A few years ago, Chick Fillet, the ACC and the SEC got together to start a tradition at the beginning of the College Football season, the chick Fillet Kickoff Classic. The game, like the Chick Fillet Bowl at the end of the season, features teams from the SEC and the ACC.
The first Kickoff Classic game was two years ago and featured Alabama against Clemson, in which Alabama won. A year ago, Alabama appeared in the game again. This time, it was against Virginia Tech. The Tide won that game as well, and it was the beginning of what would culminate in a National Title for the Crimson Tide. The 2010 Chick Fillet Kickoff Classic will feature LSU against North Carolina.
However, there are rumors of bringing in teams from outside the ACC and SEC. There was talk yesterday on an Atlanta sports station, 680 The Fan, to have Georgia play teams like Texas, Oklahoma or USC in the Kickoff Classic. I like the idea. I would love to see the Bulldogs play someone like Texas or Ohio St.. It doesn't matter to me if they lose. They took the risk. Georgia is also capable of wining games like these.
But I have an even better idea. How about a doubleheader? Georgia Tech could play Texas at 2 pm that afternoon followed By Georgia against USC at 8pm. There should be enough time after the completion of the first game to get ready for the second game. They could sell the "cheap" tickets for $50. The ticket would be good for both games. Lower level prices would go for as high as $150. This might be feasible. Georgia and Georgia Tech competing against the top teams in the country. The Atlanta Sports Council could bring even more money into the city with 4 teams involved. That's my opinion, and I would welcome yours.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Big Ten Becoming "Big 10 x 10"
What is this I'm hearing that the Big Ten Conference wants to expand even more and steal schools from other conferences, like the Bitg Xll and the Big East? Is the big Ten trying to absorb almost all of major college sports?
On a local Atlanta sports talk show earlier today, one of the hosts stated that the Big Ten is trying to entice the University of Missouri, a Big Xll member, to join the Big Ten. Also according to this host, the Big Ten is trying to pull Notre Dame and a few Big East schools into its conference. They are looking to have at least 16 teams in their conference.
If this is true, it's ridiculous! Big Ten schools most certainly won't be able to or won't try to play everyone in the conference during the regular season. In College Football, they've got to play some of those "Cup Cake" schools to guarantee wins. Are they doing this because of the mediocre reputation they have because of their mediocre football teams? Are they trying to guarantee the conference a national champion? We will never get a true idea of what team in the Big Ten is the best team because with 15 or 16 teams in the conference, no Big Ten team will play everyone in the conference.
Also, what about the other conferences like the Big Xll, SEC and ACC? They will be at a disadvantage. The NCAA should put a limit on how many schools a conference can have. Twelve is plenty. We already have exciting conference championships like the SEC, Big Xll and ACC Championship Games. The Big Ten has taken a hit (and rightly so) because it did not do well in bowl games last season and their basketball teams met early exits in the NCAA Tournament. Big Ten, if you want to compete for or win a National Championship, your schools need to step up their game on the field and court. You don't do it by stealing teams from other top notch conferences.
On a local Atlanta sports talk show earlier today, one of the hosts stated that the Big Ten is trying to entice the University of Missouri, a Big Xll member, to join the Big Ten. Also according to this host, the Big Ten is trying to pull Notre Dame and a few Big East schools into its conference. They are looking to have at least 16 teams in their conference.
If this is true, it's ridiculous! Big Ten schools most certainly won't be able to or won't try to play everyone in the conference during the regular season. In College Football, they've got to play some of those "Cup Cake" schools to guarantee wins. Are they doing this because of the mediocre reputation they have because of their mediocre football teams? Are they trying to guarantee the conference a national champion? We will never get a true idea of what team in the Big Ten is the best team because with 15 or 16 teams in the conference, no Big Ten team will play everyone in the conference.
