Wednesday, March 11, 2009
All-Aussie Hoops America Team - March
All-Aussie Hoops Australia Team selections – March 2009
by Mike Green (AHA.com contributor)
The conference seasons are all concluding now, with finals played over late February and early March. The best Aussie players are starting to make an impact and if their teams are good enough should be tasting post-season tournament success pretty soon. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for Febraury are:
Men’s
1. Andrew Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt): AJs impact on one of the 10 youngest teams in D1 shows how important he is to the Nashville based team. He lifted his output during February seemingly at the same rate as his foot injuries improved, giuding he Commodores to key wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky and South Carolina. They have continued this form into March beating nationally ranked #12 LSU away, where Ogilvy had a career high 33 points, and a win against Arkansas. They have a tough first up conference final game against Alabama on March 12.
2. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah): Nevill has been voted the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, and also named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Big Luke has reached the top of the MWC Rebound record book, pulling down his 866th career board in a loss to BYU. He is currently 3rd in blocks; however don’t expect him to reach this mark with the remaining games. The Utes claimed a share of the tightly contested MWC and are seeded #2, and play their first conference final game against TCU on March 12.
5. Ryan Bathie (Senior Guard, Nicholls State): The Colonels were another team to narrowly miss out on conference leadership, with SFA recording a win on the last day of conference play. Bathie leads the 5 Aussie-strong Louisiana team with strong contributions from emerging swingman Anatoly Bose. Expect to see the team challenge strongly and possibly sneak an NIT or CBI post-tournament invite on their performance. #2 Nicholls Sate face Texas State in game one of the Southland Conference finals on March 12.
4. Ben Magden (Junior Guard, Augusta State NCAA D2): On the back of 12 consecutive wins, Magden led his Jaguar team to first place in the tough Peach Belt Conference, and followed this up with a win in the Tournament final by a solitary point to be crowned PBC Champions for 2008/09. With the goal of returning to the D2 Championship game, they are currently ranked #5 nationally, and host the first round of the NCAA D2 tournament starting August 14.
5. Jesse Wagstaff (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Wagstaff’s Roadrunners have certainly kept their best til last, having clinched the RMAC Championship, boosted their national ranking in the last weeks to #11. The Roadrunners, who were also the 2009 RMAC regular season champions, enter the tournament with a 27-3 record. It is their 13th NCAA men's basketball tournament bid and their 11th in the last 12 years. MSCD is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will face sixth seed Winona State at 12 p.m. Wagstaff was named RMAC all-tournament and MVP, to go with his career 3rd ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American (college Division) selection.
Honourable mentions:
Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) – Career high games in February .
Ryan Barnes (Texas Wesleyan, NAIA) – Leading rebounder on #10 ranked team
Cameron Gliddon (Concordia, NAIA) – Leading GSAC freshman on # 11 ranked team
Matt Schmettig (Hannibal La-Grange, NAIA) – 17 ppg on a 13-9 team,
Aron Baynes (Washington State) – Powerful inside player for a team struggling in the Pac10;
Women’s
1. Jillian Harmon – NZ (Senior Forward, Stanford): Tall-Fern Harmon is playing a great supporting role in a self-less system that sees the Stanford cardinal ranked 32 in the Nation. Her quiet 10 and 5 per game sees the team head into the Pac 10 conference finals full of confidence and nearly fully fit after stringing together the past 12 wins. They play the winner of WSU and Arizona on March 13 and expect this team to go deep into post-season play.
5. Louella Tomlinson (Sophomore Centre, St Marys): Although playing in a weak conference and in a less than successful team, Louella is smashing all types of records. Double-doubles, triple-doubles and block records are tumbling at conference and NCAA level and with a few more Aussies around her next year, perhaps St Mary’s women’s team may reach the lofty heights being set by Mills and co. Tomlinson was named in the WCC all-conference team, joining fellow Aussie Lauren Angel who was an honourable mention.
3. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Forward, Oklahoma State): Cunningham continued her 3rd fiddle role to perfection in February providing a real foil for Smith and Riley, and a tough match up for opposition teams. Playing in the tough Big 12, Cowgirl Cunningham has impressed coaching staff and should see a broader role next year and in the finals starting on March 12 in a match-up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
4. Micaela Cocks - NZ (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State): Another Kiwi impressing in the Pac 10 is sharp-shooter Micaela Cocks, who has finally entered the Pac 10 top 25 career scoring records. She is the only Ducks player to have played in every game this year, after the team has suffered one of the worst injury records ever, with 6 players missing a combined 75 games this year. Cocks will bring all her experience to the younger Oregon team on March 12 when they face-off against lowly Washington in a game they would expect to win.
