Arrow's Final Play Call is Very Puzzling

One day after the winningest basketball coach in Sun Belt and South Alabama history Ronnie Arrow announced his retirement, the reasons surrounding his abrupt decision are still unknown.  Arrow has not spoken with the media and today we found out his meeting with the players was very brief.  He basically told them he was not going to be their coach anymore, shook hands with the players and left the room.  "We were just all stunned honestly, everybody was just in awe didn't know really what to expect it was just out of the blue because we were getting ready for practice," senior forward Javier Carter said.  "It was surprising it happened all of a sudden," junior forward Augustine Rubit said.  The fact that players were not given the opportunity to ask questions certainly seems out of the ordinary.  The players dismissed the idea that there may have been any friction with the coach that could have lead to the decision.  "Everybody has their ups and downs of course like anybody does with a head coach but we all loved Coach Arrow and we enjoyed him as a coach," Carter said.  Just last week Arrow spoke to the media before practice about how grateful he is to have been at two special universities Texas A&M Corpus Christi and South Alabama.  The team was off to a 2-0 start in the Sun Belt and everything was business as usual.

Interim coach Jeff Price has known Arrow for more than two decades.  Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann notified him of the news, and Price says he isn't sure what lead to the surprising decision.  "I don't know, have not spoke with him up to this point. I'm sure he had his reasons whatever they are I try not to speculate.  I'm sure a lot of people try to speculate. At this point obviously he felt like it was time to do that," said Price. 

The Jags don't have much time to dwell on the news as they resume conference play on Saturday when Arkansas-Little Rock comes to town.  Of course not having Coach Arrow on the bench will be quite a change.  "It was kind of awkward just sitting back thinking like the first game coming up how it will be without him, " Rubit said.  "I think our team has a lot of promise and they know that.  They are smart enough to understand you can't let something drag on you've gotta refocus and get back to work and hopefully you'll see some results of that on Saturday," Price said.  Arrow's results on the court speak for them self.  Two hundred eleven wins, which is the most in school history and the only NCAA Tournament win in school history.  Coach Price has told the team "it's part of the business" in an effort to help them get past this. But for a coach who has been with the university a total of 14 years it's hard to get past such a puzzling business decision by Arrow.

Malzahn Hiring at Auburn Is What You Think-Mediocre

So at least Auburn didn't go and hire a head coach with a 5-19 record.  Instead, they hired a guy who has only been a head coach for 12 games.  "Gus Malzahn is a proven winner," Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said.  One winning season in the Sun Belt seems to be an interesting definition of a proven winner.  Gus Malzahn is coming off a 9-3 season as the head man at Arkansas State.  Of course Tigers fans have fond memories of Malzahn as the offensive coordinator when Auburn won the national title in 2010.  He's also directed some pretty high powered offenses at Tulsa and Arkansas.  However, those stints were as an assistant coach.  Keep in mind Gene Chizik won 29 straight games during a stretch at Auburn and Texas as an assistant coach.  With Auburn officials hiring Malzahn to replace his former boss at Auburn you would think the search committee knows something the public doesn't.  "We got the right man," search committee member Bo Jackson said.  Bo knows football, but I'm not sold on the idea that Auburn got this one right.

Gus Malzahn may be an offensive guru but running a program is an entirely different animal.  The success hinges on recruiting and he will be going toe-to-toe with one of the most ferocious animals on the recruiting trail in Alabama Coach Nick Saban.  Whether or not Malzahn can land top recruits on a consistent basis remains to be seen.  What is clear is that Auburn went for the safe choice.  After swinging and missing on a couple of other big time coaches maybe this was the best available option.  What you have in Malzahn is a coach who will likely provide consistency to the program but probably not championships.  According to reports Malzahn agreed to a five-year contract worth $2.3 million annually.  I would expect him to guide Auburn to a few 8-5 seasons, maybe even a 10-3 season.  But a three loss season will not deliver championships.  As it turns out Gene Chizik was the head coach we all thought he was.  In time Malzahn will turn out to be the hire people think he is.  A great guy, offensive guru, but not of championship caliber.

 

How T.J. Yeldon may have changed Gene Chizik's future

As AJ McCarron found T.J. Yeldon on a screen pass and the true freshman sprinted 28 yards to the end zone for the game winning touchdown, LSU coach Les Miles was left with a feeling of anguish.  It's a feeling Auburn coach Gene Chizik knows all too well. 

