From GoArmySports.com, Army basketball releases seven year coach Jim Crews.
Seems like very strange timing given that Army took AU to the last minute last year in the semi-finals, and the team looked like it was going to be a contender this year. Sure Crews has never had a winning season in seven years and his winning percentage was only .302, but if you were going to let him go, why not let him go at the end of last season instead of a mere 40 days before this one starts. Bizarre.
Who knows how the Black Knights will respond to their new coach, whoever that ends up being.
Sure makes you happy that we have some stability in Jeff Jones, even though we never get a smile or wave out of the guy before the game starts and he doesn't acknowledge our "Jeff Jones" chants, and even though I end up yelling at Jeff Jones more during a given game (for yelling at our players) than I do the opposing coach, still makes me happy that we won't have to go looking for a new coach any time soon (God willing).
Anyway, short little check-in here. I'm waiting on some information before I give you another big post. Hoping to look at some of the other Patriot League teams' non-conference schedules for an upcoming entry.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
ZOMG Nine Guards? What is this "T-Pain Goes to the Club Night" at Bender Arena?
It's been a long day, so forgive the title. Or laugh at it. I did. Oh, speaking of T-Pain, if you haven't seen AutoTune the News, you must. So fantastic.
So I think it's fair to describe what we currently have right now as a glut of guards. Bringing in four different freshman guards isn't a bad idea given that three of the four of them are highly touted (and were sought after by other Patriot League teams) but it's going to be very interesting how the coaching staff balances all this new young talent (assuming they live up to the hype) against what experience actually is on the team.
I'm going to cheat a little bit here because I just wrote an entry about Jordan Borucki, and I still don't have a ton of information on him. So for what I do have, please see this entry, and I'll try to get you some more info pretty soon.
Moving on.
Let's get to know...Blake Jolivette
5'11", 170lb, St. Thomas High School, Houston, TX
One thing you can say about Blake Jolivette. The guy isn't discriminating about courts. Whether they be the kind you play basketball on or the kind I wind up in after leaving parties at the Berks, Blake likes them. Apparently he wants to be a lawyer and is really smart, given that he got 12 scholarship offers, some from Ivy League schools and two of the service academies. Impressive. He also turned down a scholarship offer from Holy Cross. That's not impressive, it's just smart.
Blake's rationale for winding up as an Eagle?
"I originally wanted to attend an Ivy League school because I have good grades, but they don’t offer athletic scholarships … I chose American because I was close with the coaches and they did a good job recruiting me. I like their philosophy pertaining to me and the fact that I will have a good chance to start my freshman year … and I really like the DC area because it is a perfect environment for law,” Blake said. Well how about that, told him he had a good chance to start eh? Tell that to the other eight guys, five of them with a year or more of experience. There's a pretty good reason for him to think he's got a good shot at starting though.
Rivals gives him two stars. ESPN grades him an 82 and says, "Jolivette has a good basketball body and is a strong lead guard. He has a good basketball IQ and takes care of the ball. He has the ability to run the team and is very steady...He makes excellent decisions in transition as well as in the half court and scores with his mid range game on dribble pull ups and slashes to the rim. He can keep the defense honest from behind the arc but his strength is running the team and finding the open man." Sounds like the skill set Mercer was so successful with for four years. At 5'11", he's got four inches on Mercer, now let's see if he's got anywhere close to Mercer's handle. If he lives up to the hype he could be the starting point guard by the end of the season, but he's got a lot of people to go through to get there, including junior Steve Luptak and also the guy behind door number two...
Let's get to know...Daniel Munoz
6'1", 175lb, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Plantation, FL
Dan came remarkably close to being a Terrier up at Boston University. In fact, he committed to the university and would've been barking his little terrier tail (Dan, if you read this, seriously, think about it, you were going to be one of those dogs that snooty women carry around in dog purses, gross) up in Boston if it weren't for BU's coach Dennis Wolff becoming a member of the unwillingly jobless club. After Wolff was made to leave, Dan decided to decommit and signed with us. Munoz now becomes a key part of what could be a fantastically talented backcourt in a year or two, maybe better than Mercer/Carr. Munoz, according to AU Athletics' press release, was "named All-County by both the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald in his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 11.1 points and 7.0 assists per game in his senior year, helping to lead his team to a 17-8 record and a runner-up finish in the district." Jeff Jones offered him lofty praise saying, "Dan is a throwback, pass first-type player who makes everyone around him better. He's an extremely hard worker and a basketball junkie who will fit in well with our team and our incoming class."
That hard work is probably what helped turn him into a two-star Rivals recruit. ESPN gave him an 81 and said, "Munoz is a true point with a high basketball IQ. He is a fundamentally sound good athlete that is also gym rat. He is an excellent ball handler and passer that can find the open man when penetrating the lane or when running the half court offense. He does a great job of feeding the post as well. Munoz is an excellent decision maker in transition as well as in the half court. He can knock down the open jumper with range to the arc." My thought is that in a year or two the coaching staff tries to convert him to a solid-handling shooting guard since he seems to have, from the sound of it, better range than Blake. That hard work will serve him well I'm sure, though I don't know if being called a "gym rat" is a good thing. Should be a hell of a battle between Luptak, Jolivette, Munoz, and our last candidate...
Let's get to know...Josh Snodgrass
6'4", 220lb, P.K. Yonge High School, Gainesville, FL
Josh, yet another Rivals two-star recruit, got offers from six schools but ended up here at AU. I'm excited to have him because I think they could convert him to a solid 3-guy, which means that in two years you could potentially have the trio of Jolivette-Munoz-Snodgrass starting. That would be nasty. I'd put money on it now if gambling on sports wasn't so wrong (unless you're in Delaware or Las Vegas, in which case, track me down we'll get a wager going). Josh was named to the class 3A all-state first-team in Florida last year. That's just the beginning of a long list of accolades, though. Gainesville Sun Basketball Player of the Year. North Central Florida Class 3A player of the year. Hell, he finished third in class 3A Mr. Basketball voting behind Kenny Boynton (now at Florida, where Josh can give him hell in the game this season) and Brandon Knight (2009 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award, ranked in the top 5 by Rivals, ESPN, and Scouts, Inc. in the NATION). Nah, Josh didn't do much in high school. Not much at all. Pffft.
Along with Jeff Holton he has the highest ESPN grade of the new recruits (an 83), and ESPN's analysis of him was short, sweet, and positive:
"Josh is a solid shooter with good size. He has range to 22 feet. He has solid strength and should have no problem adjusting to the college game. He can do a little off the dribble but is mostly a shooter and a scorer. He is a great get for American."
The Gainesville Sun offers their own analysis: "Quite possibly the area's best inside/outside offensive player, Snodgrass is comfortable behind the three-point line, driving to the basket or using his 6-5 frame to post up smaller guards or forwards. Similarly to Gantt, he worked diligently throughout his career to build his once-slender frame into one resembling a muscular college guard."
Impressive.
The best thing about having all this talent on the team is that they all have to play each other in practice. They'll only get better having high caliber competition.
I'm all about it. If things turn sour this year (and God I hope they don't) but if they do, you better believe we have a solid foundation to build on for the future. Good Lord. Great work by the coaching staff to bring in a fantastic new class of seven after losing seven to graduation last year. So exciting. Well, that's that, now you've met the freshmen. What do we think of the class now that we know about them? Leave your comments!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
So I think it's fair to describe what we currently have right now as a glut of guards. Bringing in four different freshman guards isn't a bad idea given that three of the four of them are highly touted (and were sought after by other Patriot League teams) but it's going to be very interesting how the coaching staff balances all this new young talent (assuming they live up to the hype) against what experience actually is on the team.
