The A-10 Rodeo

ClankWelcome back to another running of the A-10 rodeo. First, I want to address the answer to my poll question last week of "Name That UD Sharpshooter." Of the five answers I received, everyone gave me too much credit in thinking that I would go far back to get the answers. In fact, I did this poll for one reason and one reason only, to call out the Luke Fab apologists. The answers are A) Rob Lowery, B) Josh Parker, C) Luke Fab, and D) the only real sharp shooter on the list, Brian Roberts.

Sharp Shooter	FG%	3PT%
Rob Lowery	36.2	36
Josh Parker	39.7	36.8
Luke Fab	35.5	37.1
Brian Roberts	45.2	44.1

Everyone seems to mock the outside shooting of Big Shot Rob and Pop-a-Shot Parker but give Luke a pass on his poor shooting stating that he has proven in the past to be a quality outside shooter. Taking into account their career percentages, Luke is just slightly better than 2 players that are so frequently criticized for their inability to shoot the outside shot. I beg the question, when are we you going to stop giving The Artist Formerly Known as The Great White Hope a free pass, and take him for what he is, a mediocre at best shooter that has no other tangible basketball qualities? Ok, time to get off my soap box and get this rodeo started:

News

Anyone that paid attention to the A-10 this week knows that there was one very large newsworthy item this past week. That would be that the Temple Owls traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the Duquesne Dukes in a matchup that I said was one to watch last week. Paced by a smooth 22 points on five of nine from the field and a perfect ten (it could be a bowling website) of ten from the charity stripe by Bill Clark, the Dukes cruised to a 12 point victory. The victory knocked off Blackburn's hopes of a perfect 16-0 conference record for the Owls, but bolster his hopes for the Dukes as Ron Everhart's club improved to 3-0 in league play.

Another frontrunner in the A-10 suffered a setback when the URI Rams traveled south to take on the Richmond Spiders. This game was highlighted by the clinic that was put on by Nikola Malesevic, as he posted 24 points on nine of thirteen from the field and snatched down 12 boards. The losses by Temple and Richmond have re-opened the top of the A-10 to the short benched, yet still impressive, Musketeers of Xavier. If this season hasn't been interesting enough for A-10 teams already, these two results show that no one is safe. Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife.

The Blackburn Review A-10 Power Poll

Top Performers

Bill Clark- Duquesne vs. Temple

• Bill Clark continued to do what he does, score in bunches. The top ranked team in the conference ventured across the state to Pittsburgh and Clark welcomed them with open arms. The senior wingman dropped 22 points on five of nine from the field and a perfect ten of ten from the charity stripe. As I stated last week, much to Raptar's chagrin, Bill Clark WILL be a mainstay in The Rodeo. 

Tu Holloway- Xavier vs. Dayton

• Tu Holloway has officially picked up exactly where JC left off. The kid can score at will and knock down daggers like the one that put away the Flyers on Saturday night. Holloway finished the night with 24 points on an efficient seven of twelve from the field and knocking down all eight tries from the line. Not only did Holloway have an effective scoring night, he also pulled down 5 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.

Nikola Malesevic- URI vs. Richmond

• Ask me to pronounce this name and there is no way I could, but I can tell you that the 6'7" Serbian helped his Rams knock off the Spiders AT Richmond. The sophomore had season highs in points (24) and rebounds (12) as he shot nine of thirteen from the field. Malesevic averages 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, so I wouldn't expect games like this out of him every night, but he showed that he has the potential.

Michael Davenport- St. Bonaventure vs. URI

• Yes, you are reading this correctly, there are top performers on St. Bonaventure NOT named Nicholson. The junior guard put up a ridiculous 28 points on twelve of nineteen shooting. Not only did Davenport make the list due to his extremely efficient offensive effort, but the 6'5" guard also snatched 12 rebounds. The Cincinnati product is averaging 14 points per game and shooting a cool 40% from three point land. With the lack of depth on his Xavier squad, Chris Mack is probably wishing they could have gotten Davenport to stay in Cincy.

Justin Harper- Richmond vs. URI

• Justin Harper is taking a page out of Andrew Nicholson's book by making the top performers list in a losing effort. Making the list for the second week in a row, Harper posted 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the Spiders loss to URI. Harper has proven so far that he is now the Batman to Kevin Anderson's Robin, which is not easy to do when playing along side the defending POY. Much like Clark, I expect Harper to frequent The Rodeo.

Kenny Frease- Xavier vs. UD

• Frease did exactly what he needed to do when the Flyers visited the Cintas center, stay out of foul trouble and put the ball in the hoop. With the Xavier bench being extremely short, it was critical that the foul prone Frease stay on the court. Not only did he stay on the court, but he rarely missed a shot going seven of nine from the field for 20 points. The inside-out combo of Frease and Holloway is starting to take shape for the Musketeers.

Looking Forward to This Week

1/19 Xavier @ St. Bonaventure

• Although the Bonnies are 9-7 on the year, they have a talented big man in Nicholson that could cause fits for Frease, et al. Not only do they have the inside game, but they have the aforementioned Davenport who can pour it in from deep. I expect a Musketeer victory but I wouldn't be surprised if the Bonnies were able to pull this one out at home.

1/19 George Washington @ Richmond

• GW will see their first true test of the A-10 schedule as they travel to Richmond. If GW can pull off this victory, and improve to 4-0, they might move more into the category of contender rather than pretender. I fully expect the Spiders to handle GW easily as they try to get back into the upper echelon of the conference.

1/22 Temple @ Xavier

• The battle for the top spot in the A-10 will take place in Cincinnati on Saturday, as the Owls travel down south to try to knock off the Musketeers. I am interested to see how the Fernandez & Moore tandem will match up against the smaller Holloway & Lyons duo. It will definitely be a guard-charged contest, a fun one to watch.