Back in December of 2011, Yeldon switched his commitment from Auburn to Alabama, just hours before the dead period when coaches are not allowed to have contact with athletes.  Yeldon went on to enroll at Alabama in January, and while his team is now running towards a national title, Auburn is 2-7 and Chizik's run on the plains may soon be over.

During Yeldon's senior season at Daphne high school Chizik could been seen on the sidelines at games watching his prized recruit.  A guy he figured would continue the tradition at Running Back U.  A few days after his decision Yeldon discussed the switch.  "Mainly because the offensive coordinator left,"  Yeldon told me during an interview.  "We had a good bond we were talking about being in the offense a lot so when he left, it like just changed my mind." 

 

Yeldon was referring to Gus Malzahn leaving for Arkansas State.  But ironically offensive coordinator Jim McElwain left  Alabama for Colorado State at the same time.  So was it Malzhan's departure or was it something else?  Yeldon has tremendous vision on the football field, after taking a closer look could he have seen what was on the horizon at Auburn? 

The Daphne graduate has had an immediate impact on the Tide.  Through seven games his numbers are better than Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson as a freshman.



FRESHMAN COMPARISON
Through seven games

			Per	Per
Year	Alabama RB	Yards	carry	Game
2008	Mark Ingram	419	5.4	59.9
2009	Trent Richardson	355	5.4	50.7
2012	T.J. Yeldon	565	6.8	80.7

Courtesy: Don Kausler/al.com

It's clear Yeldon is a difference maker and when you look at Auburn's two point loss to LSU and four point loss to Vanderbilt, a player of his caliber may have put Auburn over the top.  With a 4-5 record it might be easier to give coach Chizik a pass.  Of course, one player doesn't make or break a program, but all season Chizik has discussed Auburn's lack of momentum which is something Yeldon certainly could have brought to the table.  His explosiveness energizes a team which is something that can't be underestimated.  In the fourth quarter Auburn has been outscored 76-20 this season.  They have been lacking the big play ability that Yeldon provides.  Put him in the mix with Tre Mason and Onterio McCalebb and Auburn's running game is a lot more deadly.  All this is water under the bridge but it's a striking example of how recruiting truly is the life blood of college football.  With the Iron Bowl just a few weeks away, Chizik's employment status is on life support and the same player who could have possibly saved his job, may just be the one to pull the plug.

Lake Show is a Dud

Despite the All-Star cast the first two episodes of the Lake Show have been a dud.  The same way you can't throw five A-list actors on a cast and win an Emmy, you can't throw five All-Star athletes on a team and win a championship.  The chemistry on this team is mediocre at best.  "We've got to learn how to play together," Dwight Howard said via ESPNLA.com following Tuesday's loss.  "You've got to be good before you can be great."  Right now Los Angeles is neither.  The Lakers first two losses have come to a Dirk less Mavs squad and a Portland team that will be in the middle of the pack in the west.  To top it all off two-time MVP Steve Nash suffered a leg injury against the Blazers, it's unclear how long he will be out. 

                                                                                         (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, US Presswire )
                                           

 As the season progresses you can count on Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard to put up numbers.  But where Nash fits into the puzzle has yet to be solved.  Steve Blake is the back up point guard and let's just say that is quite a drop off.  To be truthful the Lakers second unit is quite a drop off on the whole.  Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Jodi Meeks and a long in the tooth Antawn Jamison aren't exactly spark plugs off the bench.  After two games, there is no need to panic but it's going to take a masterful coaching performance from Mike Brown to get the results everyone expects.  "The morale is fine, but nobody wants to lose,"  Brown said on Tuesday. "We've just got to focus on what it will take for us to get a win. That's defense, first, and then, obviously, we've got to take care of the basketball."  Figuring out how to distribute the basketball among the stars while keeping everyone involved is also an issue.  The early reviews of this team are not great, but with all the star power it's hard not to stay glued to the screen to see how this season will unfold.

USA Basketball Poised to Contend in the Sun Belt

With seven returning players, including all five starters the South Alabama basketball team is poised to make a run at the Sun Belt Title.  It all starts with forward Augustine Rubit who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team.  Rubit was second in the Sun Belt in scoring last season and first in rebounds.  Rubit, a junior forward, understands he will be the focal point of opposing defenses this year.  "I gotta to learn to pass it out cause I'm going to get the opportunity,  I'm going to get the ball," Rubit said during the team's fan day.  "So every time they do double, pass it out and then when I have a quick opportunity to score I gotta score real quick."