Also, what about the other conferences like the Big Xll, SEC and ACC? They will be at a disadvantage. The NCAA should put a limit on how many schools a conference can have. Twelve is plenty. We already have exciting conference championships like the SEC, Big Xll and ACC Championship Games. The Big Ten has taken a hit (and rightly so) because it did not do well in bowl games last season and their basketball teams met early exits in the NCAA Tournament. Big Ten, if you want to compete for or win a National Championship, your schools need to step up their game on the field and court. You don't do it by stealing teams from other top notch conferences.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Clemson High Jumper Wins ACC Honors
Here at KG's College Athletics, we haven't highlighted or discussed too much the successes of student-athletes competing in the world's oldest sport: Track & Field. Red-shirt Sophomore April Sinkler, a Professional Health Science Major from Stafford, VA, was named ACC Performer of the Week this past Tuesday for her performance in the High Jump and Long Jump in the Double Dual meet against Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State held in Atlanta two weeks ago.
This past weekend, Sinkler became the first female to clear 6 feet in the high Jump breaking her own personal record in the process. Her successful jump moves her into a tie for eighth place nationally. Sinkler has already been named ACC Women's Indoore Performer of the Week back on Jan. 19 and is the ACC's Most Valuable Field Athlete in both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field this season. Sinkler captured the Long Jump Crown this past weekend with a personal Outdoor best of 21'1.25. She ranks second all time in Clemson history in the event behind Monyetta Haynesworth, who jumped 21'5.5 in 1992. It is no surprise, therefore, that Sinkler won the ACC Championship in the High Jump and Long Jump in both Indoor and Outdoor for 2009-10.
During her career at Clemson, April Sinkler has qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the Indoor High Jump and Long Jump, as well as the Indoor Triple Jump. She ranks #1 in Clemson history in the Indoor High Jump and Long Jump, as well as third in the Indoor Triple Jump and seventh in the Outdoor High Jump. One more thing to mention, Sinkler was a USA Junior All-American in the Long Jump and High Jump back in 2008. Needless to say, she is quite an athlete and will hopefully have a spot on the US Olympic Team two years from now when the Summer Olympic games come to London.
This past weekend, Sinkler became the first female to clear 6 feet in the high Jump breaking her own personal record in the process. Her successful jump moves her into a tie for eighth place nationally. Sinkler has already been named ACC Women's Indoore Performer of the Week back on Jan. 19 and is the ACC's Most Valuable Field Athlete in both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field this season. Sinkler captured the Long Jump Crown this past weekend with a personal Outdoor best of 21'1.25. She ranks second all time in Clemson history in the event behind Monyetta Haynesworth, who jumped 21'5.5 in 1992. It is no surprise, therefore, that Sinkler won the ACC Championship in the High Jump and Long Jump in both Indoor and Outdoor for 2009-10.
During her career at Clemson, April Sinkler has qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the Indoor High Jump and Long Jump, as well as the Indoor Triple Jump. She ranks #1 in Clemson history in the Indoor High Jump and Long Jump, as well as third in the Indoor Triple Jump and seventh in the Outdoor High Jump. One more thing to mention, Sinkler was a USA Junior All-American in the Long Jump and High Jump back in 2008. Needless to say, she is quite an athlete and will hopefully have a spot on the US Olympic Team two years from now when the Summer Olympic games come to London.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The MCLA And SELC, A Great Option For College Lacrosse Hopefuls
As mentioned in an earlier article, Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in America. At the college level, the NCAA has Lacrosse as a sanctioned sport and schools like Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Cornell are traditional powers at the Div. l level.
However, many other schools in the South who participate at the NCAA Div. l level in other sports have Lacrosse programs. They just don't compete in the NCAA. They compete in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC). Schools such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and Auburn are just some of the members. High School Lacrosse players who aren't being recruited by NCAA Div. l Lacrosse programs have another option. They can play at the many schools around the country who are a part of the Men's College Lacrosse Association (MCLA) of which the SELC is a member. There are also non-NCAA College Lacrosse programs for women as well.
