An Updated Look at the IHSA Multiplier and How It Has Failed Miserably - and Other College Basketball News

It's an interesting time to look at the IHSA Multiplier again..

as many know the IHSA was a success-penalty aimed at private school to slow them down and prevent them from being so successful in state tourney play...the expansion of the classes was also aimed at allowing more opportunity for the majority public schools to get titles.

-First - has it worked?
Some will say yes, but in reality - easily done checks of who has been winning state titles in various sports, shows that the multiplier has had very little effect on preventing private schools from dominating certain sports.
The idea was to bump the privates up to higher classes so the smaller schools would have more chances.

Let's just look at a few representative sports and the sports that are most popular.


1)Baseball - almost all state champs in baseball have always been the public schools...
In 2007-2008 they went to 4 classes from two..
In the four seasons since, a private school has won one of the smaller classes (1A & 2A) twice & the larger classes (3A & 4A) once.
(there were also four MORE private runner-ups)

BUT in the prior full decade (10 seasons!)!!!! Only one private had won in any class in any year!! (Niles Notre Dame on 03-04, Class AA)
...so CLEARLY the Multiplier has NOT accomplished it's desired effect in baseball.


2)Boys Basketball - in the past four seasons since going to 4 classes, two privates have won the smaller classes.
In the prior DECADE before that it had only happened twice (Hales 02-03, Leo 03-04)


3)Football -
the only classes that were ever in question were 2-5 where schools like Joliet Catholic and New Lenox Providence Catholic used to dominate before the Multiplier.
BUT - the Multiplier hasn't even worked here where the MAIN purpose of it was intended to force the privates up a class or two so they wouldn't win.

Again - it didn't work...Joliet Catholic again got to the title game again last fall in Class 5A and faced YET ANOTHER private school (Lombard Montini) - so anyone who doesn't see that instead of always dominating Class 4A - now the Catholic privates simply dominate 5A!
In Classes 2-5A 13 title game participants were private since 2008, compared to the exact same number the previous four seasons - and if you go back into the 1990's before all the talk of eight classes and the Multiplier - then in the final four-year span before those changes came - between 1997-2000
THERE WERE ONLY 11 PRIVATES THAT WON ANY OF THE SIX CLASSES.
So again -- the expansion to eight classes plus pushing the privates up to higher classes has resulted in NO perceptible changes.


4)Boys & Girls Golf
We've now had five years experience with expansion to 3 classes plus the multiplier -
In those five seasons - fifteen of the 28 teams awarded either champion or runnerup trophies were private!!
That's essentially the exact same percentage as was seen in the prior 5 seasons under 2 classes and before the Multiplier (11 of 20)

It's even more noticable in Girl's Golf...
Past 5 seasons with 2 classes - 10 of 20 champs & runnerups were private.
The preceding 5 seasons only 3 of 11 were.

5) Boys & Girls Soccer
Here we really see the futility of the Multipler!

Past four seasons under the Multiplier and a 3-Class system -
Boys - 12 of 24 teams in the title game were privates
Girls - 8 of 18 were privates

in the preceding four seasons it was 6-16 for boys and 6-16 for girls
so - once again - the percentage of title game participants that are privates is UNCHANGED by all the manipulating and new rules.


6) Girls Volleyball - now get ready for some really stunning facts...

-They went to five classes under the Multiplier in 2007, so in the past FIVE SEASONS...
16 of 32 title game participants were privates...including 5 of 8 this current season.

In the comparable five seasons before that in TWO Classes,
only 6 of 20 final game participants (Champs & Runnerups) were privates.
So...the Multiplier has been a CLEAR failure.

And on and on it goes - in every sport....
In fact -

Here's the kicker
In Girls Swimming and Diving -- there was NO PRIVATE school champ nor runnerup all the way from the beginning of the state playoffs in 1975, through 2001 (25 seasons)
.......and only ONE in first 28 seasons - up to 2004!!!!!!

Then the multiplier kicked in and guess what??
I don't have an explanation for it - but since the Multiplier in Girls Swimming and Diving...
SEVEN TIMES in the past 9 seasons there's been a private school among the Champs or Runnerups with four champions being private!!
Whoa - the Multiplier sure BACKFIRED here, I guess...


So I think we proved it didn't work -- so how do the other schools feel about it...

Many are NOT happy and want further rule changes...

as expected many are not happy - they see the IHSA as incessantly meddling with something that was already working just fine and now it's got even more serious problems...

http://www.newstrib.com/articles/sports/todays-n-t-sports/default.asp?Article=28235&aname=Column%3A+Are+IHSA+changes+needed%3F

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/columnists/kindred/article_efdc0772-9c77-11e0-b138-001cc4c002e0.html

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-16/sports/ct-spt-0617-prep-ihsa-changes-20110616_1_ihsa-multiplier-charter-schools

But to me the funniest part of this whole Multiplier thing is this....
The Multiplier itself is EXACTLY what the public school folks demanded -- they pushed and pushed until they got their way...
and even when they were told that we all KNEW they wouldn't be happy with the outcome -- they still said it WAS WHAT THEY WANTED!!!
So are they happy that they got EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED???

Well - read for yourself...of course not -- they want more, and more, and more --
I guess the only thing that'll make the public school crowd happy is to either BAN all private schools - something that has been resoundingly a failure elsewhere
as so many of the most prominent and wealthiest citizens then no longer support the public schools and their playoffs costing state organizations MILLIONS...
Or just give the trophies to the public school just for participating NOT for being actually any good at anything!! ..yeah...that'll surely make them happy!

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/2011/06/02/multiplier-is-a-good-thing-ihsa-but-its-not-enough/aagujrq/



Some College Basketball News....

Coastal Carolina has their 3rd player arrest since summer
Their top scorer now arrested but we see the coach really defending him

http://www2.scnow.com/news/grand-strand/2012/mar/05/ccu-hoops-ellis-responds-gradnigo-arrest-ar-3356627/


Texas State head coach's home was robbed and ransacked by two former Texas State players!

http://www.newschannel10.com/story/17083288/2-ex-players-arrested-in-heist-of-tsu-coachs-home

So...the odd part in this story is...why did the head coach have $500K in stuff just sitting in his home to be stolen?


Drexel star was arrested and suspended a couple days ago..
http://thetriangle.org/2012/03/02/basketball-star-arrested-and-suspended/

He probably cost his team the game last night
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201203050172


YAHOO ARTICLE PROVES THE NCAA LOOKS THE OTHER WAY WITH THIS STUFF...
anyway -- why are all the cheaters always being caught by the bloggers instead of the NCAA?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=dw-wetzel_syracuse_basketball_investigation_030512


Watch ESPN2 tonight at 8PM -- Coach Jim Molinari has his WIU Leathernecks in the Summit League Championship game at 8PM!!
Go MO!!!!

Let's start talking recruits for the next couple years!

Here's a listing of all the players that each Valley team will be bringing in next year.
I have far further details and links to other pages on each player but will be adding that info later.

BU
2012 - Ka'Darryl Bell, Tyshon Pickett, up next...Mislav Brzjoa (see below)

CU
2102 Andre Yates, Isaiah Zierden, Tevin Calhoun

DU
2012 Richard Carter, Micah Mason, Joey King

UE
2012 Adam Wing, DJ Balentine

ISU
2012 Aaron Simpson, Anthony Beane

InSU
2012 TJ Bell, Rhett Smith, Mike Samuels

MSU
2012 Marcus Marshall, DeQuan Hicks, Bruce Marshall, Gavin Thurman

UNI

SIU
2012 Desmar Jackson (transfer from Wyoming), Bobo Drummond, Travis Wilkins

WSU
2012 Fred Van Vleet, Henry Uwadiae, Cleanthony Early, Deontae Hawkins (? not signed?), Derail Green
(one good, legitimate site detailing that Providence is also after Deontae Hawkins states that he is not signed and maybe not even strongly committed to Wichita)
http://providence.scout.com/2/376093.html

2013 Earl Watson



Here's an update on Bradley's guys...
Tyshon Pickett didn't play, his team is getting ready for their Regional juco tourney.
They play Wednesday at Kansas City CC.

Ka'Darryl Bell and his Oak Park River Forest Huskies won their Regional Title..
their first since 2008...

The Huskies overcame a slow start with a strong defensive effort and beat Morton HS (Cicero), 56-46 Friday night. They will play Schaumburg on its home floor in the sectional semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ka'Darryl Bell had 6 pts, 10 rebs 6 asst.



UC-Davis now goes on to play in their Big West Tourney - facing Long Beach State on March 8 in their tourney.



Coach Jim Molinari and his WIU Leathernecks play in the Summit semi's vs ORU tonight!
Go MO!!



Here's a good summary of all the best kids - ranked to 100 - that have come out of Illinois high schools since 2003.
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/high-school/post/_/id/2649/top-100-hits-misses-of-illinois-depaul

Of course you can't hardly argue with those ranked at the top like Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, Shaun Livingston, etc...
..but I am puzzled as to how Jereme Richmond gets in at #13 ahead of Jacob Pullen, John Shurna....when Richmond was a flop and didn't even show enough in high school to deserve this ranking.
I am also surprised at Koshwal in the Top 25 ahead of many more talented kids.

Sam Maniscalco is on the list as is Osiris...
and a lot of big time flops like Nate Minnoy and Brian Carlwell - yet fine players who completed great college careers like Jeremy Crouch and Dodie Dunson don't get a mention.



As for who Bradley is targeting - we all know at least one or two scholarships will open up and our coaching staff will try to fill them.

There's talk of a couple prep school kids - the name above is currently the one showing most interest in BU and may commit once the scholarship opens.

I have made my feelings known on the bulk of the prep school kids in the midwest....most aim too high!

