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Post by Willie on Aug 20, 2007 8:18:47 GMT -5
I haven't heard anything about Anderson in over a year. It would be nice to add a practice player with some size, but this isn't the Ed Schilling era. We don't need to rely on walk ons to be main contributors to our team. If we are lucky, he joins the team as a walk on and we never see him except the closing minutes of a blowout game.
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Post by Willie on Aug 14, 2007 19:59:37 GMT -5
I'm not very excited about playing PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, but otherwise I like the schedule. There isn't anyone on our schedule we can't beat, so we have a chance at a pretty good record. The downside is we have absolutely zero chance at an at large bid with this schedule.
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Post by Willie on Aug 8, 2007 20:35:37 GMT -5
My Top 10: 1. 2005 UWM 2. 2003 Butler 3. 2007 Butler 4. 2006 UWM 5. 1999 Detroit 6. 2001 Butler 7. 1998 Detroit 8. 2003 UWM 9. 2007 WSU 10. 2004 UIC
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Post by Willie on Oct 27, 2007 13:29:25 GMT -5
No. 16: Butler Bulldogs Jeff Goodman Todd Lickliter may be gone, but new Butler coach Brad Stevens will still have three starters back from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 a year ago. The Bulldogs lost starters Brandon Crone (11.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Brian Ligon (3.4 ppg) off arguably the most surprising team in the country. Butler was picked sixth in the Horizon preseason poll and went out and beat Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga to win the Preseason NIT. It wasn't a fluke, either. The Bulldogs wound up winning the Horizon regular-season title and knocking off Old Dominion and Maryland in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champion Florida in the Sweet 16. The team's top two players return in senior guards A.J. Graves and Mike Green. The 6-foot-1 Graves is the consensus Preseason Player of the Year in the Horizon after averaging 16.9 points while shooting 95 percent from the line and 38 percent from 3-point range as a junior. Green is more versatile. The 6-foot point guard, who transferred in from Towson University, averaged 13.9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and set a school-record with 196 free throws. Stevens, one of the youngest coaches in Division 1, will also have the conference's top long-range shooter back in senior forward Pete Campbell, who made 52 percent of his trifectas. Julian Betko, who started all 36 games last season, will also return. Butler has brought in a half-dozen new faces, including scrappy freshman forward Matt Howard — who should earn immediate playing time because of his ability to rebound — and Alabama transfer Avery Jukes, an athletic 6-7 forward who will become eligible after the first semester. The schedule won't be quite as daunting early as the Bulldogs will head to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout, where they open against Michigan. However, you never know what could happen. Let's face it. No one expected Butler to run the table in the Preseason NIT and conclude the season with a Sweet 16. Why they'll make the Final Four: Guard play and perimeter shooting. With the trio of Graves, Green and Campbell, it's difficult to focus on one guy. Why they're getting bounced in the first round: They won't sneak up on anyone this season. You don't know him ... yet: Matt Howard. Trust me, this 6-7 freshman is going to be a fan favorite at Butler. He plays hard and is talented. Why you'll want to play attention before March: To see if Stevens can keep it going at Butler and get the Bulldogs back to the Sweet 16. Prediction: First in the Horizon Games that will determine their season: Nov. 21 vs. Michigan in Great Alaska Shootout; Dec. 8 at Wright State; Dec. 15 vs. Florida State; Dec. 28 at Southern Illinois. msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7374422
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Post by Willie on Oct 11, 2007 17:48:17 GMT -5
Duggins Honored by Horizon League Oct. 11, 2007 Vaughn Duggins, a sophomore for the Wright State University men's basketball team, was named the Horizon League's preseason second team, announced by the league office today. Duggins, a member of last year's All-Newcomer Team, averaged 9.0 points a game in his initial college season as the Raiders posted a 23-10 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. The Pendleton, Indiana native also grabbed 3.3 rebounds while dishing 2.5 assists per game. Starting all but one game due to Senior Night, he shot 37% from the field and 72% from the line. The Raiders, 2007 Horizon League Champions, were picked to finish second in 2008 by a poll released from the League office on Tuesday. WSU will play an exhibition game November 5 before opening the season at home against Coastal Carolina on November 19. wsuraiders.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101107aab.html
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Post by Willie on Oct 11, 2007 17:37:13 GMT -5
