aboz56

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Mar 30, 2005 -> 10:41 PM) Can someone, I guess specifically aboz , tell me where DePaul is ranked on that site? It looks like a pay site... I'm excited about their class. Chandler was Mr. Michigan, I believe, and is looking good...Either Woods or Currie is a top 40 guy, with the other playing well too...

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Mar 30, 2005 -> 10:21 PM) I have to disagree completely about Clark Francis. The man is a moron. He is the analyst that started hyping the made up recruit from Bob Knight. Bob made up a recruits name saying he would be a superstar and Clark started writing articles about the kid, talking about his game etc. He was REALLY embarrassed by his colleagues and has since been known a little as a clown. The best in the business according to alot of people is Dave Telep. This is true, then again I like his rankings pretty well because I have followed his publication for quite a while since he is based out of Louisville and I know he is at just about every big AAU tournament there is. I think the main reason Knight did that was to show how ridiculous in principal these rankings can be, which I agree with, especially when guys like Francis (and others) start ranking guys in the 6th or 7th grade, which to me is pointless. While he may have been embarassed by Knight, his site does have a lot of helpful information on who has committed where and since I have a password to it, I read quite frequently.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 30, 2005 -> 10:14 PM) ABoz, Do you know anything about any of those individual recruits? Are there any guys that are going to make an immediate impact or make the opposing team tremble? I only really follow Michigan State and IU. MSU doesn't really have anything special coming in, as you can see, but with Brown, Ager, Davis and Neitzel back, should be fine. The Allen kid for IU was recruited from Australia by the same guy who brought Bogut to Utah so he could be a factor inside for IU. I know greasy and I were talking and he is pretty excited about him as many IU fans are. Looking at some of those players with 8's next to them, those are the guys to keep your eye on because these ratings are done by Clark Francis who usually has a pretty good idea and sees a lot of these guys in order to rank them fairly well.

Big 10 Schools:

For anyone interested, here are the top 10 recruiting classes so far according to Hoop Scoop Online:

Chester Frazier 6'1 2005 PG Fitchburg MA Notre Dame Jamar Smith 6'3 2005 2G Peoria IL Richwoods Charles Jackson 6'8 2005 PF Buenta Vista GA Tri-County This is according to Hoop Scoop Online, which ranks Frazier and Smith between 101 and 300 nationally and Jackson between 301-1000.

Tough loss depth wise up front, but maybe he'll come fully into his own elsewhere.

This sounds like a dumb question, but I have an old fossil watch that has gone dead and I need to change the battery. I was talking to Krush and he said I should "soxtalk it" so here I am. Any advice on how to change the battery?

840 overall out of i'd say more than a million

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 01:30 PM) If you are talking to me aboz...i always say "we", it's just habit. It lets people know you are fan of the team. I think saying "the Illini" every time makes it sound like you are an outside observer, maybe not a fan of the team. Plus, it is my school, so saying "we" seems alright for now. But i know i'm not part of the team. But at this point, it almost feels like a "we." It feels like the whole campus, all of Illini Nation, is in this thing for the long run. There's something to be said for the atmosphere created saturday. I'll say it right now - they don't win without the crowd. Pretty cool thing that happened saturday. But the "we" happens with all my teams, like it or not. I think a ton of people do it, you know? If you are a dedicated fan, i have no problem with you saying "we" about a team. I was kidding, hence the use of green. Guess you didn't see my thread with Steve where he went off on me for saying "we" when referring to Michigan State.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 01:25 PM) The thing is this gets really interesting as the NBA is talking about raising the floor age to 20 in their next CBA. The players seem to be in favor of it also, as no one wants to lose their job to an 18 year old who won't play at all for a couple of years anyway. I am mixed on it, especially due to the past few years which proved that guys like Amare and LeBron are definitely ready for the show.

QUOTE(Be Good @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 12:45 PM) It's doin great, I've been around here more often latley, you've just been MIA ...How you've been abooz? Good Mr. Good, just glad to hear that sons and co. have been doing well. Hopefully we'll see you around more often now that the season is about to start. We've certainly missed your entertainment value around here.

Please don't say "we" did it, you are not on the team. Shame on you!....

QUOTE(Be Good @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 12:37 PM) If the final four is anything like the regional's its goin to be very exciting. Be Good, how ya doing son?

I figured since there wasn't a thread yet, might as well start one. This would be a great place to post links on stories leading up to Saturday and also talk about the games. Early lines have ILL favored by 2.5 and UNC by 5. Here is a link from the C-J on U of L as they prepare for their toughest test to date against the Fighting Illini. Pitino still looking for weak Illini link

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 12:13 PM) No reason to be that way about it. You guys won. Cool. Be graceful about it. YAS, I am not usually like that, but if you read my above post, you'll understand my dislike for Sparks.

QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 12:11 PM) That's true. But Scott Merkin is the one who brought him up in the first place. Heh, I know, I just don't like the kid, especially for the classless thing he said to Packer after he hit the 3. And I quote, "Take that motherf***er." Guess he was mad because Packer said during the Louisville game that Sparks traveled during the controversial play at the end in which no traveling was called on Sparks.

QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Mar 29, 2005 -> 12:07 PM) It was a 3, no matter how many times they look at it! Doesn't matter now any. And they lost, now Sparks is back in Muhlenburg crying while the Spartans march on.

To the author of those notes, please don't mention Sparks in the same sentence as Buehrle. Thanks.

Have a great one Kap, hopefully I'll see you in Chicago this summer!

Happy birthday. Hope you have a great one.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Mar 28, 2005 -> 04:20 PM) Aboz, i know you're a dedicated fan to all your teams...congrats on the win. I'm a bit late on this, but the past 2 days have been a whirlwind. I was yelling at the TV yesterday for MSU to pull it out. Hopefully cya in the championship game. Same to ya, good luck beating Louisville. People around here are caught in buzz over their first final four since 86. Should be a great game between two good teams.

I responded to Steve via PM, so I've really got nothing else to say at this point. Those who know me, Jas and Mike particularly, know this particular comment is a joke and ridiculous. That is all I will say. Go MSU!

QUOTE(SuperSteve @ Mar 27, 2005 -> 10:42 PM) We constantly get ripped...etc. Sorry, but you're really not part of the team...also how much do ya hear about the team? Cause I get to hear so much. I don't say we...and I go to the damn school. The team lost three games in the Big Ten. It was a productive season. Who says Anderson is a dissapointment right now? 90% FT... Torbert could never live up to expectations here, and Chris Hill is stuck because of his no true position. How much do I hear about the team? Hmm considering my Dad has been tight with Izzo since around 1997 and also very tight with Tom Crean for a long time, I'd say I hear a lot. Guess you were unaware on my background with that, not to be a smart ass or anything. When I was at IU and Michigan State came to town, I sat right behind the bench with tickets Coach gave me several times. In 2000, I was there when they won the title. I've been a Michigan State fan for a long time, mainly due to Izzo. And my comments about the senior class, well Drew Sharp and Izzo have both ripped them publicly this year and this is probably the first time anyone can say that they haven't been a disappointment. Sorry to rub you the wrong way by my use of we, but I'm closer to the program than you think.