Author: Aidan Joly

The most hyped-up team coming into the college basketball season is easily Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers.

Hardaway is entering his second year at the helm of his alma mater. Before this, he had a lot of success in his tenure as an AAU coach and his time at Memphis East High School.

He has already proven himself as an elite recruiter, beating out the bluebloods to get the top prospect in the country in James Wiseman, as well as getting numerous other very good recruits. Those included fellow five-star recruit Precious Achiuwa, four-stars Boogie Ellis, who de-committed from Duke, Lester Quinones, Malcom Dandridge, Kentucky de-commit DJ Jeffries and Damion Baugh. All of them are freshmen for this upcoming year.

Hardaway is doing something different than what former coaches — most notably the past two in Tubby Smith and Josh Pastner — did not do, and that’s recruit guys that are from the city of Memphis, one of the best basketball hotbeds in the country. The Tigers have five players on this year’s roster that were born in Memphis and two more in Nashville, one of them being Wiseman.

The Tigers went 22-14 in Hardaway’s first year last season, making it to the second round of the NIT and increased attendance at Fedex Forum by nearly 8,000 fans per game from the previous year, averaging an AAC-leading 14,065 per game, which also ranked 17th in the country, all according to the official NCAA records.

This season is easily the most hyped-up season at Memphis since the 2008-09 season, the year following a trip to the national championship game and John Calipari’s final year before he left for Kentucky. The Tigers delivered, albeit not as much, that year, finishing 33-4, 16-0 in Conference USA and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

That 2007-08 season was also the last time that the team had the program had AP All-Americans. Chris Douglas-Roberts was named to the first team and a guy named Derrick Rose was named to the third team in his lone season at Memphis.

The coaches between Calipari and Hardaway, that being Pastner and Smith, failed to carry the program to those heights, with only four NCAA Tournament appearances, resulting in just two wins and never making it past the Round of 32. Memphis fans are used to success, especially the success they had in the 80s and 90s, so it’s easy to tell they were getting very restless, and so far, Hardaway seems like the guy that can change that. They enter the season as the No. 14 team in the country.

One concern that some have had, is his actual coaching skill and his ability to coach a young core. The coaching style in college is a lot different from AAU and high school, and although a lot of his players have played for him before, there’s a way out there that you can see that the skills that they have may not translate as well in the college game. Also, the team is young, starting five freshman is always a daunting task, no matter who you are. The jury will be out coming into the year about that.

When it all comes down to it, they should have some good wins. Hardaway did a solid job with scheduling and that results on them having some good non-conference tests. They have a neutral site game against Oregon as part of the Phil Knight Invitational on November 12, another neutral site game against N.C. State on November 28 and a true road game against Tennessee on December 14.

With the AAC projected to be down this year, there is a good chance that they will roll through the conference with only one or two losses, but the real test will come in the NCAA Tournament — will they be able to make a deep run? That’s what is up for questioning coming into the season.

I was texting with a friend earlier this week about how much I like the “new” Big East and the talent in it. It got me to thinking, in a world of college basketball that revolves around the ACC, Big 10, Big 12 and the SEC, the Big East is — almost quietly — one of the best conferences in the country.

First off, looking at the true metrics of the conference, the Big East is rated by KenPom as the second-best conference in the country coming into this season, its highest rating since the 2014-15 season, two years after the re-alignment of the conference. In addition, the conference has four teams; Villanova (8), Marquette (17), Xavier (18) and Seton Hall (20) in the top-20 in the country for KenPom and three more in the 21-40 range. That’s not too shabby for a conference that only boasts 10 programs, much less than a conference like the ACC (15), Big 10 (14) and the SEC (14). For the record, the Big 12 also has 10.

Coming into this season, the conference has a pretty clear top, middle and bottom tier. Villanova and Seton Hall both checked in in the top 15 in the country when the preseason AP Poll came out on Monday. Villanova has a strong recruiting class headlined by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine as well as a strong returning group of Colin Gillespie, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Saddiq Bey.

Villanova may have the best team overall, but two more teams both have top-five players in the country, that being Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Markus Howard of Marquette.

