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Q&A: Talking Hog Hoops with Chris Bahn

Arkansas Expats, Arkansas Expats — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:16:51 -0000

Ready or not, Razorback basketball is here. The Hogs kick off the 2009-10 regular-season tomorrow night in Bud Walton Arena against Alcorn State. You surely don't need reminding that the last year and a half has not been the greatest of times for the program. But with troubled times come intriguing questions. And for insightful answers, we have turned to ArkansasSports360's Chris Bahn.

In a bold and revolutionary move, we are running part of the Q&A below and the rest on AS360 (feel the synergy!). So after reading Chris' three responses below, head on over to AS360 to read about Pelphrey and Co.'s attitude heading into the season and which returning player is best positioned for bigger and better things. Many thanks to Chris for his time!.

The addition of quarterback Brandon Mitchell is intriguing, especially since at one point he verbally committed to play basketball at LSU. What's the likelihood of him making a significant contribution to this year's team?

It all depends on how you measure "significant" but I think there is a 100-percent likelihood that Mitchell contributes to this team. He appears to have good hands and court presence. He's skilled enough to play the two-guard or the small forward and at 6-foot-4 that gives the Razorbacks much-needed size on the perimeter. Mitchell's 8 points in 8 minutes in the final exhibition game was impressive, even if it was against LeMoyne-Owen. This is a guy that committed to LSU for basketball as a sophomore, so Mitchell has some skill as a player. And by all accounts he's a good kid and good student. When you're starting the season with five guys on suspension, you can't enough too many good kids.

How much of a hot seat is John Pelphrey on this year?

John has the full support of athletic department and university administrators. I think they understand that the situation he inherited was less than ideal. Arkansas is hamstrung a bit by the Academic Progress Rate and must pay special attention to when and if a malcontent is dismissed or there could be scholarship loss down the road. John also inherited an unbalanced team and a class that featured six seniors. To fill the loss of those six guys, he had to move quickly and take some risks on players, several of which aren't still around. Those factors have guys like chancellor David Gearhart and athletic director Jeff Long behind Pelphrey.

What will be interesting is if Joe Six Pack and Wealthy Courtside Seat Guy are behind Pelphrey. Attendance was sparse for the first two exhibition games and of all the things a coach can survive fan apathy and loss of revenue are the toughest to navigate. I'm not saying Razorback fans are there yet, but it's something to keep an eye on as the season gets going.

What's your prediction for this year's team?

Fortunately, the Razorbacks have some winnable non-conference games, even short-handed. I think they'll be 11-4 heading into the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule. Arkansas should be improved once at full strength, but the SEC will be improved too. I suspect there will be modest improvement for a 5-11 league record. That puts the Razorbacks at 16-15 overall and probably gets them into the NIT, provided the attendance at Walton Arena holds up to a respectable level. Making the NIT isn't great, but it's progress.

Head on over to ArkansasSports360 for the rest of the Q&A.

DEVELOPING: Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, Mike Edwards Arrested for Armedy Robbery

cocknfire, Team Speed Kills — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:48:02 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Oh my.

Browse more photos »

IF TRUE, this is one of the most stunningly stupid things I've ever heard of. You can understand how a third-string player could be drawn into shoplifting or whatever. But Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, and Mike Edwards are pretty promising players, and they're taking part in ARMED ROBBERY? (HT: Rocky Top Talk)

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton released a statement this morning about the episode.

"At this time we are currently evaluating the circumstances surrounding an incident involving Mike Edwards, Janzen Jackson and Nu'Keese Richardson," Hamilton said. "Any decisions or comments regarding their status will not be made until the evaluations are complete."

Implications are obviously broad and more significant than even the run-of-the-mill arrest. This will be the first big test of Lane Kiffin's disciplinary chops and includes one of his highest-profile recruits. And we all know there is nothing more important to Lane Kiffin than recruiting.

Then, of course, there are the young men involved in the incident. At some point, if this is indeed true, we have to ask ourselves why they would chance throwing everything away -- or why, perhaps, they felt like nothing was on the line.

