Post by DanMcQ on Dec 8, 2006 17:42:35 GMT -5
Peru, Indiana Tribune: Garnett taking game to next level
By TOM DAVIS
Tribune Managing Editor
Friday, December 08, 2006
By TOM DAVIS
Tribune Managing Editor
Friday, December 08, 2006
BALL STATE NOTES:
* The early verdict by the Cardinal faithful for first-year Ball State University Men's Basketball Coach Ronny Thompson is "let's wait and see."
* One thing that Thompson has done that is not endearing to some East-Central Indiana fans is failed to recruit ... East-Central Indiana. Along with mediocre records, this is another reason that former coach Tim Buckley fired. A loss to Western Michigan earlier this year proved as a microcosm of what is wrong with Ball State's program. Three Bronco players, each of whom grew up in Indiana, combined for 46 points to beat the Cardinals in their own arena. One of the players, Derek Drews, actually spent part of his formative years living in Muncie, and BSU still did not sign him. The likes of Pike's Courtney Lee and Austin's Anthony Winchester (both of Western Kentucky), Muncie Central's Ben Botts (IPFW), Tom Freeman (Ohio) and Jordan Armstrong (Southern Illinois), New Castle's Zach Hahn (Butler), and Yorktown's Pete Campbell (Butler) all chose to play elsewhere. That should not happen. Ball State should own East-Central Indiana. It will be interesting to see if Ball State even tries to secure the services of Yorktown's 6-10 small forward Emerson Kampen, who is one of the top juniors in the state. Early indications don't look promising if BSU fans are wanting to see the local kids play, as the Cardinals have just three Hoosiers on the roster out of 13 scholarship players.
* You do have to give Thompson credit for delaying the signing of a recruit from Indianapolis Northwest, who had begun slacking on his academic work. Thompson told the kid that when he got serious about school, Thompson would revisit offering him a scholarship. One aspect of coaching that no one could ever criticize any of the Thompson family for was their attention to academics.
* One thing that Thompson's father, John Thompson, was criticized for while coaching at Georgetown was his dearth of white players on the Hoyas' roster. At Ball State this season, there [are] zero white players on the roster. One longtime Ball State athletic department employee told me that "Muncie has always had a certain amount of racism." So he was skeptical as to whether this type of team, with Thompson as coach, would ever be fully accepted by the Cardinal fans. He didn't say that was the correct way to feel, he just said that is the way it is.
* It has been my experience in following Ball State athletics for 40 years that the fans will turn out to support a winning team, regardless of skin color and/or residence. Detroit natives and African-American's Paris McCurdy and Curtis Kidd played to sell-out crowds in the old University Gym. However, those rosters also included Muncie's Billy Butts, Yorktown's Greg Miller and fan favorite Shawn Parrish.
* Thompson has certainly implemented an entertaining style of play, as the Cardinals press often defensively and really explode offensively on most occasions.
* The early verdict by the Cardinal faithful for first-year Ball State University Men's Basketball Coach Ronny Thompson is "let's wait and see."
* One thing that Thompson has done that is not endearing to some East-Central Indiana fans is failed to recruit ... East-Central Indiana. Along with mediocre records, this is another reason that former coach Tim Buckley fired. A loss to Western Michigan earlier this year proved as a microcosm of what is wrong with Ball State's program. Three Bronco players, each of whom grew up in Indiana, combined for 46 points to beat the Cardinals in their own arena. One of the players, Derek Drews, actually spent part of his formative years living in Muncie, and BSU still did not sign him. The likes of Pike's Courtney Lee and Austin's Anthony Winchester (both of Western Kentucky), Muncie Central's Ben Botts (IPFW), Tom Freeman (Ohio) and Jordan Armstrong (Southern Illinois), New Castle's Zach Hahn (Butler), and Yorktown's Pete Campbell (Butler) all chose to play elsewhere. That should not happen. Ball State should own East-Central Indiana. It will be interesting to see if Ball State even tries to secure the services of Yorktown's 6-10 small forward Emerson Kampen, who is one of the top juniors in the state. Early indications don't look promising if BSU fans are wanting to see the local kids play, as the Cardinals have just three Hoosiers on the roster out of 13 scholarship players.
* You do have to give Thompson credit for delaying the signing of a recruit from Indianapolis Northwest, who had begun slacking on his academic work. Thompson told the kid that when he got serious about school, Thompson would revisit offering him a scholarship. One aspect of coaching that no one could ever criticize any of the Thompson family for was their attention to academics.
* One thing that Thompson's father, John Thompson, was criticized for while coaching at Georgetown was his dearth of white players on the Hoyas' roster. At Ball State this season, there [are] zero white players on the roster. One longtime Ball State athletic department employee told me that "Muncie has always had a certain amount of racism." So he was skeptical as to whether this type of team, with Thompson as coach, would ever be fully accepted by the Cardinal fans. He didn't say that was the correct way to feel, he just said that is the way it is.
* It has been my experience in following Ball State athletics for 40 years that the fans will turn out to support a winning team, regardless of skin color and/or residence. Detroit natives and African-American's Paris McCurdy and Curtis Kidd played to sell-out crowds in the old University Gym. However, those rosters also included Muncie's Billy Butts, Yorktown's Greg Miller and fan favorite Shawn Parrish.
* Thompson has certainly implemented an entertaining style of play, as the Cardinals press often defensively and really explode offensively on most occasions.