The A-10 Rodeo

Ladies and gentlemen (mainly gentlemen), The Atlantic 10 Rodeo is back. I had originally planned on doing this for the entire regular season, then the season started and I resorted to only contributing recap articles seeing as how that takes the least amount of mental capacity. For those of you who may not have followed last year, the A-10 Rodeo goes like this: recap the previous week's newsworthy items, top performers and a look forward to the upcoming contests. Before getting it started we're going to do a little bit of trivia. This is called "Name That UD Sharp Shooter." These may be past or present Flyers and you must name them based on their career field-goal and three-point percentages:

Sharp Shooter	FG%	3PT%
A	36.2	36
B	39.7	36.8
C	35.5	37.1
D	45.2	44.1

Take a shot at it and I will reveal the answers shortly. Putting all games aside, let's get this Rodeo going:

News

• The supply of big men for Charlotte continues to get smaller. After having dismissed Shamari "The Cookie Monster" Spears earlier in the season for a violation of team rules, the 49ers have announced that senior big man Phil Jones is academically ineligible. Jones is currently averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest for the 49ers. Jones also ranks third all time in blocks at Charlotte and has already amassed 28 this season, good for 5th in the A-10.  The 49ers will now rely heavily on 6'9" sophomores Chris Braswell and Gohkan Sirin, who is currently averaging twelve minutes per game.

• Kwamain Mitchell has been readmitted as a student at Saint Louis. Mitchell was cleared to re-enroll at SLU after being suspended during the fall semester after an alleged on-campus sexual assault. It has been stated that Mitchell will be eligible to play once he receives clearance from the NCAA. Despite the fact that he will be eligible to play, head coach Rick Majerus has already indicated that he will advise that the junior guard to redshirt this season and preserve his eligibility for next season. Willie Reed has also been reinstated for the spring semester, but has yet to be officially reinstated to the Billikens' basketball team. School officials said that part of the reinstatement of Reed will be based on him proving he can be a successful student.

• Temple struggled in their contest against Saint Louis at home this week. The Owls trailed by as much as nine with just over ten minutes to play in the second half before going on a run to knock off the Billikens, 57-53. Despite a less than desirable performance, the Owls hopped into the rankings at 19th in the AP Poll and 23rd in the ESPN/USA poll with a mark of 11-3. The Owls will host Richmond later this season and also travel to Xavier, UD, and Cameron Indoor to face the undefeated Blue Devils.

• It is hard to gauge how conference play will pan out after only oneweek of play. As expected, Temple, Richmond and Xavier are undefeated thus far. As equally as expected, La Salle, St. Joe's, and Saint Louis are winless and hanging out in the basement. George Washington is off to a fast start at 2-0, but don't read too much into it as their two victories came against La Salle and St. Joe's. How much do mulligans cost and can I buy one for saying this league is getting 3 bids?

		Conf. W-L/Pct.		Overall W-L/Pct.		Strk	Last 10	Conf. PF/PA		PF/PA		RPI
	Richmond	2 - 0	1.000	13 - 4	.765	W2	7-3	79.0	63.5	72.5	60.9	68
	Temple	2 - 0	1.000	11 - 3	.786	W2	8-2	63.5	52.0	67.9	58.6	20
	George Washington	2 - 0	1.000	9 - 6	.600	W4	7-3	75.0	69.0	67.1	66.7	204
	Duquesne	1 - 0	1.000	9 - 5	.643	W4	6-4	75.0	63.0	81.9	68.1	161
	Massachusetts	1 - 0	1.000	9 - 5	.643	W1	5-5	55.0	50.0	69.6	67.2	83
	Saint Bonaventure	1 - 0	1.000	9 - 5	.643	W2	6-4	92.0	88.0	72.4	71.4	107
	Xavier	1 - 0	1.000	9 - 5	.643	W1	5-5	72.0	45.0	68.9	65.9	44
	Dayton	1 - 1	0.500	13 - 4	.765	L1	8-2	55.0	52.5	67.1	63.1	53
	Rhode Island	0 - 1	0.000	9 - 6	.600	L2	6-4	45.0	72.0	70.5	69.7	74
	Fordham	0 - 1	0.000	6 - 7	.462	L3	5-5	51.0	70.0	66.1	68.8	203
	Charlotte	0 - 2	0.000	8 - 8	.500	L2	6-4	73.5	81.5	69.2	70.3	185
	La Salle	0 - 2	0.000	7 - 9	.438	L2	3-7	67.5	79.5	77.6	78.1	175
	Saint Joseph's	0 - 2	0.000	5 - 10	.333	L2	2-8	67.0	76.5	66.1	70.8	183
	Saint Louis	0 - 2	0.000	5 - 10	.333	L5	2-8	51.5	58.5	62.2	63.3	149

Notable Performances

Tony Taylor- George Washington vs. La Salle & St. Joe's

• Taylor had not one, but two good performances to start off conference play. He started off with a bang putting up 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, five rebounds, and three assists. The junior guard followed up this performance with an impressive twenty points, four rebounds and five assist performance at St. Joe's. Although Taylor can pour in the points (four 20+ point games this year) he is wildly inconsistent as he also has five games that he was held to single digit scoring.

Andrew Nicholson- St. Bonaventure vs. Charlotte

• The Bonnies 3OT victory against Charlotte was a perfect opportunity for Andrew Nicholson to pad his stats and he did just that. Nicholson, who was a mainstay on The Rodeo last year, posted thirty-four points and seven rebounds on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, and 9-of-9 from the line. The 6'9" junior logged 55 minutes in the contest and we'll see if he has a hangover as the Bonnies travel to Philly on Wednesday to take on Temple.

Justin Harper- Richmond vs. Charlotte & La Salle

• Yes, you read that correctly. Someone on Richmond NOT named Kevin Anderson is being highlighted. Harper is currently the leading scorer (by .1 over Anderson) and rebounder for the Spiders. The 6'10" senior is averaging 16.8 points on an alarming 56.5% from the field and 51.3% from behind the arc. You may be thinking that his three-point numbers are skewed because of limited attempts, but he has more attempts (76) than all Flyers except for CJ (98) and Josh Lowery (83). The kid can flat out shoot the basketball. Now on to his statsheet for this week. Harper started conference play pouring in twenty-seven points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from deep in a win against Charlotte. He followed up that with a twenty-five point and ten rebound performance in a win against La Salle.

Tu Holloway -- Xavier vs. URI

• The little man came up big for the Musketeers in their drubbing of the URI Rams. Holloway had a well rounded game finishing with twenty-one points on 6-of-11 from the field and added seven rebounds and four assists to that efficient scoring. This is the type of stat line that Musketeer fans will need from Tu on a consistent basis if they want to see their team dancing come March.