I'm going to cheat a little bit here because I just wrote an entry about Jordan Borucki, and I still don't have a ton of information on him. So for what I do have, please see this entry, and I'll try to get you some more info pretty soon.
Moving on.
Let's get to know...Blake Jolivette
5'11", 170lb, St. Thomas High School, Houston, TX
One thing you can say about Blake Jolivette. The guy isn't discriminating about courts. Whether they be the kind you play basketball on or the kind I wind up in after leaving parties at the Berks, Blake likes them. Apparently he wants to be a lawyer and is really smart, given that he got 12 scholarship offers, some from Ivy League schools and two of the service academies. Impressive. He also turned down a scholarship offer from Holy Cross. That's not impressive, it's just smart.
Blake's rationale for winding up as an Eagle?
"I originally wanted to attend an Ivy League school because I have good grades, but they don’t offer athletic scholarships … I chose American because I was close with the coaches and they did a good job recruiting me. I like their philosophy pertaining to me and the fact that I will have a good chance to start my freshman year … and I really like the DC area because it is a perfect environment for law,” Blake said. Well how about that, told him he had a good chance to start eh? Tell that to the other eight guys, five of them with a year or more of experience. There's a pretty good reason for him to think he's got a good shot at starting though.
Rivals gives him two stars. ESPN grades him an 82 and says, "Jolivette has a good basketball body and is a strong lead guard. He has a good basketball IQ and takes care of the ball. He has the ability to run the team and is very steady...He makes excellent decisions in transition as well as in the half court and scores with his mid range game on dribble pull ups and slashes to the rim. He can keep the defense honest from behind the arc but his strength is running the team and finding the open man." Sounds like the skill set Mercer was so successful with for four years. At 5'11", he's got four inches on Mercer, now let's see if he's got anywhere close to Mercer's handle. If he lives up to the hype he could be the starting point guard by the end of the season, but he's got a lot of people to go through to get there, including junior Steve Luptak and also the guy behind door number two...
Let's get to know...Daniel Munoz
6'1", 175lb, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Plantation, FL
Dan came remarkably close to being a Terrier up at Boston University. In fact, he committed to the university and would've been barking his little terrier tail (Dan, if you read this, seriously, think about it, you were going to be one of those dogs that snooty women carry around in dog purses, gross) up in Boston if it weren't for BU's coach Dennis Wolff becoming a member of the unwillingly jobless club. After Wolff was made to leave, Dan decided to decommit and signed with us. Munoz now becomes a key part of what could be a fantastically talented backcourt in a year or two, maybe better than Mercer/Carr. Munoz, according to AU Athletics' press release, was "named All-County by both the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald in his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 11.1 points and 7.0 assists per game in his senior year, helping to lead his team to a 17-8 record and a runner-up finish in the district." Jeff Jones offered him lofty praise saying, "Dan is a throwback, pass first-type player who makes everyone around him better. He's an extremely hard worker and a basketball junkie who will fit in well with our team and our incoming class."
That hard work is probably what helped turn him into a two-star Rivals recruit. ESPN gave him an 81 and said, "Munoz is a true point with a high basketball IQ. He is a fundamentally sound good athlete that is also gym rat. He is an excellent ball handler and passer that can find the open man when penetrating the lane or when running the half court offense. He does a great job of feeding the post as well. Munoz is an excellent decision maker in transition as well as in the half court. He can knock down the open jumper with range to the arc." My thought is that in a year or two the coaching staff tries to convert him to a solid-handling shooting guard since he seems to have, from the sound of it, better range than Blake. That hard work will serve him well I'm sure, though I don't know if being called a "gym rat" is a good thing. Should be a hell of a battle between Luptak, Jolivette, Munoz, and our last candidate...
Let's get to know...Josh Snodgrass
6'4", 220lb, P.K. Yonge High School, Gainesville, FL
Josh, yet another Rivals two-star recruit, got offers from six schools but ended up here at AU. I'm excited to have him because I think they could convert him to a solid 3-guy, which means that in two years you could potentially have the trio of Jolivette-Munoz-Snodgrass starting. That would be nasty. I'd put money on it now if gambling on sports wasn't so wrong (unless you're in Delaware or Las Vegas, in which case, track me down we'll get a wager going). Josh was named to the class 3A all-state first-team in Florida last year. That's just the beginning of a long list of accolades, though. Gainesville Sun Basketball Player of the Year. North Central Florida Class 3A player of the year. Hell, he finished third in class 3A Mr. Basketball voting behind Kenny Boynton (now at Florida, where Josh can give him hell in the game this season) and Brandon Knight (2009 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award, ranked in the top 5 by Rivals, ESPN, and Scouts, Inc. in the NATION). Nah, Josh didn't do much in high school. Not much at all. Pffft.
Along with Jeff Holton he has the highest ESPN grade of the new recruits (an 83), and ESPN's analysis of him was short, sweet, and positive:
"Josh is a solid shooter with good size. He has range to 22 feet. He has solid strength and should have no problem adjusting to the college game. He can do a little off the dribble but is mostly a shooter and a scorer. He is a great get for American."
The Gainesville Sun offers their own analysis: "Quite possibly the area's best inside/outside offensive player, Snodgrass is comfortable behind the three-point line, driving to the basket or using his 6-5 frame to post up smaller guards or forwards. Similarly to Gantt, he worked diligently throughout his career to build his once-slender frame into one resembling a muscular college guard."
Impressive.
The best thing about having all this talent on the team is that they all have to play each other in practice. They'll only get better having high caliber competition.
I'm all about it. If things turn sour this year (and God I hope they don't) but if they do, you better believe we have a solid foundation to build on for the future. Good Lord. Great work by the coaching staff to bring in a fantastic new class of seven after losing seven to graduation last year. So exciting. Well, that's that, now you've met the freshmen. What do we think of the class now that we know about them? Leave your comments!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Making an Appetizer Sausage Entry Out of Some Loose Ends
See how I did that in the title? Because you make sausage out of meat scraps and...ah, screw it. In any event, this is very much a loose ends post.
First and most exciting,
WE ARE FORTY DAYS FROM THE FIRST PRESEASON GAME.
Go ahead, think about it. Savor it. Roll it around in your brain. Do you feel it in the pit of your stomach? That desire to skip your evening classes so you can paint yourself blue and join your fellow Blue Crew members in Bender? That curiosity about where your five or six Blue Crew shirts are? That pang of desire for a Lumpkin Patch t-shirt? I can feel it from here. Get excited, the long wait is almost over.
The next tidbit of information (courtesy of our friends at AUEagles.com) is that the CBS College Sports Package (CBS's version of ESPN8 "the ocho") will pick up two HOME men's basketball games this season. January 17 versus Colgate at 2pm and February 11 versus Bucknell at 7pm. The deal also includes an option to pick-up the February 21 game AT Holy Cross and the February 27 home game against Lafayette.
Now, this is pretty exciting because any time AU appears on TV it's a big deal. But let's be serious, this should not matter to you. Why? BECAUSE IF IT'S A HOME GAME, YOU HAD BETTER BE IN THAT ARENA UNLESS YOU'RE AT SIBLEY. Besides, we don't get the CBS College Sports Package in the dorms. So let your parents know they can see you in the stands, and then get your freaking paint on.
