Currently viewing the tag: “recruiting”
 Boston Globe |
How Kentucky gets it done in recruiting
ESPN As one of the elite blue-blood programs in college basketball, Kentucky enjoys the advantage of outstanding resources, facilities, fan following and tradition to excel on the recruiting trail. Kentucky has had many players go onto the … Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins: 'Too many egos' among last year's freshmen Kentucky's Final Four Run Through The Eyes Of Jamal Mashburn, The All-American … Huskies Are Kentucky's Latest Shot At Redemption |
Brian Gregory (lower right) beat out numerous major programs to land high-flying four-star forward Chris Wright at Dayton. (Photo provided by University of Dayton)
Brian Gregory’s name alone is probably not going to have bluechip prospects lining up at the door to sign with Georgia Tech. But his work ethic and evaluation skills eventually will win them over.
That’s the opinion of Dave Telep, senior basketball recruiting analyst for ESPN.com.
“Brian is a classic grinder,” Telep told me Monday. “He’s not afraid of hard work and prides himself on evaluating. Expect him to establish a brand and recruit to it.”
That formula worked for Gregory at Dayton, where he was 172-94 (70-58 Atlantic 10) since 2003. It certainly helped him land Chris Wright, one of the A-10’s best players the last four years.
Gregory and longtime assistant coach Billy Schmidt out-worked Illinois, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Texas and Xavier for the 6-foot-8, 220-pound, four-star forward from Trotwood, …
A website called rahil.ir, based in Iran, is recruiting people to be “martyrdom volunteers” to fight in Bahrain. Presumably this means suicide bombers.
The site helpfully describes the Bahraini government as being “a puppet of the Great Satan America and Israel.”
So far, according to the site, 1938 people have pledged to sacrifice their lives for the cause.
It points out how Iran has been supportive of the other Arab revolutions, no matter if the demonstrators were Shi’a or Sunni. For obvious reasons, they don’t mention supporting the people who are being shot in Syria.
(h/t O)
A suicide bomber killed more than 35 Afghans, including children, in an attack today at an Afghan Army recruiting center in the northern province of Kunduz. The Taliban claimed the attack, which is the latest suicide bombing in the northern province.
The Taliban suicide bomber detonated a bomb that was placed on a bicycle at the Army recruitment center in Kunduz City, the provincial capital.
“The death toll includes new recruits, army soldiers and civilians,” the deputy governor of Kunduz told Reuters, which put the death toll at 37. The International Security Assistance Force saif four children were among those killed. Score more were wounded.
The Taliban claimed the attack in a statement released on their website, Voice of Jihad, but said all of those killed were soldiers and government workers.
“As many as 31 puppets including Afghan soldiers and officers were killed and 34 more were badly wounded in a martyrdom operation conducted by Saifullah, a loin of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Kunduz city,” the statement read.
The attack is the third major strike in Kunduz, and the latest in a string of suicide bombings targeting government officials and security forces.
Just five days ago, the Taliban killed General Abdul Rahman Sayedkhili, the provincial chief of police, and four of his bodyguards in a suicide attack at a bazaar in Kunduz City.
On Feb. 21, a Taliban suicide bomber killed 32 people in an attack on the provincial branch of the national statistics department in the district of Imam Sahib. The Afghan civilians waiting for ID cards. Several women and children were killed in the blast.
On Feb. 10, a suicide bomber killed the district governor of Chardara and six other people. The district is a known haven for the Taliban and the allied, al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
On Oct. 8, 2010, a Taliban suicide bomber killed Governor Muhammad Omar as he worshiped in a mosque in neighboring Takhar province. Omar had been vocal in his opposition to the Taliban, and had consistently warned of the spread of the Taliban and allied terror groups in the Afghan north.