Horizon League Announces Preseason All-League Men's Basketball TeamOct. 11, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS -- Butler University senior guard A.J. Graves leads a group of ten players earning men's basketball Preseason All-Horizon League recognition following a vote by League coaches, sports information directors and media members. Graves was the only unanimous First-Team selection among the League's panel of voters. Butler senior guard Mike Green also was named to the Preseason First-Team All-League squad, along with senior guards Brandon Cotton of the University of Detroit Mercy and Avery Smith of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay junior forward Mike Schachtner. The Preseason Second-Team unit includes Milwaukee senior forward Paige Paulsen and sophomore guard Vaughn Duggins of defending League champion Wright State University, along with three juniors---Loyola University Chicago guard J.R. Blount, Cleveland State University forward J'Nathan Bullock, and University of Illinois at Chicago guard Josh Mayo. Graves earned Preseason Player-of-the-Year honors after receiving All-America Honorable Mention from the Associated Press last winter, when he helped lead Butler to a League-record 29 victories and a spot among the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Graves finished fifth in the League in scoring at 16.9 points per game, hitting a circuit-leading 98 three-point field goals. He also ended the year second in the national rankings with his .948 free-throw percentage. Graves' performance, which also included the Most Valuable Player honor in Butler's NIT Season Tip-Off championship run, enabled the Bulldogs to post a 29-7 record, share the League's regular-season title (13-3) and become the first League team to be ranked among the top ten in the national polls. Green was named the League's Newcomer of the Year in 2006-07, adding that honor to his Second-Team All-League certificate. He finished 11th on the loop scoring charts (13.9 points per game) and second in assists (4.00 per outing) while also ranking eighth in rebounding (6.0 per contest). Green scored 20 or more points three times and recorded a pair of double-doubles last winter while averaging nearly 35 minutes per contest for the Bulldogs. Cotton earned Second-Team All-League status for the third consecutive year, averaging 18.1 points per game last season, including 14 games of 20 or more. That mark ranked him third on the League scoring charts and makes him the circuit's top returning scorer. Cotton has scored 1,464 points in his Titan career, the most among active players in the League. Smith finished seventh in the League scoring race at 15.5 points per game and reached the 20-point mark eight times last season, including a 36-point effort versus Oakland University and a 32-point outing against Detroit. He finished 11th on the League charts in assists (2.68 per game) and field-goal percentage (.435) while placing tenth in free-throw accuracy (.774) and steals per contest (1.16) last season. Schachtner garnered Second-Team All-League honors in 2006-07 after finishing tenth in the League with a 14.9 points-per-game scoring pace. He was the only player ranked among the League's top five players in all three shooting-percentage categories---second at the free-throw line (.912), third from behind the three-point arc (.456) and fifth from the floor (.493). Among the Preseason Second-Team honorees, Paulsen earned a spot on the League's All-Newcomer Team in 2006-07, averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The transfer from Northern Illinois University ranked tenth on the loop rebound charts and reached double figures in scoring 17 times last season. Duggins was also a member of the All-Newcomer squad, averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.48 assists per game to help the Raiders to their first-ever League title last winter. Blount was the only Rambler to start all 32 games last season, averaging 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest to help Loyola to its best record (21-11) since the 1984-85 campaign. He scored in double figures 22 times with five games of 20 or more points. Bullock ranked fifth in the League with a 6.5 rebounds-per-game norm while also compiling a rate of 13.5 points per appearance (13th-best in the League). He crossed the 20-point mark five times among 22 double-figure scoring performances. Mayo finished second on the team with a rate of 12.2 points per game and handed out 86 assists last year. He ranked among the League's top three-point threats last season, shooting 41 percent behind the arc with 49 treys. The 2007-08 Horizon League men's basketball season opens Nov. 9 with Butler, Cleveland State, Green Bay and Milwaukee in action. Green Bay then visits Ohio State for the first round of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off and Youngstown State faces UCLA in the opening round of O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic on Nov. 12, with Butler taking part in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout the following week (Nov. 21-24). The 90-game League schedule begins Dec. 6 with four loop match-ups, as Valparaiso plays its first League contest at Wright State, while Butler travels to Detroit, Green Bay plays at Loyola and Milwaukee visits