CJ Aiken -- St. Joe's vs. GW

• I belive this could be the first time that a St. Joe's player has been featured in The Rodeo, and deservingly so. In a loss to GW, Aiken posted an impressive fifteen points, four rebounds, and nine blocks. Yes, you read that correctly, Aiken blocked an alarming nine shots in that game. The 6'9" bigman is off to a decent start in his freshman campaign, posting 7.8 points per game, 5.1 rebounds an outing, and 3.8 blocks per contest.  The 3.8 blocks per game is good for second in the nation. The most interesting part about his defensive prowess is that it seems that Aiken has the build of Josh Benson, as he weighs in at a svelte 185 lbs. It'll be interesting to see how many Flyers get invited to his block party when the two teams face off on Wednesday night.

Bill Clark- Duquesne vs. St. Joe's & Houston Baptist

• If you haven't noticed a trend yet, I will spell it out for you. Several A-10 players are consistently putting up quality performances. Clark followed this trend as the 6'5" senior put up a twenty-four point, nine rebound performance for the Dukes' A-10 opener at St. Joe's. Clark dialed down the points a little bit and had an equally impressive seventeen point, six rebound, three assist & seven steal performance against non-conference Houston Baptist. The Dukes are not a great team but look for Clark to be a mainstay in The Rodeo as he is averaging seventeen points and seven rebounds per game, shooting a smooth 43% from 3pt.

Looking Forward to This Week

1/15 UD @ XU

• I don't think I really need to stress the importance of this game for the Flyers. After dropping a game that should have been UD's at UMass, this is a game that the Flyers need to win to offset that loss. Could this be the year that UD wins at Cintas? Probably not, but this is likely the best shot they've had in a while as X is not as dominating of a force as they have been in recent years. The key will be for the Flyers to force someone other than McLean or Holloway to beat them. The Flyers have quite an edge on the glass and they will need to utilize that in order to win this contest, something that they did not do in Massachussetts. I would like to see Staten get in Holloway's head early and see if he will throw a punch since he has shown to be a loose cannon.

1/15 Temple @ Duquesne

• Despite the fact that Duquesne has not been anything to call home about thus far, Temple's three losses have come on neutral courts and on the road. The Dukes have two consistent and experienced scorers in Saunders and Clark and could cause fits for the Owls on defense. The Dukes will need to play to their strengths, which are scoring (81.9 pointe per game, good for eleventh in the nation) and ball distribution (19.1 assists per game, second best in the nation) if they want to knock off the Owls. Don't be shocked if Blackburn's hopes for a perfect 16-0 conference record for the Owls comes to an end in Pittsburgh.

The A-10 Rodeo

Unlike Donoher, I think I have some pretty good job security with The Rodeo.  Obviously this masterpiece could not be recreated by anyone other than Harry Baujan himself.  The complicated formula of Recapping Important Games + Top Performers + Upcoming Schedule = Rodeo Success, is quite extensive and difficult to master.  As I write this, I am lamenting over the USA loss and pretending that I have been a huge hockey fan for more than 14 days.  Having the US be so close and then lose it leaves me feeling the same as say, the 6 games that the Flyers have dropped by 4 points or less. 

In an article a while back, I had attributed the discrepancy between last year’s Flyers and this year’s Flyers to luck.  I decided to check up with my guy Ken Pomeroy and while the Flyers were previously the 322nd luckiest team in the country (or unluckiest at this point) they are now the 338th.  For the record, there are 347 D1 basketball programs.  Needless to say, the Flyers better get their four-leaf clovers and rabbit’s feet ready for Selection Sunday, because they will need all the luck they can get.  With that being said, let’s get it started:

News 

I was shocked that in a “must win” road game, that the Flyers decided to collectively leave their jumpers in Dayton.  There is not much to say about this game other than it was dismal at best.  I am fortunate enough to have been on my way home from work during the first half and missed it entirely.  I thought that my BlackBerry was frozen when I went to check the score and it said 19-13 at halftime.  I tuned in after halftime and realized that it was not my BlackBerry it was just the awful shooting by both teams that resulted in that score.  It was the same story line that has plagued the Flyers this entire season, poor shot selection and numerous turnovers.  How many times do “we” have to turn the ball over on the hand off pass on the wing, before we adjust?  It is ridiculous how many telegraphed passes are thrown by this team possession after possession, game after game.  CW kept the Flyers in the game with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  While we are used to seeing Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez at the top of the stat sheets for the Owls, the main weapon for them in this game was Lavoy Allen.  The junior forward posted only 9 points but hauled in a ridiculous 17 rebounds.  Allen also added 3 assists and 3 blocks while playing nearly the entire game (39 minutes).  Needless to say, every game is a “must win” for the Flyers after dropping 2 straight.

With Temple improving to 12-2 in conference with the win over the Flyers, it was on to Cincinnati to see who would keep pace with the Owls as Xavier hosted Richmond.  Both squads entered the game with an impressive 11-2 conference record and it took 2 periods of extra time to decide the winner.  For once, Jordan Crawford was not the shining light for the Muskies.  JC had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation as well as at the end of the first overtime, but missed a jumper both times.  Terrell Holloway on the other hand had a stellar game with 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the extra periods, and 5 rebounds.  The Spiders were also lead by someone other than their star, Kevin Anderson.  It was David Gonzalvez that paced the Spiders with an impressive 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals.  Look for this game to be very important when it comes to seeding for the AC Showdown. 

Top Performers

Terrell Holloway Xavier vs. Richmond

• As stated above, Holloway stepped his game up when the go-to guy, JC, was not responding in pressure situations.  While his 24 points are very impressive, the 11 points in OT that lead to the win are what really lands him on this list.  The Muskies will rely on Holloway to continue to step up as defenses focus all of their attention on JC.

David Gonzalvez Richmond vs. Xavier

• With Kevin Anderson having an off shooting night (8-21) it was up to Gonzalvez to step up.  He did just that by posting 18 points on 4-7 shooting from behind the arc.  Not only did he lead the team in scoring but the 6’4 guard also pulled a team high 9 rebounds.  As with the above example with Xavier, the Spiders hope to continue to get this production out of Gonzalvez as more defenses zone in on stopping Anderson.

