Congrats to the Illinois Wolves

The U16 Illinois Wolves (Chasson Randle, Bobo Drummond, Jacob Williams, Nnnana Egwu) win the U17 Championship at the Merrillville End of Season Shootout.
U15 (Jon Wilkins) and U17 Wolves also finish in Final Four!
Congrats to Coach Mike Mullins, Carl Maniscalco, and others.
http://twitter.com/wolves10/status/3061704194
http://twitter.com/wolves10/status/3061668338



PJStar has coverage of BU's Brazil trip
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12779



Indiana State has most of its schedule done...but still not completed.
http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_story_212234505.html



Utah has its schedule completed. So why is that important? Because they play ISU and U of I, but they might just play Bradley as well!
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=635&sid=7370650



Clippers waive ex-Iowa State Mike Taylor
http://www.clipsnation.com/2009/7/31/971449/mike-taylor-waived-by-the-clippers



Canadian Senior Men (with David Collins) are competing in the Trentino Cup in Italy.
Sunday, Canada lost to Italy 91-69 with Andrea Bargnani scoring 28 for Italy and Jesse Young 16 for Canada.
Then Tuesday Canada beat New Zealand 90-68 with Andy Rautins getting 20.
Wednesday Canada beat Angola 87-79, Jesse Young 22 pts.
Thursday their final tuneup before the Fiba Americas, Canada's Senior Men's National Team scored a 60-57 exhibition game win over Turkey's national team.

In six games playing in early July with the U22 team, David Collins averaged .5 ppg, 2.2 rpg.
Now David is on the Senior Mens roster, but not getting much playing time.

Canada is going next to play in the FIBA Americas Tournament in Puerto Rico August 26.
http://basketball.ca/en/hm/inside.php?sid=1&id=3283



Indiana State's David Moss will sign with Virtus Bologna in Italy.
http://www.sportando.net/eng/italia/seriea/3855/moss_close_to_virtus_bologna_ford_close_to_being_waived.html



Tom Crean's twittering so eloquently plays the victim role. I will believe they are back when they win some Big Ten games.
"There is no doubt. Our competitors liked it better when we had our problems last year.
As some schools were trying to step on our throats we are getting new life. We are getting our air back. Its time to get our SWAG BACK!!!!!!"
http://twitter.com/TomCrean



If you still can't get your fill of recruiting info, check this out:
http://w3.nbebasketball.com/2009/07/31/summer-in-the-city-news-notes-12-noon-update/

Renardo Sydney Case Gets Sillier

While the NCAA is asking for Sydney's tax forms and he is likely to get deemed eligible because of all the suspicious freebies he and his family were enjoying in Southern California, the whole thing gets even sillier.
Maybe these guys have been watching the Massachusetts cop/Harvard professor issue and thinking of an easy way to get some sympathy from the press.

So now Renardo Sydney's lawyers are saying the whole thing is because Renardo is being treated this way by racists...he is the victim of racism,
even racism within the NCAA
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Renardo-Sidney-s-lawyer-blames-NCAA-investigatio;_ylt=AsV4VwIASsQJH3zbHHcCDY_evbYF?urn=ncaab,179810


In the meantime, fired USC coach Tim Floyd speaks out and says...
he blames the Los Angeles Time for this whole mess.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/More-on-Sidney-Tim-Floyd-had-no-idea-of-course;_ylt=AjYsog6TLUDJVcIbJEmEaGDevbYF?urn=ncaab,179835



Follow and discuss Bradley basketball on BradleyFans.com!
http://bradleyfans.com/

Kyan Anderson

Kyan Anderson is a PG (Class of 2011) out of Ft. Worth that scout.com is saying now has a scholarship offer from Bradley.
Oddly, scout.com has the guy in their data base twice...once as Kyan Anderson and once as Kean Anderson, and they even have different pictures of the kid.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3851447
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3279433
both of them are in the top 40 nationally of PG's.
The Rivals database also has Kyan listed twice.
He is also getting looks from Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Wake, USC, and UCLA.
Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex Hoops has him listed as the highest rated PG in the D-FW area in Class of 2011.
http://metroplexhoops.com/rankings.htm

Coach Using His Talented Son as a Bargaining Chip to get a Contract Extension?

