Tyler A Pacer!

By now I'm sure you have heard Tyler hansbrough (Poplar Bluff native & North Carolina Tar Heel) was drafted 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers. I grew up a huge Pacers fan and couldn't be happier with the pick.

I think Larry Bird made a solid safe choice...It's one he won't regret because Tyler makes negative headlines. Tyler is the type of player (tireless worker who loves basketball) and type of person (low-key & respectful) who will endear himself to the Indianapolis and Pacers Nation.

After the Pacers made the pick of Tyler I was reminded of a watching practice before the McDonalds All-American Game a few years ago in South Bend, IN. The squad Tyler played on had it's first practice at a small community college gymnasium a few miles from Notre Dame. In the stands watching practice were NBA Coaches and front office personnel (Mitch Kupchack, Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird).

I was fascinated by Tyler's drive and determination while practicing for an All-Star game. He was alone at a side basket feverishly working on bunny shots...One after another, the ball rarely touching the floor. Tyler looked to be in a "zone" and ignoring the majority of the other players who took a "showboat" approach to the practice, workout, shoot-a-round or whatever you want to call it.

The "event" looked more like a Bill Self run practice I watched prior to his Jayhawks 2005 NCAA Tournament game against Bucknell in Oklahoma City. I'll save that for another blog entry. It was not a good day for Kansas.


Back to Tyler...
Almost mirroring Hansbrough's focus was Indiana Pacers executive Larry Bird.
The former NBA great sat alone in the bleachers, away from the crowd of spectators and NBA elite, watching the soon-to-be Tar Heel great work on basic drills.


I don't know Tyler on a personal level...I have only been around him during basketball related situations and interviewed him many times over the past eight years. But I became a Tyler Hansbrough fan watching him fine tune his three foot jumper while ignoring NBA Royalty and the slam dunk contest at the other end of the court. It was truly refreshing.

Click here to hear Larry Bird talk about Tyler.

Baseball Bat Trick

For the past few years I have tried to end my sportscast with the segment Finish Strong. Where I look for something interesting or highlight a great accomplishment.
Well...this might be my favorite!
Josh Womack, a player for the Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League is impressive with a bat... keep your eye on the bat... this is not trick photography... the former second round pick of the seattle mariners puts on quite a show.

He's not bad at the plate either...as of Thursday June 18th he is hitting .402.

Decatur Pride Win Kelso Klassic

The Decatur Pride roll through the Kelso Klassic undefeated (5-0) to win the championship.
Decatur knocked off Nokomis Bud Light 8-0 in the title game.

Nokomis battled back through the loser bracket (winning six consecutive games) to advance to the final.

2009 Kelso Klassic top four finishers:
1. Decatur Pride
2. Nokomis Bud Light
3. Black Gold
4. Vandalia Freight

Jill Rushin Finishes Strong In Puerto Rico

Congratulations to Jackson High School Junior track athlete Jill Rushin. Competing at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Carolina, Puerto Rico she won the discuss and shot and took second in the hammer throw.

1st Discuss: 140.00 feet

1st Shot Put: 46 feet

2nd Hammer Throw: 126 feet

Umpire Ejects Entire Crowd

This is quality stuff...I have been to a few games where I wish an umpire would toss the entire crowd. Fans (parents) can take the games a bit too seriously and act like complete idiots. It's as if they don't care how their actions embarrass the kids.

--- --- ---

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) - An umpire has emptied the stands at a high school baseball game, ejecting the entire crowd of more than 100 fans for being unruly. Umpire Don Briggs said he had no problem with any of the student athletes during Thursday's game between Winfield-Mount Union and West Burlington.

He said he had to take action because fans were being unruly, yelling and arguing. However, West Burlington Superintendent James Sleister said he didn't see any unusual behavior and said he thought the umpire overreacted.

