Whether or not to pay college athletes is a debate that never goes out of style. Even ESPN.com jumped on board this summer with "Pay For Play" , a week-long feature on this very topic.
The debate is fascinating to me, as college football and basketball generate huge amounts of revenue for individual schools yet the student-athletes do not get a cut of the revenues, a la the NFL. Of all the sports followed by a large amount of American sports fans, college football and basketball remain on the last frontiers of amateurism. Yes, technically NCAA student-athletes are amateurs, but improper benefits, especially in big-revenue sports have been given to select athletes for decades.
I have found that when "Pay for Play" is discussed in the media, it almost exclusively revolves around college football and basketball programs, their athletes, and the multi-billion dollar contracts that these sports generate. Less often discussed is the fact that most athletic departments actually lose money due to operational costs of the entire department. Also drawing less mention is the fact that if you are going to pay the star quarterback, due to Title IX, you also have to pay the female swimmer as well (This is not an indictment of Title IX, which protects both men's and women's sports. Most men's sports too, do not make revenue for their schools).
In one of the "Pay For Play" articles, Michael Wilbon writes that
that some college athletes deserve to be paid. However, he fails to outline a plan for even the limited number of athletes to be paid. With the expense of running a college athletic program and the revenues where they are at, how could there ever be an effective solution for paying all college athletes. Even in a fantasy world, where all college athletes were just paid a small amount of money per week (say, $120/week), this wouldn't stop the high profile athletes from obtaining or being offered improper benefits.
I don't think the current "compensation" system should be changed. I also don't think its perfect either, specifically, there are hardship cases where it seems like reasonable amounts of money can be provided. A lot of focus goes to the "1 and done" athletes in college basketball and select football players who don't make the most of their education. Behind the scenes, many college athletes are making the most of their education and definitely making do with what they are provided with. College sports are incredibly time consuming and difficult, but in exchange college athletes receive many benefits not offered to other college students.
For its impracticality, the ineffectiveness it would have at cutting off improper benefits, and the benefits afforded to student-athletes, college athletes should not be further compensated.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Check out Pre-Snap Read
If your looking for some in-depth coverage in to college football, I would reccomend visiting Pre-Snap Read , an independent blog dedicated to college football. The blog is edited by Paul Myerberg who can be followed on Twitter @PreSnapRead. My favorite thing on the blog is their on-going Season Countdown where they preview all 120 teams in FBS football, descending in rank from the worse team at No. 120 to No. 1. Every team report is remarkably in-depth, even for some of the lower-level Sun Belt and Conference USA teams. At the end of each report, Paul gives a clue about who the next team is; for some readers, guessing the next team is their favorite part of the blog. Today, Pre Snap Read is on No. 86,Wyoming. I check this blog pretty regularly, so the longer "Northwestern" doesn't show up on the Countdown, the better.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Fallout in Columbus
I was dissapointed to hear about the amount of lying and covering up Jim Tressel did over the past few months, ultimately costing him his job last week. In the coming months, it seems like Ohio State will get hit with signficant penalties, including the loss of scholarships and a possible bowl ban. Ohio State has owned the Big Ten over the past decade, so as a fan of another team, it would be easy to be happy about an apparant "changing of the guard." I do not necessarily feel this way. When one of the conference's marquee teams is down, like Michigan the past few seasons, the brand of the Big Ten suffers.
In the past week, many have compared the issues with Ohio State football to that of USC last year. USC was 8-5 last season after dealing with the initial shock of the Reggie Bush scandal and its accompanying penalties. It was pretty clear that once Tressel covered up for his players, that he would eventually lose his job and Ohio State would face penalties. However, I beleive OSU's penalties will be much more severe than USC.If USC's sanctions were largely the result of improper benefits to just two players, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, how can Ohio State not have a smaller penalty admist the reports that have circulated?
The current issue of Sports Illustrated includes a special investigative report into the violations of OSU players under Tressel. SI reported that 28 players, 22 more than what had previously been stated, had traded or sold memorabilia dating back to 2001. The fact that the memorbillia-for-tattoos culture has penetrated several recruiting classes indicates that this wasn't just restricted to a superstar player here and there like at USC.
For Ohio State to get to its typical 10-2/11-1 season, it would take a heck of a coaching job, by a rookie head coach, dealing with all the distractions. Even the most jaded Buckeye fan would admit they are not as confident in this season as in the past. It would not shock me if Ohio State lost three of the four games against Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite everything, I would still be suprised if the Buckeyes had a worse season than 9-3.
As far as Tressel is concerned, I honestly can't see Jim Tressel coaching college football again at the BCS level. Maybe at a smaller division of college football, but after all the penalties blow up, no school is going to want to be associated with Tressel. If interim coach Luke Fickell does well, the interim tag will be removed. If not, a host of great candidates will emerge in 2012.
In the past week, many have compared the issues with Ohio State football to that of USC last year. USC was 8-5 last season after dealing with the initial shock of the Reggie Bush scandal and its accompanying penalties. It was pretty clear that once Tressel covered up for his players, that he would eventually lose his job and Ohio State would face penalties. However, I beleive OSU's penalties will be much more severe than USC.If USC's sanctions were largely the result of improper benefits to just two players, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, how can Ohio State not have a smaller penalty admist the reports that have circulated?
The current issue of Sports Illustrated includes a special investigative report into the violations of OSU players under Tressel. SI reported that 28 players, 22 more than what had previously been stated, had traded or sold memorabilia dating back to 2001. The fact that the memorbillia-for-tattoos culture has penetrated several recruiting classes indicates that this wasn't just restricted to a superstar player here and there like at USC.
For Ohio State to get to its typical 10-2/11-1 season, it would take a heck of a coaching job, by a rookie head coach, dealing with all the distractions. Even the most jaded Buckeye fan would admit they are not as confident in this season as in the past. It would not shock me if Ohio State lost three of the four games against Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite everything, I would still be suprised if the Buckeyes had a worse season than 9-3.
As far as Tressel is concerned, I honestly can't see Jim Tressel coaching college football again at the BCS level. Maybe at a smaller division of college football, but after all the penalties blow up, no school is going to want to be associated with Tressel. If interim coach Luke Fickell does well, the interim tag will be removed. If not, a host of great candidates will emerge in 2012.
