SB Nation - Greg Paulus

Rutgers Keys to the Games

ibleedscarlet — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:04:08 -0000

I see a big day today for Tom Savage....

We're just a few hours from kickoff at the Carrier Dome for today's Rutgers-Syracuse game. Rutgers is a 10 point road favorite (which seems a bit low to me). Let's take a quick look at what Rutgers must focus on to win today's game:

1. Take it to the air: Syracuse allows over 250 yards per game through the air. In a dome where wind and weather won't play a factor, this is Tom Savage's opportunity to shine. Rutgers receivers should be able to burn past the 'Cuse secondary and give Savage a chance to hit the big gainer. Like he has all year, #7 should take what he can get underneath, but I have the feeling were going to see the "statistical breakout" game for Savage, as Syrcause will load up the box to take the run game away.

2. Be ballhogs on defense: The Rutgers defense finally seems to be back to philosophy that any ball on the ground or in the air is their's for the taking. Rutgers leads the nation in turnover margin, and Greg Paulus has already thrown the ball away 14 times. Paulus only averages 24 pass attempts per game, but that's plenty for a Rutgers team that has shown the propensity to take a misfired pass the other way for 6. Rutgers needs to focus on the run and take away running back Delone Carter, who has scored 9 times on the ground this season. Force Paulus to beat you through the air, which he won't, and add to that interception total.

3. Put Syracuse away early: Don't let Syracuse hang around. Rutgers is clearly the better team, and needs to bring the same intensitiy to the Carrier Dome as they did against South Florida. Rutgers would be wise to take advantage of their possessions early and build a 3 touchdown lead by the half. With a short,and abnormal week ahead with the Thanksgiving holiday and the 11 AM kickoff in Louisville, I'm sure Greg Schinao would love to let his starters rest for much of the second half/4th quarter.

It's a long road back to respectability for Syracuse, but I like where they are headed under head coach Doug Marrone. Rutgers is just a much better team at this point, and should be able to impose their will on the Orange. I like Rutgers in a rout.

Rutgers 38 Syracuse 10

2009-10 Team Previews: Duke Blue Devils

Zach B — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Coach K has brought Team USA a gold medal the olympics but it has been many years since he cut down the nets in March. Can this group get him back to college basketball glory? (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Browse more photos »

To get you familiar with Duke, here is a look at our preseason preview of the Blue Devils that we posted months ago. -ZB

Even though Gonzaga basically opens their season schedule with Tom Izzo and a perennial powerhouse in Michigan State, it probably isn't the game that most Zag fans have circled on their schedule. There are teams, programs, and coaches that, no matter where they are at currently, are looked upon as belonging at another level. We see this especially in college sports. In football, you have timeless programs like Alabama, Penn State, Texas, USC, and the Florida schools. These programs have all had struggles in recent history but there reputations are so good that everyone knows it is only a matter of time before they are back. It's the same in college basketball with programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA, and maybe even Michigan State. These programs are so revered that you really have to take notice when your school plays them, no matter if they are 20-2 or 2-20, the name on the front of the jersey is still the same.

Duke teams of old have been oriented towards excelling in the backcourt and putting out a frontcourt that was serviceable enough to get rebounds and play solid defense. Guys like JJ Redick, Gerald Henderson, DeMarcus Nelson, Daniel Ewing, Dahntay Jones, and Jay Williams have all been great guards in this program and they carried Coach K and this program for a while. This year's edition of the Duke Blue Devils has talent on the outside but they will be relying more on their forwards and centers more than they ever have in recent memory. Coach K brought in two solid big men prospects that have versatility but are most comfortable beneath the basket. Greg Paulus has moved on from basketball to football and that means that backcourt will take on a little different look. You'll recognize the names John Scheyer and Nolan Smith but this could be a breakout year for both as they are no longer forced to play out of position. While the changes in the backcourt and the additions in the frontcourt will be huge for the Blue Devils, this season will come down to the man that doesn't really fit any position, Kyle Singler. The All-American candidate is one of the most versatile players in the nation and finally, after two seasons at Duke, he is playing his natural position.

