There’s lots of stuff going on with our state colleges and jucos — thought I’d catch up with everybody in a Lutzian-style quick hits form. Had a couple of days off (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and filled it up with a WSU basketball game (thanks Carol and Charlie), the new Bond movie, lots of laundry and a round of golf. Not a bad mid-week weekend. I call it the I Am Legend shift.
Let’s roll it:
1. Butler is in national title game … again
The announcement was kind of anti-climatic, as everybody knew that the Grizzlies were going to go play a 1 vs. 2 against Snow College for the national title at the Top of the Mountain Bowl in Salt Lake City for the second year in a row. Everything I heard about last year’s bowl game — same bowl, same town — was that it was an extremely positive experience (which, when you seal up a national title with a 56-27 win is not hard to believe) including one story that really stuck out to me, told by Steve Clark, father to Butler defensive end Zac Clark, a sophomore going for his second national title on Dec. 6. Mr. Clark told me that the morning of last year’s title game, he woke Zac up around 6 AM to go grab breakfast and talk, and that they went outside and took a walk through fresh powdered snow that had been falling all night and morning. Have you been to Salt Lake City? It’s beautiful. And the two of them just walked and talked about football and how it felt to play in a big game and what Zac needed to do. You want memories? That’s one you keep forever. And Mr. Clark’s not a bad guy to go to if you want advise on how to play defensive end.
TING LIU
2. It’s all about Ting Liu, Bing Xu and ESU
The Emporia State volleyball team is having a dream season this year. First MIAA title. Highest ever national ranking. Hosting the NCAA DII South Central Regional. And now sophomore setter Ting Liu is the MIAA player of the year. I’ve gone over this before, but she’s a freak. A 6-1 setter? Fugheddaboutit. She could win this a couple of more times. Oh, and coach Bing Xu is the MIAA coach of the year and All-American Arica Shepard is also on the first team. And Liu and Shepard are both back next year. I get the feeling White Auditorium is going to be packed Friday when the Hornets host Texas-Permian Basin.
ADONIS GANTT
3. No. 1, but not a stunner
The Cowley College men’s team is No. 1 in the NJCAA, and that is probably a pretty good spot for them. They’ve got the potential to have a great season … and to have that happen with a lot of Kansas kids. Jack Crowder III is a Sunflower Slate fave, and I really like the way Adonis Gantt is playing right now. And he’s got one of the coolest sets of tattoos I’ve seen — “The City” in big bold letters on the inside of one bicep and then a pic of the Wichita skyline on the inside of the other. The man loves the Metroplex.
4. Long way down … one last thing
This was in my inbox when I came back to work this afternoon:
HCC FORWARD CLIFF DIXON INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED
HCC Sports Information
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball sophomore forward Cliff Dixon has been indefinitely suspended, HCC head coach Ryan Swanson announced late Wednsday night.
Dixon has been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. No timetable has been established for reinstatement Coach Swanson, nor the HCC coaching staff, will comment on this situation further.
–30–
As you can tell by the last sentence, that is probably about all we’re going to get on this one. But I do think this really hurts the Blue Dragons, who are No. 17 in the latests NJCAA I poll. Dixon gives them 16 points and a little over 7 boards a night. And he’s 6-10. That’s going to be tough to replace.
I’m out.
-TA