ORDINO, Andorra - The
Pioneers ate an early breakfast before heading four hours up to the
Pyrenees and into Andorra, a tiny country that's bordered by Spain and
France.
The
team is staying at Anyós Park Resort, nestled high above Andorra La
Vella and Escaldes-Engordany, the biggest towns in this country of about
80,000 people. The area is somewhat similar to Vail with a large valley
running between mountains. The temperature is just about perfect.
An
early arrival gave the players and coaches a bit of free time to enjoy
the pools and other amenities at the resort. As usual, four hours before
game time meant pasta and chicken, as Kyle Lewis pointed out in his blog a few days ago.
Tonight's
venue proved a little difficult to find, but after some searching and
creative driving by the bus driver - which involved head coach Joe Scott and his father, Bob, jumping out to direct traffic with arms waving - we found what appears to be a newly constructed gym.
This
is the first time we've seen the new court setup with a wide,
rectangular lane and a farther three-point line. FIBA made those changes
for this upcoming season, but the previous gyms had not changed their
paint yet.
Cajasol
Sevilla, tonight's opponent, is the highest ranked team that Denver
will play. However, when the tour guide mentioned some of Cajasol's
players, Scott turned around and asked the team if it mattered who they
were playing. The response was a resounding, "No," with Kyle adding,
"The only name we care about is the one across the front of our
jerseys."
Cajasol
Sevilla requested a closed game, meaning the only people here cheering
will be wearing Denver colors. Does that make this a home game?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Barcelona - 8/29/10
BARCELONA, Spain - After a great win last night, the Pioneers headed out immediately from the gym, got on a bus and headed out of the Pyrenees on their way to Barcelona.
We went down the opposite side of town, where the road was a little less frightening, and after about 90 minutes we stopped by the roadside to eat some sandwiches. The bus rolled into the hotel in Barcelona around midnight, and the tired crew headed to their rooms.
After a two-hour tour of Barcelona and a lunch buffet, we headed to Sitges, a beach town about 30 minutes southwest of the city.
It did not take long once the bus stopped for all the players to head straight for the water. Justin Coughlin had been to the beach just once in his life prior to today, and he seemed to especially enjoy himself, which was nice because he was feeling under the weather for the first few days of the trip.
A few people tried body surfing (Head Coach Joe Scott appeared to really know what he was doing), and everyone enjoyed time in the water and walking along the beach.
Tonight, everyone will jump back on the bus for dinner in downtown Barcelona before a good night's sleep. We leave bright and early tomorrow for Andorra, where the team will take on Cajasol Sevilla, one of the best professional teams in Spain.
Edu!: Our best wishes go out to Nate Rohnert, who signed his first professional contract yesterday. Rohnert, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference First Team selection with the Pioneers from 2006-10, will play in Estonia this season for Tartu Rock.
It sounds like a great opportunity for Nate, especially since it's a FIBA EuroCup team. That means he'll be traveling and playing all over Europe.
It seems that Nate already left Denver to start his new career in Eastern Europe. Good luck, Nate.
We went down the opposite side of town, where the road was a little less frightening, and after about 90 minutes we stopped by the roadside to eat some sandwiches. The bus rolled into the hotel in Barcelona around midnight, and the tired crew headed to their rooms.
After a two-hour tour of Barcelona and a lunch buffet, we headed to Sitges, a beach town about 30 minutes southwest of the city.
It did not take long once the bus stopped for all the players to head straight for the water. Justin Coughlin had been to the beach just once in his life prior to today, and he seemed to especially enjoy himself, which was nice because he was feeling under the weather for the first few days of the trip.
A few people tried body surfing (Head Coach Joe Scott appeared to really know what he was doing), and everyone enjoyed time in the water and walking along the beach.
Tonight, everyone will jump back on the bus for dinner in downtown Barcelona before a good night's sleep. We leave bright and early tomorrow for Andorra, where the team will take on Cajasol Sevilla, one of the best professional teams in Spain.
Edu!: Our best wishes go out to Nate Rohnert, who signed his first professional contract yesterday. Rohnert, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference First Team selection with the Pioneers from 2006-10, will play in Estonia this season for Tartu Rock.
It sounds like a great opportunity for Nate, especially since it's a FIBA EuroCup team. That means he'll be traveling and playing all over Europe.
It seems that Nate already left Denver to start his new career in Eastern Europe. Good luck, Nate.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Lobe Huesca - 8/28/10
BENASQUE, Spain - Yesterday and today involved a lot of driving.
As Kyle Lewis mentioned in his blog yesterday, the bus pulled out of Madrid on Friday morning for an hour-long trip to Toledo, where the team spent a few hours exploring.
After that, everyone returned to the bus for a four-hour trip to Zaragoza. There was plenty of free time for dinner and seeing the sights of Zaragoza's narrow, winding streets and alleyways.
Today's drive took the team through Huesca on our way to the Pyrenees. Tonight's opponent, CB Penas Huesca, is holding its training camp in Benasque, a small ski town, so that's where the game will be.
A few people have questioned whether CB Penas Huesca might be trying to take advantage of high-altitude training, thinking it might help tonight. Needless to say, the guys from 5280 feet above sea level aren't very intimidated to play in thin air. Besides, Benasque is still about 1,500 feet lower than Denver.
Most of the drives prior to today took us through areas that were somewhat reminiscent of the Midwest, although the lack of water in the area makes it seem a bit more barren.
Today's drive took a significant change about 90 minutes in, when the bus started winding through mountain roads with long tunnels cut straight through the rock. We passed a turquoise alpine lake that immediately caused nearly every player to move to the right side of the bus and start snapping pictures.
Needless to say, the drive today was beautiful, much more like Colorado or Alaska than what we had seen in the past few days.
The road we are currently on is allegedly two lanes, but there's sure not a lot of room, and those of us on the left side of the bus are getting some pretty clear shots straight down to the river flowing below.
We have passed a few cars, which involved both the car and the bus stopping before the car cautiously maneuvers around us, and there have been a few hairpin turns that required the bus driver to honk his horn to warn potential traffic coming toward us.
Things got a little more eye-opening when another bus had to pass us. Two things made it a little better for us: (1) the other bus' driver was outstanding as she literally passed within inches of us, and (2) we were on the mountain side, while the other bus was flirting with the guardrail.
The Spanish basketball leagues are split into several divisions, and CB Penas Huesca is a Second Division team, while Real Canoe was in the Fourth Division. Honestly, we don't know much about tonight's opponent, although we did hear that they signed an American yesterday. The only thing we can confirm at the moment is that the American is not Nate Rohnert, who will hopefully be heading over to Europe to begin his professional career soon.
Thanks for Reading: Blog reader Tom Douglis sent us a note a couple days ago, asking some good questions. While we already responded to Tom directly, but some other readers might be interested in hearing some of the answers, too.
We posted several photographs that Hooper has taken, and we will continue to do so throughout the trip. As you will see if you check out his online photo galleries, you'll notice that in addition to many pictures of his teammates and local attractions, Hooper loves to capture creative graffiti.
Fortunately for Hooper (and the rest of us), Spain has no shortage of material for him to shoot.
As Kyle Lewis mentioned in his blog yesterday, the bus pulled out of Madrid on Friday morning for an hour-long trip to Toledo, where the team spent a few hours exploring.
After that, everyone returned to the bus for a four-hour trip to Zaragoza. There was plenty of free time for dinner and seeing the sights of Zaragoza's narrow, winding streets and alleyways.
Today's drive took the team through Huesca on our way to the Pyrenees. Tonight's opponent, CB Penas Huesca, is holding its training camp in Benasque, a small ski town, so that's where the game will be.
A few people have questioned whether CB Penas Huesca might be trying to take advantage of high-altitude training, thinking it might help tonight. Needless to say, the guys from 5280 feet above sea level aren't very intimidated to play in thin air. Besides, Benasque is still about 1,500 feet lower than Denver.
Most of the drives prior to today took us through areas that were somewhat reminiscent of the Midwest, although the lack of water in the area makes it seem a bit more barren.
Today's drive took a significant change about 90 minutes in, when the bus started winding through mountain roads with long tunnels cut straight through the rock. We passed a turquoise alpine lake that immediately caused nearly every player to move to the right side of the bus and start snapping pictures.
Needless to say, the drive today was beautiful, much more like Colorado or Alaska than what we had seen in the past few days.
