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UCA Basketball

Started by Yee-Haw, July 02, 2006, 10:45:08 am

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Yee-Haw

CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas men's basketball team will make a big splash in the Division I ranks early in its first season, taking on perennial national powerhouse University of Connecticut and the University of Mississippi in the Hispanic College Fund Classic in Hartford.

   The Bears, who officially moved to NCAA Division I on July 1, will take part in the Classic on Nov. 17-19 against UConn, Ole Miss and Fairfield University. The games will be played at the 16,294-seat Hartford Civic Center.

   "This is an unbelievable honor to play in this prestigious classic,' said Bears head coach Rand Chappell. "To go play at UConn, obviously one of the top five programs in the country over the last decade, this is very exciting.

   "This is something that when you start talking about going Division I, you dream of doing things like this down the road. And for us to get an opportunity in our first year, to play in a venue like this against this level of competition, it's really something special.'

   Connecticut, under hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun, has won 247 games over the past nine seasons (27.4 per season), including national championships in 1999 and 2004. The Hartford Civic Center is located about one hour from the Storrs campus and serves as the Huskies' second home arena.

   Ole Miss is a member of the Southeastern Conference, one of the top-rated  basketball conferences in the nation, while Fairfield plays in the Metro Atlantic Conference.

   "We're excited for the entire UCA athletic program about an opportunity like this,' said UCA athletic director John Thompson. "This makes a statement that we are a bonafide Division I player in our very first season. And this shows our UCA family that we have made the move in a big way.

   "We certainly look forward to more opportunities of this type in the future.'

   The Bears are making the move from NCAA Division II to Division I beginning this fall. UCA finished 18-10 last season and advanced to the Gulf South Conference Tournament under Chappell, who is 61-28 in his three seasons at UCA.

   "In building our program to where we want to get to in Division I, there will be several steps along the way to get there,' Chappell said. "I think this is a great first step to see how we measure up against some very good teams.

   "I know our players are excited about this opportunity, and I think other players in the future, recruits and their parents, will be impressed that we are playing in these type events.'

   UCA will release its complete 2006-2007 schedule in the next few weeks.

   "The 2006-2007 basketball season should prove to be exciting for Bear fans with the addition of U-Conn, Ole Miss and Fairfield to our schedule,' said UCA President Lu Hardin. "While these games will be a challenge, playing at this competitive level will benefit the University of Central Arkansas, our students, staff and fans.'

SandLizard04

July 02, 2006, 12:54:03 pm #1 Last Edit: July 02, 2006, 01:15:03 pm by Michael Ballack
My God. UCONN in 2006, Gonzaga in 2007. A little step up from Central Baptist and Philander Smith.

Who's up for a road trip to Hartford?

This should be on the General Sports board, though...we officially become Division I on July 1  ;D

R. A.™

Gonzaga, when and where, I can't find it in the story.

I wish I was in the show repair industry, cuz with the butt whippings that are about to take place, Rand is going to need a heck of a shoe supply.

SandLizard04

The Gonzaga story isn't mentioned in the link, it was confirmed earlier this summer.

Burto

This is great....of course they hope to compete in these games.....I hope they can. what kind of players have they been signing

SandLizard04

Quote from: Burto on July 02, 2006, 11:30:55 pm
This is great....of course they hope to compete in these games.....I hope they can. what kind of players have they been signing
Some very good ones.

Nate Bowie, G - 6-0 165, Kansas City, MO (Colby CC)
Bowie was the leading scorer in the West Division of the Jayhawk Conference least season, averaging 21.3 points per game. He also averaged 3.9 rebounds 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals a game for the Trojans. Bowie was an All-Conference selection and an honorable mention All-Region choice. At Washington High School in Kansas City, Bowie averaged 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He led his team to a third-place finish in the Missouri Class 5A tournament. Bowie scored 38 points in a game against Olathe South, breaking Earl Watson's school record.

Payne Harding, G - 6-2 185, Little Rock, AR (Pulaski Academy)
Helped lead Pulaski Academy team to three successful seasons. Older brother Buddy plays at UALR.

Drew Haymaker, C - 6-8 240, Edmond, OK (Santa Fe HS)
Helped led Santa Fe to an Oklahoma Class 6A championship. Was rated higher nationally than Greg Oden three years ago. Was recruited (but not offered) by North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Purdue, Oklahoma and Oklahoma, and was offered by Valparaiso.

Kane Moix, F - 6-6 200, Rogers, AR (Rogers HS)
Moix, was named twice named Player of the Year by the Northwest Arkansas Times. He was a two-time All-State player. As a junior, he averaged 19.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. As a senior, he averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game as the Mounties finished 24-5 and claimed a share of their first conference basketball title in 49 years with a 14-2 record in the AAAAA-West Off the court, Moix carries a 4.1 grade-point average, scored a 30 on the ACT and graduated among the top 15 next month in Rogers' senior class.