Last tidbit of information concerns the Lehigh Hill Pigeons. Rivals released their top 100 rankings and, lo and behold, Lehigh did indeed break the top 100 at number 96. Rivals' take on the Pigeons? "The Mountain Hawks are coming off a disappointing season, but every key piece returns. Those pieces should be good enough to push Lehigh to the top. Carrington (14 ppg, 8.6 rpg) leads the league's best frontcourt and rebounding team. Marquis Hall (13.9 ppg) keys a backcourt that must become more productive overall. "
Seems nasty. Carrington and Hall were a beastly duo last year. Still, one game at a time, and, like my dad says, that's why they play the games.
Anyway, appetizer course over, bring on the entree: analysis of the incoming freshmen guards!
See you in a minute.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
First and most exciting,
WE ARE FORTY DAYS FROM THE FIRST PRESEASON GAME.
Go ahead, think about it. Savor it. Roll it around in your brain. Do you feel it in the pit of your stomach? That desire to skip your evening classes so you can paint yourself blue and join your fellow Blue Crew members in Bender? That curiosity about where your five or six Blue Crew shirts are? That pang of desire for a Lumpkin Patch t-shirt? I can feel it from here. Get excited, the long wait is almost over.
The next tidbit of information (courtesy of our friends at AUEagles.com) is that the CBS College Sports Package (CBS's version of ESPN8 "the ocho") will pick up two HOME men's basketball games this season. January 17 versus Colgate at 2pm and February 11 versus Bucknell at 7pm. The deal also includes an option to pick-up the February 21 game AT Holy Cross and the February 27 home game against Lafayette.
Now, this is pretty exciting because any time AU appears on TV it's a big deal. But let's be serious, this should not matter to you. Why? BECAUSE IF IT'S A HOME GAME, YOU HAD BETTER BE IN THAT ARENA UNLESS YOU'RE AT SIBLEY. Besides, we don't get the CBS College Sports Package in the dorms. So let your parents know they can see you in the stands, and then get your freaking paint on.
Last tidbit of information concerns the Lehigh Hill Pigeons. Rivals released their top 100 rankings and, lo and behold, Lehigh did indeed break the top 100 at number 96. Rivals' take on the Pigeons? "The Mountain Hawks are coming off a disappointing season, but every key piece returns. Those pieces should be good enough to push Lehigh to the top. Carrington (14 ppg, 8.6 rpg) leads the league's best frontcourt and rebounding team. Marquis Hall (13.9 ppg) keys a backcourt that must become more productive overall. "
Seems nasty. Carrington and Hall were a beastly duo last year. Still, one game at a time, and, like my dad says, that's why they play the games.
Anyway, appetizer course over, bring on the entree: analysis of the incoming freshmen guards!
See you in a minute.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Let's Learn a Little Bit More About the Newest Eagles
Sorry it's been so long between entries, friends and fans. It's been a long week what with the real world and the weekend and all that good stuff.
I've got to be honest, my beloved (and often befuddled) Miami Dolphins are on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2006, so I'd like to watch them wreck Peyton Manning's evening. In the interest of letting me do that, we're going to do this entry quick and dirty like a Holy Cross education. Ohhhh. Yep.
Before I start on the main point of this entry, which is to take a look at our incoming freshmen, I want to send a shout-out of support to the team. I've been seeing (via Twitter and Facebook, yes I use social media, you might even say I am "hip" to it) that the team's practices have been featuring ladders. For those of you who don't do much in the way of physical activity except for double-clicking your mouses to come to this blog, ladders are hellacious. Just thinking about when I used to run them for cross-country makes me nauseous. Not sure what flavor of ladder the team is running, but you can be assured they aren't the least bit fun.
With that said, I have two things to say to the team: THANK YOU and KEEP GOING. I know it's easy for me to say the second thing since I'm not the one out there busting my ass on the court. I get that. But you guys had better believe that the fans appreciate the work you do to get in shape for the season. We'll repay all that effort with Blue Crew frenzy come game time. It will all be worth it in the end when you're running all over your winded opponents in the last five minutes of games.
In any event, let's talk a little bit about the class of 2013. We'll start with the forwards.
Get to know...Jeff Holton
6'7" (though he's also been listed variously at 6'6" and 6'8"), 240lb, Germantown Academy, Ft. Washington, PA
Jeff Holton is going to have to step up this season and have the kind of season that Lumpkins had last season. Why? Because as documented in the last entry, our depth at the 4 and 5 spots is just not there this year, and if Lumpkins or Vlad the Impaler get into foul trouble, Holton is going to have to step in and play some quality, or at least not bad, minutes. Named the best senior basketball player in his high school league, Holton has also been highly praised by ESPN's Scouts, Inc. who called him a "very skilled pick and pop four man that can put on the floor and get to the rim or stretch the defense by knocking down the open three. He runs the floor and has an excellent basketball IQ. Holton is a constant threat on the offensive end of the floor." ESPN does note that, "One area that Holton must improve in is rebounding. If he can add the offensive glass to his game and help start the break on the defensive end it takes his game to another level. Overall tremendous skill and scoring ability." You can find that review here if you have an ESPN Insider account (free!). The inexplicable thing here is that although Scouts gives him a grade of 83, which amounts to "a solid contributor and two- or three-year starter at a mid-major program," wasn't enough to get him any stars from Rivals. Let's hope Rivals was wrong on him (but right on Jolivette and Munoz).
Get to know...Mike Bersch
6'6", 205lb, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Mt. Holly, NJ
If nothing else, the talented Mr. Bersch fills what I personally feel is a critical role on the team: representing for the Garden State. Sure he's a completely different kind of player than the last guy to hold that position down (Derrick Mercer), but let's hope he's bringing the same level of talent. Bersch helped Rancocas Valley win Jersey's Group 4 championship (the most competitive of NJ's six groups) in his junior year, but they were unable to repeat his senior year because of a broken hand. Bersch seems to be right in the thick of things because he also suffered a shoulder injury and concussion in his senior year. Like a true gamer though, Bersch, who was supposed to miss 4-6 weeks from these injuries, came back in under three weeks and in his first game back scored 25 points. He went 2-3 from long range and 5-7 from the line. Like Holton, he's going to have to play solid minutes behind Vlad and Lumpkins. ESPN praises his passing ability and says that he can "make a living as a pick-and-pop guy or as a shooter that spots up and delivers 3-point daggers in transition." They do criticize his ball-handling a bit, which means he might not be able to penetrate into the paint too often. Hopefully the coaches will work with him on his handle, which will go quite nicely with what sounds like an absolutely lethal long-range jumper.
Get to know...Daniel Fisher
6'7", 220lb, Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne, Australia
I have to begin this part of this entry with an apology, I haven't been able to get much on our newest eagle from the southern hemisphere. This is the only article that I have been able to find about him, but I'm hoping that I will get some more information soon from our friends at AU athletics. Daniel, takes this as a lame I.O.U., I look forward to writing plenty about you in the blog over this upcoming season.