The MCLA and WCLL have member schools such as Florida and Michigan St. as well as small schools such as Tennessee Wesleyan and Chapman University, both NAIA and NCAA Div. lll members respectively when it comes to other sports. The SELC has two divisions. Div. l is comprised of large universities such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida. Div. ll is comprised of mostly small schools like Tennessee Wesleyan and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), but also contains schools like Kennesaw St., Georgia St., Furman, Appalachian St. and Elon. Tennessee Wesleyan finished the regular season a top the SELC Central Division at 5-0 and 10-5 overall. They beat App. St. 9-7 in the SELC Div. ll Quarter Finals and lost to Elon in the Semis 16-8. TWC had two players who received SELC Div. ll honors. Anthony Hunt, a Junior from Nashville, TN, was named SELC Div. ll Specialty Player Of The Year. His teammate, Junior Attacker Ryan Horvath from Verona, WI, was named SELC Div. ll Offensive Player Of The Year. Horvath finished the season with 57 goals and 17 assists.
Though it does not get the publicity that NCAA Lacrosse gets, schools that participate in the MCLA and WCLA are very competitive. They provide an opportunity for high school players who are passed over by NCAA schools. If you are an aspiring Lacrosse player in high school, check out the MCLA website at http://www.mcla.us/. If you're a female player, you can go to http://www.womenscollegiatelacrosse.com/. Incidentally, congratulations to the University of Florida Men's Lacrosse Team. They are the SELC Div. l Champions.
However, many other schools in the South who participate at the NCAA Div. l level in other sports have Lacrosse programs. They just don't compete in the NCAA. They compete in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC). Schools such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and Auburn are just some of the members. High School Lacrosse players who aren't being recruited by NCAA Div. l Lacrosse programs have another option. They can play at the many schools around the country who are a part of the Men's College Lacrosse Association (MCLA) of which the SELC is a member. There are also non-NCAA College Lacrosse programs for women as well.
The MCLA and WCLL have member schools such as Florida and Michigan St. as well as small schools such as Tennessee Wesleyan and Chapman University, both NAIA and NCAA Div. lll members respectively when it comes to other sports. The SELC has two divisions. Div. l is comprised of large universities such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida. Div. ll is comprised of mostly small schools like Tennessee Wesleyan and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), but also contains schools like Kennesaw St., Georgia St., Furman, Appalachian St. and Elon. Tennessee Wesleyan finished the regular season a top the SELC Central Division at 5-0 and 10-5 overall. They beat App. St. 9-7 in the SELC Div. ll Quarter Finals and lost to Elon in the Semis 16-8. TWC had two players who received SELC Div. ll honors. Anthony Hunt, a Junior from Nashville, TN, was named SELC Div. ll Specialty Player Of The Year. His teammate, Junior Attacker Ryan Horvath from Verona, WI, was named SELC Div. ll Offensive Player Of The Year. Horvath finished the season with 57 goals and 17 assists.
Though it does not get the publicity that NCAA Lacrosse gets, schools that participate in the MCLA and WCLA are very competitive. They provide an opportunity for high school players who are passed over by NCAA schools. If you are an aspiring Lacrosse player in high school, check out the MCLA website at http://www.mcla.us/. If you're a female player, you can go to http://www.womenscollegiatelacrosse.com/. Incidentally, congratulations to the University of Florida Men's Lacrosse Team. They are the SELC Div. l Champions.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A 58 year old Pitcher Makes College Team
When the players on the Springfield College JV Baseball Team saw 58 year old Larry Hasenfus, some of them thought they were getting a new coach. Instead, however, they were getting a new teammate.
Hasenfus suffers from Dyslexia, a learning disorder which seemed to have doomed his dream of getting a college degree some 40 years ago. "I couldn't do the assignments and I didn't understand why", Hasenfus said. He didn't know why until he was diagnosed with Dyslexia. Hasenfus went on into the work force, got married and is now a father of three. Recently, however, he was laid off from his job due to the recession. He wanted to go back to college to develop some new skills, but also to do something else. "It was always a dream of mine to play college sports", said Hasenfus.
He decided to go out for the Springfield College JV Baseball Team as a pitcher, and lo and behold, he earned a spot on the roster. As his teammates watch him pitch, some see Hasenfus as a blast from the past with his high leg kick and his knuckle ball. He has earned the inspiration and respect of his teammates.
