Behold maybe the first-ever shot from a homemade catapult

Since they had already made baskets from the top of a monument, from a moving roller coaster and from a hot air balloon, the Legendary Shots knew their next trick shot would have to be creative to top their previous efforts.

The result? Check out the Catapult Shot.

The Alabama teens spent most of their winter break in January drawing a blueprint of a catapult they saw on YouTube, then constructing a giant wooden version powered by a pair of 110-pound garage springs. In addition to shelling out $300 for building materials, they borrowed power tools from their parents, painstakingly cut the wood at precisely the right angles and even painted a "Legendary Shots" logo on the side.

Actually sinking the shot turned out to be more difficult than constructing the catapult.

Because the catapult's accuracy was more scattershot than the Legendary Shots expected, it was rare for the ball to get within a foot or two of the rim. The group spent six Saturdays shooting for roughly seven hours a day at a nearby football stadium and in group founder Carson Stalnaker's backyard before finally sinking a shot on a bounce from roughly 50 yards away.

"We just had too much invested in the shot to stop," Stalnaker said. "The thing was� so inaccurate that it would sometimes go 10 feet over the goal and usually it would start catching spin and go left or right. The one that went in was a very rare occasion because we had only hit the rim a couple times before."

Stalnaker isn't certain how the group first came up with the idea for the catapult shot, but he's proud that he and his friends followed through after he first mentioned the idea to a reporter last August. It helped that group member Bryan Anderson had engineering expertise from classes he'd taken in high school and that Jeffrey Higginbotham and John Massey were handy with the power tools as well.

The Legendary Shots aren't certain they're the only ones to have ever made a basket with a catapult at this distance, but they haven't found video footage of any shots even remotely similar on YouTube. They also don't think it detracts much from the shot that it went in on the bounce rather than on the fly.

"Yeah, it hit the ground, but we built a catapult with our own money," Stalnaker said. "The fact that we shot a ball with a catapult, you can't take too much away from us."

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Breaking Down the Big Ten: Purdue Boilermakers, Part 3 (Schedule & Breakdown)

Big Ten Breakdown: Purdue Boilermakers, Part 1 (Overview and Offense)

Big Ten Breakdown: Purdue Boilermakers Part 2 (Defense and Specialists)

 

Impact Freshmen

 Both Rivals and Scout ranked Purdue's 2011 recruiting class last in the Big Ten. Part of the reason for that was the size of the class, as the Boilers only had 15 commits. However, in terms of average recruit ranking, Indiana was the only school Purdue topped on both websites.

Further complicating this, Purdue brought in three JUCO transfers. While JUCO transfers are not a bad way to build a team, by a coach's third year, one would hope that coach would be able to depend on player's developed within his program.

That said, there are a couple of players within this class who could contribute immediately.

Most notable is Robert Kugler out of Pittsburgh. Rivals lists him as a tight end, while Scout thinks he is a defensive end. At 6'3", 240 lbs., he could work his way into either position. Moreover, those happen to be two of the three positions where the Boilermakers have the most immediate need.

With a listed 40 time of 4.85, he is a bit slow for a tight end. My guess is that he will end up at defensive end where, aside from a couple of inches, he is reminiscent of a recent Purdue tight end/defensive end prospect. 

Another player that could get right into the mix is running back Akeem Hunt. Hunt hails from Covington, Georgia. Though he is a little under playing weight—5'10", 170 lbs.—he is a solid player that chose Purdue over some pretty impressive and established programs.

 

Intangibles

 I acknowledge that most of the "intangibles" that I consider come directly from some of the more notable theories of Phil Steele. In effect, if you feel that Phil Steele is full of wind, then many of my intangibles are decidedly irrelevant.

That said, two of the more notable Phil Steele theories have to do with injuries and experience on the offensive line.

In the case of injuries, Steele's basic theory is that a team that loses a substantial portion of its roster to injuries in one year, has as many or more wins the next year. If considered logically, it does make sense as injuries in one year lead to advanced development in players that wouldn't otherwise gain playing time.

As already mentioned, in this respect, Purdue was decimated last season. In 2010, the Boilers lost 32 starts or 12.1 percent of their potential starts. The closest any other Big Ten team was to this total was Indiana with 24 starts lost.

Another theory is that returning experience on the offensive line is arguably more valuable than returning experience anywhere else on the team. In my opinion, this is common sense as games are won and lost in the trenches, not on the periphery. Nevertheless, most people love the players that score the touchdowns.

Once again, in this respect, the Boilers return four starters, two of whom are two-year starters.

Something else to consider is that Purdue was two wins away from the magical number six and bowl availability. Then consider that their last two games of the year (and last two losses) came by a total of seven points. The Boilers did have one close win on the year (Northwestern by three), but in terms of close games and the game hanging on the balance of one play, PU came out on the losing end.

Overall, for teams like Ohio State, the intangibles mean the difference between 10 or 12 wins; a conference championship or a national championship. However, for teams like Purdue, it could be the difference between going to a bowl or staying home.

For the last two seasons, Danny Hope has gotten smacked by intangibles. This year, things are poised to turn around.

 

Schedule

 09/03: Middle Tennessee. Purdue is the favorite.

09/10: At Rice. Purdue is the favorite.

09/17: Southeast Missouri State (FCS). Heavy Favorite.

09/24: Open

10/01: Notre Dame. Heavy underdog.

10/08: Minnesota. Slight favorite.

10/15: At Penn State. Underdog.

10/22: Illinois. Underdog.

10/29: At Michigan. Underdog.

11/05: At Wisconsin. Heavy underdog.

11/12: Ohio State. Heavy underdog.

11/19: Iowa. Underdog.

11/26: At Indiana. Favorite.

 

Best Case Scenario

 Purdue makes the right choice and starts Rob Henry at quarterback. From the very beginning, the offense looks like it will have to be reckoned with.

The defense is not dominant, but it is solid and a few playmakers—Kawaan Short, Dwayne Beckford—step up to fill the role that Ryan Kerrigan held for three seasons.

They destroy their first three opponents as they head into their rivalry game with Notre Dame. Though the Irish win, it is closer than many at first expected.

After beating Minnesota handily, Purdue struggles at Penn State. However, they surprise a lot of people with a win over the Illini. At a respectable 5-2, the Boilers head into their toughest stretch of the season.

After dropping three straight, PU surprises Iowa and win a close one to get themselves to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007.

They proceed to beat Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket, and finish at 7-5.

This gets them invited to the Texas Bowl, where they take on a mid-tier team from the Big 12.

 

Worst Case Scenario

  The Boilers start Robert Marve in the opener. Though they win their first three, Marve is mediocre. In effect, they spend the first three games playing musical chairs with their two quarterbacks.

