Sunday, September 28, 2014

News On The Horizon 9/28/2014


In-state forward becomes Cleveland State’s first 2015 commitment--CollegeBasketballTalk
Questions return for Heat; answers not so clear--South Florida Sun Sentinel
7. Shawne Williams? Reggie Williams? Shannon Brown? Really?

A. As mentioned above with Deng and Granger, albeit in bigger roles with those two, offseasons often are about indentifying players who once were someone and possibly could yet be again.

But perspective also is important when considering the end of the bench. If the Heat start Bosh, McRoberts, Deng, Wade and Mario Chalmers, then figure on Granger, Andersen, Norris Cole and possibly Haslem being the next wave off the bench. So what we're really talking about with the others is who might emerge as a 10th man.

Brown might have the greatest opportunity of the minimum-scale free-agent additions, standing as one of the few on the roster who could set up as a defensive stopper at point guard.
Heat's Luol Deng moves past controversy--South Florida Sun Sentinel
Cole in top shape

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra used the word "blasted" to describe how Norris Cole dominated the team's conditioning workouts. Cole, who is entering his fourth season, arrived at training camp in the best shape of his career.

"I think I stayed in pretty decent shape," Cole said. "I did a little bit each day."

Cole said he was motivated after struggling with eating habits last summer. He changed his diet and continued his normally strenuous workouts. Cole is expected to challenge Mario Chalmers for the starting point guard spot.

"I definitely toned it up to a different level," Cole said. "I prepared my body as if I'm going to play a full game. That's the workload that I try to put on myself. I want to be in maximum condition. The only way you can be in maximum condition is to go outside your comfort zone."
Cleveland State hosts homecoming; Sweet 16 tickets on sale this month--Cleveland Plain Dealer
That other Miami Heat player - Norris Cole - returns to Cleveland, too--Cleveland Plain Dealer
St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Jibri Blount commits to play basketball at Cleveland State--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Announces 2014-15 men's basketball schedule--Cleveland State Hoops
Akron SVSM's Jibri Blount Commits to Cleveland State--Cleveland State Hoops

NCAA pay issue could shift UDM sports landscape--Varsity Press
One year later: AD Vowels focuses on enhancing Titan brand--Varsity Press

Eats, sweets and grizzly beats--Oakland Post

Former UIC forward Scott VanderMeer sings [sic] contract in Uruguay--The Catch and Shoot
Horizon League announces 2014-15 TV schedule--The Catch and Shoot
Breaking down UIC’s 2014-15 schedule--The Catch and Shoot

UIC Women's Basketball Holds Team Photo Day--uicflames.com

2014-15 college hoops countdown: Projecting the 68 NCAA tournament teams--USA Today
No. 52 Green Bay (13 seed, Horizon League auto-bid): Keifer Sykes, the reigning Horizon League player of the year, is back but the Phoenix will have to replace 7-footer Alec Brown, who was drafted by the Suns in the NBA draft. This team won't be as offensively potent as last year's, but there's enough talent to fend off league foes such as Cleveland State and punch a ticket to the NCAA tournament after getting snubbed last March.
Schneider leaves UWGB for Memphis Grizzlies--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay Men's Basketball to Hold Walk-On Tryouts on Oct. 2--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Milwaukee's Game At Wright State To Be Broadcast Live On ESPN3--uwmpanthers.com

Rodriguez Chasing Olympic Dreams With Mexico National Team--uwmpanthers.com

WSU releases nonconference hoops schedule--Dayton Daily News
Donlon: Non-conference travel will challenge Raiders--Dayton Daily News
WSU releases MBB schedule--The Guardian
WSU Announces Men's Basketball Nonconference Schedule--wsuraiders.com

Success leads to scheduling difficulties for WSU women’s hoops--Dayton Daily News

