Censored by Laurie

"By this time next week I hope to name a starting quarterback."

Wade Philips just won't shut up...

I kinda hinted around that idea...but stopped short of asking: "how good were those linebackers without that dominant D-line?" Certainly not meant as a slight for the trio...just curios if we regard them as highly as we do if they were playing behind the 07 line.

Well...time to make assesment of what we a sure we will have next season in the backcourt. We essentially start 3 guards...a point and two wings...and ideally you have two players behind them, one capable of playing the point, the other at the 2,3. I think the only person we know for sure will be starting is Ben Bell. I would look for Ben to look to score a bit more this coming season...10ppg, 5apg woud be very nice. I think the other two starters will be determined once JJ knows how ready Josh White is to handle the back-up role at the point. If White is ready...I'd say Collin Dennis is a lock to start at the 2. However Dennis seems to be the only wing capable of sliding to the point for any extended period of time, and if White is in over his head I'd look for Dennis to fill a similar role to what Michael Sturns did last year...only more competantly. Lets run on the assumption White is ready: start Collin Mangrum at the 3...at best with Dennis starting your 3 is a fourth scoring option (Wooden, Williams, Dennis) and hopefully fifth option (Bell). Mangrum seems to be at best a complimentary scorer anyways, and should exert most of his energy on the defensive end in this type of line-up. McCoy and Thompson are scorers who would benefit seeing minutes as more primary threats. White sees about 10-15 minutes in reserve at the point...with up to 20 minutes available for either McCoy or Thompson...also TT may be big enough to slide over and play the 4 the way Rich Young did last season for 3-5 minutes in a small lineup. White isn't ready: start McCoy and Thompson. I don't believe either of these players are capable of being the consistant primary threat you would get with Dennis starting at the 2...so starting Mangrum wouldn't be as beneficial. Basically in starting these two you're hoping one get go off for 12-15 as the defense keys on the other...I don't think you'd be able to shut both down...especially not with our frontcourt. Dennis works in for about 25-30 minutes per game, 10-15 of those at the point...Mangrum sees 10-15 spelling TT and McCoy and White plays sparingly. I think this is a key loss...I said it before and I firmly believe it...WE BEAT MEMPHIS WITH LIONEL BROWN. Thats not meant as a dig at Sturns...hes gone, I'm happy and I'm done with him...but that is simply meant as a statement of value for a solid back-up point guard. Even in a best case scenerio Josh White will be inconsistant...he's a true freshman making a big step up in compittion. The only benefit to come out of this is we will see exactly what Collin Mangrum and Tristan Thompson have. The SBC West is way down and winnable...Isaac Wells gone from ASU, coaching turmoil at UNO, new coach in Denver, RJJ gone from ULAR, UL-La still recovering from Jessie Evans...only UL-Monroe knows exactly what it will have next season. I should start my West analasys next week with Lafayette.

I think if the secondary holds this year, this defense could be something special...MAYBE as good as the '03 defense which may have been the best since the Greene era. Lets compare: Defensive Line: 2003 DE. Adrian AwasomDT. Brandon KennedyDT. Evan CardwellDE. Eli HutchinsonDefensive Line: 2007DE. Jeremiah ChapmanDT. Montay StevensonDT. Joseph MillerDE. Blake BurrussClearly the nod goes to the 2003 group. Cardwell was extremely underated, and as good as Stevenson and Chapman have been, Awasom and Kennedy were two of the best to ever man the front four for the Mean Green Linebackers : 2003 OLB: Taylor CaseyMLB. Chris HurdOLB. Cody SpencerLinebackers : 2007OLB. Maurice HolmanMLB. Derek MendozaOLB. Brandon MonroeI'm calling this a wash at the starting position...and a clear 07 advantage in terms of depth. The 03 group played so well off each other, and complimented a dominating defensive line very well. This years corp has more athleticism. Secondary : 2003 CB. Jeremy PearlFS. Jonas BucklesSS. Craig JonesCB. Walter PriestlySecondary : 2007CB. Latif NurudeenFS. Aaron WeathersSS. Desmon ChapmanCB. Antoine BushEven with Loren, we would've been saying this secondary was inexperienced. The 03 starters were 3 seniors and a junior. I think there's potential in our current group to eventually be as good as this 03 group, but the advantage is clearly with 03.