5. Megan Sinclair (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Named to RMAC All-conference second team, Victorian Sinclair has led the under-talented Road Runners further than they and their supporters expected. Averaging 14.3 ppg and 6.1 rebounds a contest, Sinclair should be one of the picks of returning players next year. Expect to see her to be a star in the WNBL in 2009/10.
Honourable mentions:
Shannon Malone (Uni. Of Bridgeport, NCAA D2) – Big scoring Senior who earned all-conference honours;
Emma Langford (Wyoming) – Exciting freshman still getting it done.
Alison Lacey (Iowa State) – Tough PG with silky shooting touch;
Hayley Munro (Fresno State) – One of the best WAC Aussies going around.
Kylie Morrisey (Troy) – Leader of the Aussie-laden Trojans.
by Mike Green (AHA.com contributor)
The conference seasons are all concluding now, with finals played over late February and early March. The best Aussie players are starting to make an impact and if their teams are good enough should be tasting post-season tournament success pretty soon. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for Febraury are:
Men’s
1. Andrew Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt): AJs impact on one of the 10 youngest teams in D1 shows how important he is to the Nashville based team. He lifted his output during February seemingly at the same rate as his foot injuries improved, giuding he Commodores to key wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky and South Carolina. They have continued this form into March beating nationally ranked #12 LSU away, where Ogilvy had a career high 33 points, and a win against Arkansas. They have a tough first up conference final game against Alabama on March 12.
2. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah): Nevill has been voted the 2009 MWC Player of the Year, and also named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Big Luke has reached the top of the MWC Rebound record book, pulling down his 866th career board in a loss to BYU. He is currently 3rd in blocks; however don’t expect him to reach this mark with the remaining games. The Utes claimed a share of the tightly contested MWC and are seeded #2, and play their first conference final game against TCU on March 12.
5. Ryan Bathie (Senior Guard, Nicholls State): The Colonels were another team to narrowly miss out on conference leadership, with SFA recording a win on the last day of conference play. Bathie leads the 5 Aussie-strong Louisiana team with strong contributions from emerging swingman Anatoly Bose. Expect to see the team challenge strongly and possibly sneak an NIT or CBI post-tournament invite on their performance. #2 Nicholls Sate face Texas State in game one of the Southland Conference finals on March 12.
4. Ben Magden (Junior Guard, Augusta State NCAA D2): On the back of 12 consecutive wins, Magden led his Jaguar team to first place in the tough Peach Belt Conference, and followed this up with a win in the Tournament final by a solitary point to be crowned PBC Champions for 2008/09. With the goal of returning to the D2 Championship game, they are currently ranked #5 nationally, and host the first round of the NCAA D2 tournament starting August 14.
5. Jesse Wagstaff (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Wagstaff’s Roadrunners have certainly kept their best til last, having clinched the RMAC Championship, boosted their national ranking in the last weeks to #11. The Roadrunners, who were also the 2009 RMAC regular season champions, enter the tournament with a 27-3 record. It is their 13th NCAA men's basketball tournament bid and their 11th in the last 12 years. MSCD is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will face sixth seed Winona State at 12 p.m. Wagstaff was named RMAC all-tournament and MVP, to go with his career 3rd ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American (college Division) selection.
Honourable mentions:
Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) – Career high games in February .
Ryan Barnes (Texas Wesleyan, NAIA) – Leading rebounder on #10 ranked team
Cameron Gliddon (Concordia, NAIA) – Leading GSAC freshman on # 11 ranked team
Matt Schmettig (Hannibal La-Grange, NAIA) – 17 ppg on a 13-9 team,
Aron Baynes (Washington State) – Powerful inside player for a team struggling in the Pac10;
Women’s
1. Jillian Harmon – NZ (Senior Forward, Stanford): Tall-Fern Harmon is playing a great supporting role in a self-less system that sees the Stanford cardinal ranked 32 in the Nation. Her quiet 10 and 5 per game sees the team head into the Pac 10 conference finals full of confidence and nearly fully fit after stringing together the past 12 wins. They play the winner of WSU and Arizona on March 13 and expect this team to go deep into post-season play.
