Class of '66 Old Fart

First pre-season game for the Nets who defeat the Pistons 101-94. Yogi played 12 minutes; scored 5 pts. on 2 of 4 FGs' 1 of 2 on 3's; 2 reb; 1 asst; 1 stl; but 3 TO's. Nets were +8 while he was in the game. Full pre-season schedule for the Nets DATE DAY TIME OPPONENT LOCATION 10/6/16 Thursday 7:30 PM vs. Detroit Pistons Barclays Center 10/8/16 Saturday 7:30 PM at New York Knicks Madison Square Garden 10/11/16 Tuesday 7:30 PM at Miami Heat American Airlines Arena 10/13/16 Thursday 7:30 PM vs. Boston Celtics Barclays Center 10/17/16 Monday 7:30 PM at Boston Celtics TD Garden 10/20/16 Thursday 7:30 PM vs. New York Knicks Barclays Center

I hope that's the case because my digestive system could get really upset thinking of a small number of our players on the loose in NYC. Visions of past transgressions are dancing in my head.

Another great piece of writing from Hutch at The Anderson Herald-Bulletin: http://www.heraldbulletin.com/sports/thomas-bryant-s-vertical-has-improved-by-leaps-and-bounds/article_8a9ba44e-8c0e-11e6-bc48-970c904844c5.html Thomas Bryant's vertical has improved by leaps and bounds BLOOMINGTON — The Indiana University basketball team has been practicing for a week as it gets ready to open the season Nov. 11 in Honolulu against Kansas. When IU coach Tom Crean met with the media recently to talk about personnel and what he hoped to get out of the first few weeks of practice, he passed on a little factoid about one of his best players, sophomore preseason All-America selection Thomas Bryant. According to Crean, Bryant is literally jumping out of the gym. “Thomas has really gotten better athletically,’’ Crean said. “At 14 months, or 14-and-a-half months, his vertical has gone up 13 inches, and I’ve never been around anybody who has done that. His squat has gone up almost 200 pounds since he got here last June. And one of the biggest areas of need for him were his feet and his lower body being stronger, and he’s well on his way to doing that. “Now we have to apply it to the court where he actually has to go against other people, and that will happen no sooner than when we get to Hawaii, and he’ll have to deal with that right away.’’ Bryant didn’t get a great deal of an opportunity to go up against bigger bodies at IU in the summer time because so many of his teammates were out with injuries. OG Anunoby had a groin injury that limited his work. Juwan Morgan had offseason shoulder surgery. Collin Hartman had a hand injury, and then a week before camp started he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. And IU’s top two big men in the incoming class stayed home for the summer working on academic issues and didn’t arrive in Bloomington until the day before school started in August. “We didn’t have the guys who could go against Thomas this summer,’’ Crean said. “So we would tailor half of the week for Thomas just dealing with the strength coach hitting him with pads, the managers and the graduate managers swiping at the ball. We would have short verse workouts that were focused on his inside play and his ability to run out and set ball screens. Then the other times he was kind of in the mode with everybody else where he was working on his shooting, working on the ballhandling, working on the pick-and-roll and working on coming off screens. “It was just completely training him like a guard which we did with Cody (Zeller) and we did with Noah (Vonleh) and like we want to do with him. The next step would be him guarding those people in the summer which has improved. But again it has improved in a half court, one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three situation, and now we have to see how it will transfer to the court in a five-on-five.’’

Andrew Slater ‏@ASlater247 28m28 minutes ago New York, USA Bryce Wills has UConn, Nova, Maryland, Gonzaga, St.John's, Prov. & Min offers + Cuse, L'ville, IU, Kansas, Zona, Cal & FSU interest.

ESPN's pre-season ranking for IU is #12. Mike Miller ‏@MikeMillerHT: James Blackmon Jr. and Thomas Bryant will represent Indiana at next week's Big Ten Media Day in Washington D.C.

I thought it was their mud spa for their facials.

