Saturday, May 30, 2009

MINNESOTA PUMP AND RUN TOOK ON 94 FEET OF GAME

The Minnesota Pump and run took on 94 Feet Of Game. The game got out to a quick start as each team was able to get the ball up the court and score. Aaron Ernest Anderson was the floor leader in the first half as he was the point guard. He directed his players on the court and he did a good job of setting up the plays that he wanted ran.

Johnathon Crocket also brought the ball up on a few different occasions. The Pump and Run team is just as versatile as they have many different players who can play different spots on the court.
Pump and Run started playing man to man defense and they were able to make some shots midway through the first half.

94 Feet Of Game also tried to get the ball up the but the pressure that Pump and Run put on them they couldn’t get the ball up the court.

At the half the score was Pump and Run 34 and 94 Feet of Game 19.
In the second half Aaron Ernest Anderson put on a show for the Pump and Run. He really put in a lot of work on both ends of the court.

The second half was just a clinic as Pump and Run was able to put the game way on a team effort. Every one passed the ball around and they were looking for their shots and they were not afraid to pass the ball and get their teammates involved.

Pump and Run started the game hot and they never looked back. They were just the better team in the game and they showed it in the game. The final of the game was Pump and Run 56 and 94 Feet Of Game 39.


The Czar of the Twin Cities Boy’s Hoops was here and you can get his thoughts on this game here.

SWISH SHOOTING TOUR TO COME TO MINNESOTA

THIS IS FROM TOM NORDLAND

Swish Shooting Tour in Minnesota July 31 - Aug. 11

Dear friend of Swish,Greetings to you and thanks for your support of the Swish approach to shooting a basketball. This is being sent to people who have sponsored and/or asked to be contacted about clinics in the Minnesota area. Please note that if you do not want to be contacted any more, please see at the bottom how to easily "unsubscribe" yourself from future emailing.

TOUR BEING PLANNED FOR THE TWIN CITIES AND OUTLYING AREA! I will be in Minnesota July 31st to Aug. 11th and can do clinics 7/31 - 8/4 plus 8/11. If you can help me organize something in your area, please call me! (888/794-7422)These could be either:· Half-day, 4-hour "clinics" · Two-day, 7-hour "camps" · My BRAND NEW and lower cost 2 1/2-hour "Free Throw" clinics I've made some amazing discoveries recently about how to describe and teach the art of shooting Free Throws, and the special new clinic is devoted mostly to it. The same method is included in the longer clinics, too. See my Guidelines document, now available on my website for more details and costs. (NOTE: If the hard economic times are a deterrent, let's talk about what can work for people. Don't let lack of money deter any young player from receiving my instruction.)

MY FEES (negotiable) -- include a copy of Swish, perhaps Swish 2:Half-day clinic: $60 per person

* Two-day "camp:" $90 per person

*Special F/T clinic: $30 per person*

* This is just for the first 20 enrollments. Above that, you get 100%.

Note: Swish 2 is offered additionally to all registrants for just $10 additional (a $30 value). If the player owns Swish, then they get Swish 2. There are discounts for siblings and people who own Swish 2 already.The above prices mean the fee to participants can be as low as $35-40 each for the F/T clinic (after your markup for facilities costs and fundraising), up to $65-$75 for the half day and $100-$110 for the two-day. Thus, if desired, the outlay can be minimized and players still get a powerful experience of the Swish approach and learn how to practice and coach themselves.

IF YOU COULD HOST A CLINIC...If you have access to a gym and would like to consider hosting a clinic or two in these time frames, PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP. You can generate funds for your basketball programs of as much as $300-600 per clinic, depending on the format of the clinic, the fees we charge and the numbers you get.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU! Thanks much for checking into this and contacting me. My clinics are getting more and more exciting and effective as I see additional things all the time and new ways to say and coach them, like with the new Free Throw stuff. I can see that the main thing I'm doing is coaching kids to be able to COACH THEMSELVES in these simple principles. The "technique" is the starting point, but then what's important is for the kids to become independent of me. It's in the "Practice" that they will ultimately master this approach to shooting, and what and how to practice is what I teach.

HELP ME PROMOTE THE SWISH WAY! I'm working to raise the bar on getting this shooting method out to the basketball world. The game is still suffering from poor and mediocre shooting at all levels. If you agree this method offers a powerful "answer" to the Shooting Woes, please help by promoting the videos and website to your friends and fellow coaches & parents. Turn them onto the remarkable Testimonials and video clips. Tell them about the free Newsletters, now numbering 114!

BUILD A NUCLEUS: Get clinics going as a way to build a nucleus of players and coaches in your area who can carry the coaching and the message further. Consider becoming a shooting coach yourself. Wouldn't THAT be something? It's possible -- it's not that difficult. I'm committed to training coaches, so you'll see more and more materials and videos and support for that in the near future.NEW VIDEO CLIPS: See the new video clips from Swish 2 I've recently uploaded to a video site. Eight of the newest ones are available on the Home page under "A Taste of Swish!" Let me know what you think of them. I feel they show how unique and powerful my way of coaching is. And look at this example of a 14 year old boy from Maryland whom I coached three years ago. He's not "Swish Perfect" yet, but he's close and his control of distance and direction is amazing. This is what anyone can achieve with my coaching and some focused practice!

CONTACT ME at tom@swish22.com Contact me if there are possibilities for clinics in your area. As other coaches and parents plan clinics for this trip, I'll follow up with an email telling you how to send your kids and coaches to their clinics. The same will apply to any you set up. Thanks for your support. I'll email you again later when more details have been finalized. To keep current from your end with what's scheduled, go to my "Clinics & Camps" page." There will be On Line Registration for some of the different sessions.

Cheers,Tom

TNL TOOK ON THE OLD SKOOL BLAZERS IN THE 17U DIVISION

In the 17 and under division it was the Old Skool Blazers going up against TNL. TNL came out on fire they were able to make some quick shots from the start.


TNL started the game playing in man to man defense. That made it difficult for the Old Skool Blazers to get there shots to fall in the first quarter.


Devon Terrell Knope came to play in this game. He really played with some enthusiasm from the start of the game. He played hard. He knew where he was supposed to go on the floor and he knew where to pass the ball to.


The Old Skool Blazers could not find the basket in the first quarter. They have not gotten frustrated as they have played very hard.


At the end of the first quarter the score was TNL 20 and the Old Skool Blazers 4.


TNL played very well in the first half. They were able to finish plays. TNL played with a lot of passion and very physical in the first half.


The Old Skool Blazers played a zone defense in the first half. They were not able to stop or slow down this TNL team. The Blazers did get out and tried to push the ball up the court.


At half time the score of the game was TNL Express 42 and the Old Skool Blazers 20.


The third quarter started out like a bang for the TNL Express. They really came out ready to play. They made strong passes and they played tough defense. They were getting through the screens and they were fronting the post.


Jauson Sewer was determend to make shots. He knew where he wanted to get the ball and he wanted the ball in the middle of the key to go to town and that’s what he did. He made some nice shots from the key.


At the end of the third quarter the score was TNL 63 and Old Skool Blazers 34. Devon Terrell Knope drained a three point shot about five feet from beyond the three point line.


In the fourth quarter it was more of the same as TNL just took it to the old Skool Blazers. The Blazers didn’t give up; they gave it all that they had. TNL was just way too quick for this Old Skool team. They were just able to run way with the 76-41 victory.

