely devoid of basketball, save for my attempts to avoid anything remotely resembling the NBA. (Re: yard work, and lots of it) Unfortunately, every now and again you have no choice. But two choices came to mind when a member of the Delaware faction of The Legion wrote me and asked about this kid Jawan Carter.

I’m told he’s a transfer from St. Joe’s (they hate it when you write it like that). All freshman team, I’m told. Doesn’t he realize the Hens have won about as many games as his scoring average, I’m asked? (Side note: not so bad if you’re Loren Stokes. But you’re Jawan Carter.)

And I immediately thought about forner St. Joe’s leading man Abdullah Jalloh heading to Harrisonburg to play for Senor Crankypants. These are good players in good programs all choosing the CAA.

Go figure.

What I mean is this: Mason went to the Final Four. VCU beat Duke. Eric Maynor is a sophomore and Antoine Agudio is back for his 34th year at Hofstra.

This league is going to be good for awhile.

Side note: the St. Joseph’s thing (there, you happy?) is a coincidence. Don’t let it cloud your thoughts.

Cuts Like A Knife

We’re going to get more interactive, so I need to test the ability to imbed video. I figured this one is a good test…side note: friggin CBS and their overly-restrictive IP policies. But regular old videos will appear to work…

We Are Family

Clip-and-save: Brian Morris was a standout freshman this past season for the University of Richmond. He played hard and ran an offense he was still learning, but has chosen to transfer out of the Spiders’ program. (He is also the brother of ODUs John Morris.) The other Morris brother happens to be the Director of Basketball Ops for Pat Kennedy at Towson.

You do the math.

Homeward Bound

It had been a prime source of rumor mongering, but now it is official: Hofstra has announced that Chris Gadley is transferring to Canisius, where he will play for former Hofstra #1 assistant Tom Parotta. Gadley averaged 4.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Pride this winter.

Desire

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

I wish I were smart enough to have said this; alas, it was a man named Howard Thurman.

Because I don’t follow recruiting, it’s a slow news day in the world of mid major hoops.

So I figured I’d try to inspire. I asked myself that question and ended up with a helluva book. What makes you come alive?

Big Country

Initial reaction to Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll declaring for the NBA draft is to start laughing. Sure, you are a prolific scorer Jaycee, but really. If you were NBA material within two years of finishing high school, you’d have “prepped” at a Pac 10 school.

But why wouldn’t you declare? If you don’t hire an agent and withdraw 10 days prior to the NBA draft, no harm no foul.

I’m shocked more players who won’t be drafted don’t declare. I would.

Just make sure Mars Blackmon isn’t giving you advice.

You Might Think

So here’s today’s schizophrenic paradigm…I gave this a pile of thought while completing 3,582 hours of yard work this weekend. (Warning: the topic carries far more gravity than my sun burn issue.)

I adamantly believe the Virginia Tech tragedy is not–I repeat NOT–a sports story. I continually shake my head at the coverage it is getting in the sports world. Think about it…this is a profoundly human story having nothing to do three-point percentage, spring football, or earned run averages.

Having the agenda-pushing, doughnut-eating, egomaniacal ESPN Sports Reporters commenting on this tragedy is a little like having Paula Zahn or Wolf Blitzer commenting on the infield fly rule or the charge/block call. I’m tired of seeing it in the B or C section of the newspaper.

Similarly, the whole Don Imus flap is NOT a sports story. Never was. There’s so much wasted oxygen in the sports world it annoys me.

But the connundrum?

Anybody who debates the role of sports in society and its importance just doesn’t get it.

***

The ACC outlasted the CAA in a tight, defensive grind in the inaugural Commonwealth Collegiate Challenge game. The final score was somewhere around 141-136 and I think it is safe to say a good time was had by all.

Electricity

Missed this from Blue Ribbon editor Chris Dortsch.

It speaks of Dick Vitale. All I can say is that it is dead on point. We need more Dick Vitales in this world, and I’m speaking on a level above college basketball.

And yes, I know how odd that may sound.

And yes, I’ve gone old school rap on you.

Giant Steps

Classic Coltrane this morning…

The Commonwealth Collegiate Challenge is set for this Saturday at Benedictine High in Richmond. This is the CAA/ACC Seniors battle. Some detail:

CAA Players
Dennard Abraham and Gary Neal (Towson), Arnaud Dahi, Drew Williamson, and Valdas Vasylius (Old Dominion), Adam Payton (William & Mary), and BA Walker and Jessie Pellot-Rosa (VCU). Coach: Sean McAloon of Benedictine High

ACC Players
Jason Cain and JR Reynolds (Virginia), Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon (Virginia Tech), Vernon Hamilton (Clemson), and Wes Miller and Reyshawn Terry (North Carolina). Coach: George Lancaster of Highland Springs High.

All tickets for the event are $12. Sponsorships of the players are available for $125 per player and a player can have multiple sponsors. A sponsorship gets you tickets and the balance of the money goes to the player. If you can’t make the game, you can still sponsor a player and he gets the full $125.

Players will be available for autographs and photos after the game.

I love the idea. It won’t be much of a game and the outcome really doesn’t matter and proves nothing, but it will be a fun evening. Great, great idea.

***

I got a chuckle out of Andy Katz’s latest on ESPN.com about scheduling.

It is also very telling if you read between the lines.

First the humor. Jim Boeheim, roundly criticized for barely leaving his house in the nonconference season, much less the Carrier Dome, said in the article: “Remember, we’re also going to 18 league games in the Big East [up from 16]. If we weren’t going up to 18, we would have added another big-name team.”

Well damn, Jim, it’s a shame you were absolutely going to schedule somebody good and on the road, but the pesky conference officials blew up your plan by addingt conference games. Oh well. We know you were going to try.

But Boeheim also gets credit for the leading quote I don’t want to get past you: “The point is, if they want to keep you out, they can.”

Katz says about the coaches: “They’re going to go their own way, and if it’s not enough for the committee, then so be it. None of the coaches from those programs seems to feel there is a clear road map on how to schedule to get into the NCAAs.”

Bruiser Flint, on last year’s schedule: “I’m not playing a schedule like that. It didn’t get me in. What they are telling you is that you have to win your conference.”

Ollie Purnell of Clemson: “What it sounded like for me from the committee is that they were putting more emphasis on the league tournaments — and I kept hearing that — so why should that affect my [nonconference] scheduling?”

What it says to me, when you do the math: nobody freaking knows because it changes every year and they trot out whatever criteria they need to justify a snub. Drexel did what they said two years ago–nothing.

Look at it this way. The three guys quoted here all were left out of last year’s NCAA tournament for a different reason. It always comes back to the same thing, major or mid major. Win your conference and it doesn’t matter.

But if you are writing off this article as offseason fluff, you aren’t paying attention. It is a very telling piece whether Katz realizes it or not.

Changes

A few changes coming over the next few days and weeks.

Just a warning.

Jerry, a man with whom I’ve never even traded emails, understands.

The Joe Cribbs Car Wash is a great read held back by the fact that some IT nerd can’t figure out how to build a time machine.

Future vision needed. Your input welcomed.