In the News - 1/27/11

DENVER - As the Pioneers made a nice run with an eight-game winning streak, more and more people started to take notice, including some sports writers across the country.

While the team knows it needs to continue playing well through the end of the regular season and postseason, it's nice to see these guys that work so hard get a little recognition. Here are just a few.

Tom Kensler of the Denver Post took notice of how well freshman Chris Udofia has been playing lately:

Udofia (rhymes with utopia) offers the kind of explosive athleticism that most programs covet. But after a so-so junior season and unimpressive performances at summer camps - "I'm a late bloomer, I guess," Udofia said - he began his senior year at Dallas Jesuit wondering if anybody wanted him....Udofia is bright and humble, and he comes from a strong family unit (his parents fled Nigeria before he was born), so Scott figured the kid would do whatever it took to smooth out the raw, rough spots in his game. Can you say recruiting steal?

CBSSports.com noticed basketball making its presence felt at DU:

For now, Scott and the Pioneers are focusing on maintaining the lead they've built. After six straight wins, Saturday brought a road loss to Middle Tennessee State. The head coach says his kids need to focus on winning the regular season in the Sun Belt, after which he believes postseason success will come.

"The tournament's a crapshoot. The truth is you should be playing your best basketball rolling into March so you give yourself the best chance in those three days. We're here all year long, and sixteen regular season games are important, and over those sixteen games you can put yourself in the mix to challenge for a conference championship. That's critically important."

Baby steps are important. Asking this program to ever win an NCAA championship might be asking too much, but you can bet they'd like to shoulder aside some of those hockey banners and hang a few Sun Belt and, eventually, WAC banners in Magness Arena.

RushTheCourt.com picked up on a story Alanna Rizzo told during the FSN broadcast of the Florida International game - a story which caused the generous and compassionate Kyle Lewis to shrug and claim anyone else would have done the same thing, if put in that situation:

It's not often we get to relay a human interest story to our Sun Belt fans, so let's take this opportunity to recognize Denver guard Kyle Lewis for his heroic actions this month. According to Fox Sports Rocky Mountain, Lewis encountered a man in need of medical attention while walking on campus and called 911. Lewis told a sideline reporter for the television network that he actually kicked the man in the chest to resuscitate him. Lewis, named a team captain this year, had started for three seasons before taking on a bench role this year as a senior. So he's an unselfish guy in more ways than one.

We have talked before about the challenging nonconference schedule that the Pioneers faced this season. If you hadn't noticed, St. Mary's (17-3) and Utah State (18-2) are in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at 24 and 25, respectively.

Earlier this week, ESPN senior college basketball writer Andy Katz gave his suggestions for the 11 BracketBuster games that should be televised this year, and there are some familiar teams included:

1. Utah State at Saint Mary's: This has been a BracketBuster game in the past, in large part because these two teams are the two best teams in the field. Utah State and Saint Mary's are en route to being at-large candidates, even if neither wins the WAC or WCC, respectively. Organizers shouldn't let anything influence them on this decision, if either coach doesn't want to the other again. This is important to make the event work. This game has to happen since it is the most obvious of the 11 to occur.

11. Boise State at UC Santa Barbara: The Broncos have been one of the surprise teams in the WAC behind first-year coach Leon Rice. Boise State just won at rival Idaho, and that should be enough for it to get one of the final televised games. Rice took over an experienced team, which lacked quality wins in the conference. But the Broncos are 5-2 in the league this season and have matured. Santa Barbara is 3-3 in the Big West, but it does have road wins at UNLV and at Santa Clara -- which Gonzaga couldn't get -- so that should elevate the Gauchos ahead of Cal Poly.

The Pioneers faced all four of those teams earlier this season.

Suits and Sneakers: Don't forget to wear sneakers when you come to cheer on the Pioneers against North Texas this Saturday in support of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers.

This marks the seventh year that coaches across America will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their suits in an effort to spotlight the fact that while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. Not smoking, weight control, exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. In the U.S., overweight and obesity contribute to 14-20 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches across the country, Coaches vs. Cancer participants have raised more than $60 million since 1993 to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education, advocate for public health policies that benefit communities, and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.  

Yearly travel totals:       
Total Flights, regular season only - 11

Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 9,647

Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 19,925

Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,051

Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,611

Total Number of Hotels - 7

Total Number of Different Airports - 7

Total Number of Airline Delays - 1

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1

Middle Tennessee - 1/22/11

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - It's been a fun couple of weeks for the Pioneers. The guys are in good spirits as they shoot around at the Murphy Center, getting ready for tonight's game against Middle Tennessee.