MINNESOTA HEAT TOOK ON THE WISCONSIN TERROR

In the 16U division the Minnesota Heat took on the Wisconsin Terror. Neither of these teams was able to start the game shooting the ball really well. Both of these teams played very aggressive defense in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Wisconsin Terror 7 and the Minnesota Heat 9.


Both of these teams played very aggressively in the first half. They really went at each other.

At half time the score was Wisconsin Terror 20 and the Minnesota Heat 18.


The Wisconsin Terror came out and really played aggressively in the third quarter. They were really fighting for the ball.


The Minnesota Heat’s Jeff (No last Name given) played very well he played well on the defensive end. He was playing in front of his defender. He also had a nice jump shot which he was able to find.


At the end of the third quarter the score was Wisconsin Terror 30 and the Minnesota Heat 34.


The Minnesota Heat started the fourth quarter holding the ball and trying to stall. That seemed to bother the Wisconsin Terror as they were not able to get there shots up that they wanted to take.


The scoring in this game has gone back and forth the whole game. Neither team was able to go on a run. The Minnesota Heat was able to knock down some shots in the fourth quarter and hold off the Wisconsin Terror.


The final of the game was Minnesota Heat 58 and the Wisconsin Terror 48.

MINNESOTA HEAT TOOK ON THE MINNESOTA MAGIC IN 16U MATCH UP

In the first game of the day it was the Minnesota Magic going up against the Minnesota Heat. The Minnesota Heat started the game playing in man to man defense. They applied full court pressure in the first quarter.

The score after the first quarter was the Minnesota Magic 10 and the Minnesota Heat 23.


In the second quarter the Magic continued to push the ball up the court. They guards did a good job of clearing out the court and they were able to get the ball up the court with ease.


For the Minnesota Heat Drew Preiner had good court awareness, he always seemed to know where his other players were on the court. He has able to locate them and was able to get him the ball.


The Minnesota Heat was able to find there shot in the second quarter. They were able to knock down easy shots that they were taking.


At half time the score was the Minnesota Heat 37 and the Minnesota Magic 25.


The Minnesota Magic came out and played zone defense to start the third quarter. That didn’t help much as the Heat was able to open the third quarter on a run.


The Minnesota Heat continued their dominance in the third quarter was they were way too aggressive for the Magic. The Heat switched to a man to man defense in the third quarter and they just kept the pressure on the Magic.


After three quarters of play the score was the Minnesota Heat 51 and the Minnesota Magic 35.


Mike Emge who is from Faribault and plays on the Minnesota Magic team has played very well. He has made some nice moves around the basket. He knows the game. He is always looking to get his teammates involved in the offense. He has helped his teammates off the ground where they dove on the ground for loose balls.


For the Minnesota Heat Paxton Harvieux who is from Stillwater has played a good game. He is all over the place. He played good defense and he looked to get his teammates involved in the scoring. He was there assist man. He didn’t look to score but he was always looking to get his teammates the ball.


In a game that the scoring got out of hand quickly the Minnesota Heat were able to come away with the commanding 70-42 victory. The Heat was able to make shots throughout the game. The Magic also committed too many turnovers and they couldn’t convert on their missed shots.

Friday, May 29, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS NATIVE DERRECK ROBINSON SIGNS WITH THE DALLAS COWBOYS

Minneapolis Native Derreck Robinson, who went to Minneapolis De LaSalle University of Iowa, has signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Derreck is in his fourth season in the NFL & he has played with the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins.

HOWARD PULLEY TOOK ON THE MINNESOTA MAGIC IN THE 15U DIVISION

In the 15 and under division it was the Minnesota Magic took on the Howard Pulley Panthers. Howard Pulley was able to knock down a bunch of shots early and they cruised out to a 13-3 lead with 5:25 to play in the first quarter.

Howard Pulley was able to push the ball up the court. They had all the players fill the lanes on the court.
The Magic were able to go on a run late in the first quarter. The score was Howard Pulley 19 Pulley and Minnesota Magic 13.

The Minnesota Magic got it going in the second quarter. They were able to get there shots going at the half the score was Pulley 36 and Minnesota Magic 28.

In the second half the Magic was able to go on a run to start the third quarter. This game got close as Pulley was not able to find the basket midway through the third quarter.

Both of these teams dove on the ground after loose balls and there where many tie ups in this game as things headed up in the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Howard Pulley 49 and Minnesota Magic 50.

The Minnesota Magic went on a run in the end of the third quarter and into the fourth.

The Howard Pulley Panthers didn’t give up but they got wore down and they were not able to go on runs in the fourth quarter.

The Minnesota Magic was able to come away with 69-53 come from behind victory.

I was joined by the Czar of Twin Cities Boys Hoops, here is his thoughts on the tournament.

MINNESOTA MAGIC TOOK ON THE ROAD RUNNERS

In the first game of the state aau qualifiers in the 17 and under division it was the Road Runners taking on the Minnesota Magic. Both teams got a fast start as they were able to find the basket early.

The Road Runners were able to make their shots in the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter the score was Road Runners 18 and the Minnesota Magic 12.

The Road Runners got the ball out of the net and really pushed the ball up the court. The Magic played zone in the second quarter. That forced the Road Runners to pass the ball around the perimeter and chew a lot of time off the court.

They were able to go on a scoring run midway through the second quarter. The Magic were not able to keep up with the scoring for a period of time.

The scored at half time was the Road Runners 40 and Minnesota Magic 19.

The third quarter started out on a fire pace as both teams were able to get up and down the court. The Minnesota Magic team didn’t give up even though the game got way out of hand early they kept there composer and competed the whole game.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Road Runners 60 and the Minnesota Magic 32.

In the fourth quarter it was much of the same the Road Runners were way too much for the Minnesota Magic team.

The Road Runners were able to come away with over powering victory in this game. They were just more aggressive in the game. They were able to come away with the 79-46 convincing victory.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

ONE-HANDED BASKETBALL PLAYER SIGNS WITH MANHATTAN

By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer

Kevin Laue knows what would happen if a college basketball team took a chance on him and he didn’t pan out. Fans would wonder what the coach was thinking in using a scholarship on a center missing his left hand.

“It’s a business,” the 6-foot-10 Laue said. “Their jobs are all on the line. It’s much safer to take a two-handed guy my size that got beat by me.”

But Manhattan College’s Barry Rohrssen figures coaches take chances all the time. He’d rather take one on Laue, whose left arm ends just past the elbow. So last week, the Division I school signed the center, and Rohrssen is confident his work ethic will rub off on other players.


“We take chances on kids who have poor academic histories, who have disciplinary problems both on the court and off the court,” Rohrssen said Tuesday. “We give opportunities to players who don’t appreciate them, who take them for granted. For all the right reasons, Kevin deserves this chance, and he should make the most of this opportunity.”

A native of Northern California, Laue played a postgraduate season for Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia this year, hoping to impress college recruiters. Coach Fletcher Arritt said Laue averaged about 10 points and five rebounds, competing against many Division I prospects.

When Laue was born the circulation in his left arm was cut off by the umbilical cord. He uses his upper arm to help receive passes, and his large right hand allows him to easily palm the ball.


“He can run as well as anybody,” Arritt said. “He can jump as well as anybody. You don’t need two hands to block shots around the basket.”


As the weeks went by, Laue was starting to wonder whether he would ever realize his dream of playing Division I basketball. He said Wofford and Colgate expressed interest but neither had an available scholarship.

“I still had faith,” Laue said. “But I was at the point of being like, ‘Man, when is this going to happen?”’