Monday, May 16, 2011
2011 ABC/ESPN CFB Primetime Schedule
College football is practically here! Well, not quite yet. However, The World Wide Leader has released its Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2011 college football season:
•Sept. 1:UNLV at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Sept. 10:Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Oct. 1:Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 1:Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 8: Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 22:Wisconsin at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN
•Oct. 29:Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Significance of Games:
Every game involves at least one team in ESPN's College Football Live preseason top 25...all three of the Big Ten co-champions from 2010 (OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin) will be covered at least once...The Wisconsin-UNLV game is a Thursday season-opener...The Notre Dame-Michigan will be the first ever-night game in Michigan Stadium...Nebraska's first two Big Ten conference games, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, will be carried in prime-time...The MSU-Wisconsin game last year was Wisconsin's only loss of the season...The Wisconsin-OSU game last year was Ohio State's only loss of the season
(Courtesy of ESPN Media Zone iPhone App).
The Big Ten typically gets six primetime games on the ESPN "Family of Networks," but an exception was made for the seventh game. This schedule also doesn't take into account the Big Ten Network's list of prime-time games yet to be released.
•Sept. 1:UNLV at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Sept. 10:Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Oct. 1:Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 1:Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 8: Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 22:Wisconsin at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN
•Oct. 29:Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Significance of Games:
Every game involves at least one team in ESPN's College Football Live preseason top 25...all three of the Big Ten co-champions from 2010 (OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin) will be covered at least once...The Wisconsin-UNLV game is a Thursday season-opener...The Notre Dame-Michigan will be the first ever-night game in Michigan Stadium...Nebraska's first two Big Ten conference games, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, will be carried in prime-time...The MSU-Wisconsin game last year was Wisconsin's only loss of the season...The Wisconsin-OSU game last year was Ohio State's only loss of the season
(Courtesy of ESPN Media Zone iPhone App).
The Big Ten typically gets six primetime games on the ESPN "Family of Networks," but an exception was made for the seventh game. This schedule also doesn't take into account the Big Ten Network's list of prime-time games yet to be released.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
UPDATED: Pat Fitzgerald Contract Extention
Updating a previous story, Northwestern extended the contact of Coach Pat Fritzgerald through the 2020 season. The former All-American linebacker at Northwestern finished his fifth season as head coach and has a record of 34-29. His previous contact ran until 2015, so basically, Fitzgerald is getting a new 10 year deal which starts in 2011. The 10 year contract, is the first of its kind in NU athletic history.
This demonstates NU's increasing committment to athletics. Fitzgerald himself, has remained committed to his alma mater in the face of potential offers (Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford all rumored to have interest during their recent coaching searches). Fitzgerald was first approached with the extension in January, but he held off until assurance that NU would improve its athletic facilities in order to remain competitive with recruiting.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the contract is worth $1.8 million (NU isn't obligated to release its finanical data).
Previous Story:
The Northwestern blog, Sippin' On Purple, is among several outlets reporting the impending announcement of a contract extension for Pat Fitzgerald. His current contract runs out at the end of the 2015 season.
The NU football coach has led the Wildcats to a record of 34-29 in his five seasons at the helm. Yes, the record doesn't seem terribly impressive, but consider that Coach Fitz is the first coach in school history to lead a team to three consecutive bowl appearances. Also, Fitzgerald will enter the 2011 season only 15 wins shy of tying the NU all-time record for coaching victories. Oh, and he's only 36, still one of the youngest (and most charismatic) coaches in college football.
Considering these facts and the team's past futility, NU is clearly enjoying its best years. While Fitzgerald's extension has been in the works for several months, the details will finally be revealed today during a press conference. (Of course, since Northwestern is a private institution, it is not obligated to release the amount of the contract).
This demonstates NU's increasing committment to athletics. Fitzgerald himself, has remained committed to his alma mater in the face of potential offers (Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford all rumored to have interest during their recent coaching searches). Fitzgerald was first approached with the extension in January, but he held off until assurance that NU would improve its athletic facilities in order to remain competitive with recruiting.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the contract is worth $1.8 million (NU isn't obligated to release its finanical data).
Previous Story:
The Northwestern blog, Sippin' On Purple, is among several outlets reporting the impending announcement of a contract extension for Pat Fitzgerald. His current contract runs out at the end of the 2015 season.
The NU football coach has led the Wildcats to a record of 34-29 in his five seasons at the helm. Yes, the record doesn't seem terribly impressive, but consider that Coach Fitz is the first coach in school history to lead a team to three consecutive bowl appearances. Also, Fitzgerald will enter the 2011 season only 15 wins shy of tying the NU all-time record for coaching victories. Oh, and he's only 36, still one of the youngest (and most charismatic) coaches in college football.
Considering these facts and the team's past futility, NU is clearly enjoying its best years. While Fitzgerald's extension has been in the works for several months, the details will finally be revealed today during a press conference. (Of course, since Northwestern is a private institution, it is not obligated to release the amount of the contract).
Monday, May 9, 2011
NBA Draft Entry Deadline
Yesterday was the deadline for college underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA Draft, so any player who didn't withdraw, forfeits the rest of their college eligibility.
Fortunately for Northwestern, junior John Shurna withdrew from the NBA Draft, as expected. Many players declare for the draft simply to get feedback from NBA personnel on how to improve their game and end up returning to school. The Wildcats lucked out; they are already losing one of the best players in school history in Michael Thompson, so to lose the player who could be the best player in NU history would have been a huge, huge loss.
Other schools weren't so lucky, as noted on the Yahoo! college basketball blog. Texas' pair of star freshman Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, will remain in the NBA Draft. The Longhorns could have headed into the 2011-2012 as a preseason Final Four favorite, but it seems like now they will struggle to replace the two star freshman. Now that Nebraska and Colorado have left the Big 12, teams will play 18 conference games instead of 16 (so every Big 12 teams plays a double round robin), which won't make things easier for the Longhorns. However, the Yahoo! list of schools doesn't account for schools like Kansas, who had several players (Markieff and Marcus Morris, Josh Selby) announce their intentions shortly after the end of the NCAA season. It looks like neither Texas or Kansas will enter 2011-12 as strong as they usually enter a season.
Also on the Yahoo! list was Butler's Shelvin Mack announcing that he will be staying in the draft and ending his career with the Bulldogs. For those quick to diminish Butler for next season, remember that their best player two seasons ago, Gordon Hayward, also left early for the NBA and then Butler made it back to their second national championship appearance. Even though, Butler also loses Matt Howard, I wouldn't bet against Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Overall, the 2011 NBA Draft is perceived as "soft" compared to past years where their was a consensus top selection. It looks like the previously popular trend to enter college after one freshman season is being put on hold somewhat. Several of the NCAA's top freshmen, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Baylor's Perry Jones, and Brandon Knight of Kentucky decided not to enter the NBA draft. In the past few years, talented "one and done players" highlighted the lottery pick selections in the Draft. That is not to say that every star freshman is returning, as Duke point guard Kyrie Irving entered the draft could end up as potentially the #1 overall pick.
