Some Wednesday Notes…

I’m sure that most all of us are ready to get back to talking about sports, considering the tumultuous events of the past week here at NC State.  That in mind, here’s some stuff that’s been rattling around the college sports scene:

Is BC Getting It’s Own “Chris Weinke?”

Without doubt, the roster at BC has slowly been declining since the departure of Tom O’Brien and the majority of his old staff there.  While TOB left behind a solid cupboard, it’s grown more and more sparse, and this season for BC, the most notable need is under center.   Now comes 25 year-old Dave Shinskie, a former two-sport star at Mount Carmel High (Pa.) who initially chose to pursue pro baseball but gave BC a verbal commitment to join their football team.  Sounds like Weinke at FSU, without a doubt, and it will be interesting to follow how their QB depth chart defines itself in fall practice and the early season.  State plays BC up there on October 17th.

Tim Floyd Out At Southern Cal, Allegedly Paid For OJ Mayo (there are two links here)

“Tim Floyd suddenly resigned as basketball coach at Southern California on Tuesday following allegations that he gave $1,000 in cash to a man who helped steer former star player O.J. Mayo to the Trojans.”

and

“A former member of O.J. Mayo’s inner circle claimed that USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd directly paid at least $1,000 in cash to Mayo’s closest confidant, according to a report published by Yahoo! Sports.

“If found to be true by the NCAA, the alleged incident would constitute a major violation and could have repercussions for the university in various forms of sanctions.”

USC may actually be in a bit of trouble here, as their hoops squad is by no means the haymaker for the NCAA that is their football team.  Call me paranoid, but after Oklahoma escaped any real punishment with Rhett Bhomar, Ohio State’s troubles with Maurice Clarett were overlooked and so forth and so on, I am convinced that NCAA Enforcement reports to its Accounting or Marketing departments.

Finally, closer to home, if you’ve got a kid preparing for the SAT, you may want to hook them up with Roy Williams, UNC’s basketball coach.  Apparently, Ole Roy is pretty good at helping youngsters improve their test scores, which of course helps them get into good colleges.

In Memphis Basketball Teaches The Wrong Lessons, we learn from author John Canzono that when he

“as a columnist covering basketball in California when Kansas-bound DeShawn Stevenson went from a 450 on the SAT to an 1150. The Educational Testing Service noted, among other irregularities, that Stevenson, a Californian, took the test in North Carolina.

“I passed it once,” Stevenson insisted. “I can pass it again.”

Roy Williams, who was then the Jayhawks coach, insisted Stevenson got a raw deal. He made a case that we were talking about a kid who worked hard and dramatically improved himself academically. And I wished it were so because, if true, we’d have a documented case of a sensational athlete getting serious about bettering himself in other aspects of his life. But when Stevenson was asked to duplicate the results on a second test, he couldn’t even get a 650.”

Interesting, and pointing it out to anyone who has a preference for powder-blue will surely elicit the usual responses of  “that’s not true,” perhaps “that was back at Kansas,” or the ole standby “you State fans are just jealous and all you care about is destroying Carolina.”  I have no real axe to grind against Roy Williams, but I find the story interesting and when coupled with the old story of Roy Williams making the “mistake” of buying players suits, etc., one’s interest is piqued even more.  I am not saying Carolina is cheating, but it sure seems that Coach Williams is not afraid to bend a few rules.  That may or may not be like our now-former Chancellor, but it certainly seems that the principles are the same but the effects are vastly different.

General

16 Responses to Some Wednesday Notes…

  1. ncsu_kappa 06/10/2009 at 12:35 PM #

    “Call me paranoid, but after Oklahoma escaped any real punishment with Rhett Bhomar, Ohio State’s troubles with Maurice Clarett were overlooked and so forth and so on, I am convinced that NCAA Enforcement reports to its Accounting or Marketing departments.”

    OMG – I wish it weren’t so long, otherwise this would be the quote of the century. Hit the nail on the head with this article.

    Andy Katz has a video on ESPN how the basketball team will probably become the sacrificial lamb for both sport’s sins at USC. I heard it here that someone spotted Julio Jones hopping out of a escalade truck going to a summer workout. NCAA investigations are a joke. You have to get crucified and found guilty by journalist and public opinion before they will lift a finger.

