Sideline Views

First Image of Mercury From Orbit

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Pretty incredible on some level........Just thought this was interesting and wanted to share........SV

from Wired: Wired Science by Lisa Grossman

First Image of Mercury From Orbit: "

Early Tuesday morning, NASA’s Messenger spacecraft sent home the first image of Mercury ever taken from orbit around the planet.

The picture, taken at 5:20 a.m. EDT on March 29, shows a wide swath of Mercury’s southern hemisphere. The bright crater at the top of the image is called Debussy, and a smaller crater called Matabei lies to Debussy’s west. The shadowed, pockmarked region south of the bright craters includes Mercury’s south pole and slice of terrain that had never been seen up close before.

When Messenger became the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury on March 17, it had already mapped 98 percent of the planet’s surface. But those earlier images were snapped as the spacecraft zipped past to adjust its trajectory. Now that Messenger is in orbit, it will have the chance to explore every crater and crevice of the solar system’s smallest planet in detail.

The good stuff is still on its way. The orbiter took 363 more images of the planet’s surface in the six hours after this first image was captured, and is in the process of downlinking them to Earth. These initial images are part of the commissioning phase, to make sure all the instruments are working. The true-science phase of the mission begins April 4. It calls for 75,000 more images before the orbiter’s science goals are complete.

NASA will hold a teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday to discuss this first shot of the innermost planet and release more photos. Stay tuned!

Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

See Also:

Spacecraft Swings Into First Orbit Around Mercury

NASA’s Messenger Spacecraft Zeroes In on Mercury

Mercury Flyby Maps New Territory

This Just in: Mercury More Exciting Than Mars

First Global Map of Mercury

To the NCAA - You need Justin Tubbs in the NCAA dunk competition

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:58:00 +0000

Justin Tubbs has made the SportsCenter Play of the Day on two occasions this year with 360 dunks and should be included in the NCAA's dunk competition. The first two videos include the two SportsCenter Plays of the Day and the third is footage of Tubbs during an exhibition event at ETSU.

Wagner keeps busy in retirement - Roanoke.com

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Wagner keeps busy in retirement - Roanoke.com

Lots of people keep believing that Billy Wagner is coming back simply because he has not submitted his retirement paperwork. I believe this article from the Roanoke Times shows how busy Wagner is keeping himself and that he is happy not reporting to Spring Training this week. Billy Wagner strikes me as a man of his word and as far as he is concerned when he said he was retiring that was good enough for him and should be good enough for everyone else too.

The wind is no longer at Voyager’s back - via Bad Astronomy on Discover Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:47:00 +0000

It is hard to believe something built and launched just two years after my birth will be the first human built device to leave our solar system.

Courtesy of Discover Blogs - Bad Astronomy

The wind is no longer at Voyager’s back | Bad Astronomy: "
Voyager 1 is one of the most successful space missions of all time. Launched in 1977, it visited Jupiter and then Saturn, providing better close-ups of the two planets than had ever been seen before.

But it sailed on, crossing the orbits of both Uranus and Neptune (a sister craft, Voyager 2, actually flew by the two planets). Over all those years, there has been one constant in the Voyager flight: the solar wind blowing past it. This stream of subatomic particles leaves the Sun at hundreds of kilometers per second, much faster than Voyager. But now, after 33 years, that has changed: at 17 billion kilometers (10.6 billion miles) from the Sun, the spacecraft has reached the point where the solar wind has slowed to a stop. Literally, the wind is no longer at Voyager’s back.

There is gas between the stars, which astronomers call the interstellar medium. The solar wind blows out into it, slowing. There is a region, over a billion kilometers thick, where the solar wind plows to a halt, creating a roughly spherical shell around the solar system. That’s called the heliosheath, and it looks like Voyager 1 is now solidly inside it. In fact, it’s been there for four months or so; the scientists measuring the solar wind speed noticed it dropped to 0 back in June, but it took a while to make sure this wasn’t just some local eddy in the flow. It’s not. Voyager 1 now has calm seas ahead.

But the probe is still moving outward at 60,000 kph (38,000 mph). In a few more years it’ll leave the heliosheath behind, and when that happens it will truly be in interstellar space, the vast and nearly empty region between the stars. At that moment it will be the first human device ever to truly leave the solar system and enter the great stretches of the galaxy beyond.

Imagine! It was launched before personal computers were everywhere, before cell phones, before the internet! But it was given a powerful boost by its rocket, and another by the two largest planets in the solar system as it swung by them. And now, in just a few more years, it will have left our nest forever.
"

Time for a change

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:14:00 +0000

It has been entirely too long since I added anything to this space and today's trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves, that sent Yunel Escobar and JoJo Reyes to the Jays in exchange for Alex Gonzalez and two minor leaguers, is a topic on which I wanted to weigh in and proved to be motivation for me to put some thoughts together for you. Some today have said Escobar is younger and his future is brighter than that of Alex Gonzalez and that the Braves will come to regret having made this trade. They may be correct about the upside potential of Escobar and I hope that Yunel overcomes his struggles at the plate and goes on to have a great career but it was time for a change to be made at shortstop in Atlanta.