Coalition and Afghan forces have been heavily targeting the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan’s networks in the Afghan north over the past year. The latest raid, which took place just yesterday in the district of Burkah in neighboring Baghlan province, which ISAF described in a press release as “a Taliban and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan safe haven.” Security forces detained “numerous suspected insurgents.” [For more information on the special operations raids in the Afghan north, see LWJ report, ISAF kills, captures IMU leaders in Afghan north, and Threat Matrix report, ISAF targets another IMU commander in Baghlan.]
Sources:
- North Suicide Attack Kills 33, Wounds 42, TOLOnews
- Suicide attack on Afghan army center kills at least 37, Reuters
- ISAF Joins President Karzai in Condemning the Suicide Attack in Kunduz, ISAF press release
- 31 government officials and soldiers killed, 34 wounded in martyr attack, The Los Angeles Times
- Suicide bomber assassinates Kunduz police chief, The Long War Journal
- Taliban suicide bomber kills 32 in Afghan north, The Long War Journal
- Suicide bomber kills district governor, 6 others
- Taliban assassinate Kunduz governor in attack at mosque, The Long War Journal
- ISAF Joint Command morning operational update, ISAF press release
- ISAF kills, captures IMU leaders in Afghan north, The Long War Journal
- ISAF targets another IMU commander in Baghlan, Threat Matrix
Almost as quickly as reports emerged that the National Republican Senatorial Committee was recruiting host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe and former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL) to run against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) in 2012, Alexander Burns hears word that the NRSC is doing no such thing.
Said an NRSC source: “This is what happens when a publication in this 24-hour media cycle tries to create news and not report the news. The story is not true”
Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire
Today, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman began his “personal quest” to scrutinize the patriotism of American Muslims through his hearings on the radicalization in the U.S. Muslim community. King insists that his pursuit is “the logical response” to the “threat level” posed by the community, adding “it makes no sense to talk about other types of extremism, when the main threat to the United States today is talking about al Qaida.”
Not only are King’s assumptions incredibly inaccurate, a former Department of Defense official in the Bush Administration states that his crusade is helping homegrown terrorism. Jennifer Bryson, who spent a few years doing counter-terrorism work while working for the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2003 to 2008, pointed out that King’s fear-mongering is “dividing the world between Muslims and non-Muslims,” the “same tactic” used by Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda to recruit:
“King risks helping to promote precisely the narrative Osama bin Laden and his sympathizers try to promote, namely dividing the world between Muslims and non-Muslims,” said Jennifer Bryson, a former counterterrorism official at the Defense Department. Al-Qaeda has used the same tactic as a recruiting tool, she said.
While the issue merits attention by Congress, said Matthew Levitt, former deputy chief of the Treasury Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, King’s approach is “semantically shaped to point a finger at an entire community.”
Matthew Levitt served as the Treasury Department’s deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis under the Bush Administration. The American Muslim community’s practices and participation in mainstream society has not only served to successfully combat homegrown terrorism but to help eliminate the risk. For instance, the Center for Strategic and International Studies points out that families of the “Northern Virginia Five” extremists reached out to CAIR — the group that King paints as extremist — who then alerted the FBI, “cooperation” that “has proved vital in facilitating authorities’ initial investigation of the plot.”
Even the U.S. attorney general in a New York district not far from Ground Zero is “disturbed” by King’s hearings. He told the Daily Beast’s Jonathan Alter that the Muslim community there “routinely provide the FBI and prosecutors with valuable leads and evidence” but that now he must “spend valuable time reassuring local imams” who “are terribly worried about the stigma coming from King’s hearings” that the “U.S. government means them not harm.”
As Bryson indicates, by aggressively marginalizing Muslims in America, King actively complicates the vibrant cooperation between the Muslim community and law enforcement and disseminates stereotypes that foment the us-vs.-them mentality feeding homegrown terrorism in the first place. Doing so not only emboldens the small extremist minority within a community but tramples on the patriotism and humanity of the majority.