I hope we are NOT banking everything on just one or two of the Indiana prep school kids...I hope we're looking at solid juco talent as well and a few names have been noted.

As I am sure you may have seen my other comments - I have a long held opinion that almost ALL of the midwest prep kids are overrated...and have been from the word GO.

They play on hand-picked prep school teams that play mostly other regular high schools and thus the depth of their hand picked talent means they win all the time and look way, way better than they are...

As I have said -- I have been tracking the careers of all those kids from Boys to Men, Decatur Christian, Brehm Prep, Culver Academy, La Lumiere, etc....
All those schools and coaches went out and RECRUITED the best kids who were already on target to be good players and probably stars in college....
SO even without knowing anything you'd certainly expect plenty of those prep kids to have already proven their talent with GREAT college careers.

YET once they play a year or two at any of those prep schools, their talent seems to dry up...we simply have NOT seen what would be expected.

Where are all those studs that were rated 4-Star and 5-Star at Boys to Men, etc???
Leon Freeman, Xavier Crawford, Clay Holloway, Jelani Poston, Elijah Dildy, Angel Garcia, Jesse Childs, Beas Hamga, Darrington Hobson, Demario Wade, Mario Stula...

All of these kids were at one time up there rated highly, 4-STAR and even 5-STAR!!!

Not one had much impact in college anywhere...and the same has been a pattern since the day BTMA opened up.

(BTW - one example - despite all the hype at prep schools - Jelani Poston finally finished up his college career with a grand total of 56 total career points in a few games at lowly UIC!!!)

The few of them who got out quickly and went somewhere else like Craig Brackins - actually did go on and do well in college but had he stayed at Boys to Men he would have gotten worse for sure..and he was good but not good enough to get Iowa State out of the basement or keep McDermott from getting run out at Iowa State.

Another example - Everyone said Mac Koshwal had NBA talent...
He put up fairly good numbers at DePaul but it's because he was all they had and he played 38 minutes...
then he's struggling to even be average over in Europe...
He played 25 games with a Spanish team that wasn't even in the top pro division - they were in the LEB Gold....and averaged a whopping 7 pts, 4 rebs per game
His contract was NOT even renewed!!!
Where is he now??

Remember James Siakam -- highly touted from Brehm Prep - and some had him inside their TOP-3 players in Illinois in 2010...and also the kid Bruce Barron (2011) -- both went D-I and Barron was kinda worthless at Oregon and is gone now - Siakam even after a whole redshirt year at Vandy still can't even get but 1-2 minutes per game occasionally in garbage time.
http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2011-2012/teamcume.html


I know part of the problem is they always aim too high - so when they go DePaul, Big East, Big Ten, even Pac-10 - of course they flop...
so maybe we'd have a decent player at the MVC level if that's what they choose, time will tell...
- But I am still waiting for someone to give me even one solid example of ANY of those prep schools producing a DIFFERENCE-MAKER or even a solid starter yet in the 6-7 years we've been tracking the kids from all those mid-western prep schools.

Even the IMG players have yet to impress much...remember Andrew Davis and Shayok were both IMG...
Again -- overrated and they play the typical undisciplined prep-school and AAU style and are wild and hard to coach into a good team philosophy.

(pps - I know there's a few solid D-I kids currently at La Lumiere - but most all of them were committed before they went there (Bobo, Perea, Davis)...let's hope their careers haven't been hurt in the time they've been at La Lumiere like many of the kids before them.
I can name plenty more but it is not my intent to disparage the kids who really are doing the best they can but are getting sub-par guidance and sub-par coaching.

As I have said - even random, decent schools like Whitney Young, Simeon, Manual, etc., have regularly produced many, many more and better D-I players than these prep schools.

I think the kids get their heads filled with hype and think they're better than they are, they develop lazy work ethics (remember Beas Hamga - a 5-STAR sure one-and-done that came out of Decatur Christian?) and they are NOT that well coached....
In fact - some of those prep schools have totally horrible coaches.....if the best players out of Brehm Prep can't even get 1 minute per game of playing time at average D-I schools (we're not talking Duke, here).

Remember "Dre Henley"?? (Andre Henley) rated by many as top-10 in Illinois then went to Brehm then to NIU (and everyone said he was a GREAT GET for NIU!) and flopped so badly that they sent him packing and he's never been heard from since.

One of the other really top kids at Brehm signed with Arkansas State - ought to be a star there, right??
Nope - Rakeem Dickerson -
they have nobody else so they even start the kid and gets just 3 ppg on 30% shooting
http://www.kfvs12.com/story/14527235/brehm-prep-school-basketball-player-signing-on-with-arkansas-state
http://www.astateredwolves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=205347379
http://www.astateredwolves.com//pdf8/830477.pdf

So -- final lesson to those prep school kids........do not aim too high like so many of your counterparts.
Go midmajor - then you'll have a chance to be a solid contributor and maybe even a starter.

Michael Ochereobia

Nice story on ex-BU recruit Michael Ochereobia...

http://jucojunction.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1338433

Here are a few clips...

"Michael Ochereobia will play next season in Macomb, Ill. for Western Illinois University. Ochereobia is a sophomore at nearby Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.

"Michael is a rugged power forward with a great frame that gets position in the paint..."

Ochereobia is currently averaging 6.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season for the Cougars. The Cougars are 23-7 under head coach Zac Roman."

Ochereobia was once a lock for BU - he is a powerful guy in the lane and a good defender...

Read at your own peril...New story in Forbes details massive lying, corruption, and fraud in the GLOBAL WARMING PROMOTERS

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2012/03/01/fakegate-the-obnoxious-fabrication-of-global-warming/


Even many of those who fabricated data and lied are admitting it now - so whether you want to buy into global warming or not - you simply do NOT have any valid data to go on - it's virtually all been corrupted and fabricated...
Thus if you say you believe in global warming then you might as well also say you believe in Leprechauns!

Greedy, immature, and self-sentered youth starting protests and riots on college campuses...

And certainly MORE to come........

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/03/protest-rallies-planned-at-college-campuses-around-the-state.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20120302_Hundreds_of_students_call_for_lower_tuition__debt_forgiveness.html

On the surface it looks reasonable -
They seem to be saying "we just want quality education at a decent cost..." -- right??

NOPE -- read carefully -- they want one of life's MOST valuable and expensive commodities, something many of us have paid hundreds of thousands for or mortgaged our futures for...

AND THEY WANT IT ALL VIRTUALLY FOR FREE!!!
They want the students to opt out of every paying for their tuition or their loans...!

Prediction - these protests, just like they have in Europe will grow and get more violent as the spoiled Generation-XYZ want everything for free and expect everyone else who took care of their own debts to pay for theirs, too...
This is the ultimate end result of what we get when he have an entitlement society and freebie-handout policy from the government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/10/student-protest-fees-violent

Nice job guys - you've succeeded in starting a class-warfare environment...

Lots of miscellaneous news and items...

Bradley bound Ka'Darryl Bell again lead his team to victory in their Regional game -
Ka'Darryl's OPRF Huskies won their Regional semi last night 60-51 and now advance to the Regional Final against Morton (Cicero) - the guys involved in the brawl..
The stories say Ka'Darryl was a stud!
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/02-29-2012/OPRF_boys_basketball_holds_off_LT,_advances_to_regional_championship

Ka'Darryl's coach states the player that the opponents "have been keying-in on" is Ka'Darryl Bell....he is they best player.
http://media1.oakpark.com/Images/2/2/10403/2/2/2_2_10403_2_2_350x700.jpg

Also-
-Their team has been practically unbeatable when Bell plays, but were little better than a .500 team when he was out with injury
-Comcast and long time prep basketball expert Taylor Bell raves over Bell and calls him a "superstar" and one of the two best players in their conference- http://www.google.com/search?q=%22superstar+athletes%2C+ka%27darryl+bell%22&hl=en&safe=strict&tbo=1&gbv=2&tbs=qdr%3Am&prmd=ivns&ei=-IlPT8yeNIiCtgfI04WjDQ&sa=N&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=11172l21079l0l21985l25l24l2l0l0l6l281l2673l5.11.3l19l0&oq=%22superstar+athletes%2C+ka%27darryl+bell%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=

http://www.csnchicago.com/preps/news/Bell-Levin-lead-Oak-Parks-revival-?blockID=647450

-Ka'Darryl was honored with an invitation to the 2012 Chicago United Hoops Classic All Star Game -
http://twitter.com/#!/chihoopsclassic/status/175006121306759168

AND - contrary to some uninformed opinions - Ka'Darryl is the ONLY player on his team with a legitimate D-I offer.
Some reports say Gabe Levin had some interest but he is NOT going D-I, he'll be going to prep school.
He'd have been redshirting and even admits it - he'd have to get his body ready for D-I, and it's NOT there yet.
http://www.csnchicago.com/preps/news/Bell-Levin-lead-Oak-Parks-revival-?blockID=647450

BTW -- the Charitable Foundation that is putting on this All Star Classic is the

Norm Van Lier Scholarship Fund
Chicago United Hoops Classic LLC

honoring ex-Chicago Bulls star Norn Van Lier...and his wife, Sue Render Van Lier is a Bloomington HS grad!
http://classreport.org/main/selectprofilemain.asp?dname=/usa/mn/bloomington/bhs/&clid=945846&cl=1965&hs=BHS&clr1=forestgreen&clr2=forestgreen&clr3=lightgrey&stcnt=915&item=1154065
http://www.chiunitedhoopsclassic.com



UC-Davis' Tyler Les LEADS THE ENTIRE NATION in one stat....

- "Three-point FG point %" - the measures the portion of a player's total points that come from three-point shots.
Tyler Les is #1 in the nation at 81.42%.



Coach Mo and WIU won again last night.
They go to 16-13 with a home win over UNO in front of 2276 fans - and end the regular season with their best record in 15 years!
They have the #4 seed in their conference tournament.

