DENTON, Texas - The
final game of the regular season is tonight, and the Pioneers need a
win and a little bit of help to get a bye in the first round of the Sun
Belt Tournament. Either Arkansas State or Louisiana-Lafayette also needs
to lose tonight for that to happen, and if both lose and DU wins the
Pioneers will win the SBC West Division.
Thursday night's game at
the Cajundome was a very entertaining college basketball game, even if
it did leave the Pioneers disappointed in the result. Both teams played
well, and the crowd was really into it.
Normally, the team tends
to leave road cities early in the morning, but because the flight from
Lafayette to Dallas is short, everyone got a chance to sleep in a little
and grab some breakfast before heading to the airport.
The team went straight
from DFW to Texas Women's University in Denton to practice. The
university, which is about three miles from North Texas, has some nice
facilities, and practice went well.
There are some
challenges with going straight from the airport to the practice
facility, of course. Trainer Pat Hoxsey was taping players' ankles while
everyone was waiting in baggage claim, but it all worked fine.
About North Texas - The Mean Green have one of the best lists of notable alumni in the Sun Belt.
You could put on a
pretty good concert with the musicians who have walked this campus. Roy
Orbison, Norah Jones, Don Henley, Ray Wylie Hubbard and, let's not
forget, Pat Boone all attended North Texas.
To our knowledge, Mean
Green is the only mascot named after a former athlete. Pittsburgh
Steelers great and Coca-Cola hawker Mean Joe Greene played here, when
the team was still the Eagles.
From Hollywood, you can find NT grads Thomas Haden Church from the old sitcom Wings, and Robocop himself, Peter Weller. Lonesome Doveauthor Larry McMurtry and Dr. Phil also went here.
Addition about Lafayette, La. - We got this note from Gerald Hebert, a student at Louisiana-Lafayette, in response to the last blog.
I must say that it was a
pleasure hosting your team tonight in the Cajundome. It was the most
exciting atmosphere we have had in a long time. But I must say that your
view of the city of Lafayette is a little inaccurate. Now, I'm not
typing this with any negative connotations, so please don't take it as
such. First, there aren't swamps everywhere you look. The only swamps
that I can think of in town is the one on campus and the one by the
airport. Secondly, Lafayette is one of the fastest growing cities in the
south because of the oil industry and the increase in medical research
in the area. The city didn't grow by over 10,000 people because of
Hurricane Katrina, even though there were some people who stayed. The
city itself is a capitalist gold mine. People here cling to new things
such as a new stores, restaurants, etc. This reverts back to the local
culture. The Cajun culture is one that is hospitable, welcoming, and
friendly. No, we don't dress like Farmer Fran and ride airboats around
town. We are normal people who wear normal clothes, have normal jobs,
and talk a little differently. As far has finding something to do, this
place is popping. There's a reason why a good number of LSU students
drive the 45 minutes from Baton Rouge on Friday and Saturday nights. The
nightlife here is second best in the state next to New Orleans. As a
New Orleans native myself, I was shocked by the number of events going
on in town when I first arrived in Lafayette.
The swamps in the area
are numerous or expansive enough to offer businesses that cater to swamp
tours, but to be fair most of those swamps are outside of city limits.
I certainly meant no
disrespect to the town, which is not a bad town with kind people and
great food. And the crowd at the Cajundome on Thursday night was
probably the most spirited the Pioneers have seen in several seasons.
A few other people took offense to the Waterboy reference. The references to the movie seemed natural in Cajun Country, and a few lines were uttered from the movie, just as Animal House references were made in Eugene, Ore., earlier this season (I suggest Dumb & Dumber, The Shining or Mork & Mindy for
anyone visiting Colorado). However, most of the jokes actually came
from the ULL students sitting behind the DU bench and directed at Denver
trainer Pat Hoxsey, who among countless other things makes sure the
players are all hydrated during games. The students simply called him
"Waterboy."
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 18
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 14,611
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 24,589
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,447
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,822
Total Number of Hotels - 12
Total Number of Different Airports - 11
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Louisiana-Lafayette - 2/24/11
LAFAYETTE, La. - It's seems strange to say, but this is the final regular season road trip of the 2010-11 season.
The team practiced in Hamilton Gym yesterday morning, boarded a bus to DIA and flew through Houston before arriving at the not-so-large Lafayette Airport around 6:30 p.m. After checking into the hotel, the team walked down the street to a restaurant.