Durrell Nevels, F - 6-6 205, Hot Springs, AR (Three Rivers CC)
Nevels is transferring from Three Rivers Community College, one of the nation's premier JUCO programs, where he averaged 10.5 points and 6 rebounds for his two-year career. Nevels also had a school-record 147 career blocked shots in two years. He helped his team to a 23-8 record last season and helped legendary Coach Gene Bess top 1,000 victories in his career. At Hot Springs, Nevels averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and 8 blocks a game for the Trojans and was named All-Conference and All-State and played in the Arkansas High School All-Star Game.

Marcus Pillow, G - 5-11 170, Russellville, AR (Russellville HS)
Pillow averaged 22 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds for Russellville High School as a senior. He was the leading scorer in the AAAAA-West in both 2005 and 2006 and was a three-time All-Conference selection. Pillow finished as the third-leading career scorer in Russellville history with 1,413 total points. He was an All-State selection and a 2006 McDonald's All-American nominee. He was named MVP in the Arkansas High School All-Star Game last month.

CoachJ

This is good for UCA, but lets be serious.  This is a huge step up in competition and they will be coming home 0-3. 

SouthpawSensation

Not to mention, Moix was injured near the end of the season. I think it was an ACL, not I don't remember right off hand.

Rulesman

Quote from: CoachJ on July 03, 2006, 01:25:19 pm
This is good for UCA, but lets be serious.  This is a huge step up in competition and they will be coming home 0-3. 
If you are going to be an official (I assume you are - see your posts under Fearless Friday Bulletin Boards > Football > Official's Timeout), comments such as these are inappropriate. Like it not, you are better off keeping them to yourself.

CoachJ

Quote from: Rulesman on July 03, 2006, 05:20:12 pm
Quote from: CoachJ on July 03, 2006, 01:25:19 pm
This is good for UCA, but lets be serious.  This is a huge step up in competition and they will be coming home 0-3. 
If you are going to be an official (I assume you are - see your posts under Fearless Friday Bulletin Boards > Football > Official's Timeout), comments such as these are inappropriate. Like it not, you are better off keeping them to yourself.

If I am not mistaken, that is what a message board is for, OPINIONS.  I did not bash anyone, all I did was give my honest opinion.

SandLizard04

Yeah, we'll be 0-3 (unless we pull a Chaminade).

But, this will get our name out, and introduce to the type of competition we'll have to go against in the NCAA Tournament one day. I'll take the 3 losses for the invaluable experience.

scrapper13

Just imagine if they could pull off a win against UCONN, that would definitely get everyones attention.

SouthpawSensation

I thought for sure one of the first schools Chappell would have look to get a game against was Wake Forest, seeing his ties there and in that area before he came to Henderson and then UCA. But UConn, Ole Miss and Gonzaga combine for a great start to DI.

Yee-Haw

And it looks much better than the weak-rear football schedule. Where are their marquee games? Guess we can't have Saint Conque getting his rear handed to him right off the bat.

R. A.™

I bet that you guys will have a series with UNC-Wilmington before too long. Seeing since to former assistant coaches to Rand are coaching there.

Benny Moss former HSU assistant and UNC Charlotte assistant now Head Coach @ UNC-Wilmington and Joe Redmond former HSU assistant under Rand and former HSU head coach now assistant at UNC-Wilmington

R. A.™

Quote from: Yee-Haw on July 04, 2006, 04:40:49 pm
And it looks much better than the weak-butt football schedule. Where are their marquee games? Guess we can't have Saint Conque getting his butt handed to him right off the bat.

I don't think Clint Conque or for that matter any other coach that has made the transition from DII to DI-AA thinks the schedule is weak butt!! About half way down the schedule I bet Conque is going to be wishing for a GSC schedule, just to keep what little heat is going to get off of him. Besides not many transitional schools can get teams such as Missouri State to come to their place such as UCA did in thier first year of the transition. Besides the Southland Conference is not a push over and is probably the toughest DI-AA conference for football in the country. I have talked to a few of the Bear Faithful and they are anticipating a Loooooong football season, with all the new competition

deep purple

Does Chad Wise still play with UCA or did he graduate this year?

SandLizard04

He's now a member of the Arkansas ArcAngels, or something like that. It's a minor league basketball league based out of Little Rock, I think.

Radiohead Bear

I dont think playing preseason Top 10 opponent Illinois St on the road, Cal Davis who has beaten Stanford at Stanford among others, and perinnial national power and 6 time national champion Ga Southern on the road is weak butt, to go along with 2 SLC conference foes Sam and SFA on the road.  But what do I know?