The game resumed after a 40-minute delay. West Burlington won 12-11. The umpire called police as a precaution. West Burlington police officer Al Waterman says there were no arrests. He says he saw no unruliness himself.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Trent Green Retires

ST. LOUIS (AP) Former Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green has decided to retire, according to an online report.
Green, who began his career with San Diego in 1993, was released by St. Louis in February and opted to retire after 15 NFL seasons, FOXSports.com reported Friday.
Green, 38, earned a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2000 and twice played in the Pro Bowl (2003, 2005) for Kansas City, where he threw for more than 4,000 yards in three straight seasons. Severe concussions in 2006 and 2007 put Green’s career in jeopardy, but he re-signed with the Rams last season.
Green told FOXSports.com he reached the decision after talking it over with his family, “especially with the concussions over the last few years. We all felt it was the time to do it.”
Green also played four seasons in Washington.

Source: Associated Press

UT Martin Hires New Men's Hoop Coach

Wow…Didn’t take the Skyhawks long to fill the vacancy.

UT MARTIN TURNS MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM OVER TO NATION’S SECOND YOUNGEST HEAD COACH

MARTIN, Tenn. – When Jason James came home from church as a 10-year old, he would immediately run in the house, go to the basement and turn on the television and watch basketball. He would immerse himself into the role of a head coach and for four or five minutes he would call all the plays and make all the decisions.

His rabid imagination might have been a premonition. Ever since the St. Louis native was 10, he wanted to be a head basketball coach. And now, almost 22 years after pretending to be a head coach James gets his chance as he leads the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions at The University of Tennessee at Martin. He was named the university’s eighth head coach since 1951 this past Friday when Bret Campbell announced his resignation after 10 seasons. James, who had been an assistant to Campbell for the past seven years, is the nation’s second youngest NCAA Division I head coach at the age of 31.

“I woke up ready to go,” James said. “This has always been my goal, ever since I was 10. My dad introduced me to basketball and he always coached me and my brothers. He had such a joy in coaching that he made me want to coach and influence young men just like he did.”

Fans won’t see a big difference in the style of play that James expects next year. “I like a fast tempo and I like to score a lot of points, but my dad always taught me that it was playing defense and rebounding that made a difference,” James said. “My dad would always say if you score 100 points and the other team scores 101 points you lose by one point.”

The Skyhawks had no problem scoring this past season. The team averaged 78.8 points per game, the 13^th best in the nation. North Carolina, the NCAA champions, led the country in scoring with 89.5 points a game. The Skyhawks ran a lot of sets and plays to get open shots. James said he plans to give the team more freedom this season. “Fans will definitely see more motion.”

While the season is about six months away, James said there is plenty to do now. “We have camps and we have been recruiting. I have been working hand-in-hand with Coach Campbell for so long now, it’s like he is out of town. The difference is he’s not coming back this time.”

In addition to camp and recruiting, James will have to hire a fulltime assistant coach to take his place coaching the perimeter players. “I want to have a hand in coaching both the perimeter players and the big men,” James said. “I am going to keep Jay Bowen and Zack Janus, and the plan is to let Coach Bowen continue to work with the big men.”

The Skyhawks return two of five starters, Delrico Lane and Marquis Weddle from this season’s team that advanced to the National Invitation Tournament. While Lane and Weddle are guards, the Skyhawks have a host of big man who gained valuable experience this past year. Among the bigs are senior Eric Massey and senior Dominique Mpondo.

“I don’t think we are going to face a lot of pressure to repeat as league champions,” James said. “I think we will see a different set of pressures. We will feel the pressure to maintain the high-level of play that we have shown over the past two seasons.”

A large part of that outstanding play came from Memphis product Lester Hudson, who is a potential first-round NBA Draft pick. “We have a great bunch of players,” James said. “In my opinion my job is to bring in the best student-athletes possible and get them to play better than they think they can play.”

James came to UT Martin in 2002 from Forest Park Community College in St. Louis where he was an assistant men's basketball coach for two years. The team finished second in the region James' first year, and many FPCC players during James' tenure went on to play Division I and Division II basketball.