I’ll admit, I’m a tad concerned about Seton Hall struggling a bit because I can see a scenario where they become a one-man show around Powell, especially against conference opponents. Quincy McKnight, Myles Cale, Jared Rhoden, Sandro Mamukelashvill and Taurean Thompson all have skill but I don’t really see any of them becoming the guy that can really compliment Powell and give them another guy to give the ball to if/when he has an off-night.

However, Howard is an absolute joy to watch. For Marquette, losing the Hauser brothers hurts but they still have the talent to compete, not necessarily for a conference title, but they are for sure a tournament team. They have the pieces in Sacar Anim, Theo John (who’s style of play I love), Jamal Cain, Ed Morrow as well as incoming transfers Koby McEwen and Jayce Johnson give them a lot of depth. If everything goes right, they can see a run to the second weekend.

Xavier made it to the NIT last year in a disappointing year but have the pieces to do well in Travis Steele’s second year at the helm. They have a lethal backcourt in Quentin Goodwin and Paul Scruggs. Freshman KyKy Tandy should be a huge help as well. In the frontcourt, Naji Marshall should have a big year, as well should Tyrique Jones. They have a future too, as a lot of young freshmen are coming in to help. They might not make the second weekend, but the future is laid out in Cincinnati and they should have a lot of success in the next couple years.

Another group that will see some significant growth this year is Creighton. Admittedly, I don’t watch many games for the Bluejays, maybe only one or two last year, but I’ll definitely be paying more attention to them. Ty-Shon Alexander was awesome last season and should be even better this season and with the help of senior Davion Mintz that should make for a great backcourt. Marcus Zegerowski provides depth. One thing that they need to worry about is the forward position as Martin Krampelj kept his name in the NBA Draft, but Southeast Missouri transfer Denzel Mahoney will be able to fill some of that void. They have a fast style of play that encourages running in transition and shooting a lot of threes, which is something that fans love and a decent number of college teams will struggle to keep up with.

That’s just the top teams. Georgetown is finally set to take a step up under Patrick Ewing Providence has a star in Alpha Diallo and a solid complementary piece in A.J. Reeves. The Friars got coach Ed Cooley locked up with a contract extension after he was seen as a leading candidate for the job at Michigan last May. Both of those teams have a good shot at ending up as tournament teams depending on how they do, which could potentially put the Big East at seven NCAA Tournament teams.

As for those non-tournament teams, strides are being made. Butler has a lot of work to do and probably will not be a tournament team. Mike Anderson, after a laughable coaching search by St. John’s led to him, will try to get some real excitement back into the program after the stagnation of the past couple years under Chris Mullin, but are not ready to be true contenders yet.

Even DePaul, the laughingstock of the league, albeit not a tournament team, is finally making some progress under Dave Leitao. They’ve had an up-and-down year, having their first winning season since 2006-07 and reaching the finals of the CBI, having their top three scorers graduate but bringing in a quartet of four-star recruits and finally having Leitao get slapped with a three-game suspension for self-reported NCAA violations by former staff members. They have a future and if they can keep it together, they could very soon see their 15-year NCAA Tournament drought get snapped. Not this year, but maybe soon.

The Big East doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of the east coast, but probably should. It’s one of the best group of programs in the nation and it seemingly flies under the radar. Pay attention to them, because they have the teams and power make some serious noise this season.

The 2019 NBA Draft is now less than a month away, and the order of the draft has been decided. Here is my full 60-pick mock draft. I’m not going to delve into every pick, but I’m providing some commentary on the top 10 picks, players that I like and can have potential.

Quick note before I begin: This is barring any trades that come up on draft night, or guys ending up going back to school.

1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, F, Duke
The Pelicans won’t screw this one up. Zion is the best draft prospect in recent memory, and is bound to be one of the most athletic players in the NBA right off the bat.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
Another extremely dynamic athlete that creates highlight-reel passes and dunks. Personally, one of the best passers that I have ever seen. Plus, it is a golden opportunity for Morant to be the successor to Mike Conley at point guard.

3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, SG, Duke
There’s a reason that Barrett was once projected to be the first overall pick this year. He’s a great scorer and is a solid playmaker overall. Honestly, in the long run he may be the best player to come out of this draft.