The last series the Braves played before the All-Star break made that as clear as it could be to me. Escobar allowed a pop up that he called for to drop in and nearly got Troy Glaus injured when a lollipop throw that he made pulled Glaus off the base and into the path of Jeff Francoeur. These plays showcased the lack of effort that Escobar was playing with in the field and highlighted the frustrations that many within the Braves' organization have had with him over time. The glimpses that I caught of him in the dugout also showed him alone on the bench which indicated to me that his much publicized attitude was beginning to wear thin with the rest of his teammates. It was then that I said Escobar should be benched in favor of Omar Infante at shortstop. This move of course allows Infante to continue to be an all around utility player and fill holes in the lineup where needed and adds a shortstop that is having a good year offensively and has often been sought after in trades for his defensive abilities. His defense may not have the same potential as that of Escobar but it should certainly be as good or better than what Escobar had showed in the field of late.

Regardless of how Escobar performs going forward this is a move that makes the Braves better as a team now as they try to maintain their lead in the NL East. Gonzalez will likely be gone after the 2011 season but Edward Salcedo might be ready to make his move to the majors by the time the 2012 season gets here and there are certainly others in the Braves' farm system that could earn a chance to be the everyday shortstop in Atlanta by 2012.

The future of this trade may also be determined by the minor leaguers that came to the Braves as a part of the deal. Tim Collins a left handed relief pitcher has struck out 73 batters in 43 innings pitched this season. Hitters facing Collins this year at the Double A level have only been able to manage a .174 average while collecting 27 hits in those 43 innings pitched. Tyler Pastornicky is another shortstop that might be added to the mix in years to come. He apparently has some speed and fields his position well.

Time will tell who comes out ahead in this trade but by ridding themselves of a player with whom many in the organization appeared to be frustrated and replacing him with one that should be as good if not better over the remainder of this season as they continue their quest towards a championship, the Braves will have a hard time coming out on the short end of this deal.

A true leadoff hitter could still step up for the Braves

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:47:00 +0000

The Atlanta Braves offense has been showing signs of life over the last week or so and things are beginning to look more promising than they did when the Braves were enduring their nine game losing streak. Martin Prado has moved into the leadoff role and has provided more from that spot in the lineup than any other player that has been given that opportunity. While Prado's success in that role is encouraging for the Braves, it would still be nice to see someone that is more of a prototypical leadoff hitter step up and fill that role successfully. If Nate McClouth could turn his season around and prove himself capable of filling that role or if Jordan Schafer returns to Atlanta to fill that role, Martin Prado could return to the second spot in the lineup where I believe his bat could be even better utilized as it was at the beginning of the season.

The case has been made here previously for Heyward hitting second but Prado's success to this point in the season and Heyward's ability to drive in runs has caused me to rethink that position slightly. If someone besides Prado could fill the leadoff spot successfully then Prado should return to the second spot while Heyward could move to the third spot in the lineup. Chipper Jones could then hit fifth serving as protection for Troy Glaus, who could remain in the cleanup spot.Hinske, McCann and Escobar could then fill out the rest of the lineup. That lineup with a successful leadoff hitter seems like it could take the Braves a long this year. Of course this whole theory is reliant on someone besides Prado stepping up to fill the leadoff spot and unless Jordan Schafer makes a strong case for himself over the next several weeks in Gwinnett, it is likely that Prado will be hitting leadoff for a long time to come.

Jason Heyward to start the season in Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:50:00 +0000

Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves today made it official that Jason Heyward would be the opening day right fielder for the Braves. Many had assumed this would be the case since spring training started and Heyward has done nothing to make anyone think differently. His exploits in batting practice, patience at the plate in games and overall maturity have been well documented This blog even made the case for him to hit second in the Braves' lineup. Some however wondered if Heyward's Major League debut would be delayed so that the team could gain extra time before Heyward would be eligible for arbitration. Major League Baseball is certainly as much of as a business as it is a game in this day and age and teams often have to make decisions based on their financial ramifications rather than what may be best for the competitiveness of the team.

Today it was refreshing to see the Braves make a decision based on an individual's performance and potential rather than the financial impact to the team. Atlanta officials believe that the Braves have a chance to compete for the National League East title this year and with that in mind they want to have the twenty-five best players available with them when the season gets underway. Heyward has arrived at the Major League level because the competitiveness of the team meant more to the Braves than the cost of being competitive.