5. Louella Tomlinson (Sophomore Centre, St Marys): Although playing in a weak conference and in a less than successful team, Louella is smashing all types of records. Double-doubles, triple-doubles and block records are tumbling at conference and NCAA level and with a few more Aussies around her next year, perhaps St Mary’s women’s team may reach the lofty heights being set by Mills and co. Tomlinson was named in the WCC all-conference team, joining fellow Aussie Lauren Angel who was an honourable mention.
3. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Forward, Oklahoma State): Cunningham continued her 3rd fiddle role to perfection in February providing a real foil for Smith and Riley, and a tough match up for opposition teams. Playing in the tough Big 12, Cowgirl Cunningham has impressed coaching staff and should see a broader role next year and in the finals starting on March 12 in a match-up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
4. Micaela Cocks - NZ (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State): Another Kiwi impressing in the Pac 10 is sharp-shooter Micaela Cocks, who has finally entered the Pac 10 top 25 career scoring records. She is the only Ducks player to have played in every game this year, after the team has suffered one of the worst injury records ever, with 6 players missing a combined 75 games this year. Cocks will bring all her experience to the younger Oregon team on March 12 when they face-off against lowly Washington in a game they would expect to win.
5. Megan Sinclair (Senior Forward, Metro State NCAA D2): Named to RMAC All-conference second team, Victorian Sinclair has led the under-talented Road Runners further than they and their supporters expected. Averaging 14.3 ppg and 6.1 rebounds a contest, Sinclair should be one of the picks of returning players next year. Expect to see her to be a star in the WNBL in 2009/10.
Honourable mentions:
Shannon Malone (Uni. Of Bridgeport, NCAA D2) – Big scoring Senior who earned all-conference honours;
Emma Langford (Wyoming) – Exciting freshman still getting it done.
Alison Lacey (Iowa State) – Tough PG with silky shooting touch;
Hayley Munro (Fresno State) – One of the best WAC Aussies going around.
Kylie Morrisey (Troy) – Leader of the Aussie-laden Trojans.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Tanner Kerry of Australia signs letters-of-intent with Pepperdine men's basketball for 2009-10 season
Men's Basketball Signs Two Recruits for 2009-10
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 11/20/2008
MALIBU, Calif. Pepperdine men's basketball coach Tom Asbury announced
today that the Waves have signed two players -- guard Josh Lowery of Phoenix
and forward/center Tanner Kerry of Australia -- to letters-of-intent for the
2009-10 season.
Lowery is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard who attends Desert Vista High School,
while Kerry is a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward/center from Sydney, Australia.
Following are capsule biographies with quotes on each player:
Tanner Kerry
Played the last four years on the varsity at Cranbrook High School ... Also
has played with an Under-22 Youth League club team called the Northern
Suburbs Bears for two seasons ... Averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds for
Cranbrook as a senior and made the CAS all-conference team ... Helped the
school to its first-ever conference championship as a junior and was on the
all-conference squad ... Averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Northern
Suburbs Bears last season ... An excellent all-around athlete who has also
won awards in track and field (high jump, 200 meters, discus and shot put),
swimming and rugby ... A dual citizen of Australia and the USA, as he was
born in Newport Beach, Calif., and moved to Australia when he was 5 years
old ... His father, Mark, was an Olympic swimmer for Australia and won one
gold and two bronze medals.
Quote from Asbury: ³I saw Tanner play in a tournament in Denver in the
spring and just fell in love with him. He plays hard, he¹s tough, he¹s got
good athletic ability and has a tremendous upside. He has a really bright
future. He has some great family genes. I would expect him to play
immediately.²
Quote from Stephen Whitebread, head coach, Cranbrook High: ³Tanner is
extremely athletic and strong. He is very enthusiastic, respectful and easy
to coach. Tanner plays the 5 for us but can easily play the 4 and I believe
with some work he can play the 3 spot. It has been a joy to watch Tanner
develop and I look forward to seeing him progress in the years to come. I
believe Tanner is a promising talent and with his existing tools, attitude
and commitment to improve, in addition to his physical presence continuing
to develop, I believe his future is boundless.²
Quote from Rob Beveridge, former head coach of the National Junior Team and
an assistant coach with the Olympic Team: ³Tanner has been a late developer
to the game of basketball and when I first saw Tanner play I was very
excited with the potential that he possesses. He is a big, strong and
athletic player with a great work ethic who wants to get better every time
he is on the floor. These attributes along with his great attitude will
ensure that he will have a very successful college career.²
Quote from Chris McKibbins, NSBA development officer: ³As a player, Tanner
is as hard working and honest as they come. A super-strong athletic big who
is as fast as any guard out on the court. Tanner has the ability to rebound
on the defensive end, throw an outlet, then beat the ball down the court. He
is a genuine inside player but with some refining of his perimeter moves he
could easily be a dominant swingman with his speed and tenacity. It has been
a real pleasure seeing Tanner develop and I look forward to seeing him take
on a big role at Pepperdine.²
Josh Lowery
Won the 2008 5A Division I state championship as a junior with Desert Vista
High School, which went 26-5 overall ... Averaged 12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds,
3.2 assists and 1.7 steals in 2007-08 ... Scored a season-high 21 points in
a 63-50 win over Phoenix St. Mary¹s in the state championship game ...