4. Los Angeles Lakers: DeAndre Hunter, F, Virginia
A fantastic shooter who shot 43% from three last season, he can have an immediate impact on the team to possibly strengthen LeBron’s chance to win another championship.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke
This might be a little high for a third Duke player, but this is because he did not get a ton of chances at Duke as he was their third scoring option. However, he’s a great shooter and above-average at defense, and should translate quickly to the NBA.

6. Phoenix Suns: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
A very all-around player but I’m a bit concerned him because he does not really do one thing great. Despite this, I can see him as a role player that the Suns can work on with new coach Monty Williams.

7. Chicago Bulls, Coby White, PG, North Carolina
He can score the ball in bunches and is really fast. White is an elite transition player that can be someone to build around in Chicago.

8. Atlanta Hawks: Nassir Little, F, North Carolina
He was a bit underwhelming with the Tar Heels this year, but the freshman was playing on a team with a ton of upperclassmen, so did not get a ton of touches. Despite this, he is a great athlete that can do a lot with the ball.

9. Washington Wizards: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
I would be a little wary of Garland, who only played five games at Vanderbilt before going down with a season-ending injury. However, he was fantastic in those first few games, shooting nearly 50% from three. He’s elite at ball-handling and would be a great complement to Devin Booker in the backcourt.

10. Atlanta Hawks: Sekou Deoumbouya, PF, France
He might be close to five years away, so he’s a serious project. However, if any team can afford that, it’s Atlanta.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
12. Charlotte Hornets: Rui Hachimura, F, Gonzaga
13. Miami Heat: Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee
Williams seems like a Pat Riley type of player. He’ll go under-the-radar on the national spotlight, but he’ll get a lot of respect in the league because of his hard-nosed defense and his ability to play under the basket.

14. Boston Celtics: Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga
15. Detroit Pistons: Romeo Langford, SG/SF, Indiana
Langford was one of the best players in the country coming out of high school a year ago, but had some injury trouble in his lone season at Indiana, and his numbers fell off a bit because of that. However, if he is healthy, he can be a great player that can help Detroit.

16. Orlando Magic: Kevin Porter Jr, SG, USC
17. Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
A great shooter who can be a really good player for the Nets if he is developed right. He’s not fully ready, but will be soon.

18. Indiana Pacers: Goga Bitadze, C, Rep. of Georgia
19. San Antonio Spurs: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
20. Boston Celtics: PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
The case with Bol is a curious one. It’s tough to tell where exactly he’ll go, but this seems right. He stands at 7-2 and weighs 235 pounds, so he’s a good size, but only played nine games before an injury ended his season after averaging 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. The injury concerns are there so that may make him slip.

22. Boston Celtics: Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky
23. Utah Jazz: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
An elite rebounder with a wingspan of 7-4, but he’s a major project, because of a lot of careless mistakes, that could go either way in the NBA.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: KZ Okpala, SF, Stanford
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State
26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
27. Brooklyn Nets: Cameron Johnson, PF, North Carolina
28. Golden State Warriors: Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas
29. San Antonio Spurs: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
Call me crazy, but I think Edwards is a major sleeper in this draft after having a breakout NCAA Tournament, including two games with over 40 points against Villanova and Virginia, which obviously you can’t do every night. I think the potential is there, though. He’s a great pull-up shooter, which helps in today’s NBA. If the Spurs do indeed take him, it can be another situation where a non-top pick turns out to work wonders.

30. Milwaukee Bucks: Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky

Round 2
31. Brooklyn Nets: Jordan Nwora, PF, Louisville
32. Phoenix Suns: Louis King, SF, Oregon
33. Philadelphia 76ers: Nic Claxton, C, Georgia
Claxton improved his stock wildly with a great combine. I have him in the early parts of the second round for now, but he could sneak into the first.

34. Philadelphia 76ers: Admiral Schofield, SF, Tennessee
35. Atlanta Hawks: Ty Jerome, G, Virginia
36. Charlotte Hornets: Jontay Porter, C, Missouri
37. New Orleans Pelicans: Jalen Lecque, PG, Brewster Academy (New Hampshire)
38. Chicago Bulls: Talen Horton-Tucker, SG, Iowa State
39. Dallas Mavericks: Luka Samanic, PF, Croatia
He would be a great fit in Dallas with all of the European talent that they bring in.