Despite claims to the contrary from state Democratic officials, the recall efforts against eight Republican Senators could be coordinated by workers from Washington, DC, the MacIver News Service has learned.
“These aren’t being run by national operatives,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate on the statewide UpFront with Mike Gousha television program. “This is not some prefabbed, manufactured effort.”
However the MacIver News Service has obtained a recruitment advertisement which solicited applicants from the Washington, DC area for the positions of “Field Organizers” for the Wisconsin Recalls.
The ad, for the Madison-based “Wisconsin Progress ” organization, was listed on the website of The Brad Traverse Group.
The Traverse site, operated out of Falls Church, Va, bills itself as “the leading resource for anyone seeking a job on Capitol Hill and off the Hill in the fields of government affairs, public affairs and communications.”
Although Tate asserted the recalls were organic and outside interests from Madison and Washington, DC were merely assisting with the efforts, the Wisconsin Progress advertisement says the duties for the positions include, but are not limited to: “Execute a field operation in a targeted state senate district–Manage a volunteer effort to collect recall signatures–Operate and Manage phonebank–Implement mass canvassing operations–Outreach to other progressive organizations to recruit volunteers–Data Management.”
Here is the job listing
According to the Wisconsin Progress website, their executive director is Kristen Crowell. In 2006, she became the Political Director for Progressive Majority Wisconsin, working to help train and elect candidates into offices ranging from School Board to State Senate. During her three years with Progressive Majority, she worked directly with over 125 different candidates in over 23 counties.
Kathy Daggs is the group’s political Director. From their website: “Getting her start in politics as an intern for Senator Herb Kohl, she went on to serve as an Eau Claire area volunteer coordinator for then Attorney General Jim Doyle. In 2004, she was named Campaign Director for the 68th district in the Wisconsin Assembly Coordinated Committee. In 2006, she joined the State Senate Democrats Committee, working as the Campaign Director for now [former] Senator Pat Kreitlow helping to defeat an 18-year incumbent in a top targeted race. Following the 2006 races, she went on to work for Senator Kreitlow in the State Senate, serving as his Chief of Staff for three years. In 2008, she dove back into campaign life as the Deputy General Election Director for Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change in Wisconsin.”
On Upfront this weekend, DPW’s Tate asserted of the recall operatives, “These are average, normal people…”
Cedar Grove's Brandon "Cinco Ocho" Greene was impressive in RisingSenior.com's Georgia Junior Bowl earlier this year. (Photo by Rusty Mansell of 247Sports.com)
College football prospects have all sorts of different attitudes toward recruiting. Brandon Greene is one of those who pretty much knew what he wanted and wasn’t all that interested in the courtship part of the recruiting game.
Well, now he’s got what he wanted.
The 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive tackle from Cedar Grove committed to Alabama over the weekend. He did it without a lot of pomp and circumstance and without a whole bunch of other offers. Before he committed to the Crimson Tide while on an unofficial visit this past Saturday, Greene’s other scholarship opportunities were from Central Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t project as a great college football player. On the contrary. For all practical purposes, his recruitment was just taking off.
“He has gotten all kinds of interest from …
THE TEN AT 10(ish):
1. Put the words “major” and “recruiting” and “violations” together in any sentence and it can send chills down the spines of athletic directors and fans everywhere. Throw them out in the context sports radio personality Colin Cowherd did this week and you could produce full-blown panic.
Cowherd, on his nationally-syndicated ESPN radio program, cryptically revealed on Tuesday that he has information that a “top 10-12″ college football program is about to be “outed” by “major publication” for a “major recruiting violations.” He would not identify the program, said the information was revealed to him in a text message from an apparently credible source and said the staff at ESPN and ESPN.com is attempting to verify the infomation. Before you jump to any conclusions, Cowherd said that it was NOT Auburn.
In case you missed it, here’s what Cowherd said on his program, according to a transcript provided by NBC Sports’ collegefootball.com:
“I received an …
Big Blue Links for Thursday:
- Enes Kanter worked out for the Utah Jazz, reports Kent Spencer of WTVQ.