Pepperdine assistant Damin Lopez was the associate head coach at Phoenix St.
Mary¹s before joining the Waves as an assistant this season ... Josh has
been ruled ineligible to play his senior season by the Arizona
Interscholastic Association ... After moving from Washington to Arizona,
last season was his first at Desert Vista ... Had previously played three
years of high school basketball in the state of Washington (including one
year when he was home-schooled prior to the ninth grade), but Arizona¹s
rules allow no more than four seasons of play ... Is currently finishing up
his coursework at Desert Vista ... Plays with the club team Arizona Premier
Academy.
Quote from Asbury: ³Josh is a consummate point guard. He¹s a great leader
and has good size. He¹s quick and he really knows how to run the court. He
can play offguard, but he¹s a true point guard. He¹ll compete for playing
time right away as a freshman.²
The Waves have three seniors on the 2008-09 squad, all of them guards.
³We lose a couple of point guards, and you can never have too many good
ones, so Josh will help us there,² Asbury said. ³It¹s also clear that we
need more size, more big men who can play with their back to the basket and
rebound, and Tanner will help us there.²
The Waves (1-2) make their first road trip this weekend and are at New
Mexico State on Friday (Nov. 21) and #15 Arizona State on Sunday (Nov. 23).
https://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_
Friday, February 6, 2009
All-Aussie Hoops America Team selections – January 2009
by Mike Green (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)
In our second month’s awards, teams have settled into their conference schedules where success hinges on the contributions of their players. This month’s teams were selected on that contribution, whether it was great or not and whether it lead to the raising of their program’s national ranking. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for January are:
Women’s Team
1. Hayley Munro (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State 15-6, 6-2 WAC): January saw the talented Victorian’s team go 7 and 2, including wins against Boise State and out of conference power UNLV. Fresno State received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this month. It was return to the polls since 1987 when the ‘Dogs were in the Top 25. A narrow 3 point loss at home against Idaho will see the Bulldogs looking for revenge against the Vandals when they travel there on Feb 13, a few days after facing #1 WAC team, Nevada. Hayley Munro became the third Bulldog to earn WAC Player of the Week honours this season. She scored a career-high 28 points against Utah State and had 22 against San Jose State in January.
2. Alison Lacey (Junior Guard, Iowa State 17-4, 5-2 Big 12): Another 7 and 2 January saw the Cyclones gain a National ranking of 21 and 23. Honourable mention pre-season All-Big 12 Lacey’s move to the shooting guard has seen her ppg production increase and her teams stocks rise. A communications major whose blog runs in the NY Times, the Canberra native is clearly enjoying her time in Iowa. The Cyclones overcame a tough challenge on February 5th when they upset #4 Texas A&M, 67-50.
In our second month’s awards, teams have settled into their conference schedules where success hinges on the contributions of their players. This month’s teams were selected on that contribution, whether it was great or not and whether it lead to the raising of their program’s national ranking. The All-AHA teams (NCAA D1 unless noted) for January are:
Women’s Team
1. Hayley Munro (Sophomore Forward, Fresno State 15-6, 6-2 WAC): January saw the talented Victorian’s team go 7 and 2, including wins against Boise State and out of conference power UNLV. Fresno State received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this month. It was return to the polls since 1987 when the ‘Dogs were in the Top 25. A narrow 3 point loss at home against Idaho will see the Bulldogs looking for revenge against the Vandals when they travel there on Feb 13, a few days after facing #1 WAC team, Nevada. Hayley Munro became the third Bulldog to earn WAC Player of the Week honours this season. She scored a career-high 28 points against Utah State and had 22 against San Jose State in January.
