Harry

Huge comeback for the Mean Green. Great Win! Link to ESPN Box

Sam played for Alief Hastings I think, anyhow he was a spring signee that didn't end up qualifying and went to Compton Community College. He was recruited out of high school by our former assistant Alvin Brooks who is now at UTEP. Sam was like 6-10 or 6-11, and paper thin but very athletic and could run down the court. Anyhow, Byrd was named to play in the McDonald's All American game in high school and had a promising career. Sam has proven to be a good player at Compton and is now 6-11, 235. I have no idea if we are still trying to recruit him or not. My guess is that he will have quite a few more offers than he did coming out of high school. I would bet that UTEP may be after him since it was Brooks who cultivated that relationship. Frankly at his size he might be able to play pretty much wherever he wants to. I found this recent news clip on Byrd who is now playing for Compton College: "Sophomore swingman Kevin Lewis totaled 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals Wednesday night to lead the Compton College men's basketball team to an 83-64 victory over East L.A. in a South Coast Conference North Division game at East L.A. College. The Tartars (9-5, 2-2) also got 14 rebounds, six rebounds and six blocked shots from sophomore center Sam Byrd, and freshman forward Gaston Essengue pitched in with 10 points and eight rebounds."

here's the link: CUSA BBS Board

The Mean Green Report

Great win. So happy for Johnny and the kids! We need to have a good crowd to welcome them home! GMG!

ESPN Box

NDT Adrian has a pretty severe ankle injury that will need to heal and I don't think that basketball will help that ankle set correctly. He has NFL potential and probably will focus on getting that ankle ready for 2004. Also, if you were at the Indiana game, you may have noticed rebounding isn't the problem so the need for Adrian isn't as strong. Now if we had a football player that could play point guard.....

Link to Men's games live online on The Word 100.7 Link to UNT Women's BBall Games Live Online on KNTU MEAN GREEN CHAT

Johnny Jones Media Luncheon Link

Quincy is not skinny. I met him and his parents and he's already got a pretty solid build. He has to be more than 215. His dad is a really big guy that played college ball and is/was a coach. Really good people. Here's a bio of his brother Sheldon who is 6-9, 245 and one of the better players in the ACC. Sheldon Williams I don't know a thing about Sturns but his name shows up on a lot of all star lists. Given the influx of JUCO's and transfers I think it is a good sign that Johnny landed two high school recruits in the early signing period that appear to have some potential.

Received a couple of calls that 1310 am reported a UNT player possibly Mark Wilson has left the team? Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Well this wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. Hopkins evidently did not play and the player that I thought was him was actually Mark Wilson. My bad. I will say this, these two guys sure look similar and have very similar games. It concerns me that Hopkins is not playing. Let's hope that it is not anything serious.

No Hopkins was introduced prior to the scrimmage and was wearing his uniform. That I'm sure of. i think the guy in street clothes was the new signee.

Any idea on why Hopkins did not participate? That concerns me that his injury may still be a concern.

I thought Hopkins scrimmaged but did not participate in the slam dunk portion. May be my mistake because Mark Wilson looks a lot like Hopkins.... to my knowledge Hopkins is healthy.

Huge win for the Lady's as they defeat nationally ranked Denver 3-2 in 2 overtimes Friday night! GMG!