Things still aren't settled as they head into the Notre Dame contest. Consequently, the Irish shut down the Boilers' erratic and disjointed offense.

Meanwhile, the defense is so-so and lacks any big playmakers.

Purdue loses a close one to Minnesota, after which the wheels fall off the cart. They lose the next six, and their rivalry game against Indiana is also a battle of two teams without a conference win.

PU manages to beat the Hoosiers, but at 4-8, it is evident that Danny Hope is squarely on the hot seat.

 

My Prediction

 This year, I really like the intangibles that Purdue brings to the table. Danny Hope is due for some good luck and in 2011, I think he will get it.

Though the Boilers will miss Ryan Kerrigan, there is a good amount of potential in the young defensive squad. Between Kawaan Short, Dwayne Beckford and Ricardo Allen, I am confident at least one player will step up and be the playmaker that PU needs.

On the offense, the second best thing next to an experienced quarterback is an experienced offensive line. As previously mentioned, it was a testament to the line play that the Boilers, despite everything working against their offense, still had a respectable running game.

On top of that, in a conference that had a number of quality first-year quarterbacks in 2010, Rob Henry might wind up finishing with the most distinguished career. Keep in mind, unlike all of the other first-year starters, Henry was thrown into action and did not have first-team reps during the August practices.

Finally, out of the four teams that comprise the preseason bottom of the conference—Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and a team to be named later—Purdue has the best chance to fulfill their best case scenario.

In the end, that is exactly what I think they will do. They will win all the games they are supposed to win, take one minor upset (Illinois) and secure one fairly substantial upset, which, (unfortunately) I have as coming at the expense of the Hawkeyes.

At 7-5, they will go the TicketCity Bowl, where they will play a mid-level team from the Big 12.

 

Big Ten Breakdown: Indiana Hoosiers, Part 1 (Overview and Offense)

Big Ten Breakdown: Indiana Hoosiers, Part 2 (Defense and Specialists)

Big Ten Breakdown: Indiana Hoosiers, Part 3 (Schedule and Final Breakdown)

 

Big Ten Breakdown: Minnesota Golden Gophers, Part 1 (Overview and Offense)

Big Ten Breakdown: Minnesota Golden Gophers, Part 2 (Defense and Specialists)

Big Ten Breakdown: Minnesota Golden Gophers, Part 3 (Schedule and Final Breakdown)

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Disgruntled ex-Lobo assistant keeps New Mexico, Locksley in his legal sights

It's been nearly two years since New Mexico coach Mike Locksley was accused of choking, punching and publicly berating assistant coach J.B. Gerald and the case just will not go away.

Earlier this month, a federal court dismissed the case against Locksley (right), stating that it wasn't strong enough. So Gerald refiled a hostile work environment lawsuit against the University of New Mexico and head football coach Mike Locksley on Tuesday.

Locksley had a tumultuous first season at New Mexico in 2009. Besides Gerald's claim, a former administrative assistant also accused Locksley of sexual harassment, age discrimination and retaliation. That case was ultimately settled.

It didn't help that Locksley's team went 1-11, the worst for the Lobos since going winless in 1987.

Locksley weathered the storm, kept his job and turned to for NFL coach Tony Dungy for advice and mentorship. While Locksley stayed clean off the field, New Mexico didn't get much better on it as it went 1-11 again.

Locksley once again kept his job, but his buyout was renegotiated in March and reduced from $365,000 per year to $150,000 per year owed if fired. There's also no penalty for Locksley to leave voluntarily before his contract expires in 2014.

Nothing about those negotiations signaled good things for the embattled head coach and Gerald's newest lawsuit is just another thing critics can continue to point to for as long as Locksley leads the Lobos.

Gerald has maintained all along that the suit is less about money and more about accountability by the university and Locksley. However, getting that closure might be difficult. This is Gerald's third suit against Locksley and the school. The prior two have been dismissed.

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QB Focus: Matt Barkley, USC’s Mr. Nice Guy

Assessing 2011's field generals, in no particular order. Today: USC junior Matt Barkley.

? Typecasting. When scouts go to bed at night, Barkley is the prototype pocket passer they see in their dreams, across the board: He showed up at USC in 2009 as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in America, the latest and most celebrated product of the golden pipeline from nearby Mater Dei High and, within a few months of stepping on campus, the first true freshman in school history to start his first game. Before he even left high school, Barkley had already been on mission trips to build homes for the poor in Mexico, volunteered at an orphanage in South Africa and led a drive to raise money for families of Marines. In terms of advance hype, opportunity at a traditional powerhouse and squeaky-clean charisma, he's the West Coast equivalent of Tim Tebow — except that, in Barkley's case, the NFL scouts are totally enamored with his potential, too.

The fact that he hasn't broken through on anything remotely approaching a Tebow-esque scale is a testament to just how high the bar is for a golden-boy quarterback at USC. Barkley's won 17 games as a starter in two seasons, but also lost as many (7) as predecessors Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez lost between them from 2003-08. As a freshman, he presided over a dramatic fourth quarter comeback at Ohio State in his second game, but also over two of the worst beatings in school history against Oregon and Stanford. As a sophomore, he finished third in the Pac-10 in passing yards, touchdowns and efficiency, but averaged fewer yards per game than any Trojan passer in a decade, with fewer TDs and a lower rating than any Trojan passer in that span except Booty in 2007. As a junior, Barkley will be the undisputed leader of a lineup uncharacteristically lacking in star power, and may be embarking on his last chance to leave a legacy that transcends the fall of the Trojan empire.

? At his best... On paper, the offense significantly improved last year compared to 2009, and Barkley continued to show flashes of the pocket presence, downfield arm strength and knack for fitting the ball into tight windows that made him such a scout favorite in the first place. He also established a good rapport with true freshman burner Robert Woods, the team's leading receiver, and left no doubt that the offense is built primarily around his right arm.

Most of the goodwill he carries out of 2010 was earned over the first half of the season. Through the first seven games, Barkley passed for multiple scores in six of them, with 20 touchdowns to four interceptions and a seemingly firm grip on Lane Kiffin's new offense. USC rolled to a 4-0 September, and while the defense went to sleep in last-second losses to Washington and Stanford in early October, the offense put the pedal down for 30-plus points and nearly 500 yards of total offense in both. Personally, Barkley dueled Andrew Luck to a draw with went 390 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort against the Cardinal, and bounced back the following week to bury Cal beneath five touchdown passes in the first half alone en route to a 48-14 massacre. Going into the Oct. 23 bye week, USC was 5-2, averaging 494 yards and 37 points per game —�both top-15 numbers nationally —�and Barkley was the highest-rated passer in the Pac-10.

