The summer is starting to wind down and fall sports are set to start. That only means one thing for die-hard hoops fans: basketball season is only a few months away. Here are some items of interest I found while exploring the World Wide Web.
The NCAA has been busy on the recruiting and prospect front.
- Although the focus this summer has been on prospects and the AAU tourneys in Las Vegas and other places, the NCAA has been busy entertaining the prospects as well. They hosted the 2009 First Team Summer Conference in Indianapolis. The program reinforces how to achieve goals, places emphasis on nutrition and training, offers mock recruiting situations, and helps the students understand the transition from high school. This was a very interesting read.
- One of the most difficult transitions from high school to a college campus is change in academics. The NCAA is looking at a proposal where players who are coming in that need academic help would be required to take 6 hours of summer school. I guess my question is what happens if they can’t make it through those first 6 hours? Read the whole article yourself and leave a comment below.
Alumni News:
- What would ATR be without a Kyle Korver update? Well, he is currently working with teammate and good friend Deron Williams to organize the 2009 Dodge Barrage dodgeball tournament in Salt Lake City. Turns out some of the promotions for the event includes a picture of Kyle driving a tractor – John Deere Green.
- Korver and many of his college teammates (and Williams, too) were in Omaha last week for the Kyle Korver Foundation’s charity golf tournament at Shadow Ridge Country Club. The World-Herald’s Steve Pivovar caught up with Kyle and asked him about raising money for the community, recovering from surgery, and trying to make the U.S. National Team.
- And it seems that you could have found yourself a #26 jersey on sale for a time, but the sale is likely over (except for Boozer jerseys).
- Ryan Sears played summer league basketball in the Capital City Summer League in Des Moines. He was named the regular season MVP. Unfortunately, his team lost in the semifinals of the league’s tournament, but not because of Sears’ play: he finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss.
MVC News:
- For a coach going from the hot seat to an extension and raise after Northern Iowa exceeded expectations last season, Ben Jacobson is smiling. With so many core players returning, it will be interesting to see how the Panther play as one of the favorites in the Valley. How will the expectations affect their program? Remember last season when Drake was the hunted?
- Paul Suellentrop in Wichita gives his MVC summer update, where it seems as though the Bluejays aren’t the only team getting thick during the off-season.
- Forget Hawaiian shirts and jeans, Lumberg: the folks in Springfield are being encouraged to participate in Bear Wear Fridays at Missouri State. And it’s not just for campus co-eds; the school is asking local businesses and alumni outside the area to don their maroon.
Other Hoops News of Interest:
- Iowa State is pulling out all the stops to bring in fans. Sugarland performs at Hilton Coliseum in September, and concert goers will receive tickets to the Cyclones’ home game against either Houston or North Dakota State. Choose wisely, Cyclone fans: if you play your cards right, you’ll be face to face with Tom Penders’ mullet. Good times!
- Due to the economy, the A-10 headquarters is moving from Philly to Virginia? Kind of odd when really none only one of their teams are around there, whereas Philly is closer to more of the conference’s schools.
- A writer at Fox Sports gives his take on the Top 10 conferences in 2009-10. Kind of surprised he doesn’t go with the Valley anywhere in that list. Seriously, the WCC and Conference USA ahead of the Valley? I know the MVC has had a couple of down seasons, but I think people will be surprised how well the league looks coming into the 2009-2010 season.
- South Carolina Upstate gets a feature story in an Arizona newspaper. Of course, it is about another school that really doesn’t have the Division I resume, but tries to compete in Division I to – get this – make money, and not really win games. Actually, the USA Today reports the NCAA is considering a proposal that it will make it quite pricy to move to Division I in basketball, or any other sport for that matter. This should have been done a few years ago.
- Who knew there was a Jays potato chip? How cool would that be to have those at the Creighton concession stands? The logo is almost the same.