DE. Jeremiah ChapmanDT. Montay StevensonDT. Joseph MillerDE. Blake Burruss - Look for Eddrick Gilmour to see time on passing downsOLB- Maurice HolmanMLB. Colt Mahan / Derek MendozaOLB. Brandon MonroeCB. Latif NurudeenCB. Antoine Bush / Dominique GreenSS. Desmon Chapman / Kartay AgbottahFS. Aaron WeathersAlso expecting lots of PT for Issac Thomas at DT as a run stopper and Tobe Nwigwe and Germaine Dawson at OLB. I've got a lot of confidence in this group

Toure Murray is Nile Murray's brother. For those of you who don't remember Nile...he signed with Temple out of high school before transfering to TCU...where he almost single-handedly beat UNT in the second half the last time the Frogs came to The Pit. Murray was the third guard of four really good TCU guards that year...Marcus Shropsihre, Corey Santee, Murray and Brent Hackett was a true freshman. If memory serves, Nile was about 6'4" so Toure is a bit smaller, but if he can shoot and score like Nile he would be a great pick up

Kem is a monsterous man...I've seen him listed as big as 315. It would be nice to have him here. The bigger story here may be what is happening to USA. Kem was a Ronnie Arrow recruit...so the mass exodus of players from Mobile isn't entirly tied to Pelphry.

One seems to cancel out the other.

My sign if they manage to beat Tech: SMU 2007: Undefeated for the first time since 1987.

PLEASE NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! This was the problem last season...you have to give your QB some sort of leash to make mistakes, especially against a defense like Oklahoma. Four games has to be the absolute minimum, and even after that the QB has to be just terrible to pull him...especially if its Vizza whose ceiling is higher than any QB we've ever had.

I dont want to deviate too far from the Andrew Smith topic...but I've always had a idea similar to the "blackshirt" defense in Nebraska...there you earn a black practice jersey once you've achieved a certain standard...here we could use the number 75 as that reward...give a jersey with a 75 on the shoulder or back. It would be a great way to honor Greene and give the players a great goal and motivator

Hey Norm! I liked that shooting percentage as well...Lionel Brown in his one year here had a real solid 3pt shooting percentage and hit some clutch shots but the biggest thing is he knew when to shoot...if McCoy plays like Brown, I'll be very confident with he and White backing up Ben

The coaching staff seemed really high on Craig Robertson...and Brandon Monroe has had a bit of a Jamario-like career here...hasn't lived up to the enormous expectations heaped upon him after a great freshman year. I think Monroe holds on to the starting spot early, but by the end of the year Robertson could easilly be starting. Also, nobody played better down the stretch last season than Colt Mahan...and while i love what Derek Mendoza has brought to this team the past 3 years, I think Mahan will win the starting MLB spot. Depth Chart: LOLB - Maurice Holman / Tobe Nwigwe / Germaine DawsonMLB - Colt Mahan / Derek Mendoza / A.J. PensonROLB - Brandon Monroe / Craig Robertson / Raifu DuroydeAll and all...you have to be very comfortable with this group...and as many as 7 of these guys could easilly be starters.

I still have the hardest time that the if the Big 10 expands that it goes anywhere but to South Bend. However...I'll indulge...the Big 10 takes Mizzou, what motivation would there be for the Big 12 to expand to 14 as was suggested? The MAC is the largest conference in college football with 13 schools...essentially 12 with Temple sort of oddly thrown in that bunch...and we've seen the instability of an oversized conference with the 16 team WAC. The Big 12 would seek just one school to replace Mizzou...BYU, Utah, Colorado St. or TCU seem to be the most likely...leaving the MWC with 8. Who does the MWC go after...and how big do they choose to go? Boise St. seems likely if they try to go back to 9, add Nevada if they want to go to 10...12 is unlikely as for respectibility purposes Hawaii would probably be added...but financially that move makes little sense...so lets say the stay at 10. WAC is down to 7 and UNT seems a likely candidate, but we've balked on that before, and I would prefer we did again. La Tech would be itching to leave now...travel costs still prohibitive, but it was worth it when you were playing Nevada and Boise...SJSU and Utah St. aren't much better than the UL schools that are a 2 hour drive rather than a four hour flight. Arkansas isn't going anywhere. The x-factor that nobody seems to be figuring into conference expansion is D-1 expansion: Texas State, Georgia Southern, Portland State, and Delaware are all likely candidates to start making a push for D-1 status in the next few years.

