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Post by Nutt House on Apr 10, 2009 20:42:12 GMT -5
Vikings hoops star J'Nathan Bullock to tackle NFL todayby Joe Maxse/Plain Dealer Reporter Friday April 10, 2009 J'Nathan Bullock's support group is in place. Today, the Cleveland State senior will try to put them to good use. The Vikings' 6-5, 240-pound basketball standout wants to test the pro football waters and has scheduled a "Pro Day" workout on campus for several NFL clubs, including scouts from the Browns. While basketball is still in his future, Bullock said he wants to give the game he played at Northern High in Flint, Mich., a shot as the NFL draft approaches. Since CSU's season ended March 22 with its second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Arizona, Bullock has been working on his football skills with Pat Adams at the Xpress Sports Training Facility in Valley City, on the Brunswick border. "This guy has a lot of natural ability," said Adams, whose son, Ryan, plays baseball at CSU. "I think [today] may open some eyes." Adams, 44, said he has been putting high school and college players through workouts at combines for the past three years. Bullock has been prepping in the vertical and broad jumps; the 40-yard dash; the pro shuttle and three-cone drill. "In my opinion, he's got basketball quickness, and he's going to be in the top 10 percent of the times for tight ends," said Adams, who played football at Trinity High and has worked as an assistant with his brother, Rick, the head coach at Rocky River High. "In the 40, we are hoping for a 4.65 [seconds]." Bullock has been catching passes from former John Carroll quarterback Steve Spence, who is JCU's quarterback coach and offensive assistant. "His work ethic is unbelievable," said Spence, who estimated throwing 100-125 passes to Bullock each day. Following in the football steps of one-time basketball standouts Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez is obviously a big challenge. "He absolutely knows he has a golden opportunity," said Spence. "He's done everything he can to constantly be ready." www.cleveland.com/sports/csu/index.ssf/2009/04/vikings_hoops_star_jnathan_bul_1.html
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Post by Raider Grad on Apr 16, 2009 19:26:26 GMT -5
Decision on football at CSU should be finalized in MayThursday, April 16, 2009 The process to decide whether fielding a football team makes sense for Cleveland State University is nearing a conclusion. The 10-member committee appointed to weigh the possibility met Wednesday for the fourth time since outgoing President Michael Schwartz proposed the idea in October. CSU Athletic Director Lee Reed said he expects the panel to meet again in mid-May and report to Schwartz by the end of the month. "I think there's still a lot of enthusiasm for the idea," said Reed, who said the committee isn't leaning either way. The focus has been whether football fits the school's mission, and whether the sport might diminish the university's other athletic programs, especially the school's marquee sport - men's basketball. If football were added, a location on campus is preferred, such as possibly reworking Krenzler Field, Reed said. Schwartz, who retires at the end of June, floated the directive for a football program that is self-supporting. A non-scholarship football program would cost $500,000 to $1 million a year, Reed said. www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1239870708242230.xml&coll=2
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 18, 2009 15:31:44 GMT -5
YSU Athletics Acquires Hoops From 2009 Men's Basketball Final FourApril 17, 2009 YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown State University Athletics has acquired the basketball hoops from the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four for use by its men's and women's basketball programs effective immediately, the department announced. The basketball hoops were installed on Friday. "The acquisition of these two basketball hoops is another important step in the enhancement of the Beeghly Center," Associate Athletics Director Rick Love said. "We want the Beeghly Center to be the best place in the Horizon League to play basketball and we feel this gets us closer to that goal." The baskets, attained through an agreement with Spalding, are Spalding Spring-Assisted Main Court A10s Portable Backstops. These backstops are equipped with a regulation Superglass Pro Backboard, Slum-Dunk Precision 180 Goal, E-Z Bolt Backboard Padding and Custom Frame and Padding colors. The hoops were used for practices on Friday, both semifinals on Saturday, practices Sunday and the national championship game on Monday night when North Carolina defeated Michigan State, 89-72, at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Following the game, the hoops were shipped to Youngstown. Over the last five years, renovations to the Beeghly Center include: a new Dom Rosselli Court, a new weight room, a remodeled men's and women's basketball coaches suite, remodeled men's basketball locker room, new YSU Athletics Hall of Fame plaques, retired numbers and NCAA Tournament-team displays, a renovated Courtside Coaches Court and various painting projects. www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041709aaa.html
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 18, 2009 15:37:20 GMT -5
"The acquisition of these two basketball hoops is another important step in the enhancement of the Beeghly Center," Associate Athletics Director Rick Love said. "We want the Beeghly Center to be the best place in the Horizon League to play basketball and we feel this gets us closer to that goal." That quote is hilarious. YSU's best claim to fame is having a second hand set of basketball hoops.