A quote from Mo...
"That's what you want Western Illinois basketball to look like, that's always been my dream in a sense of playing tough defensively, rebounding the basketball, get good shots and then sharing the basketball. The other thing is just having our students here to enjoy it. Peers love to perform in front of their peers. They were so thrilled by that."

Also - Coach Molinari and one of Mo's best players - Ceola Clark - have gotten some encouraging news...

Clark appears to have a good chance of getting a Sam Singh-like 6th year.
Ceola Clark missed ALL of his first year at WIU in 2007-2008 with injury, then
he also lost all but 6 games last year - and both seasons should qualify for medical waivers and he fits the criteria as a good student to get that 6th year..
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/sports/x1481616814/WIUs-Tyler-takes-his-final-shots-at-Western-Hall
http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=49949&SPID=4947&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=1283682&Q_SEASON=2011
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/BKC-Ceola-020912

When the time arrives, Billy Molinari should also be eligible to get the 6th year...
Billy has already missed THREE seasons and even if he gets the 6th year he'll end up with only 3 seasons of playing...

I personally believe Mo should be COY in the Summit - he has done an incredible job with a barebones roster hit by injuries and losses and finished among the top four in the league.

WIU was picked DEAD LAST by some and in every preseason poll either 9th or 10th in the preseason polls...

All of the three team that currently sit ahead of WIU in today's standings (ORU, SDSU, and Oakland) all were picked 1-2-3 in the preseason.

So just how good of a coaching job does it take for a guy to lead his team to exactly where everyone unanimously expected them to be...

BUT -- it takes a HECK of a job to take the team picked LAST, then lost 3 key players unexpectedly to injury and ineligibility - and yet finish 4th SIX spots higher than expected - and higher than ANYONE even imagined.
http://www.thesummitleague.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3900&ATCLID=205314393



It was noted previously that ISU reserve Trey Blue had left the team and wouldn't play in St. Louis...
but now it is being reported that backup center Jordan Threloff will miss the games in St. Louis..
He fractured his right thumb in practice Tuesday...
Now if Jackie Carmichael gets some foul trouble they could be in a difficult situation.
http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030112aaa.html
http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/redbirds/isu-basketball-threloff-injury-will-hurt-at-mvc-tourney/article_d5166022-63b9-11e1-9acb-001871e3ce6c.html



Sammy Maniscalco is a very valuable part of the Illini but he's having to play through pain..
http://www.illinihq.com/sports/illini-sports/mens-basketball/2012-02-29/maniscalco-its-about-pride.html



Nice Andrew Warren article and picture...
http://www.nbl.com.au/taipans1/news/article/2012/march/its-up-to-us-says-warren/

Andrew is averaging 14 ppg, 40.4% FG shooting, and 36.3% from 3-pt, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg...and 113 made FG and team leading 61 made 3-pointers

http://www.nbl.com.au/uploads/pics/drew_3.JPG



Patrick O'Bryant played one final game for his team in Greece.
He is done playing now for Kavala and led them to a win - with a nice 12 pt, 6 reb performance, with a block & a steal.
Kavala is in 6th place in a 13 team league but only 4 games out of 3rd...
Patrick is among the top 2 or 3 in almost every stat category...
he's Top-10 in the entire LEAGUE in rebounds and is #1 in the whole league in blocks.

Patrick is leaving to play for a new team closer to home in Puerto Rico.

BUT -- here's the really interesting part of this story -- almost every decent player in the entire Greek League has quit their team and is leaving the country...
Five of the league's top 10 scorers are leaving, as are many of the top rebounders and leaders in other categories...
http://www.eurobasket.com/Greece/basketball.asp?NewsID=261871

The basic problem is the Greek economic crisis and the fact that many of the Greek teams are having trouble making payroll and the future looks even worse...
The Greek League playoffs have historically been plagued with low attendances and financial losses not to mention fans rioting -
so the playoffs have been scaled back to just the top two teams so all the other teams' players are packing up and leaving.
As teams elsewhere in the world are looking to bolster their lineups for playoff runs, now appears to be the time for the best players in Greece to get the heck out...
http://www.mlbb.gr/feed-items/greek-cup-final-be-played-again-almost-empty-elliniko



News on Ex-Brave Lawrence Wright - It appears Boogie was robbed...........

Thanks to some last minute voting - Lawrence Wright did finish 19th in the online voting (the results of which have now been removed from the web site)
and then those fan-voting results were given to the head coaches in the Canadian League to select the All Star teams
...BUT they were not obligated to pick the players who got the most votes....they just promised to be guided by those results...


But the emphasis all along was to try to get as many Canadian players into the all Star Game as possible so Boogie was at a disadvantage ..
Thus three players from Boogie's team got selected ahead of him...
even though Boogies stats are better than any of them!

The three players selected from the Rainmen are...
Taliek Brown
Joey Haywood
Tyrone Levett

Here are the Halifax Rainmen stats...Boogie's numbers are superior yet he was left out of the All Star Game!

Wright, Lawrence 16.12 ppg, 5.18 rpg 2.15 apg, .463 FG%, .39 3pt%
(Boogie's 16.12 ppg is tops on the Rainmen & 13th in the entire league, his FG% is 16th in the league, and he's also Top 25 in both rebs & blocks)

Haywood, Joey... 13.61 ppg, 2.27 rpg 1.79 apg, .531 FG%, .36 3pt%
Levett, Tyrone.... 13.20 ppg, 5.97 rpg 1.40 apg, .422 FG%, .36 3pt%
Brown, Taliek...... 12.91 ppg, 3.09 rpg 2.97 apg, .489 FG%, .20 3pt%



NIU finally wins one - on senior night - with ex-BU recruit Tyler Storm getting his first career START and having a nice game!
They beat Toledo 64-61.



If Illinois or Northwestern fire their respective coaches, will any of their players or their recruits be seeking to go elsewhere??
Remember - kids like DJ Richardson, Drew Crawford, and many other of those kids had Bradley on their radars.



UCLA sure had one mess..
This story is self-explanatory
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/02/28/ucla/index.html

However - contrary to claims I have seen that "no rules were ever broken"...
I disagree........

"There were nights out with current and former NBA players, television stars and models.
One evening the partying started at the Beverly Hills mansion of a wealthy UCLA fan.
The Bruins were then chauffeured in a Rolls-Royce to a West Hollywood club, where several players
were ushered past a long line of people and given VIP treatment at a table in the back."

Say what??? Party buses, freebies, special privileges, VIP treatment, ladies provided, underage boozing, DRUGS, etc.....plus - read on - intentionally inflicting injuries on other players -- like this stuff isn't against the rules??

Yet the article says that head coach Ben Howland knew all about all of this and failed to ever issue any discipline and by his actions even promoted this stuff...

if the word "renegade" ever applied anywhere....



Every once in a while some obscure rule makes the headlines....
remember this one ? when Chicago North Lawndale wore uniforms that had one little piece of trim that was a violation of rules and it cost them a shot at the state title...
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=927371

Well - here are some other little known and obscure rules....feel free to add others you may know about, but I have seen many times where the failure to know about some obscure rule cost kids who violated them..


-In women's college basketball there is no 10-second backcourt violation...
so if they want to stall they can stay in the backcourt and play keep away for the full 30 seconds making a full court press way less effective.
http://www.dailyiowan.com/2010/02/19/Sports/15721.html


-In the pregame warmups a player dunks and a ref calls a technical. (remember, a technical also counts as a personal foul)
Does that player START the game with one foul on his tally? Let's say he dunks three times before the ref can alert him that he's been called for a violation. Then does the player start the game with 3 technical fouls, thus be ejected?

Answer - quite simply any and ALL dunking in pregame is a technical ON THE BENCH...it does count on the team total of personals so the team starts with one foul but no individual player.
After being warned if another player also dunks, the ref has the option of calling a 2nd technical and ejecting the head coach.


-basketball players are called "cagers" because at one time there was an attempt to change the game by installing a cage around the court to prevent all the out of bounds plays.
At one time there were deemed excessive delays when balls went flying out of bounds, into the stands, or down stairwells, and there were also fan injuries when players and balls went flying.
http://hooptactics.com/Content/Pictures/Picture.ashx?PicId=135871

http://www.blackfives.com/blog_pics/vintage_cage.jpg

My own father told me about the "cage playing days" but sensible rules to control and settle out of bounds situations made the cages impractical.
One thing that led to chaos and ushered in the cages was at that time the rules awarded the out of bounds to the player who retreived it first. Thus there were all out brawls up in the stands, and down the stairwells with players fighting for the loose out-of-bounds balls. This obscure old rule also has since been changed.


-also back in that era - after every made basket, the ball was brought back to the center circle and re-tipped - kinda like how they do a new face-off in hockey after each goal...but the ball was not necessarily tossed up high - just tossed in between the two centers....
This made having a strong, powerful guy playing center quite a premium so instead of using tall lanky guys as centers, they usually went for guys who looked like this...powerful & muscular who could dive in and get the ball like a rugby scrum.
http://www.hickoksports.com/images/krause_moose.jpg


-what is the penalty if a guy guarding the inbounder reaches across the end line?
Answer - it is a delay of game warning. If it happens again it is a technical on the bench.

BUT - what if the defender reaches across the end line while defending the inbounds and touches the ball or the player?
That violation is different and results in an automatic technical without any warning.


- The "air dribble"...
This is one I'll bet 95% or more people will not only say they've never heard of but even dispute it...