2. Alison Lacey (Junior Guard, Iowa State 17-4, 5-2 Big 12): Another 7 and 2 January saw the Cyclones gain a National ranking of 21 and 23. Honourable mention pre-season All-Big 12 Lacey’s move to the shooting guard has seen her ppg production increase and her teams stocks rise. A communications major whose blog runs in the NY Times, the Canberra native is clearly enjoying her time in Iowa. The Cyclones overcame a tough challenge on February 5th when they upset #4 Texas A&M, 67-50.
Check out Alison Lacey's NY Times Blog after you finish reading this!
3. Tegan Cunningham (Junior Guard, Forward, Oklahoma State 13-5, 2-3 Big 12): Cowgirls' Cunningham is playing a great supporting role to potential All-American team-mate Andrea Riley who has had 5 thirty plus outings this year. The Cowgirls had a 5 and 3 January which saw their ranking drop out of the polls, however their schedule looks easier coming into February. Highlight game for them will be in the in-state game at home versus Oklahoma, with super-star Courtney Paris, the current leader of NCAA double-doubles, men or women.
4. Jillian Harmon (Senior Forward / Stanford 17-4, 8-1 Pac10): Surprise NZ Olympian, Harmon led the Cardinal by stepping up and scoring a game-high 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a win over UCLA. #9 Stanford, long a women’s powerhouse under former US Olympic coach Tanya VanDerveer, are eyeing off another +20 win season after experiencing their 7th sub-par year in her 30 year tenure. Valentines Day sees the top two teams in the Pac 10 go head to head, when Stanford host Cal.
5. Kylie Morrisey (Senior Forward / Troy 9-12, 4-7 Sun Belt) Geelong’s Morrisey leads the team in scoring and minutes played, and is fast closing in on the schools all-time top 5 scoring marking this year. Playing alongside 4 other Aussies, the senior is quick to pass on her tips and make her country women feel at home in Alabama. They play Sun Belt #1 Middle Tennessee on February 11 which they hope will set up their post-season ambitions.
Honourable mentions:
Louella Tomlinson (St Marys): Had the second triple-double of her career earning her third career WCC POW;
Emma Langford (Wyoming): Freshman still putting up big numbers;
Megan Sinclair (Metro State NCAA D2): 2nd double-double of the season in 1 pt loss v Regis on Jan 11;
Heather Oliver (USC): Former Central Arizona JuCo star now 10 ppg off the bench at a big-time program;
Caitlin Shadbolt (Mineral Area College – NJCAA D1): Part of a well balanced Region 16 team performing very well.
Men’s Team
1. Luke Nevill (Senior Centre, Utah 15-7, 5-2 Mountain West): The Utes are coming off two straight emotional victories, beating New Mexico, 69-68 at home on the 27th, and capturing a 94-88 overtime against BYU on the 31st to snap a four-game skid against their biggest rivals. Utah is led by 7-2 senior centre Luke Nevill, who is making a strong case for All-American and MWC Player of the Year honours. He won his 4th MWC Player of the week honour this season and leads the Utes with 17.6 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. The Utes sit in 3rd place in the conference and host MWC#2 San Diego State on February 11 and #1 UNLV on February 25.
2. Patrick Mills (Sophomore Guard, St Marys18-3, 5-2 WCC): Pat suffered a broken hand in the Gaels 2nd loss for the season, in a bruising encounter against Gonzaga. Until that point in the game, St Mary’s was leading, had a record of 18 and 1, a national ranking of 18/22, and Mills was on course for a big night out, having already scored his season average 18 points in 17 minutes. A vital part of the Gaels success, his injury devastated the team and inspired the Bulldogs. The team dropped the next game v Portland before returning to Moraga for Pat to have surgery on his hand. The Gaels have a chance to right their season when they face San Francisco on February 5 and an even tougher battle without Mills when they face Utah State in a ESPN Bracket Buster on February 25.
3. Ryan Bathie (Nicholls State 13-8, 6-2 Southland): The Colonels went 6 and 3 in January and are currently equal conference leaders thanks in large part to their Aussie roster and a stifling defence. Led by Bathie, Nicholls State boasts one of the stingiest defences in D1 and are currently 7 and 1 on their home court. Victoria’s Bathie earned Southland Player of the Week on January 12 for his leadership and in combination with Sydney’s Anatoly Bose, they have the Colonels tied for best record in the Southland Conference after knocking off Stephen F. Austin, the #12 Mid-Major team in the country, 57-50 on February 5th.
