This certainly sucks
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Greetings from the Florida!
Hello all! It's been quite a tumultuous few days weeks months for me here at the Says Things blog. Due to contract holdouts, I haven't been able to blog regularly about things and such. Of course, in that time the blog has fallen off precipitously. Also, I amaze myself that I just spelled "precipitously" correct in one try.
As I'm sure you've already heard by now by the collective screams coming out of College Park, Augustus P. Gilchrist has reneged on his commitment. If you're keeping count here, that's two in the past month. That's not so bad though. Recruits make commitments and break them all the time. That's why they're selfish assholes who I hate/adore. Of course, most of the time that's a verbal commitment that's broken.
And it's not in May/July when seniors have already graduated.
And have selected schools.
And aren't in high school anymore.
And when it's easier to find another recruit
DAMMIT!
For what it's worth, here's the Terps' roster for next year, broken down by class:
Seniors: One. David "El Tiempo de Dave" Neal
Juniors: Three. Eric "Professional Sex Machine" Hayes, Landon "Not Dining Hall" Milbourne, and Greivis "¡Arriba!" Vasquez.
RS Sophmore: One. Jerome "Fills the Cup" Burney
Sophomores: Five. Adrian "From Greenbelt Not From" Bowie, Braxton "Manatee" Dupree, Dino "In the Doghouse" Gregory, Clifton "P" Tucker, David "Walk-on" Pearman.
Freshman: Null Set
Yes, that's right ladies and folks. Your Maryland Terrapin's current roster for the 2008-2009 basketball season features four (4) less players than when the season ended in March. We have ten men on our team. A five man bench. Let that wash over for you for a little bit. Have you let it sink in yet? Good. Shocking, isn't it? Sucks, don't it?
Yup, that's the Maryland Men's Basketball team. True, we could always find a random JuCo transfer before August. Or we could find some scrap heap player who just graduated. Or we could have a team with four walk on players. I mean, last year UNC had no scholarship freshman, and they went to the Final Four. So it's possible, right?
To think that I wanted to come back to school so I could have another season of free basketball tickets.
As I'm sure you've already heard by now by the collective screams coming out of College Park, Augustus P. Gilchrist has reneged on his commitment. If you're keeping count here, that's two in the past month. That's not so bad though. Recruits make commitments and break them all the time. That's why they're selfish assholes who I hate/adore. Of course, most of the time that's a verbal commitment that's broken.
And it's not in May/July when seniors have already graduated.
And have selected schools.
And aren't in high school anymore.
And when it's easier to find another recruit
DAMMIT!
For what it's worth, here's the Terps' roster for next year, broken down by class:
Seniors: One. David "El Tiempo de Dave" Neal
Juniors: Three. Eric "Professional Sex Machine" Hayes, Landon "Not Dining Hall" Milbourne, and Greivis "¡Arriba!" Vasquez.
RS Sophmore: One. Jerome "Fills the Cup" Burney
Sophomores: Five. Adrian "From Greenbelt Not From" Bowie, Braxton "Manatee" Dupree, Dino "In the Doghouse" Gregory, Clifton "P" Tucker, David "Walk-on" Pearman.
Freshman: Null Set
Yes, that's right ladies and folks. Your Maryland Terrapin's current roster for the 2008-2009 basketball season features four (4) less players than when the season ended in March. We have ten men on our team. A five man bench. Let that wash over for you for a little bit. Have you let it sink in yet? Good. Shocking, isn't it? Sucks, don't it?
Yup, that's the Maryland Men's Basketball team. True, we could always find a random JuCo transfer before August. Or we could find some scrap heap player who just graduated. Or we could have a team with four walk on players. I mean, last year UNC had no scholarship freshman, and they went to the Final Four. So it's possible, right?
To think that I wanted to come back to school so I could have another season of free basketball tickets.
And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth...
Who's up for transferring to UCLA? Cute girls, dry warm climate, good sports, not annoying...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Terps Wild R
Another big change occurred this week in Maryland's 2008 recruiting class with the news that Junior College Shooting Guard prospect Tyree Evans (Motlow CC) will receive a release from his Letter of Intent, signed just over a month ago, and will seek an opportunity to play elsewhere next season. This comes amid controversy about Evans' checkered past and questions of whether he would even be admitted to Maryland.