Fortunately for Northwestern, junior John Shurna withdrew from the NBA Draft, as expected. Many players declare for the draft simply to get feedback from NBA personnel on how to improve their game and end up returning to school. The Wildcats lucked out; they are already losing one of the best players in school history in Michael Thompson, so to lose the player who could be the best player in NU history would have been a huge, huge loss.
Other schools weren't so lucky, as noted on the Yahoo! college basketball blog. Texas' pair of star freshman Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, will remain in the NBA Draft. The Longhorns could have headed into the 2011-2012 as a preseason Final Four favorite, but it seems like now they will struggle to replace the two star freshman. Now that Nebraska and Colorado have left the Big 12, teams will play 18 conference games instead of 16 (so every Big 12 teams plays a double round robin), which won't make things easier for the Longhorns. However, the Yahoo! list of schools doesn't account for schools like Kansas, who had several players (Markieff and Marcus Morris, Josh Selby) announce their intentions shortly after the end of the NCAA season. It looks like neither Texas or Kansas will enter 2011-12 as strong as they usually enter a season.
Also on the Yahoo! list was Butler's Shelvin Mack announcing that he will be staying in the draft and ending his career with the Bulldogs. For those quick to diminish Butler for next season, remember that their best player two seasons ago, Gordon Hayward, also left early for the NBA and then Butler made it back to their second national championship appearance. Even though, Butler also loses Matt Howard, I wouldn't bet against Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Overall, the 2011 NBA Draft is perceived as "soft" compared to past years where their was a consensus top selection. It looks like the previously popular trend to enter college after one freshman season is being put on hold somewhat. Several of the NCAA's top freshmen, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Baylor's Perry Jones, and Brandon Knight of Kentucky decided not to enter the NBA draft. In the past few years, talented "one and done players" highlighted the lottery pick selections in the Draft. That is not to say that every star freshman is returning, as Duke point guard Kyrie Irving entered the draft could end up as potentially the #1 overall pick.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Bradley News & Notes (5/5)
I received an e-mail today from the Chicago Area Bradley Alumni Network notifying of some upcoming events. It looks like Geno Ford is making the rounds to meet alumni and generate some buzz about the basketball team. On June 26th, at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott, the BU Alumni Network is hosting a Complimentary Reception to meet Coach Ford. The event is from 3-5 pm and more information is available via the BU Alumni Office at 800-952-8258.
Today was a good day for Geno Ford's predecessor, Jim Les, who was hired as the head coach at UC-Davis. Les' son Tyler is a guard on the team, and UC-Davis is fairly close to Sacramento where Coach Les played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Even though his coaching tenure didn't end on the best note, Jim Les is an important figure in Bradley basketball history and I hope he has a successful tenure at UC-Davis.
Today was a good day for Geno Ford's predecessor, Jim Les, who was hired as the head coach at UC-Davis. Les' son Tyler is a guard on the team, and UC-Davis is fairly close to Sacramento where Coach Les played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Even though his coaching tenure didn't end on the best note, Jim Les is an important figure in Bradley basketball history and I hope he has a successful tenure at UC-Davis.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thoughts on Geno Ford
I just realized that I hadn't made a blog entry since I started working at PNC. My last blog entry occurred on the day before my teller training, and now I have been with PNC for almost two months!
Since I last blogged, undoubtably the biggest event in Bradley Athletics has been the hiring of Geno Ford, replacing Jim Les as the men's basketball coach. I'll be honest, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about college sports, and I had never heard of Geno Ford, who spent the three previous seasons as the head coach at Kent State, before he was hired at Bradley.
A lot of coaches with bigger names (Scott Sutton, Rob Jeter) were rumored to have interest in coaching the Braves, but in the end, Bradley made the proper selection. A coach like Sutton or Jeter just seemed like the type who would leave Bradley for something better. At 36, Ford really has the opportunity to leave his mark on the Bradley program and he clearly appreciates the fan base and the rich history of Bradley basketball. Ford has a great background both as a player and as a coach, unlike Les, the former Brave star guard who had virtually no coaching experience before landing the Bradley job.
In his previous job, Ford led Kent State to the past two regular-season Mid-American Conference championships, and was also the conference's Coach of the Year during the past two seasons. Impressively, Coach Ford led a team with 10 newcomers to earn their repeat championship and finished the season 25-12. Bradley, on the other hand, had one of their worst seasons in school history at 12-20. Of note, Bradley has not won a Missouri Valley Conference championship since 1996 (The Braves finished 4th in the MVC in 2006, Bradley's last run to the Sweet 16). Additionally, attendance at Carver Arena declined last season. In his press conference, Geno Ford promised to rejuvenate Bradley basketball with an up-tempo offense (which can hopefully yield promising recruits.
Personnel wise, some things have changed for Bradley during the off-season. Sam Maniscalco, who sat out this past season with a medical red-shirt, transferred to play at Illinois where he will be immediately eligible due to a graduate transfer rule. Maniscalco is a big loss, but he didn't factor into the past season and only has one year of eligibility left. Another scholarship was opened after Andrew Davis, seen as a project, asked for his scholarship release as well. Davis never played for the Braves. Remy Abell, viewed as Coach Les' best recruit, also requested a release from his scholarship following a meeting with Ford and assistant coach Willie Scott. Two of Les' other recruits, center Nate Wells and guard Donivine Stewart (from the Peoria area), have not rescinded from the Letters of Intent.
Last week, Coach Ford signed Jalen Crawford, the brother of two college stars, as his first recruit. Crawford, a combo guard, should get major minutes for the Braves this season.
Bradley has two remaining scholarships open, which are expected to be filled this weekend or next. On top of the wish list for Bradley: a point guard and a perimeter-shooting forward.
Since I last blogged, undoubtably the biggest event in Bradley Athletics has been the hiring of Geno Ford, replacing Jim Les as the men's basketball coach. I'll be honest, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about college sports, and I had never heard of Geno Ford, who spent the three previous seasons as the head coach at Kent State, before he was hired at Bradley.
