PREVIOUS NUGGETS |
07.24.06: Miami
football player shot at off-campus residence ...
'Star-crossed' defensive back leaving Auburn ... Admission
denied for Gamecock hoops signee |
07.23.06: Accident
claims life of Georgia hoops player ...
Ex-Navy quarterback Owens spared jail time ... Former
Gamecock suing university |
07.22.06: Blue
Devils name new lacrosse coach ... Former Duke back issues
$1 million challenge ... Current Duke back Harris gets tube
time |
07.21.06: Hoops
recruiting thumbnail: Jontae Sherrod ... Tiger recruit says
Irish used negative tactics ... Duke football hit by
suspension, dismissals ... UK to report self over Internet
shenanigans |
07.20.06: ECU
to hold public "celebration" of LeClair's life ... LeClair
rites to be broadcast and live-streamed ... Future Pirate
Fields tallies 8 points in East loss ... C-USA announces
staff additions, promotions ... UCF uses buyout; Vols host
Wolfpack in 2008 |
07.19.06: Irish
fill baseball coaching vacancy ... Fork Union, Oak Hill
getting review by NCAA ... Alabama cager denied fifth year
of eligibility |
07.18.06: ECU's
Krog, Hauser recognized for academics ... UCF golfer fires
record round of 60 ... Rutgers drops six sports to trim
athletic budget |
07.17.06: LSU
paying baseball coach $450K per year ... Kruger uses rule
change to play for dad ... MAAC adopts new hoops tourney
format |
07.16.06: UTEP
track athletes achieve in classroom ... Former George Mason
cager gives up on NFL ... Jury hears tape of Navy
quarterback's call |
07.15.06: GMAC
Bowl in Mobile moves to January ... Louisville ponies up to
lock down Petrino ... Tulsa names McCombs women's golf coach |
07.14.06: N.C.
prep hoops star re-routes to Memphis ... ECU's Flye, Ray
land in CPL All-Star Game ... UNC-CH's Miller receives
Clemens Award |
07.13.06: Logan
to have daily show on "The Bull" ... Marshall hires former
Blue Devil as hoops aide ... Redick 'backs' out of Team USA
workouts |
07.12.06: C-USA
unveils 2005-06 athletes of the year ... Rape trial underway
for former Navy QB ... Clemson gridder on jet ski that
killed coach |
07.11.06: ECU
recruiting thumbnail: D.J. McFadden ... Uggla poised to make
history in All-Star game ... COSIDA recognizes former
president Ford ... Houston associate AD Sparks succumbs |
07.10.06: ECU
alum Godwin to wear LSU's purple & gold ... Tulane resumes
baseball stadium renovation ... Kelly rejoins O'Leary at
Central Florida |
07.09.06: Fitzgerald
takes bittersweet promotion ... Paper defuses report on Mayo
to USC ... More national acclaim for Houston's Lincoln ...
SMU golfer wins Greater Cincy title |
07.08.06: Former
ECU slugger Hastings joins BC staff ... Tar Heel baseball
stars transition to pros ... Rice's Britton packing to play
in Philippines |
07.07.06: Report:
No. 1 prep hoops star choosing USC ... Motorcycle wreck
claims Georgia Southern star ... NBA exhibition games coming
to Dean Dome |
07.06.06: Owls'
St. Clair chosen for Team USA baseball ... Houston, Rice
rookies make all-frosh team ... Case-era Pack hoops legend
Dickey passes |
07.05.06: National
honors piling up for Houston's Lincoln ... Wade's wallet now
packs a wallop ... Duke gets QB from prestigious prep
program |
07.04.06: Howard
joins ECU media relations staff ... Bertman leads college
baseball hall's first class ... Temple gets prized hometown
grid recruit |
07.03.06: Paper:
C of C and Cremins come to agreement ... Four depart Oregon
in search of playing time ... Gator recruit wins national
prep QB award |
07.02.06: College
of Charleston hires Bobby Cremins ... Duke gets pair of
football commitments ... Georgia Tech baseball coach gets
extra year ... Big Sky Conference expands by one |
07.01.06: SI.com
columnist rates O'Leary among best ... Bogdan, Floyd get top
awards in C-USA track ... Northwestern mourns passing of
Walker |
06.30.06: NCAA
gives new life to Houston bowl game ... Memphis duo makes
school history in NBA draft ... LSU selects Mainieri to
direct baseball program ... Marshall backpedals back to
Winthrop |
06.29.06: BCS
to tweak timing of weekly poll ... Louisville to push two
players for Heisman ... Redick fares well in draft despite
impediments |
06.28.06: Postgraduate
scholarship goes to ECU's Davenport ... UCF center foregoes
final year of eligibility ... Sinclair named women's athlete
of the year |
06.27.06: Beavers
beat Heels to win College World Series ... Irish baseball
coach to interview for LSU job ... Cal quarterback suspended
after assault charge |
06.26.06: Mustangs
lead
C-USA teams in Director's Cup ... Tulane AD receives
prestigious service award ... Calipari racking up some
broadcast work |
06.25.06: Coal
industry to sponsor Marshall-WVU series ... Mountaineers
extend Rodriguez deal to 2012 ... Vols add non-league
challenges |
06.24.06: Del
Conte takes reins as AD at Rice ... Contact at combine means
fine for Emory ... UNCW aligns with adidas for shoes,
uniforms |
06.23.06: Witter
starts professional ball with a flourish ... Big Ben's
little sister commits to Sooners ... Wake Forest football
recruit faces felony charges |
06.22.06: Big
Ten scores momentous television deals ... Former ECU diver
Derr to coach at JMU ... Grizzlies turn to Tinkle on
hardwood |
06.21.06: Troth
returns to the fold as ECU assistant ... College of
Charleston, Herrion settle on buyout ... Another national
award for Houston's Lincoln |
06.20.06: ECU
announces long-term pact with Nike ... Pirates release
women's soccer schedule ... Three C-USA linemen on Outland
Trophy list |
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News Nuggets, 07.25.06
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NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...
