Cooley

November 15, 2007 Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com Recruiting Analyst 6'7" 245-pound post, Antuan Bootle of St. Thomas high school in Houston, made a decision to sign on Wednesday with a program that is consistantly at the top of their conference. After months of keeping his recruitment quiet, Bootle, excited about his decision, speaks about the program he selected. "I committed to Sam Houston State Tuesday afternoon," said Bootle. "It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. And I am glad I got it out of the way before I played on Tuesday night." Bootle was very secretive on his recruitment, and says that he never wanted the attention. "I didn't want my recruitment to get out. I didn't want the focus to be on me at any point." Bootle says that he had 26 offers from schools all over the country, and the list of schools came down to three teams. "At the beginning of the recruiting process I did a lot of research about the schools recruiting me. I got help from my high school coach (Neil) Laminack and some family and friends. After all the research, it came down to me choosing between Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Sam Houston. I took all three visits. I then had to pick either North Texas or Sam." Bootle continues and adds why he chose Sam Houston State. "Distance didn't play a factor in my decision, but when it came down to two Texas programs, I went with the one that was closer to Houston. It just made more sense for me and my family so they can see me play. Coach (Bob) Marlin (Sam Houston's head coach) is the type of coach I want to play for. He has a very strong program that wins and he is a great person and coach. He will push me and the other players on and off the court. He is a winner and I want a chance to win every time I step out on to the court." In Bootle's game against Westside on Tuesday, he contributed 19 points and 23 plus rebounds. Texas Hoops Analysis: ANTUANis a very strong paint player with a wide back side to hold off the defense. He has a nose for the ball, goes and gets loose rebounds, knows how to use his body to create space in the paint and can clog up the lane defensively. He has nice moves on the low post, has a soft touch from 10 feet, works hard to get position and has a knack for scoring in traffic. He lacks great elevation due to his body style but really knows how to use his size to his advantage.

Glad To Be Green, hopefully our fans will continue to grow in numbers. Maybe then we might be able to raise sufficient funds to install a very large Jumbo Tron over center court.

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Texas was a bigger win in terms of name recognition but I would say our victory over West Texas State in 1976. (I can't speak on victories prior to 75-76 though I know there were bigger wins) The blow-out win over WTSU avenged an earlier loss at their place. The win ended our best season ever at 22-4 where we staked claim as the best college basketball team in Texas.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw....20413e2c0.html

I vividly remember 1 very nice assist (for a layup) I quess the stat guy was tired from the football game. He is not Weasel Johnson quick but has the poise of a senior. In a game in which the team scored at will, there was not many opportunities to even run plays. Everybody had mismatches (the guards either went one on one to get their shots or the big men pounded the ball closer to the goal before their shot attempt. (those don't count) The team was also did a good job of scoring on tip in on missed shots. White averaged 7 assists and 4 steals a game in HS. We'll know more about this kid in the next two games.

While I think young Vizza had a good game, I'm still a Riley Dodge fan and hope that dad will give him every opportunity to win the job next year. The difference in the two? Riley's 4.4 speed and the ability to keep drives alive with his scrambles. Cooley, you're crazy!!! What game were you watching? Consider for a moment guys Todd's quarterbacks in years past. Who has not put up monster numbers? Is it the QB or the system? When has the QB's at Texas Tech not put up huge record breaking numbers? With 5 receivers and short passes in the slot, this is heaven for both receivers and quarterbacks. Wasson Chase Daniels Riley Dodge Daniel Meager (Who saw a school record 601 yards passing out of DM) G. Vizza My next controversial question (for a later discussion) is what are we going to do to dramatically improve this defense; when we don't have impact redshirts sitting out nor committments (thus far) from impact High schoolers. Fire Away!!!

I went to the football game and then a basketball game broke out! I would have been happy with a crowd of 3,100 for Cameron if it was a standalone game. The PA announcer kept promoting the game throughout the football game. (the raising of the banner) JJ and the entire team went on the field to a nice ovation. The 1 hour delay was perfect for me to go grab a New York Sub. It was also on a Saturday in which many of the 26,000 had to walk pass the Pit to get to their cars. It was a long day but one that I planned for. How often are we afforded a chance to watch football and basketball back to back? Best of all, it was free (for attending the football game) UNT basketball (this year) is definately the better product) I guess we'll just have to go kick some OSU's ass to gain greater respect in and around Denton.