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Post by Glory Days on Apr 22, 2009 6:38:14 GMT -5
Jones will transfer from ValparaisoApril 22, 2009 By Mark Lazerus Post-Tribune sports editor Valparaiso freshman point guard Logan Jones has decided to transfer to another school, somewhat clearing up next year's cloudy roster situation. "We expect him to transfer, yes," athletics director Mark LaBarbera said Tuesday night. "He's looking for a better fit, evaluating his options and looking for a program he feels will help him meet his basketball goals." Neither Jones nor head coach Homer Drew returned messages left on Tuesday. Jones' freshman season was a tumultuous one. The Madison native entered the season as one of the Crusaders' most highly touted recruits, and showed flashes of brilliance early on, with eight rebounds and four assists in his first game against Marian. But his most notable moment came off the court, when he was arrested on Dec. 14 for underage drinking and allegedly smoking pot. He was suspended by Drew for two games, and reinstated after Christmas. He went on to average 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, including a career-high 10 points at Butler and seven assists at UIC. But he struggled toward the end of the season and fell to third on the depth chart at point guard, behind Erik Buggs and walk-on Andrew Ferry. He played just 14 total minutes in the Crusaders' last four games. Four new guards are joining an already crowded backcourt in the fall, and LaBarbera acknowledged that playing time and his uncertain role on the team were the main reasons for Jones' decision. He also said that, as far as he knows, the decision is entirely Jones', and that his eventual departure has nothing to do with any disciplinary action by the team or the university. "He just doesn't feel it's the right fit," LaBarbera said. LaBarbera also said that the team's scholarship situation -- including Jones, there are 15 scholarship-level players and only 13 available scholarships next season -- was not a factor. "I have not heard anything from anyone about that being a problem," he said. No other player has indicated yet that he'll be leaving the program, though LaBarbera said that "many players have many options to consider every year." www.post-trib.com/sports/1538371,jones.article
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 22, 2009 20:02:59 GMT -5
Fumey, Jones leave Valparaiso men's hoops programBY PAUL OREN Wednesday, April 22, 2009 VALPARAISO | When the Valparaiso men's basketball team ended its season last month, coach Homer Drew was faced with a potential number crunch heading into the 2009-10 season. With 13 scholarships available, Drew and his coaching staff appeared to have a roster of 15 players on the roster due to the return of Brandon McPherson (medical redshirt) and the midseason addition of UNLV transfer of Beas Hamga. Throughout the decision-making process of McPherson and Hamga's arrival, Drew stated that there were a number of options to move forward, including players paying their own way. Another option was players leaving the program and on Wednesday, Drew confirmed that both Logan Jones and Benjamin Fumey were leaving the university. "We can confirm that Logan has withdrawn from Valparaiso and we are currently working together to find the right fit for him," Drew said. "Benny (Fumey) and I have visited and he has decided to go back to Germany, where he is looking forward to signing a professional contract." www.nwi.com/articles/2009/04/22/updates/breaking_news/doc49ef97d11e2b8631947772.txt
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Post by Sixth Man on Apr 25, 2009 21:56:29 GMT -5
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Post by Jazzfan on Apr 26, 2009 9:28:22 GMT -5
TERRY'S TALKIN' SPORTSby Terry Pluto Saturday April 25, 2009 About Cleveland State basketball... Vikings coach Gary Waters considers point guard to be perhaps the most important spot on his team, and that's why he has never recruited a junior college player -- until now. Waters signed Lance James, a 5-foot-11 third-team juco All-American from Aiken (S.C.) Tech. "He reminds me of Cedric Jackson, only he is not as big, but a better shooter," said Waters. "He has a chance to come in and start right away." After the Vikings went to the NCAA tournament and knocked off Wake Forest in the first round, Waters was concerned about "keeping us playing at high level. ... Normally, I don't sign junior college players, but we are bringing in three." James is the key, as he'll replace Jackson at the point. Waters said James was considering South Alabama and Cincinnati. He averaged 23.4 points, shot 48 percent from 3-point range along with averaging more than six rebounds and six assists. James also had a 3.4 GPA and scored 1,100 on the SAT test while in high school, so he didn't go to junior college because of academics. He needs two courses this spring to graduate from Aiken Tech. Waters also added Shaker Heights product Anthony Wells to his backcourt, but he considers the 6-foot-3 Wells to be a "combo" guard, much like Norris Cole. In other words, he can play either guard spot. While there was some thought to Cole replacing Jackson at point guard next season, the Dayton Dunbar product became such a scorer down the stretch that they want him to remain at shooting guard. That is why it was critical for the Vikings to bring in James. CSU also signed 6-9 forward Jared Cunningham, who averaged 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds at Arkansas-Fort Smith. He was ranked the fourth best player in Oregon in 2007 and had several Division I offers. But he had to go the juco route to settle academic issues. According to the Reno Journal-Gazette and other media sources, he was dismissed from the team this season at 24 games for "violating team rules." Waters said it was not a serious matter, and believes Cunningham will fit in well with the team. He is considered an excellent outside shooter and was ranked No. 41 among junior college players by jucojunction.com. Finally, CSU signed 6-11 Kevin Anderson, who attended Technical Career Institute for a year. He is a shot-blocker and will have three years of eligibility with the Vikings. "We needed to bring in some experience because we'll have seven sophomores and one freshman next season." www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2009/04/terry_plutos_talkin.html
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Post by Glory Days on Apr 27, 2009 9:03:40 GMT -5
CSU's J'Nathan Bullock signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Jets as a tight end.