40. Sacramento Kings: Jalen McDaniels, PF, San Diego State
41. Atlanta Hawks: Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
42. Atlanta Hawks: Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
43. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kris Wilkes, SF, UCLA
44. Philadelphia 76ers: Tacko Fall, C, UCF
And there it is. The 7-7 center finally goes mid-second round. He held his own against Zion Williamson in the NCAA Tournament, but I don’t see him being a dynamic NBA talent, but someone will take a chance on him.

45. Detroit Pistons: Ky Bowman, PG, Boston College
46. Orlando Magic: Luguentz Dort, SG, Arizona State
47. Sacramento Kings: Isaiah Roby, PF, Nebraska
48. Los Angeles Clippers: Adam Mokoka, SG, France
49. San Antonio Spurs: Ignas Brazdeikis, PF, Michigan
50. Indiana Pacers: Jaylen Nowell, SG, Washington
51. Boston Celtics: Eric Paschall, PF, Villanova
52. Charlotte Hornets, Cody Martin, SF, Nevada
I’ve said this a couple times before, but I’ll say it again. Nevada, Martin being part of that, could have been a top-10 team in the country, and Martin could have been a real draft prospect. However, they ruined it by playing hero ball with a bunch of selfish players.

53. Utah Jazz: Tremont Waters, PG, LSU
54. Philadelphia 76ers: Darius Bazley, PG, Princeton HS (Ohio)
55. New York Knicks: Miye Oni, SG, Yale
56. Los Angeles Clippers: Brian Bowen, SF, Australia
57. New Orleans Pelicans: Aubrey Dawkins, SG, UCF
58. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Bone, PG, Tennessee
59. Toronto Raptors: Oshae Brissett, PF, Syracuse
60. Sacramento Kings: Jaylen Hoard, PF, Wake Forest

By Aidan Joly

The NFL released the schedule for the 2019 season on Wednesday night, and here are the top 10 games that I’m looking forward to for this coming season.

Packers at Bears, Week 1, Thursday, September 5

For the first game of the NFL’s centennial season, the league went away from a tradition of having the defending champions play the first game of the season. Instead we will see two classic franchises kick off the season at Soldier Field. The Week 1 game between the two teams last year was fantastic, with Aaron Rodgers throwing for three touchdowns in the second half after suffering a knee injury earlier in the game to lead Green Bay to a 24-23 victory. Plus, it’ll be the first game that Rodgers has not had Mike McCarthy as his head coach with the debut of Matt LaFleur.

Steelers at Patriots, Week 1, Sunday, September 8

These two teams tend to see each other every year at one point or another. This year it’ll be in the first Sunday Night Football game of the year and it’ll be another chapter in the Ben Roethlisberger vs Tom Brady story. Now that Le’veon Bell is officially gone and Antonio Brown is off to Oakland, it’ll be interesting to see how big of a role that JuJu Smith-Schuster will have to take in the new Pittsburgh offense.

Saints at Rams, Week 2, Sunday, September 15

It’ll be an early-season rematch of the NFC Championship game in Los Angeles. The NFC title game ended in controversy with the no-call pass interference that led to the Rams getting to the Super Bowl with a 26-23 overtime win, so you can best bet that the Saints will really want to win this game to get their revenge. The NFL expanded instant replay technology during the offseason to include calls like the one that proved costly in the playoffs. Along with all of those storylines, it’s a star-studded game that should be one of the best games of the season.

Browns at Jets, Week 2, Monday, September 16

If you said this would be one of the top games of the season two years ago, I would have laughed you out the door. Both of these teams have re-tooled in big ways and are bound to be really good for years to come. Last year’s matchup was the coming-out party for Baker Mayfield, who led the Browns to their first win in over 600 days. Plus, it’s the return of Odell Beckham Jr. to New York, and it’ll be interesting to see who will have the bigger role on their new team, Odell or Le’veon Bell with the Jets. The battle of young quarterbacks between Mayfield and Sam Darnold will not be the last time you see it, either.

