Still a lot of housekeeping to do on this blog, so please ignore the dust. I am planning on purchasing the domain "ecougarzone.com" sometime in the near future, and anticipate everything to be at 100 percent by July 1, just in time for soccer season and pre-season basketball (yes, I said July, its never too early to start talking college hoops."
The majority of this blog will cover SIUe basketball, but all other sports will be covered as well. Be sure to check out my novelette on the 1979 soccer team by clicking the tab beneath the banner.
I will be back at the Alestle for another summer as sports editor beginning in two weeks, so I am just enjoying some much needed down time in the meanwhile.
There is a little bit of unfinished business however, which I will briefly get to.
LET'S GO!!
First, and I am sure you are all super-pumped about this, I have developed a travel map for the upcoming men's basketball season. As you can tell, I am very scientific in my approach to geography. The women's map is a little bit smaller, but I am hoping to hit the road and follow them next season as well.
If those two paragraphs don't get you excited, I don't know what will. Although Messer is regarded as SIUE's biggest grab this recruiting season, he is not the most important. SIUE has a number of players who can play the two guard position (LeShaun Murphy, Cody Rincker, David Boarden and Anthony Mitchell.) Hell, throw Kevin Stineman into the mix as well. Murphy has by far the highest ceiling out of the group of returning players. Here is a brief rundown on SIUE's shooting guard options, and why I feel like Messer could find himself starting immediately (if he fits the scheme.)
Stineman is a guy SIUE relied on in the starting lineup at times last season with Aamir McCleary missing time to injury. He averaged just 3 points and 2 rebounds per game, with his career high 11 coming against Middle Tennessee State. Stineman will be important off the bench next season to get guys a blow, and while he will be a junior next season, his play has not merited a starting position. Forrester likes Kevin, and there's no reason not to. He is always on the floor chasing down lose balls, but he should be starting on the bench.
Rincker is a possible starting lineup guy, and showed flashes of brilliance last season, but is a three point threat and nothing more.
Mitchell has been around the block, limited off the bench at St. Louis University before a JUCO stint and a similar role at SIUE. He is sloppy with the ball at times and not the best shooting option for the Cougars, he is strong for a SG, but lacks the aggressiveness to drive the ball inside at will.
Boarden will be an option, playing 17 minutes per game last season between guard and forward. His downside comes as a 33 percent shooter.
I have said all along LeShaun Murphy is the future. Murphy will be entering his sophomore season, and when he played as a freshmen he was outstanding. He wasn't given as many reps during games to have a freshman year like Yelovich had in 2008-2009, but Murphy is the spark plug SIUE needs.
Seriously, check out that slam! LeShaun was a 43 percent shooter, 37 percent from beyond the arc, and averaged six points per game playing an average of 13 minutes. If Murphy can develop the ability to run the point at the college level it would create an ideal situation, and be the best bet SIUE has at filling the gap left by McCleary.
As far as SIUE's other recruits, Brown is only 6''9 (I say only, while he is a foot and change taller than me) but has a wide wingspan. He needs to do a little bit of work in the gym to become a true post presence, something the Cougars lacked last season. Senior Nikola Bundalo figures to be the starting center, and Brown has the capability to slide right in behind him, followed by Zeke Schneider and Dob Mavrak. Zeke looked much better later in the year last season after an adventurous start to his college career. Bundalo has that deadly hook shot, but SIUE remains soft inside.
There is a lot of time left in the off-season, so nothing to really worry about, here is what I would like to see by November.
PG Murphy
SG Messer
F Yelovich
F Boarden
C Bundalo
Next season will be a very different looking Cougar team.
From SIUE we move to college basketball in general.
Hofstra has a new head coach, Mo Cassara. Cassara was supposed to fill an assistant role for Tim Welsh, who was fired after just a few weeks on the job. Welsh was arrested for driving under the influence when police found him asleep at the wheel with a BAC of .18. (Remind you of anyone St. Louis Cardinals fans?)
These circumstances were definitely not ideal for Hofstra, trying to regain control of the Colonial Athletic Association, or Cassara, most recently the third assistant at Boston College who has known Welsh for years.
I think Welsh may have taken his job for granted. There is nothing wrong with celebrating a little but common sense has got to prevail, especially when you are making as much money as Welsh was scheduled to make at Hofstra. $600,000 a year is enough to buy a cab fare.
(Another overdue topic) The NCAA recently (the word we use in journalism when something is overdue, it makes us sound timely when we are not) announced it will be expanding its Men's basketball championship to 68 teams.
I feel as if too many undeserving bubble teams sneak into the tournament as it is. Wake Forest had no business in the NCAA tournament. I am sorry. Under the new system, Virginia Tech and Illinois would have also made the cut. We don't know specifics, but likely it is going to bring 17 seeds into the tournament, and create a PIG marathon in Dayton, (best-case scenario) with two doubleheaders, (one Tuesday, one Wednesday.) If conferences weren't awarded win-shares for advancing teams in the tournament this would be a disaster, giving six additional automatic qualifiers the extra game. Fortunately, the new system will help some of these lower-level conference teams financially, and get them a little more national exposure. The play-in game used to be ho-hum. Most bracket contests don't even require you pick a winner. It was a case of the historically black colleges getting screwed a majority of the time, at least in the media's eye. Now, with CBS sports and Turner's package, these games will actually develop a little more meaning. Meaning they deserve as a part of the NCAA tournament. Thank god it didn't go to 86 teams.
In the Ohio Valley Conference, kudos go out to Morehead State's Kenneth Faried, who decided to forgo the NBA draft and play out his senior season. Faried is by far the best post-player in the OVC, and his decision bodes well for the conference as a whole. Morehead State looks to be right there next season along with Murray State, who returns a majority of its players, including freshman sensation Isaiah Cannon. Unfortunately for SIUE, both teams will be on the schedule again next season. When all is said and done, I would love to see the Eagles and Racers re-match in Nashville next March. Hopefully by then, everything is back to normal in Nashville, best wishes to everyone out there with the flooding. It's a great town.
In soccer news, no schedule yet, it should be available sometime very soon, have to check on that when I get back to work, one thing is for certain though, SIUE hosts IUPUI Sept. 19 at Korte Stadium via IUPUIjags.com.
On the diamond, congratulations to Megan Murphy and Dustin Brooks, SIUE's ESPN the Magazine COSIDA Academic All-District performers.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled summer.
Allan