People ask about these towns we go to, and it's always a little funny to hear the players describe them. The players spend almost all of their time at the hotel or the arena with perhaps a restaurant thrown in, if they don't just eat at the hotel. Sometimes, they wander to a nearby convenience store for snacks. Other than that, though, most of the players couldn't tell you much about Lafayette, La.
If one were to describe the polar opposite of Denver, this city might come to mind. While Denver is a Mile High, Lafayette is all of 36 feet above sea level with swamps just about everywhere you look.
There's even a swamp just outside ULL's student union, where a deck is built for students to eat while alligators swim below them. More than a few people we've told that to don't believe us, but I assure you that it's true.
The temperature outside right now is 80 degrees, and the humidity is exponentially higher than Colorado.
The growth of this town is pretty amazing. The city's population has risen nearly 10 percent in the past decade. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, more than 14,000 people took refuge in the Cajondome, right where the Pioneers are currently shooting around.
About Louisiana-Lafayette - The proper name of the school is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. People around here, including our good friend and the well respected voice of the Ragin' Cajuns Jay Walker, like to refer to it simply as the University of Louisiana, and they even tried to change the name in the 1980s. However, according to the school's own website, "A subsequent act of the Louisiana Legislature nullified that name change."
Furthermore, they prefer you not call them simply Lafayette, because they don't want to be confused with the school in the Patriot League, which used to feature Denver associate head coach Mike McKee on its coaching staff.
Generally, we try not to repeat a school's notable alumni from year to year. However, when a school can boast Richard Simmons, like Louisiana-Lafayette can do, certain bloggers would find that impossible to avoid.
Other famous graduates of this institution are Richie Cunningham (the former Cowboys kicker, not the beloved character alongside Fonzie) and Ali Landry, the former Miss America and Dorito girl.
Finally, I was informed that current ULL left-handed pitcher and team captain Taylor Hubbell is dating Heather Morris of Glee. Rumor has it that he's currently in the bullpen, but his sudden star power might catapult him to the starting rotation soon.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 17
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 14,260
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 24,238
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,379
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,754
Total Number of Hotels - 11
Total Number of Different Airports - 11
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Total Number of Bobby Boucher and Waterboy References Since Landing in Cajun Country - Too Many to Count
The team practiced in Hamilton Gym yesterday morning, boarded a bus to DIA and flew through Houston before arriving at the not-so-large Lafayette Airport around 6:30 p.m. After checking into the hotel, the team walked down the street to a restaurant.
People ask about these towns we go to, and it's always a little funny to hear the players describe them. The players spend almost all of their time at the hotel or the arena with perhaps a restaurant thrown in, if they don't just eat at the hotel. Sometimes, they wander to a nearby convenience store for snacks. Other than that, though, most of the players couldn't tell you much about Lafayette, La.
If one were to describe the polar opposite of Denver, this city might come to mind. While Denver is a Mile High, Lafayette is all of 36 feet above sea level with swamps just about everywhere you look.
There's even a swamp just outside ULL's student union, where a deck is built for students to eat while alligators swim below them. More than a few people we've told that to don't believe us, but I assure you that it's true.
The temperature outside right now is 80 degrees, and the humidity is exponentially higher than Colorado.
The growth of this town is pretty amazing. The city's population has risen nearly 10 percent in the past decade. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, more than 14,000 people took refuge in the Cajondome, right where the Pioneers are currently shooting around.
About Louisiana-Lafayette - The proper name of the school is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. People around here, including our good friend and the well respected voice of the Ragin' Cajuns Jay Walker, like to refer to it simply as the University of Louisiana, and they even tried to change the name in the 1980s. However, according to the school's own website, "A subsequent act of the Louisiana Legislature nullified that name change."
Furthermore, they prefer you not call them simply Lafayette, because they don't want to be confused with the school in the Patriot League, which used to feature Denver associate head coach Mike McKee on its coaching staff.
Generally, we try not to repeat a school's notable alumni from year to year. However, when a school can boast Richard Simmons, like Louisiana-Lafayette can do, certain bloggers would find that impossible to avoid.
Other famous graduates of this institution are Richie Cunningham (the former Cowboys kicker, not the beloved character alongside Fonzie) and Ali Landry, the former Miss America and Dorito girl.