A lot of coaches with bigger names (Scott Sutton, Rob Jeter) were rumored to have interest in coaching the Braves, but in the end, Bradley made the proper selection. A coach like Sutton or Jeter just seemed like the type who would leave Bradley for something better. At 36, Ford really has the opportunity to leave his mark on the Bradley program and he clearly appreciates the fan base and the rich history of Bradley basketball. Ford has a great background both as a player and as a coach, unlike Les, the former Brave star guard who had virtually no coaching experience before landing the Bradley job.
In his previous job, Ford led Kent State to the past two regular-season Mid-American Conference championships, and was also the conference's Coach of the Year during the past two seasons. Impressively, Coach Ford led a team with 10 newcomers to earn their repeat championship and finished the season 25-12. Bradley, on the other hand, had one of their worst seasons in school history at 12-20. Of note, Bradley has not won a Missouri Valley Conference championship since 1996 (The Braves finished 4th in the MVC in 2006, Bradley's last run to the Sweet 16). Additionally, attendance at Carver Arena declined last season. In his press conference, Geno Ford promised to rejuvenate Bradley basketball with an up-tempo offense (which can hopefully yield promising recruits.
Personnel wise, some things have changed for Bradley during the off-season. Sam Maniscalco, who sat out this past season with a medical red-shirt, transferred to play at Illinois where he will be immediately eligible due to a graduate transfer rule. Maniscalco is a big loss, but he didn't factor into the past season and only has one year of eligibility left. Another scholarship was opened after Andrew Davis, seen as a project, asked for his scholarship release as well. Davis never played for the Braves. Remy Abell, viewed as Coach Les' best recruit, also requested a release from his scholarship following a meeting with Ford and assistant coach Willie Scott. Two of Les' other recruits, center Nate Wells and guard Donivine Stewart (from the Peoria area), have not rescinded from the Letters of Intent.
Last week, Coach Ford signed Jalen Crawford, the brother of two college stars, as his first recruit. Crawford, a combo guard, should get major minutes for the Braves this season.
Bradley has two remaining scholarships open, which are expected to be filled this weekend or next. On top of the wish list for Bradley: a point guard and a perimeter-shooting forward.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Coaching Carousel Begins
A day after Bradley fired Jim Les, two other Division I schools made head coaching changes. Texas Tech fired Pat Knight after three seasons after taking over the gig from his legendary father. Also, Pat Kennedy of Towson resigned after a four win season for the Tigers (his son Joe played for Northwestern and now is the Director of Basketball Operations for the Wildcats). Click here to access ESPN's list of NCAA head coaching changes.
Speaking of Les, the Peoria Journal-Star published an interesting list of possible coaching candidates to replace Les. The list is definitely realistic, as Bradley isn't one of the premier jobs in college basketball. Your not going to get a Duke or Kansas associate head coach or even a star coach at a mid-major like Butler's Brad Stevens. With that said, Bradley is definitely an attractive head coaching job. BU is a school where basketball is king, a tradition rich program, pretty good area to recruit from, relatively easy to good players in and for the players to pass their classes.
I think hiring either Greg Gard or Paul Lust, the associate coaches at Wisconsin and Purdue respectively, would definitely be solid hires, if they will listen to Bradley and the national search committee Bradley is using. My favorite name on the list is Tommy Amaker, who is on the verge of leading Harvard to its first Ivy League Championship. While the talent level in the Missouri Valley Conference is better, Amaker would have an easier time getting good recruits to come to Bradley than Harvard. If he could bring Bradley back to being a consistent winner, he would get a lot more credit, in my opinion, then from being the Harvard coach.
Speaking of Les, the Peoria Journal-Star published an interesting list of possible coaching candidates to replace Les. The list is definitely realistic, as Bradley isn't one of the premier jobs in college basketball. Your not going to get a Duke or Kansas associate head coach or even a star coach at a mid-major like Butler's Brad Stevens. With that said, Bradley is definitely an attractive head coaching job. BU is a school where basketball is king, a tradition rich program, pretty good area to recruit from, relatively easy to good players in and for the players to pass their classes.
I think hiring either Greg Gard or Paul Lust, the associate coaches at Wisconsin and Purdue respectively, would definitely be solid hires, if they will listen to Bradley and the national search committee Bradley is using. My favorite name on the list is Tommy Amaker, who is on the verge of leading Harvard to its first Ivy League Championship. While the talent level in the Missouri Valley Conference is better, Amaker would have an easier time getting good recruits to come to Bradley than Harvard. If he could bring Bradley back to being a consistent winner, he would get a lot more credit, in my opinion, then from being the Harvard coach.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bradley cans Coach Les
After a season of speculation, Bradley coach Jim Les was relieved of his duties today by the university, days after finishing his ninth season on the Hilltop. As a fan, during the season, I had gone back and forth on whether I thought the university should fire Coach Les. My contention was that Les deserved another year (in part due to the Sam Maniscalco and Taylor Brown injuries), but if he was fired than BU would have been justified in doing so.
Based on the performance of this past season, especially the last 10 games, Jim Les clearly deserved another season. At one point, Bradley was 6-16 on the season. Bradley ended the season with a 6-4 record in their last ten games and Les had been a key factor in helping the team bond and weather the storm of injuries that hampered the Braves this season.
Ultimately, the decision to fire Les wasn't based on this season alone, but rather his whole body of work at Bradley. Other than the Sweet 16 appearance in 2006, and an NIT appearance the following season (my freshman year at Bradley), Bradley basketball has consistently been in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference during Les' tenure. Les' record of 154-140 indicates the mediocrity of Bradley basketball (save for the Sweet 16 over the past decade).
Les, though, should be commended for his character during his time on the Hilltop. Bradley has developed some real quality student-athletes, and this isn't something that every coach can necessarily do in college sports. Les has definitely ran a clean program unlike John Calipari or Bruce Pearl, or some of the other scumbags in college coaching.
I think Bradley is going in the right direction, as I think they can regularly compete for MVC Championships. I think they can legitimately make the NCAAs every three years with the right coach. I hope they hire someone who will value character and student-athlete performance as much as wins. Aside from President Glasser, the head basketball coach is the most prominent ambassador for BU. Don't get me wrong, wins matter, but I'll be really disappointed if Bradley hires someone like any of the following people: Calipari, Pearl, Tim Floyd, Kelvin Sampson, Larry Eustachy (google their college basketball rap sheets).
Based on the performance of this past season, especially the last 10 games, Jim Les clearly deserved another season. At one point, Bradley was 6-16 on the season. Bradley ended the season with a 6-4 record in their last ten games and Les had been a key factor in helping the team bond and weather the storm of injuries that hampered the Braves this season.