A New Look To The Site

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:27:00 +0000

With opening day just around the corner, it seemed like an opportune time to change the look and layout of this space just a bit. It certainly did not hurt that more options were suddenly available from from the host. I invite you to take a look around and see what you think of the change.

I also want to comment about the last entry on this site. While it certainly strayed in nature from the rest of the content published here previously, it seemed appropriate and needed given the fact that many were calling the passing of the health care reforms such an historic occasion. The content here will generally be more sports related but from time to time there will be entries based on the view from the political sidelines as well. For those of you that do read what is published here, I thank you for your time and hope that I can continue to offer content that you find worthwhile.

Health Care Reform

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:09:00 +0000

Yesterday is being hailed as an historic day in our country as the House of Representatives passed reform measures for the health care industry. Many on both sides of the issue are claiming that they know how these measures will work and what effects they will have on our country but can anyone at this point in time really know what will come of this legislation? Who was there when Social Security was first passed to foresee how that plan would work? Many at that time envisioned Social Security as being a savings account of sorts that individuals would make deposits into and then be able to draw on those savings during retirement. That program has had to be rescued from certain insolvency already and today's deposits into the system are simply in turn paid out to the beneficiaries who are receiving payments. While Social Security certainly has its proponents it has not functioned over the last eighty or so years as many had intended and hoped that it would at the time it was passed into law. One wonders how these health care reforms will be amended and adjusted over time and if any will actually operate as intended by their authors and proponents. Only history will be able to tell us that.

Kentucky proves to be too much for ETSU in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0000

The ETSU Men’s Basketball season came to an end last night in New Orleans as the Wildcats of Kentucky proved to be more than the Bucs could handle. UK’s Eric Bledsoe helped to lead the dismantling of the Bucs by scoring 29 points in the win and setting a new school NCAA Tournament record with his eight made three pointers. Bledsoe started the game eight for eight from three point range before missing his final three point attempt of the night. Bledsoe finished the game nine of eleven from the field as a whole. Patrick Patterson added twenty-two points and freshman sensation John Wall contributed seventeen points and eleven assists in the 100-71 victory.

The Bucs however were not without bright spots. Micah Williams lead the way for ETSU contributing nineteen points on seven of twelve shooting from the field and showing a range of ways to score. Justin Tubbs was able to add fifteen points for ETSU while only managing to shoot four of fourteen from the field and two of eight from three point range. Adam Sollazzo and Isiah Brown added fourteen and eleven points respectively in the losing effort. All of Sollazzo’s points came in the second half. The Bucs as a team were however only able to manage a field goal percentage of 35.9% for the game while also shooting a paltry 56.8% from the free throw line during the game including going two of eleven from the line in the first half.

Kentucky’s unexpected proficiency from three point range was the biggest surprise for ETSU. Coming into the game the Bucs had hoped the Wildcat guards would continue their less than spectacular long range shooting while they focused their attention on the likes of Patrick Patterson and Demarcus Cousins inside. ETSU to their credit was able to limit Cousins to only five points on the night but Patterson was able to connect on nine of ten shooting from the field including a number of dunks on the way to his twenty-two points. Kentucky’s ability to make the three point shot was certainly a factor in the game but the largest difference in the game was the disparity in size and athleticism between the two teams. ETSU was just simply outmanned by the larger, stronger and more athletic Wildcat team.

Despite their showing in Thursday night’s game, ETSU fans have good reason to begin looking forward to next season as the Bucs will be returning all but starting point guard Jocolby Davis and hope to again have the services of Mike Smith a thousand point scorer, who missed the majority of this season with an injury. The Bucs figure to yet again be in the hunt for another Atlantic Sun Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2010-2011 season.

The case for Jason Heyward hitting second in the Braves lineup

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Unless the Atlanta Braves choose to delay Jason Heyward's Major League debut until June in order to delay his eligibility for arbitration, one has to believe barring injury or some other unforeseen event that he will break Spring training camp on the opening day roster for the Atlanta Braves. That leaves the Braves with the question of how to best utilize and develop Heyward in their lineup. This Spring, Bobby Cox has moved him around in the batting order in an effort to see where he feels Heyward will be best suited while also trying to get him plenty of plate appearances against Major League quality pitching. Heyward for his part has made the most of those plate appearances in the ten games he has played this Spring by hitting .455 with ten hits in twenty-two official at-bats. He has also posted a .625 on-base percentage by showing his patience at the plate and taking a team leading nine walks. Heyward's discipline is also evidenced by his having recorded only three strikeouts.
These stats coupled with his ability to hit line drives leads one to believe that Heyward would be best utilized as well as protected in the second spot in the batting order. Some may argue that the second spot in the lineup would create a great deal of pressure on Heyward to produce immediately but he has shown that he is capable of handling pressure and attention during his time in Braves' camp over the last few weeks. By hitting in the second spot Heyward would be protected in the lineup likely by Chipper Jones in the third hole and Troy Glaus in the cleanup position. Assuming both of those threats enter the season healthy, teams would be less likely to try and pitch around Heyward. His on base percentage, patience at the plate and ability to drive the ball seem to be a perfect fit for the second spot in the Braves' lineup and a great place for him to start his Major League career. If the Braves start Heyward lower in the lineup as Cox has done some to this point, they run the risk of having opposing teams pitch around him in order to face less threatening hitters. Heyward's patience at the plate could be tested in this scenario and he might begin to try and force things to happen by swinging at bad pitches which could lead to bad habits at the plate. For the reasons discussed here it only makes sense for Jason Heyward to start the season in Atlanta hitting in the second position in the batting order. Of course Bobby Cox and others may see it differently but Jason Heyward brings a bunch of potential with him and if he comes anywhere close to reaching that potential, he can only be good for the Braves this year and the years to come.