From Sports Illustrated which features a picture of JBJ: 64 reasons to be excited for the 2016–17 college hoops season (Nos. 64–33) 55. James Blackmon is back Blackmon only played in 13 games last season before he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. But in those 13 games, he showed an improvement from his already excellent freshman season. He took more of the Hoosiers’ shots and possessions while improving his offensive rating and assist rate. Now that Indiana is without Troy Williams and Yogi Ferrell on the perimeter, Blackmon should have a green light to make plays and put up points. He’ll be helped by the continued growth of second-year big man Thomas Bryant and wing O.G. Anunoby. List of #64 down to #33

Sickle cell trait may force former IU star Tevin Coleman to miss Denver game Jim Ayello , Jim Ayello 4:44 p.m. EDT October 4, 2016 (Photo: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports) Atlanta Falcons running back and former Indiana star Tevin Coleman is unsure if he'll play this weekend in the high altitudes of Denver because of his sickle cell trait. "Really don’t know how I’ll feel or how it will be like," Coleman recently told ESPN.com. "I’ve never been to Denver." According to the Centers for Disease Control, the blood disorder related to sickle cell disease can become aggravated by intense physical activity, dehydration and in places with low oxygen levels in the air. It affects 1 in 12 African Americans in the United States, the CDC reports. INDIANAPOLIS STAR Tevin Coleman confirms he has sickle cell trait While at IU, Coleman never acknowledged his condition publicly, and the Hoosiers coaches never revealed it. This August, ESPN reported that Coleman was removed from a practice because of the extreme heat. "I was just dehydrated,’’ Coleman said. "I’ll probably get a lot of fluids in me and an IV while I’m in Denver. I will be hydrated so that helps a lot. That will be a step that I take.’’ In 2012, then-Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who also carries the sickle cell trait, skipped a game in Denver because of the risks the altitude.

http://www.vigilantsports.com/2016/10/04/nick-zeisloft-discusses-his-opportunity-with-the-pacers/ Former Indiana University guard Nick Zeisloft signed his first NBA contract on Sept. 6, 2016. He didn’t receive an invitation to play for an NBA team during Summer League action in July, but the Pacers later asked him to join them for a week of workouts at the end of August. The 23-year-old from La Grange, Illinois ended up signing a one-year deal for the league minimum ($543,471), of which only $25,000 is guaranteed, per league sources. Ultimately, this is a deal for the Pacers to own the rights to Zeisloft when it comes time for the Developmental League. The Pacers own the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and that’s where Zeisloft, along with Julyan Stone and Alex Poythress, will end up. The 6-4, 210-pound guard, wearing No. 15, will suit up in the Pacers’ first of six preseason games Tuesday in New Orleans. Here’s a brief Q&A with Zeisloft on joining the Pacers and what he’s trying to prove to scouts and team officials. How did the opportunity to join the Pacers come about? I came in to workout for a week or so at the end of August. I just thought it was going to be a week of workouts and open gym and playing with the team. And then they invited me back for another week, liked what I was doing, and decided to sign me to a contract the next week. It all fell into a place how I never expected it to, and it worked out well. Were you under the impression that the workout was a tryout, or that they were simply needing an extra body? Any time someone has you in, I guess it’s kind of like they are checking out what you can do. It just felt like workouts and open gyms, and it was all a lot of fun how it all came about. We didn’t see in any of the three NBA Summer Leagues. So, how did you spend your summer? Yeah, I wasn’t invited into summer league. I was working out on my own a lot and getting better on my own a lot back in the Grange, sometimes in Bloomington. I was all over. What are you trying to show the decision makers for a chance at making it in the NBA? I’ll have to play with the ball more some, just because of my size in the NBA. Ball skills. Working on everything. Defending on this level is tough and so just improving in that way, too. Just a lot of things. It all matters. I’ve been told to expect to see Christian Watford join the Mad Ants this upcoming season. What will that be like for you — two IU guys? I didn’t know that. That would be a lot of fun. Christian is a great player. Never got to play with him because our paths didn’t cross at IU. He’s a great guy, hard worker, and I’ve talked to him several times and like being around him off the court. He’s a great dude to play with.

