Post by stlvufan on Jan 28, 2006 9:29:02 GMT -5
Western Illinois loses to IUPUI--The Chicago Tribune
[glow=red,2,300]OU seeks turnaround after Valpo win[/glow]--The Oakland Press
By CRYSTAL EVOLA Of The Oakland Press
ROCHESTER — A week ago, the Oakland University men's basketball team was confused and tied for last place.
A lot has changed in a short amount of time.
The Golden Grizzlies picked up a major confidence booster with Thursday's program-first win over Valparaiso and have climbed to seventh place in the Mid-Continent Conference standings.
OU hopes to continue its second-half turnaround in a meeting against Western Illinois at 6 p.m. today at the Oakland Athletics Center.
The Grizzlies (8-13, 3-6) head into their third straight home game with just two wins in their last six games.
However, they can still be giddy about the fact that one of those victories snapped a 16-game winless streak against perennial power Valparaiso.
Junior Calvin Wooten scored 40 points en route to OU’s 95-89 win on Thursday.
It was OU’s largest offensive output against a Division I opponent since hitting the century mark against UMKC on Feb. 12, 2003.
OU remained calm and collected down the stretch while Valpo players looked out of sorts while down by nine points with less than two minutes left.
Maybe it was the mental breakthrough OU needed to rebound from a dismal stretch that has included three conference losses at home this season.
“We never turned the ball over down the stretch during those last two minutes (against Valpo) when we had to make free throws,” said OU coach Greg Kampe, whose team is averaging 16.2 turnovers.
“We never turned the ball over, and that was critical because to come back from seven or nine points, not only does the team (with the lead) have to miss free throws, they also have to turn it over.
“While we missed a couple free throws, we didn’t turn the ball over. It was a great maturity, learning experience for my basketball team and for such a young team to do that in such a big game against an 0-16 streak.”
An OU win combined with a Chicago State loss today would allow the Grizzlies to jump up another spot in the conference standings.
Momentum is exactly what OU needs if it wants to make a run toward defending its conference tournament title in March.
OU will play three of its next four games at home before closing out the regular season with three straight road matchups.
“We always pride ourselves on being a team that finishes strong, we’re always good in February,” Kampe said.
“Well, that’s right around the corner.”
[glow=red,2,300]Western Illinois at Oakland men[/glow]--The Oakland Press
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
When: 6 tonight Where: Oakland Athletics Center, Rochester Broadcast: www. ougrizzlies.com
Records:
Western Illinois 6-14 (2-7 Mid-Con); Oakland 8-13 (3-6)
Overview: Oakland is looking to sweep the season series against Western Illinois tonight. OU snapped its two-game skid with a 76-64 win at WIU last time out on Jan. 16. … OU has not won back-to-back games since winning three straight in nonconference play Nov. 19-30. … Oakland leads the all-time series against the Leathernecks 12-3. David Ritzema (Clarkston) logged his first minutes of the season on Thursday against Valpo. He had been out because of a broken foot. … WIU has just one win in its last eight games.
Up next: Oakland at IUPUI, 7 p.m. Saturday, Indianapolis.
[glow=red,2,300]Oakland women at Valparaiso[/glow]--The Oakland Press
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
When: 3:05 p.m. today Where:
Athletics-Recreation Center, Valparaiso, Ind.
Records:
Oakland 7-11 (3-4 Mid-Con); Valpo 11-7 (5-2)
Overview: Oakland looks to avenge a 69-55 home loss to Valparaiso on Jan. 2. But Valpo has an unblemished home record (7-0). … Senior Anne Hafeli (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) had her first double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds last week against Centenary.
Up next: Western Illinois at Oakland, 7 p.m. Monday, Oakland Athletics Center.
State college basketball schedule--Indy Star
IUPUI (12-7, 7-1) at Valparaiso (11-7, 4-4), 8 p.m., WXLW-950 AM
IUPUI will try to hold onto sole possession of first place in the Mid-Continent Conference. The Jaguars' George Hill is in the Mid-Con's top 10 in scoring (18.8), rebounding (6.3), assists (3.1), steals (1.6), field-goal percentage (.500) and free throw percentage (.833). IUPUI trails the all-time series 14-4 but has won its past two visits to Valpo.
Game Preview: UMKC at Centenary--Kansas City Star
UMKC seeks road revival--Kansas City Star
Jaguars claw way past Western--The Macomb Journal
NCAA: Kone didn’t have to miss games--Post Tribune
Jan. 28, 2006
By Justin Breen / Post-Tribune deputy sports editor
A plane ticket purchased by teammate Moussa Mbaye cost Valparaiso senior center Mohamed Kone two games and led to an NCAA investigation.
But the NCAA on Friday said Kone did not need to sit out the games.