Hard not to think of wrestling when you hear Tony Schiavone

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:23:00 +0000

Today's radio broadcast of the Atlanta Braves spring training game against the Florida Marlins featured Tony Schiavone doing the play by play. Schiavone of course is synonymous with professional wrestling during the eighties and nineties but has since moved on to currently hold a number of jobs in sports radio including that of the play by play announcer for the Gwinnett Braves. It was interesting to hear Schiavone's voice calling something besides professional wrestling but his play by play talent was readily apparent during the broadcast. His rapport with Leo Mazzone, former Atlanta Braves pitching coach and color commentator for today's game, was entertaining and their familiarity with the Atlanta team and the game as a whole made the broadcast informative as well. Schiavone, according to other reports, has a passion for the game and that passion combined with his talent is what makes Schiavone an excellent announcer that could easily find himself calling games at the Major League level in the future.

ETSU Men's Basketball team to face Kentucky in first round of NCAA Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:54:00 +0000

The ETSU men's basketball team is set to face the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Thursday night at 7:15 PM in New Orleans. On the surface the Bucs look to be out manned going into this game versus the very talented and deep Wildcat team. Kentucky's height advantage alone will present significant match up problems for the Bucs. If the height advantage alone is not enough, the size of Kentucky's big men presents yet another problem as Isiah Brown will be giving up 60 pounds to Demarcus Cousins or 25 pounds to Patrick Patterson depending on which one of the two Brown is battling. Kentucky's relative inexperience on this stage may be one of the few advantages that ETSU takes into this game having played Pittsburgh close for most of the contest in last year's opening round NCAA tournament game. While ETSU's chances of victory appear to be slim, there is a reason of course why they play the games and anything could happen in New Orleans on Thursday night when the Bucs and Wildcats take the floor.

ETSU Men's Basketball team returning to NCAA tournament

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:19:00 +0000

The ETSU Men's Basketball team is returning for their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun tournament last weekend. This will mark ETSU's ninth trip overall to the NCAA tournament and its eighth trip in the last twenty-one years as well as its fourth tournament appearance in the last eight years. This year's tournament appearance is however the most unlikely of any in recent memory. Trouble for the Bucs started long before the season when rising sophomore Seth Coy was tragically killed in an automobile accident in Kentucky while on his way home to Indiana in July. Coy was expected to see additional playing time this season in the post with the departure of Greg Hamlin to graduation and the need for his height and physical presence inside. ETSU would likely have benefited from his contributions on the court this year but his presence was missed most off the floor and in the locker room where his positive attitude and outlook on life kept his teammates loose and laughing. He seems to have been a friend to all and was there for his teammates anytime they had a need. That sort of presence is hard to replace and ETSU missed Seth Coy the person as much or more than they missed Seth Coy the basketball player.

With Seth never far from their thoughts, ETSU began their season only to have returning starter and team leader, Mike Smith, go down with a leg injury which would eventually result in him being sidelined for the remainder of the season. Without Smith or Coy the Bucs pressed on through their season with moderate success. There were moments during the season when the team seemed to put it together and play well while at other times they seemed lost and with little hope of repeating their NCAA tournament appearance. Tommy Hubbard was one of the few bright spots for the Bucs throughout the season as he elevated his offensive game and became one of the few consistent scorers that the team could look to while continuing his fine defensive play and work on the boards earning him second team all conference honors. Others like Justin Tubbs and Micah Williams showed signs of their potential offensively at times during the season but never became consistent threats for the Bucs. ETSU finished their regular season with a record of 17-14 and posted a conference record of 13-7, good enough to be one game back of a four way tie for the conference championship.