Hoopville Sun Belt Preview Sun Belt Conference 2002-03 Season Recap by Andria Wenzel The Sun Belt Conference was once again championed by Western Kentucky. Who would have thought that without the towering presence of Chris Marcus, the Hilltoppers would still manage to find their way in to the NCAA tourney. WKU's success has sent head coach Dennis Felton to Georgia, but that wasn't the only change in the SBC - Poter Moser left UALR for Illinois State. The season was highlighted by Louisiana-Lafayette's surprising record of 20-10 and trip to the NIT, but even more surprising was the West Division champs quarterfinal loss to Denver in the SBC tournament. Middle Tennessee's Kermit Davis earned Coach of the Year honors after turning the Blue Raiders from the bottom of the pile three years ago, to just one win short of a NCAA tournament spot. Player of the Year James Moore revitalized New Mexico State, despite losing to WKU in the semifinals. Next year, along with the emergence of guard Jason Fontenet, NMS may be able to get past the Hilltoppers. And the conference was forced to bid farewell to two of its stars from past seasons. First Team All-Conference selections Hector Romero, of the University of New Orleans, and North Texas guard Chris Davis will be the most obvious losses next season. First Team All-Sun Belt Chris Davis: senior guard, North Texas Brad Boyd: junior guard, Louisiana Lafayette Tommy Gunn: junior guard, Middle Tennessee James Moore: junior forward, New Mexico State Hector Romero: senior forward, New Orleans Western Kentucky (24-9, 12-2) Key Players Leaving: Forward David Boyden, 12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg Guard Filip Videnov, 9.6 ppg, rpg 4.8 Forward Nate Williams, 10.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg Center Chris Marcus, only played in four games Key Players Staying: Junior guard Patrick Sparks, 13.3ppg, 5.91 apg (No.1 SB), 73 steals (No. 2 in SB) Senior guard Mike Wells, 10.8 ppg, 47 blocks (No. 3 in SB) Sophomore guard Anthony Winchester, 5.9 ppg Freshman forward Jamaal Brown, 5.3 ppg Notes: After leading his team to three-straight postseason appearances, Dennis Felton was on college basketball's most wanted list. He resigned from the Hilltoppers to help rebuild the University of Georgia, a program that has been submerged in controversy due to possible NCAA violations. This season after getting through the SBC tournament unscathed, the Hilltoppers exited the first round of the NCAA tournament in the Western Regional, 65-60, to Illinois. Felton's record (100-54 overall, 54-20 in the SB) and his NCAA 39-game homecourt winning streak proved to the Bulldogs that he was ready to take the next step. Felton has been replaced by another overachiever. After helping take Marquette to the school's first NCAA Final Four in 26 years, WKU alum Darrin Horn, has left his assistant coaching position with Marquette and will head back to Western Kentucky, after graduating in 1995. Horn was named WKU's Athlete of the Year following his senior season after the Hilltoppers won a NCAA first-round game over Michigan and finished with the second best record in the country (27-4), behind NCAA champs UCLA. Horn averaged 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Louisiana Lafayette (20-10, 12-3) Key Players Leaving Guard Kenneth Lawrence, 6.1 ppg, 4.38 apg (No. 3 in SB) Guard/Forward Anthony Johnson, 14.4 ppg, 5.3rpg Guard Immanuel Washington, 2.6 ppg Key Players Returning Senior guard Brad Boyd, 16.8 ppg, 2.9 apg Senior guard Laurie Bridges, 11.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg Junior forward Michael Southall, 12.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 68 blocks (No. 1 in SB) Junior forward Cedric Williams, 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg Sophomore forward Chris Cameron, 5.3 ppg Notes: Coach Jessie Evans could easily make a third-straight NIT postseason appearance next season with three of his top four scorers returning to the floor. The Cajuns lost unexpectedly in the first round of the SBC tourney to the University of Denver, but the team's remarkable record got them into the NIT. UAB's Eric Bush's jump shot with only 11 seconds left in the game doused the hopes for the Cajuns of moving on to the second round. Along with seniors starting in the backcourt and juniors starting in the frontcourt, the Cajuns will be tested early on in the 2003 preseason NIT. The Cajuns will meet up with Georgia Tech for the first time in school history on November 18 in the first round of the tournament. The Cajuns haven't appeared in the preseason NIT since the 1994-95 season. Middle Tennessee (16-14, 9-5) Key Players Leaving Forward William Pippen, 15.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg Guard John Humphrey, 9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg Guard Eric Parham, 5.7 ppg Key Players Returning Senior guard Tommy Gunn, 15.9ppg, 4.1 rpg Senior forward Napoleon Rhodes, 6.4ppg, 5.1 rpg Senior guard Marcus Robinson Senior guard Keith Connor Notes: No coach deserved coach of the year honors more than Kermit Davis. Two years ago the Blue Raiders posted only one solitary win in the Sun Belt, but this year behind the solid play of junior guard Tommy Gunn and Davis' determination, MTSU made it to the conference's championship for the first time in the program's history, after being predicted to finish eighth at the beginning of the season. Middle Tennessee was boasting a record of only 4-8 when the Blue Raiders upset Western Kentucky 69-65 in their Sun Belt opener. The Blue Raiders bullied through the field in the SB tourney before falling victim to WKU, 64-52, in the championship game. MTSU was led by guard Tommy Gunn's breakout season. The junior upped his average from previous years to a respectable 15.9 points per game (sixth in the conference) and has provoked MVP for next season. To an already deep cast of players; Napoleon Rhodes, Marcus Robinson and Keith Connor, Davis and his staff have possibly the best recruiting class for next season. Joining the Blue Raiders will be Alex Weekes out of Georgia who was ranked 54th in the nation by Hoopscoop. Weekes fellow incoming classmates include, 6-foot-6 forward Keith Christmas of Indiana and 5-foot-11 guard Bryan Smithson. They are a part of Davis' new attitude of focusing on developing players out of high school who will be available for four seasons. New Mexico State (20-9, 9-6) Key Players Leaving Guard Brandon Mason, 12.0 ppg, 101 assists Center Chris Jackson, 10.