Last Season: It's difficult to categorize what kind of season it was for Duke a year ago. The Blue Devils were, as usual, one of the most hyped schools heading into the season. The came out of the gates with a top five ranking and hit the ground running. The played a pretty difficult early season schedule with two games against Michigan, and games against Purdue, Xavier, Davidson, and Georgetown. They split their match ups with Michigan, steamrolled Xavier and Purdue, and never were seriously threatened by Georgetown or Davidson. They headed into the ACC with only one loss on their books and would go on to lose five in conference play. The tough part is that they lost both regular season contests with the Tarheels of North Carolina. They got some revenge in the ACC Tournament as they won three tight contests with Boston College, Maryland, and Florida State to cut down the nets. They entered the NCAA Tournament with a great head of steam and were a two seed. After dominating #15 seed Binghamton and narrowly escaping and upset-minded Texas team, Duke had reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since '06. Duke had been led by the great play of Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, and Kyle Singler but in the Sweet Sixteen, they vanished. A very hot Villanova team absolutely annihilated the Devils 77-54 and ended their season in bitter disappointment.

New Faces: Duke brought in three new excellent freshman prospects to help reinvigorate a team that hadn't had a whole lot of fresh blood in a while. The most impressive new face for the Blue Devils thus far appears to be Mason Plumlee. A 6'10'' forward, Plumlee is an offensive minded big man who actually plays in the paint. He will be able to give Duke something it hasn't had in a long time, a legitamate low post scoring presence. If his brother, Miles can continue to mature, the Plumlee brothers will have outstanding futures in Durham. The next new face is Ryan Kelly. Kelly was the higher rated prospect out of high school but he came down with a sickness earlier this year that forced him to lose a lot of weight and he is still coming back into his own after that. It remains to be seen whether or not Ryan will be able to contribute this season for the Blue Devils. Early indications are that the skill is there, but his body is just not ready for an ACC schedule. When it's all said and done, his upside may be more exciting but Mason is more ready for instant contribution. The last new face that will factor in this season is Andre Dawkins. Dawkins is a guy that many have you have probably heard of because he was able to complete high school in three years and enrolled in Duke a year before he was expected. Dawkins is a bona fide, big time scorer. His ability to get to the basket and make plays is what made him a big time recruit. He's a year younger than most freshman so the learning curve will be a little more steep for him but thus far he has impressed Duke fans with his maturity. It's a toss up between Dawkins and Plumlee to see who has the greater impact but don't be surprised to see the young freshman Dawkins become a serious contributor right away.

Players to Watch: There always seems to be that one guy at Duke or Carolina that just fits the program well and seems to never graduate. For Duke, that player is Kyle Singler and this is 100% his team this season. Singler was one of the most highly recruited players in his class when he came to Durham and he has lived up to the bill. A season ago Singler was Duke's co-leading scorer with 16.5 points a game and for the most part, he has been a model of consistency. The past two seasons, he has been forced to play down near the basket as more of a power forward but this year, thanks to the arrival of Mason Plumlee and the expected big year for Miles Plumlee, Singler will be able to move back to the small forward spot. He'll play exclusively on the perimeter for Coach K and this should make his efficiency skyrocket. The next player, or players to watch will be the Duke backcourt. The Blue Devils don't really have a natural point guard but Jon Scheyer proved a season ago that he can make it work. Scheyer is an outstanding decision maker and Duke really played their best when he was at the point. The other side of the coin is Nolan Smith. Smith is now going to play exclusively as the off-guard which is his natural spot and reports are that the people of Durham expect big things from Mr. Smith. In years past he was more of a shooter and not a scorer but with the switch, Nolan should add a whole new dimension to his game.