BUT -- definitely there was a time around 1915-1920 when air dribbling was allowed. Similar to dribbling by bouncing the ball off the floor - there was a time when it was legal to bat the ball in the air as well - and allowed a player to move as long as he was NOT carrying the ball. Air dribbling has been disallowed and removed from rule books for at least 75 years.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Air_Dribbling
http://forum.officiating.com/basketball/248-whats-air-dribble.html


-BUT - here's a similar play...
let's say a player ends his dribble then shoots, but the shot hits NOTHING - not the rim nor backboard or any other player..
BUT the shooter runs and catches the shot as it is coming down out of the air and starts to dribble again.
Is this "travelling"?

I suspect at least 80-90% will say yes, it is traveling - but it is NOT.
As long as in the ref's judgement, it was not an intentional self-pass, and it was a legit shot, then player control ends, and when he goes and gets the ball -
even if he catches it out of the air - it is a legal situation.
Even some refs call this one wrong...
It is rule # 4.43...


-One last situation - see if anyone can get this...

IS THERE EVER A TIME in basketball where the referee, by rules, will blow his whistle and STOP PLAY after a made basket - even if there is NO FOUL, NO GOALTENDING, NO timeout, and no violation of any kind??

Answer - yes, there is...if a player scores into his own basket (scores into the wrong goal), the correct action by rules is for the referees to blow the whistle, stop play,
be sure to award 2 pts to the proper team, and then award an inbounds play to the team that just shot the ball (not the team that was awarded the 2 pts) since it counts as a basket for the other team.


As a corollary to this situation - let's say a player shoots a 25 foot shot into the wrong basket - does if result in 3-points for the other team??
NOPE -- just two -- you cannot score a 3-pointer unless it goes into your own basket!
http://forum.officiating.com/basketball/31744-3-pointer-wrong-basket.html


ODDLY - the rule is quite different in the NBA - as any intent to shoot into the wrong basket is illegal and nullified.
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/robinsons-wrong-basket-swish-would-not-have-counted/



If a long shot from the opposite end bounces into the hoop - it is still just a 2-pointer as the definition of a shot ends when it strikes the floor...

BTW -- here's an odd one someone PM'ed to me..

In a game between VMI and George Mason in 2009 -- a really hard and somewhat intentional collision occurred between a dribbler and a defender...
The refs called differing fouls and then huddled and finally settled on a DOUBLE FOUL...
calling BOTH a charging call on the dribbler AND and blocking call on the defender on the exact same play...
They then went to the alternating possession to determine which team got to inbounds the ball.

I guess the refs have the prerogative of making such a call - but they probably erred in not calling it one way or the other.


One other odd rule situation happened in 1982 when the LA Lakers' Norm Nixon was shooting one free throw in the final 3 seconds of a game that they were down 2....SO....he did something for which no rule was in the books...
He faked his free throw, drawing BOTH teams into the lane. Then the rule for a double lane violation was a jump ball,
but with Kareem Abdul Jabbar jumping at the FT circle right next to his own basket, the Lakers got the tip and hit the basket - ultimately winning the game in OT.
The basketball commissioner (Larry O'Brien) CHANGED the ruling later to declare the final 3 seconds had to be replayed because Nixon really cannot be allowed to benefit from such a move, plus since the FT was actually never taken, the players on the lane should be repositioned and a new rule was inserted in the books that if a player fakes a FT, it's a violation and he loses his turn at the line.
The actual outcome then went into the books as the final 3 seconds were replayed 4 months later and the Spurs winning 117-114.


Originally Dr. James Naismith had just 13 rules for this game and here they are..
http://www.usabasketball.com/rules/naismith_original_rules.html

Even more comments - "ridiculous meeting"..

http://peoriastory.typepad.com/peoriastory/2012/02/riduculous-meeting-unhappy-audience.html

More ridiculous acts and corruption in Peoria's District 150

Opinion only in this blog entry - everyone is free to believe what they wish about this topic...

The key words in this entry are Grenita Lathan, Kevin Curtin, Peoria, District 150, school board, demotion, corruption, racial discrimination, lawsuit, and Key Royster.
The reason these are listed up front is to assist people doing searches.


Here's more evidence of the corruption and personal sideswiping and career torpedoing that takes place in Grenita Lathan's District 150 system.

And note that I am simply an interested observer, I have no dog in this fight.
I have no children in District 150 - never have, and do not live in the district...but I stand for decency and truth wherever it is lacking and surely Grenita Lathan is currently the epicenter of indecency and lies with what she's doing in Peoria's only public school district.

Last night with the help of a few of her corrupt ilk on the District 150 school board, she engineered the demotion of three of the finest principals and finest people Peoria may have ever known....does she fear these fine, upstanding, well-loved principals?
Does she feel threatened because they know far more than she does about running schools and even school districts?
Their track records are impeccable - Lathan cannot possibly name a single thing that they have done wrong (and of course she hasn't) - except in her eyes they have been a little too good, too successful - and their accomplishments cast a light that exposes Lathan's own failures.

Does she fear they could probably even do her job way better than she does and likely even do it with one hand tied behind their backs?

You have to wonder why 200 people would show up to support Kevin Curtin, Paul Monrad, and Annette Coleman...and waited two hours just to get a chance to voice their strong opposition to those moves by Grenita Lathan.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1679920525/Crowd-shows-support-for-two-principals-at-District-150-meeting

Lathan's puzzling yet predictable actions show her to be racist as well as biased in other ways -- and it'll become even more obvious when she chooses their replacements...

BUT - mostly you have to wonder - especially in the case of Kevin Curtin - why would she do this???
Curtin is a tremendous principal, loved by everyone, a MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING educator who has improved EVERY school he's ever worked at.

By the way -- just to show how hypocritical Grenita Lathan is - we will use her own words to discredit her...
A year ago - she meddled with Curtin and his position - at that time saying...
"District 150 Superintendent Grenita Lathan says the changes are only to advance-- not penalize-- the principals and their schools.

"None of the changes were to punish anyone," said Dr. Lathan. "These were not reassignments as far as in reference to job performance or lack there of."

"That becomes the bitter part of it-- is to say goodbye to all those families and those children," said Kevin Curtin, principal of Garfield Primary School."
http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/home/Principals-React-to-Dist-150-Changes-118951674.html?m=y&smobile=y

And just a couple weeks ago - Grenita Lathan stated openly and publicly that the parents SHOULD have a voice and should have a say in these kinds of decisions - then she failed to answer anyone's questions last night and basically shoved it in the parents' faces saying in effect "I will make these decisions and damned any parent who thinks otherwise"
It's as if she's saying "to hell with anyone who wants to oppose me"...
http://peoriastory.typepad.com/peoriastory/peoria_school_district_150/

All you need to do is read just a few of the articles detailing how Kevin Curtin has turned around some of the WORST schools and students because he has bright, innovative ideas and an amazing passion for young children.

Just read these stories...
http://peoria.medicine.uic.edu/1234/
http://www.cinewsnow.com/home/Partners-in-Peace-Honorees-118947144.html
http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/teachers-are-praying-that-board-of.html
http://www.cinewsnow.com/home/Parents--staff-object-to-potential-reassignments-of-principals-140667543.html?m=y&smobile=y
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en&gbv=2&q=cache:kNBEdVwRreQJ:http://www.tailoredprinting.net/HOIUW/whatmattersJanuary2009.html+%22kevin+curtin%22+and+%22principal%22+and+%22cancer%22&ct=clnk

Here just a few of Kevin Curtin's outstanding accomplishments are named --
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1664572360/Curtailing-bullying-this-years-goal


So I will do my part to expose the idiocy and corruption inside District 150 - the top dogs feel threatened by anyone who gets things done the right way - and they worry their jobs will be in jeopardy if someone under them is doing a way better job than they are.

So their solution is get them out of there -- kinda reminiscent of the scene when the young Darth Vader (Anakin) wipes out the entire nursery where the "youngling" Jedi children are being nurtured - just to destroy anyone who might be a future threat!




For anyone interested - just more on corruption and Grenita Lathan...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x88774728/Lathans-appointments-approved

http://www.peoria.com/messages/got_a_good_gig_spread_the_wealth.php?message_board_parent_id=267952&vpage=

http://peoriastory.typepad.com/peoriastory/2011/09/to-peoria-district-150-school-board-youre-wasting-money.html

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/State-of-the-Schools-121665744.html

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/State-of-the-Schools-121645634.html


Keep in mind that all this comes on the heels of Peoria's District 150 hiring then firing a very similar Superintendant in Kay Royster - see below....

Not to mention that Grenita's District 150 had to pay off a $450,000 settlement in a racial discrimination case where the administrators racially discriminated against WHITE employees....duh....does anyone see a pattern here??
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x603497261/D150-settlement-was-for-450-000

And this isn't the ONLY such discrimination lawsuit that District 150 is facing or having to pay off...there's actually MANY!!!!
Is this where you want your money going, Peorians??
http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Lawsuit-Filed-Against-District-150-125665113.html
http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/44027162.html
http://centralillinoisproud.com/fulltext?nxd_id=228952


In other words -- if you are white, and if you do good job in Peoria's District 150 then watch out -- your job is in jeopardy -- you are a threat to Grenita Lathan!!

Sadly - in the end it is the very people that District 150 should be helping and serving that get cheated and who end up with a horrible and corrupt school system -- the children and the families suffer. But Grenita doesn't care -- she's doing just fine...making plenty of money ...
http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/85012232.html
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x633532886/District-150-School-Board-OKs-10-000-bonus-for-superintendent


All the while, more and more problems back in the San Diego schools are being discovered that were left behind when she came to Peoria...
http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/01/superintendent-grenita-lathan-being.html

Even the past District 150 superintendants all get fired for corruption then sue the district!!
http://www.personalinjurylawnews.com/royster-files-lawsuit-peoria-journal-star/
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-16/news/ct-met-superintendent-severance-20110716_1_severance-package-veteran-superintendent-board-president/3


But Royster just moved on to another school district where she took her corruption and got fired again --amazing...
http://peoriachronicle.com/2008/02/05/kay-royster-fired-from-another-school-district/


Even MORE on District 150 improprieties and corruption...