? At his worst... After the by week, things started to fall apart. Barkley turned in arguably his worst game on Oct. 30, serving up two interceptions and botching a shotgun snap (with some help from Kiffin) that helped turned the tide in an eventual 53-32 beatdown at the hands of Oregon on the season's biggest stage. Beginning with the loss to the Ducks, his last five starts included just six touchdowns to eight interceptions — twice as many as he threw over the first seven games — and zero 300-yard efforts. From Oct. 2 to Nov. 27, USC dropped five of eight games, with two of the three wins coming by one point (34-33 over Arizona State) and three points (24-21 over Arizona), respectively. Well before he was knocked out of the Nov. 20 loss at Oregon State with an injured ankle, Barkley had already thrown a pick-six and was battling through the most nightmarish first half of his career in a humiliating, 36-7 flop.

Even with a relatively consistent running game keeping defenses honest, the occasional Favre-like tendency to strong-arm balls into coverage led to another season of double-digit picks, and contributed to the diminishing returns down the stretch. Barkley didn't play at all against Notre Dame, another disappointing loss in a driving rainstorm, and returned only to serve up two more picks in an ugly finale at UCLA. That win left the offense averaging a full 60 yards and six points less per game for the season than it was averaging at the bye week, and even within the Pac-10, Barkley finished squarely in the middle of the pack by every significant statistical measure.

? Fun Fact. USC got the worst of it from the NCAA in the fallout from its four-year investigation into the Reggie Bush Sweepstakes, but Barkley made the best of the bowl ban last December by spending Christmas break in Nigeria instead through a nonprofit run by a former high school friend:

Barkley produced that video himself, and though his earnestness can occasionally make for a fairly easy target, I think it's safe to say he's sincere.

More QB Focus

? ROBERT GRIFFIN, Baylor

? JAKE HEAPS, BYU

? AARON MURRAY, Georgia

? CHRIS RELF

? DAN PERSA, Northwestern

? BRANDON WEEDEN, Oklahoma State

? DARRON THOMAS, Oregon

? TYLER BRAY, Tennessee

? What to expect in the fall. There was some progress in the first season under Kiffin's watch, even if it wound up being of the "two steps forward, one step back" variety. But Year Three is where the rubber meets the road: For other massively hyped pocket slingers like Jimmy Clausen, Mark Sanchez, Matt Stafford, Matt Ryan and Brady Quinn, their junior year was the year the simmering potential gelled into a big season that propelled them into the first round of the draft.

Barkley was arguably ahead of everyone in that group as a sophomore. We still only got glimpses of his ceiling (see the brilliant efforts against Stanford and Cal), but if USC is going keep its head above water throughout the depths of the sanctions era, it will have to be by Barkley continuing to shed the "potential" label and establishing himself as the best player on the field on a consistent basis. So far, the consistency hasn't been there. But he's still on schedule.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Cavs for Mavs: Cleveland Cavaliers Fans Coming out in Support Against LeBron Jam

Cleveland will not give LeBron James any credit.

In the wake of all of the postseason success that LeBron James has enjoyed during his inaugural campaign with the Miami Heat, it seems that Cavs fans have come out to support the opposing Dallas Mavericks.

Clearly still left with a sour taste in their mouth regarding LeBron's infamous departure from the Cavs, the team's fans have come out in drones to support the Mavericks in the hopes that the franchise can upset the Heat and take home the NBA title.

According to ESPN, one artist named George Vlosich has taken it to an entirely new level.

"And he was struck with an idea. Vlosich quickly designed a T-shirt that embodies exactly what most every NBA fan in Cleveland is thinking: He took the old-time orange 'Cavs' logo, slapped a big, blue 'M' over the 'C' and hung a cowboy hat off the 'S' on the end."

That's what I call creative marketing.

MUST READ: 10 Best NBA Stars That Haven't Won a Ring

It's really taken off to a new plateau today, as we get set for the start of the NBA Finals. The Cavs for Mavs Twitter feed has grown all day and at the time this article was composed was on the brink of surpassing 1,500 followers.

It's pretty great for Cavs fans that they're able to still draw an interest in the finals despite their team's atrocious regular season, and I'm assuming seeing LeBron lose would provide even greater pleasure than seeing their team in the postseason.

One thing is certain: the entire city of Cleveland will be rooting for Dallas to upset Miami in the first game tonight.  

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THE CURIOUS INDEX, TRESSELST OF TRESSELOBER, TRESSELTHOUSAND AND ELEVEN

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Tarnished ex-Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien returns to the bench

Unable to find a Division I school willing to take a chance on him after his controversial dismissal from Ohio State left him with a tarnished reputation, Jim O'Brien has found a new way to get back into the business.

O'Brien accepted a job on Tuesday as Division III Emerson College's new basketball coach.

"Emerson is a great school and seems like a great fit for me at this time in my life," O'Brien said in a statement. "It affords my wife and I an opportunity to continue to live in Boston, a city that we love, while allowing me to focus on what I enjoy most: being in a gym and coaching a team."

O'Brien's return to college basketball comes seven years after he revealed to Ohio State administrators that he'd sent a check for $6,000 in 1998 to a Yugoslavian recruit's mother who was trying to support a family in a country ravaged by civil war. Alex Radojevic never played college basketball, yet Ohio State was placed on probation and had its 1999 Final Four appearance vacated.

Though O'Brien was fired by Ohio State, he later received more than $2 million in salary from the school in a wrongful termination lawsuit. His coaching career had been in hiatus until the Emerson offer, though he had spent time in the past year mentoring public high school coaches in Boston.

The new gig certainly isn't as high-profile as O'Brien's former head coaching jobs at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater Boston College or Ohio State, but at least he appears to have a supportive administration.

"We are extremely excited to have attracted someone with Jim's talent and experience to Emerson," Emerson athletic director Kristin Parnell said. "He will help the basketball program build on its many past successes."

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2011 NBA Mock Draft: Which Morris Brother Has the Highest NBA Ceiling?

2011 NBA Mock Draft Has Both Morris Brothers Going In the First Round, But Which Has the Most Potential?

Last year at Kansas, two brothers helped lead the Jayhawks on a dominant run through the Big 12 and into the NCAA Tournament.

Marcus and Markieff Morris are two promising big men who will both hear their names called in the first round of the NBA Draft, but while Marcus may hear his name called first, I have more faith in Markieef to have the better career.

While Marcus has more polish to his game coming out of Kansas, Markieff is the athlete of the two and has the frame and ability to make plays, and once he adds the finer touches to his skill set, he's going to be a dominant player in this league and end up being a steal for whatever team drafts him.

MUST READ: 2011 Final Report Cards for Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and All 30 NBA Teams

The latter Morris will end up going in the mid-to-late first round, with NBADraft.net tabbing him to go to the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16th pick and ESPN's Chad Ford slotting the big man to land there as well (Insider).