Well friends and fans, I wanted to give you details on all seven freshmen tonight, but we're already most of the way through the second quarter, and there's a lot to write about on the guards. So I'll have to offer you a raincheck for the night, and you can be sure to wait with bated breath for an article that will be packed with arbitrary Rivals star ratings and what is sure to be a very competitive battle for the team's 1 spot. In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these forwards. Learn these names, because they'll be taking the place (on the court, not necessarily in our hearts) of Frane, Brian, Jordan, and Frank (when he was playing the 3). Anyway, cross your fingers that Joseph Addai continues to have a poor game, that'll make me much happier when I come back to tell you about the guards.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
I've got to be honest, my beloved (and often befuddled) Miami Dolphins are on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2006, so I'd like to watch them wreck Peyton Manning's evening. In the interest of letting me do that, we're going to do this entry quick and dirty like a Holy Cross education. Ohhhh. Yep.
Before I start on the main point of this entry, which is to take a look at our incoming freshmen, I want to send a shout-out of support to the team. I've been seeing (via Twitter and Facebook, yes I use social media, you might even say I am "hip" to it) that the team's practices have been featuring ladders. For those of you who don't do much in the way of physical activity except for double-clicking your mouses to come to this blog, ladders are hellacious. Just thinking about when I used to run them for cross-country makes me nauseous. Not sure what flavor of ladder the team is running, but you can be assured they aren't the least bit fun.
With that said, I have two things to say to the team: THANK YOU and KEEP GOING. I know it's easy for me to say the second thing since I'm not the one out there busting my ass on the court. I get that. But you guys had better believe that the fans appreciate the work you do to get in shape for the season. We'll repay all that effort with Blue Crew frenzy come game time. It will all be worth it in the end when you're running all over your winded opponents in the last five minutes of games.
In any event, let's talk a little bit about the class of 2013. We'll start with the forwards.
Get to know...Jeff Holton
6'7" (though he's also been listed variously at 6'6" and 6'8"), 240lb, Germantown Academy, Ft. Washington, PA
Jeff Holton is going to have to step up this season and have the kind of season that Lumpkins had last season. Why? Because as documented in the last entry, our depth at the 4 and 5 spots is just not there this year, and if Lumpkins or Vlad the Impaler get into foul trouble, Holton is going to have to step in and play some quality, or at least not bad, minutes. Named the best senior basketball player in his high school league, Holton has also been highly praised by ESPN's Scouts, Inc. who called him a "very skilled pick and pop four man that can put on the floor and get to the rim or stretch the defense by knocking down the open three. He runs the floor and has an excellent basketball IQ. Holton is a constant threat on the offensive end of the floor." ESPN does note that, "One area that Holton must improve in is rebounding. If he can add the offensive glass to his game and help start the break on the defensive end it takes his game to another level. Overall tremendous skill and scoring ability." You can find that review here if you have an ESPN Insider account (free!). The inexplicable thing here is that although Scouts gives him a grade of 83, which amounts to "a solid contributor and two- or three-year starter at a mid-major program," wasn't enough to get him any stars from Rivals. Let's hope Rivals was wrong on him (but right on Jolivette and Munoz).
Get to know...Mike Bersch
6'6", 205lb, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Mt. Holly, NJ
If nothing else, the talented Mr. Bersch fills what I personally feel is a critical role on the team: representing for the Garden State. Sure he's a completely different kind of player than the last guy to hold that position down (Derrick Mercer), but let's hope he's bringing the same level of talent. Bersch helped Rancocas Valley win Jersey's Group 4 championship (the most competitive of NJ's six groups) in his junior year, but they were unable to repeat his senior year because of a broken hand. Bersch seems to be right in the thick of things because he also suffered a shoulder injury and concussion in his senior year. Like a true gamer though, Bersch, who was supposed to miss 4-6 weeks from these injuries, came back in under three weeks and in his first game back scored 25 points. He went 2-3 from long range and 5-7 from the line. Like Holton, he's going to have to play solid minutes behind Vlad and Lumpkins. ESPN praises his passing ability and says that he can "make a living as a pick-and-pop guy or as a shooter that spots up and delivers 3-point daggers in transition." They do criticize his ball-handling a bit, which means he might not be able to penetrate into the paint too often. Hopefully the coaches will work with him on his handle, which will go quite nicely with what sounds like an absolutely lethal long-range jumper.
Get to know...Daniel Fisher
6'7", 220lb, Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne, Australia
I have to begin this part of this entry with an apology, I haven't been able to get much on our newest eagle from the southern hemisphere. This is the only article that I have been able to find about him, but I'm hoping that I will get some more information soon from our friends at AU athletics. Daniel, takes this as a lame I.O.U., I look forward to writing plenty about you in the blog over this upcoming season.
Well friends and fans, I wanted to give you details on all seven freshmen tonight, but we're already most of the way through the second quarter, and there's a lot to write about on the guards. So I'll have to offer you a raincheck for the night, and you can be sure to wait with bated breath for an article that will be packed with arbitrary Rivals star ratings and what is sure to be a very competitive battle for the team's 1 spot. In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these forwards. Learn these names, because they'll be taking the place (on the court, not necessarily in our hearts) of Frane, Brian, Jordan, and Frank (when he was playing the 3). Anyway, cross your fingers that Joseph Addai continues to have a poor game, that'll make me much happier when I come back to tell you about the guards.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Rivals.com Thinks AU Will Finish AT LEAST SIXTH IN Patriot League
I think it's pretty clear to most of you that read this blog that I'm not a professional blogger. (Is there such a thing as a professional blogger?) No matter, I'm just a guy with an unhealthy love of AU basketball who loves to slather himself with blue body paint. I can't lie, friends and fans, sometimes I have trouble thinking about what I want to write in this paragon of basketball bloggerism here each night. But sometimes, JUST SOMETIMES, things fall in my lap where I'm like, "Hey, I could make an entry out of that."
TONIGHT IS JUST SUCH A NIGHT.
Courtesy of rare AU Basketball Central contributor the Earl of GWU, it has come to my attention that Rivals.com, a subsidiary of Yahoo.com, has been releasing it's top 347 rankings of NCAA Division I basketball teams. I want to share these rankings with you and then give you my commentary. Seems about right, right? Now, DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE ALL COURTESY OF http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball I AM JUST GOING TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU HERE.
I'll do it in the order that they appear on Rivals' list.
171. Holy Cross
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: C Andrew Keister
QUICK TAKE: New coach Sean Kearney had been a Notre Dame assistant for the past nine seasons.
BUZZ: Is a second consecutive second-place finish in store for the Crusaders? Kearney will try to win a title in his first season at Holy Cross. It's possible if he can get more out of talented big man Keister (8.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and sophomore guard R.J. Evans (13.4 ppg). Three valuable seniors from last season's team are gone, though.
188. Navy
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Chris Harris
QUICK TAKE: The run-and-gun Midshipmen should be the best of the three service academies this season.
BUZZ: When it comes to entertainment value, there's no contest in the Patriot League. Navy and its fast-paced offense is a treat to watch. The question is whether it can be as much fun without Kaleo Kina and his 18 points per game. Harris (15.4 ppg) will get even more shots, and that's a good thing. Center Mark Veazey (7.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg) might be the key.
217. Army
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Cleveland Richard
QUICK TAKE: The Black Knights are stingy defensively, especially on the perimeter. But a lack of size hurts.
BUZZ: A fast, ball-hawking backcourt keys a defense that gives Army a chance to be a long-shot contender. Richard (12.0 ppg), Patriot League top defender Marcus Nelson and talented sophomore Julian Simmons make up a mean perimeter trio. The Black Knights need to be more consistent offensively, though, and a third shooter to complement Richard and Simmons would help.
248. Colgate
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Yaw Gyawu
QUICK TAKE: The Raiders have a chance to make some noise in the league; a top-three finish is possible.