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg (No. 1 in SB) Guard Will Morris, 4.2 ppg Forward Lamar Hill, 2.9 ppg Key Returning Players Senior forward James Moore, 18.8 ppg (No. 2 in SB), 6.5rpg, 47 blocks (No. 2 in SB) Junior guard Jason Fontenet, 12.3ppg, 113 assists Junior guard Allen Haynes, 7.0ppg The Aggies may have been ousted from the SBC tourney a bit sooner than expected, losing 78-59 to WKU in the semifinals, but they still hold the sole rights to the SBC Player of the Year. James Moore returned mid-season to give NMS a huge lift and guide the team to a 20-9 record. Moore finished the season with several accolades including an AP Honorable Mention and he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 15 second team. Moore will be losing frontcourt mate Chris Jackson to graduation, but the Aggies worked tediously to recruit two new post players who could compliment Moore as well as Jackson did. First suiting up will be Andre Scott, who played his freshman year at the University of Rhode Island before transferring to Schoolcraft College in Michigan. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward/center averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg leading his team to the National Junior College Tournament and a 35-3 record. Scott and Moore will be joined by Jeff Jones, a 6-foot-8 forward, who averaged 10.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg at San Jose City College. With guard Brandon Mason leaving, the Aggies will need someone to take the pressure off returning guard Jason Fontenet, who as a sophomore had 113 dishes and averaged double figure scoring. Point guard Detrui Roberson of Conners State CC in Oklahoma knocked down 62 3-pointers last year while scoring close to 15 ppg. Byron Davis will come straight from Rogers High School in Detroit. The 6-foot-2 two-time first team All-State selection won the state championship in 2003 while averaging 19.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.7 apg and is comfortable at both guard positions. Arkansas - Little Rock (18-12, 8-6) Key Players Leaving Guard Mark Green, 11.5 ppg Guard Jibrahn Ike, 13.5 ppg Key Players Returning Senior guard Tony Travis, 5.3 ppg Senior forward Columbus Willis, 5.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg Senior forward Jamal Holden, 7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg Senior guard Nick Zachery, 14,1 ppg, 65 assists Notes: The most devastating change for the Trojans in the offseason, proved not to be Head Coach Poter Moser's departure. He may have left UALR for Illinois State after posting a three-year record of 54-34, but the Trojans chose to keep it all in the family, promoting Steve Shields to the helm. For the past three years Shield has been an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator under Moser. But Shields will have to do without Jake Yancey; the 6-10 forward injured his knee last season after playing in 22 games (starting in 19). Doctors said a knee operation would require eight months of rehabilitation and would not for sure fix his knee. Yancey has decided to return to school to finish his degree and will be at Trojans games this season without his uniform. Some of Shields' recruits include combo guard Zack Wright. The District 174A MVP led his Ellison Eagles of Killeen, Texas to a record of 35-2. Wadale Williams (6-foot-0) scored 1746 career points at Columbia Central High School. The guard led his school to a 31-4 record while averaging 20.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6 apg and 4.2 spg. Zack Graber, a guard from Coffeyville CC, is the last addition to the backcourt for the Trojans. With guards Mark Green and Jibrahn Ike departing the help will be needed, but senior Nick Zachery should be the go-to-guy in a starting role after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft. He has graduated UALR, but will attend graduate school in the fall. South Alabama (14-14, 7-8) Key Players Leaving Guard Demetrice Williams, 14.0 ppg, 4.93 apg (No. 2 in the SB), 76 steals (No. 1 in SB) Forward Henry Williams, 11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg Key Players Returning Senior guard Chris Young, 15.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg Senior forward Malerick Bedden, 14.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg Sophomore forward Richard Law, 6.0 ppg Senior forward marques Ivy, 4.7 ppg Sophomore guard Ugo Ezekwe The Jaguars may have fallen to Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinals, but a 3-point loss, 72-69, to the SBC tournament runner-ups is something USA can build on. Senior guard Chris Young was able to wrangle the SBC's newcomer of the year award from UNO's Johnell Smith. Young, who transferred from Dayton Beach CC, averaged 15.9 ppg and set two new records for the Jaguars - most 3-pointers in a game (8) and most 3-pointers in a season (99). New Orleans (15-14, 7-8) Key Players Leaving Forward Hector Romero, 19.3 ppg (No.3 in SB), 9.3 rpg (No.3 in SB) Center Nerijus Lisauskas, 5.4 ppg Key Players Returning Senior guard A.J. Meredith, 7.0 ppg, 98 assists Senior forward/guard Kentrell Martin, 5.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg Senior guard Kyle Buggs, 7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg Senior guard Johnell Smith, 14.0 ppg Notes: The Privateers struggled after leading scorer, Hector Romero, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a game against Denver on February 23. The loss of Romero forced the Privateers to altar the offense since their main weapon was permanently benched. Romero was named to the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District VII Team and will be heavily missed, but UNO is bringing in a recruiting class of three forwards and one point guard. Bo Lester McCalebb, who led the state of Louisiana in scoring by averaging 32.1 points per game from the point guard position, signed a letter with the Privateers. Along with McCalebb is 6-foot-10 forward Jacque Pate who led Howard Community College in Big Spring Texas to a 29-4 record and a No. 15 NJCAA ranking. Also incoming will be 6-foot-10 forward Ben Elias and 6-foot-8 forward Nathaniel Parker. Denver (17-15, 7-8) Key Players Leaving Guard Dusty Waldington, 4.6 ppg, 121 assists Guard B.J. Pratt, 16.0 ppg Key Players Returning Senior center Brett Starkey, 12.