Chris Gaston Fordham vs. St. Bonaventure

• JC loves JCI can’t skip over my boy up north.  Gaston continued his stellar freshman season as the Rams dropped their 19th straight.  Gaston posted his 17th double-double of the year as he poured in 18 points and added 13 rebounds.  Why has BG not rescinded Kav’s scholarship and offered it to Gaston yet?  I would love to get him as a transfer, because the kid can play.

Jordan Crawford Xavier vs. St. Louis

• Come on, you didn’t really think that we would get through a Rodeo without talking about JC as a top performer, did you?  He did it again.  JC posted 26 points on 11-20 shooting and 5 rebounds as the Muskies squeaked by with a 73-71 win.  With this performance, JC is now averaging 20 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3 APG.  The Flyers can only hope that JC goes pro this spring so they don’t have to worry about stopping the defending A-10 POY next year.

Looking Forward to This Week

Temple @ SLU 3/3

• This is a much more important game for the Billikens than it is for the Owls.  Saint Louis looks to add another quality win to their resume as Temple tries to maintain their #1 position in the conference.  While SLU boasts a 15-2 home record this year, the Owls are a very good road team as they have gone 11-3 in contests away from Philly.  As always, look for guard play to dominate this contest as Fernandez and Brooks match up against Kwamain Mitchell.  I have the Owls winning this one 63-56.

Charlotte @ URI 3/3

• With both teams on the bubble and competing for 4th place in the conference standings, this is sure to be a good match up.  Both teams are coming off of losses and look to rebound as a 2 game losing streak during the home stretch would not be looked on fondly by the committee.  I see the Cookie Monster getting “his” in this game, as the forwards for URI will not be able to contain his size.  Charlotte takes this contest 81-76.

Dayton @ Richmond 3/4

• A must win for the Flyers in this one.  As always, the Flyers have struggled on the road and better not perform like they did in Philly last week.  Richmond does not have too deep of a bench so if they Flyers can get out and run in this game they will be able to wear down the Spiders.  Just because I can’t imagine how many things I will break if they lose this game, I have the Flyers taking home the W with a score of 67-63.

Richmond @ Charlotte 3/6

• With a short turn around for both squads, this will be an early indication of how these teams will fair in AC and possibly the big dance.  Although Richmond is only 6-6 on the road this year, I think their guard play of Anderson and Gonzalvez will be too much to handle for the 49ers.  I’ve got Richmond winning this game, 64-56.

SLU @ Dayton 3/6

• As both team’s big dance hopes hang in the balance, this is sure to be a headed battle.  The Flyers look to avenge their overtime loss at Saint Louis as Slick Rick brings the Billikens to UD Arena.  On senior night the Flyers will not lose at home.  UD rides a 3 game win streak into AC as they take this match up 68-56. 

Be sure to tune in early and often this week, as there are a lot of Hexagon match ups.  This week will determine all of the seeding for AC as well as some team’s tournament chances, whether that is the NCAA or NIT.  Please Flyers do not fuck this up for me.  You have already caused me to lose my hair at a more rapid pace than previously and your play, coupled with my lack of exercise, has made me develop an irregular heartbeat.  If for no other reason than to salvage the little sanity that the Gem City's finest has left, finish the regular season with two wins and head into AC with some momentum.  As with my tweets that Paul Williams reads on a regular basis and takes offense to, I hope BG reads this and posts it on the cork board of the locker room as a form of motivation.  Once again, thanks for tuning into The A10 Rodeo.

The A-10 Rodeo

After a week’s hiatus, I am happy to be back with The A-10 Rodeo.  I know that you all were sitting on the edge of your chairs waiting for The Rodeo last Monday, only for it not to come (that’s what she said).  I apologize for leaving you hanging as I took a page out of the Flyer’s book and came down with a mystery ailment.  We are getting down to crunch time in the A10 and without further ado, let’s get it started:

News 

Still riding the high of their overtime win over Dayton the previous week, the Billikens welcomed URI to the Lou for a showdown.  The game resulted in a Billiken victory 62-57.  SLU spread the love among all of their starters with 4 of the 5 scoring in double figures and the other finishing with 9.  Just when you thought you could count out the Billikens as they dropped 3 of 4 conference games in late January, they have surged back to win their last 6 contests and sit alone in 4th place.  The Billikens will need to continue to ride this wave of success that they’re on if they want to make a case for themselves come Selection Sunday.  The next two weeks will be very telling for this squad as they host Xavier, Duquesne, and Temple and then finish off their regular season with a trip to UD Arena. 

The collapse of Charlotte that everyone thought was coming, is here.  The 49ers were making an improbable run through the A10 and it was only a matter of time until they were stopped.  The skid started with the thwarting they took at UD and then continued as they dropped home contests against Duquesne and Xavier.  The 49ers should be able to snap their losing streak as they welcome the dismal St. Joseph’s Hawks to Charlotte.  The true tests for this Charlotte squad will come as they close out the regular season at URI and then face off against conference leader Richmond at home. 

I don’t think I even have to get into it because if you’re here and reading this website then you’re most likely a UD fan.  The Flyers shit the bed once again on the road.  I knew “we” were in trouble in the first half when it was a tie game and Damian Saunders had yet to get on the board.  Once Saunders removed his head from his ass and realized that if he stops chucking up threes and starts driving to the basket, he will score at will, the Flyers were in trouble.  The difference between Duquesne and UD is that Duquesne, namely Saunders, adjusted their game and UD didn’t.  Despite the fact that he played fairly well, Huelsman on Saunders was a match up from hell for the Flyers.  BG should have made the adjustment to put Benson in on Saunders, once CW picked up his 4th foul with 12 minutes to go.  For those of you who love moral victories: The Professional scored in double digits, P Dub made not one, not two, but FOUR shots.  On the flip side, “we” had a dismal 9 points off the bench and turned the ball over 21 times.  BG and the Flyers better figure out what went wrong in Pittsburgh as they travel to Philly on Wednesday and hope to right ship against the Temple Owls.

Top Performers

Damian Saunders, Duquesne vs. UD

• Saunders started the game by throwing up absurd threes and after missing 3 of them he realized that wasn’t working.  That is when Saunders took the game over.  He finished the contest with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, including a highway robbery of Rob Lowery in the backcourt that lead to an easy dunk.  Saunders did most of his damage in the 2nd half as the Flyers encountered foul trouble and could not figure out a defense to contain him.  Look for Saunders to be a vital piece as the Dukes look to derail the surging SLU Billikens this Saturday.