BUZZ: Gyawu's is a name that will be mispronounced often in the next few years. He showed a lot of ability for Colgate as a freshman last season, scoring 10.2 points a game. Fellow frosh Nick Pascale has the potential to be a force at center, and Mike Venezia (10.8 ppg) and Ben Jonson (10.4 ppg) make up a solid backcourt. The Raiders bear watching.
255. Bucknell
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Patrick Behan
QUICK TAKE: The Bison were last in the Patriot League last season, but they appear to be slowly climbing back into the mix.
BUZZ: Expect a significant leap from last season's last-place showing. The young Bison lose Justin Castleberry, but Behan (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) should be one of the league's top scorers. Sophomore guard Bryan Cohen (11.8 ppg) is terrific as well. He and wing forward G.W. Boon (9.8 ppg) combined for 104 3-pointers last season.
259. American
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Nick Hendra
QUICK TAKE: The Eagles have made back-to-back NCAA appearances. They lost way too much talent to get a third consecutive bid.
BUZZ: Coach Jeff Jones and American wowed college basketball by building a 14-point lead on Villanova in the first round of the NCAA tournament, only to fade late against a team that went on to the Final Four. Jones' program is strong, but this year could be trying without Garrison Carr, Brian Gilmore and Derrick Mercer and their 42.1 points per game. A plummet appears inevitable.
339. Lafayette
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Ryan Willen
QUICK TAKE: Remember the "Lafayette, we are here!" cry from World War I? Now, it's "We're Lafayette, and we're down here!"
BUZZ: Lafayette can score in bunches but has trouble limiting others from doing the same. Leading scorer Andrew Brown is gone, but G Jeff Kari (10.7 ppg) and the explosive 6-8 Willen (9.4 ppg) can produce more. Still, the only way the Leopards are getting out of the basement is by figuring a way to get some stops.
Now for those of you keeping score, that sets the ranking at:
1. Holy Cross
2. Navy
3. Army
4. Colgate
5. Bucknell
6. American
7. Lafayette
Now for those particularly astute readers out there, you'll realize that Lehigh is not listed or described here. That's because Rivals has not released the top 100. Either they left Lehigh off the list because they think Lehigh will be abominable (read: worse than NJIT? for real? for. real.) or Lehigh is in the top 100. One of those options makes me chuckle, the other makes me cringe. Since you were certainly astute enough to realize Lehigh wasn't here, you're definitely astute enough to figure out which facial expression I'm wearing.
The prospect of a top 100 ranked Lehigh isn't particularly pleasant, but I also think that the analysis given here is a little off. Do I think AU is going to struggle this year? Yes, I do. I'll go on record as saying it. But there are a lot of uncertainties about our beloved Eagles, too. Still, I think that we're still going to be able to challenge Bucknell and Colgate this year, especially given that I think that AU has one of the strongest recruiting classes (and ESPN/Rivals back me up on this) and that the Rivals rankings take into account neither the incoming classes nor the transfers, and I have already documented how big an impact I think Vlad the Impaler will have.
It's a mixed bag, friends and fans, and I think it will continue to be, to be frank with you. We can't know how the freshmen will perform until they get on the court, and we won't know if Vlad is going to be the force he's been in FIBA until he becomes eligible. Still, Rivals sets some preliminary analysis here, and that's always positive. I'll update you when they post where Lehigh is ranked, and we'll go from there.
Next up, what Rivals and ESPN say about our freshmen recruits. Stay tuned!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
TONIGHT IS JUST SUCH A NIGHT.
Courtesy of rare AU Basketball Central contributor the Earl of GWU, it has come to my attention that Rivals.com, a subsidiary of Yahoo.com, has been releasing it's top 347 rankings of NCAA Division I basketball teams. I want to share these rankings with you and then give you my commentary. Seems about right, right? Now, DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE ALL COURTESY OF http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball I AM JUST GOING TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU HERE.
I'll do it in the order that they appear on Rivals' list.
171. Holy Cross
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: C Andrew Keister
QUICK TAKE: New coach Sean Kearney had been a Notre Dame assistant for the past nine seasons.
BUZZ: Is a second consecutive second-place finish in store for the Crusaders? Kearney will try to win a title in his first season at Holy Cross. It's possible if he can get more out of talented big man Keister (8.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and sophomore guard R.J. Evans (13.4 ppg). Three valuable seniors from last season's team are gone, though.
188. Navy
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Chris Harris
QUICK TAKE: The run-and-gun Midshipmen should be the best of the three service academies this season.
BUZZ: When it comes to entertainment value, there's no contest in the Patriot League. Navy and its fast-paced offense is a treat to watch. The question is whether it can be as much fun without Kaleo Kina and his 18 points per game. Harris (15.4 ppg) will get even more shots, and that's a good thing. Center Mark Veazey (7.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg) might be the key.
217. Army
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Cleveland Richard
QUICK TAKE: The Black Knights are stingy defensively, especially on the perimeter. But a lack of size hurts.
BUZZ: A fast, ball-hawking backcourt keys a defense that gives Army a chance to be a long-shot contender. Richard (12.0 ppg), Patriot League top defender Marcus Nelson and talented sophomore Julian Simmons make up a mean perimeter trio. The Black Knights need to be more consistent offensively, though, and a third shooter to complement Richard and Simmons would help.
248. Colgate
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Yaw Gyawu
QUICK TAKE: The Raiders have a chance to make some noise in the league; a top-three finish is possible.
BUZZ: Gyawu's is a name that will be mispronounced often in the next few years. He showed a lot of ability for Colgate as a freshman last season, scoring 10.2 points a game. Fellow frosh Nick Pascale has the potential to be a force at center, and Mike Venezia (10.8 ppg) and Ben Jonson (10.4 ppg) make up a solid backcourt. The Raiders bear watching.
255. Bucknell
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Patrick Behan
QUICK TAKE: The Bison were last in the Patriot League last season, but they appear to be slowly climbing back into the mix.
BUZZ: Expect a significant leap from last season's last-place showing. The young Bison lose Justin Castleberry, but Behan (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) should be one of the league's top scorers. Sophomore guard Bryan Cohen (11.8 ppg) is terrific as well. He and wing forward G.W. Boon (9.8 ppg) combined for 104 3-pointers last season.
259. American
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: G Nick Hendra
QUICK TAKE: The Eagles have made back-to-back NCAA appearances. They lost way too much talent to get a third consecutive bid.
BUZZ: Coach Jeff Jones and American wowed college basketball by building a 14-point lead on Villanova in the first round of the NCAA tournament, only to fade late against a team that went on to the Final Four. Jones' program is strong, but this year could be trying without Garrison Carr, Brian Gilmore and Derrick Mercer and their 42.1 points per game. A plummet appears inevitable.
339. Lafayette
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Ryan Willen
QUICK TAKE: Remember the "Lafayette, we are here!" cry from World War I? Now, it's "We're Lafayette, and we're down here!"
BUZZ: Lafayette can score in bunches but has trouble limiting others from doing the same. Leading scorer Andrew Brown is gone, but G Jeff Kari (10.7 ppg) and the explosive 6-8 Willen (9.4 ppg) can produce more. Still, the only way the Leopards are getting out of the basement is by figuring a way to get some stops.