UPDATE FOR CONTEXT 10:20 a.m.: So much for all that. Low:

As recently as Wednesday, during the SEC coaches teleconference, Kiffin had praised his team for not having any off-the-field problems during his tenure and had repeated several times this year that the Vols had been free of any such incidents.

Again, this is a big test for Kiffin.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (11/12/09) Edition

WVUIE97, The Smoking Musket — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:54:03 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Gold Label....mmm, very strong...and special. Seventeen and counting.

Tomorrow is game day, people. I don't have a whole lot to say otherwise. Tips, suggestions and requests are always nice. Lots after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Cincinnati Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com

Big East stock report - ESPN

Williams Named Wuerffel Trophy Finalist - MSNsportsNET.Com

Men's Basketball: Mini-Packages On Sale Monday - MSNsportsNET.Com

Power Rankings - Andy Staples - SI.com

Looking For a Repeat - MSNsportsNET.Com
The rifle team is profiled.

College Football Mailbag - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

News of Note (FB):

Where oh where has the West Virginia 'O' gone? - ESPN

Conflict Resolution - MSNsportsNET.Com
Tony's Take

West Virginia to face Cincinnati's dual-quarterback threat - PPG

7 points w/ Rasheed Marshall - 11/12/09 - 'Eers to the Ground / PPG

Q&A submission 11/12/09 - Are you anti-Stewart people serious? - 'Eers to the Ground / PPG

Healthy Brown's ready to get back to his old self - Charleston Gazette

Cincinnati defense feeds off Bearcat offense[ed.] - Charleston Daily Mail
I changed the headline because that's what the story says.

Must Win For Mountaineers - WVMETRONEWS.COM
With the current set-up, I thought every game was a "must win."

What to watch in the Big East, Week 11 - ESPN

Friends reconnect for WVU-Cincy - Times West Virginian

Collaros or Pike? W.Va. hopes to be ready for both - Martinsburg Journal (AP)

Devine will play against Bearcats - Register-Herald

Miller hoping for another stellar week - Inter-Mountain

WVU scorekeeper retires - Register-Herald
Mickey's Column

Mountaineers putting focus on their offense - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

West Virginia is still looking for that one game when everything clicks - WVIllustrated.com

News of Note (BB):

Bracketology - ESPN
It's the first one of the year and Lunardi has us as a #3 in the Midwest.

WVU men have eyes on national title - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU player’s courage shines through in speech - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column: Danny Jennings is profiled.

WVU women’s hoops signs trio - Times West Virginian

Recruiting:

WVU Recruiting Update: Ga. Receiver DeMarco McNeal - EerSports.com

Prized Florida Corner Has WVU Top-Five - EerSports.com

Tobias Harris Journal: Some Shocking News Today
Media outlets have reported that his list was down to Tenn and Syracuse......not true.

Around the League (and Beyond):

BIG EAST Slate: Week 11 - WVIllustrated.com

Zach Collaros exceeding expectations for Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN

Last year's win at West Virginia was biggest hurdle in Kelly coaching era - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati faces familiar foe: West Virginia - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincy coach waiting to see where chips fall - Charleston Gazette

Memories of Rutgers linger for Bulls - Tampa Tribune

Rutgers Game Day: The breakdown vs. No. 23 South Florida - Star Ledger

McKinnon shakes the flu and rejoins Syracuse football team for Louisville game - syracuse.com

U of L 's Matthews no longer nervous - Courier-Journal

Pitt must stop Notre Dame's blitz - PPG

The BCS' Worst Nightmare - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

SEC, other conferences don't have HD in replay booths - FanNation

What's On Tap:

Chat with Colin Dunlap - Live from Cincinnati, Thurday 2 p.m. - 'Eers to the Ground / PPG

South Florida Bulls vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, November 12, 2009 - ESPN
7:30 pm tonight on ESPN. Rutgers is giving 3?!?! USF was favored by 1 yesterday.

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

There's a WVU related one at #3...submitted by JP Fanshawe.