Rohrssen had been aware of Laue before he enrolled at Fork Union. The coach needed to recruit size with the graduation of the Jaspers’ starting center, but what really worried him after wrapping up offseason workouts this month was his returning players.


“Some coaches may say, ‘We need a shooter,”’ he said. “My feeling was our team needed a stronger work ethic.”

Manhattan contacted Laue just over a week ago. He signed with the team Wednesday.


“He possess certain skills as a basketball player that are very good,” Rohrssen said, “and he demonstrates qualities that will make him successful off the court in terms of in the locker room, on campus and in the classroom.”


The Jaspers went 16-14 last season, 9-9 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
“Playing hard is a skill,” Rohrssen said. “Doing it consistently is another skill.”


Baseball’s Jim Abbott, born without a right hand, forged a successful major league pitching career. Basketball, though, demands far more actions requiring both hands than pitching.


Laue’s story has already inspired many, and he knows that coming to New York will provide him with an even bigger stage. But he’s confident his impact will be felt on the court, too.


“I’m a risk. Coach Rohrssen was willing to take it,” Laue said. “He has no reason to worry.”

FIGHTS ARGUMENTS AND EJECTIONS AT BOSTON VS TWINS BASEBALL GAME

On Thursday May 28th the Minnesota Twins took on the Boston Red Sox. Boston ended up winning the game by the final of 3-1. There were four ejections in the game. Here is Jon Krawczynski’s account of the fights and the game.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

SEAN Mc MENOMY NAMED HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT MINNEAPOLIS DE LASALLE

Sean Mc Menomy has been named the head football coach at Minneapolis De LaSalle. He has been the head football coach at Minneapolis Southwest. Sean replaces Dick Weniberger who is now coaching football at Bloomington Kennedy.

Sean Mc Menomy had a 19-17 record at Minneapolis Southwest in three seasons.

TROY BELL LEADS HIS TEAM TO VICTORY

Troy Bell who is from Minneapolis and who is playing in Italy. He is playing for Vanoli Soresina.

His team defeated Fastweb Casale Monferrato 87-83 in game 5 of the semifinal round in the leagues playoffs. In the victory Troy scored 19 points to led his team. He grabbed 6 rebounds and he shot 6-8 from the field.

His team now is in the finals. His team faces Sassari on Sunday for the first game in the finals.

Monday, May 25, 2009

TROY BELL DROPS 26 IN A TOUGH PLAY OFF LOSS

Minneapolis native Troy Bell scored 26 points in a tough 88 - 77 playoff loss on Sunday. That was game four in their leagues semi final series. He led both teams in scoring.

Fastweb Casale tied the semifinal series against Vanoli Soresina at 2-2 winning the fourth game at home court. Zabian Dowdell (191-G-84, college: Virginia Tech) came up with 17 points to lead the way for the hosts. Jamar Smith added 14 points and 11 boards in the victory.

The series is tied at two games apiece. Game five is on Wednesday.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

NATIONS TOP PREP BASKETBALL PLAYERS IS PLAYING WITH HOWARD PULLEY THIS SUMMER

Harrison Barns from Ames Iowa who started playing for the All Iowa Attack AAU basketball team has decided to switch programs and he is now playing with the Howard Pulley Panthers.

Harrison Barns is a heavily recruited ball player. He is getting a lot of attention from some of the top programs across the nation. Some of the schools that are showing interest in Harrison Barns are Duke, Florida, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, USC, Stanford, UCLA, and TCU.

He is a very talented player. I think that he is one of the better ball players that I have seen. I think that he has great jumping ability and he also has a nice jump shot. I was able to watch Harrison Barns in May when we came up and played in the Howard Pulley Sables Invitational.

ZACH TOWLE SIGNS WITH NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Concordia Academy's Zach Towle, the No. 9 scorer in Minnesota boys basketball history, has signed a letter of intent to play at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb. He finished his career with 2,519 points and holds the record for career three-pointers with 373.
Congratulatiions Zach.

TROY BELL COMES UP BIG AGAIN IN VICTORY

On Friday Vanoli Soresina narrowly escaped with a road win over Fastweb Casale to take a 2-1 lead in the semifinal series. Troy Bell knocked down 17 points, issued 6 assists and grabbed 4 boards to pace the visitors. Marco Cusin added 15 points and 6 boards for Vanoli Soresina. Tommaso Fantoni had game-high 21 points and 12 boards for Fastweb Casale.

The series continues on Sunday.

CLYDE TURNER TURNS THINGS AROUND

By JIM SOUHAN MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

The bookends of Clyde Turner's public life seem to belong to two different men.

On Jan. 25, 1972, Turner committed the flagrant foul that preceded the infamous brawl between the Minnesota and Ohio State basketball teams.

On May 14, 2009, Turner, 58, received the Dean's Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development.

The former remains a bad memory. The latter is a testament to his good works. Turner vows he'll never forget either.

"This has been a very nice journey," Turner said last week. "There have been some ups and downs. It's like a rock. You're going to tumble, you're going to roll around, but each time that has happened, it has made me a little smoother. That's what I try to tell the kids."

There are many such "kids." Turner has 10 grandchildren. He has worked for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and for foster care agencies. He co-founded Past Athletes Concerned About Education (PACE), and in 2002 he became the manager of the Intake Division of the Child Protection unit. In 2007, he became manager of the Ramsey County Family Services Division.

He founded the Clyde Turner Educational Basketball Camp 26 years ago and has served on numerous charitable boards.

His journey was neither linear nor painless. He arrived at the U out of Robert Morris Junior College just before Bill Musselman became the Gophers' head coach. "We didn't see eye to eye," Turner said. "He didn't recruit me. He came in and said, 'What kind of ballplayer are you?' I said, 'I think I'm a pretty good basketball player.' He said, 'I don't know about that.'

"He challenged me to a two-on-two basketball game, and he said, 'I'll guard you, Clyde.' I didn't let him score. I told my teammate, 'We're going to play best-of-three, and I'm going to score every time on him.' So after we were done playing, I said, 'Well, I guess I'm going to transfer now,' and he said, 'Oh, no, you're not.' That's a true story."

Turner became the Gophers' leading scorer and won a Big Ten championship ring he still wears. Like his teammates, though, he can't escape the memories or implications of "the brawl."

On Jan. 25, 1972, Ohio State beat the Gophers at Williams Arena. Ohio State center Luke Witte had elbowed a Gophers player in the face at the end of the first half. With 36 seconds remaining in the game, which Ohio State won, Turner was called for a flagrant foul on Witte and ejected.

Gopher Corky Taylor helped Witte up, then kneed him in the groin. A violent brawl ensued with Gopher Ron Behagen stomping on Witte's head and Dave Winfield punching another Ohio State player in the face, as fans leaped onto the court and threw punches of their own.

The Big Ten suspended Taylor and Behagen for the remainder of the season, and the Gophers received scathing criticism throughout the country.

"We knew something bad had happened, but I didn't realize how big it was until I came home from classes the next day and Walter Cronkite was talking about it on TV," Turner said. "That's a part of my history. What I'm trying to do is turn it into something positive."

Turner was drafted in the third round by Milwaukee but didn't make the team. After he played in Europe, Gophers booster Harvey Mackay interceded.