  2. Noah 06/10/2009 at 1:03 PM #

    Finally, closer to home, if you’ve got a kid preparing for the SAT, you may want to hook them up with Roy Williams, UNC’s basketball coach. Apparently, Ole Roy is pretty good at helping youngsters improve their test scores, which of course helps them get into good colleges.

    Carolina has an SAT prep class specifically for athletes. The kids who enroll in it call it “Hell Week.” It’s tailor-made for getting a qualifying score on the standardized test. They’ve had it since the early 90s at least.

    The players who told me about it sounded rather shell-shocked after going through it.

  3. STLPack01 06/10/2009 at 1:20 PM #

    450?!#%^*???

    Don’t you get a 400 for putting your name on the damn thing?

  4. bradleyb123 06/10/2009 at 1:48 PM #

    ^ “State plays BC here on October 17th”

    Correction: My schedule says we play BC at THEIR house.

  5. bradleyb123 06/10/2009 at 1:50 PM #

    Wouldn’t it just be poetic justice if Roy Williams was busted for some serious rules violations?

  6. Alpha Wolf 06/10/2009 at 1:50 PM #

    ^ should be “State plays BC *t*here. My bad. I am an engineer, and can’t spell!

  7. Clarksa 06/10/2009 at 2:11 PM #

    You should add that Trout is devastated by the Tim Floyd news…

  8. rtpack24 06/10/2009 at 4:42 PM #

    USC’s basketball and football programs have numerous verified violations and so far nothing happens. Floyd resiging has alot more to it than just the $1000 payment. Reggie Bush stuff is years old and most of it was documented because the agent he stiffed kept records yet nothing happens.

  9. highstick 06/10/2009 at 7:54 PM #

    I’ve got a childhood friend who has taught SAT prep in the Carolinas for years…also happens to be a Carolina grad. I’m going to have to consult with him because one week of hell doesn’t equate to that amount of an increase. Sounds more like the 4 weeks of hell in Air Force boot camp that the “flyboys” used to tell me about. Never even picked up a rifle in the entire process. “Hell” isn’t learning how to make your bed and polish your shoes!

  10. Noah 06/10/2009 at 8:20 PM #

    highstick, apparently it was the first time in their lives that someone in education ever got in their face.

    They were not used to not being able to sit in the back of a classroom, slumping all the way down in their desks, hitting on the cheerleaders and sleeping the rest of the time.

    It was more than just an SAT workshop.

  11. smile102 06/10/2009 at 8:29 PM #

    “Apparently, Ole Roy is pretty good at helping youngsters improve their test scores”
    I don’t understand what evidence you are using to state RW had any involvement in the kid’s test scores; do you know more than the above info?

    “Wouldn’t it just be poetic justice if Roy Williams was busted for some serious rules violations?”
    How so?

  12. choppack1 06/10/2009 at 8:40 PM #

    Uhh, Noah, his score went from 450 to 1150, then we he had to take it again, didn’t make to 650. I’m sorry, I just don’t think that kind of variation is possible w/out something shady going on.

    Good stuff – why don’t I think this bothers Bill Cole here in Winston or Andrew Jones at all.

  13. highstick 06/10/2009 at 10:35 PM #

    Wow, just think what Ole Roy could have done with Washburn! Might have made him an Ivy Leaguer! Then he could have made Shackleford an amphibious Ivy Leaguer!

    Noah, my friend who does the SAT prep did it for Fogler at South Carolina until they “burned him out”! His little bro was one of Cowdog’s “playmates” at State.

  14. Wolf74 06/11/2009 at 7:08 AM #

    Not the first time for UNC-Nike helping kids get a better SAT score. Remember the Parker kid from Charlotte that committed to the tarheels? The NCAA questioned his score and he ended up decommitting and eventually wound up at Kentucky. A sister of a friend dated Parker at that time. He said he knows for sure that UNC had someone take the test for Parker.

  15. bradleyb123 06/11/2009 at 1:42 PM #

    ^ “‘Wouldn’t it just be poetic justice if Roy Williams was busted for some serious rules violations?’

    How so?”

    Because he’s danced his way out of other potential violations, like the basketball practice with Obama. And there was something else he did before that, but I can’t remember what it was. And I’m thinking I’ve heard he was a little shady while at Kansas.

    Carolina fans think their sh!t don’t stink. And I think State would have been busted for less than what Roy has done.

    That’s why it would be poetic justice.

  16. kyjelly 06/12/2009 at 7:46 AM #

    I think I would be very leery taking sat’s considering our basketball class coming in next year.

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