South of the Border Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another soccer WAG. Meet Danielle Bux.

via celebgalz.com

Gold Label image via www.beerstore.com.au

ACC Power Rankings: Week 10

Brian @ BCI, BC Interruption — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:29:19 -0000

ACC Power Rankings Thursday heading into a weekend with 6 ACC matchups. Don't you wish there were more weekends like this?

Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 ACC)
Miami (Fla.) (7-2, 4-2)
Clemson (6-3, 4-2)
Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2)
Boston College (6-3, 3-2)
Florida State (4-5, 2-4)
Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4)
North Carolina (6-3, 2-3)
Duke (5-4, 3-2)
Virginia (3-6, 2-3)
NC State (4-5, 1-4)
Maryland (2-7, 1-4)

Notes

Not many changes this week as the top 5 spots remain the same. College football clairvoyance or stubbornness?
Duke drops four spots this week to fall to #9 after their loss to North Carolina. As a result, Florida State, Wake Forest and North Carolina all move up one spot.
Just like the top 5, the bottom three teams hold serve this week. NC State earned its #11 slot with a win over Maryland.

This Week

It's all ACC football all weekend. Enjoy!

Georgia Tech at Duke (ESPN2) ... Clemson at NC State ... Florida State at Wake Forest (ESPNU) ... Virginia Tech at Maryland ... Miami (Fla.) at North Carolina (ABC) ... Boston College at Virginia

THIS JUST IN! (HATE HATE HATE)

The Ghost of Jay Cutler, Red Cup Rebellion — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:21:54 -0000

As mentioned in the Rebel Roundup

Carrying on the longstanding Volunteer tradition set forth by gentlemen such as Albert Haynesworth and Jamal Lewis, freshmen Michael Edwards, Nu'Keese Richardson, and Janzen Jackson were arrested last night for good citizenship, a respect for their fellow man, and holding someone up at (pellet)gunpoint in the parking lot of a Pilot convenience store.

Whether or not the money was being stolen with the intent to buy more guns, drugs, or a rape machine is not yet known, but my sources at the Ole Miss Rivals board and the "SAVE DIXIE" Facebook group have told me that "oh yeah they definitely wanted all of the above" and "just look at 'em."

Just a few minutes after the posting of the Rebel Roundup in which I, your humble bloggeur correspondent, broke the news to the online Rebel nation, an unnamed witness to the crime sent me a very real photograph of the incident. Disturbing photographic evidence, after the jump.

Click for biggification, if needed.

Praise be to he/her who came up with the idea of "the jump." These kinds of posts wouldn't at all work without it. Hardee har har HATE HATE HATE yadda yadda.

Women of the Opposition: Tennessee

One Man To Beat, Red Cup Rebellion — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:25:31 -0000

Tennessee, especially in the eastern region, is known for the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, the fun-itude of Dollywood and the penchant for fine lookin' wimmens at UT.

These sultry co-eds slide into bright orange garb every Saturday to strut in front of thousands of UT men dressed in orange checked overalls.

Let's delve further into the geographic wonder that is the wimmens of Tennessee.

We can start at the top with a transplant, Lane Kiffin's wife, who has received numerous recognitions in the blogosphere for being the hottest wife in the SEC. Congrats, you mostly beat out women over the age of 50.

Girl, you got too many teeth to be living in east Tennessee.

Then you have these two ladies who are obviously fanatics of Tennessee football. Oh, that's their mascot? Could've fooled me... The B-52's called and they want their hair back.

Here's a few broads(probably what they were called when they were in community college in Knoxville).

Then there's this beauty who accused "a tall black man" of attacking her during the recent presidential campaign. But she made the whole thing up. She later revealed she worked for John McCain's campaign. At least she's already wearing orange when she shows up at jail. We host prez debates, btw.

JORTS!! Probably the nicest pair I've ever seen though.

Tennessee wimmens do love their football, though.

But there's only one sport that truly matters at UT. Seriously, football players, you don't hold a candle to this woman.

We know you have more, better examples of UT wimmens. Share and enjoy, Cuppers.