"When I was struggling really bad after being rejected by the NBA, and when I got back from Europe, I was really angry," Turner said. "Harvey sat me down and said, 'You've got to start making that switch.' "

Turner earned his master's degree in social work from Minnesota and remained motivated by the perceptions cemented by the brawl. "Over the years, I've learned how to talk about it without getting angry," he said. "Because I feel we were treated bad by the press, locally as well as nationally. There are two sides to every story. We were young guys. We came from good families. ...

"We had really good values, educational values and discipline. We wanted to achieve some goals in life. Whether racism was involved or not, we were still working to move forward as young, African-American males. And to be hit with something where we were called a bunch of names, it was very painful. I never really got therapy. I had to work through these issues over the years."

Turner experienced a different kind of closure when he received the dean's award last week. "When I got up in front of 4,000 people and spoke, those words came out in a very powerful way," he said. "It was spiritual. To have this award come from the U of M, it was like ice cream on a cake."

Inspired by President Obama, Turner is considering a career in local politics. "This has been a nice journey," he said. "And I want it to continue."

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon on AM-1500 KSTP. • jsouhan@startribune.com

Friday, May 22, 2009

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES HIRE DAVID KAHN AT THE NEW PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

The Minnesota Timberwolves hired David Kahn to be there new President of Basketball Operations. He replaces Kevin Mc Hale who is now the Head Coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves.


David Kahn brings knowledge of both basketball and business to the Timberwolves. He recently was the owner of Southwest Basketball. Southwest Basketball owned the NBDL teams in Fort Worth, Austin Texas and in Albuquerque New Mexico, and Tulsa Oklahoma.Before he became involved in coaching he was a writer for the Portland Oregonian covering the NBA.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST AND ST PAUL JOHNSON SQUARE OFF IN THE BATTLE OF THE TWIN CITIES BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Lakers starting pitcher was Cole Baker. In the first inning Joe Benert got a single and then Tanner Henderickson drilled a ground ball to the right field fence scoring Tanner Henderickson. At the end of the first inning the score was Johnson 1 and Southwest 0.

Johnson Top of 2.
15. Xavier Black grounded out ss-1st
22 Ian Zangs 3rd to 1st out
11 Antonio Colon struck out


SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 2
16 Jake Schmitz fly out short right field
8 Quinton Campbell walk
7 Cole Baker single to right field moving up Campbell
12 Dan Kernan grounded out to first scoring Quinton Campbell
Runners move up on wild pitch
14 Zach Adams grounded out scoring Cole Baker.

After two innings of play Minneapolis Southwest 2 and St Paul Johnson 1

JOHNSON TOP OF 3

14 Nick Buchan got hit a bouncer to the pitcher and then got thrown out at first base.
3 Jordan Laroche popped out.
7 Zach Lopez got thrown out at first.

SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 3

9 Nick Kuhlmann flew out to the Left fielder.
11Peter Cragone grounded out to the first base man.
10 Jack Schneider got a double on a two hopper fumble to the right fielder.
17 Bennett Johnson went down swing and striking out for the third out.

JOHNSON TOP OF 4

5 Joe Benert grounded to third base and then got thrown out at first base.
2 Tanner Henderickson hits a monster shot to the center field fence which ends up being a triple.
8 Daniel Adney pitchers to first
15 Xaiver Black got a single scoring Tanner Henderickson.
22 Ian Zangs was called out on a triple.

SOUTHWEST BOTOM OF 4

16 Jake Schmitz flew out to center.
8 Quinton Campbell got thrown out at first base.
7 Cole Baker flew out to the second baseman.

Score Minneapolis Southwest 2 and St Paul Johnson 3.

JOHNSON TOP OF 5

11 Antonio Colon singled to first base
12 Robert Hoveland popped out to the first base man.
3 Jordan Larochch popped out to the first base man.
7 Zach Nicol-Lopez lined out to the short stop.

SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 5

12 Dan Kernan hit a grounder to the short stop then got thrown out at first base.
14 Zach Adams struck out swinging.
9 Nick Kuhlmann hit a hard ground ball for a single to the Right fielder.
21 Dan Osied hit a liner to the second baseman who threw Nick Kuhlmann out for the third out.

JOHNSON TOP OF 6

2 Tanner Henderickson got a single and got replaced on basepath by Kyle Vickery
22 Ian Zangs got a triple and scoring three runs.

For Southwest Jake Schmitz came in and pitched.

11 Antonio Colon struck out swinging.
14 Nick Buchan struck out swinging.

SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 6

10 Jack Schneider flew out to Right field
17 Bennett Johnson , walked.
16 Jake Schmitz got a double
8 Quinton Campbell got a walk to load the bases with one out.
12 Dan Kernan got a double.
Runners scored on wild pitches.
15 Dan Hupp walked.
Dan Kernan moved to third on a wild pitch.
6 Kyle Tjossem got hit by the pitch.
Dan Kernan scored on a double steal.
21 Dan Osied flew out to the second baseman.
Southwest was able to come up big with 4 runs and tie the game in the sixth inning.

JOHNSON TOP OF 7

3 Jordan Laroche bounced out to the second base man and was thrown out at first.
7 Zach Micol-Lopez bounced out to the pitcher.
5 Joe Benert grounded out to the second baseman.

SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 7

10 Jack Schneider bounced out short to first.
17 Bennett Johnson walked.
16 Jake Schmitz flew out to right field

THE SCORE IS TIED AS WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF REGULATION

JOHNSON TOP OF 8

Nick Colman is the new Southwest Pitcher
2 Tanner Hendrickson got a double out to the centerfield fence.
8 Daniel Andeson got a double and Tanner Henderiskson scored on a fielding error.
15 Xaiver Black struck out.
22 Ian Zangs got a sacrifice bunt that scored Daniel Anderson.
11 Antonio Colon walked
14 Nick Bauchman grounded out to first base.

SOUTHWEST BOTTOM OF 8

15 Xaiver Black came into the game to pitch for St Paul Johnson
25 Joe Headlen bounced out to the second base man and was thrown out at first.
Dan Hupp flew out for the Pitcher for the final out.

In the extra inning St Paul Johnson was able to score two runs and come away with the 8-6 victory over Minneapolis Southwest.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

ANDRAI SHANWTEL HARRIS JR PLANS ON DOING BIG THINGS IN HIS FOOTBALL CAREER

Andri Shawntel Harris Jr who plays football at Minneapolis South, he says that he wants to work hard this summer on improving his game. He wants to become the Minneapolis Conference leading halfback. The reason that he wants to become the best player he can be, he plans on going to college somewhere and playing football. He wants to be the top of the class he is going to be a Jr next season class of 2011.

He said that “Football is my life and I really feel that I have been blessed with great skills and I pray that one day I'll be able to show the world that I can compete with the best of the best at the highest stage of football.”

He is 5’6 and weights about 185 he is going to be working on getting better and faster and stronger over the summer.


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

JOHN WALL MAKES UP HIS MIND

John Wall from Raleigh (NC) Word Of God Christian Academy, one of the nation’s top ranked prep boys basketball players, has decided to attend The University of Kentucky.

Some of the schools that were on the his final list were Memphis, Miami, North Carolina, N. C State, Baylor, Duke, and Kansas.

At the time of his signing, John Wall was ranked number 1 player in the nation, according to Rivals.com.

NBA DRAFT LOTTERY PARTY

The NBA held the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday May 19th to decide the order of the teams selecting players in the NBA Draft in June.

The Minnesota Timberwolves get the number 6th pick in the NBA Draft.

WHO WILL PICK NUMER ONE IN THE NBA DRAFT?