Ultimately, the decision to fire Les wasn't based on this season alone, but rather his whole body of work at Bradley. Other than the Sweet 16 appearance in 2006, and an NIT appearance the following season (my freshman year at Bradley), Bradley basketball has consistently been in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference during Les' tenure. Les' record of 154-140 indicates the mediocrity of Bradley basketball (save for the Sweet 16 over the past decade).
Les, though, should be commended for his character during his time on the Hilltop. Bradley has developed some real quality student-athletes, and this isn't something that every coach can necessarily do in college sports. Les has definitely ran a clean program unlike John Calipari or Bruce Pearl, or some of the other scumbags in college coaching.
I think Bradley is going in the right direction, as I think they can regularly compete for MVC Championships. I think they can legitimately make the NCAAs every three years with the right coach. I hope they hire someone who will value character and student-athlete performance as much as wins. Aside from President Glasser, the head basketball coach is the most prominent ambassador for BU. Don't get me wrong, wins matter, but I'll be really disappointed if Bradley hires someone like any of the following people: Calipari, Pearl, Tim Floyd, Kelvin Sampson, Larry Eustachy (google their college basketball rap sheets).
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Bradley vs. Drake (MVC Tournament Preview)
Tonight at 8:30, Bradley will play Drake in an opening round game of the MVC Championship Tournament. As the Peoria Journal-Star's Dave Reynolds points out, Bradley faces an uphill battle in its attempt to win the tournament and the MVC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Bradley has its work cut out for itself as no team has made it from the Opening Round to the Championship game.
This is the third game of the season between the two schools. In the regular season finale this past Saturday in Peoria, Bradley crushed the Bulldogs 90-64. Bradley shot 63 % in the game, which was one of the Braves' best offensive performances in years.
Will Bradley win? I think so. By 26? Probably not. As Drake coach Mark Phelps mentioned, the game will take place on a neutral court so that will somewhat level the playing field. Also, I don't think that Bradley can shoot as well as they did on Saturday. However, I don't think Drake can stop Andrew Warren. If they set up double- and triple teams on Warren, I don't think the Bulldogs can stop Bradley from exploiting the paint area with their slashing guards and their bigs. It would be great if Bradley could build a big lead and take out the starters, as the Braves play again tomorrow (if they win), and have three possible games in the next three days. This game will be a lot closer.
Prediction:
Bradley 68, Drake 60
This is the third game of the season between the two schools. In the regular season finale this past Saturday in Peoria, Bradley crushed the Bulldogs 90-64. Bradley shot 63 % in the game, which was one of the Braves' best offensive performances in years.
Will Bradley win? I think so. By 26? Probably not. As Drake coach Mark Phelps mentioned, the game will take place on a neutral court so that will somewhat level the playing field. Also, I don't think that Bradley can shoot as well as they did on Saturday. However, I don't think Drake can stop Andrew Warren. If they set up double- and triple teams on Warren, I don't think the Bulldogs can stop Bradley from exploiting the paint area with their slashing guards and their bigs. It would be great if Bradley could build a big lead and take out the starters, as the Braves play again tomorrow (if they win), and have three possible games in the next three days. This game will be a lot closer.
Prediction:
Bradley 68, Drake 60
Arch Madness Starts Today
Starting tonight and lasting through this weekend, Arch Madness, the Missouri Valley Basketball Championship will take place in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center.
Of significance, the winner of "Arch Madness" gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
In my opinion, Arch Madness is among the best conference tournaments in college basketball and this year's tournament should be interesting to watch. While the MVC doesn't have a dominant team like Northern Iowa last year, the conference is very competitive. This is the year a team like Bradley, who struggled during the first half of the season, can definitely make noise during Arch Madness.
Tonight is the opening round and which features the 7/10 and 8/9 match ups, followed by the quarterfinals tomorrow and Saturday's semi-finals.
The games except for the final can be found on Fox Sports, Sunday's final will air at 1:05 Central on CBS.
Of significance, the winner of "Arch Madness" gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
In my opinion, Arch Madness is among the best conference tournaments in college basketball and this year's tournament should be interesting to watch. While the MVC doesn't have a dominant team like Northern Iowa last year, the conference is very competitive. This is the year a team like Bradley, who struggled during the first half of the season, can definitely make noise during Arch Madness.
Tonight is the opening round and which features the 7/10 and 8/9 match ups, followed by the quarterfinals tomorrow and Saturday's semi-finals.
The games except for the final can be found on Fox Sports, Sunday's final will air at 1:05 Central on CBS.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Fight for the No. 9 Seed
Bradley (10-18, 3-13 in Missouri Valley play) and Illinois State (11-17, 3-13) square off tonight in Bloomington-Normal, IL for the return game of the "War on 74" series between the two rivals. Tonight's game might be remembered for the wrong reason, as the loser of the game will be locked in to the No. 10 seed for Arch Madness and most certainly finish in last place in the MVC.
Last Game:
Bradley traveled to Tennessee-Martin as part of the BracketBusters series and rallied to beat Tenn-Martin 81-75. Without point guard Dodie Dunson, freshman Walt Lemon started and scored a career-high 20 points, including four made three pointers. Fellow freshman Jordan Prosser recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Last Game vs. ISU:
The first game between the rivals this season was a heart-breaker for Bradley, suffering a 79-78 overtime loss to the Redbirds. In that game on Jan. 26, the Braves had jumped out to a big lead, 23-8, and even lead 61-52 with 2:40 left in the game. It appeared that Bradley would win its first MVC game. This was not to be, and the Braves fell to 6-15.
Analysis:
Bradley and ISU come into this game in opposite directions. Bradley has won four of its last six games and has looked like a completely different team from the one that lost its first 11 MVC games. ISU has lost its last six games. While winning this game wouldn't appear to be that big of a deal, it would be a huge boost for Bradley not to end up as the No. 10 seed. Hopefully, Dodie Dunson will be able to return to the lineup. One of the big differences, I think, will be the fact that Bradley is no longer the Andrew Warren show. Bradley has other options and I expect Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Jordan Prosser to continue to preform at a high level.
Prediction:
Bradley 75, ISU 66.
Last Game:
Bradley traveled to Tennessee-Martin as part of the BracketBusters series and rallied to beat Tenn-Martin 81-75. Without point guard Dodie Dunson, freshman Walt Lemon started and scored a career-high 20 points, including four made three pointers. Fellow freshman Jordan Prosser recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Last Game vs. ISU:
The first game between the rivals this season was a heart-breaker for Bradley, suffering a 79-78 overtime loss to the Redbirds. In that game on Jan. 26, the Braves had jumped out to a big lead, 23-8, and even lead 61-52 with 2:40 left in the game. It appeared that Bradley would win its first MVC game. This was not to be, and the Braves fell to 6-15.