Finally, I was informed that current ULL left-handed pitcher and team captain Taylor Hubbell is dating Heather Morris of Glee. Rumor has it that he's currently in the bullpen, but his sudden star power might catapult him to the starting rotation soon.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 17
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 14,260
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 24,238
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,379
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,754
Total Number of Hotels - 11
Total Number of Different Airports - 11
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Total Number of Bobby Boucher and Waterboy References Since Landing in Cajun Country - Too Many to Count
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Troy - 2/12/11
TROY, Ala. - There is considerably less snow here in Central Alabama. In fact, there's none. It's sunny and pretty nice outside.
Troy is not the easiest place to get in and out of, so the men's and women's teams flew one of their few charters of the year yesterday, landing around 6 p.m. in Dothan, Ala., before jumping on a bus for the hour-long drive north to drive.
As usual, the team dropped the bags off at the hotel and headed to dinner. This morning, everyone gathered in a meeting room for scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and cereal.
After shoot around, the team will head back to the hotel to clean up and rest before pregame meal. When we arrive at the hotel, everyone will walk up to their rooms, only to discover that the keys no longer work, and everyone has to get them reactivated in the lobby. Happens every time.
As Kyle Lewis mentioned a few times last summer, pregame will be "Coach Scott's famous pasta and chicken." In all likelihood, it will consist of noodles and meat sauce, salad, fresh fruit, some sort of steamed vegetable, grilled chicken and rolls.
It's a doubleheader tonight with the women starting at 4:15 p.m. MT, and the men will tip off 30 minutes after that game (scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT, but more likely a few minutes later).
About Troy - This is almost certainly DU's last trip to Troy, based on the preliminary schedules for next year, which have the Trojans heading to Denver.
That means it's unlikely that the Pioneers will ever play in Trojan Arena, which is being built nearby and is slated to open in time for next season. Based on the renderings, it looks like it will be a nice addition to this campus, which is much nicer than people might assume.
Most of the buildings are brick and very well maintained, and there is a quad area at the center of campus which leads into the main administration building.
What really makes Troy a nice place, though, is the people, who are as friendly as any place we travel.
Sure, we've been known to point out some of the obscure aspects of the school, including the extraordinary number of Survivor contestants from here (at least three, including Tocantins winner J.T. Thomas, Jr. and Marquesas winner Vecepia Towery), but Troy has had quite a bit of success in sports over the years.
Men's basketball coach Don Maestri has done a very nice job during his 30 years at Troy, including a Sun Belt regular season championship and NIT bid last season. The Troy football team won national championships in NAIA (1946) and Division II (1984 and 1987) before turning Division I in 2004. The Trojans adjusted well, upsetting No. 17 Missouri just a few weeks into that first season, and they continue to excel, winning the past five SBC championships.
As usual, we like to mention a few of the distinguished alumni from the schools we visit. In addition to the reality "stars" mentioned previously, Troy boasts DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Jill Dobson (Fox News) and Windham Rotunda. Who is Windham Rotunda? He's a professional wrestler in the WWE, who goes by Husky Harris and is a member of The Nexus. He has also wrestled under the names Alex Rotundo and Duke Rotundo.
Happy Birthday: For the record, Blake Foeman turned 20 back in December. Somehow that note ended up in the last blog again. Our apologizes to Blake for the error, but then again we like to treat every day like Blake's birthday.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 14
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 11,657
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 21,935
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,326
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,701
Total Number of Hotels - 10
Total Number of Different Airports - 9
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Total Number of Hotel Key Cards That Worked after Shoot Around This Season - 0
Troy is not the easiest place to get in and out of, so the men's and women's teams flew one of their few charters of the year yesterday, landing around 6 p.m. in Dothan, Ala., before jumping on a bus for the hour-long drive north to drive.
As usual, the team dropped the bags off at the hotel and headed to dinner. This morning, everyone gathered in a meeting room for scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and cereal.
After shoot around, the team will head back to the hotel to clean up and rest before pregame meal. When we arrive at the hotel, everyone will walk up to their rooms, only to discover that the keys no longer work, and everyone has to get them reactivated in the lobby. Happens every time.
As Kyle Lewis mentioned a few times last summer, pregame will be "Coach Scott's famous pasta and chicken." In all likelihood, it will consist of noodles and meat sauce, salad, fresh fruit, some sort of steamed vegetable, grilled chicken and rolls.