This continues what has been a wacky year of recruiting for the Terps that reflects the hard times that have fallen on the program. The Terps began this recruiting season with at least three scholarships to offer to members of the class of 2008. Local prospects like SG Sean Mosley of Saint Frances, a star since his freshman season of high school, as well as C Henry Sims of Mount Saint Joseph, emerged as the top priorities for Maryland, alongside other recruits such as PA SG Brian Walsh and NJ PF Quintrell Thomas.
As of August of last year, the Terps had no committments from the senior class of high school players. Sims committed to Georgetown, and Walsh chose Xavier after the Terps were not ready to accept his committment, still holding out hope for Mosley, a consensus top 50 recruit. Thomas, once seen as the top frontcourt recruiting priority for the Terps for most of the summer, dropped off the Maryland radar as interest faded (he would eventually choose Kansas over hometown Rutgers).
It seemed that NC SG Chris Turner would be a viable option, but business picked up in August when Mosley committed to the Terps over Virginia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, and Syracuse. Long one of the team's recruiting priorities, Mosley's committment was one of the biggest to the program in some time, a local player who had dominated the high school scene for years. In addition, nomadic C Terrence Jennings, an explosive athlete and top 20 prospect out of NC, committed to the Terps as well, helping to form what looked to be one of the great recruiting classes in Terrapin history.
But that didn't last. The nomadic Jennings, who had attended almost countless different schools, withdrew his verbal committme in early October before signing a Letter of Intent with Louisville. That stung, but the Terps got another unexpected surprise when local PF Gus Gilchrist, originally an '07 recruit before withdrawing his committment from Virginia Tech late in the process, decided to join the Terps, once again giving the team a strong one-two punch. The Terps also received a verbal committment from South Korean SF Jin Soo Kim, an '09 prospect whose size and outside shooting ability has led me to crown him the Korean Durant. There were even rumors that the Terps would finish up their class by adding PF/C Ater Majok of the Sudan, a one-time Baylor committment, to the mix.
The Terps followed those commitments up by giving their last vacant scholarship offer to PG Bobby Maze, a Junior College player originally from Prince George's county, whose addition signaled a much need injection of speed and ballhandling to next year's team. And then, even with no scholarships apparently remaining, the Terps took a committment from Maze's teammate Ken Bowman, a PF from California, after it became clear that Majok would not be coming to Maryland (he eventually signed with UConn).
But this momentum only meant that bad news was coming. And it did in the form of the news that Gilchrist, due to having signed a letter of intent to play at Virginia Tech, would be considered a transfer by ACC rules and would be forced to lose a year of eligibility at Maryland. As he had not enrolled until the Spring Semester, such a ruling meant he would be ineligible until the end of the Fall '08 Semester, thus in effect leaving him with just 2.5 years of eligibility remaining.
That's when things got out of control. Soon news came that Bowman would not make it to College Park. And then the Terps, still without a fourth scholarship open, signed SG Tyree Evans to a letter of intent, apparently leaving Maze out in the cold without a scholarship. While Shane Walker would soon leave the program and open up the needed scholarship, Maze's interest faded and he would eventually sign with Tennessee.
Maze's past was somewhat checkered, due to having bounced around to a number of schools, including transferring from Oklahoma after his freshman season after a mutual decision to do so with coach Jeff Capel. There were also rumored to be some academic issues which may have factored into the Terps taking Evans over Maze. But Evans also had a past of his own, which included jail time for a drug possession charge, as well as an indictment on statutory rape charges, a dismissal from his first Junior College team, and - apparently at least - more arrests.
Soon the media firestorm over a usually clean program like Maryland taking Evans ensued on Sports Illustrated's web site and in the Baltimore Sun. Was this a sign of desperation from Gary Williams? Was this the right move, taking a kid that such esteemed programs as Cincinnatti and Kansas State passed on? The articles seemed to point to a rift in the Athletic Department, as Athletic Director Deborah Yow claimed not to know of Evans' past (although even I knew).