- Kentucky basketball keeping its eye on the bye, writes Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
- UK women want another shot at Tennessee, reports Jennifer Smith of the H-L.
- Download your SEC women’s tournament bracket.
- UK women hope to pull a fast one, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
- SEC women disagree on tournament format, writes Jeff Lockridge of Tennessean.
- Matthew Mitchell shifts focus inward, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
- Joker Phillips altering spring practice format, reports Larry Vaught of the A-M.
- Anthony Davis’ high school career comes to an end, reports Scott Powers of espn.
- UK target Trevor Lacey talks Alabama and Anthony Grant to Rivals. (subscription)
- Trevor Lacey can “get through” with his current grades, reports Nation of Blue.
- Calipari will visit Sam Simpson today, reports Wildcat Blue Nation.
- Cats hope to continue clutch play, writes Brett Dawson in the C-J.
- Cats need either Vandy or Georgia to lose, writes Aaron Smith of Kentucky Kernel.
- Harrellson want to thank Kentucky fans, says Alan Cutler of WLEX.
- Are the Cats learning from their mistakes? asks Mary Jo Perino of WLEX.
- Senior Spectacular answers some questions, writes Ryan Clark of the Enqurier.
- Mark Emmertt discusses his job to Jim Kleinpeter of the Times-Picayune.
- Kentucky avoids the Senior Night letdown, writes Brian Rickerd of State-Journal.
- A Sea of Blue writes a letter to Dan Owens.
- Dan Owens has lost his mind, writes UK Sports Info.
- Kentucky Sports Radio wonders about UK’s go-to guy.
- Bleed Blue Kentucky looks at the in-state football pipelines.
- Rupp is back to being unwinnable for foes, writes Tailgate Review.
- Josh Harrellson excelled past his role, says Wildcat-Den.
Brandon Maye (The State photo/Rick Glickstein)
Big Blue Links for Tuesday:
ON TAP – Kentucky should hold a basketball media opportunity this afternoon to preview Wednesday night’s game at Arkansas. Check the blog this afternoon for notes and video.
RECRUITING NEWS – Remember all that buzz about Kentucky being interested in Braeden Anderson, the former DePaul commitment. Apparently, there was smoke than fire. At least, right now. Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal reports, “No real news to report but talked with his coach – Chris Sparks – who said that Anderson is having a big-time season for his team. . . . Sparks said he has not talked with UK staff and was uncertain when – or if – they were coming to see Anderson play. The Titans play again on Monday night.”
Meanwhile, Nation of Blue’s Scott Anderson talked with juco big man Stan Simpson, who apparently has gained Kentucky’s attention. Simpson told Anderson that right now his top two schools are Kentucky and Memphis.
KSR has checked with its No. 1 source, the guy on all those TV commercials, says that ”At this point, according to a person close to the team that Matt spoke with, Kentucky feels that those players in order of likelihood are Braeden Anderson, God’s Gift Achiuwa and Stan Simpson. Depending on how their visit goes next week, Simpson could move to the top of the list.”
Heard Chris Fisher of BigBlue247 on Larry Glover Live last night saying there is still quite a bit of optimism that Brandon Maye, the linebacker who abruptly left the Clemson program at the end of last month, could end up at UK, thanks to Tee Martin. Both are from Mobile, Alabama. Maye visited UK earlier this month. As a redshirt junior, he could gain immediate eligibility by entering at a UK graduate program not being offered by Clemson.
Bleed Blue Kentucky has more football recruiting news, including an Ace Wales highlight tape.
Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal says this year’s Derby Festival Classic will lack Kentucky recruits.
Always remember to check in on Next Cats.