Concerns: Whenever you play Duke, there are going to be a wealth of concerns. Few programs have had the staying power of this program and the general consensus is that as long as Coach K is there, Duke will always be great. They are also a veteran dominated team. Scheyer is a senior, Smith and Singler are juniors, and the Plumlee brothers are young but will have time to develop. They will also benefit from veteran big men Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek still being around to give them great depth. The major concern for Gonzaga is combating this veteran core and trying to slow down Kyle Singler. I think may would pencil him in on their first team All-American ballots right now because his production the last two years has been sensational and when you think that he did all that while playing out of position, it is truly astounding. There will also be a lot of pressure on Gonzaga's guards to outplay Duke's backcourt. This is another game where both team's lowpost players are a total question mark so it is important for Bouldin and Gray to get off to a big start. Demetri Goodson's defense on Scheyer will also be huge.

What we are watching for: There are going to be a lot of exciting and terrifying match ups during this game for Gonzaga. I'll be very interested to see how Coach K decides to guard Demetri Goodson. The major caveat with having Scheyer run the point for Duke is that he is not a quick defender so this is a match up that Meech can really exploit if he chooses to. Another interesting coaching decision will be how Coach Few plays Kyle Singler and how that affects the rest of the lineup. More than likely this match up will probably go to freshman Elias Harris. His athleticism and versatility should be a very good match for Singler. If this happens, Andy Poling and Rob Sacre better be ready to play quality minutes because the Plumlee brothers will start in the post and they both go 6'10''. With Elias now playing the small forward, Gonzaga's frontcourt could be severely depleted. This isn't a problem that only Gonzaga will have to deal with. Singler is going to give teams fits all season long.

Big East Week 3 Look Ahead

ibleedscarlet — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:34:04 -0000

Week 3 has arrived, and things are starting to heat up in the Big East. We've got some high quality out-of-conference squirmishes on tap this weekend. I was a perfect 7-0 last week, which leaves me at 12-2 for the season thus far (admittedly, it's not too hard to pick a Big East member over FCS schools). Let's take a look into the crystal ball for the Big East Week 3 match-ups:

Big East Game of the Week: #17 Cincinnati Bearcats at Oregon State Beavers

There's no team in college football playing better offensively than the Bearcats. I don't care who you play, 118 points in 2 games is 118 points no matter how you dice it. Cincy travels to the west coast this week with a chance to notch a significant road win against a team on the cusp of the Top 25. The Beavers boast formidable competition, and Mike Riley will rely on brother's Jacquizz and James Rodgers to provide the big plays for OSU on offense. I think the Beavers will get their points on offense, but an experienced defense which has trouble rushing the passer (1 sack in 2 games so far) will be the downfall for OSU. We saw what happened to Rutgers when they couldn't get pressure on Tony Pike & Co., and I think we'll see something along that same model again this week. Cincinnati wins and vaults itself into the Top 15. Cincinnati 38 Oregon State 34

Navy Midshipmen at Pittsburgh Panthers

Despite the offensive explosion from Pitt last week, I still don't trust Bill Stull at QB. I think he's due for a 2 or 3 turnover game against a pretty solid Navy defense. The key thing about turning the ball over against Navy is that it gives their defense more possessions and time to wear out your defense. It's tough enough to stop the triple option, but it's even tougher when you've been on the field for 2/3 or 3/4 of the game. Navy played well enough to win against Ohio State, but came up a 2 point conversion short. This time they churn out 260+ yards on the ground, and chock another up against a BCS conference team. Navy 31 Pittsburgh 24

Northwestern Wildcats at Syracuse Orange

Think we'll have some sports journalists on hand? Syracuse's run through the Big Ten (games already vs. Minny, PSU) comes to an end this week with a visit from N'western. In my opinion the Greg Paulus experiment is a complete disaster, and this weeks game will only further demonstrate that. The 'Cuse is ranked last in offense in the Big East (no surprise), but they refuse to even Paulus take shots down the field. It's not too difficult to stop an offense if you know they can't throw more than 10+ yards down the field. Northwestern struggled last week to beat Eastern Michigan, but 2-0 is 2-0. Make it 3-0. Northwestern 24 Syracuse 7

Florida International Panthers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

