We’re probably outside the basketball news cycle for a while — barring an arrest, which is the sort of thing that happens in my absence — but there is the NBA summer league and the news to emanate from its conclusion, Da’Sean Butler’s knee, tweets from John Flowers, so on and so forth.
And, since I heard this on the radio the other day, WVU is recognized as a national powerhouse now. Makes sense to give them a space.
Simple format. Copy-and-paste and fill in your choices … or do that and then add beyond these 10 qualifiers as you deem necessary. It’s not as if someone is going to be able to stop you.
Regular season record (Big East record):
Bowl:
Losses:
Offensive MVP:
Defensive MVP:
Surprise contributor:
Surprise non-factor:
Storyline I’d like to see:
Storyline I fear I’ll see:
Temperature of Stewart’s seat entering 2011:
(While I’m away, don’t forget the Big East poll.)
This is, in fact, a feedback edition in that I provide feedback to your feedback. However, had I put “Friday Feedback” as the title, it would have been recorded as the 114th version of F Double. There have been just 113. Such recordkeeping is important for, say, anniversary editions.
Anyhoo, kudos to the comments, email and Facebook messages (!) with tips for how to conduct the week away. There was one really good idea I wish I could have done something about. An emailer suggested doing a “Best of” series. Fantastic idea, I thought. Then I started to think about which were the best. What makes the best? How do I determine it? And who am I to make those decisions? I needed more time, and help, but I will open it up, now and in the future. Seems like something we can do, yes?
Additionally, I’d like to one day get into guest bloggers, but there are a lot of things to sort and iron out first. And truth be told, the writer doesn’t carry the water here. He gets a lot of help.
Which leads to the plan: The way this blog is set up, the homepage will always show the 10 most-recent posts. On Monday morning, you’ll find I’ve planted 10 posts on a variety of topics — some serious, some silly, some strange. I think it’ll cover everything — possible happenings, topics of conversation and debate, time killers, life-changers. Most importantly, it’ll involve and feature you.
Full disclosure: I’m going to keep an occasional eye on things because I have an informed hunch something is indeed going to happen next week. As always, the bat signal is at the ready.
Enjoy the weekend. And the subsequent week. And then the following weekend. Back July 26 and I’ll pick this thing up and take it above where it’s been the past few weeks. Honest.
The field for the Jam Fest isn’t entirely what it was billed to be, as is often the case. Chase Chane Behanan decided to skip the event, as did Kadeem Jack. Both are top 2012 targets for WVU, Behanan being perhaps the top.
There’s still talent with many of the aformentioned participants on hand. And then there is immense talent. I saw the Bhullar brothers in person and they are absolutely humongous.
They had never before been around a major college team. But … the Mountaineers had never been around anyone quite like them, either. Deniz Kilicli, WVU’s Turkish freshman power forward, asked if they’d pose with him for a picture. Kilicli is listed on West Virginia’s roster at 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, and was often described as a “beast” in recruiting profiles. He wanted the photo because the visitors made him look small.
I couldn’t help it. I watched these guys move yesterday just to see how they did it. Do they strut? Stroll? Limp? Lumber? I always figure the way a big guy moves in casual circles is probably somewhat indicative of how he moves in athletics. Ie, Luke Bonner was … off. It looked to me like I could sneak up on him and push him over at any moment.
My observation of the Bhullars was difficult. The hallway at the rec center was crowded so they did a lot of stop-and-go walking. I did notice this, though. People don’t move out of their way. They flee.
I didn’t get a chance to watch them play — they played in Blacksville — but one report I got was “eh.” That’s not a surprise. I’ve heard worries about conditioning and, frankly, AAU is not a great place for centers.
They can thrive, though, which leads me to Daniel Ochefu. A quasi-Greg Monroe, he was in the background for much of the game I watched Wednesday … before taking over and dominating a 17-0 run. Quite impressive. Many schools want the 6-10 center in the 2012 class, including WVU, which was represented Wednesday by Billy Hahn.
“Billy was the first college coach who came to the gym to watch Daniel play,” said Berger, the former CEO of AND1. “He’s been a constant presence in the gym and at games and workouts. He’s done a fantastic job recruiting Daniel. It matters a lot.”
Hahn was the head coach at Philadelphia’s La Salle University and worked a few years with the Hoop Group, which has a very strong presence in the city. Hahn sat on the baseline and underneath the basket watching Westtown’s opening game.