Who will have the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft on June 25. It all comes down to the draft lottery being held Tuesday May 19, 2009. The Draft Lottery is where all of the team personal get together and confirm the order. This is when teams will select the teams that are in the lottery there pecking order barring any trades prior to or the day of the draft.

Monday, May 18, 2009

WWE LOSING PEPSI CENTER ON MAY 25

FROM ESPN

The NBA and World Wrestling Entertainment are grappling over a scheduling conflict.

The WWE announced on Monday that its May 25 show set for the Pepsi Center in Denver is in jeopardy of being canceled because the
Denver Nuggets have a playoff game scheduled for the same night.

While the WWE anticipates a sold-out arena and planned to broadcast internationally, the Nuggets will be facing the
Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. The wrestling federation says that they have had the date reserved since Aug. 15, 2008.

"Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25th date for a potential playoff game," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said in a statement.

Pepsi Center officials told the ABC television affiliate in Denver that the Nuggets game will be played as scheduled and that they are working with the WWE to reschedule or move their event.


PIPER GYMNAST SARAH PROSEN QUALIFIES FOR 2009 KACHSIUNG WORLD GAMES

Hamline University sophomore gymnast Sarah Prosen (Apple Valley, Minn.) is one of two U.S. women to qualify on the double mini trampoline for the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games to be held in Taiwan in July.

The World Games are held every four years and take place in the calendar year after an Olympic Games. The Games are an Olympic-type competition that encompasses over 35 sports, including beach handball, softball, karate, sumo, and dance. This year’s host city, Kaohsiung, is a port city in Taiwan.

Prosen, who specializes in the floor exercise for the Pipers and was a 2008 All-American in the event, has been a member of the senior national trampoline and tumbling team since 2007. She was ranked first in the country in the double mini trampoline last year.

Her success on the international scene in double mini trampoline includes being a medalist at the 2008 World Cup in Belgium and earning a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Quebec.

Prosen qualified for the World Games by placing second at the Elite Challenge in Arkansas over the weekend of May 8-10. The first place finisher, and other World qualifier, was Prosen’s U.S.A. teammate and best friend, Aubree Balkan from San Diego.

“We are proud of and happy for Sarah's recent accomplishment,” said Hamline director of athletics Bob Beeman. “Her performance is a testament to her overall competitiveness and tenacious work ethic. We certainly wish her nothing but success in Taiwan this summer.”

Prosen describes the event as a mixture of vault and trampoline. The apparatus is rectangular in shape, unlike a traditional round backyard trampoline, and athletes approach the double mini trampoline on a runway much like they do a vault.

There is a small landing area in which the gymnast needs to land. A routine on the apparatus consists of two skills and gymnasts need to have four different passes with different skills in each.

Prosen began to trampoline at the age of 12 and trains out of Gleason’s Gymnastic School in Eagan, Minnesota. She is working on a new routine that will give her the highest difficulty of any woman in the U.S.

When asked what allows her to achieve success on the world stage in the double mini trampoline, Prosen responds, “The adrenaline rush of learning new skills and flipping though the air is what keeps me going. I am extremely competitive and I never give up on my goals. If I set my mind to doing something, I strive accomplish that goal and do not give up until I reach it.”

The Games take place July 17-22 and Prosen’s competition will take place from the 20th-22nd. Prosen is looking forward to taking in the other sports while in Taiwan as well as bonding with her teammates from the U.S.

Details regarding live television coverage of the event, as well as Prosen’s results, will be on the Hamline University gymnastics website at
www.hamline.edu/gymnastics when available. More information about the 2009 World Games is available at www.worldgames2009.tw.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

IT WAS TNL TAKING ON THE GLORY IN THE 16U CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

In the 16U championship game it was TNL took on the Glory. Both of these teams were able to get the ball up the court. They got the ball out of the basket they were off to the races. In the first quarter both of these teams played both zone and man to man defense.

The Glory played zone defense and that forced TNL to swing the ball around the three point arch. TNL was not scared to shoot the ball.


In a half that was pretty sloppy by TNL with sloppy passes and miss shots they were down at the half by the score of 40-24.


As the third quarter got underway the Glory looked strong. They were able to make that extra pass and they were way more patient when they had the ball.


In the third quarter the TNL players kind of got fed up and got angry with some of the calls that they were getting. They kept their tempers in check and finished the game.


At the end of the third quarter the score was Glory 65 TNL 40.


The Minnesota Glory came to play. They were able to constantly knock down shots and they gained a big lead from the beginning. In a game that had a large scoring deference the Minnesota Glory came away with the 73-51 victory.


I was joined by the Czar of Twin Cities Boys Hoops. You can check out his thoughts on the tournament here.

TRIPPLE THREAT TOOK ON THE MINNEAPOLIS REDHAWKS FOR THE 17U CHAMPIONSHIP

In the 17u championship game it was Triple Threat going up against the Red Hawks. In the first half both of these teams played very aggressively.

The Minneapolis Red Hawks played a zone defense in the first half. Both of these teams went up and down the court.


Triple Threat was able to find the basket early and often in the first half.


At the half the score was Triple Threat 29 and Minneapolis Red Hawks 16.


The Minneapolis Red Hawks came out fired up and ready to go in second half. They played aggressive defense.
Triple Treat was able to go on a run in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter the score was Triple Threat 43 and Minneapolis Red Hawks 33.


As the fourth quarter got underway each of these teams turned on the pursuer. They each played half court man to man defense.


The Minneapolis Red Hawks went on a run in the middle of the fourth quarter. They were able to make consecutive shots and Triple Threat couldn’t respond.


It was a game that went back and forth but in the end Triple Threat was able to come away with the 62-49 victory.

15U CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

In the 15u championship it was Minnesota Select going up against TC Elite. Minnesota Select started out in a full court man to man defense. Both of these teams traded baskets in the first quarter. When Select made a shot the next time down the court TC Elite came down and made a shot.

Each of these teams went at each other in the first quarter. Neither team was able to go on a run. They did a good job of figuring out what the other team was doing and they matched it on their end.


At the end of the first quarter the score was Minnesota Select 11 and TC Elite 12.


In the second quarter the pace of the game was quite slow. Each of the clubs walked the ball up the clock wasting as much time as they wanted to. Select just couldn’t find the man inside. There coach wanted to have them make 5 passes before they even looked for the shot.


The second quarter neither team was able to go on a run. They both played aggressive defense. There were not many shots that were either put up or taken.


At half time the score was Select 17 and TC Elite 19.


As the second half got underway both of these teams seemed to be quicker getting up and down the court. They seemed to really play more aggressively.


Andre Hines for Select made some nice no look passes to his teammates. On the defensive end he was able to put pressure.


Through the first three quarters neither team was able to go on a run. It was a defensive battle from the beginning.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Select 25 and TC Elite 27.


TC Elite played a fair amount zone defense throughout the fourth quarter. This game came down to the end. In the end TC Elite came away with the 42-37 victory.

TROY BELL KNOCKS DOWN 27 IN PLAY OFF VICTORY

Troy Bell notched 27 points as Vanoli Soresina defeated Fastweb Casale in the semifinal opener. Mauricio Aguiar added 11 points and 7 boards to pace the winners. Zabian Dowdell responded with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Casale in the loss.

WAYMAN TISDALE DIES AT THE AGE OF 44

Tisdale dies at 44

A former Oklahoman at the age of 44 dies. The great Wayman Tisdale died after a two-year battle with cancer. Tisdale died Friday morning at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa hospital, Joy McGill, a hospital spokeswoman said.