I couldn't believe my eyes last week when I saw FIU hanging with Alabama until late in the game. After week 1's performance against Cincy, it starts to make you worry as an RU fan. The most worrisome thing is that FIU has a legitimate passing game with WR T.Y. Hilton, and we saw what a good passing game can do to the Knights without pressure. RU will need to get some pressure on QB Paul McCall and disrupt his timing. I'll be interested to see if the coaching staff mixes up the coverages and sets blitzers from all over the field. I see the RU offense being too much to handle for FIU with Brooks running well early and setting up the play fake for Tom Savage. Rutgers 27 FIU 17

UConn Huskies at Baylor Bears

Things are going well for Baylor. UConn's heading to Waco off a tough loss. Baylor got a great road win against Wake Forest in week 1. Baylor had a week off to prepare for this game. If you haven't seen Baylor QB Robert Griffin yet, get ready to be dazzled. The guy has amazing speed, and can hit the homerun at anytime. The Connecticut QB situation is unclear with the injury to Zach Frazer and the ineffective Cody Endres. Baylor is going to score points this week, and the offensively depleted Huskies won't be able to match. Baylor 34 UConn 17

Louisville Cardinals at Kentucky Wildcats

Louisville QB Justin Burke was awful in his 1st start, and now he's expected to head into Kentucky for the Governor's Bowl and come out victorious? Tall order. Louisville will look to pound the ball with Victor Anderson (expect 30+ carrys), but it won't be enough. The Cardinals are too one-dimensional and the Wildcats will pounce all over UL. Kentucky 30 Louisville 10

West Virginia Mountaineers at Auburn Tigers

This easily could have been the Big East Game of the Week, but neither team is ranked, and a win by WVU won't firmly establish them as a team on the national radar. But it will help. Jarrett Brown has looked incredible in the 1st two weeks against Liberty and East Carolina. Equally impressive has been the Auburn offense which has rushed for nearly 700 yards in 2 games this season. Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb both have rushed for over 100+ in each game thus far, and Gene Chizik's high flying offense is producing results. Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of the toughest places to play, and should be rocking for this one. I know that these are completely different seasons, but something from last year's game where WVU roared back to beat Auburn hangs with me. I think WVU is more mentally tough than the Tigers and Noel Devine runs scores a late TD to steal a huge road victory. WVU 30 Auburn 23

Charleston Southern Bucaneers at South Florida Bulls

Just another warm-up for the Bulls before the big showdown with Bobby Bowden and Florida State next week. USF 45 Charleston Southern 13

Last Week: 7-0

Season to Date: 12-2

Agree, disagree? As always, take to the comments section and let me know.

Poll

Who will win the Big East Game of the Week?

Cincinnati Bearcats

5 votes

Oregon State Beavers

2 votes

7 votes | Poll has closed

Big East Power Rankings: Week 1

ibleedscarlet — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:11:29 -0000

Tony Pike and Co. sit atop PRT's Power Rankings after Week 1

One week down, an entire season to go. I'm going to take a weekly snapshot of how the Big East stacks up at the moment. These rankings are based on how teams are playing right now, and how I think they would match-up on a neutral field, today. Right now we don't know a lot about many of the teams, so I'm going to cop out and use some ties (yes, I do think these teams would tie on a neutral field).

Big East Power Rankings: Week 1

1. Cincinnati: Dominant. Jaw-dropping. Superb. Use whatever word you want to describe Cincy's dismantling of Rutgers on Monday. The word I'm going with is "complete". It wasn't just the passing game. It wasn't just the running game. It was everything. The defense played great, the special teams was solid, and the offense was other-worldly. If you were doubting the Bearcats coming into the season (and I was), doubt no more.

T-2. West Virignia: The game was closer than it should have been, and giving up 20 points to Liberty is not very good. But it was the first game of the year, and Jarrett Brown provided over 300+ yards of offense. WVU gets a chance at revenge against East Carolina this weekend....but be careful Moutaineers....

T-2. Pittsburgh: Pitt slowly dismantled Youngstown State in a convincing 38-3 victory. The defense gave up less than 160 yards of total offense and the Panthers may have found their replacement for Shady McCoy in RB Dion Lewis who had 3 TD's on the day (2 via the ground).