Now for those of you keeping score, that sets the ranking at:
1. Holy Cross
2. Navy
3. Army
4. Colgate
5. Bucknell
6. American
7. Lafayette
Now for those particularly astute readers out there, you'll realize that Lehigh is not listed or described here. That's because Rivals has not released the top 100. Either they left Lehigh off the list because they think Lehigh will be abominable (read: worse than NJIT? for real? for. real.) or Lehigh is in the top 100. One of those options makes me chuckle, the other makes me cringe. Since you were certainly astute enough to realize Lehigh wasn't here, you're definitely astute enough to figure out which facial expression I'm wearing.
The prospect of a top 100 ranked Lehigh isn't particularly pleasant, but I also think that the analysis given here is a little off. Do I think AU is going to struggle this year? Yes, I do. I'll go on record as saying it. But there are a lot of uncertainties about our beloved Eagles, too. Still, I think that we're still going to be able to challenge Bucknell and Colgate this year, especially given that I think that AU has one of the strongest recruiting classes (and ESPN/Rivals back me up on this) and that the Rivals rankings take into account neither the incoming classes nor the transfers, and I have already documented how big an impact I think Vlad the Impaler will have.
It's a mixed bag, friends and fans, and I think it will continue to be, to be frank with you. We can't know how the freshmen will perform until they get on the court, and we won't know if Vlad is going to be the force he's been in FIBA until he becomes eligible. Still, Rivals sets some preliminary analysis here, and that's always positive. I'll update you when they post where Lehigh is ranked, and we'll go from there.
Next up, what Rivals and ESPN say about our freshmen recruits. Stay tuned!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Monday, September 14, 2009
A 16th Eagle? Are you kidding? Ah well, what's one more. Also, some other analysis. Watch me analyze!
Much to my surprise when checking the men's basketball roster, there was an unfamiliar name. This recruiting is all well and good, but they're going to start running out of those chairs with the nice AU logo on them sooner or later, and then they're going to have to go into Hughes and grab one of those dingy chairs that I spilled cranberry juice on all through my freshman year. You know the chairs I'm talking about, they smell like your grandmother's house if your grandmother really let herself go after having her fantasy football season crippled last year by Tom Brady's injury...but I digress.
Let me be the first American University basketball blog... Back up. Let me be the first American University website (since my friends at AUEagles.com haven't gotten a chance yet) to welcome Jordan Borucki as the newest American University Eagle. Details are sparse (read: non-existent) about how Jordan came to be on the team, but let me tell you everything I know about him. He's listed as a 6'3" 180lb. guard. Now, because I'm ignorant, I thought that would make him the tallest guard on the team, but it goes to show you that people who know relatively little can still operate in the blogosphere (see: Huffington Post). It turns out that freshman Josh Snodgrass and sophomore Simon McCormack (both 6'4") and Troy Brewer (6'5") all have more height than young Eagle padawan Jordan Borucki.
So how did he come to play at AU? Google reveals (and Facebook confirms) that he has played for both Venice Senior High School in Los Angeles and the Kent School in Connecticut. Though his coach at Kent did this blogger no favors by not entering any game stats (that I can find), the diligent team over at VSHS did. Borucki, in 12 games in the '07-'08 season, averaged 11.6 points, 1.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game. Not shabby for a junior year effort, though that 25% 3-pt percentage on 5-20 shooting makes me wince a little bit. Maybe he improved on that at Kent, but then again, for a point guard he doesn't need to be the second coming of Garrison Carr.
Not sure exactly where Jeff Jones is going to play Borucki. I figure Luptak is going to start and be backed up by either McCormack or Joe Hill. Borucki will really have to impress the coaching staff to try to get even a couple of minutes, but he'll face stiff competition from the plethora of other freshmen guards: Snodgrass, Daniel Munoz, and Blake Jolivette (CORRECTION: Munoz and Jolivette are BOTH Rivals 2-star recruits in the Derrick Mercer archetype, yes I said it, now pray that one or both of them lives up to it).
The bad news for the huge freshmen recruiting class (seven of them!) is that I think they'll be very well acquainted with the bench by the end of the season. Either that, or they'll get quite a lot of playing time because the games won't be close enough to keep the starters in (which would be much worse than them not playing at all as far as I'm concerned). I couldn't even begin to accurately guess what the AU depth chart looks like right now, but hopefully I'll get a clearer picture soon.
One last note before I leave you all to mull this post is that I owe an apology tonight. This apology goes to Matthew Wilson. Why? Because I had it in my head that the team had no seniors, but au contraire, mon frère, there is a lone standard bearer for Class of 2010. I'm not sure where Wilson will fit into the lineup because Vlad the Impaler will definitely start at small forward once he becomes eligible (which my sources have informed me will be in time for the DePaul game). Wilson doesn't have the size to play at the 4 or 5 slots, and barring something bizarre, Hendra and Luptak will be the starting backcourt. Anyway, Matt Wilson, I'm glad you're here to be a senior. Make us all proud!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Let me be the first American University basketball blog... Back up. Let me be the first American University website (since my friends at AUEagles.com haven't gotten a chance yet) to welcome Jordan Borucki as the newest American University Eagle. Details are sparse (read: non-existent) about how Jordan came to be on the team, but let me tell you everything I know about him. He's listed as a 6'3" 180lb. guard. Now, because I'm ignorant, I thought that would make him the tallest guard on the team, but it goes to show you that people who know relatively little can still operate in the blogosphere (see: Huffington Post). It turns out that freshman Josh Snodgrass and sophomore Simon McCormack (both 6'4") and Troy Brewer (6'5") all have more height than young Eagle padawan Jordan Borucki.
So how did he come to play at AU? Google reveals (and Facebook confirms) that he has played for both Venice Senior High School in Los Angeles and the Kent School in Connecticut. Though his coach at Kent did this blogger no favors by not entering any game stats (that I can find), the diligent team over at VSHS did. Borucki, in 12 games in the '07-'08 season, averaged 11.6 points, 1.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game. Not shabby for a junior year effort, though that 25% 3-pt percentage on 5-20 shooting makes me wince a little bit. Maybe he improved on that at Kent, but then again, for a point guard he doesn't need to be the second coming of Garrison Carr.
Not sure exactly where Jeff Jones is going to play Borucki. I figure Luptak is going to start and be backed up by either McCormack or Joe Hill. Borucki will really have to impress the coaching staff to try to get even a couple of minutes, but he'll face stiff competition from the plethora of other freshmen guards: Snodgrass, Daniel Munoz, and Blake Jolivette (CORRECTION: Munoz and Jolivette are BOTH Rivals 2-star recruits in the Derrick Mercer archetype, yes I said it, now pray that one or both of them lives up to it).
The bad news for the huge freshmen recruiting class (seven of them!) is that I think they'll be very well acquainted with the bench by the end of the season. Either that, or they'll get quite a lot of playing time because the games won't be close enough to keep the starters in (which would be much worse than them not playing at all as far as I'm concerned). I couldn't even begin to accurately guess what the AU depth chart looks like right now, but hopefully I'll get a clearer picture soon.
One last note before I leave you all to mull this post is that I owe an apology tonight. This apology goes to Matthew Wilson. Why? Because I had it in my head that the team had no seniors, but au contraire, mon frère, there is a lone standard bearer for Class of 2010. I'm not sure where Wilson will fit into the lineup because Vlad the Impaler will definitely start at small forward once he becomes eligible (which my sources have informed me will be in time for the DePaul game). Wilson doesn't have the size to play at the 4 or 5 slots, and barring something bizarre, Hendra and Luptak will be the starting backcourt. Anyway, Matt Wilson, I'm glad you're here to be a senior. Make us all proud!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
If the Patriot League is Like Europe, Vlad Moldoveanu is the 2010 Patriot League MVP
AU BASKETBALL HAS STARTED.