4. Ben Magden (Junior Forward, Augusta State NCAA D2 16-4, 10-3 PBC): Slipping down the rankings by 3 spots to be ranked #7 nationally, Augusta State is 3rd in their conference, one game behind equal first place USC Aiken and GCSU. South Aussie Magden continues his fine form earning a conference Player of the Week honour on January 12. The Jags will look to keep in contact with the leaders and should feature heavily in post-season play again this year. Magden’s combination with Centre, Garret Siller, see them #13 and #14 on ASU’s all-time leading scorers list, both with more than 1300 career points.
5. Andrew Ogilvy (Sophomore Centre, Vanderbilt 13-8, 2-5 SEC): Sophomore standout A.J. Ogilvy has recently been under the weather and nursing a sore foot, but against Auburn, the 6’11 big man looked like his old self. He scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds to go along with five assists against the Tigers. Ogilvy was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list with Pat Mills in mid November and Ogilvy has scored in double-figures in 48 out of 53 games in his two year career at Vanderbilt. The Commodores face a tough schedule with the feature match being a home game against Kentucky on February 17.
Honourable mentions:
Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State): The "Robin" to Ryan Bathie’s "Batman" in a super-Aussie display in Louisiana;
Jesse Wagstaff (Metro State, NCAA D2) named RMAC Academic Player of the Year to go along with his 3 double-doubles this year;
Trent Fildes (Miles CC, NJCAA D1): Increased his scoring output by 3 ppg with his team going 4 and 3 mostly on the road in January;
Auryn McMillan (Gardner Webb): averaging a career-high 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in a resurgent GWU Bulldogs outfit;
Kevin White (Alaska Anchorage, NCAA D2): has made 20 of his last 40 three pointers to go with his 24 assists and 4 turnovers in his last 6 games.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Mills to have surgery
San Franciso Chronicle
UPDATED Feb 4, 2009 - St. Mary's coach Randy Bennett said that point guard Patty Mills will have surgery to repair a broken right hand today and remains on track to return either for the final weekend of the regular season (Feb. 26-28) or for the WCC tournament that begins March 6. ... Mills broke his hand during Thursday's loss to Gonzaga in Spokane. ... St. Mary's (18-3, 5-2) lost its next game, 84-66 at Portland. ... The NCAA Tournament selection committee might want to see St. Mary's play at least one game with Mills when he returns before voting on the Gaels' selection.
Original report
by Tim Coakley (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)
I recently spoke to Saint Mary's Assistant Coach David Patrick and he had some interesting news about the state of the Gaels and injured star Patty Mills.
Despite a devastating injury, two fractured metacarpal bones in his right hand, David Patrick says Mills is in higher spirits than nearly anyone else on the team. An official decision will be made tomorrow morning (early morning hours of Wednesday in Australia) whether or not Mills decides to have surgery, which will entail having a pin placed in his hand. If he opts for the surgery, and according to FOXSports.com, Head Coach Randy Bennett says this is the most likely scenario, the healing period should be about four weeks. This would coincide with a targeted return on Thursday February 26th (27th in Oz) when St. Mary's hosts Pepperdine. The Gaels would then host Loyola Marymount on February 28th before preparing for the West Coast Conference tournament which begins on March 6th in Las Vegas. FOXSPORTS.com goes on to report that Mills consulted with two doctors in the San Francisco area over the weekend, and that he will have a pin inserted into his shooting hand on Tuesday morning (Wednesday in Australia). Only one of the fractured metacarpal bones (the one that suffered a clean break) would require the pin while the other would be allowed to heal normally.
If he had opted to have the hand heal naturally the healing would take about 6 to 7 weeks with a good chance that Mills would miss the West Coast Conference tournament.
David Patrick said that if Mills has the surgery, he will likely begin rehab the following day and by Sunday or Monday he would begin handling the ball. He would probably be able to start shooting again in about two weeks time, and physical contact would be last on the timeline to recovery.
Mills has seen a total of four doctors, including Gonzaga's doctor, since breaking his hand and has carefully weighed his options keeping in mind both St. Mary's and the bigger picture, that is his health and future plans.
