Dane Pound

Danes stub their toes-TU

Danes to face a test in opener-TU QB will take it from the top-The Express Times Watson ready for his junior season at Albany - Brick Township (from a couple weeks ago)

Women's soccer beats Delaware State 1-0 and ends the 17 match losing streak and begins a 1 match (and counting) winning streak.

I found some of Kojo's advisors quote pretty funny. Most of them claimed they didn't know where he was going to college. A month ago they were fighting for his right to transfer, choose a school, etc, etc. Now they don't even know where he's enrolled?

This from Chicago Hoops: Class of 2008 Hersey High School star Luke Fabrizius has picked up scholarship offers from Iowa State, Marquette, Dayton, Albany and Northwestern. Fabrizius, a 6-8 forward, is known for his ability to drop shots from beyond the arc. His recruiting stock began to rise during the high school season, and then soared over the summer while playing for the Illinois Warriors. Look for his stock to continue to rise. More on his from the Illinois Prep site: Luke Fabrizius, a 6'8 sophomore from Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, IL, has rapidly emerged as one of the top prospects in Illinois from the class of 2008. Fabrizius first burst onto the scene last month with his outstanding play at the Pekin Holiday Tournament, which included going head-to-head against Peoria Richwood's 6'9 Bill Cole, who has already committed to the University of Illinois. Illinois Prep Bulls-eye got another first hand look at Fabrizius last night in a key conference battle versus Buffalo Grove. The following is our perspective on Fabrizius' performance as well as his skill level. Fabrizius was tremendous against Buffalo Grove, scoring 19 points to go along with 8 rebounds in leading Hersey to a 59-50 win. However, the most telling stat was the fact that Fabrizius shot 5-8 from the 3-point line, including a stretch in the third quarter where he nailed four in a row from beyond the arc. Fabrizius is a smooth shooting big man with near perfect form and a quick release. Moreover, he does not need much room to get his shot off. If you give him any room whatsoever from behind the stripe it is usually money in the bank. With his ability to spot up and consistently knock down shots from long range, at the present time Illinois Prep Bulls-eye finds Fabrizius comparable in many ways to former University of Iowa big man Brad Lohaus. While Fabrizius is most known for his perimeter shooting, we have also seen indications that he can post up and score down on the block. While the majority of Fabrizius' points do come from the perimeter, he has shown that he has good hands, can run the floor and finish. Although Fabrizius has a thick frame and gets his share of boards, we would still like to see him continue to get stronger so that he can become even more of a force down low as well as from the 3-point stripe. In addition, Fabrizius will also need to work on his ball skills and eventually show that he can hit shots off the dribble as opposed to being simply a set shooter. There is no question that several college programs have already begun to take notice of Fabrizius' game. Illinois Prep Bulls-eye undoubtedly believes that Fabrizius ranks among the top ten sophomores in Illinois and he is sure to be on the radar of several D1 schools at both the mid and high major levels before it is all said and done.

The game notes are up for the Lehigh game on the UA site. I don't see Brett Hall listed on the depth chart. Is he injured?

There's a letter to the editor in today's TU defending UA. UAlbany a great place for learning and living

A story in the paper about Saturday's game from the Lehigh perspective. Lehigh ready to get it on and get it over The last I saw we are 17 point dogs.

From the Milwaukee paper: Meanwhile, the Packers said goodbye to linebacker Kurt Campbell one day after he suffered what Thompson indicated was a major shoulder injury assisting on the tackle on the second-half kickoff. The Packers announced that Campbell had been placed on injured reserve but an NFL source said the team actually had waived him as injured. A seventh-round draft choice in 2005, he missed all but the first week of his rookie season after reconstructive knee surgery and most of August drills with a hamstring injury. ``He's had a lot of bad luck,'' Thompson said. ``It's too bad. He's a good kid.''