IUWBB: Penn explains decision to attend IU October 3, 2016 Jon Blau Women's Basketball Leave a comment Indiana claimed a statement recruiting win on Sunday, nabbing five-star guard Jaelynn Penn in a head-to-head battle with South Carolina. Penn, considered the No. 39 recruit in 2017, according to ESPN, explained Monday why she chose IU over a program consistently ranked top 5 in the country. “I felt more of a priority to them,” Penn said of IU. “They have McDonald’s All-Americans on the bench over (at South Carolina). Indiana’s closer to home. I want my parents to come to my games and stuff, that’s important. But mostly the education.” It wasn’t just about basketball for Penn, who wants to be a doctor someday and likes IU’s medical school. But in terms of the Hoosiers’ basketball program, Penn said she feels it’s ascending after last year’s NCAA tournament appearance. “I feel like they are on the come up,” Penn said. “Getting to the NCAA tournament was a big thing for them. Just because they are not established as one of the top schools in the nation, that doesn’t mean we can’t get there, you know?” Penn, a 5-foot-10 guard, figures to be a valuable piece next to point guard Tyra Buss, who will be a senior in 2017-18. The Hoosiers will also have graduated current seniors Alexis Gassion, Karlee McBride and Amber Deane from the backcourt. With a backcourt of Buss, Penn and possibly Ria Gulley, the Hoosiers will have three athletic guards who can run the floor and attack the basket. Penn was also a 40 percent shooter from 3 last season for Butler High School in Louisville. IU’s pace of play definitely intrigues Penn. She also likes the fact that head coach Teri Moren doesn’t take kindly to losing. “I heard she’s not a great loser at all,” Penn said. “I think they take pride in that and that’s what I take pride in now as a high schooler.”

I've seen him play several games and he never gets rattled. In a couple of the games it almost seemed that he went out of his way in the first half to get his teammates fully involved and then he just took over scoring wise in the second half. I hope we do make a really serious effort to recruit him and it would be even more special if he committed since he lives in PUke's backyard!

Sure, it's only an exhibition game but stil..... .@VicOladipo had 34 points in an exhibition game for @okcthunder vs @RMBaloncesto today. #iubb

From the Indiana Daily Student Hartman's injury raises leadership question for IU IU Coach Tom Crean was visually upset when talking about senior leader Collin Hartman. The ninth-year head coach got emotionally choked up when giving details about the injury his senior had sustained. The 6-foot-7 forward went down more than a week ago in practice after suffering a left knee injury that required surgery in a non-contact drill. There’s no timetable set for Hartman’s return, so Crean now has to explore alternate leadership options for his 
inexperienced team. “With Collin going down, it’s hard,” Crean said. “I just love that kid. That young guy was putting so much into getting ready to be our senior leader, and we’re going to need that right now. The level of toughness that he has is just incredible.” With IU losing point guard Yogi Ferrell and four other seniors because of graduation and Troy Williams foregoing his senior year to enter the NBA draft, Hartman was the guy to turn to for the 2016-2017 IU men’s basketball team. Hartman’s career statistics may not particularly blow anyone away. He averaged just five points a game last season, but he leads by his actions and toughness on the court. The Carmel, Indiana, native played the final three games of the season in the NCAA tournament with a broken right wrist and was one of the Hoosiers’ most fundamentally sound players on the court. “The only time he used his right hand before the North Carolina game was when they put the shot in him,” Crean said. “He does so many things for us with moving without the ball and making plays. We put together offensive and defensive concept tapes, not highlight tapes, and he’s probably 70 percent of the clips.” Without Hartman, the junior guard combo of Robert Johnson and James Blackmon Jr. realistically makes the most sense for the Hoosiers to tap as on-court leaders. Although Blackmon missed all of conference play last season due to knee surgery, he and Johnson are the only two upperclassmen, aside from Hartman, to see playing time in every game they were healthy for last year. The two of them also spent the last two seasons learning leadership skills from Ferrell. They will look to lead this club, which has four transfers and four 
freshmen. With IU starting official practice last Friday, Crean said he is excited to move forward with his young group of guys to build off of what the veterans like Ferrell, Williams, Max Bielfeldt and Nick Zeisloft did last year. Crean said the only thing the team can do to get better, is by working with one another to have good team defense, move the ball quickly and the have the ability to move without the ball. “The exciting part is that we get to keep building on that as we go,” Crean said. “I have no idea how many steps it’s going to take for us to get there and be good, but they’re there.” As for Hartman, Crean and the Hoosiers will be there to support him in his recovery process to make sure he remains a leader and key part of the team, especially when he returns to the court. “No matter what happens with this right now, I hope that he just continues to build that leadership and mindset that he can overcome anything and can bring a lot of value,” Crean said. “And at the same time we’re going to bring a lot of value to him in the sense of helping him through tough days.”