Before his stint at FPCC, James taught physical education and health for one year at Ritenour Middle School in St. Louis. He also coached a high school all-star team from the state of Michigan that placed third out of 54 teams at the USA Junior Nationals.

James earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and health with a coaching endorsement from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, in 2000. For two seasons he served as captain of the Graceland University basketball team. He was voted Graceland Freshman Basketball Player of the Year for the 1996-97 season and was named the Most Valuable Team Player during the 1999-2000 season.

Off the court, James has been a scholar of the game. He spends countless hours watching tape, studying other coaches and reading. Most recently James read Rick Pitino’s book, “Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0.” He is currently reading Digger Phelps’ book, “Undertaker’s Son, Life Lessons from A Coach,” but he claims Adrian Wojnarowski’s “The Miracle of St. Anthony” is the best basketball book he has ever read. In fact, James has instilled legendary coach Bob Hurley’s philosophy in the Skyhawks – “It’s not about winning and losing, it is about your performance. If you perform to the best of your ability, winning will take care of itself.”

Official word concerning Bret Campbell

I copied the press release from UT Martin concerning the recent resignation of men's basketball coach Bret Campbell.
--- --- ---
UT MARTIN OFFICIALS STAND BEHIND DECISION INVOLVING COACH'S RESIGNATION MARTIN, Tenn. — University of Tennessee at Martin officials stand behind a decision to accept the resignation of head men's basketball coach Bret Campbell. Campbell's resignation came Friday following the June 3 release of a University of Tennessee internal audit report outlining Campbell's violation of numerous university policies related to basketball camps operated by the university.

The report also cited a contract between Campbell and Anaconda Sports that did not have university approval. "University funds diverted from university accounts is a problem," said Dr. Tom Rakes, UT Martin chancellor. "The audit report speaks for itself, and if Coach Campbell had chosen not to resign, the university would have had no choice but to end his employment." Campbell was told late in 2008 by Phil Dane, UT Martin director of intercollegiate athletics, about the serious implications of his (Campbell's) actions and the related audit. The UT report stated that the audit was triggered by a review at a local high school showing "that a client's check made payable to UTM for a summer basketball camp had been cashed by Mr. Bret Campbell, head basketball coach at UTM."

The audit went on to report that Campbell cashed and/or deposited 71 camp-related checks made out to the university totaling $21,145 into a personal account, a violation of university policy and procedures.

"Coach Campbell deposited university funds into his bank account, and he did so knowing that he was breaking numerous policies," Dane said. "He claims these were not university funds, that they were camp funds. The checks were made payable to the University of Tennessee at Martin. They belonged in a university account." Dane added that the university sets policies and procedures for managing resources, "and it's our responsibility as stewards of those resources to follow those policies until they are changed." "When people break those policies without approval, they are taking the risk of being disciplined in accordance with personnel policies that address those actions," Dane said. "Those policies are there to ensure that we don't lose the trust of those who make our jobs possible."

UT Martin Coach Bret Campbell Resigns

This comes as somewhat of a surprise...Didn't see this coming.
Here is the press release from UT Martin.