There have been other examples of guys at least 2 decades removed from college age who have come back to "give it the old college try". A few years ago, a 59 year old man made the Sul Ross State Football Team. There has been a 73 year old to make the roster of a college basketball team. These stories just show that you are never to old to learn, play and compete.
Hasenfus suffers from Dyslexia, a learning disorder which seemed to have doomed his dream of getting a college degree some 40 years ago. "I couldn't do the assignments and I didn't understand why", Hasenfus said. He didn't know why until he was diagnosed with Dyslexia. Hasenfus went on into the work force, got married and is now a father of three. Recently, however, he was laid off from his job due to the recession. He wanted to go back to college to develop some new skills, but also to do something else. "It was always a dream of mine to play college sports", said Hasenfus.
He decided to go out for the Springfield College JV Baseball Team as a pitcher, and lo and behold, he earned a spot on the roster. As his teammates watch him pitch, some see Hasenfus as a blast from the past with his high leg kick and his knuckle ball. He has earned the inspiration and respect of his teammates.
There have been other examples of guys at least 2 decades removed from college age who have come back to "give it the old college try". A few years ago, a 59 year old man made the Sul Ross State Football Team. There has been a 73 year old to make the roster of a college basketball team. These stories just show that you are never to old to learn, play and compete.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Lacrosse Spreading Across America
Once a game concentrated primarily in the Northeast and the New England Region, the game of Lacrosse is growing in popularity all across the country. The game is particularly growing at the high school level.
The traditional collegiate powers are schools like Johns-Hopkins, Duke, Syracuse, Princeton, Virginia, UNC and Maryland. However, more and more schools, particularly small colleges, have started Men's' and Women's' Lacrosse programs. It's an exciting game to watch and probably even more exciting to play. Invented by Native Americans in the northeastern United States and Canada, the game has similarities to Field Hockey and Ice Hockey. Instead of hitting a ball or puck with a stick, the stick has a net at the end of it with which to catch the ball, a rubber ball about the size of a billiards ball.
Earlier today, I was watching a Men's' Lacrosse match between Virginia and Maryland, two of the top teams in the nation. The Cavaliers were ranked #1 and Maryland #5. During the game, Maryland had a beautiful goal started by the Terps goalie flinging an outlet pass to a Midfielder who flicked the ball to his teammate. The teammate faked an overhand shot and ducked under the defender, shooting an underhand shot for a goal. Virginia won the game 10-6, but it was a beautiful sequence of play by Maryland. It reminded me of a fast break in basketball or a counter attack in soccer. For those of you who are familiar with the game and, perhaps, have played it for years, you see this all the time.
Unfortunately, Lacrosse got a bad name in the press a few years ago when several players on the Duke team were charged with rape at a team party. they were all acquitted, but that was how many people not familiar with the sport were introduced to it. However, Lacrosse is not for the timid, faint of heart or the lazy. It requires speed, stamina, power and agility. Many football fans have heard of the name of Jim Brown, the Hall of Fame RB from the Cleveland Browns and, before that, Syracuse University. However, I wonder how many people realize that Brown was also an outstanding Lacrosse player as well. In fact, he was an All-American at Syracuse. Another well-known NFL player who excelled at Lacrosse was former Seattle Sea Hawks and Atlanta Falcons Linebacker Patrick Kearney. Kearney came to Virginia on a Lacrosse scholarship and ended up playing football for the Cavaliers and had an All-American career.
As we get closer to the NCAA Div. l Men's' Tournament, here are the top 10 teams: As mentioned earlier, Virginia occupies the top spot with a 13-1 record followed by North Carolina, Syracuse, Duke and Maryland. Loyola (MD), Hofstra, Stony Brook, Bucknell and Notre Dame round out the top 10. What is interesting is there are schools playing at the Div. l level who at one time would have never though of competing at all, schools such as Presbyterian, Jacksonville and Denver. At one time, the game did not expand south of the state of North Carolina or west of Pennsylvania. But, as mentioned earlier, the sport has grown in popularity in the last 20 years.