Women’s Basketball Looking for Male Practice Players--The Jambar

Saturday, September 20, 2014

News On The Horizon 9/20/2014

The Horizon League turns to social media to announce schedule--Mid-Major Madness

Former Illinois State guard lands at Cleveland State--CollegeBasketballTalk
Cleveland State a potential TV basketball darling for Horizon League this season--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State adds a late transfer Kaza Keane from Illinois State to bolster backcourt--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Emerging leaders have MSU's Tom Izzo looking forward to season--The Detroit News
Michigan State also didn’t enjoy a top recruiting class, but they did add transfer guard Bryn Forbes (Cleveland State) to go along with freshman guard Lourawls Nairn and forwards Marvin Clark and Javon Bess.
Horizon League announces 2014-15 schedule--Cleveland State Hoops
Kaza Keane Transfers to Cleveland State--Cleveland State Hoops

Metro+state: Detroit Mercy basketball to play four games on TV--The Detroit Free Press
Men's Basketball Adds Two League Games on ESPN Networks--detroittitans.com
UDM Athletics Announces Men's Basketball Ticket Deals--detroittitans.com

Horizon League Slate Released For Women’s Hoops--detroittitans.com

Oakland releases its 2014-15 men’s basketball schedule--The Oakland Press
Athletic department strives to better gameday experience--Oakland Post
OAKLAND RELEASES MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE--ougrizzlies.com

Sporting blitz week of Sept. 10--Oakland Post
Men’s Basketball

Sept. 3: Oakland University men's basketball will hold open tryouts on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 10-11 a.m. inside the O'rena. The tryouts are only open to full-time Oakland students that are enrolled in Fall 2014. All potential walk-ons MUST complete the following prior to trying out:

1) Download the "New Athlete" medical forms available on OUGrizzlies.com.

2) Fill out necessary paper work.

3) Obtain a physical by a licensed physician within the last year.

4) Bring a copy of your class schedule to prove full-time enrollment.

5) Bring the appropriate insurance information, proof of physical and all other paperwork to the tryouts.

For more information, please e-mail assistant coach Brandon Weems at weems@oakland.edu.

Women’s Basketball

OU women’s basketball has announced their 2014-15 non-conference schedule. Oakland will host Chicago State (Nov. 23), Miami (OH) (Nov. 28) and Indiana (Dec. 20) and travel to Miami (FL) (Nov. 14), Michigan State (Nov. 26) and Central Michigan (Dec. 28).

HORIZON LEAGUE ANNOUNCES WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE SCHEDULE--ougrizzlies.com

VanderMeer finding success overseas--UIC News
Former Basketball Star Scott VanderMeer Continues Pro Career in Uruguay--uicflames.com
Horizon League Men's Basketball Schedule Announced--uicflames.com

Hannemann to play pro ball in Ireland--UIC News
Horizon League Women's Basketball Schedule Announced--uicflames.com

GB lands commitments from Pittman & Torres--Phear The Phoenix
Green Bay Announces 2014-15 Men's Basketball Schedule--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Green Bay to Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against East Carolina--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Young UWGB faces tough early schedule--Green Bay Press Gazette
UWGB-Wright State rematch in Horizon women's opener--Green Bay Press Gazette
Registration Now Open for 2014-15 Phoenix Phenoms--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Women's Basketball Releases Loaded 2014-15 Schedule--GreenBayPhoenix.com

UWM to open Horizon slate at home vs. UWGB--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jeter To Be Inducted Into UW-Platteville Hall Of Fame For Fourth Time--uwmpanthers.com
Horizon League Releases 2014-15 Men's Basketball Schedule--uwmpanthers.com
Milwaukee Men's Basketball Announces Changes To Staff--uwmpanthers.com
Milwaukee To Hold Men's Basketball Meet & Greet September 25--uwmpanthers.com

Horizon League Unveils 2014-15 Women's Basketball Schedule--uwmpanthers.com

Report: Valparaiso loses starting point guard to torn ACL--CollegeBasketballTalk
Valparaiso's Lexus Williams tears ACL--Mid-Major Madness
Men’s Basketball: Valparaiso point guard Lexus Williams likely out for season with torn ACL--The Post-Tribune
VU point guard Williams suffers torn ACL--The NWI Times
Was Lexus Williams Cursed?--Inside VU Sports
Call for harder opponents on basketball schedule--The Torch
Crusaders Announce 2014-15 Men’s Basketball Schedule--valpoathletics.com
2014-15 Men's Basketball Schedule Preview With Bryce Drew--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders to Host Pair of ESPN3 Games--valpoathletics.com