“There was no reason why this student-athlete needed to miss any games,” said Kent Barrett, the NCAA’s associate director for public and media relations, via e-mail. “Any implication that he missed competition due to the length of the investigation or other activities conducted by the NCAA would be false.”
The ticket, which was purchased for $224, allowed Kone to come to Valpo from Florida in September.
Because Mbaye is a Crusaders player, the ticket purchase violated NCAA bylaws 13.2.1 and 13.2.2, which in part say “an institution’s staff member or any representative of its athletics interests shall not be involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for or giving or offering to give any financial aid or other benefits to the prospect.”
Barrett and Valpo said Kone was declared ineligible by Valpo, and not by the NCAA. VU director of athletics Mark LaBarbera said the school sat out Kone for games at Chicago State and Southern Utah — both losses — to avoid further issues.
“It was clearly our choice to sit him out,” LaBarbera said Friday. “If we had chosen to let him play those games, we could have had to forfeit those games.”
Valpo coach Homer Drew said he could not comment on the specifics of the case.
“We did everything according to the NCAA standards in our opinion,” Drew said.
Barrett said Kone paid back the money and was therefore considered eligible by VU.
Kone spent four weeks over the summer in Florida with his former coach and confidant Babacar Sy. Mbaye, also a Sy protege, was with Kone in Florida at the time.
He arrived at VU on Sept. 6, well after the start of the fall semester on Aug. 23.
VU benched Kone on Jan. 19, hours before the Crusaders played at Chicago State, and he was cleared to play on Wednesday. The Crusaders lost to Oakland on Thursday, giving them a three-game losing streak heading into tonight’s game with IUPUI, which sits in first place in the Mid-Continent Conference.
Barrett said VU worked with the NCAA interpretations staff to determine what bylaws were violated. He said VU sought a second opinion from the NCAA’s Legislative Review and Interpretations Committee, which agreed with the interpretations staff that violations had occurred.
LaBarbera said he still contends VU did nothing wrong, and that the school could have appealed the process.
“But that could have taken a month,” LaBarbera said. “We as an institution, we don’t agree with the determination of the review committee. We don’t feel we violated any rules.”
n IUPUI features local products Brandon Cameron, a West Side graduate, Bill Van Senus, a Valpo High grad and Gary Patterson, a Bishop Noll grad who transferred from Butler this season.
“They’re playing the best of anybody in the conference. They are very talented and very athletic,” Drew said of the Jaguars.
Contact Justin Breen at 648-3122 or jbreen@post-trib.com
Valparaiso (11-7, 4-4 Mid-Continent Conference) vs. IUPUI (12-7, 7-1)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Athletics-Recreation Center
Radio: WVUR (95.1-FM), WEFM (95.9-FM), WAKE (1500-AM)
Freeman hopes defense never rests--NWI Times
T-Bird women still after first league win--The Spectrum
SUU seeks entry to Mid-Con's upper division--The Spectrum
CENTENARY--The Shreveport Times
The Gents (4-15, 2-6) return to the Gold Dome tonight to face UMKC (8-10, 5-3). Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Centenary is led by Chris Watson. He averages 14.7 points per game and is eighth in the Mid-Continent Conference in scoring.
UMKC has two of the Mid-Con's top 11 scorers. Quinton Day is third in the conference in scoring at 20 points per game while Dee Ayuba is 11th at 13.6 points per game.
College Basketball Preview--The Salt Lake Tribune
Chicago State at SUU
At the Centrum, Cedar City
Tipoff: 7:35 p.m.
Radio: 590 AM, 91.1 FM
Records: SUU 6-14 (4-3 Mid-Con); Chicago State 6-14 (3-3)
Series: SUU leads, 18-6
Last meeting: Chicago State 68, SUU 61 (Feb. 3, 2005)
About the Thunderbirds: They should be well-rested, because reserves played most of the way in Wednesday's blowout of Johnson & Wales.
About the Cougars: They have won three straight games. The winning streak has come after 12 straight losses.
WOMEN
Chicago State (8-10) at SUU (7-12)
5:15 p.m, Centrum Arena
Cedar City
* Southern Utah owns a 10-8 edge in its series against Chicago State, but the Cougars have won seven of the nine last meetings.
FIRST-PLACE JAGS TO HEAD UP I-65 TO BATTLE VALPARAISO--IUPUI JAGUAR ATHLETICS
UMKC Men Head South To Face Centenary--UMKC Kangaroos
UMKC Women Close Out Road Swing at Centenary--UMKC Kangaroos
Women's Hoops Visits League-Leading Westerwinds--Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles
Sarrah (Stricklett) Mosher Set to Enter Valpo’s Hall of Fame on February 11--www.valpo.edu
MID-CON LEADING IUPUI VISITS ARC SATURDAY NIGHT--www.valpo.edu
Western Opens Four-Game Road Swing Saturday at Oakland--Western Illinois Athletics
[glow=red,2,300]OU seeks turnaround after Valpo win[/glow]--The Oakland Press
By CRYSTAL EVOLA Of The Oakland Press
ROCHESTER — A week ago, the Oakland University men's basketball team was confused and tied for last place.