It's a doubleheader tonight with the women starting at 4:15 p.m. MT, and the men will tip off 30 minutes after that game (scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT, but more likely a few minutes later).
About Troy - This is almost certainly DU's last trip to Troy, based on the preliminary schedules for next year, which have the Trojans heading to Denver.
That means it's unlikely that the Pioneers will ever play in Trojan Arena, which is being built nearby and is slated to open in time for next season. Based on the renderings, it looks like it will be a nice addition to this campus, which is much nicer than people might assume.
Most of the buildings are brick and very well maintained, and there is a quad area at the center of campus which leads into the main administration building.
What really makes Troy a nice place, though, is the people, who are as friendly as any place we travel.
Sure, we've been known to point out some of the obscure aspects of the school, including the extraordinary number of Survivor contestants from here (at least three, including Tocantins winner J.T. Thomas, Jr. and Marquesas winner Vecepia Towery), but Troy has had quite a bit of success in sports over the years.
Men's basketball coach Don Maestri has done a very nice job during his 30 years at Troy, including a Sun Belt regular season championship and NIT bid last season. The Troy football team won national championships in NAIA (1946) and Division II (1984 and 1987) before turning Division I in 2004. The Trojans adjusted well, upsetting No. 17 Missouri just a few weeks into that first season, and they continue to excel, winning the past five SBC championships.
As usual, we like to mention a few of the distinguished alumni from the schools we visit. In addition to the reality "stars" mentioned previously, Troy boasts DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Jill Dobson (Fox News) and Windham Rotunda. Who is Windham Rotunda? He's a professional wrestler in the WWE, who goes by Husky Harris and is a member of The Nexus. He has also wrestled under the names Alex Rotundo and Duke Rotundo.
Happy Birthday: For the record, Blake Foeman turned 20 back in December. Somehow that note ended up in the last blog again. Our apologizes to Blake for the error, but then again we like to treat every day like Blake's birthday.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 14
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 11,657
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 21,935
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,326
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,701
Total Number of Hotels - 10
Total Number of Different Airports - 9
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Total Number of Hotel Key Cards That Worked after Shoot Around This Season - 0
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Arkansas State - 2/5/11
JONESBORO, Ark. - It
rarely snows in Arkansas. Unless of course the Pioneers are rolling
through town. For the second year in a row, it snowed while were in
Jonesboro, although this year was more of a dusting, compared to last year's "blizzard."
The team woke up yesterday in Little Rock, ate some breakfast and then checked out of the hotel. They practiced at Arkansas-Little Rock because the only practice time available at Arkansas State would have been pretty late. Since both UALR teams left right after the men's game on Thursday, and campus closed due to the quarter inch of snow outside, the Pioneers had the entire arena to themselves.
There was a lot of disappointment after losing the heartbreaker the night before, but the team focused that energy into regrouping and making sure they were ready for tonight's game against the Red Wolves.
Some fans might think that since the Pioneers beat ASU handily a few weeks ago, this game could be easy. However, these Denver players know better. This is a very good Red Wolves team, which is in second place in the division and has not lost in 10 home games this season. On top of that, there is always a revenge factor that makes a team want to forget about the previous bad loss by beating that same team.
The Pioneers are all too aware of the challenge tonight, and they're running a focused shoot around right now at the Convocation Center with that in mind.
About Jonesboro - Arkansas State is about two hours northeast of Little Rock. The bus drives through bigger sounding towns like Jacksonville, Austin and Newport, but it's not exactly like Florida, Texas or Oregon.
The town of Weiner won a state bowling championship, according to a few signs scattered around the town of 719.
Jonesboro is located in Craighead County and was founded on Feb. 19, 1859, when a farmer named Fergus Snoddy donated 15 acres of his land for what became downtown Jonesboro.
According to the town's website, "Jonesboro was named after William A. Jones for his support of the legislative act creating the county. The county, itself, received its name through a practical joke. Senator Thomas B. Craighead, who represented Crittenden and Mississippi counties, was against the formation of the county and campaigned actively against it. Senator Jones waited until a day when Craighead was absent to call for a vote on the act. Senator Craighead didn't know anything about it until he got back and found that the county had been named for him."
The first two courthouses in town burned to the ground, the second of which started during a barroom brawl in 1878, but the third is still used.