UIC. Wright State hosts Butler two days later in a re-match of last year's League Championship final. The 2008 Horizon League Championship begins March 4 at campus sites, with the third through sixth seeds hosting seeds 7-10. From there, action shifts to the home of the regular-season champion, with the second round and semifinals slated for March 7 and 8, respectively, ahead of the March 11 championship. The higher seed remaining after the semifinals earns the right to host that event---televised live on ESPN---with the League's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on the line. 2007-08 Horizon League Men's Basketball Preseason Teams Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League A.J. Graves, Butler (6-1, 160, Sr., G)-& * Brandon Cotton, Detroit (6-0, 175, Sr., G)-# Mike Green, Butler (6-1, 184, Sr., G)-# Mike Schachtner, Green Bay (6-9, 225, Jr., F)-# Avery Smith, Milwaukee (6-3, 175, Sr., G) Preseason Second-Team All-Horizon League J.R. Blount, Loyola (6-1, 180, Jr., G) J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State (6-5, 240, Jr., F) Vaughn Duggins, Wright State (6-3, 180, So., G) Josh Mayo, UIC (5-10, 165, Jr., G) Paige Paulsen, Milwaukee (6-7, 220, Sr., F) & - Preseason Player of the Year / * - First-Team All-League in 2006-07 / # - Second-Team All-League in 2006-07 horizonleague.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101107aab.html
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Post by Willie on Sept 11, 2007 20:51:22 GMT -5
I saw this over on Loyola's board.............
Athlon predictions: Butler WSU UWGB UWM UIC LU Valpo Detroit CSU YSU
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Post by Willie on Dec 19, 2007 20:19:32 GMT -5
December 19, 2007 Ball State apologizes to former basketball coachBy Mark Alesia Ball State University publicly apologized to former men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson today and announced the resignation of an athletic department employee who investigated alleged NCAA violations. In a statement, the school said, "Ball State wishes to extend its sincere apology for the unprofessional and unauthorized behavior of its employees that led to (Thompson's) resignation" and for "the unwarranted negative effect on his reputation." Thompson resigned in July after one season, alleging that he was subjected to a "racially hostile work environment." Twice during Thompson's tenure, the school self-reported NCAA violations. The statement didn't name the employee who resigned or detail the "unprofessional and unauthorized behavior." But it said the behavior was not racially motivated. An investigation by former Indiana Supreme Court justice Myra Selby did, however, find "isolated incidents of racially hostile or insensitive behaviors on the part of a few athletic department employees." Despite that she concluded that there was no unlawful discrimination. The statement said the school and coach "have mutually resolved their differences." There was no mention of any financial settlement. www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/SPORTS06/712190508
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Post by Willie on Sept 30, 2007 12:21:46 GMT -5
Roy Exum: Playing The Race Cardby Roy Exum September 30, 2007 When the much-acclaimed “60 Minutes” airs on television tonight, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will play “the race card,” just like ousted Ball State basketball coach Ronny Thompson used it in Thursday’s editions of USA Today. It is as mighty as an ace in a Saturday night poker game. The trouble is where they are only four aces in a regular deck, there appears to be a limitless supply of “race cards” and they are now being played with an intensity I can hardly remember. I grew up in the 1960s, but I was taught, from the earliest moment on, a person’s color or origin had absolutely nothing to do with the type of person they were. My fondest memories include a jillion folks and I am blessed in that I was raised in a way ethnicity has nothing to do with it. But I was a student at Ole Miss the day Dr. Martin Luther King was killed 60 miles away in Memphis and I remember being the first “white” sports writer to cover games at Chattanooga’s “Negro” schools. Oh, I could go on and on, but let me just say the one photograph I hate worse than all the pictures I have even seen in my entire life is of a police dog biting a man in Birmingham and, while this may sound strange, I kept a copy for a long time to remind myself of two words: “Never again.” So, tonight on “60 Minutes,” when Justice Thomas consents to a rare interview because his new book “My Grandfather’s Son,” is being released tomorrow, he’ll talk about his tumultuous ascent to the bench of the Supreme Court. In doing so, he’ll lash out at the liberals and the media. That’s what he did in his book because an “early leak” contains a paragraph where he likens the concerted efforts to block his nomination to a civil rights clash, “…but it was a mob all the same and its purpose – to keep the black man in his place – was unchanged.” Like I say, the “race card” has an edge to it that is hard to ignore. This week Ronny Thompson, who resigned at Ball State back in July, got big play in USA Today because