Browns at Patriots, Week 8, Sunday, October 27

The Bill Belichick bowl! Belichick was fired by the Browns in 1996 and they have never been good since then, and now he will face them for the first time with them being a real threat in the AFC. Plus, if the Browns start the season hot, this will be a huge midseason test for them to see if they are for real or not for the second half of the season.

Packers at Chiefs, Week 8, Sunday, October 27

The game on Sunday Night Football the same day is bound to be a great one as well. It will feature two of the high-flying offenses in the league and will be old-school in Rodgers versus new-school in Patrick Mahomes. If Mahomes comes out on top of this game, it could be seen by those in NFL circles as a passing of the torch in who will be the best quarterback in the NFL for years to come. It’ll be a primetime showdown for sure.

Chiefs vs Chargers, Week 11, Monday, November 18

Mexico City missed out on seeing an instant classic last year as the Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51 in one of the best shootouts in recent memory after Estadio Azteca lost the game due to poor field conditions. However, the city will get another chance to host a game with these two good teams coming down to the country in a primetime Monday night game. Mexico City is 1.5 miles above sea level and the Rams trained for the game in Colorado Springs to get used to the altitude, so it would not be shocking to see one or both teams do that as well. If you like offense, this will be a fun game for you.

Chiefs at Patriots, Week 14, Sunday, December 8

We will see another conference championship rematch late in the season with these two squads. Last year, the Patriots came out on top with a 37-31 overtime win and went on to win the Super Bowl. They also met in the regular season last year in October, with the Patriots winning a 43-40 thriller. Because it is this late in the season, it’s bound to be a crucial game looking into the postseason. The Chiefs are one of the few teams in the AFC that can play with the Patriots, having won two of their past five meetings. This is sure to be a great game as usual when it’s these two teams and possibly one of the final meetings between Brady and Mahomes.

Steelers at Jets, Week 16, Sunday, December 22

This game will be must-watch television as Bell faces his former team at MetLife Stadium. It’s sure to be a good game late in the season with Darnold against Roethlisberger, and both teams could very well be in the playoff push late in the season, so it could potentially be a game that shapes what the AFC playoff picture could look like.

Chiefs at Bears, Week 16, Sunday, December 22

It’s a classic offense versus defense battle with the Chiefs and all their weapons on offense and the Bears with a tough defense that can stifle great offenses. For example, they gave up only six points to the Rams in their matchup last December. However, it’s tough for a team to have a great defense two years in a row as they went 12-4 last year, but they are most likely going to be in the picture again this year and will try to take advantage of a mediocre NFC North again.

By Aidan Joly

It goes without saying that the free agent system in Major League Baseball is broken. Contract extensions are coming fast and furious this spring. From veterans like Justin Verlander to rookies like Eloy Jimenez to superstars like Mike Trout, everyone is signing deals to stay loyal to their teams.

The one I want to discuss came on Thursday afternoon, when Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies signed a seven-year, $35 million extension that will last him through the 2025 season with club options for 2026 and 2027. So, at best, that’s a nine-year, $46 million deal.

That is insanely cheap for a player of his caliber.

Albies is only 22 years old and already has an all-star appearance under his belt. He’s a power hitting, up-the-middle type of player that is sure to become one of the best players in baseball very soon. In his first full big-league season last year, he had a 3.8 bWAR in his age-21 season. According to Baseball Reference, players that that number can be compared to at that age include Cal Ripken Jr., Joe Morgan, Ron Santo, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Correa and Roberto Alomar, among others. That’s not a bad list to be a part of.

Last year, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who Albies can be compared to a little bit as to current players, signed a five-year deal that is worth $151 million. For those keeping score, that’s a difference of $116 million for two players that play the same position and are probably 1-2 for the top second basemen in the league.

It makes sense that the two sides would want to get this deal hammered out. The Braves are probably set to win for a while with a young core of Albies, Ronald Acuna, Dansby Swanson, Sean Newcomb, and others players working their way up through the minors. Plus, he is very close friends with Acuna, who signed his own extension worth $100 million earlier in April. Because of the fact that you can’t become a free agent until after you hit six years of service time in the majors, he would have to have had arbitration after the 2020 season, where he would have been set for a big payday, even if it was only for a one-year deal.