If Riley enrolls in the spring, is he eligible to participate in spring practices and the spring game? It seems Riley is excited to be playing here AND for his dad...that first one cannot be overstated. This would be the year I move 2000 miles away...

Sammy Sharp won the SBC defensive playerof the year. Jervis may prove to be that inside presence...I couldn't find any tape on him but you don't block as many shots as he did just by being tall...it takes some athleticism. Even with a solid post, I have a hard time believing this team can be terribly competitive. Bassett is capable of 25 a night, Jonus maybe 15...who else scores? Toombs is still thin for the 4, Odem is a distributor first...maybe one of the JUCO guys proves to be a scorer... If I were a Troy fan I would be concerned about this recruiting class (if it is complete at this time). We at UNT complain about JJ's proclivity for the JUCO transfer...yet we also mix in 2-3 freshman per class as well...Troy will have none this year. With Troy football excelling the way it is, and hopefully Papa Todd putting us back on the FB map, I would love nothing more than for Troy to be near the top in SBC BB to create a competitive rivalry between our two schools in numerous sports.

Forgot one. -You might be a Mean Green fan if you left Fouts midway through the third quarter b/c you had dinner plans, had dinner and then called you buddy to find out what the final was and heard this: "games all tied up and about to head in to overtime, get back up here", and you go back in time to watch another 7 quarters of football.

