Category Archives: NCAA

Transfer Portal’s Impact on BGSU

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By: Sam Morris

Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sports Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he also performs, writes, and produces his own rap music.

November 15, 2024

Transfer Portal Background Info

Sports law experts at Greenspoon Marder say that “the transfer portal has become a free agency bonanza.” Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is no exception to this trend, as its 18 varsity sports have all used the transfer portal in 2024.

Since its creation in 2018, tens of thousands of student-athletes have used the portal. According to NPR, the NIL rule in 2022 has increased the applicant pool even more in the past two years.

Football is one of the sports for which the portal has gained the most attention. BGSU football has used it to turn their program around.

Falcon Football and Blane Cleaver

After spending three years at Army West Point, Blane Cleaver, senior tight end for the Falcons, became one of the many BGSU football transfers this past offseason.

Blane Cleaver, BGSU Falcons senior tight end

“I decided to step away (because) the balance between trying to play division one football with academics and the military was pretty challenging; and I just wanted a fresh start,” said Cleaver.

He got that fresh start with the Falcons after entering a chaotic April transfer portal process.

“I talked to between 20-30 schools,” he said. “I had calls, texts, (and) voicemails from the moment I woke up to dinner time.” 

He eventually narrowed it down to three schools. He made his final decision after coming to Bowling Green for a visit.

“When I got to campus, I really liked everything I saw,” said Cleaver.

He believes the transfer portal is a huge positive for mid-sized schools like BGSU.

“If someone’s at Ohio State and they’re not playing, it’s very easy for them to take a step back to a bit of a smaller school, or guys at an FCS can take that step up and make an impact as well,” he said.

BGSU football has seen both cases recently impact their team. Former Indiana quarterback, Connor Bazelak, is now BGSU’s starting quarterback. Former Samford cornerback, Jordan Oladokun, is one of BGSU’s top defenders.

Falcon Hockey and Owen Ozar

Owen Ozar, senior forward for BGSU Hockey

BGSU hockey has also been impacted by the transfer portal recently, getting Owen Ozar, a senior forward from Denver, in the last offseason.

“I chose to come to Bowling Green because they showed that they had a lot of interest in me,” said Ozar.

He had a similar reason for transferring as Cleaver but went through a much quicker transfer portal process.

“I decided to tell the (Denver) coaches that I was going to try to go to a different school because I wanted to play more,” he said. “After that exit meeting, within a day or two, I was in the transfer portal. Then, two or three days after that, I committed to Bowling Green.”

Ozar also believes the transfer portal has been a positive for BGSU hockey in recent years.

“Last year, we picked up two fifth-years that ended up being some of our top goal scorers. This year, we picked up a lot of good players as well, like Jackson Niedermayer from Arizona State,” he said.

Unlike football, small schools like Denver compete for national championships in hockey. Ozar believes that these are the teams mid-sized schools like BGSU can target.

“There are a lot of good hockey players on those teams that just don’t get the opportunity. I think schools like Bowling Green can take those players and use them to their advantage,” said Ozar.    

A BGSU Student Perspective

While student-athletes largely see the transfer portal in a positive light, the public opinion is more of a mixed bag.

Josh Lalik, BGSU freshman SM student

Josh Lalik, a BGSU freshman sport management student, believes there are both pros and cons of the transfer portal.

“I think it’s overall been a positive, but there have definitely been negative impacts,” said Lalik. “A Group of Five guy like Grayson McCall could have a great season and move on to bigger and better things.”

The McCall example Lalik gives put Coastal Carolina football at a major disadvantage. Their star player left, and they could do nothing about it.

Another major negative of the transfer portal is that it is extremely risky. Some athletes get stuck in a situation where they do not end up landing at a new school at all.

Conclusion

Like most other trends in sports, the NCAA transfer portal will continuously evolve. There are some negatives, but the overall sentiment from the athletes themselves is that it is a positive for collegiate athletics.

A Deep Dive on Kim Mulkey

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Mulkey points to the crowd, acknowledging their support. 

By: Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

March 30, 2024

Kimberly Duane Mulkey was born May 17, 1962 in the days of John F. Kennedy’s presidency. Kim was born in Santa Ana, California, but raised in Tickfaw, Louisiana. Growing up as one of the first girls to play organized boys’ basketball, she was predicted to be a star. This was proven by Hammond High School winning four state championships, led by Kim herself. This success foreshadowed her future playing and coaching careers. 