FoxSports' Jeff Goodman has a column about a couple mid-major coaches with top level sons who are being heavily recruited.

"Will They Play for Their Dads?"
http://ucla.scout.com/2/883252.html



He talks about Ray McCallum, Jr. who is the son of Detroit head coach Ray McCallum, and Trey Zeigler who is the son of Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler.
Both kids are very good and by all rights ought to be playing at the highest level of college ball, even though their dads coach at mid-to-low mid-majors.

The big question is whether these high level recruits will play for their fathers or will they go higher?
It is a very interesting article, but watch what Central Michigan coach Ernie Zeigler says about the possibility of his son, Trey, playing at Central Michigan...
He ties his son's recruitment to the fact that he's in the final year of his contract!

"If we're not as good as I think we're going to be this year, do I want to bring my son into a situation where I'm in the last year of my contract?"

(Zeigler is entering his fourth season as the head coach at Central Michigan with a three-year mark of 39-54. )

Looks like he's bucking for either a contract extension or maybe he's trying to land a package deal for his kid to play somewhere that he gets an assistant job.



Here's another article mentioning how students can be banned from the sporting events if the violate rules by contacting recruits on their online social pages.
Yes, that's right, just by leaving a comment on their own Facebook page, you might have already violated recruiting rules, and thus may be banned by the school from attending the games and events!
http://www.kansan.com/stories/2009/jul/30/ncaa/?news



Here's a hint where Bradley's head coach and assistant were on Thursday afternoon (Merrillville, IN AAU event)
http://twitter.com/thebballreport/status/2934249165


Here's another report from Merrillville, mentioning the Peoria Irish.
http://www.illinihq.com/blogs/recruiting_wrap/2009/07/30/peoria_irish_aau_program_on_the_rise



Here's an odd story....a 5-Star kid who was committed to UCLA, Kendall Williams, had a bad game in an AAU event with UCLA head coach Ben Howland in attendance.
The kid used foul language, got "T"'ed up, then ejected, all right in front of his "future coach".
Well, just maybe the kid hurt himself with his behavior, as Ben Howland apparently revoked the offer, and now the kid is "decommitted".
(read the comments at the end)
http://www.insidesocal.com/ucla/2009/07/williams-and-ucla-parting-ways.html

More Violations at USC?

Not basketball, but it appears USC football might have crossed the line again for the trillionth time.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_12945014
http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2009-07-30/ncaa-investigate-usc-s-employment-former-nfl-coach



Josh Selby decommited from Tennessee and appears to be headed to Kentucky. Does this suggest tampering? some think it was all set up and a done deal...
http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2009/07/best-of-las-vegas-trip.html


Bradley leaves a week from today headed to Brazil.



California-Irvine joins the ranks of D-I schools cutting sports for cost concerns.
http://ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+i/uc+irvine+eliminates+sports_07_30_09_ncaa_news

At Last Some Schedule Talk

and of course some commentary--

not many people discussing this so far....but the guy who writes the blog for the Pantagraph has summed it up..
I recall we were promised this year's schedule was going to be substantially better, stronger...

well here is what's known so far...

-The Redbirds will travel to Edwardsville to play SIUE on Sunday, Nov. 15 -- a regular season game on the road at SIUE.

-Niagara visits Redbird Arena on Sunday, Dec. 13 (this one is NOT really scheduled, it is mandated as the return game for last year's BracketBuster)

-ISU travels to Utah but this game is also not actually scheduled, but is part of the league-determined MVC/MWC Challenge

-ISU plays Quincy University in an exhibition game

-ISU has a non-conference game at home vs. Central Michigan

-a non-conference game on the road vs. UIC

-a non-conference game on the road vs.Ohio U.

-In addition, ISU hosts a round-robin tournament which includes St. Bonaventure, Norfolk State and SEMO - all expected to be 200-300+ RPI teams

two non-conference games are still being sought and they also expect to play in the BracketBuster this season.
http://www.pantagraph.com/app/blogs/main/?p=4085

Remember...last year's schedule was criticized for being the ONLY Valley team without a single game vs. a BCS conference opponent.
This year should make it back-to-back such years as there appears to be NO BCS conference opponent again anywhere in sight.