If he landed in Philadelphia, he would get an experienced head coach in Doug Collins, who can develop talent and would have a mentor in Elton Brand, who is one of the smartest veterans in the league, and a player who has a plethora of knowledge to impart on a player like Morris.

Marcus has the polish to land in a situation where he can thrive on his own, but for his brother, a team with a good coach, a veteran presence in the frontcourt, and the patience to nurture his talent is key to his development, and the Sixers feel like a perfect fit as we get closer to the draft.

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French Open 2011: Tuesday Storylines, Andy Murray Comes Back

Wow, what a finish to that fifth set. Andy Murray was trailing Viktor Troicki 5-2, 30-0. He was muttering and swearing under his breath, as he's wont to do when caught in a corner. And then he made a stunning comeback - winning five games in a row and breaking Troicki again to serve out for the set, taking the final point with a backhand pass. Impressive.

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Spurrier continues to prop open a door for Stephen Garcia’s return

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier continues to have a change of heart when it comes to quarterback Stephen Garcia.

In the past couple weeks, Spurrier's comments toward Garcia have become softer and on Wednesday, during a Gamecock Club Fan Fest stop at Darlington Raceway, Spurrier continued to praise Garcia for taking the right steps to get back on the team.

This after Spurrier had given up hope on his starting quarterback three months ago.

"It seems like he's changed his ways," Spurrier said. "I hope the university lets him back on the team."

Garcia was suspended in April for drinking before an SEC-mandated violence prevention seminar. He also mouthed off during the meeting. Garcia has had several alcohol-related issues. During his first season with the team, Garcia had three alcohol-related arrests. Last March, he was nearly kicked off the team for an incident during the team's bowl week that allegedly involved alcohol and females.

After the incident in April, Spurrier was about at the end of his rope.

But since that suspension, Garcia has been working hard to get back into the good graces of his teammates and coaches. On May 7, Garcia graduated with a degree in sociology and shortly afterward he met with Spurrier to get the process of returning to the team in motion.

Garcia is expected to be reinstated early next week and could start working out with the team as early as Wednesday. However, Garcia will likely be placed on probation while he continues to meet the requirements the university set forth for his reinstatement. One of those requirements includes a school-mandated alcohol abuse treatment program.

If Garcia isn't reinstated, the backups are plenty but there's not a lot of experience. Sophomore Connor Shaw seems to be the heir apparent and has some game experience, but has yet to start a game and was often thrust into bad situations after Garcia was pulled. He does have a good arm, but has struggled with accuracy, especially when pressured.

Dylan Thompson had a nice spring game, but he's not ready to be thrust into the SEC fire and Andrew Clifford hasn't had an opportunity to show whether he could handle the reins of the team.

Garcia has played in 35 games since 2008, including every game in the past two years. More importantly, he's the Gamecocks best chance if they hope to challenge for an SEC title.

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Sir’Dominic Pointer unloads on future St. John’s teammate

When the highly touted nine-man St. John's recruiting class finally convenes in New York this fall, forward Sir'Dominic Pointer will have some bragging rights over one of his fellow freshmen.

Pointer beat his man off the dribble and went up for a dunk in an iS8/Nike Spring Classic game in New York on Sunday when forward Jakarr Sampson slid over toward the rim and attempted to block the shot. Unfortunately for Sampson, his help defense came a second or two too late, leaving him the helpless victim of a highlight-worthy dunk.

WATCH THE DUNK HERE

"I was in the wrong place in the wrong time, you know?" Sampson told Five Star Basketball after the game with a sheepish grin. "I just had to jump because it would have been ugly either way."

To be fair to Sampson, he's hardly the first opponent Pointer has put in a poster during his high school career. Pointer, Rivals.com's No.44 player in the Class of 2011, starred at Quality Education Academy and received offers from Michigan and West Virginia besides St. John's.

Pointer was matter-of-fact in his assessment of his dunk over Sampson.

"I just beat my defender and Jakarr stepped up late," Pointer said. "He didn't jump as high as me so I just dunked on him."

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Can Ohio State woo Urban Meyer out of retirement?

Urban Meyer's daughters better be manning their Twitter accounts because their dad is about to get a lot of attention from Ohio State.

There's no doubt that Meyer, who retired from Florida for health reasons or to spend more time with his family or to live out a lifelong dream to be a college football analyst on ESPN, is Ohio State's prime target and president E. Gordon Gee and athletic director Gene Smith are going to throw everything they have at the 46-year-old ex-coach.

But Meyer has already gone on the offensive, issuing a statement that he has no plans to pursue any coaching job. Well, not this fall anyway.

I am committed to ESPN and will not pursue any coaching opportunities this fall. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the people at ESPN this spring and remain very excited about my role with the network this fall.

Jim Tressel has been a respected friend and colleague for a long time. I wish Jim and his family the very best now and in the future.

The "this fall" line, which is used twice, is important because Ohio State doesn't need a coach for this fall. It has one in Luke Fickell, who will interim coach the team during the 2011 season. So the door is open for Meyer to sign on in one of the three remaining seasons of winter, spring and summer or bowl, recruiting and off.

So why all the conspiracy theories with Meyer?

Well, for one, he's an excellent coach who quit the game in his prime. He won two national championships at Florida and made Utah the first-ever BCS buster. Not to mention he's originally from Toledo, Ohio. He started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and he still has family in Ohio.

And let's be honest, Ohio State needs a win here. There's no telling when the NCAA hammer will drop, so it would behoove the university to make a big splash while it still can. While Fickell might be a great and upcoming coach, he certainly doesn't command the kind of respect (yet) and pure name recognition that Meyer does. If Ohio State can land Meyer, the future doesn't look nearly as bleak.

But in case the whole Meyer thing doesn't work out, here's a quick list of a couple other guys who could fit the bill. Of course, all of these coaches have perfectly good jobs, so we should all get used to hearing the famous line, "I'm the coach at (fill in the blank school) and that's where my focus is."

Bo Pelini: One of the other coaches to issue a statement after Tressel's resignation, did not acknowledge rumors that he could be in the coaching search mix, but instead the former Buckeyes safety praised Tressel.

"Jim Tressel is an outstanding football coach and a good man. I've followed and respected his career since his days at Youngstown State, and through his tremendous success at Ohio State the past decade. He will be missed in college football."

Pleasantries aside, Pelini is an ideal candidate because he grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, represents the Ohio State brand and is the kind of defensive football coaches that players and fans get excited about. Sure he's a fiery guy and that fire gets him in some hot water, but he's got the type of energy that could keep the fans excited regardless of the NCAA ruling.

Mark Dantonio: Dantonio is a Tressel prot�g�, which might make for an uneasy situation, but he was the defensive coordinator for the Ohio State team that won the national championship. He's turned Michigan State into a legitimate Big Ten power. Last season the Spartans went 11-2 and shared the Big Ten title.