he now claims there were racial undertones, never mind the NCAA rules violations, the 9-22 record or the fact his daddy, John, was the first black man to ever coach national champions at Georgetown. Ronny got huge coverage on the sports pages in the middle of football season because he played the “race card.” That’s the way it works. Closer to home, the home address of City Councilwoman Marti Rutherford was brought about when they changed the boundary lines for District 5 and District 6. They say this was racially motivated. Finally, there is “The Jena Six” and I have been fascinated by the feeding frenzy that has been “created” by the national media after a crowd of predominately 20,000 marched in a civil-rights way to the tiny Louisiana town last week. As the facts have been brought into bright focus, they reveal a white kid was cold-cocked in the hallway of school by a back kid. The white kid was walking through a doorway and never saw the blow coming. There was never any kind of fight at all. The blow immediately knocked him unconscious and then the black kid and five of his black buddies began kicking and stomping on the white kid in a way that could have killed him. The black kid, Mychal Bell, has been in jail since December and was released this Thursday when a “stranger,” a doctor from another part of Louisiana, came up with his bail. It was also announced this week that Bell will be tried as a juvenile, despite the fact this was his third arrest on assault charges in the past two years and that he was already serving a probationary sentence at the time of the latest incident. Rev. Jesse Jackson, maybe the best dealer of “race cards” in the world, said he was “very disappointed” after he and leaders of other civil rights groups met with the Justice Department on Friday. Jesse had flown back to Washington from Jena because the black guys wanted some white guys arrested, too. From where I stand, and according to a brilliant Op-Ed piece in the NY Times this week that was written by Reed Walters, the district attorney in Jena, you can’t arrest somebody unless they break a law. So I wish we’d create a law that would, in essence, outlaw the use of a “race card” in the way we deal with people. I know that is far-fetched, but give it pause. I was reading a statement by presidential candidate Barack Obama the other day and he was saying he wants to reduce drug sentences because black people aren’t treated the same as whites when they are caught with cocaine. Please! It ain’t about the sentence, it’s about the cocaine. And that’s the problem with the “race card.” It forces you to focus on the color instead of the person. How great would it be, where announcing a new book or springing a kid from jail, if we focused on the person, just the person. www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_114330.asp
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Post by Willie on Sept 14, 2007 17:16:27 GMT -5
Ford, Perryman leaving BSU men's basketball programTHE STAR PRESS Ball State announced today that junior college transfer Kevin Ford has been dismissed from the men's basketball program, and Jalon Perryman has decided to leave the program. "I am very disappointed the situation has not worked out for either of these two young men," Ball State head coach Billy Taylor said in a statement issued by Ball State. "Jalon and I reached a mutual decision agreed to be in his best interest, while Kevin has been dismissed from our program. It's an unfortunate situation, however we wish both Kevin and Jalon the best as they move forward." Perryman, a junior forward, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with drug possession. Ford was cited last weekend for illegal consumption by a minor. www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070914/NEWS06/70914030
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Post by Willie on Sept 13, 2007 6:27:12 GMT -5
BSU hoops player Perryman arrested on drug chargeBy DOUG ZALESKI MUNCIE -- Two Ball State University basketball players have been charged by police within the past few days. Jalon Perryman, a third-year player for the Cardinals, was arrested late Tuesday night and charged with drug possession. Kevin Ford, a junior-college transfer, was cited last weekend for illegal consumption by a minor. Ball State coach Billy Taylor, who was out of town on Wednesday, issued a statement through the school's athletic communications office: "We very much disapprove of Kevin and Jalon's actions. This is absolutely not the type of behavior we condone in our program. The matter will be addressed immediately and internally between Kevin, Jalon and myself." Ball State athletic director Tom Collins said he would have no comment on the matter until he had a chance to review all of the facts. Perryman, 20, was a passenger in a car that was stopped by Indiana State Police for a traffic violation on Wheeling Avenue, north of Riggin Road. The trooper allegedly found what was described in the arrest report as a legend drug (likely a prescription drug) in Perryman's pocket. The report did not specify the controlled substance. Perryman also had a warrant for failing to appear for a hearing in Yorktown Town Court. That charge was not specified on jail