From Coach Sheffield: Friends, Family, and Alumni of UAlbany Volleyball: The 2006 volleyball season kicked off this past weekend in West Lafayette, Indiana. On Thursday night all four teams were treated to a great banquet by the Purdue booster club. It was a great way to start off the tournament. On Friday, we opened against a very big and experienced Northern Iowa squad. Although we came out and won Game 1 (30-27, 23-30, 19-30, 21-30), we had a tough time relaxing and getting comfortable throughout the match. This is a very competitive group we've got here, and we had difficulties, throughout the match, mentally moving past errors. Freshman, Whitney Johnson (Prince Fredrick, MD) started her career as a Great Dane with 7 kills, 4 blocks, and a .267 hitting percentage. On Saturday morning we played 16th ranked Purdue - a very deep and talented team. The first game was back-and-forth the whole way. We had a tough call go against us at 29-29 and the Boiler's closed it out from there 31-29. Scores of the other two games were 30-18, and 30-19. Although the scores might not be indicative, I was much more pleased with our play in this match. We passed better as a team and found ourselves in some great rallies. We found out that our ball control and blocking need to get better to compete at this level. Our last match was against Bradley. We came out very strong in Game 1, only to let up and let them sneak out the win (28-30). Game 2 was very similar to the first, just without the hiccup at the end, and it allowed us to win (30-20). Game 3 and 4 were very close games with Bradley winning each 30-28 and 31-29. We played some fantastic points at times, but unfortunately we were not able to make the necessary adjustments to what they were trying to do as we went along. Junior Ashley 'Bama' Crenshaw (Birmingham, AL) had a career high 22 kills to go along with a .474 hitting percentage and Senior Ashley DeNeal did it all for us with 15 kills, 11 digs, and tremendous passing. For her efforts, DeNeal made the all-tournament team. This is what 'Bama' Crenshaw had to say about the weekend: "This weekend we were matched up against some really good teams.....in a VERY EXCITING atmosphere. Each of them brought on a different challenge for us. Although we didn't win, we made several improvements as the weekend went on. We were also shown some of our weaknesses and things that we need to improve on. I think if we can fix those, we have the ability to become a great team!" If you are in the Long Island area this weekend, we'd love to have your support. We play at Hofstra and open the tournament on Friday at 5:00 against Fairfield. On Saturday we play Seton Hall at 9:30 AM and Hofstra at 5:30. Hope to see you there! GO DANES!!! Kelly Sheffield

Actually I'm flattered you think I could make the baseball team in any century.

On his site Coach Brown talks about how happy Eaton was with Michael Knight playing the PG spot and running the offense. I had thought of him more as a shooting guard but if he can give minutes at the PG it should be a great option. Especially with his shooting ability and the fact that teams like to try and play zone against us.

Some tough competition but a tough start for all the fall teams. 0-8 for everybody through today. Maybe field hockey can get us off the blocks today against Kent State. I haven't seen them play yet but VBall is working a lot of new players into the rotation. I guess it's the Buchanan/DeNeal factor but I was mildly surprised they got all the votes in the coaches poll considering the new faces.

I thought you might enjoy that photo. I think it's from 1900. Hopefully they had more than 7 guys on the team with a 6 man coaching staff.

You can move VCU into the confirmed side. The Rams released their schedule this week and we're on for 12/6 and 7 p.m. VCU

In terms of a return game the following year I'd like to see Buffalo just so they'd be commited to coming to the RACC. That game would be a lot of fun especially if the students were in town.

A couple of possible regional opponents who will have Bracket Buster home games: Hofstra - Should be terrific this year. A great game to see. Buffalo - Two state schools going head to head. Marist - Close by and will probably be near the top of the MAAC this year. Considering that Siena is a home team in this year Bracket Buster maybe we shouldn't have scheduled a game with them and just got matched up in the BB. Probably would have sold out with the game on ESPN.

"You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, Know when to walk away and know when to run." Now if only I had a full deck...

From the AE Site: Albany, Maine Picked for Fifth-Annual BracketBusters Pool The University at Albany and University of Maine men's basketball teams have been selected to the pool of teams to participate in the fifth-annual BracketBusters series, which will be televised on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN 360 on Friday-Saturday, February 16-17. In all, a total of 102 teams will compete in the 51-game, two-day event. Thirteen of the 51 match-ups pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other will be televised nationally, highlighted by a total of six games on ESPN2. An additional five games will be aired on ESPNU -- ESPN’s 24-hour collegiate sports network which launched on March 4, 2005 -- and two on ESPN360 -- ESPN’s customized broadband service. "Having been fortunate enough to receive nationally televised games for the past two BracketBusters series, we are extremely excited once again to have two teams chosen to the BracketBusters pool," said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero. "Albany and Maine are expected to be two of our top programs for the upcoming season, so we couldn't be happier to have them included in this tremendous event. The chance to gain national exposure through ESPN's various networks is a great opportunity for not only Albany and Maine, but also America East" In last season's BracketBusters series, Albany traveled to Virginia Commonwealth where the Great Danes lost a highly contested battle, 70-67, live on ESPNU before a raucous crowd of 6,684. In 2005, Vermont was chosen to participate in the field as the Catamounts traveled to Reno, Nev. to take on the Western Athletic Conference's Nevada live on ESPN2 where UVM was defeated 74-64. The match-ups for the BracketBusters series will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences approximately three weeks prior to the event (Sunday, January 28, 2007). As part of the agreement, home teams will play a "return" game at the home facility of their BracketBusters series opponent in November or December of the following season. Both Albany and Maine have been tabbed "road" teams for the 2007 event, which will result in a home game versus their selected opponent during the 2007-08 season. From the last five NCAA Tournaments, a total of six Sweet Sixteen squads, a regional finalist and a Final Four participant are included in the pool of teams in the 2007 BracketBusters series. George Mason reached the national semifinals of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Kent State advanced to an Elite Eight game in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, while Southern Illinois (2002), Butler (2003), Nevada (2004), UW-Milwaukee (2005), Bradley (2006) and Wichita State (2006) have made Sweet Sixteen appearances. In all, the 2007 BracketBusters pool boasts a total of 70 team appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments. In an effort to provide a greater opportunity for NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, the event has expanded its pool of teams (18 in 2003, 46 in 2004, 64 in 2005, 100 in 2006) each year to produce a better cross section of squads for the basketball bonanza.