A 6-foot-9 forward Tisdale forward from Tulsa played in teh NBA with Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. We was considered to be having a left-handed touch. During 1984 Olympics, he was with the US team when it won a gold medal. On his career, he averaged 15.3 points per game.

Aside from being a basketball start, after his career, he became an awar winning jazz musician who made several albums that made it to the Top 10 in the Billboard charts. He was inducted on the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Famer.

Senate Majority Leader Todd Lamb, announced Tisdale's death on the Oklahoma Senate floor and also lead the prayer on the chamber.

TNL GETS UPSET BY TEAM CANNON IN THE 17U DIVISION

In their first game of the day Sunday TNL took on Team Cannon. TNL got out of the gates fast as they built a 6-0 lead with just over a minute gone in the first quarter. For TNL Devon Knope came out on fire he was able to hit and make most of the shots that he put up in the first quarter as he lead the early scoring run in the first quarter.

Team Cannon was able to find there shot in the first quarter as they begun hitting shots from everywhere on the court. But that didn’t discourage TNL they kept playing defense. TNL did a good job of their substitution pattern as they usually rotated four to all five players at one time.


At the end of the first period the score was TNL 24 and Team Cannon 16.

In the second quarter TNL played an aggressive half court man to man defense. They were getting in the faces of the Team Cannon players and making it difficult for them to make clear passes by waving their hands and getting out and contesting shots.


At half time the score was TNL 43 and Team Canon 38.


Both teams came out and played with a lot of poise in the third quarter as neither team was going to give up. TNL looked to burn time off the clock as they were able to pass the ball around the three point arch for some time. Team Cannon had to put defenders out on the three point line to guard them.


Team Cannon was able to go on a scoring run in the third quarter and they took the lead 47-45 with just under 5:00 left to go in the third quarter. TNL didn’t panic as they stayed calm when Team Cannon when on a run in the third quarter. TNL put on the full court press late in the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter the score was TNL 56 and Team Cannon 57.


Devon Knope came up with some nice jump shots that went in. He also made some nice running lay ups that went in.


Team Cannon was able to go on a run and knock down jump shots in the fourth quarter. TNL was not able to get there shots to fall for most of the game.


Late in the fourth quarter TNL did get hot and made some shots to go in. they got within 3 68-71 with 2:58 left to go in regulation. TNL went on a run after the time out and they got within 1 point with 2:07 left to go. Devon Knope shot was falling for him as TNL looked to get him the ball on the offensive end.


There was a lot of intensity in this game showed by both teams. Both of the coaches were up coaching there kids and yelling positive instructions. And the players responded. The score was tied at 73 with 8.1 seconds to go in regulation and TNL called a time out to set up a final play.

The score was tied at 73 at the end of regulation. TNL kept the full court press on the whole over time period. Both teams played very aggressively they both applied pressure and guarded very well.


In a very hard fought game Team Cannon was able to upset TNL by the final of 87-80.

IT WAS THE P-TOWN BALLERS TAKING ON THE TNL EXPRESS IN 16U DIVISION

In the first game of the day it was the P-Town Ballers taking on the TNL Express. Both of these teams really got the ball up and down the court to start the game out.

Both teams were diving after loose balls and going after rebounds on both ends of the court. At the end of the first quarter the score was TNL 21 and the P-Town Ballers 12.


The P-Town Ballers came out and played half court man to man defense in the second quarter. They were not able to slow down TNL because TNL was able to make most of the shots that they were putting up.


In a half that TNL was able to make almost everything that they put up they led by 20 at the half. The score was 42-22.


In the third quarter and fourth quarters TNL really put it on the P-Town Ballers. TNL was just hitting all of their shots they were putting up.


The P-Town Ballers didn’t have an answer for the shot production of TNL. TNL continued their dominance in the fourth quarter. The final of the game was TNL 72 and P Town Ballers 45.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

CAMPBELLSVILLE GAINS NAIA SERIES BERTH

FROM ESPN.com news services

Bryan Fuller told his Campbellsville University coaches he was never going to play baseball professionally, so he was willing to sacrifice his arm.

With much debate and reluctance, but knowing what was at stake and what their other options were, his coaches acquiesced.

Fuller, a senior, ended up pitching 21 shutout innings in 26 hours as Campbellsville (Ky.) advanced to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, where on Friday it will face Lee (Tenn.).

Campbellsville had fallen into the loser's bracket in its NAIA super regional, and needed to win three straight to get the World Series berth. Against Lindenwood on Thursday, Fuller, who throws sidearm, pitched three scoreless innings for the save.

With just 25 minutes between games, Campbellsville's coaches decided to start Fuller in the next game, against Kansas Wesleyan, which had won 26 straight. Fuller, according to assistant coach Jake McKinley, "is an undersized kid" who had started only once previously in four seasons.

"We were nearly out of pitching and he looked comfortable," McKinley said. "We told Fuller we would need him to make his second career start and if he could give us three or four innings, that would be great, and it was in the biggest game in the history of our program against a team that had won 26 straight games."

Fuller ended up pitching a complete game as Campbellsville snapped Kansas Wesleyan's winning streak with a 11-0 victory.

That put Campbellsville in the final. According to McKinley, the coaches were prepared to start their No. 1 pitcher on two days' rest, but Fuller wanted the start.

"We told him no way, because we didn't want to hurt him ... He just threw 12 innings the day before," McKinley said. "He told us that he was a senior that will never play pro ball and he was going to be an accountant in just a few weeks. He said he didn't care about his arm and told us he will give us a chance to win."

And he did, using just 77 pitches in his second consecutive complete-game shutout as Campbellsville (39-10) beat Kansas Wesleyan again 4-0, giving the Tigers their first NAIA World Series appearance in school history.
"We're not sure yet, but we are not opposed to using him in any role," McKinley said. "At this point, we'd be fools not to start him."

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA DROPPING 'FIGHING SIOX' NICKNAME, LOGO

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

North Dakota's Board of Higher Education has agreed to drop the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo, a move intended to resolve a decades-long campus dispute about whether the name demeans American Indians.

The name and logo, which is a profile of an American Indian man with feathers and streaks of paint on his face, could still be saved if North Dakota's Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes agree by Oct. 1 to give the university permission to use them for at least 30 years.

However, tribal officials say that possibility is remote. Unless the name and logo receive tribal endorsement, they will be retired for good on Aug. 1, 2010.

The board, which met Thursday at Dickinson State University, voted 8-0 to retire the logo and nickname. UND President Robert Kelley began making plans for replacements.

"This has been a long-standing tradition at UND, and I think the board action now instructs the university to develop new traditions," he said.

Board member Grant Shaft, who is chairman of a committee that has been studying the issue, said the move may help UND's likely application to join the Summit League, an 11-member NCAA Division I conference that is seeking a 12th school.

Tom Douple, the Summit League's commissioner, has said the University of North Dakota won't be considered for membership as long as the nickname and logo dispute festered.

The education board's action does not suggest any blueprint for UND to follow in choosing a new nickname and logo.

Richie Smith, the president of the Board of Higher Education, said the issue would be left to the campus, and jokingly suggested "Moose" as a new nickname. Kelley said a transition team will be appointed to oversee the process.

"What this permits the University of North Dakota to do is to start a marketing initiative," Kelley said. "Over time, I think we would see enhancement of our revenue structure for athletic programs. I think we would see the enhancement of fan interest."