The road we are currently on is allegedly two lanes, but there's sure not a lot of room, and those of us on the left side of the bus are getting some pretty clear shots straight down to the river flowing below.
We have passed a few cars, which involved both the car and the bus stopping before the car cautiously maneuvers around us, and there have been a few hairpin turns that required the bus driver to honk his horn to warn potential traffic coming toward us.
Things got a little more eye-opening when another bus had to pass us. Two things made it a little better for us: (1) the other bus' driver was outstanding as she literally passed within inches of us, and (2) we were on the mountain side, while the other bus was flirting with the guardrail.
The Spanish basketball leagues are split into several divisions, and CB Penas Huesca is a Second Division team, while Real Canoe was in the Fourth Division. Honestly, we don't know much about tonight's opponent, although we did hear that they signed an American yesterday. The only thing we can confirm at the moment is that the American is not Nate Rohnert, who will hopefully be heading over to Europe to begin his professional career soon.
Thanks for Reading: Blog reader Tom Douglis sent us a note a couple days ago, asking some good questions. While we already responded to Tom directly, but some other readers might be interested in hearing some of the answers, too.
- Please show us some Spain as well as the gyms! - After a few technical difficulties in the first few days, Mitch Hyder, the Voice of the Pioneers, has already put together and posted a couple of great video packages that are available on the website, and he plans to do more throughout the trip.
- Can box scores be posted online? - Although they kept stats at the game against Real Canoe, the box score they gave us was handwritten and needed a code breaker to interpret it. We are trying to keep basic stats for the Pioneers, but they may not be 100 percent accurate.
- Casajol Sevilla's website lists our game as a "Closed Door Training." Will it be a scrimmage or a full game? - All six games will be full games, although it would seem that one will have a limited audience that likely will comprise our travel party.
We posted several photographs that Hooper has taken, and we will continue to do so throughout the trip. As you will see if you check out his online photo galleries, you'll notice that in addition to many pictures of his teammates and local attractions, Hooper loves to capture creative graffiti.
Fortunately for Hooper (and the rest of us), Spain has no shortage of material for him to shoot.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Real Canoe - 8/26/10
MADRID, Spain - Forward Blake Foeman looked up as he was tying his shoes before shoot around this morning.
"I think this is where basketball was invented," Foeman said, smiling.
Andrew Hooper looked around, handed someone his iPhone and begged him to take photos so that Hooper could Tweet them later.
The home court of Real Canoe N.C. gives new meaning to hardwoods. The gym looks like it's straight out of Hickory High.
The floor is hardwood, more like what you might see on a ship than in most American arenas. In fact,Alex Pickert suggested the wood may have come from three Spanish ships: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
There are seven cement rows that make up the spectator area above the court. The team benches appear to be actual wooden benches bolted to the brick wall behind them. Just outside, people are lounging around a swimming pool, enjoying the warm Spanish sun. But there are no peach baskets hanging at each - just the standard rims with nets hanging down.
As Coach Norman Dale might say, "The rims are 10 feet. The free throw line is 15 feet. Gentlemen, I think you'll discover these dimensions are just like our gym back in Hickory (or Denver)."
So, after a good night's sleep last night, the Pioneers are ready to go tonight.
None of us know much about tonight's opponent, Real Canoe NC, so nobody really knows what to expect.
As Denver head coach Joe Scott has said repeatedly, though, the Pioneers came over to play Denver Basketball, so it doesn't really matter who the opponent is.
Technical Difficulties: Trainer Pat Hoxsey was overheard talking about watching the news when he woke up this morning. Apparently, he watched the Spanish version because he couldn't figure out the Spanish remote control.
"I think this is where basketball was invented," Foeman said, smiling.
Andrew Hooper looked around, handed someone his iPhone and begged him to take photos so that Hooper could Tweet them later.
The home court of Real Canoe N.C. gives new meaning to hardwoods. The gym looks like it's straight out of Hickory High.
The floor is hardwood, more like what you might see on a ship than in most American arenas. In fact,Alex Pickert suggested the wood may have come from three Spanish ships: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
There are seven cement rows that make up the spectator area above the court. The team benches appear to be actual wooden benches bolted to the brick wall behind them. Just outside, people are lounging around a swimming pool, enjoying the warm Spanish sun. But there are no peach baskets hanging at each - just the standard rims with nets hanging down.
As Coach Norman Dale might say, "The rims are 10 feet. The free throw line is 15 feet. Gentlemen, I think you'll discover these dimensions are just like our gym back in Hickory (or Denver)."
So, after a good night's sleep last night, the Pioneers are ready to go tonight.
None of us know much about tonight's opponent, Real Canoe NC, so nobody really knows what to expect.
As Denver head coach Joe Scott has said repeatedly, though, the Pioneers came over to play Denver Basketball, so it doesn't really matter who the opponent is.
Technical Difficulties: Trainer Pat Hoxsey was overheard talking about watching the news when he woke up this morning. Apparently, he watched the Spanish version because he couldn't figure out the Spanish remote control.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bienvenido a España - 8/25/10
MADRID, Spain - After a long 16 hours of traveling, the University of Denver men's basketball team landed in Madrid on Wednesday morning.
The flights were long and crowded, but aside from a short delay in Dallas, everything went smoothly on the way over. Of course, Trevor Noonan and Justin Coughlin might disagree a bit, considering the 6-9 giants were crammed next to each other on the nine-plus hour flight from DFW to Madrid. They basically had to fold themselves like origami, making for sporadic sleep at best. A young child in front of them had a good time staring at Coughlin and sporadically screaming, which added to the fun.
There were certainly no complaints once we landed. Everyone was tired but very excited to see what Spain had to offer. Nobody in the travel party has been to Spain before.
In fact, only four of the 12 players had ever traveled outside the United States prior to this trip, and only Tyler Thalken and Alex Pickert had been to Europe (Kyle Lewis took a trip to Mexico, and Blake Foeman had been to the Caribbean).
The team was met at Aeropuerto Madrid-Barajas by representatives of Harvard Sports Management Group, which made the arrangements for the trip.
We took a driving tour of Madrid, which Mitch Hyder has highlighted in a video package (which will be posted soon), followed by a lunch buffet.
The food was good, although there were a few surprises, which can always be expected in a foreign country. Some of the players were a little surprised when the soup (Gazpacho) was cold and even more shocked when the pudding-like dish turned out to be some sort of seafood with cheese.
Anyone who has traveled abroad recognizes that adjustments are required. Fortunately for the players, head coach Joe Scott warned them that they might have to put their key card in a slot inside the room in order for the lights to work. Of course, it still took some people a few minutes to figure it out since the slot is hidden behind the door when it's open.
Among the other differences from the U.S. were the "doggie door," or second door halfway back in the bus that is slightly shorter and more narrow than the regular door up front, and escalators that only work when someone is actually standing on them (saving energy). The hotel rooms also feature bidets, which may require further explanation for some in the travel party.
The team plays its first game tomorrow against Real Canoe here in Spain.
The flights were long and crowded, but aside from a short delay in Dallas, everything went smoothly on the way over. Of course, Trevor Noonan and Justin Coughlin might disagree a bit, considering the 6-9 giants were crammed next to each other on the nine-plus hour flight from DFW to Madrid. They basically had to fold themselves like origami, making for sporadic sleep at best. A young child in front of them had a good time staring at Coughlin and sporadically screaming, which added to the fun.
There were certainly no complaints once we landed. Everyone was tired but very excited to see what Spain had to offer. Nobody in the travel party has been to Spain before.
In fact, only four of the 12 players had ever traveled outside the United States prior to this trip, and only Tyler Thalken and Alex Pickert had been to Europe (Kyle Lewis took a trip to Mexico, and Blake Foeman had been to the Caribbean).
The team was met at Aeropuerto Madrid-Barajas by representatives of Harvard Sports Management Group, which made the arrangements for the trip.
We took a driving tour of Madrid, which Mitch Hyder has highlighted in a video package (which will be posted soon), followed by a lunch buffet.
The food was good, although there were a few surprises, which can always be expected in a foreign country. Some of the players were a little surprised when the soup (Gazpacho) was cold and even more shocked when the pudding-like dish turned out to be some sort of seafood with cheese.
Anyone who has traveled abroad recognizes that adjustments are required. Fortunately for the players, head coach Joe Scott warned them that they might have to put their key card in a slot inside the room in order for the lights to work. Of course, it still took some people a few minutes to figure it out since the slot is hidden behind the door when it's open.