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg (No.2 in SB) Junior guard Erik Benzel, 11.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg Senior forward Carvell McAlister, 7.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg Senior forward Zelijko Zupic, 6.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg Junior Rodney Billups, 5.3 ppg, 85 assists Notes: If Kermit Davis is SB Coach of the Year for turning around MTSU's program than Terry Carroll could easily top the ballots next year if the Pioneers capitalize on their late postseason explosion. The Pioneers rattled off Arkansas State in a spectacular come from behind game in the first round of the SBC tourney, before toppling top-seeded Western Division champs Louisiana-Lafeyette 72-68. UD dropped the semifinal game to the Blue Raiders, but the Pioneers, who have been in the Div. I ranks for only five years, rode the back of senior guard B.J. Pratt through the tourney. Pratt scored 58 points in UD's wins and was named to the SBC all-tournament team. Denver finished the season posting the team's first-ever post season victories as well as the program's best ever Div. I record. Losing Pratt's and Waldington's presence will hurt the Pioneers next season, but Carroll has set a goal of 20 wins, hoping to find viable replacements for his leading scorer and assist men. Denver led the SBC with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.08, largely because of their experienced backcourt. Joining Benzel and Billups will be James Lane of Colorado Springs High School and David Kramer of Cedar rapids. Other recruits include a 6-foot-6 forward out of Colorado. Antonio Porch averaged 16.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg, posted a 60-8 record in the last three seasons and brought two league titles to Denver East. Joining him will be community college transfers Yemi Nicholson of Fort Lewis College and Terrence Gordon of Whittier College. Arkansas State (13-15, 6-8) Key Players Leaving Guard Tony Brown, 9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg Center Paris London, 11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg Guard Odie Williams, 7.5 ppg, 3.9 apg Key Players Returning Senior forward Kim Adams, 6.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg Senior guard Antonio Rambo, 8.0 ppg Senior guard Trevoris Thompson, 15.3 ppg Notes: The Indians may be losing three of their top four scorers, but recruits should help balance the scoring next season. The Indians led the SBC in made 3 - point field goals with 241and with Trevoris Thompson returning, who hit 84, the 3-point threat will still live at Arkansas State. The new class will consist of first-team All-American J.J. Montgomery from Angelina Junior College. As a sophomore Montgomery left the school as its all-time leading scorer after averaging 32 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 2.2 spg. Troy Slaten (6-foot-6, 195) will be a nice addition to the backcourt. He transfers as eligible for his sophomore season with the Indians after averaging 19 ppg and 7.2 rpg at Southwestern Illinois College. Jackson, Miss. native Isaac Wells (6-foot-8, 225) was named MVP of the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game and for the majority of the season he helped keep his Lanier High School team in the USA Today High School Top 25 poll. North Texas (7-21, 2-13) Key Players Leaving Guard Chris Davis, 19.0 ppg (No.1 in SB - 494 points) 7.2 rpg, 77 assists Forward Jermaine Green, 11.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg Guard Lee Green, 6.5 ppg Key Players Returning Junior guard Leonard Hopkins, 12.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg Senior forward Michael DeGrate, 8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg Senior guard Jerome Rogers, 7.9 ppg Notes: Chris Davis ended his career with the Mean Green only 38 points of the program's all-time leading scoring record. For the second consecutive season he was named to the SBC first team. With him gone, coach Johnny Jones will have to find someone lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. UNT has signed State Fair Missouri Community College transfer Marqus Mitchell. The 6-foot-0 guard was named to the first team All-Region XVI as a freshman and a sophomore. Mark Wilson, who finished his season with Highland Community College of Freeport, Illinois as a member of the NJCAA second team, is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 22.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 3.6 apg. He finished 12th in the nation in scoring and helped his team to a record of 28-5 and 27-6 his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively. Florida International (8-21, 1-13) Key Players Leaving Forward Rodrigo Viegas, 8.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg Guard Fab Fisher, 6.7 ppg Forward Nikola Novakovic, 6.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg Key Players Returning Senior forward Eulis Baez, 12.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg Senior guard Junior Matias, 12.6 ppg Junior guard Carlos Morban, 8.0 ppg, 2.7 apg, 64 steals (No. 3 in SB) Junior forward Taurance Johnson, 5.0 ppg Notes: The good news for the Golden Panthers is that the team ranked No.1 in scoring defense in the SBC, but unfortunately dead last in scoring offense, averaging only 60.5 points a game, eight points below the closest competition and 17 points from the top spot. But the Golden Panthers are returning their nucleus, consisting of Baez (who had 11 double-doubles on the season and finished fifth in rebounding for the SBC), Morban (third in the SBC with 64 steals and 12th in the SBC with 79 assists) and Matias (finished sixth in the SBC with 44 steals).

