Dane Pound

You're right Patch. I gotta keep up! I think there's been a championship in the fall, spring and winter sports over the last few years. I need to start updating more often.

There's a story today in the Washington Times about the lacrosse selection committe. One of their problems is figuring out how to weigh Duke's games in potential at-large bids. Another is that Coach Marr is on the selection committe which meets in Indy and he is coaching a game in Baltimore. Duke controversy affects tourney-Washinton Times

A couple more things about the recruits from last night. Gifford has grown from the last time he's been measured. He's been listed at 6'9 or 6'10 but is a legit 6'11 in bare feet. He and Yocum have begun weight programs for next year already. Coach Brown said he thought Giffords numbers were lower than they might have been because of the lack of a shot clock in Missouri high school basketball. Really seemed impressed with the athletism of Carl Ross. I believe he said he would probably be the most athletic player on the roster next year. As we've read Knight was described as a terrific shooter and bright player. In fact three of the incoming players (I can't remember exactly which three-I think Gifford, Anderson and Yocum maybe) are exceptional students. Yocum is very aggressive around the basket. Catches it and dunks it-hopefully we see a lot of that. Anderson sounds like a more offensive-minded Lillis. Might be tough for him to get a lot of time considering there are six upper-class perimiter players next year. There was a recruit present from Chicago for the 07 class. Looked like a guard or small forward and was sitting with Covington.

Story in today's paper about Derek Dale

It's been a long day but here's a few thoughts from tonights banquet for those who couldn't attend. Hopefully those who did will fill in on what I missed. Attendance was very good. I can't venture on a number but there were more people there than at most home games during Coach Brown's first year. The players were brought up by class group starting with the freshman. Coach Brown discussed what each player brought to the team before they came up. Special mention was made of course to the seniors who bought into the program during the lean years and built it into a conference champion. During the program and after Coach Brown mentioned Gifford in ways I don't recall him talking about any other recruit. I guess I run the risk of hyping him too much but I'm looking forward to seeing him play in person. Priorities for the 07-08 class seem to be a PG and a wing player. Also it may be wise to keep Alumni92 away from any potential recruits!

If I remember correctly from the banquet tonight someone said the courtside seats and the seatback tickets had already been sold. I agree with Olddog that it seems they are trying to get people to buy season tickets now when the accomplishments of March are still fresh in people's mind.

i'm in w/our normal cast of characters ... attire? ... casual, shirt/tie, no jacket? ... 14317[/snapback] I've never been to one before so I'm the last guy who should be answering this. Most of the luncheons have been business dress and I'm guessing this will be the same.

ESPN has the Scoobies on the bubble.Big Weekend for Teams on the Tournament Bubble

From Newsday: Stony Brook trying to keep its reilient ways

On the Cleveland State message board there's a thread about next year attendance. One of the teams they have listed as hopefully helping their numbers is Albany because we went to the NCAA tournament last year. We can't possibly be playing out there two years in a row, can we?

Good story in today's TU about Maegan Larson

This may be discussed on Thursday. Just curious if I was missing anything: Confirmed: UConn-Road Siena-Road VCU-Home Unconfirmed Utah Valley State-Road Utah State?-Road I think Brown owes us a home game as well.

Maybe I'm overestimating him but given more time it seems like Siggers could be an all-conference type player. I think he's as good or better than either Heard or Hailey from Bing last year. I agree with Reeder about Lillis. I'd like him to be little more aggresive looking for his shot next year. The guy I thought was a bit of a wildcard last year was Iati. When he was aggressive with his shooting and occasionally putting the ball on the floor this was a different team.

I'll be there. Should be a good time.

Carl Ross 6'4 Guard Fresno, California Carl Ross, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard from Fresno, Calif., has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University at Albany and play basketball for the Great Danes, as head coach Will Brown announced on Thursday, April 27. Ross, who originally attended Fresno State University, played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. during the 2005-06 season. Ross averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals in leading San Joaquin Delta to the 2006 Big 7 Conference Championship and the state’s Elite Eight with a 29-7 record. He earned first-team all-conference recognition. At Fresno State, Ross averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 25 games played during the 2004-05 campaign. “We are very excited to add a player of Carl’s caliber to our basketball program,” said Brown, who guided UAlbany to its first-ever America East Conference Championship and NCAA berth with a 21-11 record last season. “He is an explosive athlete and a lockdown defender. Our squad had added size, strength and athleticism on the perimeter with his commitment.” As a scholastic athlete at Washington Union High, Ross was named the North Sequoia League defensive player of the year as a senior when he accounted for 19.1 points and 6.5 assists per game. He received first-team all-league honors three times. (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex) -- STOCKTON - An unfortunate situation at Fresno State last season helped the Delta College men's basketball team this season. Sophomore guard Carl Ross transferred to Delta after Fresno State coach Ray Lopes resigned amid an NCAA investigation involving illegal phone calls to recruits. Ross has been a human highlight reel for the Mustangs, with his aerial displays and flashy thievery. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder will lead the Big 7 Conference champion Mustangs (26-6) into the second round of the Northern California Regional playoffs against 16th-seeded Chabot College (19-12) at 7:30 p.m. today at Blanchard Gym. Delta received a first-round bye. "Once everybody accepted their role, it's been clicking ever since," Ross said. "Anybody can go off on this team and that's why I really like about this team." Ross was a walk-on at Fresno State out of Washington Union High in Fresno and earned a scholarship from Lopes midway through his freshman season. Ross averaged 9.7 minutes, 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and one assist in 25 games with the Bulldogs. Ross announced in June he wasn't going to return to Fresno State after Lopes' replacement, Steve Cleveland, did not renew his scholarship. Ross was the odd man out when Cleveland awarded two scholarships to incoming transfers, and the university lost two scholarships because of NCAA sanctions from past seasons. Ross trusted his former coach when it came time to pick a new school. "I left it in coach Lopes' hands for my future, what he thought was best," Ross said. "He said I should come here. Within a week, I visited and I was moving in a week later." Delta coach Brian Katz had just returned from a family vacation one week prior to the start of school, when Ross called and asked for a chance to play. "You could tell right off the bat he's a smart kid," Katz said. "I could sense he understood basketball when I talked to him. The first time I saw him play, I could see he had a feel for the game." The Mustangs received a bonus when Ross brought along his friend, Pat Cooper, a transfer from Humboldt State. Cooper, who went to Central High in Fresno, has added depth and talent at the guard position. Ross is an energetic, athletic guard with good instincts. He anticipates passes and makes steals, he shoots and rebounds, and he can get above the rim. But his strength is driving to the basket, where he can create his own shot or pass to an open player. "He's a tremendous driver and he's explosive," Katz said. Ross, who averages 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, often is the go-to guy. "If we can't run our stuff, we want to somehow run a set where he gets a chance to drive," Katz said. "He's really good at that. He's a playmaker." Ross said coming to Delta was the right choice. "I feel this is really the only junior college that fit my style of play," said Ross, who considered going to Fresno City College. "Coach Katz gives you leeway to play to your strengths. He feels it's hard for guys to stay in front of me, so I play the way he wants me to play." Contact reporter Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8299 or bhighfill@recordnet.com