T-2. South Florida: Don't let the 42-7 final score fool you. The game against Wofford was an actual game for the 1st half, then the superiority of USF's athletes took over. Matt Grothe was unspectacular, yet solid, and the defense was stout. We won't know much about this team until the game against Florida State in 3 weeks.

5. Connecticut: Besides the Cincy victory, the Huskies probably had the best win of the opening weekend. UConn went into hostile MAC territory (against a solid MAC team), and won a game it easily could have lost. The passing game still wasn't there for UConn, but the rushing game more than made up for it with over 250 yards rushing. The upcoming game is huge for the Huskies, get a W against North Carolina and the Huskies will be afterthoughts no more.

6. Rutgers: This was tough. I really thought about putting Rutgers 8th (and rightfully they do deserve to be there after that all-timer stinker on Monday), but I still think that if you lined up the Scarlet Knights against Louisville or Syracuse today the team would get the job done. It's gut-check time for Rutgers. They get Howard and FIU over the next 2 weeks to work out the kinks before the showdown with Maryland. If they can beat the Terps, they'll have momentum heading into a favorable Big East schedule in October and be back to 4-1 overall.

7. Syracuse: Welcome back to some form of relevancy Orange fans. Greg Paulus looked OK under center (though how he's going to survive the entire season I have no idea: He's so small), and the Orange did rally back from that disastrous start. The defense looked strong especially along the front 4. Unfortunately they head into JoePaville this weekend, a harsh place to rebound after a heartbreaking loss.

8. Louisville: Yes Cardinal fans, you did win (which is more than RU and SU can say). But you did it in unconvincing fashion against a horrible Indiana State team (one of the worst in the FCS). Justin Burke's first career start was something to forget (0 TD's, 2 INTS), but old reliable RB Victor Anderson was there to bail Louisville out (2 TD's). The Cardinals are off this week before taking on Kentucky on the 19th.

So there you have it folks. Agree? Disagree? Just want to post your own rankings? Leave your comments below and let's have some good old fashioned debate.

Big East Week 1 Look-Ahead

ibleedscarlet — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:03:55 -0000

Your 2009 Starting Quarterback: Greg Paulus

Alright ladies and gentlemen, the season is finally right around the corner. Throughout the 2009 season I'll be taking a look at the current week's Big East games, and offering you up some brief thoughts and predictions. Don't worry, we'll keep track to see how ~~crappy~~ ~~miserable~~ awesome my picks were throughout the 2009 campaign.

Big East Game of the Week: Cincinnati Bearcats @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9/7 4:00)

Seriously? Who thought this one up? I understand it's good exposure for both teams, but this game could all but end one team's hope of a Big East Championship and BCS bowl by the end of Week 1. The home crowd should be rockin' with the opening of Rutgers' stadium expansion, and though Rutgers lacks a true playmaker on offense, their defense should be fantastic. In a low scoring slugfest, the RU puts the ball in the endzone 1 more time than Tony Pike and the UC are able to and comes away as the team to beat in the Big East. RU 17 Cincy 13.

Minnesota at Syracuse (9/5 12:00)

Can a back-up PG from Duke basketball save the fortunes of a once proud football program. It's not going to be easy for Greg Paulus and Doug Marrone this season, but it looks like the pieces are in place for SU to turn it around over the next few seasons. And I think it starts on Day One. Anything can happen Week 1 when teams haven't had a chance to gel, and I think that 'Cuse steals one from the Golden Gopher at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse 31 Minnesota 27.

Liberty at West Viriginia (9/5 12:00)

You can skip this one. The only reason to watch is to see how Jarrett Brown does replacing Pat White under center. You'll probably only get to see him for 3 quarters or less as WVU turns this game into a rout, early and often.