Gary Patterson: You can't have a major job opening without Patterson's name attached to it. And while Gee might dismiss him because he is the coach of one of those Little Sisters of the Poor teams, there's no doubt that Patterson would whip the Buckeyes back into national championship form. Similar to Pelini and Dantonio, Patterson is a defensive mastermind whose TCU teams have been the top defensive unit for the past three seasons.

Lane Kiffin: Because why not?

Gary Pinkel: Pinkel has turned Missouri into a legitimate collegiate program after it spent years as an afterthought. Pinkel came to Mizzou after making his name at Toledo and he played at Kent State. Unlike the other candidates on this list, Pinkel is best known for his offense and Missouri's spread system, which often produces one of the most prolific scoring attacks in the collegiate game. Pinkel would be about as far away as Ohio Sate could get from "Tressel Ball" and perhaps that's a good thing.

Mark Stoops: The Stoops' boys were born and bred Ohio and Mark is the up-and-comer that's poised to make the next great move. His brother Bob has a comfortable situation at Oklahoma and Mike Stoops could turn Arizona into something special, leaving young Mark to make his impression on the coaching world. He's already fared well as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Arizona and at Florida State.

Jon Gruden: There isn't a college coaching search unless Gruden's name is involved. He's as good a coach as he is national television analyst, but is he the right fit for Ohio State? That's hard to say. The man knows his X's and O's. He's a master at breaking down systems and his television demeanor will make him a widely recognized figure while recruiting. If Ohio State is just looking to bring in a name and Meyer turns the job down, Gruden might be next on the radar.

Obviously, names are going to appear and disappear from this list as the season starts and some coaches do better than others. It's also important to note that Fickell is getting an entire year to prove he's the man for the job. If he can make something of this season despite the five-game suspension to Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron, Devier Posey, Mike Adams and Soloman Thomas, Fickell might gain enough fan sentiment to make a serious run for the position.

But for now, the favorite in the stable is Meyer. Even the online sportsbook BoDog is backing Meyer as the 3/2 favorite. Stoops is 5/2, Gruden 3/1, Pelini 10/1, Dantonio 12/1 and my darkhorses Pinkel and Kiffin are not on the list.

The good thing about Ohio State taking the year to find its new coach is that it can spend time courting. It can take a couple "no's" from Meyer and, if necessary, use the ol' surefire standby: go to his house, stand outside his window with a boombox and blast "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. After all, when no one thinks it will work, you've just described every great success story.

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Arizona coach Sean Miller pledges to stay for ‘the long haul’

The Arizona fan base was less than 48 hours removed from the anxiety and stress of Sean Miller's dalliance with Maryland when the third-year Wildcats coach began the process of assuaging any lingering concerns.

Miller spoke to reporters at a news conference on Monday, insisting that the contract extension he agreed to with Arizona on Saturday night is a sign he'll be "here for the long haul." He also addressed misconceptions that have emerged that his wife isn't happy in Tucson, that he and Byrne don't have a good relationship and that he's eager to move back to the East Coast.

"(The Maryland job) was opportunity that I really felt in the best interests of our own family and myself I had to at least pause and consider," Miller said.

"Nobody's happier to be a head coach at any place in the country than I am here at the University of Arizona.� if the deeper meaning of this weekend is that I'm here for the long haul, unconditionally, then that's what that means. I am. I'm excited to be here, and I believe we can do some magical things."

The fear that Miller might accept the Maryland job was so fervent among Arizona fans because of how great a setback it would be to a Wildcats program just beginning to emerge from a period of coaching turmoil and uncertainty. Under Miller, Arizona reached the Elite Eight last season and has signed a highly touted recruiting class for next year.

The consensus among the national media was that Miller was likely to accept the Maryland job because he's a lifelong East Coast resident with ties to the Washington D.C. area and to the ACC. There were also reports that Miller hadn't received the raise or charter flights for the team he was expecting from athletic director Greg Byrne, a storyline the Arizona coach did his best to quash on Monday.

"Greg Byrne and I have a tremendous relationship," Miller said. We have from the moment he got here. He's been a breath of fresh air, not only for me, but I believe for the entire athletic department. I don't think there's a more hard-working, high-energy, somebody who really gets what college sports is today, than him.

"The athletic department and his team, and Greg have done everything that we need to be successful and we continue to look and say, `how can we be better?' This weekend didn't change that in any way. This weekend wasn't about, in my mind, leverage. We've had talks all the way from the time he was hired all the way through this weekend."

There also had been speculation that Miller's wife, Amy, and his family wanted to move back East, where they lived until the coach left Xavier to come to Arizona in 2009. Miller shot down that theory as well, insisting that his sons would be "crushed" to leave Arizona and his wife "loves Tucson" as well.

"Just so you know, one of the big reasons we are here today is because of her," Miller said. "Not just when we left Cincinnati, but in the fact that we're here today on Monday.

"If Greg Byrne and my wife took a hit because of me, shame on me, because that's the furthest thing from the truth. The fact that that's over with right now, and I'm looking at all of you, it's almost embarrassing. I want to coach our program, and deal with our team, and the future here is very bright."

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Maryland in jeopardy of losing its entire 2011 recruiting class

It's a good thing new Maryland coach Mark Turgeon began recruiting as soon as he was hired because the Terps may have a few more vacant scholarships than they expected.

According to various reports, all three of Maryland's incoming freshmen recruits have asked to be released from their letter of intent in the wake of Gary Williams' abrupt resignation last week. New Jersey point guard Sterling Gibbs and Baltimore shooting guard Nick Faust have said they will still consider the Terrapins, but certainly it's more common for recruits in this position to go elsewhere rather than sign with their original school.

"We just felt that it was in our best interest to just explore our options," Gibbs told the Baltimore Sun. "Maryland is still my top priority. But I just want to make sure that it was the best fit for me."

Next season will likely be a transition year for Maryland regardless of whether Turgeon can keep any of Williams' recruits, but the rebuilding process will become more difficult if 2011 turns out to be an empty class.

Faust, Rivals.com's No. 48 recruit, is Maryland's most highly touted recruit in years and his outside shooting would fill an immediate void. Gibbs, the brother of Pittsburgh star Ashton Gibbs, is also a potential impact recruit. And German forward Martin Breunig would likely receive immediate playing time if he stayed because Maryland is so short-handed down low in the wake of Jordan Williams' early departure.

Maryland would be down to eight scholarship players next season if none of the recruits return, but Turgeon is doing his best to retain as many as possible. He's spoken to each of them already.

"He's a great guy, great coach," Faust told the Baltimore Sun. "I told him that I just wanted to do this to make sure I go to the best place for me. … I know he respected that. He gave me the option of being able to weigh my options. I respect him for that also."