Last Season 22-13 (.629) Conference Record 6-10 (t-7th) Starters Lost/Returning 2/3 Coach Sean Sutton (Oklahoma State '92) Record At School 22-13 (1 year) Career Record 22-13 (1 year) RPI Last 5 years 16-5-5-95-63 COACH AND PROGRAM For the 10th straight season, a Sutton coached in the NCAA Tournament. Alas, for Oklahoma State fans, the Sutton of record in 2007 was Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton. As for little brother Sean Sutton, he guided the Cowboys to 22 victories and an NIT invitation. At first glance, that's a pretty solid debut campaign for a first-year head coach, but considering on the morning of Jan. 10 that OSU was 15-1 and ranked No. 9 in the country, the result was terribly disappointing. The 7-12 finish wasn't as simplistic as Oklahoma State playing an easy non-conference schedule, as some of the pundits claimed. That's actually false, as the Cowboys defeated Syracuse, Auburn, Missouri State, Pittsburgh and Baylor en route to their impressive start. The lone loss came to Tennessee, 79-77, in Nashville, and it took Dane Bradshaw's tip-in at the buzzer to do it. It was more a combination of a key injury, a few close defeats, perhaps a confidence issue on the road and most of all, turnovers. The defense had issues along the way, too, but if the turnovers were held in check, Oklahoma State had enough offense to compensate. In this space last season, Sutton who previously had served as the associate head coach at OSU under his father, the legendary Eddie Sutton spoke of turnovers costing the 2005-06 team at least three or four wins. ''There's no way you can turn the ball over at that rate and expect to be successful,'' he said. ''That's the thing that's got to be corrected.'' When reminded of his comments this summer, Sutton chuckled and said, ''Guess that plan didn't work out, huh?'' Going left to right on Oklahoma State's season stat sheet, one might wonder upon approaching the final few columns on how the heck this team finished 6-10 in the Big 12. OSU finished third in the conference in field-goal and free-throw percentage, at 46.7 and 72.6, respectively, it out-rebounded it opponents, racked up assists & wait for it & and here we are, the ''TO'' column. The Cowboys committed 562 miscues, most in the Big 12. That's 16.1 per game, which was actually an improvement from 2005-06 when they placed 296th out of 326 Division I teams with 17.3 per. ''We have to motivate our players not to turn the ball over, so we're going to bring a treadmill to practice and put it right there on the court,'' Sutton said. ''When they throw the ball away, they run a minute on the treadmill. Hopefully, that registers with them.'' Sutton never considered slowing down the offensive pace. Outside of the Bryant ''Big Country'' Reeves Era in the mid-1990s and even then to a degree the Cowboys have run an attacking system since Eddie Sutton arrived in Stillwater in 1990. ''No, we're not going to slow the offensive pace,'' Sutton said. ''We don't have a lot of experience this year, thus, it's to our advantage to speed the game up. We actually want to press more than last year, too.'' Pressing wasn't really an option for Sutton last season, and not so much because the talent wasn't there to do it; the Cowboys actually had some quick guards. The problem was depth. Just nine players saw more than 17 minutes of action last season and when 6-5 sophomore guard Obi Muonelo (10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg) broke his leg on Dec. 9 against Ball State, an already thin bench more or less went two-deep. This season's squad offers more depth -- how could it not? -- but the majority of that is unproven. The roster includes nine players who have never played a minute of Division I basketball. OSU also lost its top two scorers and top two rebounders from a season ago, as forwards Mario Boggan (19.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and David Monds (6.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg) exhausted their eligibility while guard JamesOn Curry (17.3 ppg, 3.7 apg) departed the college ranks a year early for the NBA. He was a second-round selection (No. 51 overall) of the Chicago Bulls. While Curry's perimeter defense and all-around offensive ability will be missed -- he logged 37 minutes a game -- his departure could help the turnover issue. Curry committed 109, more than three a game, last season. Even with the top-heavy losses, OSU appears improved. There's Muonelo, who was producing one of the top freshman seasons in school history before the leg injury. His shot selection wasn't stellar -- he shot 39.1 percent from the field -- but he has range (24 three-pointers at 33.8 percent) and the ability to take his defender off the dribble. Having returned late in the season, he poured in a career-high 24 points at Nebraska in the regular-season finale. It would surprise no one if Muonelo led the Cowboys in scoring this winter. PLAYERS One of the top defensive players in the Big 12 if not the country is expected back in 6-9 forward Marcus Dove (4.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 41 steals, 38 blocked shots). We say expected because Dove was suspended from the team in July after a drunk-driving arrest. He accepted a plea agreement in late August and while he was still suspended as of Sept. 1, Sutton told Blue Ribbon he expected Dove back with the team when practiced began Oct. 15. ''Marcus has learned a lot from the experience,'' Sutton said. ''It's a valuable lesson to learn at a young age.'' Look for Dove to start at the three. At the point is 5-11 junior Byron Eaton of Dallas Lincoln (7.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 54 steals). The second player in program history to accumulate at least 100 assists in each of his freshman and sophomore sea-sons, Eaton could conceivable break the program's career mark for steals this winter. However, he takes too many chances on both ends of the court, which could lead to diminished playing time. Also returning in the backcourt is 6-5 junior Terrel Harris (10.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 47 steals). He was second on the team last season in three-pointers made (48) and steals, while his 85.7 free-throw percentage easily led the Cowboys. His No. 1 issue is staying on the court -- he was whistled for 116 personal fouls en route to eight disqualifications last season. One of two seniors on the roster, 6-6 guard Tyler Hatch (1.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg) isn't expected to see much playing time. Red-shirt freshman Scott Warner, a 6-1 guard, is also in the backcourt mix. A primary concern of Sutton's for this season is the center spot. Kenny Cooper (4.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg) announced his intent to transfer in early-September. While nothing more than a serviceable backup for 10-12 a minutes game for the majority of Big 12 teams, he was expected to vie for a starting gig with OSU. ''Kenny has chosen to leave our team,'' coach Sean Sutton said. ''It was a tough decision for him, and it was a lengthy process. But eventually, it boiled down to him wanting to play closer to home. His family wanted the opportunity to see him play more, and he felt an obligation to his mom and his brothers to be closer to them.'' While it wasn't immediately announced where Cooper would transfer, considering he's from Monroe, La., the Louisiana-Monroe of the Southland Conference would seem the logical choice. That leaves a trio of players competing for minutes in the middle including 6-11 red-shirt freshman Scott Warner, 6-8 freshman Martavius Adams (20.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg) of Wilkinson Country High School in Irwinton, Ga., and 6-11 freshman Ibrahima Thomas (4.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) of Stoneridge (Calif.) Prep and Dakar, Senegal. If Warner and Adams can contribute solid minutes, Thomas appears a candidate to red-shirt. Eventually, he could become a one-dimensional shot blocker, kind of a poor man's Manute Bol. The remainder of the roster is filled with newcomers, including 6-6 freshmen swingmen James Anderson (38.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg) of Junction City (Ark.) High School and Marshall Moses (25.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg) of The Patterson School and Aiken, S.C., 6-6 junior forward Anthony Brown (21.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg) of Carl Albert State College and Brooklyn, N.Y., 6-5 sophomore guard Brad Garrett (15.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) of College of Southern Idaho and St. George, Utah; 6-4 freshman guard Nick Sidorakis (17.0 ppg) of Jenks (Okla.) High School and 6-1 red-shirt freshman guard Andy Shaw. Look for Brown -- who was a NJCAA All-Region II first-team selection last winter -- to start immediately at the four and in part, replace the production of Boggan. Garrett can shoot from almost anywhere, and having spent two years on a Mormon mission, brings maturity as well. For Sutton, though, as much as he hopes the newcomers can help in terms of points, rebounds, assists and defense, their greater contribution will probably come in practice by creating competition. ''We stopped improving as a team in early January,'' Sutton said. ''They weren't getting better because no one was pushing them in practice. We lost our best motivator as coaches the bench. The seven guys playing knew we had no choice, they were playing regardless.'' ''This should be a fun team to coach and watch. There will be a lot of learning and adjusting, but there's no question, we have more depth than last year.'' When asked about the Big 12 this season, Sutton pretty much echoed Blue Ribbon's take on the league. ''Kansas is the pick to win, they have a legitimate shot at the Final Four,'' he said. ''Texas, even with losing [Kevin] Durant should be good with everyone else back. ''It's a toss up after that; whoever wins the close games and gets on a roll in conference play [will seize the advantage]. The balance between, say three and 10 is as good as any in the country.'' Oklahoma State is one of those teams in the 3-10 range. If the Cowboys cut down on turnovers, win an early road game, thus erasing the memory of last season's 0-8 mark in opponent's home gyms ''It was an embarrassment how we played on the road,'' Sutton said and play with more passion defensively, they could finish 10-6, 9-7 in the Big 12 and land on the NCAA Tournament bubble come March. The same can also be said of Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas Tech, Missouri and Iowa State. Even Texas A&M and Kansas State, while more talented on paper, have first-year coaches and holes to plug. The final call, though, has Oklahoma State a season away. The Cowboys should be a top-25 team entering 2008-09, but it's going to take at least half the season for the nine first-year play-ers to not only mesh with the holdovers but each other. Let's say middle of the conference pack around, 7-9, and a third straight NIT appearance. BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS BACKCOURT: B BENCH/DEPTH: B FRONTCOURT: C+ INTANGIBLES: B

JJ stated in the post game interview that Dez was banged up a little from the previous game. He could have played last night if they needed him. He is good to go against OSU. As for as Thompson, no poster was as high on him as I was/am. I thought he was the jewel in this class. Having seen him in the HS state tournament, he literally took over by having one of the most dominating performances I had ever seen. My comments were not meant to knock him at all. I just saw a tentative game (unlike his 38 point game in Austin) It is only because Ben Bell is a senior that he will get the nod over the freshman White. JJ should be arrested for stealing this kid!