The Mean Green Report Link

Chat Transcript with Dr. Robert Sloan at BU Baylor University President Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr. stopped by BaylorBears.com to answer questions from fans on Monday, August 18 to answer questions regarding the current athletic department searches for athletic director and head men's basketball coach. Since becoming the 12th president of Baylor University in 1995, Sloan has undertaken monumental strides to ensure Baylor's continued success while upholding Baylor's traditions and heritage. His dedicated Christian character and tireless efforts have increased the University's prominence and reputation around the world. Sloan's guidance has facilitated growth and promise for the University. His administration has guided the completion of several landmark building projects such as the McLane Student Life Center, the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center and the Baugh-Reynolds Campus of George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Projects under construction include the $23 million Harry and Anna Jeanes Discovery Center, the centerpiece of the Sue and Frank Mayborn Natural Science and Cultural History Museum Complex, and the $103 million multidisciplinary Baylor Sciences building. These cutting-edge facilities will give the University an unprecedented environment for equipping students as leaders. With his leadership, the University also has embraced Baylor 2012 as the primary planning document for the future of Baylor. The 10-year Vision was developed with input from faculty, staff, students, alumni and Regents and reflects Sloan's desire to see Baylor enter the top-tier of American universities while maintaining its distinctive Christian mission. Among other plans, the Vision calls for a student-faculty ratio of 13:1; recruitment and retention of world-class faculty and students; creation of an Honors College and a School of Communication; strengthening and expansion of the Graduate School; addition of 120 new classes per semester that focus on the Great Texts; construction of additional residential life facilities that will add 1,800 beds; and increasing the University's endowment to $2 billion. Sloan, who chaired the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors from 2000-2002, served as spokesperson for a group of six major college athletic conference CEOs. He is a member of the Cooper Foundation Board and the Board of Trustees for the Baylor College of Medicine. He was inducted into the Little League Hall of Excellence in 1996 and was named a Baylor Distinguished Alumnus in 2000. President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Good afternoon. Thanks for participating in todays chat. I'm looking forward to taking your questions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J.B.L. (Lawrence, KS): What do you think is the future of Baylor men's basketball, and of Baylor sports for that matter? Could Baylor's violations cost the school it's membership in the Big 12 Conference, as CBS Sportsline.com has suggested might happen? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks. Our commitment certainly is to remain in the Big 12. Today, the Kansas City Star and some other media have reflected support for the University. Very clearly, we face some problems, but our commitment is to the Big 12. The Fort Worth Star Telegram has indicated very strong support for Baylor remaining in the Big 12. The answer is not to run away from the problems, but to face them - to carry out the investigation... We need to find the very finest coach available and go forward and compete as we have in all the sports. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason (Waco): Why did Tom Stanton step down? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: That was a very difficult decision for Tom. I want to say straight off that I have enormous appreciation for Tom. The investigative committee tells me that in all of their searching and discovery that they have found absolutely nothing that implicates Tom in any of the violations that we have discovered. But, Tom brought his resignation forward because, I think, he felt like as a matter of leadership and integrity that he should step down, since these things happened on his watch. I have to tell you, I know Tom to be a person of enormous integrity. When you think about all the things that Tom has done as Baylor's AD, I think it's an enormously impressive list of accomplishments. We have some of the finest facilities that any Division IA university in the nation has. We now have 17 varsity sports; I think we had only 14 when Tom started. We have full-time coaches in every sport. Though it's hard to believe now, we had, I think, 4 or 5 sports where we only had part-time coaches before. And we also started some new varsity sports: softball, women's soccer. We've seen our athletic programs go from, say, 125th in the Sears Rankings consistently down around 40th. That's a ranking that reflects overall sports. We have 7 championship trophies in 5 different sports. I think Tom has done an outstanding job, and I think Tom also believes under the circumstances that for himself and his family, he'll look for other opportunities to show his leadership and is integrity. I want to express my deepest appreciation to Tom for all he has done for Baylor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg (Houston): In light of the tragic events that took place over the past few months, how will it affect the 2012 vision Baylor hopes to accomplish? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks Greg. The tragic circumstances surrounding our basketball program in recent weeks have clearly drawn our attention away from the 2012 discussions. That's inevitable, I suppose. But I think it's important to realize that as I've traveled around and had discussions with members of the Baylor family, that while there are some genuine and very appropriate questions that we need to make sure we address, that at the same time, I find very strong support for the general parameters and direction of the university as represented by Baylor 2012. We've visited already a number of cities, and will be doing more of that in the coming months to make sure we hear from members of the Baylor family. I am gratified both at the number of very good questions we recieve, because I think that reflects the love and concern of the Baylor family for Baylor, and I'm also glad to note the very strong encouragement and support that I am receiving for the direction that we're going. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian PatrickClarke, Burbank, California: The outrageous attempts by Dave Bliss to besmirch the reputation of Patrick Dennehy leave me aghast. Baylor University should commit to ensuring that Bliss never again finds employment. He is a disgrace. President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thank you Brian. All of us are stunned by these revelations of an attempted coverup. The good news is that the coverup didn't work. As far as Dave Bliss' future in coaching, that's certainly a matter for the NCAA to decide. We will continue our investigation, and we will certainly present all of the facts that we have to the NCAA. They are the final arbiter, not only of institutional sanctions but also of individual sanctions. Again, we will get to the bottom of this. The process is going to be thorough, it is going to be honest, and we want to make sure that we establish valid and appropriate processes and protocols to make sure, if that is at all humanly possible, that something like this never happens again. Thanks for the question. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Haney, Richmond: It looks like there may be a mass exodus of basketball players. Have you thought about self-imposing the death penalty so that we will not have to pay to send our intramural team on the road to get creamed? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Okay, Don - you're certainly asking a straightforward question, and that's fair enough. There is no question that we might well lose players. In fact, the reason I offered releases to every player is that I tried to imagine myself as the father of our basketball student-athletes, and I asked myself what I would want for my son, if my son had innocently been involved in such tragic circumstances. So, applying the Golden Rule, we offered releases. To be honest, I do not think that imposing the death penalty on ourselves is a good solution at all. That's just not the right response. It might make a few people feel momentarily happy, but there are also a lot of people who would be injustly harmed by such a decision. I can tell you that our Big 12 colleagues have been very supportive. They appreciate our commitments as a university, and while we have not been as competitive, obviously, in football or (for the most part) men's basketball as we want to be, we nonetheless are strong, contributing members of a great conference. We owe it to our conference to participate. Our commitment is to play Big 12 basketball the best that we possibly can. Our search committee is working hard, and I believe that they will be able to bring someone in quickly, I hope within the next three weeks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Russell (Killeen): With all the questions recently about your leadership, why don't you resign like Tom Stanton did? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks Paul. I certainly understand why the question is being asked, especially under the circumstances. As I've said many time, I serve at the will of our board. I am totally committed to this university, to the 10-year vision of the university, and I intend, again at the will of the board, to continue to serve the univesity. These have been very difficult circumstances, but I'm confident that with the Baylor family pulling together, we can make it through. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Cherry (Dallas): Is not the hiring of an athletic director more important to the future of Baylor athletics than hiring a basketball coach? What is the status and the time line for the hiring of an athletic director? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks Kevin. Yes, in many ways I think the hiring of the AD is philosophically and operationally more important than the hiring of a basketball coach. The status and timeline for each hire this this: We have hired a very prestigious search firm to work with our search committee. The search firm has a national reputation, particularly in the area of athletic searches. The search committee, or a member of it, has contact with the search firm on an almost daily basis, and I'm hoping that we will see tangible results within three weeks. We have asked the search firm to do both searches simultaneously and to give equal weight to both. By the way, we are getting some very strong names in both categories, and I am very optimistic about the outcome. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fletcher (Austin): After the basketball related press of the past two months, how does Baylor regain its lost national prestige? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Of course, all of us are concerned when we're in the news for the wrong reasons. On the other hand, I hope that our willingness to accept responsibility and to self-impose sanctions and to conduct a thorough investigation have said something positive, as well, about Baylor's unique identity. Fortunately, Baylor has a strong reputation in many areas, and a very strong academic reputation in particular. That will continue to serve us well as we emerge from this. Baylor University is 158 years old, and is very resilient. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christian Ellis (Fort Worth): How are you holding up through all of this? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thank you for the question. It's very kind of you, Christian. It has been very difficult, and yet I have received literally hundreds (in fact, now over 1000) messages and e-mails of encouragement and support. It's very gratifying to see that Baylor people so readily offer their prayers and encouragement and support. It has meant more to me than I can possible express. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P. Mathieson---Abilene: No question. A good word for Bob Hoffman. Great christian coach. President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks, Price. I do not know Mr. Hoffman, but I have heard many strong affirmations of him, both for his coaching and his Christian commitment. Thanks for adding your word of support. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brad D Bianucci '89(Rockwall, TX): Is it embarrassing for you to see the Baylor football team lose by scores of 66-0, 45-3, 70-21, etc? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Yes Brad, it's embarrassing for me, and I suspect for every loyal fan of Baylor University to see our team lose by lopsided margins. I will reiterate my commitment and that of the regents and the entire University to all of our athletic programs. I have a great deal of confidence in Guy Morriss and his entire staff. We will all have to be patient, because it will take time for them to rebuild our football program. But I am definitely committed to the success of our football team. I think we'll see a difference this year, but how that difference translates into more wins, we'll obviously have to wait and see. Thanks for the question. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George W. Dudley, Dalas: What positive steps can Baylor friends and alumni take to counteract the negative impression created by recent events? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Thanks George. I think all the members of the Baylor family need to be bold and speak up for the university. It is tragic that we've been through such turmoil in recent months, but there is a great deal going on on our campus that is enormously positive. I hope our alumni and friends will speak boldly to media and to the public in general about the great things happening at Baylor: once again, we have an outstanding entering class of freshmen and transfers, we have a tremendous faculty at the university, we have great facilities and over the next 12 months several new buildings will come online, our fundraising is more than $5 million ahead of last year's pace. There's a lot that Baylor people can do, and we need our alumni to be good ambassadors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brad D Bianucci '89 (Rockwall, TX): What are your honest feelings toward Dave Bliss right now? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: I am shocked and disappointed in the things that Dave has done. All of us are completely surprised at the things he has admitted, and what we have discovered. On the other hand, all of us need to remember that Dave Bliss and his entire family are in need of our prayers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Donaldson (Valley Mills): What can you do as a leader to heal the pain that the university is feeling right now? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Several things: we have to face the problems, we have to listen to wise council, communicate with the Baylor family, move quickly in our investigation and take appropriate corrective action. At the same time, we have to keep moving forward on central issues affecting Baylor University. After all, our central mission is still providing an outstanding experience in higher education for our students. We have 14,000 students who will be on our campus within a matter of days, and our first job is to focus upon them. Finally, I think we have to communicate with the entire Baylor family, not only about the challenges, but also our successes. I call upon all of us to pull together in support of the many successes that the university is also enjoying. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Houston: Why don't all universities simply pay their players? They have earned the money that they have brought to the school via ticket sales, etc. We pay work-study students, why not atheletes? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: Great question. College athletics is not professional sports, but neither is it pure amateurism, either. Our players do receive college scholarships for what they do. It's the opportunity for them to receive a great education. I served for almost two years as chairman of the Group of Six, a committee of 12 university presidents and chancellors from the six major (BCS) conferences. We strongly resist any notion of "pay for play", but we do realize that student-athletes oftentimes have financial needs that scholarship support do not meet. But I think we must resist every temptation to move towards the professional sports model. Our mission as institutions of higher learning must always be foremost in any discussion of college athletics. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Osejie: What should the new freshmen bring on wednesday? Where can i find out what to bring? President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: This Thursday is the start of Welcome Week. We'll have some 3200 new freshmen and transfers coming to Baylor to join the 11,000 continuing students. We're excited about having you on the campus. The people in Student Life always remind me to tell the freshmen to bring extra-long sheets! President Robert B. Sloan Jr.: I appreciate all the questions. We've received over 550 questions; obviously we can't take them all. We've tried to take representative questions. Thanks so much for your participation, and for your interest in and love of Baylor. I look forward to doing this again someday. The start of the year is here, classes are beginning and our first football game is two weeks away. Sic 'em Bears!