That left the Bucs seeded fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament playing a Campbell University team in the first round that had beaten them by twenty-two points less than two weeks before. The Bucs did however enter the tournament having won three straight and knowing that they were only three more victories away from another trip to the NCAA tournament. The experience of those who played on the previous year's championship team proved valuable as the Bucs marched through the tournament. Micah Williams started the tournament with a career game scoring thirty-two points and Hubbard added eighteen of his own in an eight point victory over Campbell. In the semifinals ETSU faced Kennesaw State, who had pulled off an upset of their own by beating number one seeded Lipscomb. Micah Williams poured in another twenty points and Hubbard again added eighteen as the Bucs escaped with a five point victory over the Owls. J. C. Ward's play down the stretch in that game was also big as he hit a critical shot in the last minute of the game that helped to secure the win. That win in the semifinals set the stage for a match up with Mercer on their home floor for the tournament championship. The Bucs had lost to Mercer twice during the regular season including a game in Macon in which they trailed by as many as twenty before cutting the final deficit to five. In the final ETSU had five players score in double figures including another thirteen points from Williams and were led by Justin Tubbs with eighteen as the Bucs were able to defeat Mercer by six winning their second consecutive tournament championship. For his efforts Micah Williams was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament while Hubbard and Tubbs joined him on the All-Tournament team.

The post game ceremonies were emotional for many as Seth Coy was honored by the team as they cut down the nets. Coy's roommate and friend, Adam Sollazo, who changed his number to Coy's 43 this season, discussed how he talks to Seth before every game and how he felt his presence with him during the tournament final assisting him with free throws. Despite all that this team has suffered through during the last year, ETSU now has the opportunity to once again make their presence felt in the NCAA tournament. Seth Coy's presence will be right there with them every step of the way.

A short message to the UVa Basketball team

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:30:00 +0000

I want to take this opportunity to say that I believe in this team. Your performances this season have shown that you are capable of playing with anyone in the ACC or the country for that matter. There is still a great deal of basketball left to be played this season and there is no reason why this group of young men cannot put together a run of victories and capture the ACC championship next week. I want to let the team know that many fans are still behind you and wish you nothing but the best during the remainder of this season and those to come. Keep your heads up and keep working hard. Go Hoos!

ETSU men's basketball team looks to build on win over Campbell

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:46:00 +0000

The ETSU men's basketball team bounced back from their loss to Belmont by taking a fifteen point win over the Camels of Campbell University on Wednesday night. The Bucs used predominantly man to man defense to hold Jonathan Rodriguez, the league's fourth leading scorer, to only twelve points on the night and limited him to four of fourteen shooting from the field. Most of the few easy layups that Rodriguez was able to get were a result of the Bucs switching to a zone defense and Rodriguez being able to find open space alone under the basket. The Bucs did need a three point shot by Jocolby Davis from well beyond the arc with the shot clock running down to stem the tide of a Campbell run that had cut an eighteen point Buc lead early in the second half to four points with just under three minutes to play in the game. On Campbell's ensuing possession, the Bucs' Isiah Brown grabbed a steal and Justin Tubbs hit a three pointer off of the turnover to put ETSU back up by ten. That sequence of events changed the momentum of the game as the Bucs added to their lead from there to reach the final margin.

With the win Wednesday night ETSU pulled itself into a three way tie for the conference lead with Jacksonville and Campbell at the midpoint of the conference season. The three conference leaders maintain only a half game advantage over Lipscomb and a game and a half advantage over Rick Byrd's Belmont Bruins team. Murry Bartow and his team must now turn their attention back to the Nashville duo of Lipscomb and Belmont as those teams make their way to Johnson City for games with the Bucs on Saturday and Monday respectively. These games give the Bucs an opportunity to further distance themselves from those perennial Atlantic Sun contenders while trying to keep pace with their conference co-leaders. The Belmont game will certainly be one that Buc fans point to as a measuring stick for this team and its aspirations for a conference championship but Lipscomb is first up on the schedule and Adnan Hodzic and company will certainly present a tough challenge again.

ETSU was able to escape with a win at Lipscomb just this past Thursday on a three point shot in the final seconds by Jarvis Jones. In that game the Bucs were able to hold conference leading scorer Adnan Hodzic to only thirteen points on four of eleven shooting from the field. The Bisons however were able to shoot 48% from three point range over ETSU's defense while shooting less than 40% from the field as a whole and kept themselves in the game with their ability to hit the three point shots. Little has of course changed with Lipscomb's team since the first meeting a week ago. The Bisons have split two games in the interim with a loss to Campbell and a win over Belmont. In each of those games Josh Slater has scored well over his season average with twenty-six points in each game including a twelve of thirteen performance from the free throw line against Belmont. Lipscomb however as a team shot no more than 40% from three point range in either of those games. Were it not for the last second heroics of Jarvis Jones for the Bucs and clutch free throw shooting in the final half minute by Junard Hartley and Jonanthan Rodriguez of Campbell, Lipscomb could very easily be 9-2 in conference play and alone atop the standings.