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Post by Raider4Life on Apr 27, 2009 10:09:10 GMT -5
CSU's J'Nathan Bullock signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Jets as a tight end. I bet that has to piss off every YSU fan out there. CSU (with no football team) might have more NFL players next year than them.
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Post by Kovy on Apr 27, 2009 10:50:29 GMT -5
CSU's J'Nathan Bullock signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Jets as a tight end. I bet that has to piss off every YSU fan out there. CSU (with no football team) might have more NFL players next year than them. And yet they wonder why every Horizon League school makes fun of them for having 80 threads a week on football recruiting and then they claim were all jealous of their powerhouse football program.
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Post by Glory Days on Apr 27, 2009 19:53:37 GMT -5
Titans Roster Announcement4/27/2009 Head men’s basketball coach Ray McCallum announced on Monday that junior forward Nemanja Jokic and freshman forward Ian Larkin will not return to the team next season. Jokic (Sombor, Serbia/Mechanical School ) played in 88 games for the Titans in his three years posting 3.4 ppg., and 2.7 rpg., while Larkin (Detroit, MI/Renaissance ) did not appear in any games in his only season at Detroit. While McCallum will assist both student-athletes in transferring to another university, he considers the matter closed and will have no further comment. www.detroittitans.com/news/2009/4/27/MBB_0427094636.aspx?path=mbball
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Apr 28, 2009 19:24:53 GMT -5
CSU's Bullock Signs Free-Agent Contract with New York JetsApril 28, 2009 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When J'Nathan Bullock signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Cleveland State in the fall of 2004, he did so dreaming of the day that he would some day sign a professional contract. That dream came to fruition on Sunday night when he committed to starting his pro career in New York. The only problem is that instead of signing with either of the areas two NBA teams -- the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets -- he opted to become a Jet. As in the New York Jets of the NFL. Bullock ended a frenetic month of re-learning the football skills that made him one of the most prominent players in Michigan high school football during his senior year during the Fall of 2004 by signing a free agent contract with the Jets. He will report to a Jets mini-camp this weekend (May 1-3) before returning to Cleveland State to finish his final two weeks of class. He will graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering on May 15. A first team All-Horizon League selection in each of the last two years, Bullock finished his Viking basketball career by ranking fourth in CSU history with 1,800 points. He played in a school-record 130 games, also holding record for career starts (124) and consecutive starts (106). Still, as award after award came his way throughout his playing career, the questions kept coming regarding the promising football career that he left behind when he came to CSU. When the Vikings were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round on March 22, Bullock turned his attention to football to see what he could do. Could he make it to the NFL as tight end. On April 10th, Bullock invited representatives from all 32 NFL teams to attend a workout in the Krenzler Field bubble and personally evaluate his football playing ability for themselves. Thirteen teams came, a total previously unheard of to see a player who hadn't played a down in over five years. The work out went well with Bullock testing average or above average in every drill. When it came to the last phase -- pass catching -- Bullock did not disappoint, hauling in all but one of the multitude of passes. He caught them low, high and behind him. The workout led to more workouts and to a couple of personal visits to NFL training facilities for, you guessed it, more workouts. When the NFL Draft started on Saturday (April 26), Bullock knew that there was a small chance that his name would be chosen. If so, it would come late in the day in Sunday (April 27) when the seventh and final round was selected. Bullock's name was not called but unlike the multitude of players across the country in the same situation, he was ready. The Jets, the team that he favored from the start of the process, had offered him a spot on the roster as a free agent. He quickly took them up on the offer. This means that Bullock, who wore the Green and White for the Vikings the last four years, will be wearing the Green and White for the Jets this fall. By the way, the Jets play neither the Browns or the (Minnesota) Vikings. www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042809aae.html
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Post by Nutt House on May 7, 2009 19:50:40 GMT -5
It looks like J'Nathan Bullock is due to make a pretty good living if he makes it with the Jets. The New York Jets signed TE J'Nathan Bullock as an undrafted free agent to a 3 year contract on April 27, 2009. Base salaries are $310,000(2009), $395,000(2010) and $480,000(2011). It is believed Bullock received a $2,000 signing bonus. nyjetscap.com/jnathanbullock.html
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Post by Raider4Life on May 9, 2009 11:31:45 GMT -5
It looks like J'Nathan Bullock is due to make a pretty good living if he makes it with the Jets. The New York Jets signed TE J'Nathan Bullock as an undrafted free agent to a 3 year contract on April 27, 2009. Base salaries are $310,000(2009), $395,000(2010) and $480,000(2011). It is believed Bullock received a $2,000 signing bonus. nyjetscap.com/jnathanbullock.htmlNot bad for someone that hasn't touched a football in 5 years.
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