Excerpts from the Bliss/Rouse Tape Transcript July 30, Conversation 1 (Bliss and Rouse are in an office.) Bliss: Tell me how you think it went with ... Rouse: (Player 1)? Bliss: (Player 1). Rouse: He's on board. Bliss: You think? Rouse: Yep. Bliss: Let me ... He's gonna say whatever it takes? Rouse: I think so. I'm almost sure. Bliss: See, (Player 2) will do the same thing. Rouse: That's what I told him. Bliss: Those two talking? Rouse: I don't know if he called him yet. Bliss: OK. Rouse: But ... Bliss: And I'll tell you, it's funny. (Player 3) will say whatever it takes. Rouse: I just think with (Player 1) we're good. I know that (Player 1) ... I think we're pretty safe. Bliss: We'll help (Player 1) after we get out of all of this. Rouse: I told him. I said, "You know, you're gonna be in good favor with Coach." So I just told him, "Don't worry about anything else." Bliss: We need to think of ... I just spent time with the lawyers. Rouse: Yeah. Bliss: Our whole thing right now, we can get out of it, OK? Reasonable doubt is there's nobody right now that can say that we paid Pat Dennehy. Rouse: I understand. Bliss: Because he's dead. Rouse: I understand. Bliss: OK? So what we have to do is create the reasonable doubt. I've aged about 30 years in the last two months. Rouse: I know. Bliss: I used to be young. Rouse: I know. Bliss: But the thing is, I've got like 30 years (in coaching), I've never talked to an NCAA guy, OK? So, I mean, that stands for something. Rouse: Yes. Bliss: And the thing about it is, what the lawyers want to do is all they've got to handle is $2,000 for the down payment (on the sport utility vehicle) and then like $7,000 on his tuition. (The two then discuss whether someone else will help out.) Bliss: And what we've got to create here is drugs. Rouse: I understand. I don't ... Bliss: Once we do that ... Rouse: We're done? Bliss: You know ... Rouse: We're good? Bliss: Reasonable doubt. Rouse: I'm with you. I'm with you. Bliss: So here's the thing that we've got to do. You think of this over the night. Like, did (Player 1) tell you any stories after I left or anything like that? Because what we want him to do ... Think about this. Rouse: OK. Bliss: We want him to tell stories to (law professor Bill) Underwood (a member of the internal investigative committee) that end in (INAUDIBLE). You know, "Coach, I'm a role player." I'm big on role-playing. Rouse: Yeah. Bliss: This is (Player 1). And what we have to decide is whether we want (Player 3) and (Player 1) to go together or if we want them to say the same thing and maybe (Player 2) say something different. Rouse: I understand. Bliss: So think of ... We don't have to do anything until tomorrow. Rouse: OK. Bliss: What we want to do is they tell the story, "We've been going to Dennehy's apartment. And what we've done out there in Dennehy's apartment (is), you know, we'll go up there and smoke some weed and drink some stuff and have some ladies up there. And then there's one time I went out there. And this was like the middle of May. And we're up there and we're getting ready to do some ---- (expletive deleted) and Pat walks in with a tray. All of a sudden on this tray, I notice some new ---- (expletive deleted). There's pills. There's whatever." Rouse: I'm with you. (Bliss digresses for a moment.) Bliss: And then what happens is, they walked in and they put the tray down, OK? Rouse: Yeah. Bliss: And when they put the tray down, Patrick said something like, "We're gonna have some fun tonight and we're gonna let the other guys pay for it." And he brings out his roll of $100 bills. Rouse: I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you. Bliss: And so what happens is, the perception that he's doing other ---- (expletive deleted) at the same time ... Rouse: Exactly. Bliss: And what happened ... Rouse: And so that's where he gets money. Bliss: Yeah. That's where he gets a part of it. Rouse: But they don't have to know where it comes from? Bliss: They don't have to know anything. All these guys have to do is tell them what they saw. Rouse: Exactly. OK. Bliss: They don't have to fabricate something, but what we want to do is have decided whether we want two of them to agree or three of them to agree or one to agree to one story, one to agree to another story. Rouse: Like another incident? Bliss: Yeah. Another incident. (The coaches discuss how to create another story about Dennehy's involvement with drugs, this one involving a Baylor recruit who has been accused by Dennehy's girlfriend of threatening Dennehy.) Bliss: What does that sound like? Rouse: That sounds good. That sounds believable. (The coaches further discuss the player accused of threatening Dennehy, then discuss Carlton Dotson, who has been arrested in connection with Dennehy's murder, as well as media coverage of the case.) Bliss: So. Now tell me the amount of time you talked to (Player 1) when you left here. You talked to him a little bit more? Rouse: I just talked to him. ... I just wanted to spend another like hour with him just to let him know. We talked about that for just a couple more like minutes when I got over to his house. Just, you know, basically, "Hey, everything's gonna be all right. This is gonna be good for us, for the program." He'd like to save the program. Bliss: Yeah. Rouse: That brought a smile to his face. So ... I was like, "Look, you're getting off." I said, "You don't have to worry about anything. You're getting off scot-free on that. And so you just need to relax and ..." Bliss: Abar, he tells us the story that he told us today about stuff and then what we do is we give him the kicker. In other words, he tells the story kind of like I told you just now. Rouse: Yeah. Bliss: And then we have him talk about the fact that he (Dennehy) brought out the roll of money. Rouse: OK. Bliss: Because, see, then he only has to remember one thing. Rouse: The plate and ... Bliss: See, the plate, that's kind of how they did stuff. He says they bring out the stuff. Rouse: Yeah. (The coaches discuss the player's story some more, then cover several topics, including another player who apparently