TOUGH YEAR FOR THE HOMEBOYS – Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes about the struggles being experienced this year by Travis Ford at Oklahoma State, Darrin Horn at South Carolina and John Pelphrey at Arkansas. The Cats play at Arkansas on Wednesday. Pelphrey’s problem is that people in Fayetteville have lost interest in basketball. Arkansas’ attendance has fallen off dramatically during his tenure. And as C.M. Newton used to say, you have to put fannies in the seats. I think Ford and Horn are safe for another year. As for Pelphrey, I’m not so sure.
Meanwhile, Arkansas’ Marshawn Powell has raised eyebrows but what he would not say about his relationship with Pelphrey. Chris Bahn of Arkansas Sports 360 reports, “Stories of Powell not getting along with Pelphrey and his staff have been floating out there since before Christmas. Monday Hawgs Illustrated writer Dudley Dawson asked Powell if his relationship with Coach John Pelphrey was ’strained.’ Powell’s non-answer pretty much answered the question: ‘I can’t really comment on that.’”
Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News reports that Delvon Johnson is probable for Wednesday.
IT’S A MATTER OF TRUST – John Calipari spent part of his time on the SEC teleconference on Monday explaining why he did not empty his bench earlier as Kentucky was pounding South Carolina on Saturday.Writes Jerry Tipton of the H-L, “UK’s lead over South Carolina fluctuated between 28 and 36 points over the final 10 minutes, yet Calipari did not clear his bench until fewer than two minutes remained. Team concerns trumped potential individual benefits, Calipari explained Monday on the Southeastern Conference’s coaches’ teleconference. ‘We’ve got to get better as a team,’ he said. ‘If I’m going to play six or seven, then those six or seven have to get better. That’s the first thing on my mind.’”
Still, it was uncomfortable Saturday seeing Eloy Vargas, Jon Hood, Stacey Poole and Jarrod Polson still stuck to the bench as Kentucky played with a more-than-comfortable bench. Truth is, Cal just doesn’t trust his reserves. If he can’t trust them in a 31-point blowout, he’s not going to trust them.
The Courier-Journal’s Brett Dawson is back from furlough and took time from celebrating his beloved Knicks acquiring Carmelo Anthony to write on Calipari and his bench.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN – Kentucky drags its 1-5 conference road record to Fayetteville on Wednesday. A win would be good, but not a necessity, argues Mr. SEC. John Pennington writes, “Most fans and writers in the Bluegrass State would tell you that things have to change and Wednesday’s game at Arkansas is the perfect place to shift gears. But are UK’s road woes really that serious? Kentucky is 3-6 in true road games this season. Their losses came at North Carolina (by 2 points), at Georgia (by 7 points), at Alabama (by 2 points), at Ole Miss (by 2 points), at Florida (by 2 points) and at Vanderbilt (by 4 points). It’s not like Cal’s Cats aren’t showing up in these games. They’re close.”
I understand John’s point, but for the sake of confidence, I think Kentucky’s young players could use the validation a road win would bring.
Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes on UK’s deceptive road record.
PLAYING FOR SEEDING – Ira Combs writes for Kentucky Sports Network that the Cats now must set their sights on getting a No. 2 seed in the SEC East. “Why is their so much talk and importance being put on the final four regular season games and #2 east seed?,” asks Combs. ” #1 – The #2 SEC East seed will let UK be able to dodge the four day gauntlet other lower seeds will have to endure by letting their seven man rotation rest and watch the first day. #2 – If UK pulls off this trick down the stretch and beat two Top 20 teams in Florida and Vandy it has to help the ole RPI and strength of schedule. #3 – Also, going on a six game winning streak entering SEC tournament play where their history is impressive as well will have to impress the NCAA Selection Committee in their seeding process.”
TIM MASTHAY – Tim Masthay may have a Super Bowl ring, but when the former UK punter was at Rupp on Saturday, the Green Bay Packer could not avoid the rush put on by WLEX’s Alan Cutler. “I just jumped off the bench and started hugging my special teams coaches and kicker and punter and a lot of my close teammates.,” Masthay told Cutler about winning the Super Bowl. “My wife and mom were down on the field. It was kind of like one of those stunning kind of numb feelings, kind of ecstasy. It was really special.”
