May 9, 2008
Will Daniels is in Las Vegas.
No, it is not to celebrate his graduation from URI, but rather to prepare for life after college. Daniels' agent, Andy Miller, has a number of his clients -- players hoping to be drafted -- in Vegas. They are working out and playing basketball while awaiting word on who will be invited to Orlando, the final pre-draft camp.
In other URI basketball news, word is leaking out for next year, although not from the Rams. The team prefers not to discuss its schedule until everything is in place. However, Central Connecticut and New Hampshire have announced they will be visiting the Ryan Center next season.
Also, work for a tournament Thanksgiving week is apparently virtually complete. That event will include four games, one at home, one on the road and then two at The Palestra in Philadelphia to determine the title. URI is set to host Hartford and visit Monmouth. Possible opponents at The Palestra include Penn State and Villanova.
"There's still a lot to do, but we're in better shape than we were at this time last year," one school official said of the scheduling situation.
Finally, there is no word yet on the final make up of next year's team. As it is, the team has one too many players with those returning and five signed for next year. There also is word of a possible transfer.
Current indications are that any cutbacks are likely to come from the new players signed for next year. Hakim McCullar and Will Martell, two little-used freshmen last season, both are working hard and making improvements and appear likely to stay.
In one interesting Atlantic 10 development, Shawn James of Duquesne, the brother of URI forward Delroy James, has hired an agent and thus will not return to school for his final season of eligibility.
Posted by Paul Kenyon 
at 1:36 PM | Permalink
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OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) - St. Bonaventure forward Matt Morgan, a two-time Atlantic 10 Conference rookie of the week last season, is one of two players who announced Friday they're transferring.
Freshman guard Hillary Haley is also leaving the school. St. Bonaventure did not provide reasons for their transfers or say where they were going.
"It's unfortunate that Hillary and Matt won't be a part of the resurgence of this program," said coach Mark Schmidt, who completed his first season with an 8-22 record. "We wish them the best not only in their college careers, but with all their future endeavors."
Morgan averaged 3.4 points in 28 games, but enjoyed an eight-game stretch when he averaged 10.4 points and five rebounds. Haley averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds over 29 games, including 14 starts.
The Bonnies added swingman Michael Davenport on Thursday when he signed a national letter of intent. Listed at 6-foot-3, Davenport averaged 11 points and five rebounds as a senior playing for Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller High School last season.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:34 PM | Permalink
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May 1, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State paid former men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien $2.74 million for improperly firing him for violating NCAA rules.
O'Brien's attorney, Joseph Murray, on Thursday confirmed the payment of $2.74 million. That amount represents the award, plus interest, he won in a lawsuit against the university in August 2006.
The Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear the university's appeal in February.
O'Brien was Ohio State's coach from 1998 to 2004. He was fired by then-athletic Andy Geiger for giving a Serbian recruit $6,000.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:07 PM | Permalink
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April 24, 2008
PITTSBURGH (AP) - B.J. Monteiro, a 6-foot-5 swingman chosen as the Connecticut high school player of the year, signed a binding letter of intent Thursday with Duquesne University.
Monteiro, an excellent shooter and penetrator, is expected to compete immediately for playing time at Duquesne, which is losing guards Gary Tucker and Reggie Jackson to graduation.
Monteiro verbally committed to Duquesne following a campus visit in February and signed his letter of intent at a news conference at Crosby High School in Waterbury on Thursday. He also considered UNLV, Saint Joseph's, Penn State and Fordham.
"He's a very good offensive player that we've watched for a long time," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He's a good kid who comes from an excellent program and a player who will be able to help us immediately."
A former high school teammate of Duquesne forward Damian Saunders, Monteiro averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals on Crosby's state Class LL championship team as a senior. He won several state player of the year awards, including that of the Hartford Courant.
Monteiro averaged 24 points as a sophomore on another state championship team in 2005-06, when Saunders was his teammate, and 25 points as a junior.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:01 PM | Permalink
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April 18, 2008
LANGSTON, Okla. (AP) - New Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford will make about $9 million over seven years under a deal revealed Friday at a regents meeting.
The contract calls for Ford to make $1.3 million per year.
He replaces Sean Sutton, who resigned April 1 under pressure.
Sutton's original buyout package called for him to make $2.7 million over 10 years, but tax considerations have led officials to restructure the deal to give him $2.2 million, with him to receive full payment by the end of this year.
Ford, who took Massachusetts to the NIT the last two seasons, was introduced as Oklahoma State's new coach Thursday. Earlier this month, he turned down the PC job and received a new contract from UMass.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:22 PM | Permalink
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