Among the other differences from the U.S. were the "doggie door," or second door halfway back in the bus that is slightly shorter and more narrow than the regular door up front, and escalators that only work when someone is actually standing on them (saving energy). The hotel rooms also feature bidets, which may require further explanation for some in the travel party.
The team plays its first game tomorrow against Real Canoe here in Spain.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Final Pre-Spain Practice - 8/23/10
DENVER - The wait is just about over for the Pioneers, who leave for Spain tomorrow morning. Today marks the 10th and final practice day the team is allowed prior to departure, and the players worked as hard as they do every time they hit the court.
The bus pulls out just tomorrow after 10 a.m., and the Pioneers will fly to Dallas before the long flight to Madrid, which lands around 10 a.m. local time the next morning.
The Pioneers will have a day to get acclimated before playing their first of six games on Thursday night against Real Canoe.
"We're looking forward to it," junior guard Brian Stafford said. "It's going to be great opportunity to see how far we've gotten the past couple of years, and I'm looking forward to seeing where we are now going into this year."
While everyone is excited about the trip, head coach Joe Scott took a moment to explain the purpose of taking this team to Spain.
"From a pure basketball standpoint, we're going on this trip to take other step in growing up and being a mature basketball team," Scott said. "In the last three years, we have won more games every year, but we've also lost certain games. We should know by now that every single game is the hardest game we're ever going to play. Every single game, the other team is trying to do the same thing to you: throw you out of the way, bully you, have their way with you from a physical standpoint. We're going on this trip to get a head start on saying, 'We're not going to let that happen to us anymore.' We need to know that every time we step on the court, it's about knowing that's what the game is going to be like and caring so much about being so physical, aggressive and disciplined, and doing it the University of Denver way."
Playing six professional teams should allow the Pioneers to improve from a physical, aggressive and discipline standpoint, and to do so long before the traditional first official practice of the year in mid-October. Playing these games should help create good habits that can then be carried into the season.
"We're taking this team because this team has shown the ability to grow, to stick with it, to fight through some hard times and to get better," Scott said. "As that's gone on, they've shown off the court that it's important to them. They've done a nice job off the court. We've worked hard here to not beat ourselves, on the court or off the court. If you want to take a trip like this, you've got to go with guys that know it's about being honest and being truthful and being good decision makers. Now they're going to learn that when you act that way, this is the type of opportunity you get. When we're over there, we're going to act that way, too."
Fans who have watched the Pioneers during the past three seasons have seen the progress. Since Scott took over a team that won four games the previous season, the Pioneers have constantly improved, going from 11 wins in 2007-08 to 15 wins in 2008-09 and finally to 19 wins last season. Additionally, the Pioneers have excelled in the classroom, combining for a 3.32 grade point average last year.
"These guys have worked hard on the court, and they've worked hard off the court. And we've gotten better," Scott said. "Usually in life when you do things that way, good things come to you. Having the opportunity to go over to Spain with their teammates, whom they like, and play games, see a foreign country and have an experience like that, that's a pretty lucky thing to be able to do. I think they understand that, so we're going to go over there, and we're going to have fun on and off the court."
As for the teams that Denver will face, Spain is known for having one of the top leagues in European basketball, so the coaches and players know each game will provide a good challenge.
"We know we're playing some really good teams," Stafford said. "Spain has one of the best leagues in Europe, and we're going to play two teams from the top league in Spain, so we know we're playing some really good players out there. It will be a good test for us, and we're all looking forward to seeing how well we can do."
Teams in Liga ACB, the Spanish basketball league, are split into divisions. Teams in the lower divisions can move up if they play well, while teams in the upper divisions can move down if they play poorly during a season. In American terms, it's the equivalent of a Triple-A baseball team playing very well one season and taking the spot of a Major League team that struggled during that year.
Usually, the top tier teams do not play touring college teams, but the Pioneers will face a pair of them in Cajasol Sevilla and Lagun Aro Gipuzkoa BC. DU will also face four teams from the second and third divisions.
"We're playing a couple teams that are in the top league," Scott said. "I don't know how we got them to play us, but because our school year starts later, it's a good time to go because it matches up better with their preseason training camps. We got lucky in that regard, and we got lucky that we have a good mix between the divisions. But like I told our guys at the end of practice today, I don't care who we're playing. We need to get to the point where we don't care who we're playing, we don't care who they have and we don't care what their name is. We always walk on the court to play Denver basketball. We're going out there to care about ourselves and to constantly work on that. We're going to go over to Spain, and that's what we're going to do. I know this trip can help prepare us to get better in the areas we have to. It's hard to believe it's here, but we had our practices and we're ready to go. We'll be ready to play our first game on August 26."
The bus pulls out just tomorrow after 10 a.m., and the Pioneers will fly to Dallas before the long flight to Madrid, which lands around 10 a.m. local time the next morning.
The Pioneers will have a day to get acclimated before playing their first of six games on Thursday night against Real Canoe.
"We're looking forward to it," junior guard Brian Stafford said. "It's going to be great opportunity to see how far we've gotten the past couple of years, and I'm looking forward to seeing where we are now going into this year."
While everyone is excited about the trip, head coach Joe Scott took a moment to explain the purpose of taking this team to Spain.
"From a pure basketball standpoint, we're going on this trip to take other step in growing up and being a mature basketball team," Scott said. "In the last three years, we have won more games every year, but we've also lost certain games. We should know by now that every single game is the hardest game we're ever going to play. Every single game, the other team is trying to do the same thing to you: throw you out of the way, bully you, have their way with you from a physical standpoint. We're going on this trip to get a head start on saying, 'We're not going to let that happen to us anymore.' We need to know that every time we step on the court, it's about knowing that's what the game is going to be like and caring so much about being so physical, aggressive and disciplined, and doing it the University of Denver way."
Playing six professional teams should allow the Pioneers to improve from a physical, aggressive and discipline standpoint, and to do so long before the traditional first official practice of the year in mid-October. Playing these games should help create good habits that can then be carried into the season.
"We're taking this team because this team has shown the ability to grow, to stick with it, to fight through some hard times and to get better," Scott said. "As that's gone on, they've shown off the court that it's important to them. They've done a nice job off the court. We've worked hard here to not beat ourselves, on the court or off the court. If you want to take a trip like this, you've got to go with guys that know it's about being honest and being truthful and being good decision makers. Now they're going to learn that when you act that way, this is the type of opportunity you get. When we're over there, we're going to act that way, too."
Fans who have watched the Pioneers during the past three seasons have seen the progress. Since Scott took over a team that won four games the previous season, the Pioneers have constantly improved, going from 11 wins in 2007-08 to 15 wins in 2008-09 and finally to 19 wins last season. Additionally, the Pioneers have excelled in the classroom, combining for a 3.32 grade point average last year.
"These guys have worked hard on the court, and they've worked hard off the court. And we've gotten better," Scott said. "Usually in life when you do things that way, good things come to you. Having the opportunity to go over to Spain with their teammates, whom they like, and play games, see a foreign country and have an experience like that, that's a pretty lucky thing to be able to do. I think they understand that, so we're going to go over there, and we're going to have fun on and off the court."
As for the teams that Denver will face, Spain is known for having one of the top leagues in European basketball, so the coaches and players know each game will provide a good challenge.
"We know we're playing some really good teams," Stafford said. "Spain has one of the best leagues in Europe, and we're going to play two teams from the top league in Spain, so we know we're playing some really good players out there. It will be a good test for us, and we're all looking forward to seeing how well we can do."
Teams in Liga ACB, the Spanish basketball league, are split into divisions. Teams in the lower divisions can move up if they play well, while teams in the upper divisions can move down if they play poorly during a season. In American terms, it's the equivalent of a Triple-A baseball team playing very well one season and taking the spot of a Major League team that struggled during that year.
Usually, the top tier teams do not play touring college teams, but the Pioneers will face a pair of them in Cajasol Sevilla and Lagun Aro Gipuzkoa BC. DU will also face four teams from the second and third divisions.
"We're playing a couple teams that are in the top league," Scott said. "I don't know how we got them to play us, but because our school year starts later, it's a good time to go because it matches up better with their preseason training camps. We got lucky in that regard, and we got lucky that we have a good mix between the divisions. But like I told our guys at the end of practice today, I don't care who we're playing. We need to get to the point where we don't care who we're playing, we don't care who they have and we don't care what their name is. We always walk on the court to play Denver basketball. We're going out there to care about ourselves and to constantly work on that. We're going to go over to Spain, and that's what we're going to do. I know this trip can help prepare us to get better in the areas we have to. It's hard to believe it's here, but we had our practices and we're ready to go. We'll be ready to play our first game on August 26."