Deacs move on in men's soccer quarterfinals

MRickman84, Blogger So Dear — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:49:54 -0000

I should have put this up yesterday, but I was out enjoying the Cavs' win over Orlando yesterday. The Demon Deacon men's soccer team moved on to the ACC Championship semifinals with a 3-0 win over Clemson.

The Deacs (14-3-2) were paced by freshman Andy Lubahn, who put in two goals. Luke Norman added the third. Despite the hiccup against BC, Wake Forest has hit a hot streak at the right time and are getting contributions from the whole team. This should hopefully prove to be a good sign of things to come in the NCAAs.

Other stat of note: Austin da Luz recorded his school-record 36th assist in the match.

Wake will take on Virginia in the semifinals. The Cavaliers won 1-0 in a game dominated by the weather conditions. In the other side of the bracketl, NC State shocked UNC with a win decided by PKs. Boston College also moved on.

Wake's match against UVA will take place Friday at 8 p.m.

Rebel Roundup - 11/12/09 - Bad News and Schadenfreude

The Ghost of Jay Cutler, Red Cup Rebellion — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:44:24 -0000

by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Emmanuel Stephens thinks you're weak.

View full size photo »

Red Cup Radio
That happened. I think yesterday's show is the best at demonstrating just how much of an impact alcohol has on the podcast proceedings. We started out sober, brought on Will from Rocky Top Talk (a sober man of the Lord, mind you), chatted ball, then started cussin', then started making fun of Blaine Gabbert's name--again--then I sang Rocky Top... Yes, that really happened. I would apologize but whatever. Give it a listen and be sure to let us know how stupid we are.

Hardy Out For The Season With Wrist Injury | OleMissSports.com
Awesome. Good luck in the NFL I guess. I don't really have much else to say for gr3gxxz other than "thank you for being perhaps the most entertaining and frustrating Rebel, both on and off the field, over the last several years."

READ THIS HATE WEEK HATE HATE Tennessee Players Arrested | VolunteerTV.com
I'll have more fun with this later. Janzen Jackson and Nu'Keese Richardson (please tell me what letters the apostrophe in that name is standing in lieu of), both star freshmen for the Volunteer squad, were arrested last night for robbing someone at gunpoint.

Post Orgy
Today may end up as one. Try to keep up.

Hoosier Headlines for November 12, 2009.

John M (The Crimson Quarry), The Crimson Quarry — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:27:54 -0000

Lynch: Forget luck - just execute (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"We have concentrated on the process that we have to get better every day," Lynch said. "Sometimes when you talk about a game being a must-win, everything you work for goes out the window and you get away from what you’ve done pretty well."

Hoosiers bring unique offense (The Daily Collegian Online)
"It's definitely awkward," said senior defensive end Jerome Hayes. "You can barely see the running back. He's smaller than the quarterback is for Indiana, so it's gonna be challenging, something we haven't seen, but we're doing a really good job of practicing against it."

Line must contain Penn State's rush (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)

Hoosiers feeling Big Ten bruises | TIM ETHRIDGE COLUMN (Evansville Courier & Press)
"What's hurting the Hoosiers more now is a three-game losing streak — three games, at Northwestern (a 29-28 loss), at Iowa (42-28) and at home to Wisconsin (31-28) that they played well, just not well enough."

Indiana's Terrance Turner used to performing on big stage (The York Daily Record)

IU keeps an eye on big picture (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"I’m not worried about our recruiting right now in the sense I want to sign really good players," he said. "It’s not about the early or the late signing period… "We are in a (performance) hole and we have to prove that we’re going to get out of that hole. One of the things we have to prove is that we’re going to be a fun, fast-paced, get-after-it, get-up-and-down-the-court team at Indiana. It’s important for recruits to be able to watch that."

Homegrown Hulls here to help (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
"I’ve had a lot of instances where I could be here (at Assembly Hall) and see all the big games," Hulls said after last Wednesday’s 96-73 exhibition victory over Grace. "Being on the floor, it’s a whole different world down there when you are looking up into the stands instead of looking down on the floor. That made it really special for me."