The keys for the Bucs in winning this upcoming contest with Lipscomb will be to again limit the contributions offensively from Hodzic and Slater, while also reducing the opportunities that Lipscomb has to take open three point shots. Offensively ETSU needs to continue their approach from the Campbell game and use a combination of dribble penetration and inside play to balance their own three point attack. Coach Bartow limited his substitutions in the win over Campbell as several players played well over their average minutes. Davis for one played the entire forty minutes of action after having averaged only just over sixteen minutes per game coming into the contest. This smaller more well defined rotation is likely to continue unless the conditioning of the team dictates otherwise. A convincing win by the Bucs over Lipscomb would provide some much needed momentum and set up an always important game with Belmont on Monday evening.

Bucs back in action on Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:43:00 +0000

The East Tennessee State University men's basketball team will be back in action again on Wednesday at 7 PM in the Mini Dome. The Atlantic Sun Conference leading Camels of Campbell University will come to town as the Bucs try to pull themselves into a tie with the Camels for the conference lead. Both teams spent the weekend in Nashville playing conference foes Lipscomb and Belmont. ETSU and Campbell were both able to knock off Lipscomb but the Bruins of Belmont began to turn their season around as they gained victories over the Camels on Thursday night and the Bucs on Saturday afternoon. The Bucs trailed by as much as thirty-two points during the course of the Belmont game but were able to close the margin to eleven by the end. In the Bucs' contest with Lipscomb, ETSU needed a last second three point shot by Jarvis Jones to win that game by two. Jonathan Rodriguez and Campbell had to battle Lipscomb right to the wire just like the Bucs and were able to secure the four point win with two free throws from Junard Hartley in the closing seconds. The Camels, unlike ETSU, were able to play close with Belmont for the majority of the game and closed the gap to one point with under two minutes to play but gave up four turnovers and missed one shot on their next five possessions to allow Belmont to escape with the win. During Campell's game with Belmont, Jonathan Rodriguez became the Camels all time leading scorer with 1948 points over the course of his collegiate career. He added another twenty-six points to that total in the win over Lipscomb. The Camels come into Wednesday night's game having won four of their last five games while the Bucs have been able to win only two of their last five.

In addition to Jonathan Rodriguez who is averaging 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, the Camels are led by Junard Hartley, the conference leader in assists, with 5.9 per game. Hartley also leads the league in steals and assist to turnover margin. Rodriguez will likely play an important role in this game but the key for the Bucs' may be in controlling Hartley to prevent him from being able to get his teammates involved on offense as well as protecting the ball from him so that he is unable to key the Camels' offense by creating turnovers. The Bucs are averaging just under fifteen turnovers per game while the Camels come into the game leading the conference and ranked sixth in the country in steals with 10.6 per game as a team. For the Bucs protecting the ball and limiting mistakes and turnovers on offense in this game should be a point emphasis.

For the Bucs, after splitting the pair of games in Nashville, this game looms even larger on the schedule. A loss to Campbell would drop the Bucs into a tie for third with Lipscomb and Belmont with rematches against those teams scheduled for the coming Saturday and Monday. If ETSU does not bounce back from the loss to Belmont, they could easily find themselves deep within the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Sun standings by the time Monday's game with Belmont in Johnson City is over. A sweep of these three games would enable the Bucs to put some distance between themselves and much of the rest of the conference pack.

ETSU men's basketball team set to face Lipscomb on the road

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:49:00 +0000

The ETSU men's basketball team is preparing to go on the road with games at Lipscomb and Belmont upcoming on Thursday and Saturday. The trip to Nashville is always an important part of the Atlantic Sun schedule for the Bucs but this year it may even be more so than it has been in the last few years. ETSU finds itself at 5-2 in conference play after Saturday's defeat of Florida Gulf Coast in the Mini Dome and two disappointing losses to Stetson and Mercer. If the Bucs do not build on the victory over FGCU, they could find themselves mired deep in the middle of the conference standings with league leader Campbell set to take on the Bucs in Johnson City the following Wednesday. However wins over the Bisons and Bruins could set up a showdown for a share of the league lead on the 27th with the Camels if they too can hold serve during their own trip to Nashville.