Putting this deal into some other terms, Jimenez’s deal earlier this year was for six years and $43 million, coming before he made his debut for the White Sox. The Phillies made a similar deal for Scott Kingery last spring, signing him to a six-year deal worth $24 million before he played a big-league game. Plus, Kingery was nearly two and a half years older than Albies when he signed the deal. Another player with that same age difference is Indians infielder Jose Ramirez, who signed one of the most team-friendly deals in March of 2017 for five years and $26 million, with options that could make it seven years and $50 million. For a guy like Albies who is slated to become one of the best players in the league to get this type of deal is laughable.

However, these team-friendly deals make sense in a way. Ramirez and Albies are two of many big leaguers that came to America at 16 years old from all parts of the world to play. Albies came to the Braves’ organization from Curacao at the age of 16, signed for $350,000 and made essentially nothing in the minor leagues, so he wants to get this deal done now to get guaranteed money, so it can’t be taken away from him because of potential injuries or underperformance.

This is a bad deal for him, but a good one for the Braves. I think this is a major representation of that the free agent system is broken with a good number of players still unsigned now about 15 games into the season and that players are now more willing to stay with teams for a long time, even if they don’t get the money that you would get in free agency.

By Aidan Joly

The games for the college basketball season came to a close on Monday night, but that does not mean the storylines have come to an end. Here at the start of the offseason, these are my favorite head coach hires so far.

Fred Hoiberg to Nebraska

After the debacle that was the firing of Tim Miles by the Nebraska administration, they got a home run hire in Hoiberg. This is a guy who should not be looked at as a failed NBA head coach, but someone who turned around the program at Iowa State from 2010-2015. He won four NCAA Tournament games in four appearances, and won the Big 12 tournament twice, something that is obviously really difficult to do in that conference. He’s from the area, and he’s a name that recruits will recognize, which helps. It will be a tough task to turn around a program that has made the tournament only once since 1998, but I think Hoiberg could be the guy to do it.

Buzz Williams to Texas A&M

This was the worst-kept secret in college basketball. Williams comes from Virginia Tech and was finally the coach who got them nationally-relevant, getting them to the second weekend for the first time in 52 years. Texas A&M is a program where you have to compete with a high-level football program, but Williams has done that successfully with the Hokies. Billy Kennedy had a level of success making the Sweet 16 in 2016 and 2018, but never did anything past that. The Aggies have players with potential, especially Savion Flagg, so now it’s time for Williams to take that next step.

Nate Oats to Alabama

The fact that he signed a six-year extension with Buffalo and jumped ship to Alabama two weeks later is a little curious, but if there was a time for Oats to leave, it’s now. The entire core at Buffalo this year were seniors in CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins, Jeremy Harris and Dontay Caruthers, so Buffalo is bound to take a sizable step back in 2019-20 after winning NCAA Tournament games each of the past two years. Buffalo is easily the best program in the MAC, but moving to the SEC is obviously quite the jump. He will have to compete with Nick Saban but Oats is a guy who has won at all levels of basketball, so he is a coach that has a lot of potential in his first power-conference job.

TJ Otzelberger to UNLV

UNLV is an extremely tough place to win at. But Otzelberger’s previous job, South Dakota State, is also a tough place to win at. Otzelberger did that in his three years at the helm for the Jackrabbits, getting to at least the NIT in each of his three seasons, and got to the NCAA Tournament twice, and won 70 total games in his three years, including a mark of 35-11 in conference play with the help of one of the best mid-major players in the country in Mike Daum. He’s still a young coach at the age of 41, too. It might be a struggle at first but I can see him getting the Runnin’ Rebels back to the tournament, a place where they have not been since 2013.

