MBB: Great South Athletic Conference

[wilburt]

LaGrange football recruiting news:

http://www.moultrieobserver.com/sports/local_story_137221730.html

Huntingdon basketball recruiting news.  Heath Miller (6-3) joining the Hawks:

http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/story.lasso?ewcd=6de1bbf96db6a1b8

[wilburt]

Birmingham Southern thinking of moving up from D1 to D3.  Check out article below.  They mention possibly joining the SCAC.  Get on it GSAC people...

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1147944113152100.xml&coll=2

[mattgrubb]

got a funny story about BSC, there is a kid out of knox central who is going to BSC b/c they are D1 and he was going to walk on for the 1st year and guaranteed a scholarship for the next 3 years, you know the story, well, that scholarship looks like it is in jeopardy now, good job William

[mattgrubb]

BSC would be a great fit for the gsac, even more so if stillman were still in the gsac

[wilburt]

Matt, if I were the BSC president I'd join (or try to join) the SCAC in a minute over the GSAC. 

1. More sports are offered in the SCAC than the GSAC.
2. BSC's enrollment is between 1,000 and 1,500.
3. BSC has a Phi Beta Kappa chapter like all of the SCAC schools except Oglethorpe.  Only Agnes Scott, Fisk, and Spelman have PBK chapters in the GSAC.
4. BSC has a solid endowment that could handle the travel to Texas and Colorado each year.

5. Check out this article on athletic costs.  It mentions Huntingdon's move to D3. 

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1147944078152100.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

With that said, given the expected growth of the SCAC, how can Oglethorpe be competitive (financially and athletically) in the SCAC in the next few years?  If I were the Oglethorpe President, I'd try to jump to the GSAC - ASAP before they (the SCAC presidents) break my budget with all this proposed expansion. To me it just seems like a better fit.

Random Thoughts:

After reading the article yesterday about Huntingdon recruit Heath Miller, I am further convinced that HC will win only 1-2 GSAC games (if that) next season for the reasons I stated earlier about the difficulty of adjusting to Coach Duckworth's Princeton system. 

Still not impressed with the overall quality of Maryville recruits thus far.  Piedmont is looking a lot better to me for next season, and so is Coach Haynes' Panthers.  I may have judged LaGrange a bit prematurely...

Fisk should be back next season reloaded with much less "attitude" than this past season.

[mattgrubb]

William,
i firmly agree BSC would be a better fit in the SCAC, i am just hoping that as the SCAC keeps growing maybe someone will defect to the gsac, maybe Centre or Oglethorpe, but that is just b/c i want to see the gsac grow, i am biased.

Now for recruits, trust me, don't worry about Lambert, he will be fine8 straight second rounds or better don't just happen, some of those were luck, like when i started with a victory over Rose Hulman, there are a lot of distinguished names on that list of NCAA tourney victories, the man knows how to win, and he has had a lot of all south performers over the past 8 seasons, he will be ready


i will say i have not seen any results on the perimeter, got one PG from Anderson County who will be good, but not an instant impact player, he will need to learn the system like all great maryville players do.

i don't disagree with your opinion on HC, i am just hoping for the best for them

[wilburt]

I hoping for the best for HC too Matt, cause I personally like Coach Duckworth.  I just hate the Princeton system he uses...

The GSAC will expand it's just a matter of time Matt.

[coachwgh]

Detective Wilburt, good job on the BSC stuff.  I wonder what is going on at other NAIA to DI places currently.  I am willing to bet that BSC is not the only one in a little trouble.  This shows that much more that what you think, wins and losses don't really matter.  BSC is very competitive in all sports that I am aware of, but that is not adding to the endowment or paying off the nicest fraternity row I have ever seen, which they added about the same time they went DI.  When's the last time somebody went DI to DIII? 
Side note: They have a bus for basketball trips that is like a Kenny Rogers tour bus.  Very nice!

Graduation weekend here in LaGrange.  It will be a very proud moment in many people's lives to see Corie Jackson walk across that stage.  I hope they have an elveated platform for him to stand on so everyone can see his short butt.  Corie recieved a very special award a couple of weeks ago.  We give out an Eagle Award to the senior athlete that has soared above and defeated adversity in their persuit of athletic and academic achievement.  I guess we cannot call it the Panther award because Panthers don't soar above stuff they attack and claw things to death and that is not a pleasant picture to tie into an award.  Either way, he was very, very deserving and very moved.  He has a job already.  He is in management training for Waffle House.  He should have his own restaurant this summer so if any of you posters are in Columbus, GA stop in and see him.

[Ralph Turner]

Wilburt, I appreciate your thoughts on Oglethorpe being edged out of the SCAC. However, BSC would give the SCAC a 12th member, permitting the split into divisions. That would help with classroom time absences and perhaps help with the budget.

Doesn't the SCAC have large neutral site "crossover" tourneys for Volleyball and Soccer?

You know I am sympathetic to the GSAC getting to Pool A status, so we can follow this closely.

As for the last D1 school to move up to D3, I cannot remember who that would be.  Maybe Pat or someone will have an answer.

The BSC move is discussed on the Daily Dose blog on the front page of D3Hoops.

[formerd3db]

Ralph and coachwgh:

Without having the NCAA FB Yearbook in front of me, I'd venture to say the last schools to go up from DI to DIII were probably the era of Dayton (1977 first in DIII), Drake, Villanova, Valpo, etc., although as we know they are now DI-AA non-scholarship.  As you know, some of those types of schools went to DII after dropping from DI (or temporarily discontinuing the fb program) before being involved in the reclassification status.  I realize/assume you were probably asking about/referring to schools that have permanently stayed up at DIII currently after leaving DI, however, but just thought I'd briefly mention that.  Obviously, the NCAA FB Yearbook has a section with this specific info - again, I didn't have a chance to check my copy regarding at the moment.   

[formerd3db]

Addendum/clarification:
Of course, also, we're talking about the "hybrid" situation regarding the above i.e. their football programs being DIII for awhile vs. all the other sports of those schools being DI before the mandated re-classification.  Again, you are probably talking about a school changing from DI to DIII permanently in all sports.

[wilburt]

What's this about Bruce Pearl talking to Randy Lambert about joining the UT staff in the Knoxville paper today?

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/basketball/article/0,1406,KNS_629_4711516,00.html

[ohyeah]

William,

That was one story I was really hoping you wouldnt find.  I dont know why I doubted you though. 

Pearl said he is concerned about recruiting, but the man can recruit with no money, just imagine what he can do with money.  Who knows.

[wilburt]

How dare you doubt me and my great abilities  .

[mattgrubb]

lambert is just what that program needs, someone who can talk kids into making the right decisions