Coach's Blog 11.10.08

[UA_MA_2000]

11.10.08:

 

It is that time of year. The opener is right around the corner. We have two scrimmages under our belt and we have improved. We played much better in our 2nd scrimmage. We were much more consistent on both ends of the floor. I have been pleased with our effort and overall depth. This Friday is the opener at Villanova. They are a very talented and experienced team. I have been very impressed with the Villanova guard play. Jay Wright has always had very good guards whether it was at Hofstra or Villanova. They are coming off a year in which they made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. They return all of the key members from that team.

 

We had a very good practice this morning. The players realize that we open on Friday and that it will be against a very good and talented team. We need to have a great week of practice and just continue to improve our consistency. The beauty of the non conference schedule is that it will get you ready for the conference season. Some teams play a challenging schedule and some are searching for as many wins as possible. Our goal is to go on the road and challenge ourselves as much as possible so we are prepared for conference play. We want to play in difficult facilities against quality opponents. I believe balance is the key to a schedule. Starting the year at Villanova and DePaul is a challenge but I am anxious to see how this group responds. I want to see how we handle the adversity.

 

As a conference we all need to do a much better job winning non conference games. This is the only way we are going to improve our overall RPI. I think the league will be very good this year. I think several teams are talented enough to win a conference tournament championship. I think the key will be match-ups. Hopefully opening weekend is a good one for the America East Conference.

 

It is discouraging to read about some of the individual off the court issues in the league. These kids don’t realize how fortunate they are to be D1 student-athletes. One bad decision can have such a negative impact on a university, athletic department, program, individual, and his family.

 

I know that Brent Wilson and Brian Lillis are loving life as the Iowa Hawkeyes beat Penn State this past weekend. Our TV/Radio superstar Rodger Wyland is a proud Penn State alum. I know that he is devastated by the upset. Hopefully he can recover in time to call our game at Villanova.

 

Congratulations to our field hockey coach Phil Sykes and his team for winning the America East Conference Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament!

 

Our media day is tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Brian Depasquale has on the menu. I am going to go out on a limb and say New England clam chowder, finger sandwiches, salad, and some cookies. He is pretty predictable!

 

Logan Aronhalt will be getting another x-ray on Wednesday. We are hoping for some good news. I would like him to suit up on Friday and go through warm-ups with the team. If things go well on Wednesday he should be able to start practicing next Tuesday. He is a tireless worker who can really shoot the ball.

 

We have a serious debate going on in the program. I wish we could get Anthony Raffa and Brian Connelly to agree on who makes the best cheese steak in Philly. I guess we can’t rely on two kids from South Jersey. Maybe I should go with Connelly since he is closer to Philly. I might have to call Dan Liebovitz at Hartford to get his recommendation. We would like to get a few on Thursday night once we get situated at our hotel.

 

We hope to see all of you at Villanova!

[mike10778]

11.10.08:

 

It is discouraging to read about some of the individual off the court issues in the league. These kids don’t realize how fortunate they are to be D1 student-athletes. One bad decision can have such a negative impact on a university, athletic department, program, individual, and his family.

 

Wow...nice shot at Binghamton and Stony Brook.

 

How much better would it have been if he just came out and said what he and everyone else have been thinking...

 

"Maybe if that thug coach didnt recruit players with such questionable behavior, none of this would be happening..."

[UA_MA_2000]

I'm not so sure he was taking a shot at those two schools in any way whatsoever. He simply was acknowledging what had happened to two players in thish Conference. I think he probably feels bad first and foremost for the players themselves. He's right. These players have a tremendous opportunity. At first glance, the story about the Bingo player is comical, until you really think about the consequences involved, and then it becomes pretty sad. Moreover, the woman knocked down apparently suffered a concussion.

 

While Bingo and Stoney are our rivals so to speak, they are nonetheless our sister schools, and we should all cheer them on when they play outside the conference. That said, when it comes to Conference play, we hope Bingo and Stoney are in the play-in game.

[KingDane]

I think he probably feels bad first and foremost for the players themselves. He's right. These players have a tremendous opportunity.

 

I'd hope Coach feels bad first and foremost for the victims of the criminal acts, especially the woman with a concussion. Its difficult to shed tears for any kid, especially an athlete on scholarship, who jeopardizes his opportunity. I'm glad he was caught this time and not the next time or the time after that.