Chris Johnson, UD vs. Duquesne

• Unfortunately for the Flyers, Johnson regained consciousness with 4 seconds left in this contest as he spent most of the game unconscious from 3 point.  CJ finished the game with 21 points on 6 of 13 from behind the arc.  The Flyers will look for CJ to continue this shooting display as For-three-zius is still saddled with his knee injury.  CJ will need to have a big game on Wednesday night if the Flyers hope to upset Temple on the road. 

Kevin Anderson, Richmond vs. GW

• Anderson continues to make his personal case for A10 POY.  The Spider guard had a great offensive output against GW as he scored 24 points while pulling down 5 boards and dishing out 7 assists.  Anderson can be pointed to as the main reason why the Spiders are sitting atop the A10 and as of today, are the 24th ranked team in the nation.  Watch out for Anderson to disappear though as he has scored in single digits in 3 of the Spiders last 7 victories. 

Jordan Crawford, Xavier vs. St. Joseph’s/Charlotte

• It just wouldn’t be The Rodeo if I didn’t give a shout out to JC.  Of course he had multiple top performances this week.  In the two games combined JC went for 43 points (17 of 33 shooting), 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 6 steals.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Jordan Crawford IS the A10 Player of the Year.  Lets see if JC can keep it going as the Muskies travel to SLU on Wednesday and host the conference leading Spiders on Sunday.

 Chris Gaston, Fordham vs. URI

• I feel bad for this guy, I really do.  There is not much more that the A10 Freshman of the Year can do than what he is for the god awful Fordham Rams.  Fordham traveled to URI this week only to get their asses handed to them, but not before Gaston could put up 32 points and 10 rebounds.  There is no way that this kid sticks around in NYC, I mean is there? 

Looking Forward to This Week

If the Hexagon has taught us anything, it is that matchups between the top six are crucial wins, and losses against the bottom 8 are UD’s specialty.  We have 3 Hexagon matchups this week:

UD @ Temple 2/24 

• After the Flyers shit the bed @ Duquesne, they have set themselves up for an essential must win against the Owls.  Temple posts an 11-1 record at home this season, while the Flyers come in with a 4-6 road record.  If the UD team that showed up for Xavier and Charlotte comes to Philly then the Flyers can expect a victory.  But if the UD team that traveled to St. Louis and Pittsburgh shows up in Philly, send your RSVP to Blackburn for the NIT party at Marion’s. 

Xavier @ SLU 2/24

• While the Muskies have a pretty good resume for the committee, this is a game they are going to want to win to continue their momentum going into their weekend tilt with the Spiders.  SLU boasts a 14-1 home record, as the Muskies are an average 5-5 on the road.  I think JC goes for 30 in this game as the Muskies snap the Billiken’s win streak at 6.  

Richmond @ Xavier 2/28

• If the Muskies can win at SLU, they will enter this matchup with at least a share of the conference lead with Richmond, and possible Temple.  With the conference lead on the line, this matchup is sure to be a good one.  I am excited to see JC and Anderson go head to head in a shootout.  Xavier is undefeated at the Cintas this year going 13-0, while Richmond is 6-5 on the road.  I’m calling a Jordan Crawford fade away for the win, much like the one he hit in London Warren’s eye at the end of the UD game in Cincy.

The A-10 Rodeo

I apologize to all of our dedicated BR readers.  I know you all look forward to reading The Rodeo as you sit in your cubicle on a shitty Monday morning and do anything you possible can BUT actual work.  Unfortunately, I had a ton of work to do yesterday and surprisingly enough, my real job pays slightly more than the check that Blackburn cuts me every week.  So without further ado, why don’t we take a look at this week’s installment of The A-10 Rodeo.  Let’s get it started.

News

Wow.  That is all I have to say.  Whether it was because The Champ showcased his knock out skills before the game or because they all hate Xavier just as much as I do, UD came out inspired.  Nothing says we’re ready to make a run quite like bending X completely over and running away with a 25 point victory.  The key to the game was composure.  X from the very beginning showed that they were not composed when Love throws a shoulder into a cutting CJ to pick up his 2nd foul in as many minutes.  This display continued as Dante Jackson walked up and got in CJ’s face with his team down 15.  Despite the fact that the Flyers shot lights out, they were taking smart shots.  This was the first time I saw UD make the extra pass on a fast break and it came in the form of a London kick to the corner to P Will, swing to CJ, swing to the top of the key for Mickey to knock down a 3 in rhythm.  The key to the phenomenal shooting was rhythm.  For once we did not see a slew of off balanced runners and fade away jumpers.  Finally our shooters continually got their feet set and took quality shots.  The one exception to the quality shots was Marcus pulling up from 20 feet on a 1 on 3 break, luckily he knocked it down.

The Flyers were paced by the Chris’s as Johnson posted 18 points and 6 rebounds and Wright put up 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Marcus Johnson and Rob Lowery came off the bench for the Flyers and combined for 26 points on 7 of 11 shooting.  The lone shinning star for the Muskies was, you guessed it, Jordan Crawford.  JC continued his dominance of the A-10 with a 24 point, 5 assist, and 4 rebound performance.  I am still trying to figure out the answers to 2 of my questions: Why didn’t JC take the ball and tell everyone to get the fuck out of the way and what did Nourse, Zesty, and Kav do to BG that found them sitting on the bench for the final minute of a 25 point blow out?

The other piece of noteworthy news comes in the form of a 17 point drubbing that the Spiders dropped on Temple.  With Juan Fernandez out for the game, the Owls just never showed up.  Richy jumped out early and secured an 18 point halftime lead and continued their dominance throughout.  I guess my prediction last week of it being a battle of the guards was both correct and incorrect.  It was correct in the fact that guard play is what led to the win (Anderson and Gonzalvez combined for 42 points and 12 boards).  I was incorrect in the fact that the guard play was going to be comparable.  I guess Brooks is just a little lost when Fernandez is out, as he went 1-8 from the field for a whopping 2 points.  It will be interesting to see how Brooks bounces back in the Owls next match up against URI.