Analysis:
Bradley and ISU come into this game in opposite directions. Bradley has won four of its last six games and has looked like a completely different team from the one that lost its first 11 MVC games. ISU has lost its last six games. While winning this game wouldn't appear to be that big of a deal, it would be a huge boost for Bradley not to end up as the No. 10 seed. Hopefully, Dodie Dunson will be able to return to the lineup. One of the big differences, I think, will be the fact that Bradley is no longer the Andrew Warren show. Bradley has other options and I expect Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Jordan Prosser to continue to preform at a high level.
Prediction:
Bradley 75, ISU 66.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Weekend College Basketball Review (2/12-2/13)
Its been a pretty good weekend of college basketball, and there are no longer any undefeated teams. #1 Ohio State lost on the road to Wisconsin and Jordan Taylor. Taylor scored 27 points and is having a breakout season, yet somehow, was not named a finalist for the Bob Cousy award for the nation's best point guard. I still think that Ohio State should keep the #1 ranking as the loss came in a really tough environment, and there are only a handful of teams in college basketball with one loss. #2 Kansas, by comparison, suffered their only loss at home.
Northwestern (14-10, 4-9) lost pretty badly to Penn State today, 65-41, which makes two bad, ugly losses in a row for the Wildcats. I haven't seen either of the past two games (fortunately), but it seems like there hasn't been a ton of effort from NU anyway...
It's kind of telling that I would rather watch Bradley (9-17, 3-12) who beat the hottest team in the MVC, Evansville (had won 5 of their last 6) pretty impressively and displayed a lot of effort and teamwork. Dyricus Simms-Edwards continues to emerge as up and coming star for the Braves, recording a career-high 25 points and eight rebounds in the win. Jake Eastman added seven rebounds and took four charges, the kind of energy and effort you need to win.
Andrew Warren, who passed 1,500 career points in the win, was featured in a an Indianapolis Star article written yesterday
Next up for Bradley: a home game this Tuesday against Northern Iowa
After profiling Valparaiso yesterday, they took care of business and beat Wright State in a close game yesterday. They are in good shape to claim that double-bye as one of the top two teams in the Horizon League tournament. Their next game, this Wednesday at Wisconsin-Milwaukee is probably the toughest of their four conference games left. They also have the BracketBusters game next Saturday when they host Missouri State.
Speaking of the Horizon League, Cleveland State's Norris Cole had a ridiculous game yesterday, recording 41 points and 20 rebounds. Cole's 40-20 game was the first in college basketball since Blake Griffin in February 2009. What makes it even more impressive is that Cole is a 6-foot-2 guard.
Northwestern (14-10, 4-9) lost pretty badly to Penn State today, 65-41, which makes two bad, ugly losses in a row for the Wildcats. I haven't seen either of the past two games (fortunately), but it seems like there hasn't been a ton of effort from NU anyway...
It's kind of telling that I would rather watch Bradley (9-17, 3-12) who beat the hottest team in the MVC, Evansville (had won 5 of their last 6) pretty impressively and displayed a lot of effort and teamwork. Dyricus Simms-Edwards continues to emerge as up and coming star for the Braves, recording a career-high 25 points and eight rebounds in the win. Jake Eastman added seven rebounds and took four charges, the kind of energy and effort you need to win.
Andrew Warren, who passed 1,500 career points in the win, was featured in a an Indianapolis Star article written yesterday
Next up for Bradley: a home game this Tuesday against Northern Iowa
After profiling Valparaiso yesterday, they took care of business and beat Wright State in a close game yesterday. They are in good shape to claim that double-bye as one of the top two teams in the Horizon League tournament. Their next game, this Wednesday at Wisconsin-Milwaukee is probably the toughest of their four conference games left. They also have the BracketBusters game next Saturday when they host Missouri State.
Speaking of the Horizon League, Cleveland State's Norris Cole had a ridiculous game yesterday, recording 41 points and 20 rebounds. Cole's 40-20 game was the first in college basketball since Blake Griffin in February 2009. What makes it even more impressive is that Cole is a 6-foot-2 guard.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Team to Watch: Valpo Basketball
This year hasn't exactly been the best year of college basketball in Illinois and the Greater Chicago area. The state's two Big Ten teams, Illinois (16-8, 6-5 in the Big Ten) and Northwestern (14-9, 4-8), are not living up to their preseason expectations. Several of the Chicago schools are in the middle of rebuilding projects such as UIC (7-19, 2-12) and DePaul (6-17, 24 losses in a row in the Big East), and Chicago State (6-19). All three of those schools have first year coaches. In the Horizon League, Loyola (13-12, 4-10) is barely better than UIC.
In the MVC, Bradley (8-17, more here) has suffered injuries, and ISU (11-14, 3-11) has taken a step back. Southern Illinois, who has made several NCAA tournaments in the past decade, ditto (11-14).
Across the state, as you can see, teams are struggling. Two teams in the Chicago area, albeit in Indiana, Notre Dame and Valparaiso are having very good seasons. Notre Dame gets plenty of attention as the #7 team in the country, improving to 21-4 after beating South Florida today . Under the radar, Valparaiso, (18-7, 10-3 in the Horizon) is in first place and in control of their destiny.
During the preseason, the Crusaders was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon, which was expected to be dominated by Butler again who won last year's Horizon League regular season and tournament. After losing to Butler in the season's first match up, Valpo beat the Bulldogs for their first win over Butler since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08.
Lead by guard Brandon Wood (16.3 ppg), Valpo ranks 23rd in the nation in assists per game, and 24th in field goal percentage. Valpo is also receiving votes in the national polls for the first time since 2002, and could potentially finish the season as a Top 25 team if they keep winning.
Valpo plays host to Wright State tonight, as they look to improve their lead in the Horizon League. One of the cool things about the Horizon League Tournament is that the top two teams get a double-bye into the semifinals (in most conferences, the best teams just get a single-bye), which will make the Crusader's chances of making an NCAA tournament even easier if they finish the season strong.
Next Saturday, February 19th, Valparaiso will play Missouri State at 4 PM on ESPN2, as part of its BracketBusters series, which matches up teams from strong non-BCS conferences.
In the MVC, Bradley (8-17, more here) has suffered injuries, and ISU (11-14, 3-11) has taken a step back. Southern Illinois, who has made several NCAA tournaments in the past decade, ditto (11-14).