Youngstown State at Pitt (9/5 1:00)

Pittsburgh traditionally struggles in the first weeks of the season against lesser opponents, but I don't think they'll have any problem this year. The Youngstown State offense is actually pretty decent, but the defense is lackluster. Expect the "Stache" to air it out with Bill Stull and give him a chance to get comfortable with his offense as tougher games lie ahead for the Panthers. Pitt 31 Youngstown St. 6

Wofford at South Florida (9/5 7:00)

Another game you can skip. South Florida gets out early and runs away with it. USF 42 Wofford 7

UConn at Ohio (9/5 7:00)

Wait?! What's this?! A Big East team going on the ROAD to face a team from the MAC in Week 1? Now there's a surprise. UConn had better be careful because the Bobcats are no pushover. Last year they nearly knocked off Ohio State when they were a Top 3 team, and UConn is no OSU. The Huskies will gang up on QB Boo Jackson though (have you seen this guy play? He's a treat), and force the run game to beat them. Not gonna happen. UConn avoids the upset bug in Week 1, and keeps the Big East unbeaten in OOC play. UConn 24 Ohio 13.

Indiana State at Louisville (9/5 7:30)

Even Steve Kragthorpe can't screw this one up. Louisville 38 Indiana State 6

Record to Date: 0-0

Agree, disagree? Let me know in the comments section and make your own predictions. Check back next week to see how I did, and for Week 2 picks.

Poll

Who will win the Big East Game of the Week?

Cincinnati

13 votes

Rutgers

31 votes

44 votes | Poll has closed

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Welcome to My Poster Edition

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:13:12 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Teabag? What teabag? Oh, wait ...

Browse more photos »

Much has been made of John Wall's recent, "Welcome to my poster," throw down over former Tar Heel Jerry Stackhouse, and of course, it is certainly newsworthy and schadenfreude-worthy. But that pales completely in comparison with a recent effort by Virginia Tech, putting up a permanent memorial to Deron Washington's "teabag" of Greg Paulus.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Josh Selby to visit UConn on Wednesday John Clay’s Sidelines
Big Blue Links for Monday.
Can John Wall's first assist at UK be C.J Leslie?
Interesting question. Maybe. I expect CJ Leslie to be a Wildcat, but it's not a lead-pipe cinch.
Preparing Calipari for Rupp: UK Pep Band Surrounds Court
Heh.
This Week in Review...10 Years Ago
I always love these kind of things.
Some Marquis Teague stuff….
Very interesting reading about a big-time recruit that apparently likes the cut of UK's jib.
UK picks IMG to continue plans for arena
Offered without comment.
Team of the 2000s: #10 – Maryland
Great analysis as always by Rush the Court. Enjoy.
Calipari Recruiting New Territory: China
Interesting post by Adam Zagoria. Read the whole thing.
Bluegrass State Basketball: Cats Should Count Their Blessings on Dominique Ferguson
I don't think I agree that there is something wrong here. I am willing to chalk it up to Thomas' good recruiting, he has landed a couple of other good players already. The age of the little guys not being able to land players is long since over. We should all know this by now.

UK Football News

Wildcats want to become a major player in the SEC
Heh. Yeah. And I want to become a full-time, highly paid blogger. Want in one hand and poop in the other and see which fills up first.

Both the Wildcats and I have some work to do.
Ineligible last season, UK's Paul Warford returns
Warford will be a big help in the UK defensive backfield. I think we are looking good in that area of the defense. If we can only get some pressure on quarterbacks ...
Football season upon us
Yes, Chris, thank heavens. In answer to his question about Cobb, he had better be huge. But Hartline is the #1 question.
The Toughest Schedules in the SEC
Gators First has a very good look at the toughest overall schedules in the SEC. UK is in the middle of the pack, where I would expect. Of course, given all the commentary around here lately, you might expect them to be dead last and the butt of jokes. Not so.
Monday Morning Required Reading - Roll 'Bama Roll
~~Kelph~~ Kleph at RBR remembers Bob Hallum, who played for Coach Bear Bryant when he was at UK. Thanks to Kleph.
Longest Tenured Coaches without a BCS Bowl
Heh. Well, Brooks is tied for 7th, but I truly do not expect him to ever darken the door of a BCS bowl. He will retire before that happens, I suspect.
Wildcats Are Stronger, Faster, but Still Underdogs Beyond the Bluegrass -- NCAA Football FanHouse
Really nice, honest look at UK football by Jim Henry of Fanhouse. This is a very fair piece, both to Kentucky and to everyone else. Recommended.
Fields has learned what it takes to play
I'm looking forward to seeing him this year. He was a stud in high school.
UK has high hopes for juco teammates
More on Chris Matthews and DeQuin Evans. It is a little bit unusual for UK to be successfully recruiting out west. It's good to have them both here.