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Unverified Voracity Flees Mob, Fumbles En Route

via MZone

Periodic Ohio State turdstorm UPDATE! Yesterday Eleven Warriors graciously posted that Maurice Clarett might be a troubled weirdo who tried to take down Ohio State after he got the boot, but at least he's a trying troubled weirdo and he's not all bad. This is a level of understanding I do not have with Tractor Traylor even after the guy died tragically.

11W's reward for this understanding is to have Ray Small go MoCo:

"We have apartments, car notes," he said. "So you got things like that and you look around and you're like, ‘Well I got (four) of them, I can sell one or two and get some money to pay this rent."

The wheeling and dealing didn't stop with rings. The best deals came from car dealerships, Small said.

"It was definitely the deals on the cars. I don't see why it's a big deal," said Small, who identified Jack Maxton Chevrolet as the players' main resource.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on May 7 that OSU was investigating more than 50 transactions between OSU athletes and their families and Jack Maxton Chevrolet or Auto Direct.

Representatives for Jack Maxton Chevrolet did not return repeated requests for comment.

NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from benefiting from the sale of their merchandise. Small said he wasn't the only one.

"They have a lot (of dirt) on everybody," Small said, "cause everybody was doing it."

Man… Ray Small. That guy was in trouble from day one at OSU, threw regular public hissy-fits about it, and he wasn't even that good at football. If I was an Ohio State fan he would be in my circle of the damned. Their term for this rapidly expanding category that includes Kirk Herbstreit and (to the truly deranged) Chris Spielman is "Fake Buckeye."

You can add Mark "Club Trillion" Titus to that list after he posted there was definitely something "shady" going on with football players' cars, then followed it up with a rebuttal saying that he shouldn't get death threats because that's mean. Titus claims  the shadiness was to the point where most students knew or should have known what was going on.

Meanwhile, the local news station is investigating the Gibson thing and while that transaction continues to get more complicated it's not getting proportionally more explicable:

10 Investigates [sic] found that Gibson had a trade-in. He traded in a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that BMV records showed he bought for $15,400 just seven months earlier.

But the dealership may have given him only $1,000 toward the trade-in, [instead] dropping the sales price of the car he was buying by a substantial amount.

10 Investigates [sic] has learned that's what Kniffin has told investigators with the BMV.

The trade-in business materializes as predicted; an explanation for how Thad Gibson scraped together enough money to buy two cars worth a total of 30k in less than a year is yet to be explained. Along The Oletangy responds to the investigation apparently clearing the transactions:

In any case, it doesn't matter what the BMV finds when they analyze Jack Maxton Chevrolet's tax forms as long as no special treatment was given to Ohio State football players.

It's obvious plenty of special treatment was provided, but where is the smoking gun?

Position paper on demolition of Ohio State program and whether it is good or bad. If Ohio State was going to fall apart by Notre Daming themselves with a series of coaching hires ranging from questionable to insane, that would be a thing to be conflicted about in the same way certain Ohio State fans are bored with a terrible Michigan team they're just going to blow out.

This is a different thing entirely since it suggests the fence Tressel legendarily put up around Ohio's borders is one based on massive NCAA noncompliance. Meanwhile, thanks in part to this (and in part to Michigan imploding) they've gone 9-1 and turned the Big Ten into their personal playground. If the NCAA finds proof of this massive noncompliance and OSU gets bombed into the stone age and is no longer any good, there's no conflict there. It's an unadulterated good. Michigan has been hypersensitive about this stuff since the Ed Martin Day Of Great Shame, and it's obvious their main rival hasn't. Putting that on even footing will help put the rivalry there if it doesn't swing it all the way back to the Cooper days, which fine by me.

Hot under the collar, part II. ESPN's Mike Fish, you may remember from the above-referenced Maurice Clarett bombing, has a new article. This is the header image:

Africa basketball charity, AAU player headed to Indiana, Tom Crean, Indiana AAU coach. This can't be good. Not pictured: involuntary adoption. Hooray Beilein.

Hey let's rehash this again. MZone noticed that I hadn't mentioned Lloyd Carr's election to the College Football Hall of Fame and asks why I hate Lloyd Carr, complete with requisite psychoanalysis and link to me being mad in the immediate aftermath of the Hoke hire when everyone was mad, something I've obviously backed away from in multiple column-length pieces since.

To defend myself: I don't take the CFHOF seriously. It just elected Deion Sanders. When Tom Curtis was elected it warranted about two sentences. For better or worse, I am totally uninterested in the charity work of rich people. I've also said my bit about Carr as Michigan's coach over and over again. Contrary to two-bit psychoanalysis it was not negative, or at least it was far less negative than many.

And I am pissed off at the hostility to change that's obvious every time any former Carr player says something about anything. We've got a program of Joe Morgans. I'm worried how that will manifest itself on the field. It's not hard to draw a contrast between what's gone down the last three years and what would have gone down if Bo was still around. Bo would have been on the warpath; he probably would have dropped by to scream at Rodriguez some. The impression we've gotten from every one of Carr's former players is that there is exactly one person responsible for Michigan's decline—Rich Rodriguez—and not only is that incorrect (Horror, DeBord, Tressel vs Carr) but it's detrimental to Michigan's future. If we got back to the days where every bowl opponent laughs at how predictable we are that will not be good.

(I don't think that's happening because Borges is a real live offensive coordinator and not a broken robot that only calls zone left. Hoke uber alles.)

Eyerolling reorg.  Adam Wodon on the inevitable hockey realignment coming sounds like anyone talking about anything last year when talking about conference realignment:

It all starts with Notre Dame. (Well, it all started with Penn State and the Big Ten, but that's already happened.) Think about it — you're Notre Dame's president. Your sports teams all play in the Big East, or, in the case of football, is the most storied program in college sports. You fire up CHN's iPhone app one morning to check the hockey standings, and what do you see? You see Notre Dame competing against some MAC and D-II schools. You recoil. This is not what Notre Dame does. This is not what Notre Dame is.

That is not a knock on the other schools, it's just reality. There is no way that Notre Dame is staying put. That means that the CCHA is certain to lose its remaining powerhouse (from an institutional, NCAA-wide standpoint), and fall further to seven teams. That means the CCHA is in trouble, as a whole.

Maybe Wodon's got some inside chatter on this that he's refusing to mention in an effort to make his column as annoyingly speculative as possible, but this is the impetus for an elaborate reorganization scenario that sees Notre Dame move to Hockey East because they'd rather play Merrimack (seriously) than Ferris State.