The team has a chance to be just as exciting as a Todd Dodge offense. Nice to see the fans give the team a nice applause at the end of the game. (They were entertained) Despite playing an inferior opponent, it was obvious to all that this team is talented. I too was impressed with Mr Josh White, Adam McCoy & Kedrick Hogans. Tristan Thompson appeared to struggle in this offense; more than I anticipated. Keith Wooden & Q. Williams are the only sure fire starters that I can tell. JJ has the luxury of starting any combination of the others with just as much success. I can see where 5-6 different guys will lead the team in scoring on any given night. For the hell of it, here's my revised starting 5 PG - Josh White SG - Collin Dennis SF - Adam McCoy SF - Q C - Wooden White looks like a freshman of the year candidate Dennis & McCoy (Newcomers of the year) What could have been? Roderick Flemings (Weatherford JC) scored 31 pts with 18 rebounds against Lon Morris Thursday Night. In about 4 games, he's averaging about 26 ppg. 2008-2009 Needs? We really need to find an impact center for next year. Odufawa moves right into Quincy's 4 spot while the Knox kid further develops his game in a reserve role. Though badly needed next year, Justin Howerton is just not the starter we need him to be. With at least 2 ships remaining, we need a capable backup for White (pg) and a starting center. Just my first game thoughts! Go Mean Green!

They are also in their early twenties! I am embarrassed about some decisions and actions I made back then. What type of family did they come from? Is there a Dad or mentor in their life? Kicking them out of school without an education may teach them a lesson. The chances are greater, however, that they will return to their "hood" and won't find a meaningful job. Depression sets in leading to substance abuse. Now, unemployed without a means to support their habit, they then revert to crime against you, me, your neighbors & family. There's a real possibility that they may end up dead before they reach age 25. I've lived in the hood all my life and see this scenerio playing out all the time. I know this hurts the coaching staff and their families, they are human. I've been falsely accused before. You are never the same. We must, as adults, think about the long term consequences of not just their lives but what our actions will mean to society. There are innocent victims everyday. The anger expressed here has more to do with the distraction to our program. We really don't give a damn about these players because that can't help us anymore. "If you can't help us, don't hurt us" Yes, they committed a dumb ass mistake! Let's not do the same.

November 8, 2007 TexasHoops.com Recruiting Staff Throughout the recruiting process, Ben Knox had a number of different options. The skilled 6-foot-10, 215-pound post man from Arlington Grace Prep was thinking about riding things out until the spring, but had one school in mind if he were to decide early. As it turns out, that school has won out for his commitment for the early signing period and next week Knox will be inking to play his college basketball close to home. "I called UNT today to tell them that I'm going to sign with them next Wednesday," Knox said. "Me and my dad had taken an unofficial visit there a couple of weeks ago, and this week me and my parents went there on an official visit and all three of us liked it a lot. We really like Coach (Johnny) Jones and Coach Price and all the players. I really like how Coach Jones coaches and all the players seem like my kind of people." Knox and his family took in Denton and North Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and while they were sold on the basketball portion of the package they needed to find out more about the academic side of things. "My intention is to go into engineering and we weren't sure what they had to offer," Knox said. "So when we took the trip, we took a tour of the separate engineering building, talked to their head guy, and saw that everything was state-of-the-art. That sealed the deal right there." Some other schools had shown interest in recruiting Knox for the spring, but that is all moot as he'll ink his letter-of-intent with the Mean Green the first day of the early signing period next Wednesday. With that in the books, his concentration can now go on his senior season. "Right now, I'm trying to get a state championship," Knox said. "I also want to become as good as I can to get to the next level." Texas Hoops Analysis: BEN is a developing big man who has shown signs of being ready to have a very good season. He knows how to work for position on the low block, can catch and finish inside 10 feet, has a nice touch around the goal and can kick it out off the low block. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker and moves well for a big man. He is still developing in many areas but shows signs of understanding the game and will get better at the next level as he is challenged by big bodies everyday in practice.

Can we just move on without further bigoted comments?

5A Coach Phil McNeely's Duncanville Panthers held down the #1 spot from the first tip to the final buzzer during the 2006-07 season and are aiming for another wire-to-wire run in 2007-08. With a quartet of talented prospects back another ring is well within site. Mike Kunstadt/Sam Lowe Team 2006-07 Record 2006-07 Playoffs 1. Duncanville 39-0 State Champions 2. San Antonio Madison 36-5 State Semi-Finals 3. Klein Collins 29-10 Regional Finals 4. Lewisville 31-3 Regional Quarter-Finals 5. DeSoto 34-5 Regional Quarter-Finals 6. Kingwood 38-3 State Finals 7. North Crowley 29-6 Area 8. Austin Bowie 28-6 Regional Quarter-Finals 9. Cy-Springs 27-8 Bi-District 10. Houston Strake Jesuit 17-11 Bi-District 11. Klein Forest 29-9 Regional Semi-Finals 12. Mesquite Horn 17-11 Bi-District 13. Alief Hastings 28-10 Regional Semi-Finals 14. Fort Bend Elkins 31-5 Regional Quarter-Finals 15. Mesquite 29-5 State Semi-Finals 16. Cedar Hill 25-11 Area 17. Houston Madison 21-14 Regional Semi-Finals 18. San Antonio Churchill 28-7 Area 19. Plano East 22-10 Area 20. Fort Bend Hightower 23-13 Bi-District 21. Dallas Skyline 28-8 Regional Quarter-Finals 22. Mansfield Summit 31-6 Regional Finals 23. San Antonio Stevens 16-16 Bi-District 24. Port Arthur Memorial 29-6 Bi-District 25. Round Rock 15-14 No Playoffs Honorable Mentions Alief Elsik Austin Westlake Bryan Dallas Carter El Paso Franklin Flower Mound Marcus Fort Bend Marshall Georgetown Houston Bellaire Houston Chavez LaPorte Pflugerville San Antonio Taft The Woodlands College Park Tyler Lee