Those were both coaches polls which carries more signifigance as far as I'm concerned. Volleyball was picked #1 in the AE coaches poll today as well.

Will Brown spends a week in Maine while his players go to Europe? That doesn't seem right. Of course after all the recruiting trips Coach Brown probably wouldn't want to get on another plane for a while anyway. Sounds like Jamar is having an enriching experience in France. Great for him personally and a little more exposure basketball-wise. Looking towards next year it should be heartening for him to see the looks both Adleke and JJB from our conference have gotten from the NBA this past summer.

Made it to the semi-finals in the 400 meters in Beijing yesterday. A sixth place finish in the semi-final heat so he won't go through to the finals but still a great showing. Here's an article on him from the Rochester Paper. A Golden Showing for Hometown Hurdler - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle A golden show for a hometown hurdler Greene just short of record in winning the 400 hurdles James Johnson Staff writer The moment Joe Greene wanted to enjoy arrived Saturday afternoon at the University of Rochester. Spectators, including family members and friends, gave Greene a strong ovation before he settled into his starting block for the Empire State Games open men's 400-meter hurdles final. "I loved that," said Greene, an Edison graduate. "Throughout my entire college season, I didn't get any recognition. "They would talk about other people's accomplishment, and then it was 'Lane 5, Joe Greene.' "To be in my hometown and get this recognition is great." Greene will represent the United States at the World Junior Championships Aug. 15-20 in Beijing. The sophomore at the State University at Albany is ranked third in the world in this event among juniors (20 and under). The intermediate 400 hurdles is an event that Greene ran only occasionally in high school. Greene said he approached his Albany coaches in the spring about taking on the event. By the end of the outdoor season, Greene was an All-American and the America East Conference champion. Talk about a quick learner. On Saturday, Greene won the open men's 400 hurdles in 51.38 seconds, despite knocking down his first and last hurdles. He finished just shy of the Empire State Games division record, a hand-timed 51.1-second clocking set 28 years ago. "Today told me I still have more in me with competition," Greene said. "I've only broken 51 four times. "I can go 49, too. That's my goal for the end of the season." Greene later wiped out about a 30-meter gap to give the Western open men's 1,600 relay team a third-place finish during an outstanding 45.67-second anchor split. "He has that desire, pure grit, a positive attitude that he never loses," said Greene's friend and former Edison teammate, Terrell Gissendanner. "If you beat him, he makes it a goal to beat you. That's what it takes to be a champion. "I'm so excited for him. It's crazy. One of our own keeps going farther and farther."

I'm pretty sure the winner of the head-to-head matchup plays in the Classic. Should be a terrific early season game with CCSU on Sept 23.

In the season opening coaches poll. CSTV/AVCA 2006 Preseason Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll Aug. 8, 2006 Rk School Total 2005 2005 (First-Place Votes) Points Record Rank 1 Nebraska (14) 1,431 33-2 2 2 Penn State (17) 1,407 31-3 5 3 Washington (16) 1,357 32-1 1 4 Stanford (13) 1,287 26-6 13 5 Florida 1,181 33-3 3 6 Santa Clara 1,115 27-5 4 7 Hawai'i 1,067 27-7 9 8 Texas 1,066 24-5 16 9 Wisconsin 896 26-7 10 10 UCLA 837 20-11 15 11 Tennessee 779 25-9 6 12 Louisville 751 31-3 11 13 Missouri 732 25-5 8 14 Southern California 642 17-11 19 15 Ohio 593 33-3 14 16 Purdue 545 25-9 17 17 California 528 19-11 20 18 Arizona 491 25-6 7 19 Pepperdine 484 19-12 18 20 San Diego 413 23-6 22 21 Notre Dame 411 30-4 12 22 Minnesota 393 25-8 21 23 Ohio State 346 22-9 23 24 Utah 202 23-9 T-25 25 Kansas State 162 21-11 24 Others receiving votes: Brigham Young 74, Long Beach State 64, Colorado 35, UC-Santa Barbara 33, LSU 32, New Mexico State 25, Duke 22, Loyola Marymount 18, Northwestern 14, Texas A&M 11, Maryland 7, Marshall 6, Saint Mary's (CA) 6, Wichita State 6, Northern Iowa 5, San Francisco 5, Colorado State 4, Virginia 3, Albany 2, Sacramento State 2, Cincinnati 2, Dayton 2, Georgia Tech 2, Western Kentucky 2, College of Charleston 1, South Carolina 1.

I just got back into town today and heard this sad news. Many of you have been around UAlbany much longer than I have. Since the time I've been around I don't recall another person being so revered by the UA Community in so short a time as President Hall has. There's an article about his relationship with UA athletics in today's TU. Kermit Hall backed sports program. It's amazing how unimportant college athletics can seem in times of a tragedy like this.