Thursday night's game with Lipscomb looks to be a challenging game for the Bucs in Nashville as Lipscomb is 6-2 in league play after a win at North Florida over the weekend giving them five wins in their last six games. The Bisons feature the Atlantic Sun's leading scorer in Adnan Hodzic, a 6-9 center that is averaging 21.5 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. Hodzic has a stretch of forty-four consecutive games in which he has scored in double figures, the longest such streak in the nation and an Atlantic Sun record. Hodzic had mixed results against the Bucs last year scoring thirty points in their first meeting while only scoring twelve in the second outing against the Bucs last February. ETSU's defense inside will certainly be tested by Hodzic and the Bisons. To assist Isiah Brown underneath and limit foul trouble, look for Lukas Poderis and J. C. Ward to get additional minutes of playing time as they attempt to limit Hodzic's contributions to his team. In addition to Hodzic, the Bisons feature three other players averaging double figures in scoring, including Josh Slater, a 6-3 guard averaging 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game.

The Bucs hope to continue to build on their win over Florida Gulf Coast. Tommy Hubbard led the Bucs with twenty-one points in that contest while Justin Tubbs added fifteen in the win. The Bisons should expect to see a lot of Tommy Hubbard as Coach Murry Bartow has said that he will continue to play Hubbard forty minutes per game unless foul trouble dictates otherwise. Buc fans hope that Hubbard, who has been susceptible to injuries during his career, can hold up to the demands of playing every minute of every game over an extended period of time. The Bucs also need to see others step up and contribute on a regular basis. Justin Tubbs and Micah Williams are both averaging double figures in scoring but have been inconsistent in their contributions through the season. Both of these players need to become consistent scoring threats the Bucs can look to in close games or rally around when things are not going their way. This game with the Bisons could very well be a turning point in the season. The Bucs have the chance to defeat a conference leader on the road and build momentum going forward or fall short and find themselves struggling with Belmont looming just over the horizon.

Virginia survives scare from UNC-Wilmington

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:51:00 +0000

The University of Virginia's men's basketball team survived a scare on Monday night from the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks. The Cavaliers needed a fifteen foot jumper by Sylven Landesberg with only 2.2 seconds remaining to escape with a 69-67 victory. With the win the Hoos extend their winning streak to eight games and can now turn their attention to Saturday's upcoming contest against Wake Forest on the road in Winston-Salem, NC. The four day break between games is likely welcomed by the Virginia team which has played three games in the span of just six days. The need for the rest was evidenced by the Cavaliers' less than stellar performance shooting from the field at just over 42% on the whole against UNC-W. Virginia also made only three of ten from three point range in the game. Their shooting woes however did not follow them to the free throw line tonight as they made an impressive twenty of twenty-four attempts for the game. That performance from the line was one of the big differences in the game as the Seahawks were only able to reach the line five times during the course of the entire game.

The winning streak that Virginia is currently enjoying has many fans of the Hoos cautiously optimistic about the prospects for the remainder of the season and even the possibility of a bid to the NCAA tournament in March. The Hoos are 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since the '94-'95 season and have the opportunity on Saturday to go 4-0 in the ACC for the first time since the '92-'93 season. The '92-'93 and '94-'95 teams were both Sweet Sixteen teams with the '94-'95 team making it to the Elite Eight before being knocked out by eventual national runner-up, Arkansas. References to those teams are not made in an effort to raise expectations for the current squad but to shed some perspective onto the success that has already been achieved by Tony Bennett and his team.

In order for the Hoos to continue to win games and raise the possibility of an invitation to the NCAA tournament, they must continue to do the little things, like making free throws, that win basketball games. Tonight's game shows just how easy it will be going forward for any one of Virginia's remaining opponents to knock them off if they do not continue to work hard at all aspects of the game. There are of course games remaining on the schedule that will not go the Cavaliers' way. One would have to be delusional to think otherwise but if the Hoos continue to work hard, give great effort as they have of late, and continue to do the little things, Virginia will take home some victories in close games that they otherwise might not. Those wins might ultimately make the difference in the Cavaliers earning a trip back to the NCAA tournament.

Give Derek Dooley a chance at Tennessee before writing him off

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:33:00 +0000

Some University of Tennessee football faithful are expressing their displeasure with the hiring of Derek Dooley as the new head football coach. The apparent departure of Kippy Brown for a job with the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL has helped add fuel to this fire. These detractors assume that Dooley's losing record in three years as a head coach at Louisiana Tech can only translate to less than spectacular results as a head coach in the SEC. While these arguments hold some credence, Dooley did lead Louisiana Tech to an Independence Bowl victory in 2008, his second year in charge, after inheriting a program that had not received a bowl invitation since 2001. Dooley's experience as athletics director at Louisiana Tech should also benefit him as he takes the reins of a team, the size and scope of that of Tennesee's football program.

In the last fourteen months, the Tennessee football program has made a great deal of headlines. Many supporters have not been fond of several of the headlines that the program was making. Secondary NCAA violations were becoming commonplace and reprimands by the SEC were more common than not. With Derek Dooley as the head coach these types of headlines will likely disappear from the papers. Some of Tennessee's supporters should ask themselves if they prefer a program built on sound bites and NCAA violations or one that is built on a disciplined approach with respect for the program as well as those within and outside of the university.