Friday, August 20, 2010
FIBA Rules - 8/20/10
DENVER - The Pioneers will have some adjusting to do that goes beyond the eight-hour time change, when they head to Spain next week.
Denver will be playing its six games using the international rules set by FIBA, basketball's world governing body.
In a nutshell, that means the games will be played more like the NBA, but some of the subtle differences could make the games a little more interesting for a team like Denver.
These are the basic difference, according to USA Basketball:
1. Instead of two 20-minute halves, there will be four 10-minute quarters.
2. The international court is a little more than two feet shorter and a foot narrower (91 feet, 10 inches long by 49 feet, 2.5 inches wide).
3. The shot clock will be 24 seconds, instead of 35 with NCAA rules.
4. The three-point line will be 22 feet, 1.7 inches (compared to 20 feet, 9 inches in college), which FIBA actually moved about 1.5 feet farther back this year, making it almost exactly half the distance between the NCAA and NBA (23 feet, 9 inches) distances.
5. Back court violations occur after eight seconds, two less than in college games.
6. Two bonus free throws are given on and after the fifth team foul per quarter. In college basketball, it's a one-and-one from the seventh to ninth team foul per half, and two free throws after that.
7. Only three defensive players are allowed on the free throw lane, one less than NCAA rules.
8. Jump balls are used for tie-ups, as opposed to alternating possession. The two players involved take the jump ball.
9. Players are allowed to touch the ball on and above the cylinder once it has touched the rim. Both the NCAA and NBA consider it goaltending.
10. Each team gets two 60-second timeout in the first two periods and three timeouts in the third and fourth quarter. In college, teams have four 30-second and one 60-second timeout per game (in addition to media timeouts at the first stoppage after every fourth minute).
11. Only the coaches can call timeout. NCAA rules allow the head coach or any player on the court to call timeout.
12. While the lane in international competitions used to be a trapezoid, FIBA changed it to a rectangle this year. However, that rectangle is 15 feet, 8 inches, which is almost four feet wider than the lane in the NCAA.
Of those 12 differences, a couple seem to jump out, especially the 24-second clock, but head coach Joe Scott says the team will adapt to the rules within Denver's system.
"To us, it really doesn't matter. We're not going over there to play the 24-second clock and FIBA rules," Scott said. "We're going over to be good at our offense and be good at our defense, show that we're more physical, box out and take care of the basketball. I don't care if there's a 24-second clock. That's how we approach it."
Scott has been on similar trips with other teams. Scott was an assistant coach at Princeton, when the Tigers went to Italy before the 1997-98 season, and he was the head coach at Air Force, which went to Sweden and Denmark prior to the 2003-04 season.
"I'm more concerned about the little differences, like the refs don't touch the ball out of bounds on the sideline, and if you don't know those rules, you can give up easy points," Scott said. "The other one is that traveling is different over there. It's called completely differently than here. You're going to hear a lot of 'pasos,' which means 'steps' in Spanish. When I was in Italy, we heard a lot of 'passi,' steps in Italian. There are certain things that we teach here that aren't walks, but they're traveling violations over there. And there are certain things that are walks over here, but they aren't walks over there. You can't worry about that stuff. You've got to be good at your offense, be good at your defense. Over the course of six games, we'll learn pasos. We can't let it affect us. 'It got called a walk? OK, let's run back and keep them from scoring.' In the end, that's the right way to approach it, because it puts the responsibility on you to be good at what you do, and don't worry about refs or rule changes or anything like that. Be good at the things we've been working on. Make the things we've been working on show up when we go over there and play."
When he was reminded that there would be a jump ball whenever a ball was tied up, Scott smiled. "That's old school. That's the way they did it when I was playing," Scott said. "That's just the way that it goes. We have a jump ball to start every single game, so it's not something completely new. Those aren't big deals. It's just basketball."
In the end, Scott says the differences in rules are comparable to different styles that Denver's opponents play.
"We're going to do what we do. That's why we're going: to get good at what we do," Scott said. "We're not going just so we can face Spanish professional teams. We're going to play basketball the way we play and to get good at the way we play. It's what we do and how we do it. And we do it all the time."
Random Notes: At the end of each practice, one player is chosen to shoot two free throws. If he makes them, practice is over. If he misses either, the players have to run five-man fast break drills (Denver's version of wind sprints). Freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) stepped to the line for the first time today and buried them both, much to the relief of the other players.
After several hours of working hard every day since Tuesday, the Pioneers have tomorrow off before their final two pre-Spain practices on Sunday and Monday.
Denver will be playing its six games using the international rules set by FIBA, basketball's world governing body.
In a nutshell, that means the games will be played more like the NBA, but some of the subtle differences could make the games a little more interesting for a team like Denver.
These are the basic difference, according to USA Basketball:
1. Instead of two 20-minute halves, there will be four 10-minute quarters.
2. The international court is a little more than two feet shorter and a foot narrower (91 feet, 10 inches long by 49 feet, 2.5 inches wide).
3. The shot clock will be 24 seconds, instead of 35 with NCAA rules.
4. The three-point line will be 22 feet, 1.7 inches (compared to 20 feet, 9 inches in college), which FIBA actually moved about 1.5 feet farther back this year, making it almost exactly half the distance between the NCAA and NBA (23 feet, 9 inches) distances.
5. Back court violations occur after eight seconds, two less than in college games.
6. Two bonus free throws are given on and after the fifth team foul per quarter. In college basketball, it's a one-and-one from the seventh to ninth team foul per half, and two free throws after that.
7. Only three defensive players are allowed on the free throw lane, one less than NCAA rules.
8. Jump balls are used for tie-ups, as opposed to alternating possession. The two players involved take the jump ball.
9. Players are allowed to touch the ball on and above the cylinder once it has touched the rim. Both the NCAA and NBA consider it goaltending.
10. Each team gets two 60-second timeout in the first two periods and three timeouts in the third and fourth quarter. In college, teams have four 30-second and one 60-second timeout per game (in addition to media timeouts at the first stoppage after every fourth minute).
11. Only the coaches can call timeout. NCAA rules allow the head coach or any player on the court to call timeout.
12. While the lane in international competitions used to be a trapezoid, FIBA changed it to a rectangle this year. However, that rectangle is 15 feet, 8 inches, which is almost four feet wider than the lane in the NCAA.
Of those 12 differences, a couple seem to jump out, especially the 24-second clock, but head coach Joe Scott says the team will adapt to the rules within Denver's system.
"To us, it really doesn't matter. We're not going over there to play the 24-second clock and FIBA rules," Scott said. "We're going over to be good at our offense and be good at our defense, show that we're more physical, box out and take care of the basketball. I don't care if there's a 24-second clock. That's how we approach it."
Scott has been on similar trips with other teams. Scott was an assistant coach at Princeton, when the Tigers went to Italy before the 1997-98 season, and he was the head coach at Air Force, which went to Sweden and Denmark prior to the 2003-04 season.
"I'm more concerned about the little differences, like the refs don't touch the ball out of bounds on the sideline, and if you don't know those rules, you can give up easy points," Scott said. "The other one is that traveling is different over there. It's called completely differently than here. You're going to hear a lot of 'pasos,' which means 'steps' in Spanish. When I was in Italy, we heard a lot of 'passi,' steps in Italian. There are certain things that we teach here that aren't walks, but they're traveling violations over there. And there are certain things that are walks over here, but they aren't walks over there. You can't worry about that stuff. You've got to be good at your offense, be good at your defense. Over the course of six games, we'll learn pasos. We can't let it affect us. 'It got called a walk? OK, let's run back and keep them from scoring.' In the end, that's the right way to approach it, because it puts the responsibility on you to be good at what you do, and don't worry about refs or rule changes or anything like that. Be good at the things we've been working on. Make the things we've been working on show up when we go over there and play."
When he was reminded that there would be a jump ball whenever a ball was tied up, Scott smiled. "That's old school. That's the way they did it when I was playing," Scott said. "That's just the way that it goes. We have a jump ball to start every single game, so it's not something completely new. Those aren't big deals. It's just basketball."