There was a confidence and looseness in the players that we saw in Spain last summer, and it's made a welcome return.

The team practiced at DU yesterday morning, had some lunch and then loaded onto a bus for the airport. We always try to arrive early enough to make sure we don't run into any problems, which leaves some time at the gate for the players to hang out and make each other laugh.

When Chase Hallam was asked if he wanted to do a phone interview with a reporter so that he could get it out of the way, he said, "Let's do it later. I'm playing Family Feud here, and I'm in a zone." Sure enough, his computer screen showed a battle being waged."

Always looking to take a quality photo, Andrew Hooper roamed the area looking for unsuspecting teammates that might be napping.

The flight to Nashville was uneventful (even if it was a tad delayed), and after checking into the hotel around 8 p.m., everyone walked to a restaurant next door for a good dinner.

This is a fairly familiar arena for most of the players. In fact, Kyle Lewis is playing here for the third time in his four years. He's hoping for more favorable results tonight.

About Middle Tennessee: Murfreesboro is a town of 101,753 people about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. As the name of the university might suggest, Murfreesboro is smack dab in the middle of Tennessee.

During the Civil War, the Battle of Stone River was fought between the team hotel and campus. There is a nice greenbelt running through a couple of the battlegrounds. Oddly, a full dog team was pulling a man on a sled with wheels along the greenbelt, mushing the dogs along the way.

Middle Tennessee (or Middle Tennessee State, as the sign outside still says) has a fairly rich basketball tradition. The men's team has six NCAA Tournament banners hanging from the rafters, and the women's team has 13, including six this decade.

We always try to come up with a few notable alumni from each school we visit. For some reason, the list from MTSU always seems shorter than expected.

Albert Gore Sr., the former senator and father of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, went here. Longtime NFL quarterback Kelly Holcomb played for the Blue Raiders. And, of course, Music Row is just up the road, so there are a few country music stars. Both Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott and Nashville Star winner Chris Young went to Middle.

If any of our loyal blog readers know any more MTSU alums, please send them our way.

Yearly travel totals:       

Total Flights, regular season only - 10

Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 8, 634

Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 18,912

Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 968

Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,528

Total Number of Hotels - 7

Total Number of Different Airports - 7

Total Number of Airline Delays - 1

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1

Louisiana-Monroe - 1/8/11

MONROE, La. - Thursday night's game was fun. All wins are good, but when you beat the team that's historically the best in the conference, especially in their gym, it feels just a little bit better than usual.

That was the first time the Pioneers have ever beaten Western Kentucky at E.A. Diddle Arena, although the team did have two victories in the venue during the 2002-03 Sun Belt Tournament against Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette.

This win came at the right time. Because the Hilltoppers are expected to travel Denver next year in DU's final season in the Sun Belt, there's a pretty good likelihood that was the last time the Pioneers will play in Bowling Green, Ky.

Spirits were high right after the game, although everyone had to hustle and get out of the arena because we had a flight to catch. The team dined on sandwiches, chips and cookies on the bus from the arena to the Bowling Green Regional Airport.

Normally, the Pioneers travel on commercial airlines, but because there was only one day between games and it's pretty difficult to get from Southern Kentucky to Northern Louisiana, the team loaded onto a prop jet for a 90 minute flight south.

After a short ride from the Monroe Regional Airport, the team arrived at the hotel around midnight, and everyone headed to bed.

Louisiana-Monroe has been in the Sun Belt Conference since 2006-07, so the team has traveled here six times. The first year, we stayed near the local mall, but when we returned the next week for the first round of the SBC Tournament, we moved to a hotel in West Monroe. We've stayed at this hotel ever since.

There's not a whole lot around the hotel, except an agricultural convention center, a John Deere dealership, and what looks to be a nice miniature golf course. That golf course has been an on-going joke, because during all four previous trips, it's been closed. I was prepared to make a joke about it here, but when I ran by yesterday, the sign was flashing "Open." Not that there were any cars parked in front. Or that we'll be going there anywhere.

Yesterday was pretty standard for an off-day on the road. The team slept in a bit before heading to the lobby for breakfast. At 1 p.m., everyone loaded on the bus and went to the ULM Rec Center for a 2.5 hour practice after which sandwiches were available. At 7 p.m., everyone headed to dinner.

It's a 1 p.m. tip time today, so shoot around is much earlier than usual - 8 a.m. The guys were knocking some cobwebs off as they headed to the bus, but Chase Hallam said he preferred afternoon games, and Trevor Noonan added, "I just like getting home right after the game."

