Thanks to very good but vanishing VCU SID Scott Day, we have a chest-bumping stat for you this morning: With Larry Sanders being selected 15th in last night’s NBA draft, VCU becomes the fourth non-BCS school (of 275) ever to have a first round draft pick in consecutive years.

The others: Memphis, Utah, UNLV.

(Hilarious but pointless side note: because I care as much about the NBA as I do the color of Post-It note paper, I flipped on the teevee and saw exactly one pick last night–Sanders.)

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Thanks to erstwhile Towson scribe Mat Schleissel, we found a Baltimore Sun Q/A with Pat Kennedy about his Towson recruiting class. These are the things that have me buying into Towson every summer.

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Thanks to UNCW beat writer Brian Mull we learned John Fields visited Xavier last week, and Rutgers yesterday. I know where my bets are placed.

High Volume Commentor Shawn: I don’t see the big deal. Fields has his degree, and UNCW has a new coach. Take the emotion and history out of it, and the situation is no different than a freshman coming in–the rules may be unfair, but you have the right to leave if you don’t like the situation or coach.

I’m not saying Fields and Buzz Peterson didn’t get along. I know nothing of that dynamic. What I’m saying is this: if you have your degree and you are given the choice of playing for UNCW in a (uh) rebuilding season–or play for Xavier/Rutgers–is it so hard to believe you’d opt out?

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Ed Miller gives us an ODU coaching update. The Monarchs are replacing John Richardson as their third assistant.

This isn’t exactly groundbreaking and text-worthy news. It’s just funny to me because Blaine Taylor’s comments are comical.

Other coaching news, outside of entire new staffs at UNCW and Hofstra: Mike Pegues replaces Stephen Stewart as assistant at Delaware; Raheem Waller replaces Willaim Small as assistant at Ga State; Matt Collier replaces Tony Chiles as an assistant at Drexel.

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I haven’t forgotten “the guy that works his tail off” series. In fact, most are chosen and mostly written. However I want to get some coaches commentary so I’m holding back.

The Pugs are likely next up, UNCW is ready, and ODU needs only Blaine Taylor to tell me if I’m looney.

One Response to “Summer Items I Didn’t Write…”

  1. Shawn Says:

    Valid points, Mike…yes, XU and Rutgers are probably better options than UNCW with a new coach right now. I still hope for UNCW to return to their winning ways one day in the future, because it was one of the best run CAA programs at one point. Fields is very talented, so why not go to a bigger program simply based on the chaos with coaches down there in Wilmington this season and off-season.

    Rutgers may be a good fit, too – especially considering a big man from their crappy team was a 2nd-round selection last night and will be playing (if he makes the team) locally in DC. In addition, they have a good up-and-coming coach in Mike Rice and he would get the chance to show his stuff against other big men in the Big East.

    Kudos to Larry Sanders for making the CAA look good – I’m mostly happy he’s no longer in the conference based on how he usually played against Mason.

    Hope you’re enjoying your summer, despite the horrid heat.

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