Alright maybe not totally, but an AU Eagle is playing and (to be cliche) flying high over in Europe. Vlad Moldoveanu is looking like the player that could take the Eagles to a third consecutive Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament experience. In "No I'm Not Dead, I've Just Been Taking Stock of the Situation" I pointed out that AU was lacking a leading scorer.
I'll indicate how wrong I was by using messed up syntax: lacking is not what the basketball team of the American University is anymore.
Consider that in four games in EuroBasket 2009 Divison B play Vlad (can I call you Vlad since I'll be barechested and roaring implications that you will impale other teams in a matter of mere months?) has been a force.
Here are his lines in the past four games (courtesy of EuroBasket2009.org):
For those of you unwilling to do the math, that's an average line of 35.5 minutes, 18 points, 8.5 rebounds a game on 65% from the field and 39% from behind the arc.
That is, mesmerizing? check. fantastic? check. something to anticipate? check. check. CHECK.
Okay, is he putting up Lebron James style numbers? No. However, he IS looking like some kind of perverse superhuman Garrison Carr/Brian Gilmore hybrid numbers.
The bad news is he won't be eligible until January. The good news is he'll be in just in time for Patriot League play to start.
Sorry for the effusive gushing, friends and fans, it's fantastic to see that we'll have a certifiably promising addition to Hendra, Luptak, and Lumpkins.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Alright maybe not totally, but an AU Eagle is playing and (to be cliche) flying high over in Europe. Vlad Moldoveanu is looking like the player that could take the Eagles to a third consecutive Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament experience. In "No I'm Not Dead, I've Just Been Taking Stock of the Situation" I pointed out that AU was lacking a leading scorer.
I'll indicate how wrong I was by using messed up syntax: lacking is not what the basketball team of the American University is anymore.
Consider that in four games in EuroBasket 2009 Divison B play Vlad (can I call you Vlad since I'll be barechested and roaring implications that you will impale other teams in a matter of mere months?) has been a force.
Here are his lines in the past four games (courtesy of EuroBasket2009.org):
| Match | Min | 2P FG | 3P FG | FT | Reb | PF | Pts | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | O | D | Tot | ||||||||
| vs . Cyprus | 39 | 3/5 | 60,0 | 2/3 | 66,7 | 8/9 | 88,9 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 20 | ||||
| vs . Belarus | 32 | 6/7 | 85,7 | 1/3 | 33,3 | 2/5 | 40,0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 17 | ||||
| vs . Switzerland | 35 | 5/6 | 83,3 | 1/5 | 20,0 | 5/8 | 62,5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 18 | ||||
| vs . Albania | 36 | 3/8 | 37,5 | 3/7 | 42,9 | 3/5 | 60,0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 18 | ||||
For those of you unwilling to do the math, that's an average line of 35.5 minutes, 18 points, 8.5 rebounds a game on 65% from the field and 39% from behind the arc.
That is, mesmerizing? check. fantastic? check. something to anticipate? check. check. CHECK.
Okay, is he putting up Lebron James style numbers? No. However, he IS looking like some kind of perverse superhuman Garrison Carr/Brian Gilmore hybrid numbers.
The bad news is he won't be eligible until January. The good news is he'll be in just in time for Patriot League play to start.
Sorry for the effusive gushing, friends and fans, it's fantastic to see that we'll have a certifiably promising addition to Hendra, Luptak, and Lumpkins.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Excuse the Mess
Sorry this looks heinous right now. I'm tinkering with it to improve our functionality and aesthetics, but it's a project that I can't finish until tomorrow night. We'll be looking great again soon!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Launch of New AUEagles.com
Morning everyone, I just want to point you to the revamped AUEagles.com this morning. My initial reaction is that it is more aesthetically pleasing than the old site, but it is just as busy, which is a drawback. I like what they did with the center frame and how you can do a mouseover to change the picture.
Nice work by Athletics, I think. Now if we can just get them to work the new scoreboard line item back into the budget...
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Nice work by Athletics, I think. Now if we can just get them to work the new scoreboard line item back into the budget...
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Very, Very Strange AU Basketball-Related Dream
Normally I wouldn't post about this, but it is so bizarre that I feel the need to. I dream pretty vividly, but most of the time I don't remember my dreams. However, last night I had a dream that I remembered quite vividly and, after retaining memory of it for the entire day, I decided I had to post it.
I had a dream that I went to the season opener in Bender Arena last night but that the bleachers on the sidelines had been removed and replaced with lawn chairs. That in and of itself is perverse, but it gets a lot weirder. Why? Because our beloved AU Eagles' starting five consisted of the following individuals:
The kid on the movie poster for the God awful movie "Baby Geniuses"
Jonathan Lipnicki, the little kid from Jerry Maguire
and, of course, since no ridiculous AU basketball dream sequence could be complete without them, the remaining three AU starters were...
EWOKS from Stars Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
But that's not all folks. When, in the dream, I realized who Jeff Jones had started, I was justifiably upset. I stood up from my lawn chair and screamed out, "Coach, let me play!" This was the part where I knew it was a dream because Jeff Jones actually turned and acknowledged me in the stands. He surveyed me with that piercing glare and stoic grimace of his and screamed at me, "Sit down, your legs are too short!"
I'm just under 6'4" and am gangly and have very long legs. The illogic of Coach Jones's assessment of me was enough to wake me up, where I then realized that I should probably lay off eating multiple racks of ribs in a sitting. To be fair, I'm not sure I can play basketball better than an ewok, but you've got to imagine my game is a little tighter than six-year-old Jonathan Lipnicki.
No matter how this season shapes up, AU basketball fans, at least we know we won't be starting ewoks, and as far as my messed up subconscious is concerned, that already puts us way ahead of the curve.
Happy Labor Day.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
I had a dream that I went to the season opener in Bender Arena last night but that the bleachers on the sidelines had been removed and replaced with lawn chairs. That in and of itself is perverse, but it gets a lot weirder. Why? Because our beloved AU Eagles' starting five consisted of the following individuals:
The kid on the movie poster for the God awful movie "Baby Geniuses"
Jonathan Lipnicki, the little kid from Jerry Maguire
and, of course, since no ridiculous AU basketball dream sequence could be complete without them, the remaining three AU starters were...
EWOKS from Stars Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
But that's not all folks. When, in the dream, I realized who Jeff Jones had started, I was justifiably upset. I stood up from my lawn chair and screamed out, "Coach, let me play!" This was the part where I knew it was a dream because Jeff Jones actually turned and acknowledged me in the stands. He surveyed me with that piercing glare and stoic grimace of his and screamed at me, "Sit down, your legs are too short!"
I'm just under 6'4" and am gangly and have very long legs. The illogic of Coach Jones's assessment of me was enough to wake me up, where I then realized that I should probably lay off eating multiple racks of ribs in a sitting. To be fair, I'm not sure I can play basketball better than an ewok, but you've got to imagine my game is a little tighter than six-year-old Jonathan Lipnicki.
No matter how this season shapes up, AU basketball fans, at least we know we won't be starting ewoks, and as far as my messed up subconscious is concerned, that already puts us way ahead of the curve.
Happy Labor Day.