Many people have a lot of opinions about Mulkey, her coaching style, her political stances, and even her fashion choices. There is a lot to be said about all of these things, and I want to dive deeper into these choices and the reasons behind them, while also providing a history of this influential women’s basketball icon. 

History

Mulkey during her time at Louisiana Tech.

Kim’s persona didn’t start out being characterized by sparkles, ruffles, and hot pink. Her collegiate career was spent at Louisiana Tech University. Standing at just 5 ft 4 in, often with her hair in braids as pictured above, Mulkey made a name for herself as a point guard. During her college career, she earned the title of All-American. Mulkey and the Lady Techsters earned two national championships. In 1981, they claimed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship. They also impressively gained the title of national champions of the inaugural National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament in 1982. Her accomplishments as a player led her to win the first women’s Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (top college senior under 5 ft 6 in) in 1984. 

Mulkey poses in her Team USA uniform.

In 1983, Kim was selected to play for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. She also played for the Jones Cup in Taipei during 1984, as well at the Olympics in Los Angeles that year as well. During her Olympic run, she averaged 5.3 points per game, and claimed the gold medal.

After her international playing stint, Kim returned to her alma mater, Louisiana Tech as an assistant coach to the women’s team. Later, in 1996, she was promoted to associate head coach under Leon Barmore. During her coaching tenure, the Lady Techsters reached seven Final Fours, had a 430-68 record, and clinched the 1988 NCAA Championship. Mulkey stayed with Louisiana Tech until 2000 when she took over as head coach at Baylor. The previous year, the Lady Bears had gone 7-20 and finished last in the Big 12.

Mulkey coaching at Baylor.

Kim’s takeover at Baylor was truly noteworthy. In her first season, Baylor had their first ever NCAA tournament bid. In 2005, Baylor took down Michigan State for the NCAA title. This feat crowned Mulkey as the first woman to have won an NCAA Division I title as a player and head coach. Years later, in 2012, the Lady Bears achieved a perfect season, going 40-0, the highest number of wins in a single season in college basketball history, women or men. That same season, Baylor took home the NCAA championship yet again.

Controversy

Mulkey with Baylor and WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

During Kim’s glorious reign at Baylor, there were some things going on behind the scenes. Mulkey was very critical of her star player, Brittney Griner. Since then, Griner has seen her own controversies, but she still stands as a women’s basketball icon. She is an openly gay black woman. However, during her time at Baylor under Mulkey things were a bit different.

Griner was reportedly forced to hide her sexuality, and even other things like her tattoos. She was not allowed to speak freely, and had to wear sleeves underneath her jersey. Griner did not feel comfortable coming out to her coach or her peers because there was kind of a “Baylor standard,” and this kind of thing would not be allowed. Later on, Kim was asked if she had ever had a gay player on her team and Kim responded, “Don’t ask me that. I don’t ask that. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Whoever you are. I don’t care to know that.”

Understandably, everyone involved in this situation was getting criticism. In a sense, Mulkey was trying to suppress her athlete’s lives. Which in some cases is alright to do, because those athletes are there to play their sport, but they are people, too. Everyone deserves to be known and allowed to express themselves, inherently, as a human.

Being smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt comes with some challenges for people of color and queer people. Women also hold a different position in society as well, taking place in a more traditional way. Forbes has an article diving into the standards of southern women. You could be an astronaut, but you had to keep dinner on the table for your family. The whole goal is “serve” God properly, and to not be too “out-there,” wear “too-little” or clothing that is “too distracting,” you can be “pretty” but you can’t be overly confident, and of course you “can’t” be a tom-boy.

Tom-boy or hyper-feminine?

Historically, taking the position of a basketball coach, or any coach in the sport industry is easier if you are a male. Therefore, it is inherently a male-centered career. Any female head coach is a pioneer of the industry, and it comes with some tough battles. “Feminine” women are viewed as not tough, ruthless, or victorious. I believe as in the following source that there is quite an interesting boundary between being a female and being an athlete.