Yes we play a cup cake or 3  I think, but that is balanced out really well with all the other games.  That , and I dont know too many schools out there, on any level, that don't try to schedule 1 or 2 rent a wins each season.

now on to basketball where this thread was originally...

To get to the level we are aspiring to be, you have to play and compete with the teams we have scheduled, period. Even if it means taking it on the chin or elsewhere every now and then.  All I know is that I like the names of Uconn, Ole Miss, Gonzaga...and others (wink wink)  than some of the games we have had to travel to year after year, although every now and then familiar names will pop up from time to time.

Yee-Haw

Exactly....what do you know.

Yes I know they have their own little traditions but Illinois State, Cal-Davis and Ga. Southern are not names....not when your basketball team is playing UConn and Ole Miss.

Do you think anyone besides a UCA fan in this state cares about playing Illinois St, Cal Davis or Ga. Southern? It doesn't create interest. It's not like they didn't know this year was coming. Two or three years ago were they at least exploring the possibility of playing a "brand name" Division I football school in 2006?

SandLizard04

We were last year too, but I guess it just didn't work out.

I've heard Ole Miss, Rice, Memphis, and Oklahoma State as candidates in the near future.

Radiohead Bear

July 07, 2006, 03:10:10 pm #21 Last Edit: July 07, 2006, 03:22:02 pm by Radiohead Bear
good to know we have another UCA expert in here besides me then.

something about UCA must interest you to keep this thread going, so that is at least 1 right there...but my math must be off.

Now let me ask you this if you are wondering why UCA didnt schedule a "brand name" opponent even though they knew they were moving up.  Exactly how many "brand name" opponents do you know of go out and schedule a D2, not 1-AA game, but D2 opponent on their schedule?  Because as you know, even though UCA has moved up to 1-AA, this is the probabtionary season, meaning all of UCA's athletics programs will count as a D2 opponent (W or L) no matter who it plays on any level.  Now in football for instance, all the opponents listed above by SL was discussed, and I presume some are still on the table for future years since starting with the 2007 season UCA will be a full counted member of 1-AA football.  But for this 2006 season in our probationary period UCA will count in the W/L column, ratings, rankings, and numbers used by the NCAA as a D2 opponent.  So to answer your question, of course "brand names" were looked at when trying to decide whether to go forward with moving up or not. But something tells me OSU, Ole Miss (no matter how bad of an SEC school), Memphis (who I think has an almsot full non-conference slate for the forseeable future), or any other respectable "brand name" opponent didn't want to schedule a D2 opponent at any point in time no matter what the year, or no matter how many games (11 or 12) they might be allowed.

SouthpawSensation

I know the thread started with UCA playing major schools, but as far as basketball is concerned, I wouldn't mind seeing the Bears build a good series with a UALR or an ASU. UALR would make for a great rivalry, seeing the close proximity. Of course, you won't be seeing UCA making any trips to Fayetteville in the foreseeable future as long as King Frank rules and reigns supreme.

Radiohead Bear

at one time, for a little while UCA-UALR had been discussed, and then poof, no more discussions,  I dont know if it was on UCA's end, UALR's end, on both ends or neither ends.  So I havent got a clue if anything will come of that or not. 

I think a round robin or "classic" with UALR, stATe, UCA, and/or uapb in it wouldnt be too bad either.  So long as you most likely keep UALR and stATe away from one another since they already play twice a season in Sun Belt action.  But that is just my mind wandering right there.

SouthpawSensation

It could be done: a two-day classic, where the games have already been slated. Have UCA vs. UALR and UAPB vs. ASU on one night, then UCA vs. ASU and UAPB vs. UALR the second night. It could also rotate as hosts if necessary.

Radiohead Bear

yes that was exactly what I was kind of thinking as well....

CoachJ

Quote from: SouthpawSensation on July 07, 2006, 03:46:08 pm
It could be done: a two-day classic, where the games have already been slated. Have UCA vs. UALR and UAPB vs. ASU on one night, then UCA vs. ASU and UAPB vs. UALR the second night. It could also rotate as hosts if necessary.

That would be a great idea, and I think it would generate alot of interest throughout the state.  I would hope it would put some pressure on Broyles to have a game with one of these in state schools.  I doubt that ever happens though, since he is stuck in his ways.

SouthpawSensation

This is a little bit off the topic, but I found it interesting:
The Gulf South Conference lost a little bit more than UCA recently. Lincoln Memorial University, which played in the GSC's East Division, has also left the conference. LMU is joining the South Atlantic University.
So now the GSC has only 15 schools -- eight in the West and seven in the East. Don't you think that's going to water down the basketball tournament, when five out of the seven East schools go?

R. A.™

The GSC won't miss LMU as much as UCA for the simple fact that LMU was so far out of the way for any GSC school to travel to. I mean it was in the middle of no where.

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