A lot has changed in a short amount of time.
The Golden Grizzlies picked up a major confidence booster with Thursday's program-first win over Valparaiso and have climbed to seventh place in the Mid-Continent Conference standings.
OU hopes to continue its second-half turnaround in a meeting against Western Illinois at 6 p.m. today at the Oakland Athletics Center.
The Grizzlies (8-13, 3-6) head into their third straight home game with just two wins in their last six games.
However, they can still be giddy about the fact that one of those victories snapped a 16-game winless streak against perennial power Valparaiso.
Junior Calvin Wooten scored 40 points en route to OU’s 95-89 win on Thursday.
It was OU’s largest offensive output against a Division I opponent since hitting the century mark against UMKC on Feb. 12, 2003.
OU remained calm and collected down the stretch while Valpo players looked out of sorts while down by nine points with less than two minutes left.
Maybe it was the mental breakthrough OU needed to rebound from a dismal stretch that has included three conference losses at home this season.
“We never turned the ball over down the stretch during those last two minutes (against Valpo) when we had to make free throws,” said OU coach Greg Kampe, whose team is averaging 16.2 turnovers.
“We never turned the ball over, and that was critical because to come back from seven or nine points, not only does the team (with the lead) have to miss free throws, they also have to turn it over.
“While we missed a couple free throws, we didn’t turn the ball over. It was a great maturity, learning experience for my basketball team and for such a young team to do that in such a big game against an 0-16 streak.”
An OU win combined with a Chicago State loss today would allow the Grizzlies to jump up another spot in the conference standings.
Momentum is exactly what OU needs if it wants to make a run toward defending its conference tournament title in March.
OU will play three of its next four games at home before closing out the regular season with three straight road matchups.
“We always pride ourselves on being a team that finishes strong, we’re always good in February,” Kampe said.
“Well, that’s right around the corner.”
[glow=red,2,300]Western Illinois at Oakland men[/glow]--The Oakland Press
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
When: 6 tonight Where: Oakland Athletics Center, Rochester Broadcast: www. ougrizzlies.com
Records:
Western Illinois 6-14 (2-7 Mid-Con); Oakland 8-13 (3-6)
Overview: Oakland is looking to sweep the season series against Western Illinois tonight. OU snapped its two-game skid with a 76-64 win at WIU last time out on Jan. 16. … OU has not won back-to-back games since winning three straight in nonconference play Nov. 19-30. … Oakland leads the all-time series against the Leathernecks 12-3. David Ritzema (Clarkston) logged his first minutes of the season on Thursday against Valpo. He had been out because of a broken foot. … WIU has just one win in its last eight games.
Up next: Oakland at IUPUI, 7 p.m. Saturday, Indianapolis.
[glow=red,2,300]Oakland women at Valparaiso[/glow]--The Oakland Press
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
When: 3:05 p.m. today Where:
Athletics-Recreation Center, Valparaiso, Ind.
Records:
Oakland 7-11 (3-4 Mid-Con); Valpo 11-7 (5-2)
Overview: Oakland looks to avenge a 69-55 home loss to Valparaiso on Jan. 2. But Valpo has an unblemished home record (7-0). … Senior Anne Hafeli (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) had her first double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds last week against Centenary.
Up next: Western Illinois at Oakland, 7 p.m. Monday, Oakland Athletics Center.
State college basketball schedule--Indy Star
IUPUI (12-7, 7-1) at Valparaiso (11-7, 4-4), 8 p.m., WXLW-950 AM
IUPUI will try to hold onto sole possession of first place in the Mid-Continent Conference. The Jaguars' George Hill is in the Mid-Con's top 10 in scoring (18.8), rebounding (6.3), assists (3.1), steals (1.6), field-goal percentage (.500) and free throw percentage (.833). IUPUI trails the all-time series 14-4 but has won its past two visits to Valpo.
Game Preview: UMKC at Centenary--Kansas City Star
UMKC seeks road revival--Kansas City Star
Jaguars claw way past Western--The Macomb Journal
NCAA: Kone didn’t have to miss games--Post Tribune
Jan. 28, 2006
By Justin Breen / Post-Tribune deputy sports editor
A plane ticket purchased by teammate Moussa Mbaye cost Valparaiso senior center Mohamed Kone two games and led to an NCAA investigation.
But the NCAA on Friday said Kone did not need to sit out the games.