Continuing our look at the Men's' College Rankings, NCAA Div. ll looks like this: undefeated Mercyhurst (12-0) is #1 followed by Le Moyne, who is also 12-0 but trails Mercyhurst in the power rating category. Dowling, Limestone and C.W. Post round out the Div. ll top 5. Incidentally, Limestone, a school in Gaffney, SC, barely held on to their #4 national ranking when their goalie, Steve Gartleman, stopped a shot with just seconds left to preserve a 10-9 win in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship Game over Belmont Abbey College on Sunday. Belmont Abbey happens to be ranked #15 in the country. The rest of the div. ll top 10 looks like this: Merrimack is at #6 followed by St. Leo, Mars Hill, NYIT and Bentley. Div. lll looks like this: Cortland College from upstate New York is at the top with a record of 11-2. They are followed by Stevenson, Gettysburg, Salisbury and Roanoke. Rounding out the top 10 are Tuffs, Geneseo, Nazareth, Lynchburg and RIT. That is your look at the rankings of NCAA Lacrosse. Many colleges also have teams at the Club level as well.
From what I understand, here are some of the rules of the game. Ten players to a side, there is a 60 second shot clock in which a player must get off a shot before the 60 seconds expire. If he or she is unable to do so, it is a shot clock violation and the ball is turned over to the other team. You obviously cant hit a player in the head with your stick. I'm not sure if there is an offside rule, but there probably is. There is a 2 point arc, much like a three point arc in basketball. The player's feet have to be behind the 2 point arc when they shoot in order to score a 2 point goal. So far, that is all I know. Whoever knows the game is welcome to post a comment on this site as to what other rules are involved.
As mentioned earlier, the sport of Lacrosse has grown at the high school level as well. Like all of Lacrosse, it is most popular in the Northeastern US, but it has spread all the way down to Atlanta, GA and farther south. With the influx of northerners into the Atlanta area, several area high schools have embraced the game and some, like Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA, have produced top notch recruits for colleges. The sport seems to be most popular in the mostly white, upper class communities but some minorities have embraced the sport.
The sport is growing internationally as well. Being that it was invented by the Iroquois Indians of the Northeastern US and Canada, some Canadians play the game. Australia has had a national team in the past. Who knows, maybe Lacrosse will one day become an Olympic sport. Being that there is a lot of scoring and the game is physical, just like Ice Hockey, Lacrosse will only grow in participation and spectatorship here in the United States.
The traditional collegiate powers are schools like Johns-Hopkins, Duke, Syracuse, Princeton, Virginia, UNC and Maryland. However, more and more schools, particularly small colleges, have started Men's' and Women's' Lacrosse programs. It's an exciting game to watch and probably even more exciting to play. Invented by Native Americans in the northeastern United States and Canada, the game has similarities to Field Hockey and Ice Hockey. Instead of hitting a ball or puck with a stick, the stick has a net at the end of it with which to catch the ball, a rubber ball about the size of a billiards ball.
Earlier today, I was watching a Men's' Lacrosse match between Virginia and Maryland, two of the top teams in the nation. The Cavaliers were ranked #1 and Maryland #5. During the game, Maryland had a beautiful goal started by the Terps goalie flinging an outlet pass to a Midfielder who flicked the ball to his teammate. The teammate faked an overhand shot and ducked under the defender, shooting an underhand shot for a goal. Virginia won the game 10-6, but it was a beautiful sequence of play by Maryland. It reminded me of a fast break in basketball or a counter attack in soccer. For those of you who are familiar with the game and, perhaps, have played it for years, you see this all the time.
Unfortunately, Lacrosse got a bad name in the press a few years ago when several players on the Duke team were charged with rape at a team party. they were all acquitted, but that was how many people not familiar with the sport were introduced to it. However, Lacrosse is not for the timid, faint of heart or the lazy. It requires speed, stamina, power and agility. Many football fans have heard of the name of Jim Brown, the Hall of Fame RB from the Cleveland Browns and, before that, Syracuse University. However, I wonder how many people realize that Brown was also an outstanding Lacrosse player as well. In fact, he was an All-American at Syracuse. Another well-known NFL player who excelled at Lacrosse was former Seattle Sea Hawks and Atlanta Falcons Linebacker Patrick Kearney. Kearney came to Virginia on a Lacrosse scholarship and ended up playing football for the Cavaliers and had an All-American career.