Jordan Crawford- XU vs. UD

• JC did it yet again.  He so effortlessly put up 24 points on 57% shooting.  As I have stated several times before, Crawford is the Alpha and Omega of A-10 basketball.  I think it is absurd that X fans complain about his shot selection.  If they need a tutorial on poor shot selection,  they should go back and watch Rob Lowery in the first UD vs. XU meeting.  I would gladly accept a player who will consistently put up 20 PPG on 45% shooting.  If I haven’t made it abundantly clear already, Crawford is the man to beat for A-10 POY.

Chris Johnson- UD vs. XU

• With 4 UD players in double figures and Chris Wright posting a double-double, it was a tough choice for a top performer.  That is until I took another look at the stat sheet and saw that CJ put up his 18 points on 75% shooting from the field and 100% from the charity strip.  CJ put up a total of 12 shoots in the game and made 10 of them.  Normally if you were to see a shooting night like that, it would be coming from a post man who doesn’t roam more than 5 feet from the basket, 75% shooting from the field is unheard of for a wingman.

Kevin Anderson- Richmond vs. Temple

• Anderson has been reading The Rodeo the last couple of weeks and took offense to my opinion of A-10 POY.  Instead of sending the email that he had drafted up, he decided to shove it in my face with his 29 point (11-17 shooting) 5 rebound performance in the Spiders’ upset of Temple.  It is about time that the Kevin Anderson, that was chosen 2nd overall in the 1st annual Blackburn vs. O’Brien A-10 Fantasy Draft, decided to reappear.  Anderson entered this matchup having scored 9 and 6 points respectively against St. Joes and SLU.

Lavoy Allen- Temple vs. Richmond

• With Juan Fernandez out and Ryan Brooks nowhere to be found, it was on Allen to step up for the Owls.  Despite the fact that Temple got their asses kicked by the Spiders, Allen was able to be the lone shining star on the Owl team.  Allen shot 50% from the field and finished with 17 points and a Chris Johnson-esque 19 rebounds. 

Looking Forward to this Week

2/10- Charlotte @ Dayton

• Hopefully the Flyers can continue the stellar performance that they had against X as the 49ers come to UD Arena.  I can’t wait to hear what trick BG has up his sleeve as a pregame routine.  It’ll be interesting to see how the Flyers match up against The Cookie Monster, who at 6’6 245 will most likely be guarded by Kountry Chris 6’8 226.  The 49ers will ride a 7 game winning streak into the Gem City and are looking to crush the Flyer Faithful’s hopes of an at-large bid.  The Flyers will need this victory if they hope to maintain their status on the inside of the bubble.

2/10- Richmond @ URI

• This week is sure to be the week from hell for URI as they face off against 2 Hexagon opponents in a 3 day span.  Both teams are riding 4 game winning steaks into this matchup.  The edge definitely goes to the Rams as they are 10-1 at home and the Spiders boast a subpar 4-5 record on the road.  Both squads are currently tied for 3rd place in conference at 7-2 and 1 game back of the conference leader, Charlotte.

2/13- URI @ Temple

• It will be interesting to see if A) Juan Fernandez is ready to go for the Owls and B) how Ryan Brooks bounces back from an awful performance.  With both teams sitting at 7-2 in conference play, the loser can potentially drop towards the bottom of the Hexagon.  Look for URI to score early and score often.  The Rams average 14 more PPG than the Owls do.  While Temple is a tough place to play (10-1 at home) the Rams are road warriors and have posted an 8-2 road record up to this point.

The Atlantic 10 Rodeo

Welcome back to another enthralling installment of The A-10 Rodeo.  As always we will discuss some news worthy items from last week as well as highlight the top performers, and take a look at this upcoming week.  Let’s get it started:

News

URI topped UD 65-64 at UD Arena snapping the Flyers 30 game home win streak and the 2nd longest streak in the NCAA.  Delroy James posted 22 points in only 23 minutes of play due to foul trouble.  Marquis Jones had only 5 points in the game but 3 of those came in the bomb that he dropped with 3 seconds left.  The UD star performer was Kaptain Kurt who did not miss a shot going 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from the line to finish with 10 points and 9 boards.  The question moving forward will be, is UD Arena still one of the toughest places to play?

Temple traveled to Charlotte to witness the Derrio Green show.  Green put up 26 points on 9-15 shooting to lead the 49ers to a 74-64 win over the conference leader.  Ryan Brooks once again carried Temple with a 20 point performance but Juan Fernandez was limited due to foul trouble.  The sophomore guard, who averages 12.6 PPG on 43% 3pt shooting, was limited to 24 minutes of play and scored only 3 points on 1-5 shooting before fouling out.  The 49er victory left both teams at 6-1 in conference and ½ game behind Xavier for the #1 spot.

Highs and Lows

Xavier welcomed the Fordham Rams to the Cintas Center for a good ol’ fashioned ass kicking.  Paced by Jordan Crawford’s 23 points (7-11 shooting) in just 26 minutes of play, the Muskies won 108-60.  Xavier scored more points (63) in the second half than 7 A-10 teams scored in their respective games this passed week.  One of those 7 teams being the SLU Billikens, who traveled to Richmond and left their scoring back in Missouri.  Despite an 18 point performance by Kwamain Mitchell, the Billikens put up a dismal 36 points in the game, dropping the contest 62-36.

Top Performers

Derrio Green, Charlotte vs. Temple

• As I predicted last week, this was going to be a game to watch and Derrio Green made sure of that.  The sophomore guard, who averages a solid 13.8 PPG, nearly doubled that average with his 26 point performance against the Owls.  As if that was not good enough, UMass was subjected to the Green Show as well, as Derrio dropped 34 points on 8-16 shooting from behind the arc.  Shamari Spears must be thanking Green for overshadowing the fact that Spears had 15 points between the two games on 7 of 22 shooting.

Jason Love, Xavier vs. Duquesne

• I know, I am as shocked to write it as you are to read it, that a Xavier player not named Crawford is among the top performers.  I just could not over look Love’s performance in this game, as he posted up 17 points and 9 rebounds in only 19 minutes of play.  The most impressive part of this performance is Love’s 8 of 9 shooting from the field.  Granted he’s a big man, but it is impressive anytime someone shoots 89% from the field.