Throughout history, women did not typically become athletes especially in sports that required speed, strength, and agility. Think back to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, there were only male competitors. Right now, close your eyes and think about the perfect example of an athlete. Probably not a woman, right? It is probably a well-toned, muscly, oiled-up, big, strong man. Not a woman wearing pink, having long styled hair, wearing makeup, having her nails painted, AND having muscles and other athletic features. This is just not the way society has constructed the ideal athlete.

Now, think about a successful basketball coach. You are probably thinking about an older man, with grey hair, khakis and a sweater vest. This is where Kim Mulkey comes in. A lot of her colleagues, mentors, and former coaches, probably all fit this standard. Still to this day, this is the standard of coaches across all sports, leagues, and ages.

Maybe to combat this kind of male-focused standard, Mulkey feels like she has to hyper-feminize herself to make it known she is a woman. Maybe it is not about female empowerment, but stems from an inner-feeling cultivated in the Bible Belt. She is the perfect example of a Southern woman on paper; she just happens to also be a championship winning basketball coach.

Mulkey is a conventionally attractive woman. Her hair is always perfectly hair-sprayed into place, her makeup is always perfectly done, and her outfits never seem to be too revealing. She is showing off her femininity, and making it known she is a woman. You will never see her wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, or any sort of comfortable looking clothing or anything that combats her femininity, which would make her more manly looking.

One of Mulkey’s most popular looks.

I personally, like her over-the-top pink, sparkle, feather, ruffle style. I think it’s a statement and if I was in her position I would probably dress a little dramatic. I would get a pink pantsuit and walk into a room full of men. However, I don’t have the idea of a “Southern woman” hanging over my head. I don’t feel as if I have to live up to a certain standard of femininity like she might. I don’t know if my take is right, and it could be that she just likes this style.

There is a lot to be discussed about Kim Mulkey, but I think however you view her, she is an all-round successful woman in the sport industry. She has so many accomplishments and that is nothing to belittle because of the way she dresses. Kim has had her issues, and still continues to have some questionable takes on coaching tactics and politics, and maybe even more that is not in the media. However, all of the female athletes, coaches, and advocates are making way for so many young girls who look up to them, especially during March Madness.

2024 Women’s March Madness Preview

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By: Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

March 11, 2024

OVERVIEW

The NCAA only started calling the women’s tournament “March Madness” in 2022. However, this year has further proved that March is really full of Madness when it comes to women’s basketball. There has been such growth in the sport, and coverage of it, rightfully so. Here is an overview of four of the top teams on the AP Top 25 list. 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Caption: Kamilla Cardoso prepares for free throw.

South Carolina’s record increases to 32-0 after this past weekend’s SEC Tournament win over LSU. This win places them in the coveted spot of top overall seed. The Gamecocks are led by senior center Kamilla Cardoso who averages 14 points per game, and 9.5 rebounds. There isn’t much to hear about one single player, but more of a team effort play-style works best for the Gamecocks. Head coach Dawn Staley leads a tough team that’s looking for a third National Championship win under her coaching. 

STANFORD

Caption: Cameron Brink with Stanford in 2022

Stanford takes the #1 spot in the Pac-12 placing them at 4th in the AP Top 25. Junior forward Kiki Iriafen leads the team in scoring averaging 18.6 points per game. Senior forward, Cameron Brink leads in rebounds, with about 12 per game. With these two powerhouses, the Cardinal are looking for a long tournament run. Long time head coach Tara VanDerveer is in her 35th season with the Cardinal, and is looking for her 4th National Championship with the team. 

IOWA

Caption: Caitlin Clark will move on to WNBA

Iowa has had a ton of attention this season due to the success of Hawkeye superstar, Caitlin Clark. She leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Clark recently declared for the WNBA draft after this season.  The Hawkeyes are 29-4 overall, and ranked 2nd in the AP Top 25. Iowa just won the Big Ten championship taking down Nebraska. Many people are looking forward to seeing Clark and her Hawkeyes shine during March Madness. 

USC

Juju Watkins averages 27 points per game

The Trojans are reaching new heights, achieving the best ranking in 38 years. USC is 3rd in the Top 25, and took down Stanford for the Pac-12 title. With a record of 26-5, the Trojans are led in scoring by freshman guard, Juju Watkins averaging 27 points per game. Rayah Marshall is leading the Trojans in rebounds with 10.5 per game. Watkins and Marshall make for a hard-to- beat team especially in later tournament play. Fresh off of a Pac-12 title win “So-Cal” is hungry for a Final Four Spot. 