The Pioneers are expected to land sometime this evening.

Television: Don't forget that this afternoon's game will be shown live on the Sun Belt Network, which is available on ESPN3 and ESPN's Full Court Package.

About Louisiana-Monroe: There are eight schools in the University of Louisiana System, including ULM and Louisiana-Lafayette, which are both in the Sun Belt Conference.

Formerly named Northeast Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe has just over 9,000 students. Unfortunately, ULM doesn't have an exhaustive list of famous alumni, although I recently discovered former San Diego Charger Stan Humphries and former Denver Bronco Bubby Brister attended when it was Northeast Louisiana, so here's a repeat from a blog two years ago:

Recently Monroe, La., has found a name for itself on the HBO show "True Blood." While we have not run across any vampires, we can tell you that ULM is the alma mater of country singer Tim McGraw, baseball All-Stars Ben Sheets and Chuck Finley, and Breaux Greer. Who is Breaux Greer, you ask? That would be Hurricane from American Gladiators. According to the NBC website, "Run for cover as fast as you can whenever Hurricane blows into Gladiator Arena. Appearing without warning and striking with enough energy to blow down a mountain, those contenders unlucky enough to cross his path will experience a truly perfect storm of sheer athletic prowess and destructive Gladiator instinct." With the potential for a storm like that, the risk of vampires appears considerably less fearsome. (Thanks to former ULM sports information director Jeff Hendrix for providing that vital piece of information.)  

Yearly travel totals:       
Total Flights, regular season only - 8

Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 6,719

Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 16,962

Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 872

Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,432

Total Number of Hotels - 6

Total Number of Different Airports - 7

Total Number of Airline Delays - 0

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1

Total Number of Times the Miniature Golf Course has been open in DU's Five Trips to Monroe- 1

Western Kentucky - 1/6/11

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Pioneers are back on the road after a nice, long stretch in the comforts of Colorado. After practice at Hamilton Gym yesterday morning, the team flew to Nashville and bused the 90 minutes or so north to Bowling Green, Ky.

Kyle Lewis and Rob Lewis are the only players who have been here before, so the rest of the team gets to experience the most historic venue in the Sun Belt Conference for the first time.

WKU is the only current Sun Belt Conference team with a Final Four banner hanging in its rafters (although the NCAA later vacated the Hilltoppers' 1971 run through the Tournament), and it is without question the SBC team with the most success.

The Hilltoppers have been to the NCAA Tournament 21 times, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2008 and a trip to the Second Round in 2009. The team has had 38 players named All-American, and none of WKU's coaches has ever had a losing record.

E.A. Diddle, the namesake of WKU's arena, coached his teams to 759 win from 1922-64. Among the coaches to follow Diddle were Gene Keady, who went on to legendary status as head coach at Purdue, and Clem Haskins, who coached Minnesota to a Final Four (and was also an All-American while playing for WKU).

Below the multiple banners spouting WKU's success, the Pioneers are running through their shoot around, preparing for tonight's game.

Shootarounds tend to start the same way with shooting and full court team layup drills. About halfway through the hour long practice, associate head coach Mike McKee pulls a small piece of paper out of his pocket. It's got small, meticulous writing covering the front and back, showing the scouting report for the night's game.

The Pioneers work on plays that the opponent will run with the second team playing the role of Western Kentucky, in this case. For the final few minutes, McKee and the rest of the coaches go over each of the players on the other team, emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses.

For those of us who have the privilege of hearing the scouting report, we get to see just how good McKee and the rest of the coaches are at scouting these teams.

About Western Kentucky: Because we play these conference teams every year, I sometimes repeat myself in this blog, so please forgive me if some of this is repetitive.

However, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've reported that among WKU's many notable alumni, football player Rod Smart was a Hilltopper. Who's that, you ask? You might remember him better from his name in the XFL, HeHateMe.

Other alums include John Carpenter, who directed films like Halloween and Escape from New York; Steve Gorman, the drummer for The Black Crowes; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell; and Courney Lee, who currently plays for the Houston Rockets.

According to the ultra-reliable Wikipedia, Western Kentucky was also the alma mater of Mitch McDeere, the protagonist from John Grisham's The Firm.

Yearly travel totals:  
Total Flights, regular season only - 7

Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 6,188

Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 16,431

Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 838

Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,483

Total Number of Hotels - 5

Total Number of Different Airports - 5

Total Number of Airline Delays - 0

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1