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/over-200-people-in-attendance-at.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/still-trying-to-understand-it-all.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/just-trying-to-understand-it-all.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/when-comments-from-spam-make-blog.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/teachers-are-praying-that-board-of.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2012/02/saga-of-mary-davis-continues.html

http://peoriastory.typepad.com/peoriastory/2011/09/to-peoria-district-150-school-board-youre-wasting-money.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2011/10/district-150-expected-to-terminate.html

http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2011/09/district-150s-excuse-for-not-having.html

A few BU news items and more...

Some new items .. now that the regular season is over...


Taylor Brown's injury - to a ligament in his foot - is reportedly severe enough that to risk playing again this season would be unwise, so Taylor Brown is not going to play any more for Bradley and his season is over.

He completes his Bradley career with 903 points in 91 games...
He averaged 14.8 ppg this year and 6.4 rebounds.
It is really unfortunate that we never got to see how well Taylor could have done with a full four years HEALTHY at Bradley....he may have been one of Bradley's best players ever.
Hopefully he will have a fine professional career....watch for TB to attend a few professional events and workouts and shoot for a chance at the NBA.



Jim Molinari has his WIU Leathernecks doing well - and locked in as the #4 seed in their tourney - sitting in 4th place in the Summit. They were picked by everyone to be last or next to last - so Mo has done a great job with his team even though he's been shorthanded with injuries and player departures every year since he's been at WIU.
It'll be fun to see how next year goes, they will get previous Bradley recruit Michael Ochereobia, and Billy Molinari will be back.



UC-Davis WON again last night - they are, right now, the hottest team in the Big West!! (4 of the last 6!)
They knocked off one of the Big West leaders - CS-Fullerton 78-75!!
Once again Tyler Les played well - 14 points - hitting four more 3 pointers - making it 76 made 3-pt FG this season, Tyler's sophomore campaign, and they drew 2404 - one of their largest attendances at home in memory!!
NOBODY in the MVC - not even Colt Ryan (68) has made anywhere near as many as Tyler has made this year.
UC-D also moves past CS-Northridge in the standings - and nobody - not even a week ago would have expected UC-Davis to finish anywhere but last place - they are now hoping to finish strong & make some noise in the tourney!
Their RPI should move up quite a bit as well and they are now well above the bottom of the RPI standings...



Northern Iowa has had serious budget issues the last few years...they've cut programs, dropped baseball, and now they have even more issues.
$500,000 will be cut from the athletics budget - surely this'll make Ben Jacobson a bit perturbed...
http://www.indystar.com/article/D2/20120224/NEWS02/302240020/UNI-cut-athletics-budget-close-museum-plan-save-1-million?odyssey=nav%7Chead



Interesting happenings at University of Illinois...
lots of people want the University President out!!
Seems a whole lot of faculty think the Prez is doing a pretty crappy job...
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-02-24/faculty-trustees-ask-hogan-resign.html



Any more remarks by anyone that Bradley's talent gap is wider than the Grand Canyon?
I think BU proved they DO have the talent and they did it against UNI, against Indiana State, even against Creighton and a few other opponents.
Yesterday, it was not the talent that was the difference - but there were a few factors...like a single missed free throw, then the LACK of a time out that forced Bradley to get less than desirable shots on the final couple possessions, and forced Bradley to make a play after Ekey's missed free throw - without a timeout to set it up. It sure is tough when the game comes right down to the end and you don't have a time out because they were all used up earlier.

Then one has to wonder what is going on that we have such clock issues at the end of games....
Keep in mind that when that clock started early it forced our guys to make a play in LESS time than SHOULD have been on the clock,
The proper call would have been to replay the entire final 4.2 seconds....not just add 0.4.
In fact, even Jank compared the restart to the Olympic game - but that comparison is invalid because in that game the entire final segment was replayed not just adding a useless 0.4 seconds.
All the fans and even the coaches ask is that the guys paid to do their job at the scorers table get the job done. Please...



Ex-BU recruit Paris Gulley had a great game yesterday - 19 pts, 6 rebs in a win over Loyola.



Anyone think this site must be a little outdated???
Look who they list as President of Eastern Kentucky University...
http://www.onveon.com/college/profile/eastern-kentucky-university-40475.htm



PS _ Chicago State gets beat by a D-II - http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201202250112



If Chris Lowery is gone at SIU - could BU land Bobo Drummond???



Finally - Go Bradley win Thursday and keep going - we're behind you, Braves!!!!

Get a kick out of the new PJS and their sudden Koolaid coverage...

Disclaimer - this is an opinion about the newspaper coverage Bradley basketball gets...
I will simply state the case and you can decide....this is not about Bradley basketball and is meant only to highlight an overwhelmingly clear trend to treat Bradley basketball when it was under Jim Les quite differently and unfairly.
I love that just maybe the media is trying to be more fair and positive - but by contrast - it is clear they went way overboard to treat Bradley in the JL era as harshly and unfairly as possible. Someone simply needs to call them out on it and show their bias and their agenda against JL and BU basketball the past several years.


Here's just a simple statement - that the PJ Star people have treated this year's Bradley Braves quite differently than past year's.
I guess I am OK with the fact that the PJS writers have gotten religion or something and suddenly started writing nice things.

Just read the titles or if you want - look the articles

Senior stories are compelling trilogy
Reynolds: BU’s silver lining gives hope
Braves accentuate the positives down stretch
Reynolds: Bradley building through victories
Reynolds: Big things lie ahead for Braves
Another moral victory in season full of them for Bradley
Wessler: Braves proving they’re capable
Redshirt freshman Nate Wells getting bigger, making great strides
Wessler: Bradley has pep in its collective step
Lemon adjusting well to new role as point guard for Bradley
Wessler: Braves still trying to find themselves
BU rebounds, at least competitively
No reason for Bradley to feel blue
Wessler: Bradley not scared to compete
Wessler: BU performance fun, if not pretty
Bradley on rebound after break up in Wyoming
Reynolds: Bradley taking on new heights
Wessler: Braves come away with hope, if not wins
Wessler: Effort first, execution will follow
Wessler: Braves prove you can’t win by half measures
Bradley stepping forward with a look back
Wessler: A start to look the part
Bradley ready, willing
Thompson seeks renaissance under new Bradley staff
Plenty of promise in new point guard Walt Lemon
Veteran Braves looking for fresh start under new coach
Five freshmen give Bradley a new look
BU basketball: The first of many,well, firsts
Reynolds: BU ‘family ’is in this together
BU basketball off to fast start
Bradley 's incoming freshmen showing compatibility, athleticism


....did you see even one that sounded down or negative as ALL the columns were in the Jim Les era?? Last year is was a daily attack-fest ...

But, then this is what we have seen for years from a staff at PJS that never wanted to see JL as head coach and who always have a man-love-affair with the guy over whom JL was selected.



One comment about Lamar's head coach, Pat Knight, son, long time assistant to, and protege of Bobby Knight.

Some comments from his rant where he attacked and threw his own players under the bus have not all been made as widely known as other comments...

BUT - here's one comment quoted directly from Pat Knight's public press conference after the game...

"We've got the worst group of seniors right now that I've ever been associated with. Their mentality is awful. Their attitude is awful.

"I feel sorry for the fans. I feel sorry for this school. I mean these kids are stealing money by being on scholarship with their approach to things."

"We've had problems with these guys off the court, on the court, classroom, drugs, being late for stuff.
"Usually you have one or two guys that are a problem. We have an infestation of guys that are hard to coach."

"When I played, if you acted like the way some of these guys did, you got shoved in a locker with a forearm up against your neck and told, ‘You don't do that. That's not how we do things here at Indiana.' And that's what we need."

http://www.ksla.com/story/17012010/pat-knight-rails-against-players-after-loss-to-sfa


I can appreciate that maybe some of the players are spoiled and lazy but does a coach really need to detail that exactly what he should do to his players is...

"shove then into a locker with a forearm up against their neck and say ..
'You don't do that'"?

I think what this shows to me is a real serious personality issue on Pat Knight's part --
..first because he grew up around Bobby Knight - he thinks the way to deal with issues is get mad, and get violent...
after all that's what we saw from Bobby Knight for the better part of 40 years...
Throwing objects at referees, choking his own players, attacking innocent janitors in Puerto Rico, and then all the verbal berating and bullying.

Now Pat Knight thinks the baton has been passed to him and it's now his job to be college basketball's worst and most arrogant bully?
What a jerk - maybe if he had the coaching resume to back it up but then he was handed a team that was built, recruited, and designed by a Hall of Fame coach and Pat turned Texas Tech into a laughingstock in the Big East.

Pat Knight's record at Texas Tech is horrible.
It's buoyed by a whole bunch of cushy and easy pre-conference softies, and even despite that he's way below .500.
He's 50-61 overall up thru 2011 but his Big 12 record is hideous...
In the year he took over for his daddy they went 7-9 in the Big 12, but that's deceptive as they pretty much only beat the bottom dwellers - and under Pat they lost in record-braking fashion 109-51 to Kansas and 98-54 to Texas A&M...and he guided them to just 4-7.

The next year - Pat's first full year on his own at Texas Tech - they went 3-13 in the Big 12, but the non-conference was fattened by the likes of games against completely unheard-of DIII opponents like East Central University -
who they beat 167-115 - believe it or not!!!

Then same thing in 2009-2010 - they went 4-12 in the league but walloped all their softies in the non-conference games.

Then 5-11 in 2010-2011...so overall 16-43 against Big 12 opponents.....way, way worse than Bradley's record against Big 12 squads in that same time span....
(recall Bradley beat several Big 12 teams including Kansas, Iowa State, ...