And now with Evans admission in question, he will no longer be a Terp, by his own choice, at least from published reports. And not only that, but the Diamondback reported last week that Sean Mosley had yet to receive an SAT score high enough to allow him to play next season.
So as of right now, the Terps will have no new players suiting up for them when the season tips off in November. Gilchrist, barring the ACC's prior ruling on his eligibility being overruled, will not play until the end of exams for the fall semester. And Mosley will not be able to play unless he receives the requisite scores on his placement tests. It's a great time to be a Maryland fan.
This continues what has been a wacky year of recruiting for the Terps that reflects the hard times that have fallen on the program. The Terps began this recruiting season with at least three scholarships to offer to members of the class of 2008. Local prospects like SG Sean Mosley of Saint Frances, a star since his freshman season of high school, as well as C Henry Sims of Mount Saint Joseph, emerged as the top priorities for Maryland, alongside other recruits such as PA SG Brian Walsh and NJ PF Quintrell Thomas.
As of August of last year, the Terps had no committments from the senior class of high school players. Sims committed to Georgetown, and Walsh chose Xavier after the Terps were not ready to accept his committment, still holding out hope for Mosley, a consensus top 50 recruit. Thomas, once seen as the top frontcourt recruiting priority for the Terps for most of the summer, dropped off the Maryland radar as interest faded (he would eventually choose Kansas over hometown Rutgers).
It seemed that NC SG Chris Turner would be a viable option, but business picked up in August when Mosley committed to the Terps over Virginia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, and Syracuse. Long one of the team's recruiting priorities, Mosley's committment was one of the biggest to the program in some time, a local player who had dominated the high school scene for years. In addition, nomadic C Terrence Jennings, an explosive athlete and top 20 prospect out of NC, committed to the Terps as well, helping to form what looked to be one of the great recruiting classes in Terrapin history.
But that didn't last. The nomadic Jennings, who had attended almost countless different schools, withdrew his verbal committme in early October before signing a Letter of Intent with Louisville. That stung, but the Terps got another unexpected surprise when local PF Gus Gilchrist, originally an '07 recruit before withdrawing his committment from Virginia Tech late in the process, decided to join the Terps, once again giving the team a strong one-two punch. The Terps also received a verbal committment from South Korean SF Jin Soo Kim, an '09 prospect whose size and outside shooting ability has led me to crown him the Korean Durant. There were even rumors that the Terps would finish up their class by adding PF/C Ater Majok of the Sudan, a one-time Baylor committment, to the mix.
The Terps followed those commitments up by giving their last vacant scholarship offer to PG Bobby Maze, a Junior College player originally from Prince George's county, whose addition signaled a much need injection of speed and ballhandling to next year's team. And then, even with no scholarships apparently remaining, the Terps took a committment from Maze's teammate Ken Bowman, a PF from California, after it became clear that Majok would not be coming to Maryland (he eventually signed with UConn).
But this momentum only meant that bad news was coming. And it did in the form of the news that Gilchrist, due to having signed a letter of intent to play at Virginia Tech, would be considered a transfer by ACC rules and would be forced to lose a year of eligibility at Maryland. As he had not enrolled until the Spring Semester, such a ruling meant he would be ineligible until the end of the Fall '08 Semester, thus in effect leaving him with just 2.5 years of eligibility remaining.
That's when things got out of control. Soon news came that Bowman would not make it to College Park. And then the Terps, still without a fourth scholarship open, signed SG Tyree Evans to a letter of intent, apparently leaving Maze out in the cold without a scholarship. While Shane Walker would soon leave the program and open up the needed scholarship, Maze's interest faded and he would eventually sign with Tennessee.
Maze's past was somewhat checkered, due to having bounced around to a number of schools, including transferring from Oklahoma after his freshman season after a mutual decision to do so with coach Jeff Capel. There were also rumored to be some academic issues which may have factored into the Terps taking Evans over Maze. But Evans also had a past of his own, which included jail time for a drug possession charge, as well as an indictment on statutory rape charges, a dismissal from his first Junior College team, and - apparently at least - more arrests.