In the end, Scott says the differences in rules are comparable to different styles that Denver's opponents play.
"We're going to do what we do. That's why we're going: to get good at what we do," Scott said. "We're not going just so we can face Spanish professional teams. We're going to play basketball the way we play and to get good at the way we play. It's what we do and how we do it. And we do it all the time."
Random Notes: At the end of each practice, one player is chosen to shoot two free throws. If he makes them, practice is over. If he misses either, the players have to run five-man fast break drills (Denver's version of wind sprints). Freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) stepped to the line for the first time today and buried them both, much to the relief of the other players.
After several hours of working hard every day since Tuesday, the Pioneers have tomorrow off before their final two pre-Spain practices on Sunday and Monday.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Spain Practice No. 7 - 8/19/10
DENVER - Junior Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) and sophomore Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) went home to Texas after summer classes ended in early July.
When asked if they had any fun, both brothers gave the same reply: "All we did was work out and play pickup games."
For five weeks, they woke up and went straight to the gym, where they would lift weights for an hour and follow it up with a run that was "hard enough that there's no doubt we're in shape right now." Needing a little basketball, they would spend the rest of the afternoon playing pickup games at nearby SMU, which has a reputation for being a hot spot on the Dallas basketball scene.
"It was good having a teammate to help push me," Travis said of his brother. "There are always going to be days when you just want to take it easy, but having him there means there's always someone making sure I'm accountable. And I do the same for him."
The Hallams, like most NCAA Division I student-athletes, are highly competitive on their own, but when you add sibling rivalry to the equation both brothers feed off each other.
"Chase is more competitive than I am, so he's always got to try to beat me in whatever we do," Travis said. "If I add more weight, he's got to add more weight. If I pick up the pace on a run, he's going to try to beat me."
Chase was asked about being the more competitive of the two, and his eyebrows shot up. "Travis doesn't like to admit it, but he's just as competitive as me," the younger Hallam said. "We both know that we can make each other better, and that's what we want to help the team."
The brothers consider themselves opposites with the outgoing Chase tending to have several people around him all the time, and Travis often seeking deeper, one-on-one conversations.
However, when they get on the court, each Hallam knows his brother's game almost as well as his own, and both are aware that constant energy is a major key to each of their efforts. Their all-out hustle and toughness has sparked two of the better nicknames on the team, as the always pesky Travis is "The Tick," and Chase is simply "The Machine."
Travis and Chase also share an overriding belief about the future: it's going to be a good year.
When asked if they had any fun, both brothers gave the same reply: "All we did was work out and play pickup games."
For five weeks, they woke up and went straight to the gym, where they would lift weights for an hour and follow it up with a run that was "hard enough that there's no doubt we're in shape right now." Needing a little basketball, they would spend the rest of the afternoon playing pickup games at nearby SMU, which has a reputation for being a hot spot on the Dallas basketball scene.
"It was good having a teammate to help push me," Travis said of his brother. "There are always going to be days when you just want to take it easy, but having him there means there's always someone making sure I'm accountable. And I do the same for him."
The Hallams, like most NCAA Division I student-athletes, are highly competitive on their own, but when you add sibling rivalry to the equation both brothers feed off each other.
"Chase is more competitive than I am, so he's always got to try to beat me in whatever we do," Travis said. "If I add more weight, he's got to add more weight. If I pick up the pace on a run, he's going to try to beat me."
Chase was asked about being the more competitive of the two, and his eyebrows shot up. "Travis doesn't like to admit it, but he's just as competitive as me," the younger Hallam said. "We both know that we can make each other better, and that's what we want to help the team."
The brothers consider themselves opposites with the outgoing Chase tending to have several people around him all the time, and Travis often seeking deeper, one-on-one conversations.
However, when they get on the court, each Hallam knows his brother's game almost as well as his own, and both are aware that constant energy is a major key to each of their efforts. Their all-out hustle and toughness has sparked two of the better nicknames on the team, as the always pesky Travis is "The Tick," and Chase is simply "The Machine."
Travis and Chase also share an overriding belief about the future: it's going to be a good year.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Summer Internships - 8/18/10
DENVER - When June rolls around, most students around the University of Denver scatter to enjoy a summer break. The Denver basketball players, on the other hand, stick around campus, attend summer classes and play countless games of basketball against each other.
A few of the players also use the summer to prepare them to go pro (as they say in the NCAA advertisements) in something other than sports.
Seniors Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.), Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Andrew Hooper(Lakewood, Colo.) all spent their summer completing internships, preparing for successful careers once their playing days are finished.
For the second-straight summer, Kyle Lewis worked for Lazarus Investment Partners, and Rob Lewis was at Ryan Financial. Hooper honed his graphic design skills while working at Portaviola Design in Lakewood.
Kyle worked primarily with Lazarus Chief Investment Officer Justin Borus, who invests in companies with a market cap of $250 million or less. Borus invests in companies that struggled and lost stock value after a period of success, and he attempts to help turn around those companies.
"I was basically a junior analyst," said Kyle, who used screening tools to research potential companies in which Lazarus could invest. "I screened different companies, whether it was a gold company or one that had a new innovation, whatever the market was feeding off at the time. You can throw those values into the screening software and see which companies come up that are at $250 million or less, and then research them. He invested in two of the companies that I showed him this summer, and both made a positive return, so it was a good summer."
Kyle's duties progressed this year, partially because he was returning to Lazarus after working there last year, but also because the economy was improving.
"Since last year, (Borus) hired an investor relations guy, who is involved in all the marketing, and also a controller," Kyle said. "I was involved with both of those guys, helping with the marketing material. I actually had to make analyst reports that go out to investors within the company as well as potential investors. I was a lot more involved this summer. It was necessarily about raising more capital last year; it was more about investing while the market was still beat up. This summer is was more about raising capital and investing at the same time, so I was on both sides of things."
For the second summer, Rob once again donned a coat and tie and headed to Ryan Financial, but he too found his role increasing in responsibility.
"I was preparing some reports on my own. Last summer, I was more behind the scenes," Rob said. "I was helping to prepare client reports when they would come in, looking at their accounts to see how they were doing. I would do a general market overview. Other than that, I did a lot of operations, trying to manage the accounts and clean up some stuff. They just switched to a new software program, so I helped them work through that transition. I also sat in on a lot of meetings, which was great to see the interactions within the business world."
While many DU student-athletes study in the business school, like Rob and Kyle, Hooper has always felt more at home in an art studio, where his creativity helps him excel. Therefore, he landed an internship that made sense for his career path.
"I worked with Gretchen Lehman from Portaviola Design," Hooper said. "She has an independent graphic design firm down in Highlands Ranch. It was a great opportunity to work with a freelance graphic designer, because that's what I ultimately want to do after college."
Hooper spent the majority of the summer in front of a computer, designing everything from letterheads to business portfolios to a label that Lehman planned to use as a create way to court new clients.
"Overall, I think it helped me a ton. I have connections already from her, and I've already gotten some freelance work on my own," Hooper said. "I'm more comfortable doing other design elements, as opposed to using one computer program or another. It's helped me a lot already, and I think it will continue to help."
Happy Birthday: Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and former Denver guard Nate Rohnert is celebrating his birthday today.
A few of the players also use the summer to prepare them to go pro (as they say in the NCAA advertisements) in something other than sports.
Seniors Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.), Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Andrew Hooper(Lakewood, Colo.) all spent their summer completing internships, preparing for successful careers once their playing days are finished.
For the second-straight summer, Kyle Lewis worked for Lazarus Investment Partners, and Rob Lewis was at Ryan Financial. Hooper honed his graphic design skills while working at Portaviola Design in Lakewood.
Kyle worked primarily with Lazarus Chief Investment Officer Justin Borus, who invests in companies with a market cap of $250 million or less. Borus invests in companies that struggled and lost stock value after a period of success, and he attempts to help turn around those companies.
"I was basically a junior analyst," said Kyle, who used screening tools to research potential companies in which Lazarus could invest. "I screened different companies, whether it was a gold company or one that had a new innovation, whatever the market was feeding off at the time. You can throw those values into the screening software and see which companies come up that are at $250 million or less, and then research them. He invested in two of the companies that I showed him this summer, and both made a positive return, so it was a good summer."
Kyle's duties progressed this year, partially because he was returning to Lazarus after working there last year, but also because the economy was improving.