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Fruits of the Summer
Writing for a reputable blog is always a privilege, particularly here at American University Basketball Central (or AU Hoops Blog for short). For too long we have been without a reliable source of fan coverage for our beloved AU Eagles Basketball. My name is Josh, a proud member of the greatest, loudest, bluest, and bare-chestedest** fan group in the Patriot League, and I will be joining Bill in making sure that the Birds of Bender have a share of cyberspace equal to or even greater than that of the hardwood.
While in recent days we have been eagerly looking forward to November, taking a look back at some summer developments might also help us see where we’re headed this season. More than anything, and contrary to what the press releases on AUEagles.com would have us believe, the summer was marked by a series of departures, however tempered with formidable additions.
As we recently discovered, Mike Technow transferred to the Division II University of South Carolina – Aiken. While something can be said about the athletic department’s failure to inform us of his departure, we wish him the best, as he will surely be a standout player for the USC-A Pacers. The incoming freshman class notwithstanding (who will certainly be analyzed in great detail in the near future on this blog), the athletic department did find it prudent to point out a key addition to the team – Troy Brewer. Troy transferred from the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC, (likely with similar intentions as Technow) and like fellow transfer Vlad Moldoveanu who will start this January, will certainly be a force when he becomes eligible to play in the 2010-2011 season. Until then, I’m sure he’ll add quite a bit of challenge to practice with two full seasons of experience at UGA under his belt.
This trickle of players down the college basketball hierarchy doesn’t even come close to the strangest swap of the summer, however. In another departure left unannounced by our athletic department (where transparency is like football), assistant coach Michael Brennan left to take an assistant coaching position with our cross-town nemesis, the Georgetown Hoyas. Who vacated the spot he took? None other than OUR new assistant coach Robert Burke. Yes, folks, we did just trade coaches with the Hoyas. I do believe we came out on top of this strange move, however, as Burke was the last original assistant to come in with Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. He’s been a recruiting force for Georgetown, bringing in some of their best players of the last five years. So why would a fellow of his caliber move from the Big East to the Patriot League? Despite academic success that puts even Georgetown to shame, truth be told the Patriot League won’t be dominating NCAA basketball any time soon in the manner of the Big East. This leaves one probable scenario: Burke is after Coach Jones’ job. After back-to-back tournament runs and a 24-8 season, as well as a history with UVA, it would be presumptuous to assume that Coach Jones hasn’t had his own fair share of offers from relatively big-time teams. Whether this is just premature rumor mongering or obvious foresight remains to be seen – more on this in a future investigative piece right here on American University Basketball Central.
Finally, I want to touch upon the newest, and likely most attractive new member of the Eagle’s squad this season. Alright, he’s not entirely new, but certainly looking a whole lot better than before. I am referring to none other than the redesigned Clawed Z. Eagle costume that debuted at the Bender Blue Out women’s volleyball game this past weekend. As Bill mentioned, the Associated Press took a stab two seasons ago at our proud eagle mascot, calling him “shopworn.” While that might have been a little much, it is clear that athletics decided to invest a little more in this iteration of our beloved mascot, and I think really hit the mark. Here’s a visual comparison of the new Clawed with his last two versions:
Frankly they hit the nail on the head. The leftmost Clawed looks very mascot-esque, but he looks very sad about something and for Pete’s sake they couldn’t even get the “AU” symbol right. The more recent version certainly looked more like an Eagle, but was rather scrawny and even a bit hairy – some might even say cuddly. Well this time they nailed both aspects quite well. Clawed looks buff and intimidating and not sad or like an awkward chicken. The marks and logos are spot on (take a look at his shoes when you get the chance), and he certainly had a real spring in his step as he was dancing among the crowd and on the court. During our next tournament run I hope the Associated Press takes notice. I know our unfortunate adversaries certainly will.
Go Eagles!
** “Bare-chestedest”: Superlative referring to the most bare-chested fan in attendance at an AU Eagles Basketball game. “Those guys from track team are the bare-chestedest Eagles here!”
While in recent days we have been eagerly looking forward to November, taking a look back at some summer developments might also help us see where we’re headed this season. More than anything, and contrary to what the press releases on AUEagles.com would have us believe, the summer was marked by a series of departures, however tempered with formidable additions.
As we recently discovered, Mike Technow transferred to the Division II University of South Carolina – Aiken. While something can be said about the athletic department’s failure to inform us of his departure, we wish him the best, as he will surely be a standout player for the USC-A Pacers. The incoming freshman class notwithstanding (who will certainly be analyzed in great detail in the near future on this blog), the athletic department did find it prudent to point out a key addition to the team – Troy Brewer. Troy transferred from the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC, (likely with similar intentions as Technow) and like fellow transfer Vlad Moldoveanu who will start this January, will certainly be a force when he becomes eligible to play in the 2010-2011 season. Until then, I’m sure he’ll add quite a bit of challenge to practice with two full seasons of experience at UGA under his belt.
This trickle of players down the college basketball hierarchy doesn’t even come close to the strangest swap of the summer, however. In another departure left unannounced by our athletic department (where transparency is like football), assistant coach Michael Brennan left to take an assistant coaching position with our cross-town nemesis, the Georgetown Hoyas. Who vacated the spot he took? None other than OUR new assistant coach Robert Burke. Yes, folks, we did just trade coaches with the Hoyas. I do believe we came out on top of this strange move, however, as Burke was the last original assistant to come in with Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. He’s been a recruiting force for Georgetown, bringing in some of their best players of the last five years. So why would a fellow of his caliber move from the Big East to the Patriot League? Despite academic success that puts even Georgetown to shame, truth be told the Patriot League won’t be dominating NCAA basketball any time soon in the manner of the Big East. This leaves one probable scenario: Burke is after Coach Jones’ job. After back-to-back tournament runs and a 24-8 season, as well as a history with UVA, it would be presumptuous to assume that Coach Jones hasn’t had his own fair share of offers from relatively big-time teams. Whether this is just premature rumor mongering or obvious foresight remains to be seen – more on this in a future investigative piece right here on American University Basketball Central.
Finally, I want to touch upon the newest, and likely most attractive new member of the Eagle’s squad this season. Alright, he’s not entirely new, but certainly looking a whole lot better than before. I am referring to none other than the redesigned Clawed Z. Eagle costume that debuted at the Bender Blue Out women’s volleyball game this past weekend. As Bill mentioned, the Associated Press took a stab two seasons ago at our proud eagle mascot, calling him “shopworn.” While that might have been a little much, it is clear that athletics decided to invest a little more in this iteration of our beloved mascot, and I think really hit the mark. Here’s a visual comparison of the new Clawed with his last two versions:
Frankly they hit the nail on the head. The leftmost Clawed looks very mascot-esque, but he looks very sad about something and for Pete’s sake they couldn’t even get the “AU” symbol right. The more recent version certainly looked more like an Eagle, but was rather scrawny and even a bit hairy – some might even say cuddly. Well this time they nailed both aspects quite well. Clawed looks buff and intimidating and not sad or like an awkward chicken. The marks and logos are spot on (take a look at his shoes when you get the chance), and he certainly had a real spring in his step as he was dancing among the crowd and on the court. During our next tournament run I hope the Associated Press takes notice. I know our unfortunate adversaries certainly will.
Go Eagles!
** “Bare-chestedest”: Superlative referring to the most bare-chested fan in attendance at an AU Eagles Basketball game. “Those guys from track team are the bare-chestedest Eagles here!”
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