I’m sure that most all of us are ready to get back to talking about sports, considering the tumultuous events of the past week here at NC State. That in mind, here’s some stuff that’s been rattling around the college sports scene:
Is BC Getting It’s Own “Chris Weinke?”
Without doubt, the roster at BC has slowly been declining since the departure of Tom O’Brien and the majority of his old staff there. While TOB left behind a solid cupboard, it’s grown more and more sparse, and this season for BC, the most notable need is under center.  Now comes 25 year-old Dave Shinskie, a former two-sport star at Mount Carmel High (Pa.) who initially chose to pursue pro baseball but gave BC a verbal commitment to join their football team. Sounds like Weinke at FSU, without a doubt, and it will be interesting to follow how their QB depth chart defines itself in fall practice and the early season. State plays BC up there on October 17th.
Tim Floyd Out At Southern Cal, Allegedly Paid For OJ Mayo (there are two links here)
“Tim Floyd suddenly resigned as basketball coach at Southern California on Tuesday following allegations that he gave $1,000 in cash to a man who helped steer former star player O.J. Mayo to the Trojans.”
and
“A former member of O.J. Mayo’s inner circle claimed that USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd directly paid at least $1,000 in cash to Mayo’s closest confidant, according to a report published by Yahoo! Sports.
“If found to be true by the NCAA, the alleged incident would constitute a major violation and could have repercussions for the university in various forms of sanctions.”
USC may actually be in a bit of trouble here, as their hoops squad is by no means the haymaker for the NCAA that is their football team. Call me paranoid, but after Oklahoma escaped any real punishment with Rhett Bhomar, Ohio State’s troubles with Maurice Clarett were overlooked and so forth and so on, I am convinced that NCAA Enforcement reports to its Accounting or Marketing departments.
Finally, closer to home, if you’ve got a kid preparing for the SAT, you may want to hook them up with Roy Williams, UNC’s basketball coach. Apparently, Ole Roy is pretty good at helping youngsters improve their test scores, which of course helps them get into good colleges.
In Memphis Basketball Teaches The Wrong Lessons, we learn from author John Canzono that when he
“as a columnist covering basketball in California when Kansas-bound DeShawn Stevenson went from a 450 on the SAT to an 1150. The Educational Testing Service noted, among other irregularities, that Stevenson, a Californian, took the test in North Carolina.
“I passed it once,” Stevenson insisted. “I can pass it again.”
Roy Williams, who was then the Jayhawks coach, insisted Stevenson got a raw deal. He made a case that we were talking about a kid who worked hard and dramatically improved himself academically. And I wished it were so because, if true, we’d have a documented case of a sensational athlete getting serious about bettering himself in other aspects of his life. But when Stevenson was asked to duplicate the results on a second test, he couldn’t even get a 650.”
Interesting, and pointing it out to anyone who has a preference for powder-blue will surely elicit the usual responses of “that’s not true,” perhaps “that was back at Kansas,” or the ole standby “you State fans are just jealous and all you care about is destroying Carolina.” I have no real axe to grind against Roy Williams, but I find the story interesting and when coupled with the old story of Roy Williams making the “mistake” of buying players suits, etc., one’s interest is piqued even more. I am not saying Carolina is cheating, but it sure seems that Coach Williams is not afraid to bend a few rules. That may or may not be like our now-former Chancellor, but it certainly seems that the principles are the same but the effects are vastly different.