As we get closer to the NCAA Div. l Men's' Tournament, here are the top 10 teams: As mentioned earlier, Virginia occupies the top spot with a 13-1 record followed by North Carolina, Syracuse, Duke and Maryland. Loyola (MD), Hofstra, Stony Brook, Bucknell and Notre Dame round out the top 10. What is interesting is there are schools playing at the Div. l level who at one time would have never though of competing at all, schools such as Presbyterian, Jacksonville and Denver. At one time, the game did not expand south of the state of North Carolina or west of Pennsylvania. But, as mentioned earlier, the sport has grown in popularity in the last 20 years.
Continuing our look at the Men's' College Rankings, NCAA Div. ll looks like this: undefeated Mercyhurst (12-0) is #1 followed by Le Moyne, who is also 12-0 but trails Mercyhurst in the power rating category. Dowling, Limestone and C.W. Post round out the Div. ll top 5. Incidentally, Limestone, a school in Gaffney, SC, barely held on to their #4 national ranking when their goalie, Steve Gartleman, stopped a shot with just seconds left to preserve a 10-9 win in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship Game over Belmont Abbey College on Sunday. Belmont Abbey happens to be ranked #15 in the country. The rest of the div. ll top 10 looks like this: Merrimack is at #6 followed by St. Leo, Mars Hill, NYIT and Bentley. Div. lll looks like this: Cortland College from upstate New York is at the top with a record of 11-2. They are followed by Stevenson, Gettysburg, Salisbury and Roanoke. Rounding out the top 10 are Tuffs, Geneseo, Nazareth, Lynchburg and RIT. That is your look at the rankings of NCAA Lacrosse. Many colleges also have teams at the Club level as well.
From what I understand, here are some of the rules of the game. Ten players to a side, there is a 60 second shot clock in which a player must get off a shot before the 60 seconds expire. If he or she is unable to do so, it is a shot clock violation and the ball is turned over to the other team. You obviously cant hit a player in the head with your stick. I'm not sure if there is an offside rule, but there probably is. There is a 2 point arc, much like a three point arc in basketball. The player's feet have to be behind the 2 point arc when they shoot in order to score a 2 point goal. So far, that is all I know. Whoever knows the game is welcome to post a comment on this site as to what other rules are involved.
As mentioned earlier, the sport of Lacrosse has grown at the high school level as well. Like all of Lacrosse, it is most popular in the Northeastern US, but it has spread all the way down to Atlanta, GA and farther south. With the influx of northerners into the Atlanta area, several area high schools have embraced the game and some, like Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA, have produced top notch recruits for colleges. The sport seems to be most popular in the mostly white, upper class communities but some minorities have embraced the sport.
The sport is growing internationally as well. Being that it was invented by the Iroquois Indians of the Northeastern US and Canada, some Canadians play the game. Australia has had a national team in the past. Who knows, maybe Lacrosse will one day become an Olympic sport. Being that there is a lot of scoring and the game is physical, just like Ice Hockey, Lacrosse will only grow in participation and spectatorship here in the United States.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Who Is The Greatest All-Time Starting 5 In Bryan History
As an alum of Bryan College, I have always followed their sports teams ever since I came there in 1990 and walked on the Soccer Team. Bryan Athletics wasn't very good back then as far as wins and losses were concerned, but the school had several student-athletes who excelled tremendously both on the field and court as well as in the class room.
I witnessed first hand some of the exploits of the athletes when I was the Public Address Announcer during Bryan Men's Basketball home games from 1992-94. Mark Pack was one of the greatest players wo ever ware a Bryan uniform. He was a two-time NCCAA and NAIA All-American during his three years there on the hill in Dayton, TN. He was a prolific three point shooter. During his last year, he hit 13 in one game. Also during his tenure at Bryan, Pack set College Basketball's all-time record for most three pointers made in one season with 221. That record still stands and is an All-Divisions record, which includes NCAA Div. l.