Jordan Crawford, Xavier vs. Temple

• Don’t worry, you all will get your Crawford fix.  Jordan led the way in the Xavier drubbing of Fordham with 23 points on 7 of 11 shooting and 9 of 9 from the line.  As he continues to be my favorite for A-10 POY, there are 2 games that he needs to have big performances in, in order to remain on top: @UD this Saturday and @Charlotte 2/20.  He better not slow down because there are 3 players who are waiting in the wings: Ryan Brooks, Andrew Nicholson, and Shamari Spears.

Delroy James, URI vs. UD

• I was shocked that the ball was not in James’ hands for the game winner, after he had made it rain all night.  James finished the game with 22 points on 7 of 11 shooting including 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.  While battling foul trouble for most of the game, James proved to be effective in his limited, 23 minutes of play.

Ricky Harris, UMass vs. SJU

• While there have not been too many shining lights on this year’s UMass squad, Ricky Harris is definitely one.  The senior guard is averaging nearly 18 PPG and improved on that average against the Hawks.  Harris led the Minutemen to victory through his 23 point and 8 rebound performance.  Not known for his effective shooting (41% FG, 28% 3pt on the year), Harris connected on 7 of his 14 FG attempts in the game.  Keep watching for high point totals from Harris as he has nothing to lose as he lets the shots fly.

Looking Forward to This Week

2/6- XU @ UD

• This is the game that many of us are looking forward to.  Now that the nation’s second longest home win streak has been snapped, is UD Arena as intimidating of a place to play as it used to be?  This game will be a good indicator of that.  In this “rivalry” you can throw statistics out the window and it will come down to who will lead their team to victory: Chris Wright or Jordan Crawford.  This is a must win game for the Flyers while the Muskies love nothing more than to travel up 75 to break some hearts.

2/6- Temple @ Richmond

• Richmond comes into this game boasting a 10-1 home record and look to improve that to 11-1 with a win over the visiting Owls.  As with most of the Temple games, this will be a matchup centered around guard play.  Juan Fernandez and Ryan Brooks combine for roughly 48% of the Owls total PPG.  On the other side of the ball, the 2 guard attack of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez account for 45% of the Spiders PPG.  Look for a showdown between these 4 players and a tough defensive battle as both teams allow only 60 PPG. 

The Atlantic 10 Rodeo

Welcome back to The Atlantic 10 Rodeo.  As with every Monday, we will review the news throughout the past week, the week’s top performers, and also take a look at what to watch during the upcoming week.  Let’s get it started:

News

Temple Continues Their Dominance

• Temple welcomed Xavier into Philly on Wednesday for a showdown of A-10 unbeatens.  Led by Ryan Brooks’ 22 points on 7-12 shooting, the Owls shot lights out (59.2%) to down the Muskies 77-72.  The win solidified Temple as the ONE team to beat in the A-10 as they improve to 17-3 (5-0).  If Brooks can continue to produce like he did against X, he could give Crawford (18 points, 6-16) a run for his money for my personal A-10 POY vote.

Dayton Gets Upended at SJU

• There’s only one thing to say about this game: FUCK.

Xavier Bounces Back

• With a short turnaround between Temple and URI, the Muskies were able to bounce back and maintain their spot behind Temple in conference standings.  Paced by Jordan Crawford’s first career double-double (21 points, 12 boards), the Muskies were able to secure the 72-61 W.  This game was home to the worst stat line of the week:
  • Kenny Frease, XU
    • 11 min, 1-2 FG, 0-2 FT, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 5 PF
    • Foul out in 11 minutes of action, almost as good as Bob Fiehly.

Top Performers

Jordan Crawford- XU vs. URI

• The aforementioned first career double-double for Crawford came in the form of 21 points and 12 reb.  This stat line looks like a Chris Johnson-esque game for a guard.  Now if only we can get CJ to not disappear as much as Crawford, we’ll be in good shape.  Crawford will need to continue to have games like this in order to stay atop the Harry Baujan POY standings.

Chris Wright- UD vs. SJU

• The only player to make the trip out to Philly was Wright.  Without the help of his teammates, CW was able to put up a career best 28 points on 12-20 shooting.  Finally we got a glimpse of the CW that is projected to be a first round NBA draft pick.  Now if we could get a few more UD players to show up this could be a force to be reckoned with.  If not, we UD fans are going to have a long February. 

Chris Braswell- Charlotte vs. La Salle

• The freshman big man was one of 3 49er players (Braswell, Spears, Green) to score 20+ points on Saturday to slip by LaSalle 84-82.  Braswell finished with 21 points and 13 boards, while going a perfect 9-9 from the charity strip.  This performance puts Braswell on the verge of averaging a double-double on the season with 9.9 PPG and 9.2 RPG.

Rodney Green- La Salle vs. Charlotte

• There is not too much more that Green could have done to help the Explorers upset Charlotte.  Green finished the game with 32 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.  The senior guard shot just under 50% for the game on 12-25 shooting including 3-5 from beyond the arc.  Look for Green to continue to score in bunches as he averages 44% from the field and 15 FGA per game.

Ryan Brooks- Temple vs. Xavier

• Guard play has been the driving force for the Owls this season with 39.5 PPG coming from Brooks and Juan Fernandez.  Brooks did not shy away from improving his 16 PPG average by dropping 22 points on Xavier to keep Temple unbeaten in conference play.  Brooks shot 58% from the field, hit 8 of 9 freebies, and yanked down 7 boards.  Watch out Crawford, Brooks is comin’ for ya.

Andrew Nicholson- St. Bonaventure vs. UMass & Duquesne

• Normally the Bonnies do not draw too much attention, and well that’s because they’re not very good.  They do have something good going in the form of their 6’9 sophomore, Nicholson.  He is averaging 16.7 PPG and 7.8 RPG.  This week Nicholson not only had 1 top performance, but 2 in eerily similar games.  In a 70-69 win over Umass, Nicholson notched 26 points and 7 boards on 55% shooting.  3 days later in a 70-69 loss to Duquesne, Nicholson recorded 29 points and 7 boards on 58% shooting.  It will be interesting to see how Kaptain Kurt matches up with Nicholson in the post come Saturday night.

Looking Forward to This Week

1/26- URI @ UD

• If Chris Wright is the only Flyer to show up to this game, you can bet that the nation’s second longest home winning streak will come to a close.  The loser of this game risks falling to .500 in conference play and will put them in an outside looking in position.  Look for a high scoring affair as both teams average above 70 PPG.