UND sports teams have been known as the Fighting Sioux since 1930, when the moniker replaced Flickertails.
Arguments against the nickname's racial origins have flared regularly for decades. Its supporters say the name is intended to honor North Dakota's Sioux tribes, while critics say it is demeaning and fosters racial tension on the university's campus in Grand Forks, in northeastern North Dakota.

The debate came to a head in September 2005, when the NCAA declared Fighting Sioux as "hostile and abusive" to American Indians and said UND would be barred from hosting NCAA postseason tournaments if the school continued using it.

The Board of Higher Education then sued the NCAA, arguing the organization had not followed its own rules in issuing its edict. The lawsuit was settled in October 2007; its terms gave the University of North Dakota permission to continue using the nickname and logo if the school could get approval from the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake tribes by November 2010.

Ron His Horse Is Thunder, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and a fervent opponent of the nickname and logo, cheered the board's decision.

"It's not an easy step," His Horse Is Thunder said. "And it is full of controversy. But I think every great step in this country was filled with controversy ... The civil rights movements in the '60s didn't happen with a whimper."

American Indian backers of the nickname, who have been campaigning on the reservations to garner support for it, asked the Board of Higher Education before Thursday's vote to back the nickname and logo. Many residents of both reservations take pride in "Fighting Sioux," they said.

TNL TOOK ON TC ELITE

TNL Took on TC Elite coming into this contest both of these teams is undefeated. This game got off to a frantic pace.

TC Elite got out to a quick start TNL didn’t panic. TNL started out slow but then they picked it up mid way through the first quarter. It took TNL a little bit to get going but they were able to find their shots in the first quarter.

TNL started playing a zone defense. They didn’t want TC Elite to get the ball up the court. They applied pressure in the full court. Jauson Sewer has able knock down shot in the early goings.

TC Elite was able to take it to TNL a little bit in the first quarter. Both of these teams were matched up pretty evenly in this contest.

At the end of the first quarter the score was TNL 17 and TC Elite 23.

The second quarter TNL was not able find the basket in the early goings of the quarter. TC Elite was able to go on a little bit of a run. TNL didn’t panic they kept on playing hard.


TNL was able to get into a running game with the TC Elite team. TNL was able to score some quick baskets. TNL caught up to TC Elite with just over 3:00 left in regulation.


The first half went up and down the court. TC Elite came out with a quick lead and that didn’t seem to faze TNL. TNL made a comeback late in the first half. The score was tied and there were several lead changes throughout the later part of the second half.

At half time the score was TNL 35 and TC Elite 37.

Both of these teams played with a lot of emotion in the game. Both of these teams kept the pressure on each other in the second half.

Both of these teams went back and forth throughout the game. Jasper Duberry put on a scoring show late in the third quarter as he was able to come up with some nice shots.

Both of these teams have gone after each other the whole game. Neither team gave up. This game has been nip and tuck throughout the game.

Spenser Cummings has done a nice job in this game. He has really done a good job so far in this game of getting his team into this game. He has made smart decisions.

This game has come down to the wire. Just was you though that one team was able to go on a run here come the other and they stop them dead in there tracks.

At the end of regulation the score was tied at 63 apiece. Both of these teams kept going at each dunning the over time session.

TNL was able come down and make shots in the overtime period. They were able to come away with the victory. The final of the game was TNL 78-71.


I was joined at this tournament by the Czar of Twin Cities Boy's Hoops. You can read about his thoughts of the Super Regional here.

TNL TOOK OUT THE SIZZLE FROM THE START

TNL took on the Minnesota Sizzle. TNL came out on fire as they were able to get out to a 29-9 lead to start the game off. Everyone was able get there shot going early on. At the end of the first quarter the score was 33-10. The Sizzle didn’t sizzle in the start of the game. TNL really was able to take it to them.

In the first half TNL came out on a tear and they really were able to put the Sizzle to sleep from the get go.
TNL played half court zone defense in the first half. Everyone from TNL was able to hit their shots.


At half time the score was TNL 64 and the Sizzle 24.

As the second half got underway TNL continued where they left off in the first half as they were able to hit almost any shot they wanted to.


At the end of the third quarter the score was TNL 89 and the Sizzzle 28.


This by far was a total team effort TNL was able to come away with the commanding 103-45 victory over the Sizzle.

MINNESOTA SHARKS TOOK ON TEAM CANNON

As this game got started both of these teams got off to a fast start at they both got there shots going early. The Sharks looked to push the ball up the court from the start of the game. Both of these teams were able to really shoot the ball in the first quarter as they both were able to find the basket early and often.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Sharks 20 Team Cannon 21.

Team Cannon came out and started playing zone defense in the second quarter. The Sharks were able to counter that by being able to play tough defense throughout the first half.

Both of these teams were able to run a little bit in the second quarter. Both of these teams went at it in the first half. Neither of these gave up in the first half.

As the first half winded down the score at half time was Sharks 49 and Team Cannon 43.



Both of these teams came out ready to play in the second half. Team Cannon continued to play zone defense in the second half.


For the Sharks Cooper Johnson has really played well. He has been able to find his shot early in the game. He has been able to make some good defensive stops.



At the end of the third quarter the Sharks had a 69-62 lead over Team Cannon.


Both of these teams really went at it in the fourth quarter. Neither of these teams was going to let the other team get in there way. The Sharks kept looking to get the ball up and down the court.


Both teams continued to go after loose balls and they were to get there shots going. Team Cannon came close in the end but they were not able to hold on. The Sharks got the 94-81victory.

LAWSUIT AGAINST ATLANTIC YARDS REJECTED

By Associated Press

Developer Bruce Ratner says he is ready to break ground on a Brooklyn arena for the New Jersey Nets this year after an appeals court struck down a challenge to his Atlantic Yards project.

Ratner says he plans to begin building the $800 million arena this year after issuing bonds to finance the project this fall.

The state Supreme Court's appellate division on Friday struck down an opponents' lawsuit that sought to stop the state from using eminent domain to seize property where the 22-acre Atlantic Yards project is slated to be built. The opponents say they will appeal.

The $4 billion project includes an office tower and more than 15 apartment buildings. Opposition lawsuits and financing difficulties have delayed the project for years.


TNL TOOK ON THE MINNESOTA COMETS

In the second game of the day it was TNL going up against the Minnesota Comets. TNL opened the game playing tough man to man full court defense.

TNL was able to get a jump on the Comets in the early going. Devon Knope was able to come out strong and make some shots in the early going. He also played tough defense.

The Comets were able to go on a mini run in the first quarter. At the end of the first half the score was TNL 23 and Minnesota Comets 22.


Jasper Duberry played well throughout the first half as he was able find his shot and was able to make a few good shots in the first half. Jauson Sewer was also able to find his shot in the early goings.

Jauson Sewer and Devon Knope have really done a nice job so far in the first half of complementing each other’s style of play. Both of these guys know the court so well and they know where they are supposed to be on the court. TNL was able to go on a little run at the end of the second quarter.

At half time the score was TNL 46 and Minnesota Comets 39.

As the second half got underway both of these teams came out ready to play. Devon Knope continued to show how aggressively he could play by going out and diving on the ground for loose balls and driving to the basket no matter how many people are there he knew that he wanted to get the ball and shooting the ball. He did a good job of making shots.

Both of these teams went at each other in the third quarter. TNL was able to continue to shine in the third quarter as they had a lead of 61-47 at the end of the third quarter.

Both of these teams continued to go hard after each other in the fourth quarter. Near the middle of the fourth quarter the Minnesota Comets were able to go on a run. They got the score within 10 points 66-76 with 2:30 left to go in regulation.