by Mike Kunstadt/Sam Lowe South Oak Cliff, Golden Bears, SOC..however you say it, it still adds up to 3 straight state championships. So filling the top spot in the Texas Hoops 4A Pre-Season team rankings was a rather easy task. The list of usual suspects will be nipping at their heals as the season starts with traditional Fort Worth powerhouse Dunbar loaded and ready and the scrappy group from Highland Park eager to avenge the regional tournament loss to Coach Mays' Golden Bears. Check out the entire Texas Hoops 4A Pre-Season Team Rankings here Mike Kunstadt/Sam Lowe Team 2006-07 Record 2006-07 Playoffs 1. Dallas South Oak Cliff 33-3 State Champions 2. Fort Worth Dunbar 30-8 State Semi-Finals 3. Dallas Highland Park 30-4 Regional Semi-Finals 4. Beaumont Ozen 29-6 State Finals 5. Dallas Kimball 23-9 Regional Quarter-Finals 6. Houston Yates 26-8 Regional Quarter-Finals 7. Amarillo Palo Duro 28-3 Regional Semi-Finals 8. Pflugerville Connally 28-7 State Semi-Finals 9. Killeen 31-3 Area 10. Houston Wheatley 18-13 Area 11. Lubbock Estacado 33-2 Regional Finals 12. Dallas Lincoln 20-11 Regional Quarter-Finals 13. Houston Smiley 20-12 Bi-District 14. Sherman 27-4 Area 15. Friendswood 21-10 Area 16. Crowley 27-6 Area 17. Fort Worth Eastern Hills 13-16 No Playoffs 18. Paris 22-9 Area 19. North Dallas 14-18 No Playoffs 20. Pflugerville Hendrickson 18-15 Area 21. Whitehouse 31-3 Area 22. El Paso Andress 26-6 Regional Quarter-Finals 23. Fort Worth Southwest 25-8 Area 24. Denison 21-11 Area 25. Austin LBJ 17-12 No Playoffs Honorable Mentions Angleton Boerne Canyon Randall Dallas Pinkston Dallas Spruce Dallas W Wilson Elgin Fort Worth Poly Houston Jones McKinney Richardson Pearce San Antonio Brackenridge San Antonio Lanier San Antonio Sam Houston Terrell

I debated long and hard whether I wanted this kid or not. Never saw any prior mention of UNT being in the mix. Anyway, it would have been an ok commitment but I'm not disapointed. November 5, 2007 Blue Zertuche TexasHoops.com 6'9" 240-pound post player, Andre Jackson from Dallas Pinkston has always gained looks from recruiters with his big strong build. His time spent on the court the past two summers with Dallas Showtyme opened even more eyes. He has had some ups and downs on the court, but when a Conference USA program comes calling, there must be something unique about a player. Jackson fits the mold with his height and size and has the potential to be an elite player in district 14-4A. "I got back from my visit to Southern Miss and I committed to them," said Jackson. "I really like the coaches there and the facilities." Jackson never hesitated when making a decision, and though he had other interest, he knew that Southern Miss has everything he needs. "I had interest from Wichita State, Florida Atlantic, Oral Roberts and North Texas, but I didn't have any official visits lined up. I like the situation at Southern Miss and they are in Conference USA, which means I will play against SMU and University of Central Florida. I have family in both places." At the moment Jackson is a big-bodied post player and says he will have an opportunity to face the basket more for the Golden Eagles' program. "Right now I play the five, but they coaches want me to be more of a four in college. So I am will immediately start working on my ball handling skills and take more shots from the outside. I need to work hard everyday." Jackson becomes the second Pinkston Viking in as many weeks to give a verbal comittment. He joins shooting guard, Demarius Jones on that list. "We want to surprise some teams," said Jackson on the upcoming year. "We have a good combination of inside out play with Shug and me. You never know what will happen. We might just be in Austin in March. That's our goal." Texas Hoops Analysis:ANDRE is a big-bodied paint player who can really take up space and move bodies around in the lane. He works to move the defense under the goal, finishes right around the rim and uses his body to get easy buckets and get under the rim for rebounds. He has the width and strength to set screens and create space for his teammates and he has good hands and feet.

Thanks for being consistently "open minded and fair" Ramone! I personally know Donald Cox and went to school with him (NTSU) in the mid 70's. I agree that it sounds like he is far removed from this situation. (Based on the only things that have been written in the paper) It sounds just like him though, to try to provide clarity. (or another point of view) Cox is a very credible and an intelligent individual who has assisted the university with some of its diversity inititives over the years. This was, and appears to continue to be a passion of his by openly discussing equality and fairness issues when others don't. I last saw and spoke to Cox about 3 years ago in the union building; while visiting with my son. A native of Houston, he has remained in Denton where he calls it home. Off base on this topic, maybe! Racist, hell no! (Which brings us back to perceptions)