IU adds 1, but 2 others have Hoosiers excited (The Indianapolis Star)

The meaning behind Memorial stadiums (ESPN)

Janzen Jackson, Nu'Keese Richardson, Michael Edwards Arrested on Charges of Armed Robbery

Hooper, Rocky Top Talk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:25:31 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

More questions to come... (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

BREAKING NEWS from WVLT: Tennessee Volunteers freshmen Janzen Jackson and Nu'Keese Richardson were arrested around 2:00 AM this morning on charges of armed robbery. The incident in question occurred at the Pilot convenience store on Cumberland Avenue. Details are very scarce at the moment (a 'small semiautomatic handgun' was used and the incident occurred outside in the parking lot).

We'll add more as we know more. But remember: nothing good happens at this time of the morning. Given the outdoor location of the crime and the quick arrest, things don't look good at the moment. We'll see how Lane Kiffin deals with the first significant incident since his arrival in Knoxville.

[Note by Hooper, 11/12/09 8:42 AM EST ] GVX is reporting that Mike Edwards is involved as well.

[Note by Hooper, 11/12/09 8:49 AM EST ] More information from WVLT is here.

[Note by Hooper, 11/12/09 8:56 AM EST ] This appears to be the running update post on GVX.

[Note by Joel, 11/12/09 9:05 AM EST ] This from the incident report, via Austin Ward:

"The victims stated that a black male then approached, wearing a black hoodie, brandished a black semi-auto handgun, opened the drivers door and stated, 'Give me everything you have.' The victims stated that a black male then exited from the passenger side of the Prius, wearing a black hoodie, walked around to the front passenger door of their car, opened it, and stated, 'Give us everything you've got.'

"The victims stated that they all presented their wallets to the suspects and showed them that they did not have money. The victims stated that a third black male then approached and told the other two black males, "We've got to go." The victims then stated that the three got into the Prius and that it was last seen traveling southbound on Volunteer Blvd West.

" ... The victims positively identified Edwards and Richardson as the two who approached their vehicle and demanded everything."

"Demanded everything." "Give us everything you've got." Nice. How about the cheers of a 100,000 fans? An opportunity to make millions in the NFL, served up on a platter? How about that? No? You want my wallet instead? /emotional, knee-jerk rant.

[Note by Hooper, 11/12/09 10:30 AM EST ] WVLT has video of the arrest.

UNC 89, NCCU 42

T.H., Carolina March — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:27:29 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Browse more photos »

And the long, slow march towards a respectable opponent continues.

With 12:20 to play in the first half, Central was down by only four points with the ball; they drew up a play that resulted in a missed dunk and didn't score for the next 8:12. UNC finished the half with a 30-3 run, and after that, it was just a showcase to see what various players can do.

The immediate question, of course, is how the freshmen played. But even with an entire half of the game pplaye with the outcome no longer in doubt, Williams kept the freshman on the leash. Only Dexter Strickland had more than thirteen minutes of playing time, in which he managed nine points, three assists, and two turnovers. John Henson struggled from the floor, but had 3 of the Heels' nine blocks and looked to settle in towards the end of the game, while David Wear through himself around the court with abandon, in ways that didn't appear in the box score but bailed the Heels out of more than a few situations. He was the only freshman to not have a turnover, and came back from a rolled ankle to rack up the same amount of playing time as much of the second team.

But for the most part, it was the upperclassmen who were on the court for much of big lead, with Marcus Ginyard taking a clear leadership role on his was to 17 points, and Thompson and Zeller rounding out the high scorers. Otherwise, it was the same as Monday's game – a defense that racked up the steals (10) and blocks (9) and an offense that was way too free with their own turnovers (19) as they ran the other team to exhaustion. There's one more of these sort of games, Valparaiso, before the opponents get serious in New York. There we'll be able to get a truer measure of this team.