"Since last year, (Borus) hired an investor relations guy, who is involved in all the marketing, and also a controller," Kyle said. "I was involved with both of those guys, helping with the marketing material. I actually had to make analyst reports that go out to investors within the company as well as potential investors. I was a lot more involved this summer. It was necessarily about raising more capital last year; it was more about investing while the market was still beat up. This summer is was more about raising capital and investing at the same time, so I was on both sides of things."
For the second summer, Rob once again donned a coat and tie and headed to Ryan Financial, but he too found his role increasing in responsibility.
"I was preparing some reports on my own. Last summer, I was more behind the scenes," Rob said. "I was helping to prepare client reports when they would come in, looking at their accounts to see how they were doing. I would do a general market overview. Other than that, I did a lot of operations, trying to manage the accounts and clean up some stuff. They just switched to a new software program, so I helped them work through that transition. I also sat in on a lot of meetings, which was great to see the interactions within the business world."
While many DU student-athletes study in the business school, like Rob and Kyle, Hooper has always felt more at home in an art studio, where his creativity helps him excel. Therefore, he landed an internship that made sense for his career path.
"I worked with Gretchen Lehman from Portaviola Design," Hooper said. "She has an independent graphic design firm down in Highlands Ranch. It was a great opportunity to work with a freelance graphic designer, because that's what I ultimately want to do after college."
Hooper spent the majority of the summer in front of a computer, designing everything from letterheads to business portfolios to a label that Lehman planned to use as a create way to court new clients.
"Overall, I think it helped me a ton. I have connections already from her, and I've already gotten some freelance work on my own," Hooper said. "I'm more comfortable doing other design elements, as opposed to using one computer program or another. It's helped me a lot already, and I think it will continue to help."
Happy Birthday: Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and former Denver guard Nate Rohnert is celebrating his birthday today.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Spain Practice No. 5 - 8/17/10
DENVER - The Pioneers returned to the court after taking yesterday off, while the coaches held the Joe Scott Elite Camp. This practice marked the fifth of the team's 10 allowed by the NCAA.
Transfer Trevor Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.) will make his unofficial Denver basketball debut on DU's 13-day, six-game tour of Spain. Noonan has been practicing with the team for a year but could not play in 2009-10 due to NCAA transfer rules.
"The big thing for Trevor on this trip is just integrating him into the team," head coach Joe Scott said.
The coaches expect the six games in Spain to ease Noonan's transition into the Denver system, knowing that there is a significant difference between participating in practice and playing in games.
"He's been getting a lot of attention from the coaches, and we're working to make sure he's on the same level as Brian Stafford and Chase Hallam and the rest of the guys who played last season," Scott said. "Trevor has spent the past year just practicing, so these six games in Spain will help make November 10 feel like January 15 for him."
Noonan is a 6-9, 225-pound forward with soft hands, good passing skills and a long-range shooting touch. He transferred to DU after one year at Air Force, where he averaged 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in limited minutes during 25 games with the Falcons.
"This is going to be the biggest team we've had here," Scott said. "We're going to have two 6-9 guys and two 6-4 guys, and there is competition for the fifth spot."
Adding Noonan to the roster also offers Scott and his coaching staff more options with their other two 6-9 players: Andrew Hooper and Justin Coughlin, whose primary position likely will switch from center to forward.
"Noonan brings a very important skill set to a basketball team," Scott said. "He's big and strong, but he can still pass and shoot. So that gives us more options. We have some different guys now that can do different things. It just puts us in a position to do what we want to do, which is just keep getting better."
Noonan grew up in nearby Broomfield, Colo., where he scored 18.6 points and pulled down 13.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Legacy High School, and he is excited to show Denver fans what he can do.
"I'm just excited to get out on that court and play again," Noonan said. "Being in a game that matters and having people count on me, I can't wait for that feeling again."
Happy Birthday: Assistant coach A.J. Kuhle is celebrating his birthday today.
Transfer Trevor Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.) will make his unofficial Denver basketball debut on DU's 13-day, six-game tour of Spain. Noonan has been practicing with the team for a year but could not play in 2009-10 due to NCAA transfer rules.
"The big thing for Trevor on this trip is just integrating him into the team," head coach Joe Scott said.
The coaches expect the six games in Spain to ease Noonan's transition into the Denver system, knowing that there is a significant difference between participating in practice and playing in games.
"He's been getting a lot of attention from the coaches, and we're working to make sure he's on the same level as Brian Stafford and Chase Hallam and the rest of the guys who played last season," Scott said. "Trevor has spent the past year just practicing, so these six games in Spain will help make November 10 feel like January 15 for him."
Noonan is a 6-9, 225-pound forward with soft hands, good passing skills and a long-range shooting touch. He transferred to DU after one year at Air Force, where he averaged 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in limited minutes during 25 games with the Falcons.
"This is going to be the biggest team we've had here," Scott said. "We're going to have two 6-9 guys and two 6-4 guys, and there is competition for the fifth spot."
Adding Noonan to the roster also offers Scott and his coaching staff more options with their other two 6-9 players: Andrew Hooper and Justin Coughlin, whose primary position likely will switch from center to forward.
"Noonan brings a very important skill set to a basketball team," Scott said. "He's big and strong, but he can still pass and shoot. So that gives us more options. We have some different guys now that can do different things. It just puts us in a position to do what we want to do, which is just keep getting better."
Noonan grew up in nearby Broomfield, Colo., where he scored 18.6 points and pulled down 13.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Legacy High School, and he is excited to show Denver fans what he can do.
"I'm just excited to get out on that court and play again," Noonan said. "Being in a game that matters and having people count on me, I can't wait for that feeling again."
Happy Birthday: Assistant coach A.J. Kuhle is celebrating his birthday today.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Basketball and Barbeque - 8/14/10
DENVER - Several
fans and former players joined the University of Denver men's
basketball coaches and team today for practice and a barbeque.
Those in attendance at the practice got a sample of what the coaches and players do every day, including a number of drills and work on offensive plays.
Head coach Joe Scott thanked everyone for coming and gave them a preview of the team's upcoming trip to Spain. Scott also emphasized that the growth of support among former players and fans during the past three years has helped Denver basketball improve as a program.
Among those in attendance were Doug Price, the second leading scorer in Pioneers' history with 1,830 career points from 1992-97, and Matt Teahan, who owns the single-season scoring record with 659 points (25.3 per game) in 1978-79.
Other former players joining the festivities were Stan Adams (Class of 1986), Dan Cramer (1973), Steve Fink (1992), Mike Gallagher (1980), Bill Jones (1971), David Kummer (2008), Gene Steinke (1948),Darryle Wyman (1991) and Jeff Wittebort (1979).
The newest members of Denver men's basketball alumni also joined the group: Nate Rohnert and Tom Chott, who both graduated in June 2010.
Rockies on FSN: Don't forget to watch tonight, when head coach Joe Scott will be a featured guest in the FSN Rocky Mountain television booth with Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson at Coors Field. Scott will visit the FSN television booth during the third inning of the Colorado Rockies' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch for the Rockies and Brewers tilt is slated for 6:10 p.m. MT.
Those in attendance at the practice got a sample of what the coaches and players do every day, including a number of drills and work on offensive plays.
Head coach Joe Scott thanked everyone for coming and gave them a preview of the team's upcoming trip to Spain. Scott also emphasized that the growth of support among former players and fans during the past three years has helped Denver basketball improve as a program.
Among those in attendance were Doug Price, the second leading scorer in Pioneers' history with 1,830 career points from 1992-97, and Matt Teahan, who owns the single-season scoring record with 659 points (25.3 per game) in 1978-79.
Other former players joining the festivities were Stan Adams (Class of 1986), Dan Cramer (1973), Steve Fink (1992), Mike Gallagher (1980), Bill Jones (1971), David Kummer (2008), Gene Steinke (1948),Darryle Wyman (1991) and Jeff Wittebort (1979).
The newest members of Denver men's basketball alumni also joined the group: Nate Rohnert and Tom Chott, who both graduated in June 2010.
Rockies on FSN: Don't forget to watch tonight, when head coach Joe Scott will be a featured guest in the FSN Rocky Mountain television booth with Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson at Coors Field. Scott will visit the FSN television booth during the third inning of the Colorado Rockies' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch for the Rockies and Brewers tilt is slated for 6:10 p.m. MT.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Spain Practice No. 2 - 8/13/10
DENVER - Early every year, Denver basketball fans around the program will stop by practice and say something along the lines of "I can't believe (fill in the player) is an upperclassman." This year is no different with seniors Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.). The duo arrived at Denver four years ago, the same year as head coach Joe Scott and his staff, and both already have stepped into bigger leadership roles this season. Kyle talks a little about the first two days of practice in the video below.
