Rex Hudler

Looks like we are headed for a collision course matchup pitting Tyler Zeller's Washington Hatchets against Kyle Kuric's Evansville Memorial Tigers. The two teams, two of the top teams in Indiana, could meet in the Regional Final which would be two weekends from now. Each will have to win a few games to get to that point, including a possible rematch for Washington with Edgewood in the first round of the Regional. The Regional is being held at Washington. Kuric's Tigers are 18-1 having only lost to 4A Evansville Reitz, a loss later avenged a week later. Kuric is averaging 22.1 points per game. Zeller's Hatchets are 17-2 dropping decisions to 4A Evansville Central and 3A Edgewood. Zeller averages 32.3 points per game and 9.9 rebounds. Memorial is ranked #6 in a poll that includes all divisions and Washington is #11. 15 of the top 20 teams in that poll are 4A, the state's largest class.

It sounds to me it is simply a case of Richmond believing all of his press clippings. Too many times now kids get tons of attention when they are too young (which is why I think getting a commitment from a sophomore is ridiculous, but that is another argument). They can't handle it. If their parents can't handle it and keep the kid grounded it causes problems. In that situation, kids often don't know how to react to discipline or how to sacrifice one's own personal accolades for the team. Too many parents are telling the kid how good he is or fighting with/blaming the coach when the kid is not being catered to. Hopefully, this is the case with Richmond and the kid and his parents at some point soon get the proverbial kick in the ass they need. A reality check seems to be what is needed here. It sounds as if we are just talking about a spoiled kid who needs to learn a little bit about life. If that happens, he'll likely be okay. If not, it will have to happen when he gets to college and he will likely be as much of a hindrance to the team regardless of what kind of stats he piles up. Winners learn that selflessness and hard work is what pays off in the long run.

QUOTE(dasox24 @ Feb 23, 2008 -> 11:45 PM) The NCAA allowed him to play this year b/c he only transfered to be closer to his father who was sick with cancer (and has now passed away). I know why and was not inferring that anything was wrong with it. But it is unusual for a team to get such a great player without waiting. He has been a huge boost to this Tennessee team. They have other talent, but they wouldn't be in the position they are in without him.

How the hell did Illinois lose at Michigan and only score 43 points? Are the games against IU the only time they played well all season??

In the FWIW category, both Devin Ebanks and Terell Holloway had clauses in their LOI that allowed them out if the Hoosiers either changed coaches or were banned from post-season play.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 23, 2008 -> 10:23 PM) I'll say now that the Vols won't be making the final 4. I'm betting I will get to see them in Birmingham in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. I like the way they play and respect Bruce Pearl, but I find it almost impossible to root for Tennessee. At least its not football. lol Btw, how much is Tyler Smith not having to sit out under the normal transfer rules helping this Tennessee team??

IU survives 85-82. Coble ends up with 37, but IU hit their FT's down the stretch. Hopefully, they can find some sense of normalcy after all this by Tuesday night when Ohio State comes to Bloomington.

f***, he has 35 now! 78-77 NW

Who the hell is Kevin Coble? Somebody needs to pull a Tonya Harding on him. Geez, 30 points and still 4 minutes to play. IU-Northwestern tied at 73

IU struggling against Northwestern as I suspected they would. Now up 60-57 with 11+ minutes to go so anything can happen. But IU was shooting FT's the rest of the game as of the 13 minute mark. I expect FT's to bring home the win.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 07:43 AM) Nothing this week. Zip. Nada. However, that is better than a gain. Which is exactly what I did this week. Gained freakin two+ pounds! Some days I am just weak, I admit it.

I didn't have a problem of how they kicked the first kid off. He said let's turn our attention to the guys. He looked and said I need "whatever his name is" down here with me. It was short and sweet. He followed it up saying I am sorry but you are the first to go tonight.

Here is what I hope will happen... Coach Sampson will talk to the players as part of his buyout agreement and cooler heads will prevail. The players who missed practice today will be forgiven considering the situation. I'm not such a hard ass that I am going to call for players to be suspended or benched. This is obviously an emotional time for them and I understand them wanting to defend their coach. Regardless of what people want to say about Coach Sampson, it is obvious that he had a great relationship with his players and they looked up to him. Look at it from their point of view... 1. IU found and reported the violations in the fall. 2. Sampson was punished and additional restrictions were placed on the program at that time 3. The NCAA report came out not adding much new to what was already reported but accused Sampson of lying to or misleading investigators. 4. Sampson states he did not intentionally mislead or lie to investigators The kids don't understand why this is happening because they believe Sampson. They are emotionally invested which means they are not thinking logically. The right thing to do is to let them come back to their senses and rebuild this team emotionally. That starts by putting things back together, not by punishments.

I was disappointed Amy Davis was kicked off tonight only because she is hot! I'm not talent scout, but I thought she sang very well. Granted I may have been mesmerized by her breasts, but I don't think so. It wasn't an exciting song, I'll give you that, but I thought the vocal was good. I'm good with the other three that got booted, although I'd have rather seen that Daniel kid get the boot than Colton. What I am really tired of is the stupid assed crying when someone gets voted off. Every week people are going to have to go. It's the first week and most of the girls are practically bawling their eyes out like it was their mother getting kicked off. That's already old and it is only week 1.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 05:33 PM) So... that tailbone being busted? Not really my tailbone. It's either a bulging disc or a fractured vertebrae. So I can't really do much but hurt right now. So does that mean we can call you Rex Brokeass or not??