Spaulding Roundup: Shakeup At RB Rotation, Prince Is Ready & Other Notes

Nestor, Bruins Nation — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:34:55 -0000

We have some news on the running back front. Looks like the coaches are sending some clear message re. fumble issues we have experienced in recent weeks. Per the LA Times this am, Derrick Coleman is going to get the start against Washington State:

Derrick Coleman, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore, will get his first start of the season when the Bruins play at Washington State.

UCLA has struggled with its running game in recent weeks, and the number of fumbles has become a concern.

That has brought the focus to Coleman, who had seven carries in five games before he gained 49 yards in 13 carries against Washington on Saturday.

"We need to see more yards after contact and we obviously need to see more security with the ball," running backs coach Wayne Moses said. "We just need some tough, hard-nosed, old-fashioned football."

Of Coleman, Moses said, "We want to see what he has got this week and we'll assess things from there."

The Bruins have run for only 200 yards the last three games combined.

I like this move for few reasons. First, I think it sends a clear message to the entire team that the coaches will held players accountable for their on field mistakes. Christian Ramirez had fumble issues against Arizona and he lost his spot in the rotation. Jet Ski has shown a lot of promise this season and he certainly seems to have the speed and athleticism to emerge as one of the better Bruin RB we have seen in recent years. However, he has to hold on to the ball and cannot afford to cost his team by loss of focus. So, this move will get his attention and it sounds like he is dealing with it in a very positive way:

"You have to have the discipline to hold onto the ball," Franklin said. "For my part, when I get in traffic, running down the field, I got to cover the tip and tuck that ball away."

I also like the move because I also enjoy watching Coleman's style of power running. He still needs to do a better job of picking up blitzes and he also needs to learn to fall forward when he gets hit. If you notice Coleman's running you will see he usually tends to fall backwards as soon as he gets hit (check the goal line plays in the Oregon game). I think those are issues he will address and get better at over the years. Going into Washington State game this weekend if he can gets us 4-5 yards per carry whenever he is called on, it will be a huge help for our offense. If we serve a steady dose of Coleman and mix in with JetSki, Knox and Thigpen, the running game will be fun to watch. More after the jump.

While Coleman is getting to set start, his back field team-mate Prince has been cleared for Saturday:

Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince was cleared for Washington State after suffering a concussion in the second quarter of last Saturday's victory.

Prince was injured while scrambling for an 8-yard gain as he dived head-first toward the ground and collided helmets with Washington linebacker Donald Butler. Against Tennessee in Week 2, Prince broke his jaw on another hit while going to the turf helmet first.

UCLA now is expected to reintroduce the Slip 'n Slide at practice today, a tactic Prince utilized in preseason camp.

"Hopefully, they bring out the Slip 'n Slide, that'll be fun for everybody," he said. "I'm sure coach will want me to practice it. I'll pretty much tell you right now I'll be sliding on Saturday."

Sure hope so Kevin. The entire BN is going to get anxious every time he takes off for a run. He clearly has the mobility to pick up extra yards but there is just need to go all Cade McNown and slam right into opposing LBs. Running out of bounce or sliding will be just fine (for now).

From the Washington State side there is a good story on Jared Karstetter, a sophomore wide receiver who is having a great individual season despite his team going through an extremely tough rebuilding season:

[C]urrently, WSU ranks ninth in the Pacific-10 Conference with 195.3 yards passing per game (Oregon is 10th at 184.2), and the Cougars have thrown more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (10).

All of which makes Jared Karstetter’s season that much more remarkable. Karstetter, a sophomore wide receiver from Spokane’s Ferris High School, is tied with Oregon State star James Rodgers for the Pac-10 lead with six touchdown catches.

Half of Karstetter’s touchdown grabs accounted for all three Cougar touchdowns the past two games. In the waning minutes of Saturday’s 48-7 loss at Arizona, the Cougars avoided their first shutout of the year when Karstetter got half a step on cornerback Mike Turner at midfield, plucked a long Marshall Lobberstael pass with his right hand, tucked it away and zoomed off for a 64-yard touchdown.

"Great catch," WSU coach Paul Wulff said. "A really great catch. He’s doing a good job."