By the way, the Pantagraph has a story about squirrels....
http://www.pantagraph.com/app/blogs/main/?p=4065



And not sports related, but probably the single most phenomenal story of smoeone spending other people's money in a ridiculous and wasteful way,
here is the president of a respected, national sorority wasting almost ONE MILLION dollars of organization funds just to have a wax statue of herself made to honor - herself!
http://www.suntimes.com/business/1690163,CST-NWS-aka29.article

Needless to say, when others found out, she was canned... waxed again I guess.
Just coincidentally this lady is the comptroller (funds manager) for the Chicago Housing Authority.
Hey -- they'd better check their funds as well at the CHA!



While I was at the Sun Times, I found a nice article about Candace Parker...
not sure why, but she's a really easy person to admire...
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/sky/1689928,CST-SPT-sky29.article

Get ready for some good news...we will hear some from Brazil if not before....
I believe one of the players NOT expected to play could log some time on court!
Practices that are allowed are getting the guys in shape.



There was another Euro Summer League just completed in Las Vegas....
players competing for the chance to fill some Euro roster spot....mostly players not familiar to the average fan.

But here ARE some of the guys participating...

Pekin's Todd Peterson - had 8 pts/3 rebs in the Championship game
http://www.usbasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=USA&Team=12693&Page=1

ex-BU recruit Walter Battle
http://www.usbasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=USA&Team=12690&Page=1

ex-Molinari recruit from Minnesota Brandon Smith
http://www.usbasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=USA&Team=14169&Page=1



Here's a thought and it explains why Northwestern is strongly recruiting this guy...
Nnana Egwu of St. Ignatius and the Illinois Wolves...and also Nnana's twin sister, are BOTH
straight A students!!!



Renardo Sydney is under orders from NCAA to turn over his parents and grandparents' tax returns or he will be deemed ineligible....the NCAA wants to know how they paid for all those expensive houses they were living in while USC was recruiting the kid!
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/sec/2009-07-29-msu-sidney-probe_N.htm



Per Charlie Walters..
"Jack Finks, a sophomore at Indiana University and a grandson of late former
Vikings, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints general manager Jim Finks, this
week scored a hole in one on the 310-yard, par-4 No. 7 hole at Indian Hill Golf
Club in Winnetka, Ill., en route to an 80. An ace on a par 4 is more rare than a
double-eagle 2 on a par 5, which is more rare than a par-3 hole in one. "

Tweets and quotes

Some great tweets.......

Celtics assistant Kevin Eastman and father of BU freshman Jake Eastman:
"Dropping my son off at college for summer session; just a reminder that they grow up as fast as everyone says they do; spend quality time!!!
http://twitter.com/kevineastman/status/2612286577



Jim Les on the Squeaky issue:
"Squeaky is a valued member of our basketball family-Once a brave always a brave-He is recognized/honored/forgiven/and welcome.
Unfortunately, a mistake made while wearing the jersey will cause him to fall short of the ultimate honor.
Squeakies passionate supporters are highly respected but we will have to agree to disagree and move on."
http://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/2701805776
http://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/2701853067
http://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/2701877010


Andrew Warren healing well, excited about going to Brazil:
http://twitter.com/drewwarren24/status/2828650324


Here's the mention of a new name, Darion Rackley....he says BU is looking at him.
http://www.rameybasketball.moonfruit.com/#/stock-climbers/4534682086


Lastly...from an interview, Illini assistant Wayne McClain says this about coaches who use means to recruit that are cheating:

"Cheating is always a possibility in major college basketball recruiting.
Some players have their hands out, some high school and AAU coaches are looking to profit
from their players, shoe and other apparel companies have a financial stake in results,
and some schools take short cuts to produce a winner.
Some schools hire high school and AAU coaches to gain access to their players.
And some provide jobs and other opportunities for parents of players
so they can remain close to their offspring.
Illinois is not one of those schools, and McClain is proud of that fact."
http://illinois.scout.com/2/879040.html

That's funny, McClain is condemning the situation where a coach gets an assistant spot at a major college just for steering his players there!
Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?

A recap of some older items

The legacy of John Calipari, like that of Bob Huggins & Jerry Tarkanian, has to include the unbelievable volume of his players and ex-players involved in criminal problems, drug problems, arrests, beatings, gunfights, and bar brawls.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/16152586