Jamion Christian to George Washington

As someone who has followed the program at Siena for almost 15 years, Christian bolting from the Saint after one year at the helm came as a pretty big shock to me. I figured he was a climber since he left his alma mater in Mount St. Mary’s to take the job at Siena about a year ago, but he totally changed the culture for Siena in one year, getting them 17 wins (not to mention one of them being over the Colonials) and an appearance in the MAAC semifinals. He landed the eventual MAAC player of the year in Jalen Pickett and got Mount St. Mary’s to a pair of NCAA Tournaments out of the NEC in six seasons. The Atlantic-10 is seem as a nice step up from the MAAC, and will take over a struggling program in DC that won all of four conference games this season.
PS: I like Siena hiring Carmen Maciariello to replace Christian, too.

Ron Hunter to Tulane

I’m a huge fan of Ron Hunter in general, so I’m happy that he can take a step up from Georgia State, which is a program on the rise. Hunter is on the second half of his head coaching career and is 55 years old, but is still a high-energy guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve. Who can forget him crying in the press conference with his son RJ after they got bounced in the second round in 2015? And that was after he fell out of the stool when he made the buzzer-beater in the first round to beat Baylor. Tulane has not been nationally relevant in years, but this seems to be a great place for Hunter to shine. He did everything he could in the Sun Belt, and this is a good challenge in a conference that has the likes of Houston, Cincinnati and UConn.

Casey Alexander to Belmont

Alexander jumps from Lipscomb to Belmont, two schools which are separated by less that two miles. He will be replacing a coaching legend in Rick Byrd, who spearheaded the Bruins for 33 years and won 713 games with the school, and finally won his first NCAA Tournament game this season, albeit a game in the First Four, but that doesn’t matter. A win is a win. Alexander is a former Belmont assistant under Byrd from 1995-2011 before taking the head coaching job at Stetson and eventually Lipscomb, so he’s a guy who knows the program and its values well. He got the Bisons to its first NCAA Tournament last year, and were the runners-up in the NIT this year. If not for the selection committee, Lipscomb could have made the tournament this year as an at-large. Now, it’s a small step up from the Atlantic Sun to Ohio Valley, but I feel that Alexander will stay around for a while and continue Byrd’s legacy.

(I was having problems on my laptop for the last few days trying to figure this out, so I just decided to do this on my phone.)

I arrived at WJMC on Sunday afternoon and  was ready for an amazing week. I had already talked to people who we’re going, and I was really excited to meet them after months of talking to them every day. When I saw them for the first time in one of our dorms, I was greeted with hugs from all of them, and I knew I was going to be okay, I was a little nervous before. After meeting them, we all had to go downstairs and do the campus tour, which we obviously did all together.

We had the opening speaker at dinner, Tina Rosenberg, who made a great speech introducing us to different forms of journalism and what we can do with it. It was a great speech, and the food was good. After dinner, we had our first color group meeting, where I got to meet some more people that I would be spending most of my time with over the week.

On Monday morning, we got to listen to a speech from Hoda Kotb, where she talked about her career in journalism and her struggles in the beginning. A few things she said that I found very interesting; “You only need one person to believe in you.” Also, I particulary liked, “If you survive any bad thing in your life and if you are still standing at the end, you get four words: You Can’t Scare Me.”

After that, we took the bus ride to the Newseum in Washington DC, which has been one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. The exhibit from the 9/11 attacks was moving to me, and there are a few pictures from that on my twitter page. I also got to see a piece of the Berlin Wall, and other artifacts from other huge events in history. One part of the Berlin Wall that I found interesting was that on the West Side of the wall, there was graffiti on it and on the East Side there was no marks on the wall at all. Just a thing I found interesting, makes you think.

When you’re in DC, you have to see the monuments. We did that last night, and I got to see the Washington and Lincoln Monuments, as well as the World War II memorial site. That was very cool to see.

When we got back to the dorms, my group of friends and I decided to order a pizza. It got there and we all ate it together, and that has been by far the best part of the week so far. Fifteen people from all over the country talking and enjoying eachother’s company over a pizza. That made me realize that Friday will be a tough day for all of us. We’ve made some new friends along the way as well.

We’re currently on our way to the National Press Club, where we will hear some speeches by some political journalists, with the highlight being Brian Lamb. I can’t wait to see what today and the rest of the days here in Washington hold!

-Aidan

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