The CHN Week in Review is a
compilation of the most important college basketball press releases,
which we didn't use as a full article on the site. In this week's
Week in Review: Lute Olson sounds off on the new NBA age reqquirement,
Vermont's win over Syracuse nominated for an ESPY, a Rutgers guard
transfers to San Francisco, Portland State adds a recruit, and Stony
Brook and North Texas sign new assistants.
***
Tucson, AZ - A Statement
from University of Arizona Head
Basketball Coach Lute Olson regarding the new NBA age requirement, which
was set at 19.
“I think it’s a
compromise that accomplishes very little in terms of limiting the
numbers of early entrants. A lot of the guys coming out now are at
least 18 years old, very close to 19, which leaves colleges in a
difficult position. If you recruit such a player, it could turn into
just a one-year commitment.”
“Very seldom does one year of college benefit either the player or the
program. (Syracuse University’s) Carmelo Anthony might be the only
example of that. But it does create a problem by having to continually
recruit
behind players and deal with speculation about who might be leaving and
who might be staying. Much more so than we’re getting now.”
“I’m disappointed. This is just a stop-gap measure. It gives the NBA
the
ability to say that they did something about the problem, but it doesn’t
realistically address the problem or the effect it has on college
basketball.”
***
Burlington, VT - The University
of Vermont’s thrilling overtime win over Syracuse in the first round of
the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship is a finalist for a 2005 ESPY Award
presented by ESPN. The 2005 ESPY Awards
ceremony will be held Wednesday, July 13th at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood
and will be televised on ESPN on Sunday, July 17 at 9:00pm (eastern).
The victory by the 13th-seeded Catamounts over the Big East Champion, and
fourth-seeded, Orange is one of four nominees in the ‘Best Upset’ category.
The others are Giacomo’s win as a 50-1 longshot in the 2005 Kentucky Derby,
Puerto Rico’s men’s basketball win over the United States in the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens and Bucknell’s victory over Kansas in the NCAA Men’s
Basketball Championship.
The ESPY Awards were created by ESPN in 1993 and are presented annually for
excellence in sports performance. All proceeds from the ESPY Awards and
related events benefit the V Foundation For Cancer Research in memory of the
late Jim Valvano.
San Francisco, CA - Manny Quezada (pronounced Kah - Sah -
duh), a 6-2, 185-pound guard from Washington Heights, NY who played 25 games
for Rutgers University as a freshman last season, has signed a scholarship
contract to play basketball at the University of
San Francisco.
Quezada, who averaged 2.8 points per game in 25 games
at Rutgers, will have three years of eligibility with the Dons starting in
2006-07. He will practice with the team in 2005-06.
“Manny was an outstanding prep player that has the
potential to be a solid combo guard in our program,” said USF head coach
Jessie Evans. “He saw limited time at Rutgers as a freshman, playing behind
two senior guards, but showed he could play when he saw action. With
regular playing time, he can be a top-notch player.”
He showed his ability against two top teams in Big
East action, scoring 12 points against Connecticut in 22 minutes and adding
nine points against Syracuse in 12 minutes of action. Against the Huskies,
he nailed five of eight shots, including both of his three-point attempts.
Quezada was a standout player throughout his career at
the prestigious St. Albans School in Washington, DC, the same school
attended by USF assistant coach Anwar McQueen. The lead guard transferred
from Norman Thomas High School in New York to St. Albans following his
freshman year. As a senior, Quezada was named USA Today/Gatorade Player of
the Year from Washington D.C. He averaged 24.4 points, 6.2 assists and 5.0
rebounds in leading St. Albans to a 22-5 record and a league championship. A
First-Team All Metropolitan selection by the Washington Post, Quezada was
selected to the Michael Jordan Capital Classic Regional All-Star Game in
April where he scored 10 points and hit two three-point jumpers in 17
minutes of action.
A First-Team Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC)
selection, Quezada earned MVP honors in leading his to team to the Gulfshore
Shootout Title in Naples, Florida. With his team trailing one of Georgia's
top teams, Norcross Wesleyan HS, by 17 points in the fourth quarter, Quezada
responded by scoring 23 of his career-high 44 points in the fourth quarter,
including five three-pointers, to lead his team to a 77-75 victory.
Earlier in the season, he poured in 41 points, exactly
half of his team's 82 points, in a victory over Alta HS, the Utah state
champions. One of his other top games came vs. Bullis HS of Washington, DC
when he scored 32 points as he displayed an array of cross-over dribbles,
penetrating ability and three-point shooting accuracy in leading St. Albans
to a come-from-behind win, scoring 10 consecutive points during the
comeback.
Quezada is St. Albans' all-time leading scorer in points and scoring
average. Quezada scored 20 or more points in a game 17 times, 30 or more
points five times and eclipsed the 40-point mark twice. He scored in double
figures in 26 of St. Albans' 27 games.
As a junior, Quezada averaged 20 points, six assists
and five rebounds per game. A highlight of his junior season was when he
poured in 36 points and dished out eight assists in a win over Norfolk
Collegiate School, a top private school program. Quezada was born on April
13, 1985.
***
Stony Brook, NY -
Stony Brook University head
men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell is pleased to announce that Jay Young
has accepted a position to become an assistant basketball coach at Stony
Brook. Young, who comes to Stony Brook after five years as the head coach
at the University of New Haven, joins Kelvin Jefferson and Guy Rancourt who
were hired earlier this month.
Arriving at UNH in 2000, Young quickly turned around a program that
produced just one winning season in the previous eight years into one of
the most competitive programs in the region. Young guided the Chargers to
back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances (2002-03, 2003-04) for the first
time since the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons, returning the University of New
Haven program to regional prominence while playing in one of the strongest
conferences in the nation.