We're not alone in battling pre-season injuries. Michigan State’s front court depth took a hit over the weekend. Ben Carter, a UNLV transfer that the Spartans are counting on to be a low-post scoring presence, suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and sideline him indefinitely. The injury occurred when he landed awkwardly trying to block a shot. Carter tore his ACL in January, an injury that ended his final season with the Rebels. “I feel awful for Ben,” head coach Tom Izzo said in a statement released by the program. “He had worked extremely hard on his rehab and to suffer another knee injury on a fluke play is incredibly cruel.” With Carter out, senior Gavin Schilling, redshirt sophomore Kenny Goins and freshman Nick Ward will be asked to anchor the front line. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Duke freshman forward Harry Giles underwent a left knee arthroscopy (second time he's had surgery on his left knee) on Monday and is expected to be out six weeks, the team announced. "We're very pleased with the outcome of today's procedure," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. "This is the right step for Harry at the moment as it will help him be 100 percent going forward. Harry has done a tremendous job in rehabilitation over the last year and I'm sure he'll continue to do the same after this procedure." The 6-foot-11 Giles is part of Duke's heralded freshmen class that also includes fellow forwards Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden. Giles is projected as the No 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2013 and missed his sophomore season at Wesleyan (N.C.) Christian. He also tore his right ACL and was forced to miss his senior season at Oak Hill Academy (VA.). The projected No. 1 team in the nation, Duke will open the season on Nov. 11 against Marist. The Blue Devils are also slated to face Josh Jackson and Kansas in the Champions Classic On Nov. 15 at Madison Square garden.

U.S. Supreme Court denies petitions in O’Bannon v. NCAA Statement from Donald Remy, NCAA chief legal officer October 3, 2016 10:30am “The U.S. Supreme Court denied both the plaintiffs’ and NCAA’s request to clarify key issues of law affecting the NCAA and other similar organizations. In asking for the review, we hoped the court would take the opportunity to affirm its own 30-year precedent in the Board of Regents antitrust decision and support the appellate court’s now final endorsement of amateur college sports. While we are disappointed with this decision not to review this case, we remain pleased that the Ninth Circuit agreed with us that amateurism is an essential component of college sports and that NCAA members should not be forced by the courts to provide benefits untethered to education, including providing any payments beyond the full cost of attendance. We continue to believe, and many other appellate courts have agreed, that the NCAA membership agreements to advance college sports are not violations of the antitrust laws. We will continue to strongly advance that legal position in other litigation. Further, the Court's determination to not hear the case will not deter our members from continuing to provide students with academic opportunities, safeguarding their health and well-being and creating fair policies centered on the student-athlete experience.”

More narrative on Moore: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/bossi-indiana-adds-intriguing-commitment-in-clifton-moore

I don't care how good your QB is, he ain't gonna overcome that kind of number very often. Scott Kacsmar ‏@FO_ScottKacsmar Colts have allowed 34.5 PPG in the 26 losses of Andrew Luck's career. That's a big number.

Falcons beat the Panthers 48-33. Coleman with 19 yds. on 8 carries (Freeman with 57 yds. on 13 carries). Coleman with 3 receptions for 14 yds. (Freeman with 2 receptions for 7 yds.) Matt Ryan was the star for the Falcons with 4 TD's on 28 of 37 passes although he did have 1 int., and was sacked 3 times.