On the liveblog, and in tweets, some complained about Masthay being the Y in the Kentucky cheer on Saturday. Some thought the honor should have gone to Patrick Patterson, who was in town during the NBA’s All-Star break. For some, the logic was that Patterson won’t get a chance to come back because of his pro basketball duties.
BEJING DUCKS — All Ky Hoops has an update on Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford, who are playing on the same team in China.
UK SOFTBALL SURGE – You may not have noticed, but Kentucky softball is ranked 24th in the nation. And the Cats are off to an 8-2 start. Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches writes, “Off to the best start in school history (8-2) and fresh off a tournament championship in the Garnett and Gold Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla., Kentucky has experienced a bit of a surprising offensive outburst in its first two weeks of play. UK is hitting .298 as a team and averaging 6.3 runs per game, well above its batting average of .273 and 3.6 runs per game of a year ago. The improvement has taken place without the best offensive player in program history, Molly Johnson, who graduated after last season.”
BLUE BLOGS – Glenn Logan of A Sea of Blue looks at how far this Kentucky basketball team might be able to go. “The bottom line is, and has been, that UK has struggled with hot opponents on the road. SEC opponents in particular have made 3-point shots at a very high percentage, as well as an uncharacteristically high percentage of free throws. In other words, Kentucky’s opponents have simply played some of their best basketball against the Wildcats, and even though Kentucky played well in every one of those games, they didn’t play quite well enough,” he writes.
In honor of the ‘96 title team, and Jorts, should UK return to denim? asks Wildcat Blue Nation. I vote a resounding no.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK – We’re trying to pump-up our KentuckySports.com Facebook page. Give us a look, and click the like button. Suggestions are welcomed.
(Tennessean photo)
Big Blue Links for Monday:
KENTUCKY WOMEN WIN AT VANDY – Travelin’ Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader made the trip from Athens to Nashville and chronicled Kentucky’s rare 80-71 win over Vanderbilt on Sunday. It was the Kentucky women’s first win in Memorial Gym in 13 tries.
Writes Smith, “That wall came crashing down late in the second half on Sunday when the Cats (20-7, 9-5 SEC) turned a 50-50 tie game into a 60-50 advantage in less than two minutes. “We pulled together as a team and we played for each other,” said Dunlap, who scored five of her 10 points in that span. The Nashville native also had eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals.”
Greg Sullivan of the Tennessean writes, “While the loss ties Vanderbilt with Kentucky (20-7, 9-5), the Lady Wildcats would be seeded ahead of the Commodores if they finish the season tied because of two head-to-head wins. Much like the first meeting this season, when Kentucky used a full-court press to go on a 30-5 run and beat Vanderbilt, the Lady Wildcats turned on their pressure in the second half to pull out a victory Sunday.”
RECRUITING NEWS – Nation of Blue has a couple of updates, one on Kentucky’s interest in Illinois junior college star Stan Simpson. Simpson sent a tweet saying UK is coming to see him this week. Meanwhile, Trevor Lacey has updated his list after his unofficial visit to Kentucky on Saturday. Lacey does plan to make an official visit to Kentucky and four other schools once his high school season is complete. Anthony Davis was at Saturday’s game, as well. But his name is already on Kentucky’s dotted line.
UK target Shabazz Muhammad will visit Louisville for the Cards’ game with Pittsburgh next Sunday.
ROAD MAP – Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal writes that the Kentucky men now have to do it on the road. After shellacking South Carolina on Saturday, John Calipari’s team packs up and heads to Arkansas on Wednesday night. Bozich writes, “For Kentucky, it is the primary show-me game for the rest of the regular season. The world knows UK can cruise in front of the faithful 24,338. Couldn’t win at Mississippi. Couldn’t win at Alabama or Georgia. Couldn’t win at Vanderbilt or Florida. This team needs to win at Arkansas, where the Hogs have been defeated by Georgia and Ole Miss.”