Over the last few months, analyst Bret Swanson has scoured the country checking out the top junior college players in the country. After seeing the nation's top talent, he has put together the most extensive ranking of junior college players available. 2008 Rank Pos Ht/Wt Schools 1 Mario Little Marianna (FL) Chipola J.C. F 6-5/210 Kansas 2 Daniel Payne Coffeyville (KS) Coffeyville C.C. F 6-7/200 3 Tyrone Appleton Midland (TX) Naaman Forest G 6-3/190 4 Devron Bostick Belleville (IL) Southwestern Illinois C.C. F 6-5/215 Minnesota 5 Qa'rraan Calhoun Great Bend (KS) Barton County C.C. F 6-8/215 6 Tyree Evans Motlow (TN) Motlow State C.C. F 6-3/210 7 Bobby Maze Hutchinson (KS) Hutchinson C.C. G 6-2/175 8 Jermaine Dixon Tallahassee (FL) Tallahassee C.C. G 6-3/185 9 Tay Waller Niceville (FL) Okaloosa-Walton C.C. G 6-2/180 Auburn 10 Juan Patillo Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho F 6-5/195 11 Keith Ramsey Niceville (FL) Okaloosa-Walton C.C. F 6-8/205 Missouri 12 Artem Valov Poplar Bluff (MO) Three Rivers C.C. F 6-9/ 13 Chop Tang Thatcher (AZ) Eastern Arizona J.C. F 6-7/ 14 Zvonko Buljan Vincennes (IN) Vincennes C.C. F 6-9/220 15 Robert Arnold Lancaster (CA) Antelope Valley C.C. G 6-6/170 Boise State 16 Steven Toyloy Miami (FL) Miami Dade C.C. F 6-10/255 17 Mehdi Cheriet Yuma (AZ) Arizona Western C.C. F 6-9/220 18 Dominique Keller Port Arthur (TX) Lee C.C. F 6-7/225 19 Ken Bowman Hutchinson (KS) Hutchinson C.C. F 6-9/ 20 Montrell McDonald Arkansas City (KS) Cowley County C.C. F 6-6/185 21 Kyle Cannon Pasadena (TX) San Jacinto C.C. F 6-8/230 22 Cory Cooperwood Hanceville (AL) F 6-6/ 23 Jeremie Simmons Flint (MI) Mott C.C. G 6-2/170 24 Luciano DeSouza Levelland (TX) South Plains C.C. F 6-6/ 25 Terry Fields Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho F 6-6/185 26 Jacquiese Holcombe Dekalb (GA) Georgia Perimeter C.C., F 6-7/200 27 Royal Edwards Maryviller (CA) Yuba C.C. F 6-6/185 28 Brandon Russ Cincinnati (OH) Cincinnati State C.C. F 6-7/210 29 Devon Dumes Vincennes (IN) Vincennes C.C. G 6-2/185 30 Aubrey Coleman Summit (MS) Southwest Mississippi C.C. G 6-3/200 Houston 31 Tyrone Flemming Garden City (KS) Garden City C.C. F 6-7/210 32 Buchi Awaji Glendora (CA) Citrus C.C. G 6-3/175 33 Justin Carter Fullerton (CA) Fullerton C.C. G 6-4/200 34 Bobby Hill Lincoln (IL) Lincoln C.C. F 6-6/205 Illinois St. 35 Darris Santee Houston (TX) Midland C.C. F 6-8/198 UNLV 36 Clevin Hannah Marianna (FL) Chipola J.C. G 6-0/160 Wichita St. 37 Dee Proby Lufkin (TX) Angelina C.C. F 6-9/250 38 Dynile Forbes Douglas (AZ) Cochise C.C. G 6-1/180 39 Tony Dennison Fort Lauderdale (FL) Broward C.C. G 6-2/175 Hofstra 40 Mahamoud Diakite Lancaster (CA) Antelope Valley C.C. F 6-7/220 Wyoming 41 Harvey Perry Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho F 6-5/205 42 Chris Roberts Corsicana (TX) Navarro J.C. G 6-3/195 Bradley 43 Chris Echols Fort Smith (AR) Arkansas-Fort Smith J.C. F 6-6/225 44 Eric McKinney El Reno (OK) Redlands C.C. F 6-7/215 45 Walt Harris Waco (TX) McLennan C.C. G 6-5/180 Stephen F. Austin 46 Tyrone McNeal Miami (FL) Miami Dade C.C. C 7-0/240 47 Jason Bennett Tallahassee (FL) Tallahassee C.C. C 7-3/265 48 Jermain Davis Cedar Rapids (IA) Kirkwood C.C. G 6-4/200 Iowa 49 Anthony Simpson Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. F 6-6/210 50 Jeremy Barr Pasadena (TX) San Jacinto C.C. F 6-9/275 Louisiana-Laf. 51 Sterling Link Garden City (KS) Garden City F 6-9/245 52 Darko Cohadarevic Liberal (KS) Seward County C.C. F 6-9/240 53 Jamie Vanderbeken Tyler (TX) Tyler J.C. F 6-9/250 54 Demetrius Turner Los Angeles (CA) Southwest C.C. F 6-5/205 55 Orlando Allen Paris (TX) Paris J.C. C 6-10/285 Oklahoma 56 Roderick Flemings Weatherford (TX) Weatherford C.C. F 6-7/210 57 Kendrick Johnson Morton (TX) South Plains C.C. F 6-9/250 58 Lester Ferguson Fort Smith (AR) Arkansas-Fort Smith J.C. C 6-10/ 59 Darrian McKinstry Fullerton (CA) Fullerton C.C. G 5-11/ 60 Jamel Guyton Odessa (TX) Odessa C.C. G 6-2/185 61 Thomas Kennedy Flint (MI) Mott C.C. F 6-7/217 62 Kashif Watson Irvine (CA) Irvine Valley C.C. G 6-4/190 San Diego St. 63 Petras Balocka Pensacola (FL) Pensacola J.C. F 6-8/258 64 Kevin Calloway Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho F 6-6/205 65 Miklos Szabo Fort Lauderdale (FL) Broward C.C. F 6-9/250 Hofstra 66 Dodie Dunson Vincennes (IN) Vincennes C.C. G 6-2/ 67 Nate Flowers El Reno (OK) Redlands C.C. F 6-5/220 68 Abdul Herrera Hutchinson (KS) Hutchinson C.C. C 6-11/255 69 Bryce Webster Irvine (CA) Irvine Valley C.C. C 6-9/240 Utah State 70 Aramie Brooks Fort Smith (AR) Arkansas-Fort Smith J.C. F 6-7/210 71 Frank Henry-Ala Motlow (TN) Motlow State C.C. F 6-5/ 72 Perry Petty Iola (KS) Allen County C.C. G 5-11/175 73 Marvin Jefferson Modesto (CA) Modesto C.C. F 6-8/235 74 Aaron Thompson Norwalk (CA) Cerritos C.C. G 6-3/195 CS Fullerton 75 Devin Bawinkel Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. F 6-4/205 76 Nick Okorie Fort Bend (TX) South Plains C.C. G 6-0/180 77 Earnest Noel Salina (KS) Browne Mackie C.C. G 6-0/160 78 Leon Spencer Supply (NC) Brunswick C.C. F 6-7/215 79 Dominique Gaines Muskogee (OK) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M J.C. G 6-2/175 80 Joey Cameron Marianna (FL) Chipola J.C. F 6-8/240 81 Willis McPhee Ocala (FL) Central Florida C.C. F 6-7/ 82 Derrick Moore Jacksonville (TX) Lon Morris J.C. F 6-7/215 83 Eric Tramiel Paris (TX) Paris J.C. F 6-7/ 84 Hugh Barnett Council Bluffs (IA) Iowa Western C.C. F 6-9/260 85 DeAundre Cranston Daytona Beach (FL) Daytona Beach C.C. F 6-9/240 86 Shamar Coombs Tallahassee (FL) Tallahassee C.C. G 6-1/ 87 Sean Coleman Brenham (TX) Blinn C.C. F 6-8/205 Houston 88 Jeron Lewis Sterling (CO) Northeastern J.C. F 6-7/291 89 Alex Davis Garden City (KS) Garden City C.C. F 6-7/220 90 Richard Frohlich Glendora (CA) Citrus C.C. F 6-9/230 Texas-San Ant. 91 Robert Eppinger Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. F 6-8/240 92 Tyrone Bradshaw Belleville (IL) Southwestern Illinois C.C. F 6-8/205 93 Josh Hunter Niceville (FL) Okaloosa Acad Charter School F 6-6/220 Appalachian St. 94 Chris Smith Los Angeles (CA) Southwest C.C. G 6-1/170 95 Antwan Ware Chicago (IL) F 