Arkansas State University was founded in 1909 as a regional agricultural school. Among the people who have walked the campus are 1984 Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner and Rodger Bumpass, whose voice can be heard in countless cartoons and movies, most notably SpongeBob SquarePants.
Finally, since it's been a few years since we mentioned it, and it was a favorite blog reference, here is an excerpt from the 2009 trip to Jonesboro:
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 12
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 10,417
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 20,695
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,236
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,801
Total Number of Hotels - 9
Total Number of Different Airports - 8
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
The team woke up yesterday in Little Rock, ate some breakfast and then checked out of the hotel. They practiced at Arkansas-Little Rock because the only practice time available at Arkansas State would have been pretty late. Since both UALR teams left right after the men's game on Thursday, and campus closed due to the quarter inch of snow outside, the Pioneers had the entire arena to themselves.
There was a lot of disappointment after losing the heartbreaker the night before, but the team focused that energy into regrouping and making sure they were ready for tonight's game against the Red Wolves.
Some fans might think that since the Pioneers beat ASU handily a few weeks ago, this game could be easy. However, these Denver players know better. This is a very good Red Wolves team, which is in second place in the division and has not lost in 10 home games this season. On top of that, there is always a revenge factor that makes a team want to forget about the previous bad loss by beating that same team.
The Pioneers are all too aware of the challenge tonight, and they're running a focused shoot around right now at the Convocation Center with that in mind.
About Jonesboro - Arkansas State is about two hours northeast of Little Rock. The bus drives through bigger sounding towns like Jacksonville, Austin and Newport, but it's not exactly like Florida, Texas or Oregon.
The town of Weiner won a state bowling championship, according to a few signs scattered around the town of 719.
Jonesboro is located in Craighead County and was founded on Feb. 19, 1859, when a farmer named Fergus Snoddy donated 15 acres of his land for what became downtown Jonesboro.
According to the town's website, "Jonesboro was named after William A. Jones for his support of the legislative act creating the county. The county, itself, received its name through a practical joke. Senator Thomas B. Craighead, who represented Crittenden and Mississippi counties, was against the formation of the county and campaigned actively against it. Senator Jones waited until a day when Craighead was absent to call for a vote on the act. Senator Craighead didn't know anything about it until he got back and found that the county had been named for him."
The first two courthouses in town burned to the ground, the second of which started during a barroom brawl in 1878, but the third is still used.
Arkansas State University was founded in 1909 as a regional agricultural school. Among the people who have walked the campus are 1984 Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner and Rodger Bumpass, whose voice can be heard in countless cartoons and movies, most notably SpongeBob SquarePants.
Finally, since it's been a few years since we mentioned it, and it was a favorite blog reference, here is an excerpt from the 2009 trip to Jonesboro:
Thanks
to loyal reader Steve Honda, we learned this week that Jonesboro was
once the home to Bartleby Clown College. Apparently from 1952-59, the
clown college operated in Jonesboro, which was convenient due to its
many railroad connections. According to Wikipedia, which of course is
the leading resource for clown college information, “The loss of
Arkansas [sic] only clown college disappointed many in the industry.”
There was no clarification about whether that was the clown industry or
the clown teaching industry.
Happy Birthday: It's a little early, but just so we don't forget, we'd like to send a happy birthday out to redshirt freshman Blake Foeman, who turns 20 on Wednesday.Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 12
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 10,417
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 20,695
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,236
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,801
Total Number of Hotels - 9
Total Number of Different Airports - 8
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Arkansas-Little Rock - 2/3/11
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Winter
storms are covering most of the country. Denver, which reached 70
degrees last Friday, saw temperatures drop well below zero.
It's a little chilly in Little Rock, but the team made it without too many problems, unless you count a lost bag for a certain blog writer.
In fact, as the team exited the plane onto the runway, more than one person commented that the temperature was quite nice. It was 29 degrees. I guess it's a matter of what you've been used to.
Life on the road can be funny. While everybody tries to make everything run as smoothly as possible, so that the team can prepare and play without added hurdles, sometimes things like weather prevent that ease.
Last week the day before their game with Denver, the North Texas team sat on an airplane at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport - less than 30 miles from their campus - for nearly four hours. Their plan was to check into the hotel, practice at Magness Arena and then have some dinner. After the delay, they arrived after midnight. They may have grabbed some dinner, but they definitely lost that day's practice.
The Pioneers' coaching staff decided a few years ago that it was better to avoid such risks. That's why the team practices at home and then flies out later in the afternoon.