Patty's contribution on the floor goes beyond his 18.7 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 steals. David Patrick pointed out that as a team the Gaels average just under 8 steals per game, and while Mills came into the Gonzaga game averaging 2.5 steals, St. Mary's as a team only had 1 steal in their loss to Portland. It's the intangibles that Mills brings such as tenacity and intensity that allow the entire team to thrive and the absence of that presence has affected the entire squad.
While it may be a tall task to catch Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference standings, David Patrick still sees the Gaels finishing 2nd or 3rd in the conference. If Mills comes back healthy, St. Mary's can still do damage in the conference tournament but as long as Mills comes back there's a good chance the NCAA will judge St. Mary's on how they performed with Mills in the line-up. A return trip to the NCAA Tournament is likely based upon the performance they've already put forward prior to Patty's injury. Just the presence of Mills on the floor instills confidence in his teammates and while the Gaels as a team have plenty of talent, Mills is the catalyst that makes St. Mary's click.
Notes: St. Mary's learned tonight that they will host #22/#25 Utah State (21-1, 9-0 WAC) in their "ESPNU BracketBusters Game" on February 21st, a game that Mills will not likely be ready for. Utah State is the team of Dom Cooks (Wollongong) however Cooks is redshirting this season after spraining his ankle in practice prior to the start of the regular season.
The seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters event, a two-day men’s college basketball extravaganza pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other on Feb. 20-21, will feature 13 nationally televised games—on either ESPN2, ESPNU, or ESPN360.com—selected from a pool of 102 teams.
UPDATED Feb 4, 2009 - St. Mary's coach Randy Bennett said that point guard Patty Mills will have surgery to repair a broken right hand today and remains on track to return either for the final weekend of the regular season (Feb. 26-28) or for the WCC tournament that begins March 6. ... Mills broke his hand during Thursday's loss to Gonzaga in Spokane. ... St. Mary's (18-3, 5-2) lost its next game, 84-66 at Portland. ... The NCAA Tournament selection committee might want to see St. Mary's play at least one game with Mills when he returns before voting on the Gaels' selection.
Original report
by Tim Coakley (AussieHoopsAmerica.com contributor)
I recently spoke to Saint Mary's Assistant Coach David Patrick and he had some interesting news about the state of the Gaels and injured star Patty Mills.
Despite a devastating injury, two fractured metacarpal bones in his right hand, David Patrick says Mills is in higher spirits than nearly anyone else on the team. An official decision will be made tomorrow morning (early morning hours of Wednesday in Australia) whether or not Mills decides to have surgery, which will entail having a pin placed in his hand. If he opts for the surgery, and according to FOXSports.com, Head Coach Randy Bennett says this is the most likely scenario, the healing period should be about four weeks. This would coincide with a targeted return on Thursday February 26th (27th in Oz) when St. Mary's hosts Pepperdine. The Gaels would then host Loyola Marymount on February 28th before preparing for the West Coast Conference tournament which begins on March 6th in Las Vegas. FOXSPORTS.com goes on to report that Mills consulted with two doctors in the San Francisco area over the weekend, and that he will have a pin inserted into his shooting hand on Tuesday morning (Wednesday in Australia). Only one of the fractured metacarpal bones (the one that suffered a clean break) would require the pin while the other would be allowed to heal normally.
If he had opted to have the hand heal naturally the healing would take about 6 to 7 weeks with a good chance that Mills would miss the West Coast Conference tournament.
David Patrick said that if Mills has the surgery, he will likely begin rehab the following day and by Sunday or Monday he would begin handling the ball. He would probably be able to start shooting again in about two weeks time, and physical contact would be last on the timeline to recovery.
Mills has seen a total of four doctors, including Gonzaga's doctor, since breaking his hand and has carefully weighed his options keeping in mind both St. Mary's and the bigger picture, that is his health and future plans.
Patty's contribution on the floor goes beyond his 18.7 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 steals. David Patrick pointed out that as a team the Gaels average just under 8 steals per game, and while Mills came into the Gonzaga game averaging 2.5 steals, St. Mary's as a team only had 1 steal in their loss to Portland. It's the intangibles that Mills brings such as tenacity and intensity that allow the entire team to thrive and the absence of that presence has affected the entire squad.
While it may be a tall task to catch Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference standings, David Patrick still sees the Gaels finishing 2nd or 3rd in the conference. If Mills comes back healthy, St. Mary's can still do damage in the conference tournament but as long as Mills comes back there's a good chance the NCAA will judge St. Mary's on how they performed with Mills in the line-up. A return trip to the NCAA Tournament is likely based upon the performance they've already put forward prior to Patty's injury. Just the presence of Mills on the floor instills confidence in his teammates and while the Gaels as a team have plenty of talent, Mills is the catalyst that makes St. Mary's click.
