Thursday, April 28, 2022

Mocked out- O5 possibles in NFL rd1 2022

 AAC: No surprise that two Cincy players, QB Desmond Ridder and CB Ahmad Gardner, are forecast to go in rd1.  Logan Hall, a DL from Houston, and Tyler Smith, an OL from Tulsa have high hopes.
MAC: Bernhard Raimann, OL from Central Michigan. Skyy Moore. WR from Western Michigan
MWC: Trey McBride, TE from Colorado St.
If there's an O5 rd1 hopeful, I've missed, add it here.
O5= non P5
April, 29, 2022
Only o5 players to go in rd1: Gardner(Cincy) to the Jets , Smith(Tulsa) to the Boys.
April 30, 2022
Cheers to the AAC who are third behind the SEC and B10 in drafted players through three rounds.
AAC (10)
Cincinnati — 5: Ridder to the Falcons in rd3
Houston — 2: Logan Hall who went to the Bucs in rd 2
Tulsa — 1 Memphis — 1 SMU — 1
Mountain West (3):Colorado State- McBride to the Cards in rd2  Wyoming — 1San Diego State — 1
MAC (3):Central Michigan — 2-Raimann to the Colts in rd3. Western Michigan - Skyy Moore to the Chiefs
Conference USA (2):UAB — 1Western Kentucky — 1
Sun Belt :South Alabama — 1
May 1, 2022
9 Bearcats drafted overall - that's impressive. 
As far as rds 4-7 ,O5 picks that caught my eyes. RD4 : Likely, a TE from Coastal Carolina, to the Ravens. Zappe ,a gunslinger from WKU, to the Pats. 

RD5: I'm stunned Jerome Ford Cincy RB was still around for the Browns and that D'Marco Jackson LB, App St was available for my Saints. 

RD6 Bills take a punter Matt Araiza from San Diego St. 
RD7 Nazeeh Johnson S, MRSHL to the Chiefs. 
May 2, 2022
O5 UFAs : Carson Strong, QB Nevada(MWC) Height: 6-foot-3. History of knee injuries- Eagles signed him.
Sincere McCormick RB UTSA(CUSA)- He had some huge rushing games. I'm unsure why he hasn't been signed.
Sterling Weatherford  S Miami (OH) (MAC) signed with Colts
May 19, 2022
Saints sign UDFA Joel Dublanko who recorded 113 total tackles in 2021 for Cincy(AAC).  His 40 yard dash time was 4.75, but he was a he!! of a college linebacker.
July 16, 2022
D'Vonta Price, who signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent RB from FIU(CUSA) on April 30, 2022, is doing well in camp. He had a decent senior season at FIU.


Sunday, April 10, 2022

Atlantic 10 a solid hoops conference gets bigger

 Loyola of Chicago joins the A10 for the 2022/23 basketball season which likely sets up a regional rivalry with St Louis who joined the A10 in 2005. Davidson, a frequent Dance participant, is the most southern school, while VA schools, VCU, George Mason, and Richmond, have also made a few Dance appearances.  St Joseph's of Philly was a successful A10 program under Phil Martelli.  John Calipari's UMass squad wreaked some havoc in the A10 basketball world in the mid 1990s, and I can't forget those Dayton Flyers.
A10 will likely remain a conference that gets two to three Dance tickets annually.
I'm surprised that Fran Dunphy, who coached at Penn and Temple, is the new LaSalle HC. I thought they were going to go younger.
I'll check back periodically.
April 11, 2022
Tyler Burton, who was solid for Richmond this season, announced he will be declaring for the 2022 NBA draft but is keeping his NCAA eligibility. Wise move.
Is Frank Martin the answer for UMass? In 10 seasons at South Carolina(SEC), they Gamecocks made it to the Sweet 16 in 2017.
St Louis was an original member of the Metro in 1975 