Previous Day Nuggets...
Next Day Nuggets...
Compiled from staff reports
and electronic dispatches
ECU last in poll; Allison,
Graham get respect
Conference USA's preseason football coaches
poll picks Central Florida and Tulsa to successfully defend their 2005
division titles.
The Golden Knights were picked to win the
East Division crown, garnering 65 of a possible 72 points, while the Golden
Hurricane was picked to win the West, posting 61 total points, edging
Texas-El Paso by one point.
Picked to finish at the bottom of the East
Division a year ago, UCF surprised many in the college football world as
George O’Leary led the Knights to an 8-5 season after an 0-11 mark in 2005.
The accomplishment was capped off with a C-USA title game appearance and the
school’s first-ever bowl game at last season's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The
seven-game improvement was the tops in Division I-A football in 2005.
Sophomore RB Kevin Smith returns for the
Knights after garnering C-USA Freshman of the Year honors as he finished his
rookie campaign with 1,178 rushing yards, including a 202-yard effort in the
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
Tulsa closed out the 2005 season winning
seven of its last eight contests, including the inaugural C-USA Championship
game and the 2005 AutoZone Liberty Bowl over Fresno State.
Junior quarterback Paul Smith, the Liberty
Bowl MVP, returns to lead a Golden Hurricane offense that averaged 38.1
points per game in nine victories a year ago. Smith threw 20 touchdown
passes in 2005 and was only picked off only six times.
Southern Miss, selected second in the East,
will look to make it 13-straight winning seasons under head coach Jeff
Bower. The Golden Eagles closed out the 2005 campaign with a 31-19 victory
over Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl — the school’s eighth trip to a
postseason game in the last nine years. Sophomore tight end Shawn Nelson led
the club in receiving yards with 540 yards and capped the season with
back-to-back 100-yard games, including an MVP effort in the New Orleans
Bowl.
The Miners were one point shy in the
coaches’ poll of being picked as the preseason favorite to win the West for
the second-consecutive year. In two seasons at UTEP, head coach Mike Price
has led the Miners to back-to-back bowl appearances and eight-win seasons.
Senior QB Jordan Palmer is one of 19
starters returning for Price, who will also have nine seniors return to
start for his defense. Palmer is already the school-record holder for
passing yards (7,489) and touchdown passes (62).
Memphis, slated to finish third in the
East, is coming off three-consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in
school history. The Tigers have averaged eight wins in each of those three
seasons, but will have to replace three-time C-USA Offensive Player of the
Year DeAngelo Williams, who finished his career as one of just four running
backs in Division I-A history to rush for 6,000 yards in a career. Senior
free safety Wesley Smith will look to become just the second player in C-USA
history to earn All-C-USA first team honors four-consecutive years.
Houston was tabbed to finish third in the
West and will be led by four-year starter Kevin Kolb behind center. Already
the school’s all-time total offensive leader with 9,752 yards, Kolb was
selected as the C-USA Preseason Offensive Preseason Player of the Year. The
senior needs 276 passing yards to become the UH all-time leader in that
category. On defense, the Cougars return 10 starters, including starting
safety Will Gulley, who missed the 2005 season with a knee injury.
Marshall was picked fourth in the East,
while Southern Methodist secured that spot in the West. The Thundering Herd
finished 4-7 under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Snyder, while
the Mustangs won five games for the first time since the 1997 campaign. SMU
ended the season on a three-game winning streak — its longest since 1999.
The two fourth-place teams feature two of
the league’s top returning running backs. Marshall’s Ahmad Bradshaw rushed
for 997 yards is the top-returning back in terms of yards per game at 90.7.