Meanwhile, Tom Leach saw Saturday’s performance as an encouraging sign.
Aaron Smith of the Kernel writes that Calipari keeps pushing for perfect. “UK is taking the criticism to heart. Josh Harrellson said Calipari was delivering the same message to the team as he was to the media. They understand it comes from a coach’s standpoint, but that he wants UK to be perfect. ‘The coach got to say something about somebody,’ said DeAndre Liggins. ‘You got to expect that. He’s not going to say, we all played perfect. He’s a coach. He’s just trying to get us better.’”
Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that UK must play like it’s tournament time now.
Ryan Clark of the Big Bluegrass Blog says UK needs a spark for the rest of the season.
Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal says it was a perfect storm that destroyed South Carolina.
ROUGH START FOR UK BASEBALL – Kentucky is off to an 0-3 start after losing 3-1 to Miami of Ohio on Sunday in Charleston. The Cats lost to College of Charleston on Friday, then Marshall on Saturday. Alex Meyer struck out 13 in seven innings for UK on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to get the win. Gary Henderson’s team will try to pick up its first win when it travels to Morehead State on Tuesday.
CONFERENCE BATTLES HEATING UP – Eric Crawford of the C-J writes that this is the time of year for conference battles to the end. Eric writes, “So what’s the deal? Is the SEC as soft as University of Louisville fans say? Is the Big East as overrated as UK fans say? This won’t be popular, but both may be right – at least as far as tournament results are concerned. The SEC hasn’t produced a Final Four team since Florida cut down the nets in 2007. And aside from Florida’s three trips to the title game (and two titles) and LSU’s Final Four in ‘06, the SEC hasn’t had a Final Four team since UK won it all in ‘98, though the teams it does get to the tournament, outside of UK in the past decade, have tended to overachieve.”
Apparently the nation's No. 1 recruit, Jadeveon Clowney of Rock Hill, S.C., never gave Georgia a whole lot of serious consideration before signing with South Carolina on Monday. (Photo by The Associated Press)
THE TEN AT 10:
1. Jadeveon Clowney’s commitment to South Carolina on Monday got me wondering if Georgia might have lost a step or two in its recruitment of the Palmetto State. It seems like not so long ago the Bulldogs were always plucking top talent from the neighbor state to the East. But Clowney, a defensive end from Rock Hill, S.C., and the consensus No. 1 prospect in America, never really gave UGA much of a chance. Clowney did not mention Georgia among co-finalists Alabama and Clemson, even though the Bulldogs recruited him hard and he plays a position of great need for them.
In fact, Georgia did not sign a single player from South Carolina at all this year. That’s the first time since 2004 that’s happened. The Bulldogs have never recruited a big number of …
New York Times |
Clowney's situation proves recruiting can affect many lives if you let it
Anderson Independent Mail It's the best explanation he could give for the crazy and unique recruiting process the nation's most heralded recruit in years and South Carolina signee has endured. In the last 18 months, Clowney, his mother, Josenna Clowney, … Gamecocks' three-year courtship of Clowney pays off with signing Clowney sending his talents to Gamecocks Monday morning Alabama sports from The AP |
Georgia Tech has now inked all of the commitments it had coming into national signing day. Now we get to sit back and see if the Yellow Jackets have any surprises to offer.
Domonique Noble, a 6-2, 187-pound defensive back from Mount Ulla, N.C., is the last signee to be reported. The three-star prospect, who chose the Yellow Jackets over North Carolina, N.C. State, Notre Dame and Virginia, among others, is also an exceptional student. He said the main reason he chose Tech was for its engineering programs.
The Yellow Jackets have room to sign at least two more players but won’t necessarily do so.