Two years ago, a lot was made of the Pioneers' youth, which was appropriate since they were the youngest team in the country. Looking at the court during practice today, the team looks grown up and confident.
One of the drills each day is to line up and shoot three-pointers. Each person shoots, grabs his own rebound and fires a pass to someone on the elbow, and he passes again to the shooter. They shoot from the top of the key for the first minute, move to a corner for a minute, and then return to the top before finishing in the other corner. The magic number in the drill is 80 makes, and the first time they did the drill today, they nailed 86 shots with everyone drilling shot after shot.
Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) took an elbow to the nose early and missed some practice time. Hooper's absence gave freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) a chance to play center. According to Coach Scott, it should work nicely because center is the easiest position to learn in Denver's system, but it also will give Udofia the chance to learn the entire system quickly.
While nobody is going to pick up the offense quickly, Udofia seems to be doing a good job absorbing a lot of information from the coaches and his teammates and applying it on the court.
Overall, it was a good practice, and Scott even ended it after two hours, which is a little shorter than usual.
Tanner Update: Former Pioneer Adam Tanner sent a note from Australia last week. It's always great to hear from the Tanner crew from Down Under.
Tanner played two years at DU including one season under Joe Scott in 2007-08, when he led the team in scoring and assists as the starting center.
After a year in the NBL, Australia's top professional league, with the New Zealand Breakers, Tanner is now playing in the offseason league with the Bendigo Braves, about 1.5 hours from Tanner's native Melbourne.
According to Tanner, it's the second-tier league behind the NBL, and although it is pays, it only requires a few days of practice per week in addition to a couple games each weekend.
In his spare time, Tanner has returned to school to become a teacher. Once he graduates in October, he will teach either primary school or high school business classes.
Rockies on FSN: Head coach Joe Scott will be a featured guest in the FSN Rocky Mountain television booth with Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson at Coors Field on Saturday, Aug. 14. Scott will visit the FSN television booth during the third inning of the Colorado Rockies' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch for the Rockies and Brewers tilt is slated for 6:10 p.m. MT. .
New Arrival: Congratulations to Denver team surgeon Michelle Wolcott, who gave birth to son Henry David Wolcott this morning. The family is doing great.
Two years ago, a lot was made of the Pioneers' youth, which was appropriate since they were the youngest team in the country. Looking at the court during practice today, the team looks grown up and confident.
One of the drills each day is to line up and shoot three-pointers. Each person shoots, grabs his own rebound and fires a pass to someone on the elbow, and he passes again to the shooter. They shoot from the top of the key for the first minute, move to a corner for a minute, and then return to the top before finishing in the other corner. The magic number in the drill is 80 makes, and the first time they did the drill today, they nailed 86 shots with everyone drilling shot after shot.
Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) took an elbow to the nose early and missed some practice time. Hooper's absence gave freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) a chance to play center. According to Coach Scott, it should work nicely because center is the easiest position to learn in Denver's system, but it also will give Udofia the chance to learn the entire system quickly.
While nobody is going to pick up the offense quickly, Udofia seems to be doing a good job absorbing a lot of information from the coaches and his teammates and applying it on the court.
Overall, it was a good practice, and Scott even ended it after two hours, which is a little shorter than usual.
Tanner Update: Former Pioneer Adam Tanner sent a note from Australia last week. It's always great to hear from the Tanner crew from Down Under.
Tanner played two years at DU including one season under Joe Scott in 2007-08, when he led the team in scoring and assists as the starting center.
After a year in the NBL, Australia's top professional league, with the New Zealand Breakers, Tanner is now playing in the offseason league with the Bendigo Braves, about 1.5 hours from Tanner's native Melbourne.
According to Tanner, it's the second-tier league behind the NBL, and although it is pays, it only requires a few days of practice per week in addition to a couple games each weekend.
In his spare time, Tanner has returned to school to become a teacher. Once he graduates in October, he will teach either primary school or high school business classes.
Rockies on FSN: Head coach Joe Scott will be a featured guest in the FSN Rocky Mountain television booth with Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson at Coors Field on Saturday, Aug. 14. Scott will visit the FSN television booth during the third inning of the Colorado Rockies' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch for the Rockies and Brewers tilt is slated for 6:10 p.m. MT. .
New Arrival: Congratulations to Denver team surgeon Michelle Wolcott, who gave birth to son Henry David Wolcott this morning. The family is doing great.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
First Practice of the Year - 8/12/10
DENVER - Practice
has come early for the University of Denver men's basketball team.
Because the team is heading to Spain for a 13-day, six-game tour later
this month, the Pioneers are allowed 10 practice days before they leave.
Normally teams are limited to a pair of one-hour workouts per week before the official start of practice on Oct. 15. The NCAA permits this type of international trip every four years, but Denver has never taken one.
Seniors Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) and Andrew Hooper(Lakewood, Colo.); juniors Justin Coughlin (Yuma, Colo.), Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas), Trevor Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.), Alex Pickert (Carmel, Calif.), Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Colo.) and Tyler Thalken (Tulsa, Okla.); sophomores Blake Foeman (Weston, Fla.) and Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas); and freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) all participated at today's practice.
This team has a lot of experience with juniors and seniors representing 10 of the 13 slots on the roster, and all of the players were enrolled in summer school in June and July, including Udofia in his first official college quarter, so they spent a lot of time in the gym together, working out and playing pick-up games.
The work they put in this summer was apparent, as all of the players looked bigger and stronger, and judging from the relative calmness of the coaching staff, it seems safe to say the players did what they needed to stay in shape since last season. There was a little rust, but it was considerably less than one could rightfully expect at the first practice of the year.
The energy level was high today, and there was excitement in the air. The guys know that these practices will help them prepare to face professional Spanish teams, which in turn will help them this season.
Head coach Joe Scott has been part of two teams that took European tours - Princeton before the 1997-98 season and Air Force in 2003-04 - and both teams were ranked the following season, won their conference titles and played in the NCAA Tournament.
This was the first time that Udofia got to experience a Denver practice, and as the only first-year player, he got a lot of one-on-one coaching today. It's also nice seeing Noonan out there and knowing he is finally eligible after spending last season on the bench as a mandatory redshirt after transferring from Air Force.
As you might expect, the returning players look a lot more confident in the Denver system than they did during first practices the past three seasons, and nearly every player pulled Udofia aside at some point to help explain something or just encourage him.
The Pioneers return to the gym again tomorrow for their second practice.
Normally teams are limited to a pair of one-hour workouts per week before the official start of practice on Oct. 15. The NCAA permits this type of international trip every four years, but Denver has never taken one.
Seniors Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) and Andrew Hooper(Lakewood, Colo.); juniors Justin Coughlin (Yuma, Colo.), Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas), Trevor Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.), Alex Pickert (Carmel, Calif.), Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Colo.) and Tyler Thalken (Tulsa, Okla.); sophomores Blake Foeman (Weston, Fla.) and Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas); and freshman Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) all participated at today's practice.
This team has a lot of experience with juniors and seniors representing 10 of the 13 slots on the roster, and all of the players were enrolled in summer school in June and July, including Udofia in his first official college quarter, so they spent a lot of time in the gym together, working out and playing pick-up games.
The work they put in this summer was apparent, as all of the players looked bigger and stronger, and judging from the relative calmness of the coaching staff, it seems safe to say the players did what they needed to stay in shape since last season. There was a little rust, but it was considerably less than one could rightfully expect at the first practice of the year.
The energy level was high today, and there was excitement in the air. The guys know that these practices will help them prepare to face professional Spanish teams, which in turn will help them this season.
Head coach Joe Scott has been part of two teams that took European tours - Princeton before the 1997-98 season and Air Force in 2003-04 - and both teams were ranked the following season, won their conference titles and played in the NCAA Tournament.
This was the first time that Udofia got to experience a Denver practice, and as the only first-year player, he got a lot of one-on-one coaching today. It's also nice seeing Noonan out there and knowing he is finally eligible after spending last season on the bench as a mandatory redshirt after transferring from Air Force.
As you might expect, the returning players look a lot more confident in the Denver system than they did during first practices the past three seasons, and nearly every player pulled Udofia aside at some point to help explain something or just encourage him.