“I am thrilled to add Jay Young, a proven winner and very successful head
coach, to our staff,” said Pikiell. “Jay is familiar with the America East
and knows what it takes to win. To have someone of his caliber on our
staff is not only an asset to the basketball program but also a credit to
Stony Brook University.”
In 2003-04, UNH posted its second straight 21-win season, going 21-9
overall and 17-7 in New York Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The
Chargers posted four consecutive winning seasons, compiling a .607 winning
percentage and a 47-25 mark in three seasons of conference play. In
2004-05, Young’s squad closed his final season with a flourish, winning 11
of its final 13 games and becoming the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1
seed in NYCAC tournament play. In five seasons at New Haven, Young posted a
record of 78-66.
“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to join Steve’s staff,”
said Young. “He is an outstanding coach and I look forward in helping him
make Stony Brook a premier basketball program.”
Prior to New Haven, Young served as an assistant at Northeastern University
for four seasons dating back to 1996. His responsibilities included
traditional game day and practice duties, along with recruiting
responsibilities. That was his second stint with the Huskies as he served
as a graduate assistant at NU under Karl Fogel from 1990-92. After
finishing his graduate assistantship with the Huskies, Young accepted the
position of head coach at Newbury College in Brookline, Mass. where he
remained for four seasons before returning to Northeastern.
In his second season at Newbury, the Knights won the Southern New England
Athletic Conference and finished second for the Region XXI Division III
title. The following season he led Newbury to the conference and regional
championship and the National Junior College Final Four. He was named the
District VI Coach of the Year in 1995 and Region XXI Coach of the Year in
1994 and 1995.
Young graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Marist
in 1986. He began his coaching career at Fitchburg State as an assistant in
1987-88. Following Fitchburg, Young joined the staff at Salem State College
and worked two seasons (1988-90) as an assistant coach. The Vikings won
consecutive MASCAC titles and made two appearances in the NCAA Division III
tournament.
***
Portland, OR -
Portland State’s new basketball coach
Ken Bone has signed his first player to a national letter of intent for the
2005-06 academic year. Ryan Sommer, the NWAACC North Region Most Valuable
Player at Everett Community College, will join the Vikings next season.
Sommer is a 6-foot
guard, who led the NWAACC North in scoring (25.0 pg) and assists (6.4 pg),
while ranking second in steals (2.7 pg). Sommer competed just one year at
Everett CC and will be a sophomore next year for the Vikings.
Originally from
Snohomish (WA) High School, Sommer shot 46% from the field, 83% at the line
and hit 38 three-point field goals in leading his team to a 20-11 record and
the NWAACC playoffs.
Bone, who has been the Vikings’
head coach for just eight weeks, is excited to add a point guard to a roster
that graduated the nation’s assist leader, Will Funn.
“When I came to Portland State,
I felt the missing piece for next year was a point guard. What we needed was
quickness and ball-handling and that is what Ryan has,” said Bone. “He is
quick, a good ball-handler and he can score the ball as well.”
For Sommer, joining the Vikings
is a chance to test his own game.
“I know Coach Bone is going to
be a good coach to play for,” said Sommer. “I’ve always wanted to play
Division I ball and Portland State is an up-and-coming program.”
“I think I can bring speed and
quickness to the team. I like to get up and pressure opposing guards and
play an up-tempo game,” Sommer said.
Bone has seven letterwinners
returning from the 2004-05 squad. Two redshirts also return. Sommer is the
fifth player to sign an NLI this year, bringing the roster to 14 players.
The first four signees were inked by previous coach Heath Schroyer.
Portland State is coming off a
19-9 season in 2004-05 – its most ever wins as a Division I program. The
Vikings won their first-ever Big Sky Conference regular season title with an
11-3 record.
***
Denton, TX -
University of North Texas head men's
basketball coach Johnny Jones has announced that Jai Steadman has been named
an assistant coach.
Steadman, who spent last season as an assistant coach under Tic Price at
McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana, replaces Kobie Baker on the North
Texas coaching staff. Baker left the Mean Green this summer to pursue
personal interests.
"We are excited about the addition of Jai to our staff," said Coach Jones.
"With his background and coaching experience, he will be a great asset to
our program. His expertise in recruiting and on-floor coaching will help us
continue to take our program to new heights."
Steadman spent last season with the Cowboys, primarily working with the
perimeter players on the court and also taking part in the program's
recruiting efforts. Prior to joining McNeese State in 2004, he served as an
assistant coach for the Michigan Mayhem in the CBA earlier that year.
Steadman was the head coach for Randers Cimbria of Denmark in the European
Professional League before taking the position with the Michigan Mayhem. He
led Randers Cimbria to its most victories in over 50 years and to its first
ever postseason appearance in 2003-04, making him a coach of the year
nominee for his work with the Denmark team.
The 1997 graduate from the University of Nebraska spent time at TCU and
Tyler Junior College as an assistant coach as well. Steadman signed on for
three seasons with Tyler Junior College after graduation and then spent one
season at TCU before going to Denmark. He also served as an administrative
assistant with the Cornhuskers when they won the Big Eight title and
competed in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments.
The Lincoln, Nebraska, native, was a basketball and football letterman at
Lincoln Southeast High School, earning all-state, all-conference and
all-city honors in basketball. He went on to play at Hastings Community
College as a forward and center.
"I am very blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to work for head
coach Johnny Jones and the outstanding University of North Texas," said
Steadman. "I look forward to the opportunity to helping the Mean Green
basketball team soar to new heights."