1/27- Temple @ Charlotte

• The Owls look to remain undefeated in conference play as they travel to North Carolina to face off with the 49ers.  With a victory, Charlotte could move into a tie atop the A-10 at 5-1.  Look for a showdown between Brooks and Spears, 2 players who are capable of putting up 30.

1/30- SLU @ Richmond

• With both squads tied for 4th in conference standings this is likely to be a quality game.  Despite having 6 losses on the year, Richmond boasts a 9-1 home record.  A loss here will give either team their 7th on the year with roughly 10 to play, something that neither team can afford if they want to be dancing come March.

As always, be sure to check back next Monday for another installment of The Atlantic 10 Rodeo.

The Atlantic Ten Rodeo

Welcome to The Atlantic Ten Rodeo, where we will review the past week in the A-10 as well as look forward to what is in store this week.  The A-10 finished off their collective non-conference schedules with an impressive 17 combined wins against BCS teams.  They have since taken the court in hopes of soaring to the top of the highly reputable A-10.  So let’s get it started:

News

Fordham vs. UD at the Mecca of basketball. While the game itself was not overly enthralling, the fact that 2 A-10 teams faced off at Madison Square Garden is.  Blackburn was able to sit courtside for this showdown that was alarmingly close at times, and unbearable to watch at others.  I like to watch Luke For-three-zius put it up from anywhere, and with that NBA 3pt line on the court, he made sure to demonstrate his range.  After a dismal first half that yielded only a 5 point lead for the flyers, they were able to turn it up in the second session of basketball in order to secure a 16 point victory.  The win was the Flyers’ 38^th victory at MSG which ties Duke for the most victories for a team outside the New York metropolitan area. 

29 and Counting. The Xavier Musketeers continued to have UD’s number in Cincinnati as they overcame the UD surges in order to secure a 78-74 victory.  The physical matchup saw both star players (Chris Wright and Jordan Crawford) riding the pine in the first half with 3 fouls apiece.  UD played quality team defense and were shining glass in route to a 3 point halftime lead.  Xavier battled back and relied on their 3pt (10-19) and free throw (24-30) shooting to fend off the UD comebacks.  Dante Jackson led all scorers with 19 pts and Marcus Johnson came out of his season long shell to top the Flyer scoring with 17 pts.

Top 35 RPI.  If you had asked me at the beginning of the season who the 2 conferences with the most teams in the top 35 RPI were as of 1/15, I would have most likely said the Big East and the ACC.  I was not surprised to see that the Big East had 6 teams in the top 35.  I was shocked though to see that the A-10 had the second most teams in the top 35 RPI with 5 (Temple, Xavier, Rhode Island, Richmond, Dayton).  While the top 5 of the A-10 is highly impressive, the overall conference ranking (6) is not so much.  The conference has 5 top 50 teams, 1 50-100 team, 7 101-198 teams, and 1 300+ team.  Fordham is rounds out the A-10’s RPI rankings with an unimpressive 311 out of 347 total.  The complete conference standings and RPI standings are as follows:



Top Performers

Chris Johnson- UD vs. Xavier

• Despite going 0-5 from 3pt, CJ shot 50% from the field for 10 pts.  His 10 point performance is not what got CJ on to this list; it was instead his 16 reb, of which 10 were offensive.  This impressive performance is on the coattails of CJ’s 26 pts, 20 reb performance last week in an unfortunately close win over Duquesne.  CJ is starting to solidify himself as a formidable double-double swingman, day in and day out. 

Lamonte Ulmer- URI vs. Fordham

• The senior forward helped the Rams handily defeat Fordham with a 24 pts, 14 reb performance.  Normally this kind of performance would have been disregarded due to how terrible Fordham really is, but Ulmer averages only 12.4 ppg and 7.6 rpg.  The fact that he was able to double his averages in a winning effort on the road is what lands him on this list.

Chris Gaston- Fordham vs. URI

• The fact that Fordham lost by 18 at home to URI can be blamed on everyone but Chris Gaston.  There is not much more Gaston could have done to try to give his team a chance.  The freshman forward continued his impressive season with a 29 pt (13-24), 16 rebound (10 off) performance.  Gaston shot 54% from the field in the game to help improve his double-double average of 17.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg.

Ryan Brooks- Temple vs. Umass

• One key to Temple’s success this year has been the play of Ryan Brooks.  Brooks is currently averaging 16.1 ppg on 42.6% shooting.  Saturday night’s game against UMass marked a milestone for Brooks as he netted his 1,000 career point en route to 29 for the game.  Brooks was feeling it from outside as he went 7-12 from behind the arc and 8-15 overall.  If Temple wants to continue their early season success, they will rely heavily on the scoring and leadership of their senior guard.

Jordan Crawford- Xavier vs. UD

• Now I know people are going to argue that based on stat lines, Dante Jackson had a better game for Xavier against UD than Crawford.  I will agree that Crawford’s stat line of 16 pts, 4 ast, and 2 reb is not overly impressive.  What is impressive is that he did this in only 24 minutes of play as he was slowed with 3 early fouls.  Crawford displayed why he is my front runner for A-10 POY with his performance down the stretch.  He demands that defenses collapse on his drive, which lead to a wide open Redford 3.   The pivotal play of the game for the Musketeers was Crawford’s fade away jumper with London Warren inside of his shirt, to give Xavier a 5 point lead and close out the Flyers.  If you need more convincing of why this kid is my pick for POY take another look at this (approx. 31 second mark): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sL3KDhhUZ0&feature=PlayList&p=45710A2715EFF82B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=23

Looking Forward to This Week

Xavier at Temple 1/20 7pm The only two conference unbeatens go head to head this Wednesday in Philly.  This is sure to be a battle of the guards as Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez take on Terrell Holloway and Jordan Crawford.  The winner of this game is likely to take over as the front runner for the regular season A-10 crown.

URI at Xavier 1/23 6pm URI looks to break Xavier’s streak of 25 straight home conference wins.  This is sure to be a tough week for the Musketeers and the Rams will be looking to capitalize on the quick turnaround between Wednesday night and Saturday.  A showdown between Crawford and Keith Cothran is likely to ensue. 

If anyone has a video of the poster that Kurt Huelsman made on Saturday please let me know.  Hope you enjoyed these mindless ramblings and make sure to check back next Monday to check out The Atlantic Ten Rodeo.