Notes: St. Mary's learned tonight that they will host #22/#25 Utah State (21-1, 9-0 WAC) in their "ESPNU BracketBusters Game" on February 21st, a game that Mills will not likely be ready for. Utah State is the team of Dom Cooks (Wollongong) however Cooks is redshirting this season after spraining his ankle in practice prior to the start of the regular season.
The seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters event, a two-day men’s college basketball extravaganza pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other on Feb. 20-21, will feature 13 nationally televised games—on either ESPN2, ESPNU, or ESPN360.com—selected from a pool of 102 teams.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bears, Gaels earn national recognition
Bears, Gaels earn national recognitionAn excellent season of college basketball in the Bay Area got some recognition Monday when the men's teams from Cal and Saint Mary's College moved into the top 25 rankings for the first time this season. The Golden Bears, 15-2 and off to their best start in 49 seasons, were voted No. 22 in the Associated Press media poll. Cal is No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. The Gaels, whose 15-1 mark is their best since a school-record 16-1 start during the 1988-89 season, checked in at No. 25 in the coaches poll but didn't make the cut in the AP poll. The Bears made their first appearance in the AP poll since March 2003, when they were No. 24 before losing in the Pac-10 tournament. Cal climbed as high as No. 18 that season. "It just means we're going in the right direction," said junior guard Patrick Christopher, who was honored Monday with his second straight Pac-10 Player of the Week award after totaling 49 points in wins at Washington State and Washington. "We're more concerned with long-term goals. "Somebody on the staff mentioned to me you can't win the championship in January. That's kind of been the motto. But it's our first time being in the top 25, and it's a good feeling." Cal plays Saturday at Stanford in coach Mike Montgomery's return to the school where he formerly coached. Saint Mary's spent eight weeks in the coaches poll last season and six ranked by the AP. Coach Randy Bennett said that experience will help his players keep things in perspective. "Because they've been there, they'll be able to handle it and roll with it better," he said. "Last year we were so excited. I don't think we're too big (now) to be excited about being ranked, but I think we'll be more level-headed." Bennett said what he learned from last season's ranking was the exposure reaches out to everyone from the NCAA Tournament selection committee to potential recruits. "It shines a light on your program that can help in a lot of ways," he said. "I didn't realize that until last year. More people are paying attention to what you're doing." The Gaels play host to Loyola Marymount on Thursday at 6 p.m. Contact Jeff Faraudo at jeffscribe@aol.com. |
Friday, January 9, 2009
U-19 star Ellis latest Aussie to visit Buffs
The 6-foot-8 forward, who also is considering Wake Forest and Saint Louis, might sign with CU, as did countryman Harris-Tunks.
BOULDER — One of Australia's top young basketball prospects toured the Colorado campus with his family Thursday and said he is strongly considering CU.
Cody Ellis, a 6-foot-8 forward and the star of Australia's under-19 national team, is a senior at the Australian Institute of Sport in Sydney and expects to sign a national letter of intent during the spring signing period in April.
Ellis previously visited Wake Forest and is scheduled to complete his trip with a visit to Saint Louis University. Ellis said he can handle the ball and shoot well from outside and is comfortable playing inside or outside.
"Education, as well as basketball, is important to me, so I'm visiting good schools," Ellis said Thursday. "I like Colorado a lot. I watched practice, and it was pretty intense. I could definitely fit in."
With the NBA having become wildly popular in Australia, Ellis said he first became familiar with CU coach Jeff Bzdelik several years ago while watching telecasts of Nuggets games. Ellis said Carmelo Anthony is one of his favorite players.
Saint Louis is coached by Rick Majerus, who coached the most famous Australian basketball player, Andrew Bogut, while they were at the University of Utah.
At AIS, Ellis is a teammate of Shane Harris-Tunks, a 6-11 center who signed with Colorado in November. Ellis, from Perth in western Australia, played youth basketball against CU freshman point guard Nate Tomlinson, who is from Sydney on the east coast.
Ellis said he has no timetable for picking a college.
"We're going to go back to Australia and sit down as a family and go over the pros and cons of all the colleges," Ellis said. "I'm going to make the decision at home."
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from talking about recruits until they have signed letters of intent.
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