Karstetter leads the Cougars (1-8, 0-6 Pac-10) with 420 receiving yards. True freshman Gino Simone is the team leader in receptions with 30, but Karstetter is second with 27.

"He’s definitely a playmaker," Lobbestael said.

I am assuming ATV, Price, Moore and co. have been preparing for Karstetter and Simone. Hopefully they are not going to give him 7-8 yard cushion so that they can get carved up by the second worst passing offense in the conference.

That brings to my closing note for this am. Yesterday we talked about how our offense can't afford to make any mistakes on the road. Glad the coaches are addressing the fumble issue by sending a clear message to our RBs. Now we will also need the defense to set the tone. Seems like we have been writing that line every game week over last two months only to lament how the defense waited for a while to adjust and react to the opposing team. Bullough is not going to get a better opportunity to get his defense back in to swing of things and get back in the groove it found itself in against Tennessee. Let's hope he can take advantage of that opportunity this Saturday setting up for a solid end to 09-10 season.

GO BRUINS.

The Only podcast

BoilerTMill, Hammer and Rails — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:41:40 -0000

Now ready to go. Enjoy it in all its payphone glory!

The Record of Wrongs: Ole Miss Rebels

Joel, Rocky Top Talk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:36:31 -0000

Hear ye, hear ye. It's Time. Time for Tennessee Volunteer fans to gather for the ceremonial reading of the Record of Wrongs, a litany of the offenses committed by the Ole Miss Rebels.

Probably not true

In 1953, Kentucky's Colonel Sanders testified against fastfood mafia kingpin Captain D, who was trying to pass off fish as chicken to unsuspecting customers. In return for his cooperation, the FBI agreed to move Sanders into the Witness Protection Program and relocate him to Mississippi. However, Mississippi Governer Fielding L. Wright, who allegedly wanted no competition for his burgeoning meat-and-three cartel, would agree to house Sanders in the state only upon the condition that Sanders be forced into a non-competitive life of indentured servitude as the University of Mississippi's mascot.
When the program terminated Ed Orgeron in November of 2007, the Ole Miss AD drove Orgeron up State Road 7 a piece, gave him a wheelbarrow half full of energy drinks and processed meat-ish products, pointed him north, and "gave him a five minute head start before the boosters showed up with their Hummers, huntin' dawgs, and shotguns."

Actually true (sorta)

1983, 1979-1980, 1977, 1975, 1973 1969, 1959-1966, 1957, 1947-1948.
Circa 2005-2007. According to Bruce Feldman's Meat Market, Ole Miss boosters insisted that head coach Ed Orgeron, a recovering alcoholic, schmooze with them even if it meant tempting Orgeron by bringing him into close proximity with his prior vice.
If Colonel Reb really is crying, he's a sissy.
Well, maybe he is a sissy. What else would you expect from a program with a sissy cursive logo.
December, 1998. The Rebels stole our David Cutcliffe right out from under our noses, breaking up the dominant Fulmer-Cutcliffe-Chavis trio.
December, 2004. Ole Miss fired the Manning-Maker, after his luring of another Manning reinvigorated the program, simply because of one Eli-less season with a losing record.
Ole Miss has shown absolutely no appreciation for the fact that, despite it being a mostly-irrelevant football program, it's been featured in two of the most popular books ever written about college football: Bruce Feldman's Meat Market and Michael Lewis's Blind Side.
This. How dare you catalog our wrongs for all the world to see.
Criticize Tennessee for obesity? Really? What with y'all leading the way and everything?

I'm certain I've missed some. Whatcha got?

USC Basketball Notes 11/12

Paragon SC, Conquest Chronicles — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:48 -0000

I really haven't taken the time to look at the basketball side of things and I really don't plan on getting too involved with it until after the football season is over but I did want to at least acknowledge USC's 2010 recruiting class.

Kevin O'Neill seems pleased with this class...

"This is a great class in terms of what we were looking to sign," first-year USC coach Kevin O'Neill said. "All of these guys are good players, good students and good athletes."