Crusaders Release 2014-15 Schedule--valpoathletics.com

Horizon slate pleases WSU’s Donlon--Dayton Daily News
Another Vest headed to Wright State--Dayton Daily News
WSU Announces Men's Basketball Conference Schedule--wsuraiders.com
Heels for Heroes Race--wsuraiders.com

WSU announces women’s basketball schedule--The Guardian
Women's Basketball Announces 2014-15 Schedule--wsuraiders.com

Spots Still Available For Men's Basketball Wine Taste September 24--ysusports.com
2014-15 Basketball Season Tickets Now on Sale--ysusports.com

Horizon League Releases Conference Women’s Basketball Schedule--ysusports.com

#HLMBB Schedule Announced--Horizon League Network

Horizon League Announces 2015 Women's Basketball Conference Schedule--Horizon League Network

Sunday, September 7, 2014

News On The Horizon 9/7/2014


Robo Kreps Joins UIC Staff as Graduate Manager--The Catch and Shoot

Katie Hannemann Signs Pro Contract to Play in Ireland--uicflames.com

Don't forget about Keifer Sykes--College Basketball Nation Blog

Former Milwaukee forward earns spot on NFL roster--The Catch and Shoot
Milwaukee releases non-conference schedule--The Catch and Shoot
Former Panther Niang On Senegal Roster For FIBA World Cup--uwmpanthers.com
Tone Boyle Named Head Basketball Coach At Highland Community College--uwmpanthers.com

UWM Announces 2014-15 Women's Basketball Nonconference Slate--uwmpanthers.com

Power Rankings: 2014 World Cup Edition--Stein Line Live
11. AUSTRALIA (Group D)

It's truly a shame that a couple of perennial faves at Stein Line HQ -- Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills -- aren't sufficiently healthy to play. Yet even without those two, Australia sports a squad teeming with current or former NBAers, headlined by Spurs center Aron Baynes (who's had a huge summer in warmup games) and the Cleveland Cavaliers' gritty Matty Dellavedova (who's bound to remain one of the most popular Cavs, even after a certain LeBron James came home this summer).

The focus on our shores, mind you, is always going to be Dante Exum when Australia comes up. That's true even if Exum, as it appears, opens the tournament as the first guard off the bench behind Dellavedova and Valparaiso ex Ryan Brokhoeff, just two months after the Jazz made Exum the No. 5 overall pick in the June draft.

The Boomers are clearly trying to lessen expectations for Exum in the 19-year-old's first major competition of any kind. The bigger issue, though, will be mustering enough shooting to make the most of their trademark Aussie toughness. Which is going to be a problem with Mills out.
Valparaiso University Formally Acquires Former Porter Hospital Property--noodls
In his words: IPFW hoop coach talks on 'state' tournament--Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
JMU releases 2014-2015 men’s basketball schedule--Augusta Free Press
Madison will first travel down to Greenville, N.C., to face east carolina (Dec. 13) before trekking to Muncie, Ind., to battle Ball State (Dec. 17). JMU closes the non-conference portion of its schedule with three straight home games when it entertains high point (Dec. 20), Norfolk State (Dec. 22) and Valparaiso (Dec. 29).

“I think there’s a terrific balance between high-caliber opponents and games we feel we can win if we’re playing good basketball and remain healthy,” Brady said of his home non-conference schedule. “Certainly Virginia, Richmond, Valparaiso and high point are picked to do well in their respective leagues and will potentially go to the NCAA Tournament.”
Valpo Athletics offers unique incentive for fans--The Torch

Men's Basketball to Host Wine Taste September 24--ysusports.com

Monday, September 1, 2014