While Rubit is dangerous in the paint guard Freddie Goldstein is a scoring threat from the outside.  Goldstein was first in the conference in three pointers made per game.  He was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team.  Joining him on the third team was Javier Carter.  He lead the league in blocked shots a year ago.  Add in sophomore Mychal Ammons on the wing - he was third on the team in scoring last year - and the Jags have a solid nucleus going into the season.  Coach Ronnie Arrow knows that is a bonus leading into their season opener against Florida State.  "I think early you're as good as your returning players," Arrow said.  "We hope to get off to a good start, we have to because the first round out of the box is Florida State, so, it's not one of these other schools.  We're hitting it hard and I hope that the Canada trip prepared us.  They got us good their last year, we want to show up this year and have a good showing and win."


Even though last year's starter at point guard Trey Anderson returns that position is wide open.  Coach Arrow was impressed by newcomer Dre Connor on the trip to Canada.  Connor played his freshman season at Towson and joins the jags from Labette junior college in Kansas.  Xavier Roberson is also expected to make an impact at shooting guard.  The sharpshooter had his season cut short last year after eight games beacuse of a foot injury.  Look for 6'10" freshman Viktor Juricek to contribute in the post.  At the very least he should be a solid rebounder and protect the basket while Carter or Rubit are on the bench.  It's been six years since South Alabama won a Sun Belt Title outright.  This is arguably their best team in that time.  In a poll of the league's coaches USA was picked to finish second in the East Division behind Middle Tennessee.  South Alabama hoops fans have a reason to be excited about the upcoming season, with several experienced players leading the way, the Jaguars could be headed for a special year.

Alabama Coach Nick Saban Amazes the Legendary Bobby Bowden

Even with close to forty years of FBS coaching experience under his belt, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden still marvels at the job coach Nick Saban has done at Alabama.  “I’m amazed but he’s doing it so doggone much that you get where you’re not amazed anymore,” Bowden said during the 1st and 10 Club meeting.  His Seminoles teams played for the national title three straight years from 1998-2000, winning once in 1999, he also won a title in 1993.  Saban has won two  titles in three years and Bowden acknowledges that's no easy feat.  “The thing that I found out in coaching it’s easier to get to the top than to stay there," he said.  Staying there is what's tough…I think he wins about every time he goes and plays for a national championship.  So don’t be surprised if they're not back in there again this year.”

 

Bowden believes the key to Saban’s success lies in his ability to identify star players.  “The thing that I think he does probably as good as anybody in the country - analyze talent," he said.  You know you can go out and recruit, you get a kid, 'Boy, he’s All-World' and 'Oh he’s the greatest thing,' and maybe he's not as good as you hear.  And I think he has a knack for recognizing what the potential of a guy is and what he can do.  I think he does about as good a job there as anybody."

 

According to Bowden there are a bevy of players with potential in Florida and that is one reason the Gators are in the national title picture this year.  “Everybody comes to Florida to get athletes, Florida, Florida St. and Miami usually get the first shot at them.  Once somebody can get it together and that’s what (Coach) Muschamp has done to me they look as good as anybody,” Bowden said.

 

 

 

Florida State’s national title hopes took a bit hit this year with their 17-16 loss to NC State.  It’s a scenario that Bowden knows all to well.  “Been there done that,” Bowden said. In 98 Bowden’s Seminoles team was ranked #2 in the Country.  They scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 74 yard touchdown pass from Chris Weinke to Peter Warrick but lost the game 24-7 to the Wolfpack.  Despite the loss the Seminoles still played in the national championship but fell to Tennessee.

 

Bowden is the all time FBS leader with 377 wins and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.  He has a myriad of memories and as his 83^rd birthday approaches in just a few weeks one thing he doesn’t wish for is to be back on the sidelines.  “I really don’t miss coaching one bit," he said.  "When you’re coaching you can’t watch anybody.  You can only watch yourself. You know, you play a game, grade the film, show the film to the boys the next day, then you get on the next opponent. I don’t get to see what everybody else is doing.  So now I get to watch everybody and I really enjoy that."  When he’s not watching football Bowden has been known to enjoy a few rounds of golf.  He actually hit his first hole in one in Mobile on Monday.

NBA Stars Promote Peace Using Basketball

For a lot of young men in Chicago basketball is a way of life.  Over the weekend Isiah Thomas and other NBA celebrities tried to save lives with the Peace Basketball Tournament.   “It’s a historical event where the gangs are coming together and they’re going to play a game involving peace, to stop the killing,” Thomas told NBA.com

Credit Steve Aschburner/NBA.com

St. Sabina's Father Michael Pfleger organized the event and he had plenty of star power to grab the kids attention.  Bulls stars Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson along with Chicago legends Quentin Richardson and Antoine Walker coached teams and were part of a panel.  In a city where good jump shooters are just as common as shootouts it's important for celebrities to make their voices heard to help curb the violence.