6-5/210 96 Rob Robinson New York (NY) Globe Tech F 6-8/220 97 Labrez Barber Chattanooga (TN) G 6-0/160 98 J.J Seymore Coffeyville (KS) Coffeyville C.C. G 5-10/175 99 Rashad Reed Vincennes (IN) Vincennes C.C. G 6-0/185 100 Ronnie Morgan Paris (TX) Paris J.C. F 6-6/215 101 Horace Dixon Lufkin (TX) Angelina C.C. F 6-8/220 102 Kiwan Smith El Reno (OK) Redlands C.C. F 6-7/200 103 Anthony Salley Lynchburg (TN) Motlow State C.C. G 6-2/185 104 Zach Atkinson Quincy (CA) Feather River C.C. F 6-9/235 105 Arsenio Williams Fort Scott (KS) Fort Scott C.C. F 6-4/218 106 Josh Davis Casper (WY) Casper C.C. F 6-5/ 107 Rashawn Alexander Harford (MD) F 6-8/230 108 Wayne Burton Snyder (TX) Western Texas C.C. F 6-8/220 109 Robert Glenn Mt. Carmel (IL) Wabash Valley C.C. F 6-7/210 110 Josh Crawford Oxnard (CA) C 7-0/ 111 Gerald January Boaz (AL) F 6-7/185 112 Marvin Dibble Ocala (FL) Central Florida C.C. F 6-7/ 113 Justin Ramsey Decatur (GA) Georgia Perimeter C.C., F 6-9/275 114 Darren Moore Glendora (CA) Citrus C.C. G 6-2/185 UC Irvine 115 Brandon Adams Pleasant Hill (CA) Diablo Valley C.C. F 6-7/220 116 Joey Shaw Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho F 6-6/220 117 Jason Simon Chicago (IL) G 6-1/195 118 Kendrick Robinson Spartanburg (SC) Spartanburg G 6-2/183 119 Jonathan Malloy Oxnard (CA) F 6-5/180 120 Mario Edwards Marianna (FL) Chipola J.C. G 6-3/190 121 Anthony Boyle Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. G 6-2/175 122 T.J. Stukes Independence (KS) Independence C.C. F 6-7/ 123 Montarrio Haddock Supply (NC) Brunswick C.C. G 6-4/220 124 Cornelius Vines Estherville (IA) G 6-2/185 125 Lashun Watson Niceville (FL) Okaloosa-Walton C.C. G 6-5/195 South Alabama 126 Jacolby Hardiman Fort Smith (AR) Arkansas-Fort Smith J.C. F 6-5/190 127 Dragoslav Papic Odessa (TX) Odessa C.C. F 6-8/200 Virginia Common. 128 Darnell Lindsay Lincoln (IL) Lincoln C.C. G 6-4/180 129 Louis Benson Hobbs (NM) New Mexico J.C. G 6-4/190 130 Mark Caviness Fort Pierce (FL) Indian River C.C. F 6-5/200 SE Missouri St. 131 Francis Aihe Winter Park (FL) Santa Fe C.C. F 6-9/190 132 Cameron Henderson Warner (OK) Connors State C.C. F 6-6/225 133 Tyler Troupe Council Bluffs (IA) Iowa Western C.C. F 6-7/ 134 Stavon Williams San Jacinto (TX) San Jacinto C.C. G 6-4/180 135 Tijan Jobe Olney (IL) Olney Central C.C. C 7-0/265 136 Javonte Clanton Brenham (TX) Blinn C.C. G 6-0/185 Colorado 137 Laurice Ellison Creston (IA) F 6-8/195 138 Jared Strode Muscle Shoals (AL) F 6-5/210 139 Sanijay Watts Sedalia (MO) State Fair C.C. F 6-5/ 140 John Pringle Newark (NJ) Essex County Vo-Tech F 6-6/195 141 Eric Wormely Malta (IL) F 6-8/215 142 Sandy Perry Great Bend (KS) Barton County C.C. F 6-7/210 143 Kevin Palmer North East (MD) Cecil C.C. F 6-6/185 144 DeJuan Flowers San Jacinto (CA) Mount San Jacinto C.C. F 6-7/ 145 Malik Alvin Marianna (FL) Chipola J.C. G 5-10/185 146 Alex Rivas-Sanchez Pratt (KS) Pratt C.C. C 6-10/230 147 Billy Rush South Holland (IL) South Suburban C.C. F 6-5/185 148 Jerry Follot Marshalltown (IA) Marshalltown C.C. F 6-8/220 149 DeAndre Duncan Ocala (FL) Central Florida C.C. G 6-3/ 150 Jerrell Boswell Boaz (AL) G 6-0/170 151 Jimmie Sutton Ocala (FL) Central Florida C.C. C 6-10/250 152 Dayvon Ellis Centralia (IL) Kaskaskia C.C. G 5-11/170 153 Johnny Lett Niceville (FL) Okaloosa Acad Charter School F 6-9/240 Auburn 154 Brandon Smalls Bryn Mawr (PA) Harcum C.C. G 6-4/ 155 Marquis Washington Aiken (SC) Aiken Tech C.C. F 6-6/195 156 Joey Parker Belleville (IL) Southwestern Illinois C.C. G 6-0/185 157 Ahmaad Cook Irvine (CA) Irvine Valley C.C. G 6-0/180 158 Javon Parris Great Bend (KS) Barton County C.C. G 6-3/185 159 Mark Lake Des Plaines (IL) Oakton C.C. G 6-0/ 160 A.J. Nance Fayette (TN) G 6-5/185 161 Kenneth Clayton Galena Park (TX) Paris J.C. F 6-6/200 162 Dominique Rouse Chattanooga (TN) F 6-8/205 Tennessee St. 163 Chris Allen Moberly (MO) Moberly Area C.C. G 6-3/190 164 Lavar Neufville Stockton (CA) San Joaquin Delta C.C. G 6-3/200 Pacific 165 Danny Sanders West Plains (MO) Missouri State-West Plains F 0-0/ 166 Chris Rhymes Arkansas City (KS) Cowley County C.C. G 6-4/190 167 J.D. Davis Seminole (OK) Seminole J.C. F 6-4/210 Texas-Arl. 168 Steve White Cochise (AZ) Cochise C.C. F 6-7/195 St. Francis NY 169 Ray Miller Council Bluffs (IA) Iowa Western C.C. F 6-6/205 170 Curtis Mitchell Williston (ND) Williston State C.C. G 5-7/170 171 Herman Wrice Rochester (NY) Monroe C.C. F 6-7/210 172 Marcus Hunter St. Petersburg (FL) St. Petersburg G 6-0/ 173 Chris Brown Long Beach (CA) Long Beach C.C. F 6-5/230 174 Lamar Falley Hutchinson (KS) Hutchinson C.C. G 6-4/175 175 Cecil Stinson West Burlington (IA) Southeastern C.C. G 5-11/185 176 Xavier Keeling Hanceville (AL) F 6-6/236 177 Deshawn Pendleton Louisville (KY) G 6-0/ 178 Jacobe Shannon Lancaster (CA) Antelope Valley C.C. G 6-0/ 179 Josh Smith Hobbs (NM) New Mexico J.C. F 6-8/205 180 Sammy Jackson Jacksonville (TX) Jacksonville J.C. F 6-4/225 Liberty 181 Ante Dzepina Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. F 6-8/235 182 Greg Truvillian Wesson (MS) Copiah-Lincoln C.C. F 6-8/225 183 Sean Watson Big Spring (TX) Howard J.C. G 6-4/175 184 Artsiom Parakhouski Twin Falls (ID) College of Southern Idaho C 6-11/260 Radford 185 Lloyd Phillips Council Bluffs (IA) Iowa Western C.C. G 5-10/ 186 Lu Griffin Levelland (TX) South Plains C.C. F 6-6/185 Stephen F. Austin 187 Matt Stilwell Sanford (FL) Seminole C.C. G 6-1/195 188 Xavier Crawford Maryville (CA) Yuba C.C. C 7-0/218 189 Donte Maddox Los Angeles (CA) Southwest C.C. G 6-0/160 190 Ed Tucker Freeport (IL) Highland C.C. G 5-11/200 191 Brendon Knox Spartanburg (SC) Spartanburg C 6-10/222 192 Ty Patterson Dodge City (KS) Dodge City C.C. F 6-6/185 193 Brian Christian Roscommon (MI) Kirtland C.C. F 6-6/190 194 Jesse Joseph Odessa (TX) Odessa C.C. F 6-7/200 Georgia So. 195 Burleigh Porte Olney (IL) Olney Central C.C. F 6-8/210 196 Derrick Wright Altus (OK) Western Oklahoma State C.C. F 6-6/230 197 Jonathan Moore Rochester (NY) Monroe C.C. G 6-0/ Stony Brook 198 Jonathan Hall Levelland (TX) South Plains C.C. G 6-5/212 199 Stevy Gael New York (NY) F 6-9/ 200 Deante Burgess Price (UT) College of Eastern Utah F 6-8/