The Pioneers return to the gym again tomorrow for their second practice.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Nonconference Road Schedule - 8/9/10
DENVER - Friday's blog focused on the challenge of Denver's nonconference home schedule, so we wanted to break down the road games, too.
BTI Invitational (Nov. 12-14)
The Pioneers kick off the 2010-11 season in Eugene, Ore., at the BTI Invitational against Oregon, UC Santa Barbara and North Dakota State (the exact schedule has not been announced).
Oregon has a long tradition of excellence, which spans from the Ducks winning the very first NCAA Championship in 1939 to five NCAA Tournament appearances in the past decade. New head coach Dana Altman takes over Oregon after leading Creighton to a 327-176 (.650) record over the past 16 seasons and 13-consecutive postseason appearances. The Ducks lead the all-time series with the Pioneers 5-1, but the teams have not met since Oregon beat Denver 99-90 in the highest-scoring game in Magness Arena history on Nov. 21, 2000. Former Oregon players Aaron Brooks, Malik Hairston and Luke Ridnour all are currently playing in the NBA, while Luke Jackson, Fred Jones and Alex Scales also appeared in the NBA in the past five years.
UC Santa Barbara earned a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, their fourth appearance overall and second this decade, after winning 20 games for the second time in the past three seasons. This will be the first ever matchup between the Pioneers and Gauchos. The most notable alumnus of UC Santa Barbara is Brian Shaw, who went on to win three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
North Dakota State made history in 2009, when they made the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility after turning Division I. The Pioneers are 1-2 against NDSU with the Bison winning the last meeting in 2005. Current Colorado State head coach Tim Miles made waves while he was the head coach at North Dakota State in 2006, when he led the Bison to upset road victories over 12th ranked Wisconsin, which had a 27-game home winning streak against nonconference opponents at the time, and eight ranked Marquette.
Oregon is in the midst of building the brand new Matthew Knight Arena, but it is not expected to be completed until the Pac 10 conference schedule begins in December. That means the first half of the season, including the BTI Invitational, will be held at legendary McArthur Court, where the pitch of the seats is so steep that the 9,087 fans seem to be hanging over the court. The Sporting News named Mac Court the "best gym in America" in 2001, and Sports Illustrated ranked it as one of the 12 toughest places to play for an opponent in college basketball.
Boise State (Nov. 27)
The Broncos won 25 games en route to the 2008 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship and played in the NCAA Tournament. Basketball fans in Denver may remember Boise State as the alma mater of Koby Karl, the son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. Although Boise State may be best known for the blue turf in its football stadium, the Taco Bell Arena has hosted the NCAA Tournament First and Second rounds eight times since opening in 1982. Hoops fans may remember UCLA's Tyus Edney going coast-to-coast at Taco Bell Arena to beat Missouri 75-74, sparking the Bruins' run to the 1995 national title. The arena also hosted four First Round games in 2001 that were decided by a total of seven points, including the 58-57 upset by No. 15 seed Hampton over No. 2 seed Iowa State, which was coached by Larry Eustachy.
Southern Mississippi (Dec. 7)
Speaking of Eustachy, he enters his seventh season at Southern Miss, where he guided the Golden Eagles to 20 wins and a spot in the CIT last season. The Golden Eagles play in Hattiesburg, Miss., at Reed Green Coliseum, where the team has gone 412-180 (.696) since opening in 1965, including an 11-3 mark last season. Denver is 2-0 all-time against Southern Miss, including a victory on DU's run to the 2005 Top of the World Classic championship in Fairbanks, Alaska. The most notable alumni from Southern Miss are probably Jimmy Buffett and Brett Favre, but from a hoops perspective it's hard to overlook Clarence Weatherspoon, who played 13 seasons in the NBA after being picked ninth by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1992 NBA draft. And, of course, a favorite Southern Miss alum around Denver is former Pioneers assistant coach Greg Lackey, who has contributed insight during select DU games on television and radio during recent years.
Wyoming (Dec. 14)
The Cowboys are no strangers to the Pioneers. The two teams have met in each of the last 17 seasons, the longest consecutive streak against any DU opponent, and Denver has faced Wyoming a total of 142 times, the second most of any DU opponent. The Pioneers beat Wyoming 80-77 last season at Magness Arena, but the Cowboys have taken the last five meetings in Laramie, dating back to 1998.
BTI Invitational (Nov. 12-14)
The Pioneers kick off the 2010-11 season in Eugene, Ore., at the BTI Invitational against Oregon, UC Santa Barbara and North Dakota State (the exact schedule has not been announced).
Oregon has a long tradition of excellence, which spans from the Ducks winning the very first NCAA Championship in 1939 to five NCAA Tournament appearances in the past decade. New head coach Dana Altman takes over Oregon after leading Creighton to a 327-176 (.650) record over the past 16 seasons and 13-consecutive postseason appearances. The Ducks lead the all-time series with the Pioneers 5-1, but the teams have not met since Oregon beat Denver 99-90 in the highest-scoring game in Magness Arena history on Nov. 21, 2000. Former Oregon players Aaron Brooks, Malik Hairston and Luke Ridnour all are currently playing in the NBA, while Luke Jackson, Fred Jones and Alex Scales also appeared in the NBA in the past five years.
UC Santa Barbara earned a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, their fourth appearance overall and second this decade, after winning 20 games for the second time in the past three seasons. This will be the first ever matchup between the Pioneers and Gauchos. The most notable alumnus of UC Santa Barbara is Brian Shaw, who went on to win three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
North Dakota State made history in 2009, when they made the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility after turning Division I. The Pioneers are 1-2 against NDSU with the Bison winning the last meeting in 2005. Current Colorado State head coach Tim Miles made waves while he was the head coach at North Dakota State in 2006, when he led the Bison to upset road victories over 12th ranked Wisconsin, which had a 27-game home winning streak against nonconference opponents at the time, and eight ranked Marquette.
Oregon is in the midst of building the brand new Matthew Knight Arena, but it is not expected to be completed until the Pac 10 conference schedule begins in December. That means the first half of the season, including the BTI Invitational, will be held at legendary McArthur Court, where the pitch of the seats is so steep that the 9,087 fans seem to be hanging over the court. The Sporting News named Mac Court the "best gym in America" in 2001, and Sports Illustrated ranked it as one of the 12 toughest places to play for an opponent in college basketball.
Boise State (Nov. 27)
The Broncos won 25 games en route to the 2008 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship and played in the NCAA Tournament. Basketball fans in Denver may remember Boise State as the alma mater of Koby Karl, the son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. Although Boise State may be best known for the blue turf in its football stadium, the Taco Bell Arena has hosted the NCAA Tournament First and Second rounds eight times since opening in 1982. Hoops fans may remember UCLA's Tyus Edney going coast-to-coast at Taco Bell Arena to beat Missouri 75-74, sparking the Bruins' run to the 1995 national title. The arena also hosted four First Round games in 2001 that were decided by a total of seven points, including the 58-57 upset by No. 15 seed Hampton over No. 2 seed Iowa State, which was coached by Larry Eustachy.
Southern Mississippi (Dec. 7)
Speaking of Eustachy, he enters his seventh season at Southern Miss, where he guided the Golden Eagles to 20 wins and a spot in the CIT last season. The Golden Eagles play in Hattiesburg, Miss., at Reed Green Coliseum, where the team has gone 412-180 (.696) since opening in 1965, including an 11-3 mark last season. Denver is 2-0 all-time against Southern Miss, including a victory on DU's run to the 2005 Top of the World Classic championship in Fairbanks, Alaska. The most notable alumni from Southern Miss are probably Jimmy Buffett and Brett Favre, but from a hoops perspective it's hard to overlook Clarence Weatherspoon, who played 13 seasons in the NBA after being picked ninth by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1992 NBA draft. And, of course, a favorite Southern Miss alum around Denver is former Pioneers assistant coach Greg Lackey, who has contributed insight during select DU games on television and radio during recent years.
Wyoming (Dec. 14)
The Cowboys are no strangers to the Pioneers. The two teams have met in each of the last 17 seasons, the longest consecutive streak against any DU opponent, and Denver has faced Wyoming a total of 142 times, the second most of any DU opponent. The Pioneers beat Wyoming 80-77 last season at Magness Arena, but the Cowboys have taken the last five meetings in Laramie, dating back to 1998.
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