Kudos to the Renaissance Coliseum, some rumors, and D-I players don't trust their own coaches!

Numerous coaches who played yesterday at the Renaissance Coliseum had rave reviews!
http://blogs.pjstar.com/prepsplus/2011/01/18/reaction-on-renaissance/



Wow -- did you see this?? In an NCAA survey -- only 39% of NCAA D-I athletes said they believed they could trust their own coaches!!
When the same question was asked of men's D-I basketball players, only half said they could trust their coach!

So only half could trust their own head coach to do things in a fair manner....
Hmmm...I wonder how many at Kentucky said that??
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2011-01-14-ncaa-survey_N.htm


Kudos to Peoria Manual's Paris Gulley...earned a scholarship this semester with his hard work...
"Awarded the Loren H. Walker Scholarship....
based on........"scholastic achievements, leadership abilities, and character"
http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=209596#post209596


Here's an example of just how vindictive the NCAA can be...
of all the crap we have seen guys pull from the foulest of language and rage by Larry Eustachy to the sordid affairs of Rick Pitino to the player stealing and public attacks we saw from Ritchie McKay........
NONE of those guys get any penalties from the NCAA, they all get off...
But, this guy, Dip Metress, the head coach at Augusta State (D-II) whose team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the NCAA D-II basketball quarterfinal game, then kept his players in the lockerroom afterwards and thus they were unavailable for press interviews.
Virtually nobody noticed and given it was just a quarterfinal game at the D-II level..nothing was ever said. Except the NCAA seems to have an issue with the guy.

Well...if the NCAA is out to get you, then this is cause enough...
they have slammed Dip Metress with an NCAA sanction, a reprimand and a $2,300 fine!!!
http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/ncaa/ncaa/media+and+events/press+room/news+release+archive/2011/infractions/ncaa+dii+mens+bb+committee+reprimands+augusta+state+university+coach+for+misconduct+at+2010+championship?pageDesign=old+news+releases+template


Just a couple rumors I have heard...

Bruce Weber at U of I must know he's going to be very thin in the paint next year after both Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, & Billy Cole depart.
One rumor was that he's checking into juco big men and is looking at and contemplating offering Monterrale Clark who is Michael Ochereobia's teammate at Highland CC.

Another local big man, Anthony Davis of Chicago Perspectives HS, who is signed by Calipari to Kentucky -- played in Springfield, Massachusetts yesterday in a national event. his Perspectives HS team lost again to fall to 4-12.
They lost 62-53 to St. John's Prep (tuition $18K) a medium sized east coast prep school in Massachusetts.

But Davis' team, Chicago Perspectives, has lost to many small and unheralded schools, even while he is scoring 30-40 points and grabbing 20 rebounds.
In fact, yesterday, he scored 30 points, had 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and two blocks, and still was NOT named the game's MVP. That award went to a St. John's player who scored 16.

Davis' team has even lost to such obscure opponents as a new Chicago High School named Chicago Little Village HS.
http://www.lvlhs.org/

Midway through the 4th quarter, however, Davis hurt his right hand. Some reports say it was his wrist, but others say he hurt his right thumb. Either way, he left the game in pain and did not return. There has been no other word or statement on the injury although it doesn't stop blog and board speculation that maybe it's more serious than just a sprain, and may cause Davis to miss some time.
http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-BCzaiJTEeCGDwAcxJSkrA/anthony-davis-injures-right-hand-at-hoophall-classic.htm


One other highly rated Chicago kid Wayne Blackshear hurt his knee in a separate big national event.
Blackshear came down hard on his knee after a dunk attempt, and left the game in pain.
He returned for a little bit but and did not look comfortable the rest of the way. Again -- no update on the situation since the game.
http://www.cardchronicle.com/2011/1/17/1940437/wayne-blackshear-gives-us-a-little-scare


Another Illinois kid who was overlooked by almost everyone, is Derek Needham, from Chicago DeLaSalle HS, who is currently a sophomore whose only offer was Fairfield.
Now in his 2nd year at Fairfield, after averaging 16.4 ppg and 5.2 assists per game last as a freshman PG (6-ft), this season he's at 14 ppg, 5.1 apg, but just had a 27 pt/5 asst game yesterday, and is consistent - missing double digits in scoring only twice in 17 games.
Fairfield is 13-4.

Manual's Marvin Jordan, who is at Niagara after getting few offers....is a freshman averaging 10 ppg, 3 reb, 3 asst.