Yesterday was a typical example. The team practiced from about 7:30-9:30 a.m., and then the players went to their classes. At 1:30 p.m., everyone grabbed box lunches and jumped on the bus for DIA. The flight landed around 7 p.m., we checked into the hotel, and we were eating dinner by 8:15 p.m.
That's pretty much life on the road.
Treasure Hunters Unite: The Pioneers are sharing a hotel with Treasure Hunters Roadshow. Based on their website, these appear to be the same people who offer to buy gold on late night television.
Since we arrived, hundreds of people have stood in line, holding stuff that they hope is worth a lot of money. According to their website, people are encouraged to bring things like silver, gold, paper money, guitars, trains and sport memorabilia.
I'm not going to try to understand whether paper money may be worth more than the amount listed on it, or how anyone might bring a train to a hotel. But it seems a lot of people are excited about the show, and sometimes the organizers buy the stuff on the spot.
We thought maybe this was a television show, like Antique Roadshow (which radio voice Mitch Hyder can't get enough of), but there is no sign on truth behind that on their website.
About Arkansas-Little Rock: The Trojans have won a handful of championships with the banners hanging in the Jack Stephens Center as proof. There's also a lone jersey hanging from the rafters.
That one is Derek Fisher, who starred for UALR from 1992-96, winning a Sun Belt championship as a senior. Since then, Fisher has been better known for winning NBA championships alongside Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.
If any of our loyal blog readers know of other notable alumni from UALR, please send them our way. According to the good folks who work here, they really don't have any other than Fisher.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 12
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 10,417
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 20,695
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,087
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,652
Total Number of Hotels - 8
Total Number of Different Airports - 8
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
It's a little chilly in Little Rock, but the team made it without too many problems, unless you count a lost bag for a certain blog writer.
In fact, as the team exited the plane onto the runway, more than one person commented that the temperature was quite nice. It was 29 degrees. I guess it's a matter of what you've been used to.
Life on the road can be funny. While everybody tries to make everything run as smoothly as possible, so that the team can prepare and play without added hurdles, sometimes things like weather prevent that ease.
Last week the day before their game with Denver, the North Texas team sat on an airplane at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport - less than 30 miles from their campus - for nearly four hours. Their plan was to check into the hotel, practice at Magness Arena and then have some dinner. After the delay, they arrived after midnight. They may have grabbed some dinner, but they definitely lost that day's practice.
The Pioneers' coaching staff decided a few years ago that it was better to avoid such risks. That's why the team practices at home and then flies out later in the afternoon.
Yesterday was a typical example. The team practiced from about 7:30-9:30 a.m., and then the players went to their classes. At 1:30 p.m., everyone grabbed box lunches and jumped on the bus for DIA. The flight landed around 7 p.m., we checked into the hotel, and we were eating dinner by 8:15 p.m.
That's pretty much life on the road.
Treasure Hunters Unite: The Pioneers are sharing a hotel with Treasure Hunters Roadshow. Based on their website, these appear to be the same people who offer to buy gold on late night television.
Since we arrived, hundreds of people have stood in line, holding stuff that they hope is worth a lot of money. According to their website, people are encouraged to bring things like silver, gold, paper money, guitars, trains and sport memorabilia.
I'm not going to try to understand whether paper money may be worth more than the amount listed on it, or how anyone might bring a train to a hotel. But it seems a lot of people are excited about the show, and sometimes the organizers buy the stuff on the spot.
We thought maybe this was a television show, like Antique Roadshow (which radio voice Mitch Hyder can't get enough of), but there is no sign on truth behind that on their website.
About Arkansas-Little Rock: The Trojans have won a handful of championships with the banners hanging in the Jack Stephens Center as proof. There's also a lone jersey hanging from the rafters.
That one is Derek Fisher, who starred for UALR from 1992-96, winning a Sun Belt championship as a senior. Since then, Fisher has been better known for winning NBA championships alongside Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.
If any of our loyal blog readers know of other notable alumni from UALR, please send them our way. According to the good folks who work here, they really don't have any other than Fisher.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 12
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 10,417
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 20,695
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,087
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,652
Total Number of Hotels - 8
Total Number of Different Airports - 8
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
Thursday, January 27, 2011
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:
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:
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
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:"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.
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
Saturday, January 22, 2011
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
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
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