Danes see finale as launch-TU

My understanding of the article is that teams could only particpate in this tourney every four years and that they will be looking for another conference to host it next year. I'd say if our schedule doesn't work out this year we should play the Siena game as a stand-alone game. Then volunteer to host the tourney next year.

From a fans perspecitve I have no doubt they'll try to maximize the revenue they get from the Albany-Siena game but making us buy some kind of all-session ticket. It seems evenident some of this tournament idea is to help underwrite the cost of Siena basketball at the Pepsi. As for the other teams in the tournament I'm not sure why we'd get that excited about teams from those conferences. For the most part they are teams we could get home and home series against anyway at the RACC.

The NCAA cleared the way for the tourney to happen. Doesn't sound like we are chomping at the bit to be a part of it this year. This year anyway. Siena clears tourney hurdle-TU

I can't remember the exact number but I know Albany was accused of running up the score on someone last year. Just looking at today's sports pages and Herkimer CC beat HVCC yesterday 30-0. The Herkimer goalie made one save for the game.

Thanks GDG that was quick. You gotta like a guy described as "an explosive athlete and a lockdown defender." I can't wait for him to meet Troy Hailey and Tromboli. UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY BASKETBALL SIGNS CARL ROSS TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT Albany, N.Y. -- Carl Ross, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard from Fresno, Calif., has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University at Albany and play basketball for the Great Danes, as head coach Will Brown announced on Thursday, April 27. Ross, who originally attended Fresno State University, played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. during the 2005-06 season. Ross averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals in leading San Joaquin Delta to the 2006 Big 7 Conference Championship and the state’s Elite Eight with a 29-7 record. He earned first-team all-conference recognition. At Fresno State, Ross averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 25 games played during the 2004-05 campaign. “We are very excited to add a player of Carl’s caliber to our basketball program,” said Brown, who guided UAlbany to its first-ever America East Conference Championship and NCAA berth with a 21-11 record last season. “He is an explosive athlete and a lockdown defender. Our squad had added size, strength and athleticism on the perimeter with his commitment.” As a scholastic athlete at Washington Union High, Ross was named the North Sequoia League defensive player of the year as a senior when he accounted for 19.1 points and 6.5 assists per game. He received first-team all-league honors three times. Ross joins a recruiting class that includes Reid Anderson, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Avon Lake, Ohio (Lakewood St. Edward), Brett Gifford, a 6-foot-10 center from Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge), Michael Knight, a 6-foot-3 guard from Seattle, Wash. (St. Petersburg College) and Mike Yocum, a 6-foot-9 forward from Dresher, Pa. (Episcopal Academy).

While next weeks banquet if rightfully about the seniors I'm hoping Ross has LOI in so Coach Brown can tell us a little about him. Seems like an interesting recruit who flew a little under the radar at Juco. One thing I found that Bosiydid should like. Ross won the slam dunk competition at Fresno State his freshman year. Something to look forward to.

I admit until this year I was not a big fan of Juco transfers as we hadn't had much luck with them. Jason Siggers changed my mind about that and hopefully we are as lucky with Ross. Admittedly its a long shot to stay this way but I like how the scholarships have gotten spread out to give us experience other the next few years. Assuming Lillis and Brent start next year they could do so along with two seniors, Jamar and Jason Siggers backed up by a couple of juniors in Knight and Ross. A potential in two years to have four seniors starting if things play out with Knight and Ross going into starting roles their senior year.

It's interesting that Stony Brook class which was ballyhooed so much over the season is looking like another just another AE recruiting class. STONY BROOK (14 Points)..........6 Recruits..........2.3 Talent Rating Average Per Recruit..........America East Conference

He played in 25 games at Fresno State his freshman year but left after a coaching change. Couldn't find his stats for his Juco year but they list him as 6'4. Seems like he could play any of the backcourt positions. Here's his Fresno State profile: Ross-Fresno State