documents. The Yorktown court does not have felony jurisdiction, and most charges filed there are for traffic-related misdemeanors and infractions. The warrant was later waived after Perryman agreed to attend a rescheduled hearing. He was booked into Delaware County jail at 11:04 p.m. Tuesday, and released at 12:51 a.m. Wednesday after posting a $6,000 bond. Perryman is a junior forward on this season's Ball State basketball team. He announced in April intentions to transfer from the program, but had a change of heart during the summer after Ronny Thompson resigned as coach. The Star Press interviewed Taylor on Tuesday afternoon for a story it was planning on Perryman's return to the team. Taylor said then he was looking forward to Perryman being part of the 2007-08 team. "He's been extremely coachable and receptive to comments on the floor, adjustments and critiques," Taylor said. "He understands this is a fresh start, and we plan to give him every opportunity to be successful." It is not known yet whether Perryman's arrest will affect his return to the team. Perryman experienced a significant reduction in playing time during the 2006-07 season under Thompson. The 6-foot-4 swingman played in 23 of 31 games and averaged 14.2 minutes, 3.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Perryman averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 22.0 minutes a game as a freshman in 2005-06 while playing for former coach Tim Buckley. Ford, from Portland, Ore., is a 6-8 forward/center who played last season at the College of Southern Idaho. He averaged 7.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game last season for the Golden Eagles. Ford began his career in 2005-06 at New Mexico State, where he averaged 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30 games www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070913/SPORTS/709130348/1006
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Post by Willie on Aug 21, 2007 19:17:04 GMT -5
Whitlock rips athletic departmentVinnie Lopes 8/21/07 During Sunday's Freshman Convocation guest speaker Jason Whitlock spoke about his memories as a Ball State University student and football player. However, while on campus Monday, Whitlock, a columnist for FOX Sports, made comments about the current state of the athletic department that were less positive than his speech. In an interview, Whitlock said the athletic department is disfunctional and Tom Collins is a horrible athletic director who needs to be fired. "I do believe we have one of the weakest athletic directors in Division I," he said. "You just expect from a leadership position, it's like being a quarterback or head coach, you have the personality for it or you don't. We have a guy that doesn't have the personality for it." In addition to writing for FOX Sports, Whitlock is a columnist for the Kansas City Star and was named in 2006 as one of America's top-10 sports columnists. He also has appeared as a guest host on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" and "Jim Rome is Burning." In his most recent column for FOX Sports, Whitlock wrote Collins was unqualified to be an athletic director and was one of the reasons why Thompson failed as a Ball State coach. Collins was hired in January 2006. Currently under his administration, investigations are being conducted about five potential NCAA rule violations. Also, a climate assessment is being conducted to determine if the athletic department's work environment is hostile. That investigation started after notes containing racial slurs were discovered in the offices of then-men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson and his three assistant coaches offices. Whitlock said he hopes Collins is relieved of his athletic director duties before the 2007-08 school year ends. He said he will not donate any more money to the university until Collins is fired or resigns. "I don't have any money to give Ball State as long as he is here," he said. "Not that I give a whole lot of money, but he kills my enthusiasm and I don't have any confidence in what we're doing. So, I guess my protest is whatever $2,000 or $3,000 I give, or whatever I've given the last 12 years, I'm withholding until we get a new AD." Collins had no comment when asked to respond to Whitlock's remarks. In addition to poor leadership skills, Whitlock said the athletic department struggles because some people who have been in the athletic department longer than Collins want to see him fail. Collins' deputy athletic director, Ken Brown, and three of his four associate athletic directors were hired before he became the Cardinals' Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "When you install a weak leader and the other leaders think they have more qualifications than the leader, I don't blame them for wanting to be the chief," Whitlock said. "That's the problem, everyone wants to be the head guy. They've been here long enough and they should have this job or that job. Unfortunately, we hired a weak leader and we didn't allow him to hire his own people, which probably is a good thing because then we would be stuck with other people that aren't that good." Whitlock said no Ball State team can live up to its potential if changes aren't