Notre Dame is choosing between some games against BC and then a bunch of schools no one at Notre Dame has heard of plus flying for literally every road game and staying in the CCHA. While ND has money, are they going to spend it on that for no real benefit? And will Hockey East expand to an eleven teams just for the dubious benefits of having ND in the conference? Travel costs matter in hockey, the longest season in the NCAA, and no one is going to make enough money on an ND move to justify the increased costs even if "this is not what Notre Dame does." Yeesh.

Etc.: Daily reports on the lacrosse move. Barwis opening a local gym. Rothstein lays out the reasons Michigan lax can be competitive quickly. Big Ten Geeks on FCOA.

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UNC recruit P.J. Hairston: Duke couldn’t ‘spell my name right’

If North Carolina incoming freshman P.J. Hairston has big games against Duke throughout his college career, the Blue Devils staffer in charge of mailing monthly letters to recruits may get some dirty looks around the basketball office.

Hairston, a McDonald's All-American small forward from Greensboro, N.C.,� decided to remain close to home in college, so two of the programs to which he immediately gravitated were Duke and North Carolina. He told the Greensboro News-Record one of the reasons the Tar Heels ended up being the more appealing choice was because they had less trouble getting his name correct.

"The thing about Duke was, every time they sent me a letter, they wouldn't spell my name right," Hairston said. "They would have 'T.J. Harrison' or something like that. And I'm like, 'OK. How can I go here? You can't even spell my name right.' It's only two letters and HAIR and STON. I'm trying to figure out how that's so hard."

There's no way of verifying whether Hairston is embellishing or not, but it would be quite a blunder from the Blue Devils if it happened even once or twice. Not only does Rivals.com rank Hairston the No. 13 prospect in the Class of 2011, he also shares the same last name as a current member of the Duke roster, guard Josh Hairston.

Of course, Duke certainly won't miss Hairston all that much considering Mike Krzyzewski managed to land the second-best 2011 recruiting class in the nation behind only Kentucky. The Blue Devils used the vacant scholarship that would have gone to Hairston on decorated small forward Michael Gbinije, likely a good fit in a star-studded class that includes guards Austin Rivers and Quinn Cook, forward Alex Murphy, and center Marshall Plumlee.

The other reason Hairston lists for not selecting Duke is actually more unusual than the first. He told the News-Record that Duke's system is too "mechanical" for him, a strange complaint considering Krzyzewski's offense is typically fast-paced and free-flowing.

"Don't get me wrong. Duke is a great school," Hairston said. "It wasn't just because they couldn't spell my name right why I didn't go there. I don't feel that I'm a Duke-type player, because they have a crazy system. It's like mechanical.

"I couldn't see myself playing at Duke …" he said. "I realized North Carolina is where I wanted to be."

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Unique bond between NBA player, daughter
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? Was Harmon Killebrew the inspiration for the MLB logo?

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The expanded Big East/SEC challenge will be a marquee event

The Big Ten/ACC challenge may have far greater pedigree, but the fledgling Big East/SEC challenge will have more must-watch games next fall.

ESPN released a slate of 12 games in three days on Thursday that highlights the depth of both leagues next season.

Kentucky will host St. John's on Dec. 1 in a matchup of teams that landed two of the best freshman classes in the nation. Vanderbilt will visit Louisville on Dec. 2 in a game that could pit two preseason top 10 teams against one-another. And Dec. 2 will also feature a Florida-Syracuse matchup at the Carrier Dome that should draw plenty of attention.

Even the undercard features some games that will appeal to knowledgeable fans.

West Virginia's visit to Mississippi State on Dec. 3 offers an early chance to see if a full year of� Renardo Sidney and Dee Bost will help vault the Bulldogs back into NCAA tournament contention. Plus, the Georgetown-Alabama tilt will be an early test for a Crimson Tide team that enters next season with top 25 expectations.

As good as the SEC/Big East slate is, organizers did swing and miss on a couple matchups. Didn't defending national champion UConn deserve a better showcase than a game against rebuilding Arkansas? And while the battle of freshmen will be compelling between St. John's and Kentucky, shouldn't the SEC favorites have drawn a Big East contender like Syracuse, UConn or Pittsburgh?

Still, those are just quibbles. This is a promising event that hopefully will have as long a shelf life as its ACC/Big Ten counterpart.

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Defending champ UConn among those penalized by APR report

National champion UConn received the harshest penalties of any major conference basketball program on Tuesday when the NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Rates report.

The Huskies will lose two scholarships for the upcoming season after posting an 893 for the academic years of 2006-07 through 2009-10, well below the minimum threshold of 925. Here's a by the numbers look at the rest of the important men's basketball data from the rest of the APR report:

5: Men's basketball programs that received postseason bans next year, Cal State Northridge, Chicago State, Grambling, Louisiana-Monroe and Southern.

10: Men's basketball programs that received reductions in practice time, Cal State Northridge, Coppin State, Chicago State, Grambling State, Kennesaw State, Mississippi Valley State, Morgan State, Norfolk State and Southern University.

2: Major conference men's basketball programs that received scholarship reductions, Connecticut (2) and LSU (1).

823: Chicago State's APR score, the lowest of any men's basketball program in the nation.

6: Men's basketball programs that received perfect APR scores of 1,000, Texas, Kansas, Columbia, Butler, Holy Cross and DePaul

50: The percent of the 58 harshest penalties that historically black universities accounted for.� Of the 300 schools measured in this year's APR, only 24 of those were HBCUs.

945: The four-year average in the APR in men's basketball, a five-point increase over last year.

970: The four-year average in the APR among all NCAA sports

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Saban donates $50,000 to build homes near Bryant Denny Stadium

A couple weeks ago, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly pledged $5,000 for Alabama tornado relief. This week, Alabama coach saw Kelly's donation and raised it 10-fold.

Nick Saban and his wife, Terry, through their charity Nick's Kids, pledged $50,000 to Project Team Up, a group that is looking to build 30 new homes a few miles from Alabama's campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The goal is to have the homes built before the football season begins.

"We wanted to help someone in this community, our community, to be able to rebuild their homes," Saban said to a group while standing on the foundation of one of the new homes. "This is not just for this community. This is a concept that we hope gets adopted by many people in many groups that say they want to do something and are out there looking for something to do. This is something we do individually to help ourselves, and help those in need in our community.

"This is why we supported this project."

Saban did a special radio broadcast a couple weeks ago in an effort to raise funds for Alabama's Acts of Kindness Fund and other organizations to help with the relief following the tornadoes on April 27.

Scenes of the damage were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Dennis Dodd, senior writer for CBSSports.com, proposed a charity football game between Alabama and Auburn to raise money to help the storm's victims.