Troy apparantly subscribes to the Darrell Dickey theory of recruiting...this was a bitch to put together...and I would love for a Troy fan and come through and correct this where they see fit Don Maestri is the elder statesman of SBC coaches. Maestri took over at Troy in 1982 and quickly turned the Trojans into a Division II power and continued his success when Troy moved to Division I in 1993, contending for league titles and eventually NCAA and NIT tourney bids in three different conferences before joining the SBC two seasons ago. Success has been harder to come by in the Belt however, translating into two consecutive losing seasons and double digit conferences losses. And with four of the team’s five leading scorers and their top three rebounders gone, three straight losing seasons is a distinct possibility. Projected Starters: PG. Jerome Odem 6'1" 150 Sr.SG. O'Darien Bryant 6'1" 182 Sr.SF. Justin Jonus 6'6" 220 Sr.PF. Bernard Toombs 6'8" 200 Soph.C. Tom Jervis 6'11" 230 Jr.Frontcourt: Gone are SBC Defensive Player of the Year Sammy Sharp (6'7" 200) and space-eater Cedric Jackson (6'7" 260) and the 22 points and 13 rebounds they combined for last season. The only proven commodity for the Trojans up front is Justin Jonus (6'6" 220 Sr.). The Alabama transfer was solid in his role as sixth man last year after joining the team in December, appearing in twenty games all off the bench and averaging 9 points per contest and shooting a solid 40% from the 19'9". Jonus will be counted on to expand his role and increase productivity in order for Troy to be competitive. Sophomore post Bernard Toombs (6'8" 200) was a well regarded prospect out of Georgia but saw limited action on an upper-classman laden roster. Toombs will be given the chance to impress in a small and unproven frontcourt in 07-08. If Toombs struggles, look for one of two seniors to pick up the slack. Jarvis Acker (6'7" 210), who was suspended before last season and later took a redshirt, is a defensive minded forward with a decent offensive game similar to the departed Sharp. Ralph Jennings (6'8" 200) is an athletic and active rebounder (3.4rpg in 15.7mpg), but is limited mainly to put backs offensively. The frontcourt X-factor will be Tom Jervis (6’11” 230 Jr.) and how he fits into Maestri’s up-tempo style. The Australian JUCO transfer is the only legitimate post currently on the Troy roster, both in height and frame, but it may be his ability or inability to run the floor that dictates his minutes. Jervis averaged 11 points at Bevill St. – Fayetteville College last season, and was a solid contributor on the defensive end, averaging 3.4 blocks including three games swatting eight shots. Swingman Kenny Ware (6’6” 205 Jr.), a transfer from Okaloosa Walton CC should contend for time at either the 2 or 3 position. Backcourt: The best player in the Sun Belt that you’ve never heard of is O’Darien Bassott (6’1” 182 Sr.). Bassott led a balanced Trojan attack last season, averaging 15.1 points and contributing 2.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. All the attention will now be squarely on Bassott’s shoulders with the departure of sharpshooter Boo Ramsey (5’11” 194) and former Utah Ute Richard Cheney (6’4” 205). Bassott is a poor man’s Bo McCalebb, a decent outside shooter (38% 3pt) who likes to attack the bucket, and will have to put up McCalebb like numbers in order for Troy to be in games. Joining Bassott in the backcourt, Jerome Odem has the inside track at starting at the point. Odem (6’1” 150 Sr.) started 19 games last season and led the team in assists (3.2apg), but should be pushed by both Brandon Hazzard (6’1” 195 Soph.) and Michael Vogler (6’0 180 Soph.). Hazzard saw minimal action last season, but like Toombs was a well thought of recruit, and should improve upon his paltry freshman statistics (2.3ppg, 0.9 apg). Vogler is a pure point who comes to Troy after a season at Chipola CC. Josh Williams (5’11” 162 Jr.) saw limited action last year. Arguably the best player on the roster will be sitting out next season. Richard Delk (6’4” 175 Jr.) is the lesser of the former Mississippi St. twins; Reginald transferred to Louisville. Delk played the wing for MSU, but cited the want to play point guard as his motivation for transferring. Note: As of 8/3/07, Troy has at most 11 players on scholarship, leaving as many as two still available. Two names associated with the Trojans are Trayce Macon (6’8’ 200 Soph.) and Mario Telfair (6’6” 200 Jr.), both of Santa Fe CC in Gainesville, FL, however I am unable to get any official confirmation. If these players are on the roster, look for Macon to push as starter at the 4 and Telfair to play a significant role behind Jonus. Overall: Last season five Trojans averaged double figures. Four of those players are gone, taking with them nearly 48 points and 23 rebounds per game. A reasonable expectation of Jonus is up his scoring by five, and maybe get 15ppg from whoever ends up at the posts. So, with some quick math, Bassott would only have to average about 44 points per contest for Troy to match last seasons numbers. And that’s just to get to an 8-10 SBC record. Hyperbole, perhaps, but the point gets through…Troy is O’Darien Bassott, and then a bunch of guys. Coupled with the fact Troy will be playing in the difficult SBC East and this could be a long season for Maestri and his Trojans.

Excellent

Just curious which game has been designated as homecoming...so that I can...come...home.

If Micah Mosely doesn't redshirt I wouldn't be surprised to see him returning kick-offs with Evyn Roman...and Roman handling the punt return duties as well. From the tapes on Roman he did both in JC and looks like he did it quite well...now if that translates, I don't know...but if nothing else he's the only person on our roster with multiple punt returns out of high school last season.

And was a grade A dill.

I believe you may be under-estimating the strides Steven Prince has made since the spring game...and that kid who went to K. State and has done nothing has been seen on campus...I bet he has a chance. Also seen rumors of Vittatoe wanting to come back to the area, Casey Printers applying for a 12th year of eligibility to play for Papa Todd, and Jevon Sneed once wore a green shirt...I've looked all these speculations up on snoopes but I have found nothing definative. Also, a good friend of mine just bought a car from Bill Utter Ford and swears Rhett Bomar sold it to him...so maybe Bomar will start. I fear some people may have overlooked this post...just wanted to make sure it appears on each subsequent page of this thread...maybe multiple times

Man...thats just plain wrong...I already put that picture up as the background for my computer...F'n mean, man.