Other UK Sports News

NCAA Sports News

Could we see Jasper in town again?
No, not in Lexington, but in his home town.
SEC 'Lightbulb' Jokes
Very, very funny. I love these things. C'mon, laugh at yourself!
FIU basketball snares coveted recruit Dominique Ferguson
I know I linked a similar article before, but I use this as an opportunity to ask a question: When will we be hearing about how Thomas is violating NCAA rules? How could he otherwise recruit such talent to a school like FIU? Just askin' ... (note tongue firmly in cheek)
Frustrated by title game loss, Sooners start anew
The Sooners have won an unprecedented three straight Big 12 titles and have three straight BCS bowl defeats to show for it, with back-to-back Fiesta Bowl losses to Boise State and West Virginia preceding the Gators' triumph in Miami.

Heh. Kind of the reverse of UK, but on a much grander scale.
Breaking down the Coaches Poll | Mr. College Football
SEC (5): Florida (1), Alabama (5), LSU (9), Ole Miss (10), Georgia (13). It’s not surprising to have five SEC teams ranked. It’s not totally surprising to have four in the Top 10, because Ole Miss is getting a lot of love from a lot of people. What is surprising is for the SEC not to have a team ranked in positions 14-25. Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee all received votes. Vanderbilt and Mississippi State were the only SEC teams which did not receive votes. Interesting.

Other News of Interest

Macy's still got game, on a different court
Did you know Macy was a tennis pro? I confess to some surprise ... not that he's a tennis player, but that he is the head pro at Idle Hour. Well. There you go.
Lost Lettermen • View topic - Jeff Sheppard: Inside My Clothing Line
Very cool comments from Jeff. I kind of agree with him about the current state of UK's apparel, but I suspect that is more Nike-driven than anything else.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Kentucky is ridiculous...
I just have to laugh. Embrace. The. Hate.
Wright headed to Pitt
Indiana loses one to the Panthers, but his list of suitors isn't exactly a "who's who" of college basketball. Solid schools, but none of the really elite.

It's (still) that time of year...

SFBE.NF — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:34:02 -0000

So let's see... the MLB trade deadline has passed, Bill Clinton is proving to be an absolute magician abroad, and I have officially exhausted all the on-demand programming that HBO and Showtime have to offer.

The world of college basketball is slowing to a halt, but there's still things to pass along. Here is our second installment of the summer link dump.

John Wall might quickly become a YouTube sensation. A pair of videos (one and two) have surfaced of a pick-up game in Lexington that features little defense and lots of showmanship. We'll let you figure out which one is the Class of 2009's top point guard.

Duke is dabbling into the underworld of elite summer camps. When you can't sign 'em, join 'em, that's what the Blue Devils are doing. It's become pretty evident that the reason Coach K & Co. haven't sniffed the Final Four since 2004 is due in large part to a lack of athleticism (oh and letting Greg Paulus run the show for three years). Well now Krzyzewski is going to host his own elite camp with the hopes of luring prospects with serious hops to Cameron Indoor. There's some gray area here for sure, as Robbi Pickeral's piece details.

Maui Invitational/Old Spice Classic fields set. Arizona's new coach Sean Miller will get some early exposure out on the islands, as the Wildcats and Maryland Terps highlight this year's field out in Hawaii. But while the Maui carries the name, this year's Old Spice might carry the weight. Xavier, Michigan and Alabama (don't forget Anthony Grant is running the ship) headline the Thanksgiving weekend tournament down in Disney.

