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Post by Retired Coach on Sept 8, 2006 14:32:26 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 30, 2006 20:23:30 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Oct 30, 2006 20:20:19 GMT -5
CBS SportsLine.com Conference Preview: Horizon Oct. 30, 2006 By Greg Bromberg The Horizon League has been represented well by UW-Milwaukee, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and made it to the Sweet 16 two seasons ago. However, UWM will begrudgingly hand its badge to a new sheriff, Loyola, which returns all five starters, including preseason player of the year Blake Schilb. Loyola coach Jim Whitesell has had the magic touch where he has previously coached and has quickly turned around the fortunes of basketball teams that struggled before his arrival. Whitesell guided the Ramblers to a four-game improvement in his first season and 19 victories in his second. Expectations are very high for Loyola, but UW-Green Bay and Detroit will present two significant hurdles in the quest for a conference title. Team to beat Loyola: Expectations are very high for the Ramblers, who are a clear favorite to win the league following a third-place finish in 2005-06. Loyola was 19-11 and all signs point to improvement on that number. Whitesell prepared his team for the upcoming season with a goodwill tour of Central America last August. Loyola traveled to Costa Rica and Guatemala and played and won all six games in eight days. Schilb (19.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) contemplated entering the 2006 NBA draft, but his decision to return to Loyola makes this team a strong favorite to win the title. Schilb is the 15th-best small forward in the nation, according to CBS SportsLine.com's Gary Parrish. Another key returner is high-flying senior guard Majak Kou (12.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg), whose tremendous leaping ability contributed to 1.5 blocks per game, second in the league. Two sophomores, J.R. Blount (11.3 ppg) and Leon Young (10.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg), made significant contributions as freshmen and look to take their game to a higher level. Blount can score inside and out, while Young enjoys banging in the paint and battling for rebounds. The Ramblers also struck gold by recruiting Andy Polka, who was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin last season. Polka, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward, gained valuable experience and was a key contributor for the U.S. team in the Global Games last June. Watch out for UW-Green Bay: The Phoenix had the nation's fourth-youngest team last season, finishing 15-16. But coach Tod Kowalczyk is grinning from ear to ear as he returns five "experienced" starters. Green Bay possesses a balanced scoring attack, featuring senior guard Ryan Evanochko (15.8 ppg, 160 assists), who serves as the primary option on offense. Mike Schachtner (10.3 ppg) was the team's second leading scorer and Josh Lawrence (.446 3-pt FG percentage) can light it up from the perimeter. Keep an eye on freshman guard Troy Cotton, who led Milwaukee Rufus King High to a pair of Wisconsin Division I state championships. Player of the year Schilb, Loyola: The versatile 6-7 senior can score from inside and out. Plus, he's an above-average rebounder, passer and defender. A conference champion needs a player it can count on when things aren't going well. Schilb has proven throughout his college career that he can consistently step up and be counted on to produce in good times and bad. Horizon Predicted Finish 1. Loyola-Chicago 2. UW-Green Bay 3. Detroit 4. Wright State 5. Illinois-Chicago 6. Butler 7. Cleveland State 8. UW-Milwaukee 9. Youngstown State First Team All-Conference F - Leon Young, Loyola F - Blake Schilb, Loyola G - Brandon Cotton, Detroit G - Ryan Evanochko, UW-Green Bay G - Quin Humphrey, Youngstown State www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9766162
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Post by Retired Coach on Sept 4, 2006 8:40:36 GMT -5
You can order it online or you can access the previews online at ESPN.com closer to the start of the season.
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Post by Retired Coach on Sept 4, 2006 8:29:48 GMT -5
UWGB is better than UIC and I cannot see Detroit finishing in 8th. These preseason pubs are all trash. Wait for Blue Ribbon to come out.
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 8, 2006 21:18:22 GMT -5
I believe they were allowed to practice for a week before they left to prepare for the trip.
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 4, 2006 20:02:29 GMT -5
1. Loyola-- they have the best talent and are well coached.
2. Green Bay--their talent is as good as Loyola, but their coach isn't.
3-8. Illinois-Chicago, Detroit, Butler, Wright State, Youngstown State, and Milwaukee---I can see any of these teams finishing as high as 3rd and as low as 8th. UIC has good talent, but they are poorly coached and they play very unmotivated basketball at times. Detroit has very little depth in the paint and 2 players they are counting on as impact players are coming off of major injuries. Butler has no inside game since Polk graduated. WSU has a new coach and very little depth coming off the bench. YSU was much better last year under their new coach, but they still haven't added a legit post player. Milwaukee replaced 2/3 of their team from last year.