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Lacrosse Announcement: Press Conference Notes

Michigan announced the formation of men's and women's varsity lacrosse programs this morning, A few interesting tidbits from the press conference:

• Athletic Director David Brandon said his "team" has identified lacrosse as the fastest-growing sport in America, and in Michigan. HS programs in the state have gone from 50 to 180 in the past 10 years. "It's also a great television sport," which likely means some TV down the road.
• "On the men's side, we've applied for admission to the ECAC." [ed: for a rundown on Michigan's future conference opponents check out MaizeAndBlueWahoo's excellent diary.] The application has been received, and Brandon is confident the Wolverines' bid will be accepted, saying "we have high expectations that process will happen quickly, and we are very encouraged in terms of initial feedback we have received."
• On the women's side, they will apply for admission to the ALC. Florida, Hopkins, Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State, and Vanderbilt are the current members of that league. The Athletic Department and Michigan's coach are going to work together to set up the non-conference portion of the schedule.
• David Brandon stated that a national search will begin immediately for a women's coach, but as far as men's goes "I have a primary candidate in mind for that position." That candidate is longtime club coach John Paul. As soon as Michigan has the position publicly listed for a week (in accordance with the law), JP will be introduced as men's coach. For women's coaching candidates, Brandon said he wanted somebody with a track record of building a program from the bottom up.
• JP stated that 25 members from this season's club lacrosse roster will return to the team for next year's inaugural varsity year, including 4-time MCLA All-American Trevor Yealy, who will be a 5th-year senior. Filling out the first varsity roster for Michigan are 10 incoming recruits and several potential transfers.
• Brandon gave some love to the "Project Lacrosse Founder's Club," which was formed over the past few months. They have worked hard to ensure the necessary fundraising could be completed. Over 70 people contributed monetarily, including several "major gifts."
• "We are in the process of putting facility plans together. And what we're trying to do at Michigan Athletics, as opposed to creating one-off plans, we've really spent a lot of time of late in a master planning mode." Lacrosse has been included in the AD's "master planning process." It's still a work in progress, and Schembechler's practice fields, the Big House, the UM Soccer Stadium, and other facilities will be used in the meantime. Building their own home is in the long-term plans, though Brandon said that's at least 3 years off.
• Lacrosse is gaining momentum as a sport, and Brandon is hopeful that Michigan's programs can be a revenue-generating opportunity down the road - though that has nothing to do with why they're adding the sport. "I've seen around the country, crowds that show up in double-digit thousands for their competitions." Operating costs for both programs combined will be $3 million. That will be a big investment, but donor support is expected to be a major help.
• Brandon is most excited that 84 more athletes at the University of Michigan will have varsity athletics opportunities, and 25 new scholarships will be available for student-athletes. "What a great opportunity. At a time when a lot of Athletic Departments are shrinking and contemplating cutting sports, for us to be here adding two major sports like the ones we're adding today is something we're blessed to be able to do."
• There are no plans to add any other sports in the near future. Taking on two more is a big deal, and the Athletic Department will take some time to "digest" that before making any other moves.
• Brandon expects the men's and women's teams to both be competitive right away. "The only thing I'll tell you is: We're Michigan. We're not gonna add these sports, and we're not gonna make the financial commitment and put the time and energy that we have and will put into these if we're not prepared to go out and compete for championships." He doesn't want arbitrary timelines, but they'll evaluate the programs going forward. Competitive reasons explain why men are going in 2012, while women will start playing games in 2013.
• "The idea of featuring the sport in conjunction with the spring [football] game - because the seasons overlap from a timing perspective - I know Ohio State has done that with great success." That's something Michigan will consider going forward. Having the largest stadium available to the program will be a great opportunity. If Michigan is fortunate enough to host a first-round NCAA Tournament game down the road, they'd submit a bid for Michigan Stadium to host.
• There are a lot of rivalries available to Michigan - Ohio State, Notre Dame, and others. Lacrosse started as an Eastern regional sport, but it's spreading to the West. Colleges as far as California are considering adding the sport. "We think this is going to take us some really interesting places, and they're not all in the East." Brandon believes that forward-thinking Big Ten ADs will look at lacrosse as a new varsity sport in the future.

I'll have some more specific stuff (i.e. "stuff that's completely uninteresting to people who don't already care about lacrosse") up on GreatLaxState this afternoon. And, to close it out, the final video blog in Michigan's MCLA history, courtesy of graduating senior Pat Stansik:

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Mountaineers’ next head coach allegedly tossed from West Virginia casino

Dana Holgorsen comes out of the Hal Mumme/Mike Leach school of prolific, up-tempo spread offenses, which is exactly what West Virginia was bargaining for when it poached Holgorsen from Oklahoma State last December to remake the stale-looking Mountaineer offense in the image of his top-ranked attacks at OSU and Houston as offensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting. With the prolific passing game, though, comes an heir apparent with more than a little bit of the Captain in him: Holgorsen is a bachelor as he nears age 40, spent his entire year in Stillwater living out of a hotel and openly pounds Red Bull on the sideline.

And as of last week, according to the Charleston Daily Mail, he's under investigation by West Virginia for reportedly being forcibly removed from a local casino in the wee hours of a weekday morning:

Multiple sources told the Charleston Daily Mail Holgorsen was removed from Mardi Gras Casino & Resort after 3 a.m. May 18. Holgorsen had been at a Mountaineer Athletic Club function earlier in the day in Logan before spending the evening at the casino with other university representatives. […]

Holgorsen's behavior allegedly reached a point that necessitated involvement from on-site security, sources said. Holgorsen was escorted out of the casino with the episode caught on surveillance. University representatives who were with Holgorsen were said to have then intervened. No arrest was made.

Police records indicate Metro 911 received a call from the casino at 3:13 a.m. that night. A "white male" was said to be "refusing to cooperate with the casino's management." Casino supervisors had the male detained at the time.

The Nitro Police Department was dispatched to the scene. The official records do not say what happened next, but it's believed Holgorsen was released under the supervision of those he was with.

There is no record of an arrest nor, apparently, any official record that mentions Holgorsen by name. No one seems to have gotten their hands on the security tapes ? yet ? though their emergence may be inevitable now that the story is out.

But sans criminal charges, the first question isn't "What can West Virginia prove?" but "How much does West Virginia care?" Considering that the incident is now a week old and reportedly involved other university personnel, the silence from the university may be some indication that Holgo's bosses aren't out for knee-jerk blood. Then again, it can hardly brush aside a credible story placing the new face of the program in a situation that was unimaginable under the old face ? one that seems more likely to denounce a casino as a den of iniquity than be caught inside of one, much less at 3 a.m. on a Thursday morning ? with a "no comment." At best, WVU will be able to claim insufficient evidence; at worst, it will feel compelled to crack down with a suspension or (if alcohol was involved) some kind of treatment program.

As always, that devil is in the details. Either way, though, the transition to the pass-happy reign of Holgo the Barbarian just got a little rockier.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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