ESPN.com and MaxPreps rank the Trojans' class among the top 13 in the nation. The ranking includes 6-6 Dwayne Polee Jr. of Westchester of Los Angeles. He committed to USC but did not sign Wednesday. His father, Dwayne Polee, is the Trojans director of basketball operations. Because his dad is a university employee, Polee can join the team as a walk-on.

I am not sure I buy into any of these rankings but that is imaterial...

I am also still not sure about the whole Polee situation...I still smacks of the way Tim Floyd did business and that along with Mayo put SC in a bad light. O'Neill has no choice but to paint the most positive picture on a bad situation. The bigger question is how will he develop these kids and how will he interact with the coaches. He still has to calm the nerves of the fans and his detractors who point to the Arizona situation.

Kevin O'Neill obviously has a long road to hoe. The resignation of Tim Floyd and the loss of what was shaping up to be a stellar recruiting class basically turned USC basketball into a desolate wasteland. SC was finally making some progress. But with all the allegations surrounding O.J. Mayo any positive progress has been wiped away so Kevin O'Neill is basically starting from scratch. This season will be painful to watch with all the depth issues that we have.

There have been some rumors that the NCAA is close to finishing their investigation...sad to say, which one I do not know. But if the basketball program gets hammered it would not surprise me to see any one of these players ask to be released from their LOI.

Here is the official press release from the athletic department.

So, here they are. This a thumbnail sketch of this class from the OCR...

Four players have signed letters of intent to play basketball at USC next season, the school announced.

The four are forward Garrett Jackson of Portland, Ore.; guard Bryce Jones of Woodland Hills; guard Maurice Jones of Saginaw, Mich.; and forward Curtis Washington of Elizabethtown, Ky.

"This is a great class in terms of what we were looking to sign," said first-year USC coach Kevin O’Neill, who inherited a team with only one scholarship freshman. "All of these guys are good players, good students and good athletes. Everyone of them will come here and contribute."

Here are the vitals on each player:

GARRETT JACKSON

Height: 6-6

Junior stats: 21 ppg, 11 rpg

School: Westview HS

O’Neill says: "Garrett can play multiple positions on offense and defense. He is making leaps and bounds as a player. He is a workaholic in every way. I can’t wait to coach him at USC."

BRYCE JONES

Height: 6-5

School: Taft HS

Junior stats: N/A (sat out as transfer)

O’Neill says: "Bryce has a big-time motor," said O’Neill. "He is a great athlete who plays hard all the time on both ends of the floor. I would take Bryce over any two-guard in the country. I love his competitive spirit and his upside."

MAURICE JONES

Height: 5-7

School: Arthur Hill HS

Junior stats: 27 ppg, 13 apg

O’Neill says: "Mo will be fun for our fans to watch every second of every game. He is a great point guard who can run a team and score. I love what Maurice brings to the table."

CURTIS WASHINGTON

Height: 6-9

School: Elizabethtown HS

Junior stats: 8 ppg, 4 rpg

O’Neill says: "Curtis is a great shot blocker and rebounder. He will be a great addition to our front line. He has the ability to shoot to 17 feet and beyond. I think he will make huge strides over the next four years."

The Press Enterprise has a little more detail of each player...

The USC men's basketball program has received signed national letters of intent (NLIs) from guard Maurice Jones of Saginaw, Mich., guard Bryce Jones of Woodland Hils, Calif., forward Curtis Washington of Elizabethtown, Ky. and forward Garrett Jackson of Portland, Ore, the school announced in a release.

The Trojan recruiting class is ranked No. 6 by MaxPreps and No. 13 by ESPNU and tops among Pac-10 schools, according to the release.

"This is a great class in terms of what we were looking to sign," said USC head basketball coach Kevin O'Neill. "All of these guys are good players, good students and good athletes. Everyone of them will come here and contribute not only on the court, but to our great institution. We're proud to have these four guys and their families as part of our Trojan Family."

I will admit that I do not know anything about these players. So if anyone has some insight feel free to write up in a fanpost.