made to the athletic department, including men's basketball coach Billy Taylor and his team. "I think Billy Taylor is a good coach, but at the end of the day every coach is reliant on his athletic director," Whitlock said. "In order to sustain success and retain the people to make it successful we need a good AD." Whitlock said some people who were hired before Collins also need to be removed for their positions but didn't name anyone specifically. In addition, he said the dysfunctional athletic department was one of the reasons Thompson failed at Ball State. "I think there are people, boosters, people in the athletic department that would like to see Tom Collins fail and a good way to see him fail would be to have Ronny Thompson blow up in his face," Whitlock said. "It was like Ronny poured gas all over himself and there were plenty of people with matches." Thompson, who resigned in July, said in an Aug. 14 Washington Post story he left Ball State because it was a racially hostile work environment and several athletic department officials harassed him. Whitlock said he initially approached the Thompson family to write a story about why Thompson left Ball State, but decided not to write the story after meeting with Thompson because the information seemed so one sided. "It's probably half way through that I started suggesting that you guys [Thompson, his father, brother and their lawyer] are turning this into a total racial issue when maybe it's just a by-product of Ronny's immaturity and the immaturity of our head athletic director," Whitlock said. Whitlock said he thinks the university will eventually have an out-of-court settlement with Thompson and the will be fine in the long run. "Ball State has been here, 90, 100 years and it will be here for another 90, 100 years," he said. "The school will be fine. I think most people are smart enough to realize the story Ronny is putting out there is out of context." media.www.bsudailynews.com/media/storage/paper849/news/2007/08/21/News/Whitlock.Rips.Athletic.Department-2933151.shtml
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Post by Willie on Aug 9, 2007 20:58:44 GMT -5
Ball State introduces Taylor amid NCAA inquiry, racial claims Aug. 8, 2007 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports MUNCIE, Ind. -- Billy Taylor was introduced Wednesday as Ball State's head coach, giving him about three months to prepare while the program deals with possible NCAA violations and claims of a "racially hostile work environment" by former coach Ronny Thompson. Taylor was 81-69 in five seasons at Lehigh, including a Patriot League championship in 2004. Now he'll take over a team that went 9-22 in Thompson's only season. As a black coach, Taylor said he had some concerns coming into the program, but was "confident in the process that has been set forth to resolve the NCAA issues." Thompson resigned July 12, weeks after school officials said notes slipped under basketball office doors included racial slurs along with references to "cheaters" and "liars." Thompson's resignation letter shows that he resigned because of the "racially hostile work environment" he had faced. Taylor said he was aware of Thompson's concerns, and they gave him pause. "I wanted to make sure that this community was going to be one where I could raise my children and my wife could be comfortable," he said. Another black coach, IUPUI's Ron Hunter, said he withdrew as a candidate for the Ball State job. Taylor replaced Thompson, the son of Hall of Fame coach John Thompson and brother of John III, who led Georgetown to the Final Four last season. Ronny Thompson resigned last month amid accusations that he broke NCAA rules. Ball State still faces numerous questions from the NCAA, including an allegation that school officials fired the women's volleyball coach for reporting suspected infractions by Thompson and his staff. Taylor said school president Jo Ann Gora and athletic director Tom Collins were open about the situation and helped him feel good about the move. He also spoke with other coaches for opinions. "We're looking forward, not looking back," Collins said. "I wish Ronny and his family the best, but now it's time to start the new chapter, the Billy Taylor chapter." Lehigh athletic director Joe Sterrett said he was happy for Taylor, but now he must scramble to find a coach. "I would like to thank Billy Taylor for his dedication to Lehigh during his time here and for the job he did with our men's basketball program," Sterrett said. "Unfortunately, I think the timing of this is less than ideal. I hope this move turns out to be the right one for Billy." Last season was Ball State's fourth with a losing record in the past five years and its worst since going 9-18 in 1986-87. Ball State has not played in the NCAA Tournament since 2000, its longest period without an NCAA bid after making the tourney seven times since 1981. Taylor had a chance to recruit before his first season at Lehigh but won't have that luxury at Ball State. "It's so difficult that first year, whether it's April or August," he said. "It's tough to really find the right fits and the right players at that late time. It's important for us to get off to a good start in this recruiting period and to make the key connections so that we can be successful in the early signing period in November." www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10287123