Buford, when are the practices? Do they practice on Saturdays? Thanks!

5-STAR Morgan Selects LSU November 2, 2007 Jason Howell TigerBait.com DALLAS , Texas - Five-star Dallas ( Texas ) South Oak Cliff center J'Mison Morgan said he wanted to make his decision Friday, Nov. 2, and he made good on that promise. Coaches from Cincinnati , UCLA, LSU, Alabama , and Kansas waited anxiously for word of his commitment, and in front of a crowd of family, friends, and reporters in the South Oak Cliff library he ended the suspense. "I really came down to two schools where i felt comfortable at - Alabama and LSU," said Morgan," But I decided LSU was the better fit for me because they've had so many big men come out into the league and that's what I'm trying to do." The 6-10, 275-pound prospect was able to visit each of his five finalists over the last couple of months, and saw each presented great opportunities for him to succeed. However, there was just something about the Bayou Bengals that put them over the top. "It's the closests so my family could come watch me play and they'll be on TV and stuff. I thought I had a good relationship with the coaches and the teammates on the team. And I just felt the most comfortable there.," said Morgan. Morgan has long been a highly sought prospect, but saw his stock soar this summer after he slimmed down and began to play with new energy and athleticism with the Urban DFW Elite. College coaches flocked to see the new slimmer Morgan this summer and his offer list quickly grew to include the likes of Cincinnati, UCLA, Alabama, Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Iowa State and Nebraska, along with LSU. Recruiting analysts also liked what they saw. The South Oak Cliff standout shot up the Rivals.com rankings this summer, and is currently ranked No. 23 in the Rivals 150 and No. 6 among centers. With the announcement out of the way all that is left now is the official signing, which Morgan plans to do during the early signing period. He is the third commitment of the LSU Tigers 2008 recruiting class joining fellow Rivals 150 recruit Delwan Graham and three-star power forward Dennis Harris.

Ever since it was announced that Duncanville (Texas) would tangle with defending Fab 50 national champion Oak Hill Academy (Va.) right before Christmas, Lone Star State prep basketball fans have been giddy for the start of the 2007-2008 season. That's because the Duncanville Panthers not only have the players to run with Oak Hill, but the team is talented enough to claim the mythical Fab 50 national title. "We were probably going to pick Duncanville at No. 1 even if Willie Warren hadn't left Oak Hill," said Student Sports Executive Editor Mark Tennis, who compiles the Fab 50 along with Rankings Editor Doug Huff. "And we almost put Montverde or Montrose at No. 2. We also were struck by the quality of teams in New Jersey. The big three there -- St. Patrick, St. Anthony and St. Benedict's -- are so close. They easily could have all been in the top seven." To take a look at the origins of the Fab 50 compiled by Huff and Tennis and for an in-depth synopsis of every Fab 50 national champion since 1988, go to StudentSportsBasketball.com Here's the top 10 of this year's preseason Rivals.com Fab 50 boys' basketball rankings (with 2006-07 won-lost record and end-of-season Fab 50 ranking). 10. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 24-6 (24) When Lincoln is mentioned, one name likely comes to mind -- Lance Stephenson. The 2006 EA SPORTS National Freshman of the Year tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds per game as Lincoln won the Class AA Federation state title last season, and Stephenson again was named the top player nationally in his class. According to coach Dwayne Morton, this year¹s team could be even better than last's. Three transfers -- junior James Padgett, junior Vincent Council and senior Reggie Davis -- give the squad versatility and athleticism that will let Morton deploy either a big or a small lineup, depending on the competition. With guard Devon McMillian pushing the tempo, the team will be able to stretch the court. It may take some time early in the season for Morton to find a seven-man rotation that works every game. The team's biggest contest on a schedule that takes them to Louisville, Ky., North Carolina and Ohio may be the Jan. 25 game against preseason Fab 50 No. 11 St. Benedict's (N.J.). 9. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 25-1 (29) The Eagles return nine players, including three senior starters, from a team that went unbeaten in the regular season before suffering their only loss in the state Division 1 semifinals. The anchor is 6-foot-8 southpaw forward Delvon Roe, a Michigan State commit who was named EA Sports National Junior of the Year. Roe averaged 20.5 ppg last season. Other veterans include 6-8 center Tom Pritchard, an Indiana commit who averaged 11.6 ppg last season, and 6-2 point guard Frankie Dobbs (5.1 ppg). 8. Fairfax (Los Angeles, Calif.) 27-5 (23) The Lions are the defending state Div. I champions and open the season as slight favorites in the talent-laden L.A. City Section over a loaded Taft club and Western League rival Westchester. Four of the top seven players return for veteran coach Harvey Kitani, including 6-foot-2 senior Chris Solomon (11.5 ppg, 2.5 apg) and athletic 6-foot-6 junior Solomon Hill (8.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg). The returnees and Kitani's track record alone would make Fairfax one of the top teams in California, but what makes the Lions more of a favorite to win their third state title in five years is the arrival of 6-foot-10 junior Renardo Sidney. Last season he helped Artesia win a Div. III state title by averaging 18.6 points and nine rebounds per game while at times looking like the most dominant player in the state. Fairfax might drop a game or two early, but once Sidney jells with the veterans -- including 6-foot-2 junior Lance Bailey and 6-foot-4 senior Darius Singletary -- watch out. 7. Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 29-3 (8) The Blue Devils have been a state and national contender the past five years, and this season should be no different. Norcross will seek a third straight state Class 5A crown with a roster that includes two returning starters and three contributing reserves, plus two touted newcomers. The team is anchored by 6-foot-8 all-stater Al-Farouq Aminu, a Wake Forest recruit and junior All-America honoree. Aminu averaged 13.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season. The other returning regular is 6-1 junior guard Taariq Muhammad (6.1 ppg, 5.9 apg). Other veterans include 6-3 senior Taylor Killian and a pair of juniors -- Prince Kent (6-4) and Denzail Jones (5-10). The newcomers are 6-6 senior transfer A. J. Hawkins and promising junior Quinton Square (6-1). 6. St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 28-1 (11) Coach Bob Hurley may have one of the more potent lineups in the nation this season with five Division I athletes. Rutgers commit Mike Rosario highlights the roster of experienced players that lost only one game last season. St. Anthony's looks to avenge that sole loss, which was to St. Patrick's in the North Jersey Non-Public B tournament. Along with Rosario, St. Anthony's returns Tyshawn Taylor and Jiovanny Fontan plus St. Joseph-bound A.J. Rodgers. Dominic Cheek rounds out the roster and is a top junior prospect who gives the Friars depth at guard. 5. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 30-2 (2) St. Patrick's won the Tournament of Champions for the second consecutive year in New Jersey, and coach Kevin Boyle was selected as 2007 State Coach of the Year. St. Patrick's will participate in the NIKE Extravaganza in California on Feb. 4 and is scheduled to face Fab 50 No. 10 Fairfax. In state, the Tournament of Champions could feature an exciting matchup against Fab 50 No. 6 St. Anthony's, whom the Celtics eliminated from the North Jersey Non-Public B tournament last season. St. Patrick is anchored by 6-3 junior Dexter Strickland, who averaged 10 points per game, and 6-6 Paris Bennett. Running the point again this season is 5-10 Jermel Jenkins, who averaged 6 points and 7.1 assists per game last season. With a schedule that includes Fab 50 No. 2 Oak Hill, St. Patrick's will be battle-tested by the time it seeks a third straight state title. 4. Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) 21-3 (27) The Mustangs have reloaded with new players to go with three talented junior veterans and should contend for a Fab 50 national title. The juniors are third-year starter Terrell Vinson (6-6), Tristan Spurlock (6-7) and Isaiah Armwood (6-8). Senior Brandon Rascoe (6-4) was sixth man last season and 5-9 junior Micah Fraction also saw action. The newcomers include 7-foot, 245-pound junior Brian Ameka Orum and 6-10 senior Temidayo Adebayo. Two other transfers include 6-2 junior Dominic Milburn and 6-3 senior Kevon Moore. 3. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 30-0 (6) Five touted foreign-born transfers will join three returning veterans from an unbeaten team as this Sunshine State private school is priming for a shot at the Fab 50 mythical title. The lead returnee in the backcourt is 6-foot point guard Dashan Harris (11.1 ppg, 10 apg), a native of California who's headed to Texas A&M. Other veterans are semior Femni Akinpetide (6-6) and junior Nick Diatta (6-8). The rangy newcomers include 7-foot Johannes von Schoenfeldt, 6-11 Egor Shakhemtov, 6-9 Steve Tchiengang, 6-8 Kareem Green and 6-5 Dmitry Zimin. Six-foot-5 Washington State commit Marcus Capers is also in the mix after averaging 17 ppg. at Lake Region of Polk County. 2. Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 40-1 (1) What can the defending Fab 50 national champions do for an encore after posting back-to-back 40-1 seasons? Oak Hill, which has won 96 of its last 98 games, retains only one starter in 6-foot-1 point guard Brandon Jennings, an Arizona recruit. But the team has reloaded with transfers to the small private school. Coach Steve Smith, who has guided six national title teams and has a 22-year record of 684-40, welcomes 6-foot-9, 280-pound junior Keith Gallon from Texas and wing Malik Story (6-4), a USC commit, from California. From Ohio is 6-2 sophomore Pe'Shon Howard while 6-7 junior Glenn Bryant hails from Michigan. The Warriors will probably use a three-guard starting lineup, which has been successful in previous seasons. 1. Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 39-0 (4) Last season's EA Sports National Coach of the Year, Phil McNeely, welcomes back nine lettermen from a club that won the Class 5A state title. And with 6-foot-9 transfer Will Brown (New Mexico commit) in the fold this season, this unit could be McNeely's best team yet. The top scoring threat is 6-foot-6 Shawn Williams, one of the nation's top juniors who averaged 14.5 points per game last season on a balanced team. Another top-notch junior is 6-foot-5 Roger Franklin, who averaged 10 ppg and is considered one of the top 100 players in his class nationally. The floor general is 5-foot-9 Brian Talley, who returns with averages of 9.7 points and 5.5 assists, while depth and leadership is provided by 6-foot-5 Kevin Butler, the state tournament MVP last season.