once hung out with Dennehy, and discuss several people who have made accusations against the program. They then return to a discussion of the players they have spoken to.) Bliss: All they've got to remember is they can tell the story, "We went up there (to Dennehy's apartment) and everything. And all of a sudden, he walked out with that tray and it had everything on it that you can imagine. And I knew something different was up. And then he pulled out his roll of bills. And when he pulled out that roll of bills, it scared us and we never went back." (The conversation continues, with the coaches discussing the players' stories and their future in the profession.) Bliss: And we are gonna win. I'll tell you, like I just spent two hours with our lawyer. He's a ----- (expletive deleted). That's why he told me, "Just give me reasonable doubt." He said, "This is the first time they've ever had an NCAA investigation with a dead person." So we don't have to have overwhelming evidence. All we've got to have is any reasonable doubt, because I've got 30 years in the business with no bad track record. (The coaches discuss Dotson and people who have made accusations against the basketball program. Then Bliss mentions a Star-Telegram article detailing allegations against the basketball program when he was head coach at Southern Methodist University. He denies the accusations, which drew no punishment from the NCAA.) Bliss: Twenty years ago, and I've been clean ever since. I've never talked to an NCAA person. So that's what I'm trying to save you guys with. And the only thing about it is, we've got to be tough during all this. (Bliss goes on about assistant coach Rodney Belcher, then the coaches discuss the logistics of getting two players together the next day to "kind of put a story together," in Bliss' words.) (Bliss stops briefly to speak to his wife on his cellphone. Then conversation resumes. Rouse asks what's going on with the Sheriff's Department regarding the murder case. Bliss explains that it's a shift in jurisdiction and isn't important.) Bliss: That's nothing compared to ... All we've got to do is come up with $2,000 and $7,000. We come up with that, then we're home free. (Another person) is going to help us a little bit with $2,000, and then the rest of it we've got to get from the drug thing. Rouse: OK. Bliss: And I'll tell you, this guy, if he had $5,000 in his pocket, you know, then anything's possible. Rouse: I understand. Bliss: So what we'll do is just create reasonable doubt. Well, why don't you plan on this. Why don't you get (Player 1). Make sure he gets to class in the morning. And then tell him we'll get him over here at 11 o'clock, both he and (Player 3), and we won't do anything tomorrow. We'll just talk about it from 11 to 12. And then we'll figure out after that what they want to do. We might do them Friday or Monday. If they're ready to go ... See, really, they're part of the story. There's really only gonna to be (INAUDIBLE). All they're gonna do is at the end of it say, "When he brought out that tray with all those exotic drugs on it, we got scared. All we wanted to do is smoke some weed. And then Pat reached in his pocket and pulled out a roll of bills and said, 'We'll let these guys pay for it tonight.' " Rouse: Yep. Bliss: That's like the key phrase: "We'll let these guys pay for it tonight." And all of a sudden, they both say the same thing, because they remember him saying that. Now with (Player 2), I have a hunch (Player 2) is gonna have a different story, because he might have gone out to that place out there in Leroy or might have been someplace where they dropped off some ---- (expletive deleted). But he'll have a story. We'll listen to his story, and then we'll put a little punch on it. He can tell the story, because that's his story, and then we'll put our punch at the end. Rouse: I'm with you. It sounds good. Let's rock and roll. Bliss: Yeah. All that lawyer wants ... Rouse: Will that end the inquiry? Bliss: What I think it'll do is give a reason for the extra money, and what they'll do, the inquiry, will then tie it all up and say, "This is what we found," and present it to the NCAA. And we could be done with it in two weeks. What I want to do is be done in August with it, once we get back in school. And if we do what I think we can do, we'll be done faster than that. Then what we end up doing is present it to the NCAA. They look at it. If they want to take it further, fine. If they accept it, then we go from there. If they want to take it further, then they have to wait for the criminal investigation to be over, and that's like a year or two later, especially now that Dotson says he didn't do it. Rouse: I'm with you. (The conversation in the office ends. Bliss and Rouse then walk out. Tape continues to run. Bliss reiterates that the unnamed lawyer is tough and will "eat up" bad stories. He says players will have to tell the same stories to NCAA officials if the NCAA doesn't believe it, but NCAA will be "easy" compared with the lawyer.)

It's looking like we got some good juco talent coming in at the guard positions and the forward from McLennan Juco. I worry that we have gone so heavily into the Juco route but after last season and losing CD it was probably warranted. You have to wonder whether or not Hopkins can return to form. This years preseason story is really all about LaShawnson Johnson the LSU transfer. He is supposedly a monster and from what I hear he will change the entire face of the team. Too bad we can't use him till December...

I think he's a class individual and a great recruiter. He will be missed at UNT. I think you guys got a good one. Good luck.

The Mean Green Report Link A recap of the days events...........

yes graves is there.

Thanks 96, hey man I am getting really excited about this season. I mean 2-a-days is actually only like what 2 weeks away. I know a lot of us that live for this time of the year and it is right around the corner. Long suffering Mean Green Fans have been waiting for the promise of a season like this for a long, long time....can you feel it??????? GMG!