Bears HC John Fox on rookie RB Jordan Howard: "He's outstanding, and we'll ride him pretty good moving forward." Based on that comment, I'd say the job is Howard's to lose.

Not too shabby!

Which is Wilkes' clearly stated (maybe even adamant) desire correct?

From Osterman and the Indpls. Star. 2017 forward Clifton Moore commits to IU Zach Osterman, zach.osterman@indystar.com 5:55 p.m. EDT October 2, 2016 Buy Photo (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar) BLOOMINGTON – High-profile AAU programs, with strong shoe-company ties, kept coming for Clifton Moore. A late-blossoming, unusually skilled 6-10 forward from suburban Philadelphia, Moore attracted his share of attention. But he wouldn’t leave Hoopdreamz, the program he’d played with since elementary school. “He never left us when all the shoe-company teams came, because of the relationships with our guys,” said Moore’s coach, Jonathan Michels. “I don’t know if there’s one thing you can put your finger on. He’s a religious kid, and he’s really a family kid. For him, it’s just a matter of being some place and getting that feel that it feels right.” That deep value of loyalty, as much as anything, led Moore to commit to Indiana on Sunday, Michels told IndyStar. A three-star prospect who only landed on IU’s radar in July and just picked up an offer less than three weeks ago, Moore committed following a weekend official visit to Bloomington. He announced his decision on Twitter. I want to thank all my coaches and schools that recruited me,” Moore said on Twitter. “I am proud to announce that I will be committing to Indiana University.” A three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, Moore is the No. 46 power forward in his class. But Michels cautioned against pigeon-holing his former pupil – whose wingspan stretches to 7-3 – into just one position. “Minimum, he’s gonna be able to play the wing and play the four spot,” Michels said, adding that Moore sometimes initiated his team’s offense, acting as a point guard. “There’s times that he bounced the ball for us and we initiated offense through him,” he said. “The sky is the limit.” IU assistant coach Chuck Martin first made contact in July, during the late-summer evaluation period. He kept in touch through the month, and Indiana officially offered in mid-September. Moore also held offers from Northwestern, Boston College, Ole Miss, George Washington and Temple among others. Pitt, Xavier and Villanova were all showing interest. He visited Ole Miss recently, and was actually scheduled to be in Evanston, Ill. next weekend. But plans changed Sunday. “He’s really a comfort-level kid,” Michels said. “He really is comfortable with coach (Tom) Crean and coach Martin. I think he came this weekend with the idea that, ‘If it is what I think it’s gonna be, then I’m not leaving.’” Moore becomes Indiana’s third commitment in the current senior class, alongside Justin Smith, a Chicago-area forward who committed last week over co-finalist Villanova, and Al Durham a Georgia guard who has been in the fold for nearly a year now. Durham also took his official visit to IU this weekend. The Hoosiers are now scheduled to be oversigned by two players in the current class, with just one senior, forward Collin Hartman, on roster. They might also have to address attrition from the NBA draft, with underclassmen like Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and James Blackmon Jr. all potential early entrants. But before Moore’s own college career begins, Michels said he will need to begin building a more college-ready body. For a player who just turned 17 in August, Michels doesn’t see Moore hitting his ceiling any time soon. In fact, he’s willing to bet that ceiling is higher than just Indiana. “The biggest thing, he’s gotta get stronger, especially in that league,” Michels said. “I’m partial, but I think he’s gonna end up being an NBA player. For a guy his size, he’s so skilled.”

In your humble opinion is this a + or a - in the Wilkes recruitment?