Across the state, as you can see, teams are struggling. Two teams in the Chicago area, albeit in Indiana, Notre Dame and Valparaiso are having very good seasons. Notre Dame gets plenty of attention as the #7 team in the country, improving to 21-4 after beating South Florida today . Under the radar, Valparaiso, (18-7, 10-3 in the Horizon) is in first place and in control of their destiny.
During the preseason, the Crusaders was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon, which was expected to be dominated by Butler again who won last year's Horizon League regular season and tournament. After losing to Butler in the season's first match up, Valpo beat the Bulldogs for their first win over Butler since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08.
Lead by guard Brandon Wood (16.3 ppg), Valpo ranks 23rd in the nation in assists per game, and 24th in field goal percentage. Valpo is also receiving votes in the national polls for the first time since 2002, and could potentially finish the season as a Top 25 team if they keep winning.
Valpo plays host to Wright State tonight, as they look to improve their lead in the Horizon League. One of the cool things about the Horizon League Tournament is that the top two teams get a double-bye into the semifinals (in most conferences, the best teams just get a single-bye), which will make the Crusader's chances of making an NCAA tournament even easier if they finish the season strong.
Next Saturday, February 19th, Valparaiso will play Missouri State at 4 PM on ESPN2, as part of its BracketBusters series, which matches up teams from strong non-BCS conferences.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Bradley Basketball in 2010-11
Not having homework this year means that I can follow college basketball more closely, and one of the teams I follow closest is Bradley, naturally.
Bradley's basketball season thus far has fallen short of preseason expectations. As it stands, the Braves are 8-17 overall, and 2-12 in Missouri Valley action. In the past several seasons, the Braves have entered the MVC conference tournament as a four or five seed, but this year the Braves will be playing in the Opening Round of "Arch Madness" as a team seeded anywhere from seven to ten. If Drake wins again, the best Bradley can finish is 8th.
There is a silver lining to Bradley's record. Bradley narrowly lost to the co-conference leaders Missouri State, and won their two previous MVC. The record also doesn't indicate that the Braves have played their entire season without two of their three players, honored before the season as preseason All-MVC candidates, Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco.
Both players are sitting out the season with medical redshirts and their losses have been a big blow to the Braves. Brown, a small forward led Bradley in rebounding last year and was named the conference's most improved player. Brown is sitting out the season for a mandatory 90-day rest period necessary to evaluate a heart condition. Maniscalco, Bradley's starting point guard during the past three seasons, is sitting out the year due to ankle issues. The loss of Brown and Maniscalco has been a big blow to the team, and you can't simply replace players like that. Both players should be eligible to return next year, which means Bradley could have a vastly improved record next season.
The third of the preseason award candidates, Andrew Warren, has been the biggest bright spot for the Braves. Warren was always a great shooter, but this season he has become a complete player and one of the best in the MVC (full disclosure: Andrew and I have the same major, so we had several classes together). Andrew leads the MVC in scoring (19.0), free throw percentage (.886), and three point field goals (59). I think he's a shoo-in to be named to the MVC's First Team All-Valley.
Since Bradley beat Creighton during Snowpocalypse, the team has been playing a lot better (the two wins, and the close game at MSU). As of late other good options have emerged around Warren, Dyricus Simms-Edwards has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat in his second season at Bradley, and could be the type of player to lead Bradley in scoring during his next two seasons. Freshman Jordan Prosser is also emerging as a good option in the post, and I could see him averaging at least 10 pts, eight boards in the near future. Jake Eastman, a reserve guard for now, is a solid defender and developing a consistent three-point shot. Also, freshman Walt Lemon, is learning how to harness his athleticism and could develop into a top-level guard in the MVC.
As bad of a season as its been, I don't think head coach Jim Les will be fired, no do I believe he should. It's almost impossible to overcome the loss of two of your three best players. Additionally, he is bringing in a solid recruiting class, led by guard Remy Abell from Louisville, the best player on the top ranked high school team in Kentucky (basketball is kind of a big deal there). Besides, there is always the issue of who would you replace Coach Les with. I think next year if Bradley doesn't finish in the top of the MVC, then his job should be in question.
Down the stretch, Bradley has a pretty favorable schedule, and Northern Iowa is the only game against a team near the top of the MVC. Bradley plays host to Evansville on Saturday, and I think they can definitely win 4 of the final 5 games on the schedule. Bradley is definitely the type of team no one will want to face at Arch Madness. Without a powerhouse team in the MVC, Bradley could make a little run in St. Louis.
Bradley's basketball season thus far has fallen short of preseason expectations. As it stands, the Braves are 8-17 overall, and 2-12 in Missouri Valley action. In the past several seasons, the Braves have entered the MVC conference tournament as a four or five seed, but this year the Braves will be playing in the Opening Round of "Arch Madness" as a team seeded anywhere from seven to ten. If Drake wins again, the best Bradley can finish is 8th.
There is a silver lining to Bradley's record. Bradley narrowly lost to the co-conference leaders Missouri State, and won their two previous MVC. The record also doesn't indicate that the Braves have played their entire season without two of their three players, honored before the season as preseason All-MVC candidates, Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco.
Both players are sitting out the season with medical redshirts and their losses have been a big blow to the Braves. Brown, a small forward led Bradley in rebounding last year and was named the conference's most improved player. Brown is sitting out the season for a mandatory 90-day rest period necessary to evaluate a heart condition. Maniscalco, Bradley's starting point guard during the past three seasons, is sitting out the year due to ankle issues. The loss of Brown and Maniscalco has been a big blow to the team, and you can't simply replace players like that. Both players should be eligible to return next year, which means Bradley could have a vastly improved record next season.
The third of the preseason award candidates, Andrew Warren, has been the biggest bright spot for the Braves. Warren was always a great shooter, but this season he has become a complete player and one of the best in the MVC (full disclosure: Andrew and I have the same major, so we had several classes together). Andrew leads the MVC in scoring (19.0), free throw percentage (.886), and three point field goals (59). I think he's a shoo-in to be named to the MVC's First Team All-Valley.
Since Bradley beat Creighton during Snowpocalypse, the team has been playing a lot better (the two wins, and the close game at MSU). As of late other good options have emerged around Warren, Dyricus Simms-Edwards has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat in his second season at Bradley, and could be the type of player to lead Bradley in scoring during his next two seasons. Freshman Jordan Prosser is also emerging as a good option in the post, and I could see him averaging at least 10 pts, eight boards in the near future. Jake Eastman, a reserve guard for now, is a solid defender and developing a consistent three-point shot. Also, freshman Walt Lemon, is learning how to harness his athleticism and could develop into a top-level guard in the MVC.