MARTIN, Tenn. – Following the completion of the most successful men's basketball campaign in the history of UT Martin as a Division I program, head coach Bret Campbell submitted his resignation Thursday.
"I spent time considering what I would like to accomplish both personally and professionally," Campbell said. "Questions arose regarding decisions I made concerning the operation of the summer basketball camps on campus. I understand the concerns over mistakes that were made. After much thought and prayer and considering where the program is today, I decided to resign as head basketball coach. This will allow me to spend more time with my family before I accept other professional opportunities that are forthcoming," Campbell said. "These issues are strictly related to the summer camps and have nothing to do with the NCAA or any of our current or former players."
This past season, Campbell led the Skyhawks to their first Ohio Valley Conference championship and their first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance. The team posted a 14-4 league record and a 22-10 overall worksheet, the best overall record in school history and the most wins for UT Martin since playing as an NCAA Division I team. After winning a school-record 11 straight games, the Skyhawks cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for the first time ever on Feb. 23, 2009. The Skyhawks came in at No. 25 in the poll, which is in its 10th season of existence.
"While at UT Martin, I had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest coaches, student-athletes and fans in the Ohio Valley Conference," Campbell said. "It is rare that a coach has the privilege of coaching an All-American, achieving a conference championship, being named coach of the year, playing in the NIT and seeing the program post the 11th largest
increase in attendance in the NCAA all in the same year."
Campbell will be replaced by assistant head coach Jason James who has been with the Skyhawks for the past seven years. James will become the Skyhawks' eighth head coach since 1951.
"The men's basketball program is clearly in a better position today than when I first arrived 10 years ago," Campbell said. "That is why the time has come for me to turn the program over to my assistant coach and friend, Jason James. I am confident Jason will maintain the enthusiasm currently in place and continue what we have started.
"Jason is a tireless worker," Campbell said. "He has a number of recruiting contacts throughout the Southeast, and he has been instrumental in helping UT Martin become one of the top programs in the OVC."
"Coach Campbell has guided our men's basketball program to elevated levels of success, and we are grateful to have benefitted from his expertise. I know our Skyhawk fans and student-athletes recognize and appreciate what Bret Campbell brought to this program," UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes said.
"I deeply regret Bret's resignation, but I want to assure our stakeholders that the decisions he made regarding summer camps were completely unrelated to his responsibilities under NCAA rules as they related to recruiting, student welfare, academics or any other area of under his supervision, UT Martin athletics director Phil Dane said.
"Bret has worked tirelessly to get the program where it is today, and I wish him and his family the very best as he moves forward.  I have complete confidence that his program has been run in accordance with NCAA rules or I would not appoint Jason (James) as our head coach," Dane said. " I am pleased that Jason is willing to accept the appointment as our next coach, and I know he and Coach (Jay) Bowen will move the program forward."
Campell, 47, has led the Skyhawks to five consecutive Ohio Valley Conference postseason tournaments; he recruited the Freshman of the Year or OVC Newcomer of the Year in four of the past eight seasons; and he has recruited two-time OVC Player of the Year Lester Hudson.
Campbell came to UT Martin in March 1999, from Austin Peay. The Indiana native reached two coaching milestones in 2008. He won his 100th game as a collegiate head coach with an 82-79 victory over Tennessee Tech on Feb. 14, 2008. Campbell also became the second-longest tenured coach at UT Martin with the win over Tech. He has coached 292 games over the past 10 seasons. Only Floyd Burdette has coach more games (398 games) than Campbell.
This past season, Campbell, Hudson and the Skyhawks posted the 11th largest average attendance increase in Division I from the previous year. The Skyhawks averaged more than 1,000 people per game compared to their average attendance in 2008.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Former Saluki returns to Carbondale

A familiar face returns to the southern illinois saluki mens basketball program.
Marcus Belcher is hired to fill the vacancy created when Rodney Watson took over at Southern Indiana.

Belcher was a point guard for the Salukis when they made the 2002 run to the sweet 16 under then hed coach Bruce Weber. In two seasons playing for SIU he scored 350 points in 66 games.
Last season he was an assistant at Missouri Valley Conference rival Evansville.

SIU's program now has four former players on its six-man coaching staff including Belcher, Chris Lowery, Brad Korn and Tony Young.

OVC Baseball Tournament Leaves Paducah

It's official... after 9 seasons playing at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, KY the OVC Tournament will relocate to Pringles Stadium in Jackson, TN. The OVC agreed to a three year deal beginning 2010.

The tournament will be held May 26-30 next year. Pringles Park is the home of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners). Pringles Park opened in 1998 and seats 6,000.

In an earlier entry I suggested the OVC needed to move on to a "big-boy"
venue. I think it was time for a change.
I'm sure Pringles Park is a top rate facilility and will be a good fit for the tournament.

To be selfish I wish the OVC would have kept it closer to Paducah, KY...Like Marion, IL.

Source for picture: www.ovcsports.com