For SMU, sophomore DeMyron Martin was sixth in the league with 854 yards and
led the Mustangs with nine rushing touchdowns.
UAB and Tulane were picked to finish fifth
in the East and West Divisions, respectively. The Blazers return 57
lettermen and 12 starters on offense and defense, but will have to replace
quarterback Darrell Hackney, who started 38 games in his four-year career
and was the All-C-USA first team signal caller in 2005. Following a season
that saw the Green Wave play its six home games in six different stadiums
outside of New Orleans, the squad returns to the Superdome for its home
opener vs. SMU on Sept. 30.
Rounding out the poll in the East is an
East Carolina squad that won five games in head coach Skip Holtz’ first
season guiding the program. Senior WR Aundrae Allison became the first
Pirate to record a 1,000-yard receiving season in 2005. Allison, a JUCO
transfer, hauled in 83 catches for 1,024 yards and seven touchdowns. Eric
Graham, also a senior, anchors ECU's offensive line.
Rice rounds out the poll in the West. The
Owls will be under the direction of first-year head coach Todd Graham, who
comes to Houston from Tulsa where he served as the defensive coordinator for
the league champion Golden Hurricane.
2006 C-USA
FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON VOTING
Offensive Player of the Year
Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston (254-420, 3,258 yards, 19 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Year
Larry McSwain, DE, UAB (53 tackles, 5 TFLs, 4 sacks)
Special Teams Player of the
Year
Darren McCaleb, K, Southern Miss (23-28 FGs, 107 points)
First Team Offense
QB Kevin Kolb, Sr., Houston
RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Jr., Marshall
RB Kevin Smith, So., UCF
OL George Batiste, Sr., Southern Miss
OL Travis Cooley, Sr., Southern Miss
OL Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Sr., UCF
OL Eric Graham, Sr., East Carolina
OL Jeff Perrett, Sr., Tulsa
OL Julius Wilson, Sr., UAB
WR Aundrae Allison, Sr., East Carolina
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Sr., UTEP
WR Vincent Marshall, Sr., Houston
TE Shawn Nelson, So., Southern Miss
First Team Defense
DL Antonio Harris, Jr.,
Tulane
DL Larry McSwain, Sr., UAB
DL Alex Obomese, Sr., UTEP
DL Zach West, Sr., UTEP
LB Nick Bunting, Sr., Tulsa
LB Nelson Coleman, Sr., Tulsa
LB Orlandus King, Sr., UAB
DB Bobby Blackshire, Sr., Tulsa
DB Joe Burnett, So., UCF
DB Caleb Hendrix, Sr., Southern Miss
DB Wesley Smith, Sr., Memphis
First Team Special Teams
K Darren McCaleb, Sr., Southern Miss
P Michael Gibson, Sr., Memphis
KR Jessie Henderson, So., SMU
PR Joe Burnett, So., UCF
Predicted Order of Finish
East
1. UCF 65
2. Southern Miss 52
3. Memphis 43
4. Marshall 35
5. UAB 28
6. East Carolina 25
West
1. Tulsa 61
2. UTEP 60
3. Houston 55
4. SMU 39
5. Tulane 20
6. Rice 17
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Former Pirate Ward joins Bulls baseball staff
The Tampa Tribune has reported that new
South Florida baseball coach Lelo Prado has secured two standout transfers
in Duke right-handed pitcher Danny Otero and Miami shortstop Walter Diaz as
well as assistant coach Bryant Ward, a former East Carolina player.
Otero, a junior right-hander, was the Blue
Devils' ace last season, while Diaz, a sophomore, was named the Hurricanes'
rookie of the year as a freshman.
Products of Miami area high schools, both
players will be eligible this season. Otero will have one year of
eligibility, Diaz will have two years.
Last year Otero was a lone bright spot for
the Blue Devils. He accounted for one-third of Duke's 15 wins, going 5-4
with a 2.20 ERA (the team ERA was 7.04). In 73 2/3 innings, he struck out 45
with only six walks. Otero is scheduled to graduate from Duke in December
and enroll at USF in January.
Diaz, considered UM's fastest player last
season, hit .286. As a freshman, he hit .303 with 56 starts and was named to
the Coral Gables NCAA All-Regional Team.
Ward steps into the assistant coaching
position left open by Brian Mundorf, who originally was coming from
Louisville to USF with Prado, but decided to remain with the Cardinals.
"This reminds me a lot of East Carolina,
except we can be better," said Ward, who played on four NCAA Tournament
teams with the Pirates from 1999-2002. "The sky is the limit."
NCAA's impact lucrative for Indianapolis
The 2006 NCAA Men's Final Four generated
more than $40 million for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University
researchers found.
Since the NCAA relocated to Indianapolis in
1999, the organization has brought more than $629 million to the state,
according to an account at
ncaa.org.
News Nuggets are
compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data
published by ECU, Conference USA and its member
schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006
Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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