Soon the media firestorm over a usually clean program like Maryland taking Evans ensued on Sports Illustrated's web site and in the Baltimore Sun. Was this a sign of desperation from Gary Williams? Was this the right move, taking a kid that such esteemed programs as Cincinnatti and Kansas State passed on? The articles seemed to point to a rift in the Athletic Department, as Athletic Director Deborah Yow claimed not to know of Evans' past (although even I knew).
And now with Evans admission in question, he will no longer be a Terp, by his own choice, at least from published reports. And not only that, but the Diamondback reported last week that Sean Mosley had yet to receive an SAT score high enough to allow him to play next season.
So as of right now, the Terps will have no new players suiting up for them when the season tips off in November. Gilchrist, barring the ACC's prior ruling on his eligibility being overruled, will not play until the end of exams for the fall semester. And Mosley will not be able to play unless he receives the requisite scores on his placement tests. It's a great time to be a Maryland fan.
Monday, May 12, 2008
From hell's doorstep.
I have to write this blog so that Steve will stop shouting at me...
Pray for me.
- Martin Sheen.
Pray for me.
- Martin Sheen.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Key Moves
Another guest blog by Josh. This one explains some key moves that our readers will need to take note of.
Key Moves
Warning: Do not attempt any of these Moves as they may lead to physical harm, legal action and/or social ostracism. We are trained professionals who don’t have any friends anyway.
When an elevator gets stuck, it is extremely key to climb on top of the elevator using the hatch in the ceiling. Once on top of the elevator, you can then await rescue, awaiting rescue while in the elevator is exactly what they would expect…
When in public places, it is key to call people who are across the room so that you aren’t forced to yell and/or get up.
Probably the most key thing ever is using the word sector to describe distinct areas, for example, if one of the bedrooms in your suite has the door closed, you would say “that sector is all sealed off.”
Purchasing solid-state-hard-drives for one’s computational-device is a key move when attempting to ‘pwn the n00bs.’
Walking around the campus at 11:00 pm WHILE handing out flyers for a ‘2 v. 2 Breakdance event for $200’ WHILE smoking a pipe is DEFINITELY a key move.
Doing experiments in order to earn the revenues is a key move.
Hanging enormous pictures of Llama’s in order to decorate the STAMP Student Union is a key move in the field of ‘Feng Shui’ particularly when none of the other pictures or really anything else in STAMP has anything to do with Llamas.
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to demonstrate manhood or resolve a conflict, Cage-fighting is an extremely key move.
An especially key move, specifically for the men, is eating MORE foodstuffs.
When one is attempting to win respect, pretty much the most key move ever is turning a person (generally someone whom you don’t like) into a pillar of salt. Being turned into a pillar of salt is a major lose though.
When speaking to people across the interwebs, it is a key move to go ahead and hit the ol’ caps lock and force peoples to pay attention to your unnecessarily capitalized words.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
NBA Draft Time!
The NFL Draft has come and gone with the Ravens picking some QB out of Delaware in the first round after trading approximately seven different times in the first round alone. But I don't care about that. The NFL Draft is boring. No one will admit it because of this country's love affair with the NFL, but the NBA Draft is better. Two rounds on one night is much easier to digest than seven rounds spread over two grueling days. The NBA Draft also isn't the subject of three months of the ESPN Hype Machine (patent pending) or seven billion appearances from Mel Kiper's Hair on the WorldWide Leader. And finally, I've heard of all the (non-foreign) guys in the NBA Draft. Does anyone know anything about some OL from Ole Miss drafted in the 6th round? (Warning: this player may not exist).
This is the first in a series of articles about this year's NBA Draft. The series will end when I feel like not writing anymore. The series may be only one entry long. The series may eventually be released as a TV miniseries and entitled Ken Burns' Baseball. No one knows (good song).
This entry looks at each of the major conferences and the early entrants whose (potential) departure most heavily impacts next years' conference races.