9. Cleveland State-- they may not win a game in the HL this year.
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 1, 2006 18:47:15 GMT -5
August 1, 2006 Barry Collier named Butler ADBy Jeff Rabjohns Jeff.rabjohns@indystar.com Barry Collier’s return to Butler University as the new athletic director was finalized today. Collier, 52, leaves the Nebraska men’s basketball program with two years remaining on a four-year contract. “I’d still be coaching today if this opportunity was not available,” Collier told reporters at the Northside school. Collier said he planned to make Butler the final stop in his career. Collier, who coached six years at Nebraska with no NCAA Tournament appearances, remains popular in Butler circles for leading to the Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments. Collier played two seasons at Butler (1974-76) and returned as the Bulldogs’ head coach in 1989 and stayed for 11 years. He took over a program that had been above .500 only five times in the 19 years since legendary Tony Hinkle retired in 1970 and led the Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments and three NIT appearances. Collier, 196-132 at Butler, is behind only Hinkle in coaching victories. Collier was inducted into the Butler athletic Hall of Fame on Sunday. Collier’s job status at Nebraska was the subject of speculation last season before athletic director Steve Pederson announced after the Big 12 tournament that Collier would be retained. If he had been fired at the end of the season, it would have cost Nebraska $976,090 to buy out the last two years of his four-year contract. “We wish him all the best in his new career path,” Pederson said. The Cornhuskers finished 19-13 last season but lost six of their last eight regular-season games to finish in sixth place in the Big 12 at 7-9. They knocked off Missouri and Oklahoma to reach the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Huskers played in the NIT, losing to Hofstra. www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060801/SPORTS/60801026/-1/RSS
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Post by Retired Coach on Jul 31, 2006 7:50:16 GMT -5
I hope Barry comes back to Butler. That will give me just one more reason to hate those guys.
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 10, 2006 19:56:51 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 10, 2006 19:54:37 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Aug 4, 2006 19:45:52 GMT -5
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Post by Retired Coach on Jul 17, 2006 10:40:46 GMT -5
Rumored WSU oponent: Bradley BravesOverall Rank: #120 Conference Rank: #7 MVC 2005-06: 22-11, 11-7, 5th (t) 2005-06 postseason: NCAA After sporting an experienced team last year, Bradley has a little rebuilding to do. The top four scorers are gone and Coach Jim Les will need to recapture the magic if the Braves hope to return to the NCAAs. The Sweet Sixteen is reaping some benefits in confidence, but the recruiting benefits will take another year. Who’s Out: Patrick O’Bryant left Peoria in search of the NBA. The center averaged 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. Forwards Marcellus Sommerville and Lawrence Wright averaged over 10 points and five rebounds apiece. Guard Tony Bennett tacked on 10.6 points per game and center Brandyn Heemskerk, who started three games, has also run out of eligibility. Who’s In: Forward Matt Salley will see plenty of minutes in the paint. Salley averaged 13.2 points and 8.8 rebounds last year at Monroe College in New York. The 6-7 Charlotte, North Carolina native is a solid rebounder and can step out and hit the short jumper. His experience gives him an early leg up in the battle for a starting role with fellow newcomer Xavier Crawford. Crawford, a raw 6-9 power forward, has some defensive skills, but needs to bulk up and work on his offense before he can make a big impact. Saihou Jassey has the potential to work his way into the frontcourt. The 6-6 forward is a great athlete, but has not played a game in two years after being ruled ineligible his senior season in high school and redshirting last year. Andrew Warren is a solid shooter with loads of potential, but he may have trouble finding minutes in a crowded backcourt. The two guard can be the long range threat that Bradley needs if he can battle his way up the depth chart this season. Who to Watch: All you need is a quality senior point guard and you have the potential for a surprising season. Daniel Ruffin averaged 7.7 points and 5.2 assists as a junior last season and will be the team leader on so many levels. The backcourt has plenty of other options with Will Franklin, Jeremy Crouch, J.J. Tauai and Ray Brown all having some experience. Franklin is a great backup point guard and with a little consistency, Crouch can become a deep threat. Despite starting 19 games, Tauai averaged just 1.8 points per game last season. However, he will provide senior leadership and solid defense and hopefully some scoring with more opportunities to shoot. Brown showed some promise as a freshman and will be given the chance to earn more minutes as a sophomore. Final Projection: The frontcourt is where we run into problems. After thespian and power forward Zach Andrews, the options are slim. Newcomers Salley and Crawford have to contribute or the Braves will have major issues in the paint. However, this is the guard oriented MVC and a lack of depth up front is something that MVC teams have successfully dealt with time and time again. The difference in this case is the long range shooting. For a team that will depend on guard play, nobody is a proven threat from behind the arc. Projected Post-season Tournament: none Projected Starting Five: Daniel Ruffin, Senior, Guard, 7.7 points per game J.J. Tauai, Senior, Guard, 1.8 points per game Jeremy Crouch, Junior, Guard, 4.6 points per game Matt Salley, Junior, Forward, DNP last season Zach Andrews, Senior, Forward, 5.3 points per game www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2006/120.htm
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Post by Retired Coach on Jun 30, 2006 22:34:57 GMT -5
It is interesting that they are predicting Green Bay will finish third in the league next year. I would have predicted Loyola finishes first and Green Bay finishes second. We'll have to wait and see if they think Wright State is in their top 2.
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Post by Retired Coach on Jun 19, 2006 12:26:08 GMT -5
Every few years and especially after a coaching change most teams change their uniforms. What would you like WSU to do with their uniforms next year?
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