There were other great players during the early 90s. Clay Causey was a solid point guard for the Lions as well, along with fellow Louisiana native Jason Martinez. One of the greatest moments in my sporting life was doing the PA duties for a game in which Bryan trailed Covenant College by 31 points. Led by the scoring of Pack and Martinez, scoring 31 and 32 points respectively, the Lions scored 78 points in the second half and capped off the dramatic come from behind victory with the winning bucket by Jeremy "Jay Train" Sperring. The final was 101-100, and at that time, it was the second greatest come from behind victory in ALL of college basketball including NCAA Div. l. Sperring happened to have gone to grammar School with me from third grade to sixth grade. I actually played against him in high school. Sperring was an NAIA Scholar Athlete and an NAIA Academic All-American.
Other great players come to mind, such as Travis Dotterer, John Spears, Jeff Van Der Mark and Mitchell Byrd. Of course, these were, are and always will be great friends of mine. There were great Bryan players in the 80s, before my time at BC, players such as Dean Ropp, Dave Zuberer, Ron Cox, Rick Torbit and the Landice brothers. The Landice brothers, along with Ropp and Torbit, have been inducted into the Bryan Hall of Fame. Incidentally, Rick Torbit was the creator of the instructioanl video series called "Better Basketball" which has been endorsed by NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
There have been great players after my time at BC. In the late 90s and the early part of this century, Randy Evans and Jason Beschta come to mind. There are great current players as well such as DeMond Craig and Scott Newton.My whole reason for mentioning all this is that I want to pick the best all-time starting 5 and best all-time sixth man in Bryan history. Any of you who played at Bryan or went to the school and were privileged to have watched these great players need to post your comments at the "post a comment" section at the end of this article. I would love to hear your feedback.
I witnessed first hand some of the exploits of the athletes when I was the Public Address Announcer during Bryan Men's Basketball home games from 1992-94. Mark Pack was one of the greatest players wo ever ware a Bryan uniform. He was a two-time NCCAA and NAIA All-American during his three years there on the hill in Dayton, TN. He was a prolific three point shooter. During his last year, he hit 13 in one game. Also during his tenure at Bryan, Pack set College Basketball's all-time record for most three pointers made in one season with 221. That record still stands and is an All-Divisions record, which includes NCAA Div. l.
There were other great players during the early 90s. Clay Causey was a solid point guard for the Lions as well, along with fellow Louisiana native Jason Martinez. One of the greatest moments in my sporting life was doing the PA duties for a game in which Bryan trailed Covenant College by 31 points. Led by the scoring of Pack and Martinez, scoring 31 and 32 points respectively, the Lions scored 78 points in the second half and capped off the dramatic come from behind victory with the winning bucket by Jeremy "Jay Train" Sperring. The final was 101-100, and at that time, it was the second greatest come from behind victory in ALL of college basketball including NCAA Div. l. Sperring happened to have gone to grammar School with me from third grade to sixth grade. I actually played against him in high school. Sperring was an NAIA Scholar Athlete and an NAIA Academic All-American.
Other great players come to mind, such as Travis Dotterer, John Spears, Jeff Van Der Mark and Mitchell Byrd. Of course, these were, are and always will be great friends of mine. There were great Bryan players in the 80s, before my time at BC, players such as Dean Ropp, Dave Zuberer, Ron Cox, Rick Torbit and the Landice brothers. The Landice brothers, along with Ropp and Torbit, have been inducted into the Bryan Hall of Fame. Incidentally, Rick Torbit was the creator of the instructioanl video series called "Better Basketball" which has been endorsed by NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
There have been great players after my time at BC. In the late 90s and the early part of this century, Randy Evans and Jason Beschta come to mind. There are great current players as well such as DeMond Craig and Scott Newton.My whole reason for mentioning all this is that I want to pick the best all-time starting 5 and best all-time sixth man in Bryan history. Any of you who played at Bryan or went to the school and were privileged to have watched these great players need to post your comments at the "post a comment" section at the end of this article. I would love to hear your feedback.
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