ACC: Tywon Lawson. Even with Tyler Hansbrough returning for his senior season, whether or not Tywon Lawson remains in the draft will be critical for North Carolina. With Quentin Thomas graduating, Lawson's departure would mean that point guard responsibilities would be divided between senior Bobby Frasor, who was limited by injury to just twelve games last season, along with incoming freshman Larry Drew of California. Frasor is a competent backup with some starting experience and Drew is a well-regarded, if not elite, prospect, but there has to be major questions about whether either player could play well enough next season for a team that will contend for a National Championship once again if Ellington and Green make their way back to Chapel Hill. Lawson's speed in the open court is perfect for the Tar Heels run and gun offense and his impact on the team likely goes beyond his raw scoring and assist averages.
SEC: Jamont Gordon. Mississippi State recovered from a slow start this season to win 23 games and make it to the second round of the tournament. While the Bulldogs lost two key contributors from a 12 win SEC team (Charles Rhodes to graduation and Ben Hansbrough to transfer), the return of Gordon, who averaged a Vasquezian 17.5-6-6-4.9-4.1 (pts, rebs, ast, to) line last season, could make them the early favorite in the SEC West for next season. Without Gordon, they'll have to duke it out with the rest of the pack that includes Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas. Gordon, much like Vasquez, lacks the scoring efficiency and outside shooting to make him NBA-ready so he would be wise to return for his senior season.
Big XII: Darrell Arthur. The sophomore big man somewhat quietly led eventual National Champion Kansas in scoring in the regular season before finishing second to Brandon Rush. His 12.8 ppg average may not seem gaudy, but considering how balanced the Jayhawks were and that the average was compiled in just under 25 minutes per game at 54% shooting and it's easy to see how valuable Arthur was. If both Arthur and Mario Chalmers leave, Sherron Collins would be the only player in the team's top eight to return to Kansas. While the Jayhawks program is one that typically reloads rather than rebuilds, losing seven contributors is a tough hit to take. If Arthur returns he would provide a much needed inside complement to Collins and possibly Chalmers on the outside. If Arthur leaves, the expectations at Kansas should not include a return trip to the Final Four.
Big Ten: Kosta Koufos. Ohio State head coach Thad Matta might be the best recruiter in college basketball right now, but even his skills couldn't prevent the loss of Greg Oden, Mike Conley, and Daequan Cook from taking the Buckeyes from National Runner-up to NIT Champions. While Ohio State disappointed, one time Maryland recruit Kosta Koufos did not. The seven footer with range out to the three point line lived up to his billing as a freshman by averaging 14.4 points per game. If he leaves, along with seniors Jamar Butler and Othello Hunter, the Buckeyes will lose their best scorers from a team that struggled to put the ball in the hoop. Koufos needs to become a better rebounder and a more physical player before he makes an impact in the NBA, but it's a near certainty that he'll be a lottery pick this offseason if he chooses to stay in the draft. If that happens, not even a recruiting class that includes the #1 prospect in the country according to some may be able to prevent another bubble season.
Pac Ten: Kevin Love. It's a virtual certainty that Love will stay in the draft, but the big man from Oregon has yet to hire an agent and has retained his eligibility so far. Needless to say this would be a big coup for the Bruins if Love returns given that he was, statistically, one of the top two players in the country alongside Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Given that teammates Russell Westbrook, Josh Shipp, and Luc Richard Mbah-a-Moute have also declared for the draft, but if Love were to come back that would certainly mitigate the pain of losing any of those three.
Big East: Joe Alexander. While a potential return by Syracuse frosh Donte Greene might have more impact, there's little chance of that. Alexander is projected to be a first round pick, but if the athletic small forward from Mount Airy were to return to West Virginia the Mountaineers would lose only Darris Nicholls and could stand to improve on last season's Sweet 16 finish. Alexander gained most of his national notoriety in his team's upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament, but he could stand to come back to school for his final season in order to improve his offensive game. If he does, Bob Huggins will do big things in his second season in Morgantown.
This is the first in a series of articles about this year's NBA Draft. The series will end when I feel like not writing anymore. The series may be only one entry long. The series may eventually be released as a TV miniseries and entitled Ken Burns' Baseball. No one knows (good song).
