MBB: West Virginia 76, Mississippi 66

[rthomas]

WV has a tough streak beginning tonight with games every three days or so into the new year. Tonight Ole Miss (somehow I've ended up with our president's tickets - not Obama, the university president) , then surprising Seton Hall, then Purdue at Purdue on Jan 1.

If WVU sweeps these games, then I will be impressed.

[wva_iron_duke]

WVU has probably the best trio of forwards (Butler,Ebanks, Jones) in college bball and likely the best offensive rebounding team as well. Great frontcourt depth. A shame that they play overrated Purdue during the Gator Bowl. Their weakness is depth at guard, especially at the point. And for this reason, I think they are just slightly overranked.
What a game it would be if they played Duke during the regular season.
I hope they don't play until the NCAA Championship game with Duke winning,of course.

[rthomas]

yea, last night we started Butler at point. Truck has had an ankle problem and Mazzula, well Mazulla's shoulder may never be right again.

But you are correct about our forwards and when Denisz Kalicli becomes eligible Feb 3....watch out.

[JaMarcus Russell]

I still don't understand the NCAA's hypocrisy when it comes to athletes and their amateur status. So it's perfectly okay for Trajan Langdon, Ricky Williams, Dough Johnson, and countless others to play minor league baseball in the summer and make actual money, but it's not okay for Deniz Kilicli to play as an amateur for a professional team in Turkey. Got it.

[Jarhead]

I still don't understand the NCAA's hypocrisy when it comes to athletes and their amateur status. So it's perfectly okay for Trajan Langdon, Ricky Williams, Dough Johnson, and countless others to play minor league baseball in the summer and make actual money, but it's not okay for Deniz Kilicli to play as an amateur for a professional team in Turkey. Got it.

The difference is that those guys you mentioned played professionally while in college, in different sports than their college sport. Kilicli played 20 games for a basketball team that included pro players. Luckily, he wasn't totally banned, just for twenty basketball games. Incidentally, Langdon was a walk on at Duke, not on scholarship.

[rthomas]

The difference is that those guys you mentioned played professionally while in college, in different sports than their college sport. Kilicli played 20 games for a basketball team that included pro players. Luckily, he wasn't totally banned, just for twenty basketball games. Incidentally, Langdon was a walk on at Duke, not on scholarship.

I'm not arguing against the NCAA ruling for Kikichi, just as I didn't argue against Nolan Smith being suspended for playing with players getting paid this past summer.

but just to set the record straight:

1. Kilichi was on a national team in Istanbul for one season.
2. The team had one pro player.
3. No one in Turkey cares about the NCAA.

lol.

[JaMarcus Russell]

The difference is that those guys you mentioned played professionally while in college, in different sports than their college sport. Kilicli played 20 games for a basketball team that included pro players. Luckily, he wasn't totally banned, just for twenty basketball games. Incidentally, Langdon was a walk on at Duke, not on scholarship.

I understand the technicality for the decision, but it still doesn't make one bit of sense, especially when you consider how European tennis players who have received many of the same benefits get a free pass.

It seems like the NCAA will be changing some of their rules regarding foreign players in college basketball, but I hope it doesn't happen at a snail's pace.

[sagegrouse]

Incidentally, Langdon was a walk on at Duke, not on scholarship.


Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is a distinction without a difference. His tuition and fees were paid by the San Diego Padres. He was a recruited athlete, who was "discovered" by a Padres scout while playing catch with his Dad at the Wash Duke, after he had committed to play basketball at Duke.

While some scholarship players are not recruited athletes and therefore, walk-ons, some non-scholarship players are recruited athletes and definitely not walk-ons.

sagegrouse