“Daniel knows Billy’s face, he knows when he’s in the gym,” Berger said. “Obviously, through Philly, I have a lot of relationships with people and I think nothing but the best of him. Billy Hahn matters a lot for Daniel.”
The first of many summer vacations begins Friday and I return to work July 26. I’m never sure what to do when I’m gone. We’ve tried various things in the past. Some have worked. Some have not. Nevertheless, I’ve discovered three things as I’ve thought about this:
1) With the past as the proof, something big absolutely will happen when I’m away. It will.
2) When someone says “What are you gonna do with the blog when you’re gone?” a shrug of the shoulders is not acceptable.
3) Since I don’t check the blog (often?) when I’m away, I don’t know what you’re looking for to serve as a sufficient replacement.
So, logically, I’ll pass the buck. What do we do for next week? One open post? Five? Nothing? I’ll consider anything within reason … and while guest bloggers are within reason, it can’t happen. Anyhow, have at it.
As odd as it may seem, Major Harris, who last played college football in 1989 and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in April 2009, will be enshrined this weekend. The lengthy parade is nearing the conclusion and Harris is just now beginning to understand what it means.
Harris, who was a three-year starter with the Mountaineers from 1987-89, was working at a football camp recently, one of the many things he’s been invited to and involved in since he was elected to the Hall in April 2009.
“They introduce you and I’ve done a bunch of them and normally it’s ‘Former West Virginia quarterback …'” Harris said. “This time it was ‘Hall of Fame quarterback…'”
The gravely voice paused and then chuckled.
“That was pretty cool,” he said.
I think he’s messing with us now. The venerable Bob Hertzel emailed me this to fuel my “obsession,” which was cool … until the Daily Mail in the UK emailed explaining it’d found my obsession during a Web search. Behold many more pictures of a man wearing a hat!
Speaking of pictures that make me feel good …
Continue reading…
Things are going to slow down here the next several days. Here’s why:
The Hoop Group’s seventh annual Jam Fest runs Wednesday through Friday. It’s the eighth straight summer the city has staged an AAU tournament.
This year 276 teams are scheduled to appear, more than ever before, and the field will be highlighted by a concentration of stars atop the 2012 class.
“Our main theme is youth this year,” said Rob Engemann, the first-year director of team events at the Hoop Group. “It’s maybe not the best (field) as far as the top tier players. Don’t get me wrong, don’t discount what it is – it’s very, very good. But what it is is the best field from top to bottom.”
The tournament will be split into three divisions – 17-and-under, 16-and-under and 15-and-under – with much of the 2012 class playing up in the 17-and-under division.
Continue reading…
There were at least three published reports yesterday insisting Spencer Boyd was transferring from Notre Dame to WVU. Maybe it’s the surname that makes these matters difficuly to nagivate, but that ended up not being the case.
And apparently it wasn’t really close to the reality perpetuated by others. That, it would seem, rattled WVU’s coaching staff.
The source said Boyd wanted to apply for a hardship waiver and immediate eligibility wherever he transferred to and that Boyd’s father, Scott, reached out to WVU Coach Bill Stewart.
The source said WVU again wanted to take Boyd as a slot receiver, but this time Boyd was open to the idea. If he could secure the hardship and eligibility, WVU was to offer him a scholarship, but the source said if Boyd had to follow normal transfer rules and sit out a year he’d then have to earn a scholarship and not before January.
The source said West Virginia again declined to offer a scholarship and was also concerned with Boyd’s grades. Boyd’s father called WVU on Sunday and said his son had found a school offering an immediate scholarship, regardless of when he was eligible, according to the source.
Mr. Gansey marked his return to the NBA Summer League with a random outburst yesterday. Playing for the D-League Select team, Gansey went on his own little 10-0 run in the first half with three consecutive 3-pointers. “Heat check … and one!”
Gansey ended up with 15 points. He was 5-for-6 and made all three of his 3-point attempts in 17:44 on the floor. The Select gave the Suns a battle, but were outscored by 14 in the second half and lost 96-88.
Ebanks and the Lakers fell to 0-3 and, right on cue, Ebanks struggled. He shot 2-for-13 and 0-for-2 from 3-point range. He had seven points, five rebounds and four turnovers in 39:13.