This entry looks at each of the major conferences and the early entrants whose (potential) departure most heavily impacts next years' conference races.
ACC: Tywon Lawson. Even with Tyler Hansbrough returning for his senior season, whether or not Tywon Lawson remains in the draft will be critical for North Carolina. With Quentin Thomas graduating, Lawson's departure would mean that point guard responsibilities would be divided between senior Bobby Frasor, who was limited by injury to just twelve games last season, along with incoming freshman Larry Drew of California. Frasor is a competent backup with some starting experience and Drew is a well-regarded, if not elite, prospect, but there has to be major questions about whether either player could play well enough next season for a team that will contend for a National Championship once again if Ellington and Green make their way back to Chapel Hill. Lawson's speed in the open court is perfect for the Tar Heels run and gun offense and his impact on the team likely goes beyond his raw scoring and assist averages.
SEC: Jamont Gordon. Mississippi State recovered from a slow start this season to win 23 games and make it to the second round of the tournament. While the Bulldogs lost two key contributors from a 12 win SEC team (Charles Rhodes to graduation and Ben Hansbrough to transfer), the return of Gordon, who averaged a Vasquezian 17.5-6-6-4.9-4.1 (pts, rebs, ast, to) line last season, could make them the early favorite in the SEC West for next season. Without Gordon, they'll have to duke it out with the rest of the pack that includes Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas. Gordon, much like Vasquez, lacks the scoring efficiency and outside shooting to make him NBA-ready so he would be wise to return for his senior season.
Big XII: Darrell Arthur. The sophomore big man somewhat quietly led eventual National Champion Kansas in scoring in the regular season before finishing second to Brandon Rush. His 12.8 ppg average may not seem gaudy, but considering how balanced the Jayhawks were and that the average was compiled in just under 25 minutes per game at 54% shooting and it's easy to see how valuable Arthur was. If both Arthur and Mario Chalmers leave, Sherron Collins would be the only player in the team's top eight to return to Kansas. While the Jayhawks program is one that typically reloads rather than rebuilds, losing seven contributors is a tough hit to take. If Arthur returns he would provide a much needed inside complement to Collins and possibly Chalmers on the outside. If Arthur leaves, the expectations at Kansas should not include a return trip to the Final Four.
Big Ten: Kosta Koufos. Ohio State head coach Thad Matta might be the best recruiter in college basketball right now, but even his skills couldn't prevent the loss of Greg Oden, Mike Conley, and Daequan Cook from taking the Buckeyes from National Runner-up to NIT Champions. While Ohio State disappointed, one time Maryland recruit Kosta Koufos did not. The seven footer with range out to the three point line lived up to his billing as a freshman by averaging 14.4 points per game. If he leaves, along with seniors Jamar Butler and Othello Hunter, the Buckeyes will lose their best scorers from a team that struggled to put the ball in the hoop. Koufos needs to become a better rebounder and a more physical player before he makes an impact in the NBA, but it's a near certainty that he'll be a lottery pick this offseason if he chooses to stay in the draft. If that happens, not even a recruiting class that includes the #1 prospect in the country according to some may be able to prevent another bubble season.
Pac Ten: Kevin Love. It's a virtual certainty that Love will stay in the draft, but the big man from Oregon has yet to hire an agent and has retained his eligibility so far. Needless to say this would be a big coup for the Bruins if Love returns given that he was, statistically, one of the top two players in the country alongside Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Given that teammates Russell Westbrook, Josh Shipp, and Luc Richard Mbah-a-Moute have also declared for the draft, but if Love were to come back that would certainly mitigate the pain of losing any of those three.
Big East: Joe Alexander. While a potential return by Syracuse frosh Donte Greene might have more impact, there's little chance of that. Alexander is projected to be a first round pick, but if the athletic small forward from Mount Airy were to return to West Virginia the Mountaineers would lose only Darris Nicholls and could stand to improve on last season's Sweet 16 finish. Alexander gained most of his national notoriety in his team's upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament, but he could stand to come back to school for his final season in order to improve his offensive game. If he does, Bob Huggins will do big things in his second season in Morgantown.
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