-- oh - and BTW -- just as a final bit of evidence - Texas Tech is 1-14 in the Big 12 with what Pat Knight left them....so now he wants to throw all the Lamar kids under the bus and go out and get more players - yeah, right.....REMEMBER -- Texas Tech is 1-14 with Pat's players that HE recruited....this is even worse than Bradley's conference record!!

Whether Pat Knight or even his dad in the end is considered a good coach has to be looked at in the light of how they did when they didn't have the immense recruiting prowess that came from being at Indiana. Just look at the Texas Tech numbers and it's a bit harder to say either of them was much better than mediocre.

Some followups on BU guys and also some ex-BU recruits who could be playing a ton had they not aimed too high...

Lawrence Wright had ANOTHER monster game last night - he's had quite a few!
He carried his Halifax Rainmen to a 104-78 win over London scoring a game high 27 points!

The Canadian League All Star Game voting is going but since Boogie is NOT one of the native Canadians, he isn't getting much voting - so let's get busy and help!
As many times as you open the window or click on this link, you can vote!!

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=251820#post251820


Marcellus Sommerville carried his team Le Mans to an overtime 85-83 win against Gravelines (the team that booted OE), with Cellus getting 16 pts, 9 rebs, 2 asst.


Patrick O'Bryant is keeping his team in the upper division of the Greek League - shooting around 50% and averaging 10 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blocks


Eddie Cage's Andorra squad sits alone in 1st place - 3 full games ahead of their nearest opponent, in the Spanish LEB Silver - with Eddie playing a key role off the bench averaging 8 ppg, 4 rpg, and leading the entire LEAGUE at 91% FT shooting.


Andrew Warren's Taipans are in 4th place in Australia, but only 1/2 game out of 3rd and just 3.5 games out of 1st place, with Andrew averaging 14 ppg, 3 rebs, and 37% from 3-pt.


In the NBDL Zach Andrews is still playing well - averaging nearly a double double 11 pts, 9 rebs. Zach starts for the hottest team in the NBDL - the D-Fenders, who have won 8 straight and who are in 1st place with the best record.

Chris Roberts' Texas Legends just killed the Rio Grande Vipers 130-97 with CRob getting 17 pts on 7-9 from the floor and 3-5 from 3-pt.
In addition to shooting well from 3-pt range, Chris also hits 76% on FT's.



Creighton assistant coach on women's basketball team arrested - DUI
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/womens-basketball/news?slug=ap-creighton-coacharrested


Speaking of arrests, this head basketball coach was not only arrested but stepped down after an ugly, perverted incident of exposing himself....with the 65 year old pervert undressed in his car in a park with a 17-year old female student at the school!
What's interesting is that this high school in Martinsville, Indiana is John Wooden's alma mater and the home court is named after Wooden.

http://www.wthr.com/story/16935452/martinsville-coach-resigns-after-indecent-exposure-arrest

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-tim-wolf-questions-surround-investigation-of-martinsville-high-school-coach-tim-wolf-20120214,0,1936169.column


Anyone see the Indiana-Iowa game last night - Iowa played well and nearly blew #20 ranked Indiana out.
Matt Roth played 15 minutes as a spot sub and again when IU was desperate and needed 3-pointers. He made 4-4 proving again he's a great shooter and should be playing more and have the opportunity to score!
Also in this game, Iowa's Matt Gatens was 7-10 from 3-pt range and ended up with 30 points.
The HUGE difference is that Gatens starts, plays the entire 40 minutes, and is the KEY player for Iowa.
Too bad Matt gets so disrespected at IU - some games he barely plays at all - like the 4 minutes he got last time against Iowa or the 11 minutes he got in Indiana's loss to Michigan where Matt was scoreless while Michigan's Zach Novak - a similar player - got 36 minutes and was 3-5 from 3-pt range.
Indiana is already oversigned for next year so it's pretty much a given he's not going to get his scholarship re-upped - again even more disrespect....he should look to play his final season a closer to home for a program where the fans and staff will appreciate him.

One other player who needs to look elsewhere is James Siakam - one of the top high schoolers out of Illinois a couple years ago who went to Vanderbilt.
After redshirting last year he still hasn't played hardly at all - only 20 minutes in garbage time total all season...although he hasn't missed a shot he's taken since Thanksgiving!
He needs to get out while he has time to re-establish his career where he can play.

You can tell a lot about people in the words they use, and some comments from Geno..

We've always heard that you can learn a lot from the words people use, but here's one more study that helps define who has serious problems, who has major ego-issues, and even who might well be the suicidal people...

http://hbr.org/2011/12/your-use-of-pronouns-reveals-your-personality/ar/1

Simply put - by analyzing the use of pronouns that people use, you can learn a lot about their personality and their problems.
People who are depressed, unstable, even suicidal...
tend use the words "I", "me", "myself" and self-centered pronouns dramatically more than other people do.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/02/03/what-our-words-say-about-us/

You can even use this data to tell when they are LYING or making things up...

BUT - the most substantial part of this research is that those people who focus on themselves, those who talk about "me" and "I" incessantly, those who always dwell on what THEY WANT and what THEY LIKE and what THEY THINK...are people who are deeply disturbed, self-centered, and who often have a remarkable weak self-esteem and who clearly know they are inadequate and have weak intellects.
But the most important impact of this research is that using this data - they were even able to make the strong link between the use of certain pronouns to excess (like me, myself, and I) and the tendency for those people to commit suicide in the future.

That's absolutely amazing - but not totally surprising - as such use of totally self-centered wordage clearly shows WHO those people put at the center of the universe.
They put themselves there and think only of themselves as important. They look down on everyone else - even though deeply they know they are the inadequate ones with weak personalities - and at some point down the road it unfortunately catches up with them and they realize the futility of their charades. It's sad - but then part of the research speculates that those people also won't bother to respond to helpful guidance or criticism because they are so self-centered.
They ultimately destroy themselves. Their best path right now would be turn their attention toward others and help others. Give of yourself, your time, your money - and help better someone else's life - maybe someone who is less fortunate and who has perhaps a few gazillion less blessings than they have. It's a formula that has always worked - and now even this Harvard scientist proves it. I wonder if Jeremy Lin was ever a student of this guy as he seems to be the exact opposite of those who put themselves at the center of the universe. Lin, of course a Harvard grad, seems like a truly nice and self-less guy!



There was a comment on an older chat in this blog yesterday...now we have a story today that Geno answered a few questions and his responses were referenced in the paper -

...but of all the things people ask when given the chance to get a question directly to the head coach - why is it they invariably ask the same question in several variations that the coach really cannot answer?
They always ask about recruiting and since Geno CAN'T talk much on details because it's an NCAA violation, and he WON'T talk much on details because recruiting is a super-confidential part of being a coach and you never want to tip your hand so the other schools know your game-plan....then he can only answer is broad generalities.
SO - in the end, Geno (or any other coach who is ever asked about recruiting) always simply states - "sure, we're still recruiting"...
..and of course that's pretty much all he said.

Likewise he isn't going to reveal details as to why some players play more than others even tho people ask anyway.

Then there were a few questions if Geno regretted taking the BU job or how's he handling the poor W-L record....and I cannot imagine even if the answer was "yes, I regret it" that he'd say it to a newspaper reporter -
Inistead Geno enthusiastically re-affirms that he loves being here and has great plans for BU.
I love this and am happy he's so dedicated to our program - GO Braves, and Go Geno!!

But...nayway...if I am not mistaken there's about 300% more of a pretty good reason for GF to be here than to be at KSU...and Geno likes the fan base at BU.
Geno greatly compliments the Bradley fans - so I think each of us can feel appreciated! The sentiment is mutual as Geno is a really likeable guy.

Then I guess there was a question sort of along the lines of what's the timetable for Bradley being good again...
and the vague answer was "no timetable...it's going to be a process"

And I guess one question baited Geno to see if he'd say that what's being said on message boards bothered him - and....
you can tell by the way the question was asked that this was clear in its intent to provoke some negative comment about certain message boards...
.. BUT - Geno threw that question right back into the guy's face and said NO -
he loves the passion and enthusiasm those people bring - he LOVES the blogs and message boards! This is the same kind of answer as the one I referenced yesterday when someone tried to provoke Geno last summer into a certain answer about one group of fans and he instead gave the exact opposite response as was hoped for by the asker of the question!
Looks like Geno's quite a bit smarter than some of those guys give him credit for and he knows when he's being baited. Great job Geno!

But Geno did make ONE strong point about message board comments - and it's exactly the same point many on BradleyFans.com have made for years -- but it's a point that is so obviously and blatantly ignored on other message boards...

-- That sharp and bitter criticism of the players is shameful and WRONG and should be off limits - AS IT IS by rule on BradleyFans but unfortunately it appears all the time and is even encouraged on un-moderated boards.
So surely since Geno does not see such criticism on BradleyFans - then I kinda know where he must be seeing it!!

A story about some of the fine Manual kids - and be careful what you wish for...

I bumped into an old acquaintance that I have known for many years - since coaching basketball travel teams and summer tournies as far back as in the 90's & early part of the past decade...
He is a long time area sports guy who not only coached his own kids but who also gave of his time extensively to coach disadvantaged kids from the Peoria area.
He was also active as director of the sports programs thru the Salvation Army (you know where that's located over on the west side of town and many of those kids end up at Manual HS), and also through the Christian Center. He even coached both Shaun Livingston and Ben Zobrist when they were just elementary school-aged kids.