Syracuse reaching out to former Big East foes. Coming soon to a small market NBC affiliate near you...Donyell Marshall! Well maybe not, but the 'Cuse's famed Newhouse School is opening up their doors to current NBA veterans shrewdly thinking about their post-NBA life. Guys like Tony Battie, Mike James, and Anthony Parker are replacing basketball jargon phrases like "pick-and-pop, "dribble drive," and "trades predicated on expiring contracts" with "VO/SOTs," "run times," and "shoulder graphics," by getting a crash-course in broadcast journalism. The program is run by Matt Park and Dave Ryan, sportscasters who double as adjunct professors at the school.

Jeff Goodman wants to tell you about July. He's got 10 things he learned last month. It's likely the only time "Mel Gibson" and "Thad Matta" get named in the same column.

The Greg Paulus Effect

Sean Keeley — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:14:57 -0000

Greg Paulus hasn't even stepped onto the field yet for the Syracuse Orange...in fact the possibility exists that he may never...yet he's already paying dividends for the program. According to Niko Tamurian and CNYCentral.com, it's in the form of getting new recruits.

On Wednesday, we learned that Colorado quarterback Jonny Miller picked SU over offers from Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and San Diego State among others. Miller spoke with Action News on Wednesday and said one of the best parts of his visit was visiting with Greg Paulus and watching film on Drew Brees with him. He also said Paulus answered many of his questions and concerns, opening the door for a commitment.

CuseConfidential also reports that Paulus was also a big help in landing Jeremiah Kobena.

Paulus seems to represent the direction that Marrone and his staff want to project. Paulus is a known quantity, regardless of whether or not he ever plays for the Orange, and he decided to come to Syracuse because he saw opportunity and a chance to rebuild the program. He'll be gone before we know it, but I'm guessing he's letting these new recruits know the program will be in a much better place when they take over than it is right now.

Whether or not he ever becomes QB Greg Paulus is TBD but Ambassador Greg Paulus has already paid for his scholarship and he's not done yet. If Jonny Miller one day ends up delivering on his promise, Greg's short time here might even become more notable than we imagined

H/T: Alex.O/Orange Chuck

Greg Paulus Becoming Better QB Through Osmosis Process

Sean Keeley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:20:00 -0000

I know, it's dangerous to bring up the word osmosis around here. But, like that great orator would say...what is, is.

Greg Paulus was in New Orleans last week. No, he wasn't just scratching that itch for a good shrimp po'boy, though we wouldn't blame him if that was why. He was in town to obverve a bunch of New Orleans Saints' off-season OTAs (official team activities). Yes, the same New Orleans Saints that employed Doug Marrone for the past couple seasons. And yes, the New Orleans Saints who feature Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees whom worked ever-so-closely with Marrone in that time.

But if you think Doug Marrone had ANYTHING to do with this circumstantial chain of events, why, you'd be as mad as a hatter.

"Down in New Orleans, true," said Marrone. "Watching the Saints practice, true. Working out with Drew Brees, false. That would be against NCAA rules."

"We can't pay for Greg," Marrone said. "We can't coach him. We can't watch him throw. We can't do anything. And we haven't. But if he wants to go down to New Orleans, at his own expense, and watch the Saints practice and watch Brees throw, why not?

"They run a lot of the same stuff we're going to use. He just went there, and stayed with a buddy of his, to get a different perspective. I think it was a good idea."

Doug Marrone has read the NCAA handbook. Consider that confirmed.

Certainly it can't hurt for Paulus get an up-close-and-personal view of Brees, who is almost the same height as Greg. Hopefully Drew's ability to make plays and his accurate passing will run off on Greg. Hopefully, one thing in particular does not rub off on him...

Doug Marrone And Greg Paulus Are Gem Mint Ten!

Sean Keeley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:53:38 -0000

The 2009 Football Season might still be a couple months away but the excitement just got kicked up a notch today. I have been given an exclusive first look at the official Syracuse Football trading cards, courtesy of SU's official trading card partner, Murray's Bail Bonds & Trading Cards & Stuff. Series One is below. Make sure you get those glass cases ready, there's some beauties in here you're gonna want to stash away for a long time:

If only Don West had the opportunity to work his magic on these beauts. They'd be sold out in minutes.. BE DIALING!

Thanks, Baseball Card Generator.

SB Nation - Greg Paulus

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