Now reports have Derek Dooley headed to Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Tennessee fans stay tuned because in the span of less than twenty four hours the search for a new head football coach has taken yet another turn. Last night reports had David Cutcliffe all but having had accepted the job to fill the vacancy created when Lane Kiffin left the position to become the new head football coach of the USC Trojans. This morning, as was discussed earlier, Cutcliffe withdrew his name from consideration for that position. This afternoon reports have surfaced that Derek Dooley, the current head football coach and athletics director at Louisiana Tech, is certain to be the next head coach in Knoxville. These reports seem to carry more credibility than those last night concerning Cutcliffe as there have been mentions of meetings with Louisiana Tech players having been cancelled but time will tell if these reports prove to be accurate.

Dooley is a name that many Vol fans are likely unfamiliar with but he is certainly no stranger to the SEC. His father was a long time head football coach for the University of Georgia and he served on Nick Saban's staff at LSU . Dooley also worked under Saban with the Miami Dolphins before accepting his current position as the head football coach at Louisiana Tech. Dooley's head coaching record will not bowl one over but he does have one bowl win to his credit during his tenure in Ruston. Perhaps the most intriguing part of his resume' is the fact that he also serves as athletics director at Louisiana Tech. He is one of if not the only FBS head football coach who also serves his institution in that capacity. That work experience could very well prove valuable if he indeed does take over a college football program the size and scope of that of the University of Tennessee. Dooley, a University of Virginia graduate, played receiver under George Welsh, a well respected head coach in his own right, and helped lead the Hoos to an ACC championship in 1989. If Mike Hamilton, athletics director at Tennessee, does indeed meet his goal of having a new head football coach by Saturday then we should all know the accuracy of these reports very soon.

David Cutcliffe to stay at Duke

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:36:00 +0000

Things change quickly in the world of college football. Just last night David Cutcliffe was rumored to be close to a deal with the University of Tennessee to become the new head football coach in Knoxville but this morning that speculation has been put to rest with published reports that Cutcliffe has taken his name out of consideration for the vacancy at Tennessee. This was likely a smart move for Cutcliffe in the long run. His current position at Duke will never come with astronomical expectations and if he is able to keep that program competitive on a regular basis in the Atlantic Coast Conference, he will likely be able to remain the head coach there until he either decides to retire or move on to another university. One also has to admire Cutcliffe for his loyalty to his staff, players and Duke itself. Many in the world of college football today would jump at the chance to take over the reins of a Southeastern Conference program steeped in tradition like the one at Tennessee without regard for those around them that would be affected by the move. Cutcliffe took a step back and was able to see the big picture and how this decision would affect not only his life but the lives of those around him. That alone says a great deal about the man and the values that he holds close. Cutcliffe's decision to stay at Duke can also only help the Atlantic Coast Conference to continue to strengthen itself from the bottom up. The search in Knoxville however goes on.

Will David Cutcliffe be the next head football coach at Tennessee?

noreply@blogger.com (SidelineView) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Some reports have David Cutcliffe in negotiations with the University of Tennessee to accept the head football coach position there that came open when Lane Kiffin left earlier this week to become the new head football coach of the USC Trojans. Cutcliffe seems like an ideal candidate for this position. He is a part of the Tennessee football family and has experience with winning at UT. His overall record during his previous and current head coaching stints are not overwhelming but were achieved at institutions where mediocrity in football is laudable if not exceptional. In two years he has turned the Duke program into something respectable and is poised to achieve success in football not seen at Duke since the days that Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines in Durham. A look back at Phil Fulmer's record at Tennessee also shows that the lion's share of his success came with David Cutcliffe calling the offense. Sacrificing Randy Sanders to bring Cutcliffe back as offensive coordinator enabled Fulmer to remain at Tennessee longer than he otherwise may have. One year after Cutcliffe's departure to Duke, Fulmer lost his job at Tennessee. That is certainly not a coincidence.

Cutcliffe's ties to the Tennessee family raise him above other candidates as many associated with the Volunteers are upset with the antics that have occurred in Knoxville since Lane Kiffin was hired fourteen months ago. Hiring Cutcliffe will help to unite the divided factions that have surfaced since Fulmer was replaced. Tennessee needs a great football coach but the Vols also need someone at this time that knows Tennessee football and that can bring the Tennessee family back together.

If Cutcliffe does indeed accept the position at Tennessee, the next question to answer will be that of his replacement at Duke. Bud Foster, current defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, should certainly surface as a candidate for this job. He has expressed interest in obtaining a head coaching position and this would certainly be a great opportunity for him to take over the reins of a program that is on the rise and in an area that he should be familiar with recruiting. This may be the opportunity that will prove to be too enticing for him to remain in Blacksburg.