Anyway - he told me of all the Manual kids he's had the opportunity to coach over the years, and a couple of the current Manual team members are among them...but the story he tells is also a sad one...
He says that more than half of all the really talented kids he has had in that west-side area of town, ended up never being successful later in basketball. The talent was still there but because he maintained a good, close relationship with many of the kids and their families, he saw first hand how so many of them fell victim to the lure of drugs, booze, gangs, and ill-informed advisers, and many dropped quickly off the map. Some simply became lazy because they thought their talent would carry them to future success without even showing up for practices.....a common concept that any high school coach would, of course, laugh at.
He even went so far as to say Manual would be a state champ multiple times if only that talent they have flowing into their school from the elementary school level could stay on track, get and heed GOOD advice and guidance, and stay away from the bad element in the community. Traically that is a probelm that goes way, way beyond just sports - and it hurts the kids, the families, and the community. Of course that's the exact hope and mission that the Salvation Army promotes (and the Christian Center as well - building families and better character), but they can't force kids to follow...and sadly so many squander such fine talent.
Many of us can and should do more to help and there are ways even if you can't think of a way to help.



I had to really laugh when I saw the obvious ironies on the front page of today's sports section...

First - let me say -- I love these guys we have on our Braves basketball team, and I am still going to support them 100%...they deserve it and they really are working hard..
I have not and WILL not let up on my support just because it's a down year, and I hope others follow suit.
(ps- I am still hoarse from last night, and encourage others to let them know we still support them.)

I DO see a couple silver linings and here they are...

-already mentioned - our guys are working hard and I think the shots will start falling....we can surprise someone in St. Louis, plus we still have that opportunity to be the ones who burst ISU's bubble.
We have some talented and entertaining players and I am going to continue to be a strong supporter!

-one other silver lining - even though I hate losing - is that the loss to Drake actually pushes Drake a little higher up than ISU would have wanted -
meaning that our game against ISU is ALL THE MORE LIKELY to be able to knock them into a Thursday spot. (Which of course would mean we would get to play them again in St. Louis.)
I look forward to the chance to be the team that eliminated whatever remaining possibility ISU has to play in the post-season even if it is just a remote chance of playing in the CBI or CIT.

-BUT...I did see a couple ironies on the front page of today's Sports Section...
..one was a reference to a chat session with Geno Ford which reminded me of the last chat (last summer) where some "caller" - who just happens top be one of the well known anti-BU posters and haters on the other message board (PM me if you want to know names) asked Geno during the chat what's Bradley gonna do for those fans in the cheap seats, "the nosebleed section", the ones who lay claim to being the fans that most demanded the changeover and who were "responsible" for Geno getting the spot at BU..
They were the JL-haters who even went so far as to root for Bradley to LOSE in St. Louis last spring - literally root against their own team, just so they could have more certainty of JL getting fired.
Those fans who labelled themselves as being in the nosebleed section were intentionally calling themselves that - so as to separate themselves from the fans who generally have good seats and who give good money to BU - who they saw as the ENEMY who were the JL-supporters!

-I found that thought absolutely humorous in light of the other irony in KW's column....
Here are KW's own descriptions of the fans in the nosebleed seats last night (and really any night now...)
"Last-place team and the proof is in the stands.."
"It has been 20 years since so many empty seats watched the Bradley
Braves play basketball games on their home court. Not just from the student
section, but from all sides and corners of the arena.
..sadly, until the repair job is underway with better recruits, Carver Arena will
continue to have a lot of empty seats."

In other words - they aren't there - they have abandoned their team, they have lost interest or become unhappy about the outcome that THEY actually asked for.
It's like pulling up to the drive-up window at McDonalds and rudely giving them a big order, then just when they get it fully prepared - you put it into drive and race out of there leaving your mess sitting there for someone else to have to clean up.

Interesting - the guy who wanted Geno to pick the nosebleed fans as his favorite group was about as wise as the Occupy protesters who thought that their hate, violence, and bitter rhetoric would catch on with the HUGE majority of reasonable and intelligent people - WRONG!!!
The guy apparently thought the bandwagon fans who just as quickly jmp off and on and who are only happy when winning were going to be Geno's favorite folks.
Even worse - look at what the Occupy people are doing now that they see their tactics failing - they double down and even get MORE hatefull and hostile. We are also seeing that among the haters on certain message boards - turning on each other and other fans, turning on the players and just about anyone they can think of to hate on.
It is sad - even though I never go to certain hateful message boards, people tell me all the time they went to check what was being said and they found so much vile that it made them sick.

Those fair weather fans are always welcome back as Bradley fans -- we do have the empty seats and they can come back any time - but watch -- they won't -- they only care about themselves and only feel good about coming when BU is winning.
Every team has fans like that so in a way this is nothing new....but their hate and vitriol against BU and against Jim Les were inexcusable and it's almost funny were it not so sad that their own actions are what have resulted in so many records in futility being set lately by BU, records like the 1st time ever in deep last place, most losses, worst shooting, 0-20, most 30 pt blowouts, etc.
Even KW kinda touches on this when he cites that as badly as BU played last night without their best player Taylor Brown could b an ominous sign of what's to come - and it may indeed be even MORE fallout from what transpired.

"Without Brown, Bradley’s offense was reduced to the fabulously athletic but often wildly erratic Walt Lemon Jr., and the frustratingly inconsistent Dyricus Simms-Edwards — and prayers that a 3-pointer or two might go in.
With Brown gone, the task got even tougher. Only Lemon, with his ridiculous speed, was able to score consistently.
That’s a problem with no easy fix. And sadly, until the repair job is underway with better recruits, Carver Arena will continue to have a lot of empty seats."

so - as much as some fans thought we'd be better right away - it looks like it's going to be a long, long time....
remember the stupid statements people made last spring after JL was fired like...
"We're bound to be better right away. How can we be worse - we were a last place team...etc"

Hmmm...so be careful what you wish for -- and certainly be careful about bragging that YOU were the one who wished for for such a disastrous outcome because you now identify yourself for what you are, a cancer among the fans.

TB injury? ..and more...

I guess I am stumped...what's going on? - very little said and what's said is contradictory...
BUT - Taylor Brown is only 4-31 shooting over the past 3 games, and is 15-59 (25.4%) shooting since the SIU game (3 weeks)...and only 3-16 from beyond the arc in that same time span - so something's going on!

In days past the beat writers for the PJ Star used to DEMAND accountability - even to the point that when they felt that the BU coaching staff was not up front or fully open, honest, and revealing on injury situations, they even resorted to name calling - calling Coach Les an unethical liar one time.
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=55355#post55355

Funny how tandards change at the whm of the writers...

Now... way back on January 26, a tiny mention at the tail end in an article said Taylor Brown had hurt his wrist way back on Jan. 24 in the SIU game and it was bad enough to sit out the next day's practice.
http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x430726950/Reynolds-Things-are-tough-all-over-for-Bradley?zc_p=1

Then a discussion by fans on the message board began both before and after the Missouri State game about Taylor's poor shooting and his wrist being wrapped - now today we have another comment in the paper that the wrist was injured on Feb. 1 (now no mention at all of the late January injury) in the Evansville game....but that writer never even mentions and doesn't even seem to remember that he had previously said the injury occurred back against SIU.
http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x1341779421/Braves-accentuate-the-positives-down-stretch?zc_p=1

Or are we dealing with TWO different injuries - or is it MORE than is being let known?? This is mportant - Taylor Brown is our best player and the injury is having a HUGE impact. Isn't this the very same setting that provoked one local newspaper writer to go off on a long rant about the dishonesty of the head coach for not revealing every tiny little detail of injuries and not telling in advance who's gonna start and who's gonna have a bad game because he was secretly injured.
I guess I kinda get a kick out of how things are covered and NOT covered so much differently now than before.
I guess I'll have to rely more on the message boards and blogs to get the accurate info.


As most now know - one BU recruit Michael Ochereobia is now verballed to Jim Molinari and WIU. But - they are also going strong after another BU recruit - Coach Mo was and still is pushing hard to get the interest of Tanner Williams and will continue to follow him at prep school.
Tanner, from Orion HS, will be playing with the Peoria Irish this summer.


Ka'Darryl Bell and his team played one of their toughest opponents last night in a battle for conference supremacy. Oak Park faced York with D-I recruit David Cohn and did a nice job shutting them down.
Oak Park won 57-35, with OPRF's Gabe Levin getting 19 pts, 10 rebs. Ka'Darryl had 11 pts, but it was a nice team effort guarding Cohn and forcing 17 1st half turnovers from their effort to try to get the ball to Cohn.
http://riverforest.suntimes.com/sports/10650718-419/huskies-put-clamps-on-cohn-dukes.html


Dodge City is coming off a win over Colby with Tyshon getting another double-double, 12 pts, 12 rebs, they play again tonight.
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/sports/x1341776575/Not-horsing-around-Men-take-down-Trojans-to-end-streak


Here's why it's nice to have a football team - even if it's just a mediocre one or one that can never beat a BCS team...
Northern Iowa is going to ply at Wisconsin next season, likely gonna get beat up bad, but look what they get to take home...
Almost half a million bucks......
https://twitter.com/#!/AndyBaggotWSJ/status/169535415387295746


New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin knows who to give the credit to...
but it's funny how so many different groups are trying to claim him...
Asian-Americans, Califronians, Chinese, etc...all hooting that he's one of them.
But the group Lin most closely associates hmself with is the same group Tim Tebow associates himself with and this seems to cause the press to go bazonkers. They appear to really dislike anyone saying anything religious.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/jeremy-lin-storybook-run-ny-knicks-a-miracle-god-article-1.1022356


Chewing tobacco - a bad decision for young people - claims another victim (not fatal, fortunately) in baseball great Tony Gwynn, who just was diagnosed and underwent surgery for cancer inside his mouth caused by the tobacco.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/14/tony-gwynn-has-cancerous-tumor-removed-from-mouth/


Several of TCU's athletes caught - serious drug dealing issues...
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/02/15/3736441/many-current-tcu-students-arrested.html


Coach Les and the UC-Davis Aggies won again last night -- they are actually getting relatively hot at the right time and they inch towards their conference tournament - perhaps they can pull some upsets!
They are using Coach Les' 4-guard lineup!!
Tyler Les continues to shoot very well, hanging around 50% from the 3-pt arc, leading their conference and among the nation's leaders.
we really could use some consistent outside shooting like that!
http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/aggies/ucd-men-show-pacific-no-love/


Is this the stupidest idea you've heard?
I'm sure this is gonna produce well educated, hard working, motivated future leaders...
http://www.wlky.com/r/30463621/detail.html

Catching up a bit more...