As bad of a season as its been, I don't think head coach Jim Les will be fired, no do I believe he should. It's almost impossible to overcome the loss of two of your three best players. Additionally, he is bringing in a solid recruiting class, led by guard Remy Abell from Louisville, the best player on the top ranked high school team in Kentucky (basketball is kind of a big deal there). Besides, there is always the issue of who would you replace Coach Les with. I think next year if Bradley doesn't finish in the top of the MVC, then his job should be in question.
Down the stretch, Bradley has a pretty favorable schedule, and Northern Iowa is the only game against a team near the top of the MVC. Bradley plays host to Evansville on Saturday, and I think they can definitely win 4 of the final 5 games on the schedule. Bradley is definitely the type of team no one will want to face at Arch Madness. Without a powerhouse team in the MVC, Bradley could make a little run in St. Louis.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Today is College Football Signing Day!
Around the country, today marks one of the most significant days in the college football calendar. Today is National Signing Day, which marks the beginning of the national signing period for high school prospects to sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI). While many prospective players have given verbal commitments, nothing is binding until the NLI is signed by a player. Basically, once a player signs an NLI, no other NCAA school can recruit said player.
To the casual or non-sports fan, today might not seem like such a big deal. However, to coaches, recruiting and the ability to re-stock the team's depth chart is equally as important the coaching during the season. The recruitment period is just as big of a deal to fans as well. If don't believe that, check out ESPN's College football recruiting page and the amount of stories and information devoted to talent speculation and trying to determined which 17 or 18 year old will win the Heisman in 2014.
The amount of information about college football recruiting is justifiably so. When each college announces their Class of 2011 today, these are the players who will make up a core part of each roster. While schools can add players after today (the signing period ends April 1st), today's basically college football's equivalent "free agency," except the big signings aren't as spread out as other sports, like MLB or the NBA.
With that said, many of the top recruits have not yet signed, and are specifically waiting to announce their decisions today or are not quite ready to make their decisions. Several outlets, both television and online are airing coverage of college football signing day, including ESPNU's National Signing Day Special, which extends to a record 10 hours running from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET today.
For more information on the recruiting cycle in general, I'd recommend Bruce Feldman's Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, which profiles a the yearlong recruitment cycle of Ed Orgeron, then the Ole Miss head coach.
To the casual or non-sports fan, today might not seem like such a big deal. However, to coaches, recruiting and the ability to re-stock the team's depth chart is equally as important the coaching during the season. The recruitment period is just as big of a deal to fans as well. If don't believe that, check out ESPN's College football recruiting page and the amount of stories and information devoted to talent speculation and trying to determined which 17 or 18 year old will win the Heisman in 2014.
The amount of information about college football recruiting is justifiably so. When each college announces their Class of 2011 today, these are the players who will make up a core part of each roster. While schools can add players after today (the signing period ends April 1st), today's basically college football's equivalent "free agency," except the big signings aren't as spread out as other sports, like MLB or the NBA.
With that said, many of the top recruits have not yet signed, and are specifically waiting to announce their decisions today or are not quite ready to make their decisions. Several outlets, both television and online are airing coverage of college football signing day, including ESPNU's National Signing Day Special, which extends to a record 10 hours running from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET today.
For more information on the recruiting cycle in general, I'd recommend Bruce Feldman's Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, which profiles a the yearlong recruitment cycle of Ed Orgeron, then the Ole Miss head coach.
Friday, January 14, 2011
College Football Notes (1/14)
While there was talk of Commissioner Jim Delaney and the Big Ten revisiting the names of their two football divisions, it appears that "Legends and Leaders" will remain through the 2011 football season, to allow time for market research to be conducted on the effectiveness of the names. I still don't think its as big of a deal as the competitive balance that the Big 10 will have in 2011.
In football, USC is down to just 59 scholarships after one of their receivers left the program recently. Over the past summer, the Trojans infamously received a heavy probation from the NCAA, resulting in a two year bowl ban and a loss of ten scholarships per year. I know the Trojans played under the regular 85 scholarships this season, but 59, wow!
A feel good story out of Houston: QB Case Keenum has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Keenum was on pace to break several NCAA records before tearing his ACL in a September game, sidelining him for the rest of the season. In 2009, Keenum passed for 5,671 yards.
In football, USC is down to just 59 scholarships after one of their receivers left the program recently. Over the past summer, the Trojans infamously received a heavy probation from the NCAA, resulting in a two year bowl ban and a loss of ten scholarships per year. I know the Trojans played under the regular 85 scholarships this season, but 59, wow!
A feel good story out of Houston: QB Case Keenum has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Keenum was on pace to break several NCAA records before tearing his ACL in a September game, sidelining him for the rest of the season. In 2009, Keenum passed for 5,671 yards.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Grand Opening at Oregon
I mentioned last May in a blog post about the construction of the Matthew Knight Arena, Oregon's impressive new $227 million basketball facility, which was scheduled to open during the 2010-2011 basketball season.
Tonight is the grand opening of the arena, named for the late son of Nike founder and Oregon benefactor Phil Knight. Originally, the opening of the arena was scheduled for the start of the Ducks' Pac-10 season, but was delayed to avoid conflict with a football bowl game (The football Ducks lost 22-19 in Monday's National Championship game to Auburn).
The new arena has drew some attention for its unique floor design, which I think is pretty cool.
The Ducks are hoping the new arena can serve as a jump start for their season. They are currently 7-9, and 0-4 in Pac-10 play.
Tonight is the grand opening of the arena, named for the late son of Nike founder and Oregon benefactor Phil Knight. Originally, the opening of the arena was scheduled for the start of the Ducks' Pac-10 season, but was delayed to avoid conflict with a football bowl game (The football Ducks lost 22-19 in Monday's National Championship game to Auburn).
The new arena has drew some attention for its unique floor design, which I think is pretty cool.
The Ducks are hoping the new arena can serve as a jump start for their season. They are currently 7-9, and 0-4 in Pac-10 play.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Big Ten Icons Returns
Last Fall, the Big Ten Network started their countdown series, Big Ten Icons, taking a look at the 50 greatest athletes in conference history, based on their collegiate careers. Starting tonight, January 2nd, at 7:30 PM CT, the Big Ten Icons will resume with their top 10 Icons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)