April 19, 2022
For the 16th straight year, the Atlantic 10 was a NCAA multi-bid conference. The A-10 joins the big boys club: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 and SEC. 
April 21, 2022
Fordham(A10) coach Kyle Neptune, who's had previous experience at Nova , will replace Jay Wright, who announced his retirement. Neptune got the Rams to .500 in his only season there. No news on the next Fordham HC.
April 26, 2022
Wow, Bruiser Flint, a "Calipari guy" is one of the finalists for Fordham HC gig. Flint is currently on the UK staff, and was the guy who stepped up at UMass in 1996 to replace Calipari, who went to the NBA.
April 27, 2022
Bruiser stays with Calipari. Fordham elevated asst coach Keith Urgo. Prior to Fordham he was a long time assistant under Pat Chambers at Penn State.  BTW, Chambers is back as a HC with FGSU of the ASUN conference.
May 13, 2022
A lot of folks think Saint Louis ,who is returning four starters including Yuri Collins and Gibson Jimerson, will get back into A10 mix at the top, but I don't see any big drop from Davidson and VCU and keep an eye on those Bonnies.
May 19, 2022
Some local flavor from my area. Terps will play Saint Louis(A10) for the second time in school history when they compete in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament on Nov. 19, 2022.
 The last meeting came in rd1 of the 1994 Dance, in which former Terps star Joe Smith posted 29 points and 15 rebounds in a 74-66 victory.
May 29, 2022
Some A10 baseball news: VCU Rams baseball team are headed to the NCAA Tournament after concluding their 2021-2022 season with a 15-game winning streak  and their second consecutive A10 Title. Davidson, who entered the A10T as a 1 seed, waits for a possible at large bid.
June 17, 2022
George Washington University set to drop controversial 'Colonials' moniker- Wokers claim it's way to grapple with how best to confront difficult legacies of racial injustice.  Many(not all) folks went to numerous colonies for a second chance. 
June 18, 2022
A lot of news out of Davidson, who left the Southern Conference for the A10 in 2014. The school will retire Stephen Curry's jersey since he finally earned his degree, and HC Bob McKillop retired after 33 seasons there. Matt McKillop, his son, will replace him.

BTW, Lefty Driesell coached at Davidson (1960-69) before taking the Terps HC job.
June 28, 2022
Atlantic 10 only had one player drafted, VCU Vince Williams (47) was selected by Memphis Grizzlies.  He's a versatile 6-6, 205-pound wing.
Aug 16, 2022
St Louis will face Murray State(MVC) in its regular-season opener. Other OOC opponents: Boise State(MWC), Memphis(AAC) and Auburn(SEC); Miami(ACC) or Providence(Big East) in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament after facing Maryland(Big10) in the opening round.
Oct 3, 2022
Davidson Wildcats return two starters from last year's club that finished 27-7 overall and captured the 2021-22 A10 regular season championship, while earning its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance. I'm keeping my eyes on its matchup with Purdue(Big10) in the Indy Classic.
Nov 11, 2022
Ok , its upset OOC season. Towson(CAA), just north of Baltimore City upset UMASS 67-55. Nicolas Timberlake scored 27 for the victor. 
Temple(A10) knocks off No. 16 Villanova for first time since 2012.
Loyer scored 38 for Davidson in a 102-97 road win, not an upset, at Wright St(Horizon)
Nov. 20, 2022
I didn't expect my Terps(B10) to handle St Louis so easily yesterday. MD 95- SLU 67
Dayton who is ranked in the top 25 handled Robert Morris(Horizon) yesterday.
In a big win Friday night Davidson beat South Carolina (SEC) in a regional matchup.
Dec, 11, 2022
A10 Conference play is coming and here's a mixed bag of OOC play. Loyola of Chicago got a big win over Clemson(ACC) while Lasalle lost to Drexel (CAA), a Philly neighbor.
March 28, 2023
Kim English, ex-George Mason HC, was 34-29 in two seasons and this season went 20-13 finishing fifth in the Atlantic 10. He previously worked as an assistant at Tulsa, Colorado, and Tennessee.  How did he get the Providence job?
March 30, 2023

Penn St hires Rhoades from VCU(A10)as next HC, then VCU lands Odom from Utah St(MWC). Odom coached UMBC to the  huge upset of UVA in the 2018 Dance. His dad was the HC at Wake Forest when Tim Duncan was there.

Former Stanford star Madsen leaves Utah Valley(WAC) to coach Cal.

Terps Asst Tony Skinn ,who played at George Mason from 2003-06 and was a part of the Patriots’ F4 team under Jim LarraƱaga, is the new HC at GM .  GM(A10) was in the Colonial Athletic Conference  in 2006.
Aug 10, 2023
So much conjecture about the P5. In non P5 chatter : How about UMass returns to MAC. Definitely an upgrade for MAC hoops and not as goofy as conferences stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.





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