Credit Steve Aschburner/NBA.com

 

28 kids from four rival gangs competed and even though he didn't drive down the lane, Father Pfleger did offer a big assist to stop the drive-by shootings.  Father Plfeger set up an agreement with local businesses to provide jobs to all the gang members in exchange for their peace pledge.  “You see the reaction. People are so thrilled, so excited. This isn’t happening at the United Center. This is happening on 79th St. That’s the key.” Pfleger told NBA.com 

79th street is an area I know well having grown up on the South Side.  I attended Whitney Young High School with Richardson and we lived just a few blocks away from each other.  Gang violence is so prevalent on the South Side - and several other areas in Chicago - escaping it is probably tougher than winning the city league championship.  Hopefully the message of peace will inspire the gang members to pursue their NBA dreams or take another positive path.  Instead of taking a life and ending up spending theirs behind bars.

That Town's Got Talent

Alabama jumped to No. 1 in the AP and USA Today/Coaches Poll this week.  At the college level winning starts with recruiting and Tide Coach Nick Saban is well aware of the vast amount of talent located in Mobile, AL.  Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron hails from the place also known as the Port City.  He burst on the scene nationally with a stellar performance in the BCS Championship game earning Offensive MVP honors.  If the Tide continues to win and McCarron puts up big numbers he could easily find himself in the Heisman race.  McCarron was a high school teammate of former Tide player Mark Barron.  The duo won a 5A state championshp together at St. Paul's in 2007.   Barron was the 7th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2012 draft.

C.J. Mosley came out of Theodore -which is just a few miles from Mobile-ready to play for the Tide. Mosley competed in all 13 games as a true freshman.  As a junior he's now one of the anchors on the Tide's defense.  In the season opener against Michigan, Mosley posted his third interception return for a touchdown in his career.  That tied a school record.  On the same night the nation also got their first look at running back T.J. Yeldon. He's a star in the making from Daphne which is a town nearby Mobile.  Yeldon became the first Tide player to run for over 100 yards in their debut racking up 111 rushing yards on 11 carries.   He was Mr. Football in the state of Alabama in 2011 and has all the tools to follow in the footsteps of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.

Fullback Jalston Fowler will be blocking for Yeldon when he's not running over players himself.  Fowler is a bruising back from Mobile who won a 5A state title with Vigor in 2008.  Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker and Safety Robert Lester call Foley home, which is about 40 miles from Mobile.  Fluker was named a preseason All-American by several publications.  Fluker and Lester played at Foley, the same high school that produced current Falcons player and former Tide Wide Receiver Julio Jones.  When you take a look at the roster for the No. 1 team in the country, you can see the Mobile area is one college coaches can't afford to overlook on the recruiting trail.

Can Anyone Dethrone the SEC in College Football

The college football season kicks off Thursday and the big question is can anyone end the SEC’s reign of 6 straight BCS Titles. USC is number one in the AP Poll. They have a stellar offense lead by QB Matt Barkley but did we forget who their coach is, Lane Kiffin!  Remind me what he’s won again? Oh yeah he’s only been a head coach in college for three years.  Whether he can lead a team to the BCS title remains to be seen.

Oklahoma deserves to be in the discussion.  However, will quarterback Landry Jones play like the superb signal caller he was as a sophomore or have a down year like he did as a junior.  Plus, the Sooners final three games are at West Virginia, at home against rival Oklahoma State and at TCU.  A late loss typically is hard to recover from and earn a spot in the title game.

Oregon knocking off an SEC team I’ll believe it when I see it.  Case in point last years season opening loss to LSU.  Also, the loss to Auburn in the 2011 BCS title game, case closed.

Some say FSU is back, nothing against the Garnet and Gold but blah blah blah…show me on the field.  West Virginia could make some noise in the Big 12, with the explosive Geno Smith at QB.  We’ll see what Michigan is made of in the season opener against Alabama.   But at the end of the day it’s hard to believe the Crimson Tide or another SEC team won’t hold court again.  Five out of the top ten teams in both preseason polls are from the SEC.   Love it or hate it, it’s a good bet the SEC’s rule will continue and they will raise the crystal ball for the 7th straight time.