Early responses: http://www.insidethehall.com/2016/10/02/q-clifton-moore-talks-indiana-commitment/ http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/10/mens-basketball-gets-third-recruit-for-2017

Best article thus far. http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/2016/10/iuwbb-h-s-aau-coaches-offer-perspectives-on-penn-to-iu/ IUWBB: H.S., AAU coaches offer perspectives on Penn-to-IU Kentucky Premier’s David Tapley knew Jaelynn Penn had significant interest in Indiana before she headed to Bloomington this weekend. But did he think Penn, who averaged 17 points a game for his Nike EYBL team this summer, would actually commit to IU this weekend? Especially with a visit to national power South Carolina scheduled in the near future? “Absolutely not,” Tapley said, laughing. “She must have really liked it.” Tarpley’s surprise only underscores what kind of commitment head coach Teri Moren has landed in the five-star Penn, who plays for Butler High School in Louisville, Ky. But, with the help of Tarpley and Butler’s Larry Just, here is an idea of how it all came together for ESPN’s 39th best recruit in 2017. As previously reported, Penn decommitted from Dayton in September when coach Jim Jabir resigned. Once that news broke, Tapley’s phone blew up with calls from coaches “slobbering” with interest. Just helped to play “mediator,” as he puts it, encouraging Penn to have a plan once she started looking at schools. The list of interested parties was many, including Kentucky and Louisville. In fact, Tarpley said only a few top programs didn’t call, including Notre Dame and UConn. When IU called, they had a few ins with Penn. Assistant coach Janese Banks, who was hired by Moren in May, recruited Penn’s Butler High School teammate, Danielle Lawrence, to IUPUI. Assistant Glenn Box, hired away from St. Louis in June, helped secure a verbal commitment from Butler’s Tasia Jeffries. And on top of that, Tarpley knew Moren and Rhet Wierzba from their Indiana State days. Those prior relationships were a big advantage for IU, according to Just. While South Carolina’s Dawn Staley and her assistants hadn’t had much time to build connections, the Hoosiers already had some in place, especially with Banks’ tie-in with Lawrence. “Danielle and Jaelynn hit it off big when they were together with me,” Just said. “(Penn) just wants to feel like someone will take care of her and will give her a chance to do what she’s comfortable doing. She can help IU continue with their rise and take that to even another level. She will look forward to that.” Penn isn’t just a great athlete. She’s a top student. That means she didn’t just find IU’s rising women’s basketball program appealing, but also the university’s medical school. For her visit, Penn went to IU’s football game against Michigan State. She also went with teammates to a haunted house. But, again, Tarpley expected Penn to take her time in making a decision. Then, he had an interesting exchange with Penn’s father on Saturday night. “Her dad texted me a bunch of pictures,” Tarpley said, “and said, ‘This is going really well,’ and I said “Really?’ … ‘Yeah, she really likes it here.’ … ‘Well, is there a chance she might commit today? … (Penn’s father said) ‘I hope.'” “I knew he was sold when he said that,” Tarpley said. Once news broke Sunday afternoon that Penn committed to IU, Tarpley and Just understood the significance. This may highlight the continued turning of the tide at IU following last year’s NCAA tournament appearance, which followed an offseason of tremendous turnover in 2015. Tarpley had former Hoosiers guard Larryn Brooks on his Kentucky Premier team. She was the most prolific scorer in IU women’s basketball history through her sophomore campaign, but transferred to Texas Tech after Moren’s first year. Tarpley wonders if Brooks should regret leaving. He also thinks Penn could have a Brooks-like impact alongside foundational pieces in All-Big Ten juniors Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill. Penn may have averaged 14.2 points per game as a junior at Butler, but that was on a state championship team with multiple Division I prospects. As an AAU player, she has played with Kentucky’s Miss Basketball, Erin Boley, who is headed to Notre Dame, and Crystal Dangerfield, who is headed to UConn. “She’s so skilled and so athletic, pro hops. This kid can play,” Tarpley said of Penn. “This kid here’s all business, this kid ain’t loud. This kid’s got her head right. That’s the key to all this.” Penn’s high school coach echoes Tarpley. “I don’t think there is a better player you are going to find in the state of Kentucky,” Just said. “May not score the most, may not rebound the most, but she is going to do everything. She is going to impact the game in every way it can be impacted, and there aren’t many kids who have the chance to do that. “I’m excited she has chosen a place she feels good about and I think Indiana is getting a great player and a great person on top of that.”