November 1, 2007 Troy Miller AggieYell.com Sunday, Texas A&M welcomed in a contingent of players from the Dallas Mustangs AAU club including class of 2009 five-star guard Nolan Dennis and class of 2011 point guard Kyan Anderson. Also joining the trip was Dallas Lincoln wing/forward LeBryan Nash. Nash isn't your usual freshman in high school. Despite not playing a high school game yet, the class of 2011 blue chip recruit is already well known in recruiting circles. The 6-foot-7, 212-pound Nash drew raves at the Rbk U camp this summer (formerly ABCD camp) as one of only two players invited to the camp in the class of 2011. Nash has already visited Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas previously to visited Texas A&M, and he is also being recruited by Georgetown and Colorado. Even with all the early attention, Nash said that he's taking things easy and not getting heavily involved in college recruiting yet. Nevertheless, Nash was impressed by what he saw Sunday at A&M. "It was good. It was real good. I liked the way they practiced. They practiced real hard," Nash said. "It's very fast when you're on the court. When you're off the court it's kind of slow, but when you're on the court it looks real fast." It was the first time for Nash to get to know the A&M coaching staff and players. "They have good coaches that really love their players and want to put them into a good position," Nash said. "They seem like they're going to be good this year." Nash isn't your typical freshman. At 6-foot-7, most coaches would just throw Nash into the post and let him go to work on smaller players in the paint. But Nash has much more to his game than dunks and rebounds. He can also step outside and nail the three-pointer, and has can put the ball on the floor well. At Lincoln, Nash is going to be able to do both. "It's way faster than middle school," Nash said. "They have me play the post and out on the wing." Nash will be thrown into the fire quickly as he and his Lincoln teammates start the season off with the three-time defending class 4A state champions, and Nash will most likely see a lot of class of 2008 five-star center J'Mison Morgan. "We've got our first game on Nov. 14," Nash said. "It'll be a big one. We're playing against South Oak Cliff."

CBL, I appreciate your contribution to the best side of this message board. What is your basketball background? When were you in school? Thanks

The allegations came as a shock to UNT junior defensive lineman Joseph Miller, who is black, and several area coaches and athletic directors who have worked with Dodge over the years. Dodge spent the 2000-06 seasons at Southlake Carroll and won four state titles in his last five years at the school. "I heard about it this morning and was shocked," Miller said. "I have not been a victim of anything like that. Hopefully this will pass over." OK Lifer, I've posted the comments from Joseph Miller. What was missed or purposely ignored? Joseph Miller has not and did not allege anything! He also didn't offer up anything regarding in this story. Maybe you missed the portion of my post where I stated that not all black or anglo individuals can speak for everyone else. You might also find another post where I referenced that no other African-American players (past or present) had alleged discrimination over the 32 years (to my knowledge) that I have followed the program. If I'm not mistaken, Miller is from Pflugerville which does not create an image of an inner-city kid. I also didn't mention (or chose to ignore) the quotes from other black teammates who felt that Green was a good guy and teammate. Anyway, please enlighten me, as I can always count on your consistent biased opinions regarding race relations and the african american athlete.