For you old timers I give you Jamie Lee Curtis for a really nice pair! I'm diggin Diane Lane too as she is about my age. For the younger generation, I am still lusting Jessica Biel. The movie Summer Catch was all I needed to cement her in my all time top 5.

Part II... A friend and I played the video game Robotron for 10 straight hours on one quarter. We would have set the national record, but the arcade wouldn't stay open and let us keep playing. I threw two no-hitters as a youth, one in Little League, one playing American Legion ball. One right-handed and one left-handed. I hit two HR's in each game and we won 2-0 each time. Well, okay that was a stretch. I was not a hitter. I did throw the no-hitters though. I had sex in Wally Backman's office (not with Wally, smartasses) I was in the wedding of a former IN Mr. Basketball I delivered newspapers to Don Mattingly as a 13-yr old (I was 13, not Donnie Baseball). Saw Mattingly's HS baseball team go 59-0 his jr and sr year only to lose game #60 to Logansport. Mattingly was the starting pitcher and came back in to finish the game, losing in the 10th inning. I went to the same HS later and set zero baseball records.

No Ebanks?

Knee, schmee It's good to see DJ White playing just like he has all year. After the first 10 minutes IU has looked good. It's almost a direct rerun of the Mich St game Sat night.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 11:55 AM) I guess I'm weird with pizza, as for me it all depends on the day. Somedays I need a deep dish, and somedays it needs to be a Lou's. Other days it needs to be a Rosatti's. Somedays I need thin crust. Somedays it needs to be from Red's, somedays it needs to be from another place. I don't have an ideal pizza style, or place. Most days I prefer the thin crust though. But usually I like to make my own. Still testing different crust recipes out, and still experimenting with my own sauce. Pizza's more fun when you make it yourself. IMO. But then there are those days you just need a Little Caesar or Tombstone. Pizza Slut!

I once drove Willie Mays around in my car for three days. Spent 3 hours with him and only four other people in the pressbox at Rickwood Field listening to him tell baseball stories. Took him to the eye doctor.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 07:17 PM) Because it's actually pizza. And yeah, it's nowhere in the same league as most of the places people are talking about, but after a long night at the bar. A slice from Casey's is pretty damn good. White Castle tastes good after a long night at the bar, but that does not mean it belongs in a discussion about good eats.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 05:13 PM) Casey's General Store. Can be hit or miss at times, but it's generally pretty damn good, especially for gas station pizza. How does gas station pizza even come into a real conversation about pizza???

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 04:09 PM) I can't remember who said it on Gameday, but I don't think there will be an IU post-season ban because this has nothing to do with the players. In fact, I don't even know if this should garner a scholarship loss, although I know it probably will. This should be a coaching ban on Sampson and whatever assistants are caught. The entire coaching staff should be replaced, the AD should be fired, and Sampson shouldn't be allowed to coach for however long the NCAA determines. As much as I dislike Indiana, the players shouldn't be punished, the coaches should. The program is going to take some kind of hit, that is a given and necessary. Scholarship reductions will be involved, we just do not now to what degree yet. IU has already taken away a scholarship for the 2008-2009 season. Remember when everybody thought this was a non-punishment because they lost recruit Bud Mackey late this year after he got into trouble? It was immediately assumed that it was this season they were reducing the scholarships, but that was not correct. My guess is they extend the scholarship reduction to two years and possibly by one more scholarship. They will likely keep or place restrictions on allowable recruiting contacts for the next year or two. The key is how they handle Sampson. Assistant Rob Senderoff is already gone. Assistant Jeff Meyer had a very minor role in this (a coupla calls and a t-shirt). I would think IU will discipline him in some way and allow the new coach to bring in his own assistants, which will probably mean Meyer will be gone. But Meyer has a long history as an NCAA coach including as a Head Coach at Liberty with no problems with the NCAA. I don't think firing him at this point is necessary. I see Dan Dakich being named Interim Head Coach, with McCallum and Meyer being retained for the rest of the season. The new head coach, whoever that will be, shall handle the changeover of the staff from there. Personally, I'd keep Dakich who has experience with the program and McCallum. McCallum is from Indiana and is a former Head Coach (Ball St), and has a son who is a sophomore who will most likely be a Top 50 player in the country. If a guy is qualified, has in-state ties and experience, and was not named in any of the allegations, I see no reason to force him out.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 02:37 PM) I thought of that too...but here's the counterpoint. Let's say the Hoosiers wind up looking at a postseason play suspension for Sampson's dealings. What type of coach is going to want to be put in that situation? You're certainly not going to pilfer any big name coach from another program if they are losing a scholarship or two or are put out of the tourney for a couple years. If that's the situation, someone like Fife, someone who honestly shouldn't be at the big time yet but who could be there a few years down the road, might be the ideal choice, and he'd be the kind of pick who might soothe some of the alums who are fairly angry at how this has turned out and how the U picked someone as a coach that it turned out they couldn't trust. Problem with that is a new coach will be in place long before the final outcome is determined. That said, the likelihood of a post season ban, especially for multiple years is minimal at best. If they handle things the right way with Sampson, I am willing to be that IU will reply with revised self-imposed sanctions and the NCAA will rubber stamp them.