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Post by Willie on Aug 7, 2007 19:47:24 GMT -5
BSU expected to announce Billy Taylor tonight as next head coachBy GREG FALLON MUNCIE – Ball State University is expected to announce this evening that Lehigh University head coach Billy Taylor will become the 18th men's basketball head coach in school history. After a week filled with rampant speculation and premature online, print and broadcast reports, a source close to the situation confirmed to The Star Press Tuesday that an official announcement will likely come this evening. BSU officials are reportedly giving Taylor ample time to meet with his current players and coaching staff at Lehigh to discuss his move before announcing the hire. After an official announcement tonight, there will be an 11 a.m. press conference Wednesday morning at Worthen Arena to introduce the former four-year letterman who started 79 career games at Notre Dame. Financial details of Taylor's contract are not yet known. But the source who spoke to The Star Press Tuesday evening said it's expected that the deal will be similar to that of former men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson, who was making $182,000 a year when he resigned on July 12. Taylor has been the head coach at Lehigh for six seasons. The Mountain Hawks’ 20 wins in 2003-04 were the second most in the 106-year history of Lehigh basketball. He is a native of Aurora, Ill., the same hometown of Ball State athletic director Tom Collins. Taylor is also a two-time Patriot League coach of the year. Aside from his head coaching experience, Taylor was a three-year assistant coach at North Carolina Greensboro and an assistant for one year at Notre Dame. thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/NEWS01/70807020
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Post by Willie on Aug 7, 2007 6:04:36 GMT -5
Ball State AD: 'No one has been offered the job' By DOUG ZALESKI dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com MUNCIE — Ball State athletic director Tom Collins remains on the hunt to find a replacement for basketball coach Ronny Thompson, and the pool of candidates for the job appears to be centered on five men. Print and broadcast reports Monday coming out of Indianapolis and on ESPN.com that IUPUI coach Ron Hunter was considering an offer to become the Cardinals’ coach were inaccurate, according to Collins. “The search is ongoing; no one has been offered the job,” Collins said. Collins would not say whether his search would conclude this week, and he wouldn’t reveal how many coaches remain on his candidate list. “I don’t have a timetable (for a hire),” he said. Hunter is one of at least five coaches who are under serious consideration for the position, a Division I coach told The Star Press. The coach asked not to be identified because he didn't want to be accused of disrupting the process. He said the other coaches who have interviewed for the job were Dan Hipsher, an assistant at South Florida; Brad Soderberg, former head coach at St. Louis; and Billy Taylor, head coach at Lehigh. The coach also said that Stew Robinson, an assistant under Bob Knight at Texas Tech, is on Ball State's short list. Robinson played high school basketball at Anderson Madison Heights, and played for Knight at Indiana 1982-86. Hunter has coached IUPUI the past 13 seasons, compiling a 207-173 record while leading the Jaguars from the NCAA Division II level to Division I. Hunter's teams are known for their helter-skelter style of play. They like to press full court on defense, and they favor a fast-breaking style on offense. He has led the Jaguars to a .500 record or better in each of the past six seasons, and has averaged 19 victories per season since 2000. Hunter has coached six times against Ball State, compiling a 1-5 record. His only victory was a 78-60 triumph in 2003, IUPUI's first win against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Hipsher was head coach nine years in the MAC at Akron, and was head coach two years at Stetson. He also went to the NCAA Tournament three straight years as coach at Division III Wittenberg. He has coached 29 years as an assistant and head coach. Soderberg's father, Don, told The Star Press his son interviewed last Thursday for the Ball State job. Brad Soderberg was fired as head coach at St. Louis in April after winning 20 games last season. He had a winning record in 12 of 13 seasons as a head coach at the Division I and II levels. Taylor is believed to have interviewed with Collins on Monday night in Indianapolis. Both men are natives of Aurora, Ill. Taylor was a four-year letterman who started 79 career games at Notre Dame. He has coached Lehigh six seasons. The Mountain Hawks' 20 wins in 2003-04 were the second most in the 106-year history of Lehigh basketball. Robinson is in his second season as an assistant at Texas Tech. He is the only coach on Ball State's list without head coaching experience. www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/SPORTS/708070331/1006
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