“There was no reason why this student-athlete needed to miss any games,” said Kent Barrett, the NCAA’s associate director for public and media relations, via e-mail. “Any implication that he missed competition due to the length of the investigation or other activities conducted by the NCAA would be false.”
The ticket, which was purchased for $224, allowed Kone to come to Valpo from Florida in September.
Because Mbaye is a Crusaders player, the ticket purchase violated NCAA bylaws 13.2.1 and 13.2.2, which in part say “an institution’s staff member or any representative of its athletics interests shall not be involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for or giving or offering to give any financial aid or other benefits to the prospect.”
Barrett and Valpo said Kone was declared ineligible by Valpo, and not by the NCAA. VU director of athletics Mark LaBarbera said the school sat out Kone for games at Chicago State and Southern Utah — both losses — to avoid further issues.
“It was clearly our choice to sit him out,” LaBarbera said Friday. “If we had chosen to let him play those games, we could have had to forfeit those games.”
Valpo coach Homer Drew said he could not comment on the specifics of the case.
“We did everything according to the NCAA standards in our opinion,” Drew said.
Barrett said Kone paid back the money and was therefore considered eligible by VU.
Kone spent four weeks over the summer in Florida with his former coach and confidant Babacar Sy. Mbaye, also a Sy protege, was with Kone in Florida at the time.
He arrived at VU on Sept. 6, well after the start of the fall semester on Aug. 23.
VU benched Kone on Jan. 19, hours before the Crusaders played at Chicago State, and he was cleared to play on Wednesday. The Crusaders lost to Oakland on Thursday, giving them a three-game losing streak heading into tonight’s game with IUPUI, which sits in first place in the Mid-Continent Conference.
Barrett said VU worked with the NCAA interpretations staff to determine what bylaws were violated. He said VU sought a second opinion from the NCAA’s Legislative Review and Interpretations Committee, which agreed with the interpretations staff that violations had occurred.
LaBarbera said he still contends VU did nothing wrong, and that the school could have appealed the process.
“But that could have taken a month,” LaBarbera said. “We as an institution, we don’t agree with the determination of the review committee. We don’t feel we violated any rules.”
n IUPUI features local products Brandon Cameron, a West Side graduate, Bill Van Senus, a Valpo High grad and Gary Patterson, a Bishop Noll grad who transferred from Butler this season.
“They’re playing the best of anybody in the conference. They are very talented and very athletic,” Drew said of the Jaguars.
Contact Justin Breen at 648-3122 or jbreen@post-trib.com
Valparaiso (11-7, 4-4 Mid-Continent Conference) vs. IUPUI (12-7, 7-1)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Athletics-Recreation Center
Radio: WVUR (95.1-FM), WEFM (95.9-FM), WAKE (1500-AM)
Freeman hopes defense never rests--NWI Times
T-Bird women still after first league win--The Spectrum
SUU seeks entry to Mid-Con's upper division--The Spectrum
CENTENARY--The Shreveport Times
The Gents (4-15, 2-6) return to the Gold Dome tonight to face UMKC (8-10, 5-3). Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Centenary is led by Chris Watson. He averages 14.7 points per game and is eighth in the Mid-Continent Conference in scoring.
UMKC has two of the Mid-Con's top 11 scorers. Quinton Day is third in the conference in scoring at 20 points per game while Dee Ayuba is 11th at 13.6 points per game.
College Basketball Preview--The Salt Lake Tribune
Chicago State at SUU
At the Centrum, Cedar City
Tipoff: 7:35 p.m.
Radio: 590 AM, 91.1 FM
Records: SUU 6-14 (4-3 Mid-Con); Chicago State 6-14 (3-3)
Series: SUU leads, 18-6
Last meeting: Chicago State 68, SUU 61 (Feb. 3, 2005)
About the Thunderbirds: They should be well-rested, because reserves played most of the way in Wednesday's blowout of Johnson & Wales.
About the Cougars: They have won three straight games. The winning streak has come after 12 straight losses.
WOMEN
Chicago State (8-10) at SUU (7-12)
5:15 p.m, Centrum Arena
Cedar City
* Southern Utah owns a 10-8 edge in its series against Chicago State, but the Cougars have won seven of the nine last meetings.
FIRST-PLACE JAGS TO HEAD UP I-65 TO BATTLE VALPARAISO--IUPUI JAGUAR ATHLETICS
UMKC Men Head South To Face Centenary--UMKC Kangaroos
UMKC Women Close Out Road Swing at Centenary--UMKC Kangaroos
Women's Hoops Visits League-Leading Westerwinds--Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles
Sarrah (Stricklett) Mosher Set to Enter Valpo’s Hall of Fame on February 11--www.valpo.edu
MID-CON LEADING IUPUI VISITS ARC SATURDAY NIGHT--www.valpo.edu
Western Opens Four-Game Road Swing Saturday at Oakland--Western Illinois Athletics
