Lots of Madness...

Here are just a few of my observations on BU and on Hoopla...

--The BU women's team are a great group and they really have some size with a couple 6-3 kids. I hope they draw well and have a great season.

--There is something going on with Taylor Brown's eyes, he was wearing prescription shaded glasses...I hope he does OK with them.

--Sam Maniscalco, Taylor Brown, and Anthony Thompson were all mentioned previously to be battling nagging injuries, and none of them did much more than saunter through the layup line once or twice.

--At one point Dyricus put on a little dribbling display -- he's good and might just be a commendable PG when we need one.

--Anyone who said Walt Lemon would redshirt will be wrong. He will battle for some of Chris Roberts' playing time.
Here are some pics of his game-winning dunk...
Pics of Walt's dunks

--Both Will Egolf & Andrew Warren got up off the ground better than I had ever seen them -- I think both have added to their vertical leap.

--Andrew Warren likes the fans' enthusiasm...
http://twitter.com/#!/drewwarren24/status/27515831393

--so does Will Egolf
http://twitter.com/#!/willFREEMAN21/status/27507496718

--so does Dodie
http://twitter.com/#!/dodie_dunson/status/27508441665

--It was entertaining, but I am still very hungry for some actual basketball!!!



BTW - the mid-major legacy countdown still continues, with Bradley inside the Top 15, but still not revealed yet!


POB in China...
http://plixi.com/p/50965476


Around the Valley -- click on the text to see more...

--Creighton held Bluejay Madness...
...crowd looks pretty good.
Here's more...

..in the video of newcomer Greg Echinique -- he takes about 20 shots in warmups and during the scrimmage, and makes every one that is a dunk and misses every one that's not a dunk. Hopefully, if we defend against the dunk we have him covered...

--Drake apparently doesn't have much until an open scrimmage on Oct. 21.

--Evansville gets a verbal from a 6-8 guy...
...but no mention of their opening of practice.

--ISU had their Hoopfest...here are a couple observer reports but strangely very little and you'd think they would be discussing Wilkins and their new guys...
...The Pantagraph has a little more...
...also, no mention of how well attended it was, but from this picture it looks like they had a few less than the 1,614 that Bradley had!
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pantagraph.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/4/9a/607/49a607a8-d8e2-11df-9dd5-001cc4c03286-revisions/4cb9316ba60b3.preview-300.jpg

Here's the official story and the box score of the ISU scrimmage...
A lot of the new guys, Upshaw, Ekey, Threloff went scoreless!!
http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101510aac.html

--Indiana State held an open practice they called "The Big Blue Block Party"..
Here's a mention of it...
Their blogger talks Valley basketball but nothing yet on their open practice...

--Missouri State held closed practice but they do have a new walk-on..
http://www.missouristatebears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=59268&SPID=6484&DB_OEM_ID=13800&ATCLID=204990662&Q_SEASON=2010

--Northern Iowa has closed practices and no madness

--Salukis decided this season just to hold a closed practice and are not doing their perennial "Maroon Madness"...

--Shocker Madness was not last night but instead is being held tonight...
...btw Wichita State gets a Sports Illustrated mention as possibly this year's Mid-major darling...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/seth_davis/10/14/burning.questions/1.html



Here's a bunch of pictures from the Ilini Madness...



Many other schools did open practices and Madness events....
Kentucky always has a huge produciton, and it was attended by actress Ashley Judd...showing off some of her surgical results...



Older pictures of Ashley show a much "thinner" look...


Here's a mention of Tyler Les...

DePaul adds an assistant coach..
http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101510aab.html

The Indiana Hoosiers held Hoosier Hysteria, but they're alreasy talking post-season??

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/491749-season-on-the-brink-hoosiers-primed-for-postseason-birth?source=rss_teams_Indiana_Hoosiers
..IU had 13,000
http://indiana.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1139958

Memphis drew over 18,000 to their Madness...


AAU Illinois Wolves' Mike Mullins gives a shout out to Sammy Maniscalco's brother for his fine work....Carl & Sammy were at Madness last night..
http://twitter.com/#!/wolves10/status/27505624029