Coach Jim Molinari at WIU is getting some mentions regarding Summit Coach of the Year.
Nobody is saying he's going to GET the award - just that he has to be considered among the candidates since his team has done so much better than was expected. His team was pegged by everyone to finish 9th 0r 10th in the conference but currently they are one game out of 4th place and 2 games out of 3rd at around .500.

Here's the beat writer that covers WIU saying he thinks Coach Mo deserves consideration...

"Western Illinois is fourth in the men’s standings, tied for sixth in the women’s standings.
It’s easy to make the case that men’s coach Jim Molinari and women’s coach JD Gravina should get serious consideration for the conference’s coach of the year honors.
With a winning overall and conference record, it’s easy to make the argument for Molinari, especially after last season’s struggles.
Coach of the year honors usually seem to find their way into the hands of the coaches of the conference regular-season champion.
But there’s no question that Molinari and Gravina have done excellent jobs with their teams this season."
http://www3.thehawkeye.com/bohnenkamp_blog/?p=1919



Dr. Michael Cross is being mentioned in the news...
The BU Athletic Director played basketball at Buffalo and is a Buffalo native.

Buffalo AD Warde Manuel stepped down to take the position of new Athletic Director at UConn...leaving open the senior spot in the Athletics Dept. at Buffalo...
http://proxy.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7571366/new-connecticut-huskies-ad-warde-manuel-academic-issues-define-university

One of the first names brought up in the comments below the article is....

"Michael Cross: AD Bradley University…previously at Princeton and Michigan, former basketball player, from Buffalo.."

http://mobile.ubbullrun.com/2012/2/12/2793997/what-warde-manuel-did-for-ub-athletics

But another story this morning out of Buffalo, NY also names Bradley's Dr. Michael Cross as possible replacement candidate at Buffalo
http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article730624.ece


Also - recently Dr. Cross talked with FoxSports and clearly opposes the NCAA's new proposal to allow every member school to give $2000 in "spending money" to each athlete -- as that would hurt smaller schools..

"Certainly, most recruits with a choice will follow the money."
"There are a lot of schools that are struggling with budgets, not just athletic
budgets," Cross said. "They're laying people off, making bigger classes. It's
going to be tough to justify giving additional aid to athletes."
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/WITH-THE-BRAVES-Academic-standards-OK-by-BU-08492474

But Dr. Cross does think that the other new proposal that would allow a school to offer 4-year scholarships instead of just 1-year deals - might end up benefiting some smaller schools..
"Like a professional athlete considering a multi-year contract, a student-
athlete might get a one-year offer from Illinois, but a four-year deal from
Bradley. That's definitely a factor for the marginal high-major recruit to think about."

Personally, I am not sure - whatever incentives can be used to lure recruits - it always favors the bigger schools that have the most money - always ...



There's an interesting story out of Kent State and there's a mention (not too complimentary) of Geno Ford and their lawsuit issues.

A big time, rich donor pledged $1 million for upgrades of athletic facilities and for the naming rights of the new home court.

The money was being given by a Kent State alumnus who is a multimillionaire who made his money through commodity & stock brokering...
However - the guy has been caught defrauding investors and is in trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission...

But -- despite the guy's past - Kent State accepted the money and was going to honor him by naming their home court after him...even though there's evidence via e mails that the school might have known about his "checkered past" and the controversy it might cause - after all, it's a lot of money and they really need it!

Then the local student paper began to investigate and publish the story and the guy gets ticked and suddenly withdraws his donation - decides he isn't giving a penny!

University officials now have some explaining to do since they have "wined and dined" this "crook" and his wife for the better part of the last year and now they're not getting the donation!!
http://kentwired.com/the-courting-of-jason-cope-behind-the-scenes-of-a-$1-million-withdrawal/
http://jimromenesko.com/2012/01/10/kent-state-alum-pulls-1m-gift-after-student-paper-asks-questions/
http://kentwired.com/our-view-fraudulence-shouldnt-be-overlooked/

Now the student newspaper writer is getting hammered as costing the school a seven-figure gift!!
http://dougbrown8.com/

This just goes along with all the other stories that show how desperate schools are to land funds & donations...they're even willing to deal with shady characters...thankfully Bradley has such great supporters and donors and has never had sleazy stuff like this...



I don't know about anyone else - but often my morning newspaper doesn't come until well after I have left for work - and as was the case last Friday -- I occasionally simply don't get one at all. Since they habitually come late - it's hard to know until at least 9 AM if I have not gotten one - but, as noted, by then I am already gone to work and don't find out if I actually got one until I get back in the evening. Of course by then there's nobody manning the phones at PJS or in their circulation department - so there's nobody I can talk to regarding this annoying and repeated scenario.

Anyway - there's a lot going on that might explain their haphazardness...

All the newspapers in Central Illinois have a new chief - head editor..
http://www.reviewatlas.com/news/x962226972/R-M-editor-named-GateHouse-regional-editor

Maybe he just doesn't know what's going on yet???

The PJS also now moved all their printing operations to new locations - this must be terribly confusing..
http://news.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view/20220213gatehouse_media_consolidates_news_production_in_mass_ill/srvc=home&position=also

But it's also somewhat secretive - what gives...why all the hocus pocus and secrets??
"The newspapers' printing will be moved to other GateHouse printing plants, which the company declined to name."
http://journalstar.com/business/local/maverick-media-printing-plant-closing/article_d19007a1-bd78-5ece-b9a1-d327baef55cc.html

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x58623157/Illinois-GateHouse-newspapers-to-centralize-page-production



I can't imagine the papers are going broke, though, as long as there's willing dopes like this spending huge sums on wasteful advertising...
The city of Galesburg spends THOUSANDS running ads trying to convince Caterpillar to re-locate their plants there -- seriously!!!
They think if the new plants are being built in Peoria, that somehow Galesburg has an advantage?? Gimme a break!!
http://www.wgil.com/localnews.php?xnewsaction=fullnews&newsarch=022012&newsid=42

Never the less - they're still cutting staff and laying people off like crazy -- sounds like they've really mismanaged their funds...
"Sources said that GateHouse, which owes its creditors more than $1 billion, is consolidating copy desk functions at all of its newspapers.

“It was terrible,” one source said. “One staffer used the word ‘dismantle’ to describe what they were doing.”

http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-9568-sj-r-to-lay-off-copy-editors.html



Mitchell Anderson, Jr. had yet another double double last night - 10 pts, 12 rebs - he's had 3 Double Doubles in the past four games and has his season's averages up to 11 ppg, 6 rpg


SIU transfer to Iowa State, Anthony Booker must be wondering why'd he ever leave the fine company of Chris Lowery!
After sitting out a year figuring to play a bunch at depleted Iowa State, Booker does get into every game, but does not produce diddley-squat!
Again last night vs. Baylor, he played 7 minutes and was scoreless.
His averages are roughly 3 pts/ 2 rebs, but he often gets just a few minutes, and it won't get any better next year with better players coming in.
He still keeps launching 3-pointers at a 25% rate.


Northwestern dropped to 15-9 and just 5-7 in the Big Ten with their loss to Purdue.
If they don't make the NCAA this season - then their hopes sure do not improve with the loss of John Shurna...
BUT - they look to finish possibly just 7-11 or maybe optimistically 8-10 but look for the NCAA to give them a bid anyway --
and if it happens, it's just more proof of BCS bias as Northwestern has not been particularly impressive to deserve a bid.
They beat a bunch of nobodies but got annihilated by Baylor, Creighton, Ohio State, and just about any decent team.
If the NCAA allows their win over inconsistent Michigan State to be a determining factor then Illinois should get the same nod.


5th year at ISU - and Tim Jankovich has never won at Cedar Falls (vs. UNI)!
Jank holding at 99 career wins will he get his 100th today at Indiana State?
John Wilkins is hampered with an ankle injury, not known how much he can play.
ISU is only 1-6 in conference ROAD games and just 2-7 overall in road games, winning only at Morehead State and MSU.


Tom Crean = whiner ?? He's still pleading with the Big Ten to smack down Illinois' Meyers Leonard for rough play against his boy Cody Zeller.
https://twitter.com/#!/JeffRabjohns/status/169218525636988928


Peyton Allen is visiting Bradley tomorrow...and taking in the game..along with a couple of his Jets teammates.
https://twitter.com/#!/swjetsbbclub/status/169162739317616641
https://twitter.com/#!/Dwilliams1515/status/169445421888978944

I am curious and would love to know why he switched AAU teams and left the Illinois Wolves who are perhaps the most successful and reputable program in the nation!!

BTW -- here's a nice new article on Peyton Allen - I cover it a bit more thoroughly on the Facebook site.
http://illinois.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1330912

The Facebook site - LMK
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001456727547


BTW -- a few people point at UC-Davis' record and poke fun at Coach Les .. but they obviously are so mis-informed...
nobody expected UCD to do anything this year then they lost 3 of their best players for the entire season and were forced to play a ton with new players and freshmen...
But despite all the losses, most have been close!!
four of their last 7 losses were just a single possession and ended with only a few points losing margin.
And of their 22 losses with players everyone agrees are inexperienced - they STILL have lost a bunch by 30 points as some teams have done...
The only big time losses on that scale were at Stanford and at UCLA...
They're battling and they might make some noise in their tourney...time will tell.