The Basketball Buzz (Jason Plotkin, Oct. 29)
Plenty of basketball news and notes that may have fallen under the radar otherwise. We'll cover the usual other areas of the department as well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
First on Tuesday, we had the scrimmage. There was a nice turnout for the event, which was preceded by a general PAF meeting. The PAF President Mike Sapera mentioned to me that Rob and I left PAF out of the media guide, so hopefully a mention in the blog from time-to-time will be the "make good" on that slip up.
Wags and I shot video prior to the PAF meeting featuring Sapera and a few other PAF members and Privateer die-hards regarding their excitement related to the return to the Lakefront Arena. That is already on the site. I know Sapera and Glenn Scorsone were both relunctant to get infront of the camera, but they are for the world to see. I'm sure they love that!
It was a full day of hoops as earlier in the day, Arena GM Marco Perez and our AD Jim Miller did video interviews with the Times Picayune for NOLA.com regarding the facility. Look for those soon!
The scrimmage itself gave our fans a good chance to see some of the players they have been reading about and hearing about firsthand. It is a bit challenging to keep stats when there are so many new players.
As the season goes along, it will be easier to do the stats because I can associate a face with a number without looking for the number first on the Privateer jerseys. Even the women's team, whO I am a bit more familiar with as they are the team I spend the most time with, I'm getting used to the newcomers as well. As I'm typing this, I am thinking in my head -- Black is 54, Augustus is 4, Holmes is 13, Gorsh is 54 and Monroe is 22. I'll keep my fingers crossed I did that right off the top of my head. If I'm not, I'm sure Angela Marin, our Director of Operations (and regular blog reader) will let me know.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wednesday was another day full of basketball. We had our UNO Media Day event at the Privateer room. Head coaches Amy Champion and Joe Pasternack in addition to players Ashley Alexander and T.J Worley were present for the annual event. We'll have the video up a little later on our web site thanks to Wags, who is becoming a professional video grapher. He has the general remarks made by both coaches, athletic director Jim Miller plus we did an interview with Ashley, who represented the women's side of things.
We had a good turnout and in addition to our friends in the media, had appearances by several members of the Sun Belt staff including John McElwain and Melissa Kristofak, our media relations counterparts. As I said in the Today in UNO e-mail blast on Tuesday night, make sure to check your television newscasts on Wednesday night and pick up the paper on Thursday morning for coverage from this event.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For our women's basketball fans, I'm presently in the process of trying to secure and setup all the various ways you can keep up with the team this year. Unlike the men, who have all their games at the very least on WGSO with Wags calling the action, the women have a few holes in the schedule that need to be covered when Wags can not make it out to the women's action.
Luckily, most of our foes this year are JumpTV partners which mean those purchase UNO Vision will be able to catch a large portion of the schedule, both home and away. With our roster coming from further than ever before under coach Champion, this is a good thing. Keep tabs on the women's schedule page to see what is added.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jozsef Forman's volleyball team definitely provides entertainment. The team beat Louisiana-Lafayette last Tuesday down I-10, came back for a few days before heading off to Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. Both of those programs are known for putting out strong volleyball squads each year. The Privateers took both to five on the road, including a win over MT in which they came from 2-0 down. The victory snapped a 21-match home win streak for the Blue Raiders and a nine-match streak entering the match on the whole.
On the season, the team RPI is 61. The school-record for an end of year RPI is 110, according to a site that Forman gave me to view such things. Can you believe that? We are 61 in RPI, up from 110 in 1998. I've said it to others, but this is a sign of just how far not only our team has come, but the rest of the Sun Belt. This is a very respectable league, especially after MT's "Sweet 16" appearance last year.
The team has a crucial stretch against the two Florida schools this weekend. The first match is against a Florida International team that has yet to lose at home this year. Hopefully, lightning will strike again and Forman's team can get another win over one of the elite squads in the conference. We're nearing clinching a spot in the conference tournament and we still have a chance at the division title if we can beat Denver at home next week plus some help from our Arkansas rivals, who each play the Pioneers twice in the last three weeks.
The volleyball team is really working to get a nice crowd out for the DU game. The team needs a great crowd to cheer them on and as Forman says, put a few points on the board due to the home advantage. And yes, I've already talked to coach Horner about making sure his swimming and diving team is there. I know our fans enjoy the spirited bunch, who will be off to Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky this weekend.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Speaking of that swimming and diving team, did you see that we had four athletes get honors from the SBC this week? Our divers - Kelly Swartzbaugh, Johnny DeMaine and Jonathan Field - were honored as the divers of the week while Cristina Lay was named swimmer of the week on the women's side.UNO has only once before ever had an athlete gets conference honors -- Sarah Gros, a current member of the team who in 2005-06, got swimmer of the week recognition twice. This was also my first 'athlete of the week' while a member of the Privateer family. Hopefully, athletes in my sports (tennis, swimming, volleyball and women's hoops) can bring an end to that drought!
Coach Horner's squad continues to get some help as a few swimmers were made eligible thanks to NCAA waivers ahead of this week's road trip. Each of those individuals, from what I am told, should continue to make an impact for the swimming and diving unit. Looking forward to seeing the results are our team continues to compete against some of the better competition in the conference.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
How about our golf team with their second straight tournament win? GolfStat is a great little feature for the tournaments that use it. Keep that "live scoring" up in your browser and you forget about it. Come back later and your golf team is within grasp of closing out a tournament title. Probably the most consistent program of the last few years, our golf team obviously does not get the attention of the other sports because they do not necessarily have home matches. This spring, they'll compete in a tournament here in New Orleans in addition to a college pro-am that will give fans the most access they have had to their very own UNO golf team in some time. Golfer Jose Toledo was an NCAA regional participant last year and coach McCarter is getting production throughout his lineup as evidenced by the Squire Creek win without Toledo and this week, as Ken Looper came through with individualist honors.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The November student-athlete of the month story is due out in the next few days. I interviewed Guilherme Rebolo. Those unfamiliar with the tennis team, may not realize that Rebolo is playing for his third school in three years. How is that possible? He started at Division II Erskine College before moving to Division I Charleston Southern. This summer, CSU cut their men's program and well, he ended up at UNO. I cover a little of how he ended up on the Lakefront in the story. You'll have to wait til Saturday.
"Gui" as he's known by his teammates and friend had an impressive showing in his Privateer debut. He teamed with Calvin Kemp to take the men's doubles championship at the UWF Fall Fling while winning the consolation bracket of the men's singles bracket. Congratulations Gui!
The women will wrap up the fall at Southern Miss this weekend while the men are off until January when they get into the spring season.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That's a wrap for this week. I am sure we'll have more to discuss next week.
Inside the Athletic Department Index