Even though the Minnesota Comets tried to make a comeback toward the end of the game they were unsuccessful as TNL was able to come away with the 81-71 victory.

TNL EXPRESS HOST THE AAU SUPER REGIONAL

The TNL Express AAU program hosted the AAU Boys super regional at Champlin Park. In the first game of the tournament it was the Minnesota Sharks taking on the Triple Threat.

The Sharks came out and started playing in a zone defense. They were not able to stop many shots in the early goings as Triple Threat was able to knock down shots in the opening goings.


Triple Threat looked to push the ball in the first half. They were able to get out and get a jump on the Sharks from the jump.


At the end of the first quarter the score was the Sharks 20 and Triple Threat 9.


Brandon Schaust from Triple Threat really went to work in the low post he had some good post up moves and was able to find his shot in the low post. He usually was double teamed then he got the ball in the block.


Both teams tried to spread the court in the first half. Both teams were able to go at each other in the first half. In this tournament they were playing 4 8:00 minute quarters.

At half time the score was Minnesota Sharks 38 and Triple Threat 23.


As the second half got underway both teams really came out ready to play. They also were able to get the ball up the court.


Triple Threat came out and played zone defense in the second half. They had a hard time containing the basketball. The Sharks were on fire as they were able to basically run away with the game in the third quarter.
Each of these teams played hard the whole entire game.



At the end of the third quarter the score was The Minnesota Sharks 61 and Triple Threat 41.
Triple Threat played in a half court defense for most of the second half as they didn’t feel the need to use the full court press.


The Sharks really went to town on Triple Threat they were just able to make their shots and they were able to come away with the 76-49 victory.

Friday, May 15, 2009

MINNESOTA TRANSITIONS' NOREEN FINDS RECRUITING EVENTFUL

By DAVID La VAQUE, Star Tribune

Minnesota Transitions Charter School forward Kevin Noreen can share fun stories from the college basketball recruiting trail.

He received pointers from NBA legend John Stockton on his unofficial visit to Gonzaga. And he shattered a backboard on his unofficial visit to Boston College. Noreen, a 6-9 1/2 junior who is poised to set the boys' state record for career points next season, has received scholarship offers from both of those schools. He plans to attend camps this summer and potentially land offers from Marquette, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

"Since eighth grade my goal was to get a Division I scholarship," he said.

A varsity player since seventh grade, Noreen averaged 32.8 points per game as a junior last season, bringing his career total to 2,881 points. Cody Schilling of Ellsworth graduated in 2008 with the record of 3,428 points. Noreen could pass him mid-season and even might challenge the 4,000-point plateau.

"I just want to win," said Noreen, who lost to Schilling and Ellsworth in the 2008 Class 1A championship game. "Scoring is my role on the team but I want to be a team player."

He also has made unofficial visits to Butler, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Green Bay. Noreen plans to narrow his list to five schools in June and decide in July.

Jerry Noreen, Kevin's father, said the Gophers "are keeping tabs on him, but right now they don't see him as their style of player."


Thursday, May 14, 2009

SPORTS BRINGS STUDENTS TOGETHER

BY RAY RICHARDSON OF THE ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS

Whenever Harun Abda faces a challenge, even while trying to figure out music on the radio, his easygoing demeanor takes over.

Few situations overwhelm Abda. All the Fridley distance runner has to do is think about is the traumatic escape he and his family made three years ago from their homeland in Ethiopia to the United States.
In Abda's mind, his stress level already has been tested.

"The serious things in life I don't take too serious," he said.

Abda is not just kicking back every day in his new country. The senior found a new passion in track and field at Fridley High School. He never ran track in Ethiopia, but after three years at Fridley, he has become a coveted recruit by NCAA Division I schools with prominent track and field programs.

Besides the University of Minnesota, Abda has scholarship offers from Stanford, Florida, Miami (Fla.), New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa State, Nebraska, Syracuse and Akron. More offers could roll in if Abda continues to improve on his time in the 800 meters, his primary event.

Abda finished second at last year's Minnesota Class AA meet with a time of 1 minute, 50.7 seconds — just .38 seconds behind champion Zach Mellon of Buffalo (1:49.69). Mellon, a senior, has won the Class AA 800 meters the past two years but considers Abda his top rival for a third consecutive title.

"Without being disrespectful to the other competition, he's the only person that can push that kind of pace,"
Mellon said of Abda.

Mellon, however, would not have heard of Abda if Abda and his family had not been able to leave Ethiopia.
The family was living in Shashamane, a town of about 94,000 people in central Ethiopia. Abda said his father, Mohamad, was arrested in 2006 for "belonging to a different political party." When Mohamad was released, he and his wife, Mako, rounded up Harun and his 13 brothers and sisters living with them to catch a bus to Nairobi, Kenya.

Abda knew his family didn't have passports to cross the border into Kenya, but Mohamad arranged the trip anyway. The first border patrol check gave Abda an indication of things to come.

"We had to get off the bus before the checkpoint and hide, then we would get back on the bus," Abda said. "We did that to avoid the police."

Abda and his family had to pull off the deceptive move five more times before reaching a safe area in Kenya. Even then, Abda said the family had to walk 10 miles to reach Nairobi.

Abda didn't want to elaborate on what might have happened had his father or other family members been detained. The "consequences," as Abda put it, would have meant a return trip to Ethiopia and an uncertain future.
Abda's father had additional money with him just to make sure the family made it through to Nairobi.

"While we were on and off the bus, we paid money to some of the police in Kenya so we would be safe," Abda said.

Abda and several family members flew from Nairobi to the United States, eventually settling on St. Paul's East Side, where Abda's older brother, Salahadeen, was living with his family. Abda said three of his siblings chose to stay in Nairobi.

When the family moved to Fridley, Abda's world opened up even more. Trying out for the track team helped him meet new friends and adjust to America's high school culture. His English improved, and he learned more about a music phenomenon known as "hip-hop."

"At first, I didn't understand the music at all or what they were talking about," Abda said. "I used to just listen to the beats. Now I listen to the beats and the words more."

Abda's iPod also includes country music and classic rock, tunes he relaxes with while warming up before meets. At the Hamline Elite Meet in April, he won the 400 meters with a time of 49.40 seconds. He also won the 400 (49.10 seconds) and 800 (1:58.20) at the true team sectionals last week.

Abda made such an impression at last year's state meet with his close finish to Mellon that he was invited to the Nike Nationals last summer at Greensboro, N.C. He ran the 800 in 1:52.7, igniting interest from college scouts.
Mellon also has kept watch on Abda, monitoring his times this season. The two have remained in touch since last year's state meet after Abda found Mellon on Facebook. They exchange e-mails periodically and developed a casual friendship.

"A lot of people with his kind of talent would be bigheaded, but he's not that way," said Mellon, who owns the state record in the 800 of 1:48.64. "He's a humble guy. He's very respectful when we communicate. It's a pretty cool experience to come across a person like him with his background. I would like to know more about that."
Mellon signed a national letter of intent to attend Wisconsin. Abda said he would wait until after the season before making his college choice. That he has an opportunity to get his college education paid for occasionally makes him sentimental.

He remembers how close he came to not being so fortunate.

"It's a good feeling to know that I'll be able to go to college and one day help my family," Abda said. "I just want to make my family proud. I don't want to go to school too far away. I want to stay close to my family if I can."
After the route Abda took to get here, who could blame him?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009