EVEN MORE TO WATCH

These top four are projected to do well, obviously, but there are always upsets and shockers within March Madness. I believe that makes it all the more fun to follow. With Selection Sunday coming up this weekend on March 17th, the true stories of the road to the 2024 Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament are soon to come out. 

Some more teams to look out for Mississippi State, projected to be the last team into the tournament. The last byes of the tournament are most likely to go to Michigan, Miami, Auburn and Marquette. These last couple teams are always teams to look out for. There is almost always a team that comes from what seems like out of nowhere and continues to stun everyone. 

March Madness 2024 Preview

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March Madness Logo (Final Four) Download Vector

By: Nick Sadowy

Nick Sadowy is from Toledo OH, and is a Bowling Green State University student majoring in Sport Management with a minor in Journalism. Nick has a passion for sports including Football, basketball, and UFC, but he is also interested in baseball and golf.

March 10, 2024

OVERVIEW

March Madness is once again just around the corner. The tournament is where any of the 64 teams involved can achieve greatness and immortality in college basketball. The most exciting sports tournament in the world is almost here and this is the preview of a few basketball teams in the tournament.

PURDUE

Image result for zach edey and purdue

Purdue has been one of the country’s most dominant teams all season long. They have been led by 7’4 star center Zach Edey. Purdue has shown they can shoot the three-ball with any team, while also factoring in Edey’s dominance in the paint. The Boilermakers are looking to finally have that successful run toward the national championship.

TENNESSEE

Image result for dalton knecht

The Vols have been led by star senior Dalton Knecht all season. Knecht has been a national player of the year contender, but that is not all Tennessee offers. They also have forward Jonas Aidoo, who is averaging 12.1 pts and 7.6 rebounds with an impressive 1.9 blocks per game. With the duo of Knecht on offense and Aidoo on defense, the Vols have a real chance at making a run for the National championship.

KANSAS

Image result for kansas jayhawks basketball 2024

Kansas has had a somewhat disappointing season for their usual high standards as a basketball program. That however does not change the fact that come tournament time, this team is a dangerous one. They are led by the trio of Hunter Dickinson, K.J. Adams Jr., and Kevin McCullar Jr. When these three are all on the same page both offensively and defensively, it is really hard to stop this team. Come tournament time Kansas is a team to watch.

NORTH CAROLINA

Image result for north carolina basketball

The Tar Heels have been led by star point guard RJ Davis all season long. UNC has many other weapons on the offensive end including Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, and Cormac Ryan. North Carolina hit a rough patch toward the middle of the season but they pulled things together toward the end of the regular season with a win against rival Duke which secured the regular season ACC championship for North Carolina. If Davis, Bacot, Ingram, and Ryan are all locked in on offense, this Tar Heel team will be very difficult to beat.

Other Contenders

Many teams still have an opportunity to get a good seeding in the NCAA tournament and it will be interesting to see how things shake out. Two heavy favorites not mentioned above include defending champs UCONN and the Houston Cougars. Some other teams to keep an eye out for are Marquette, Kentucky, Creighton, Duke, Iowa State, Baylor, and Arizona

At the end of the day, March Madness is exactly what it is advertised as, and that is complete basketball madness. Any of the teams listed above could be eliminated in the first round of the tournament by an underdog no one would expect to win. This tournament is always spectacular year after year, and this year is shaping up to be no different.

NCAA’s Suspension Issues and Their Coaches

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Caption: (L-R) OSU Coaches Urban Meyer (2012-2018), Jim Tressel (2001-2010), UM Coaches Rich Rodriguez (2008-2010), and Jim Harbaugh (2015-present)

By: Brady Shick

Brady Shick is a fourth-year undergraduate student at BGSU from Sagamore Hills, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management and minoring in Marketing. Baseball, golf, and football are his main sport interests.

October 6, 2023

Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer, and Jim Tressel. All highly acclaimed coaches from the Big Ten. All of whom served suspensions from their respective programs due to different NCAA violations. Tressel was initially suspended two games for not notifying university or NCAA officials of Ohio State players taking improper benefits. Tressel requested that his suspension be five games to match the 5-game suspensions of 6 players. Urban Meyer was suspended three games for insufficient action against an assistant coach who allegedly assaulted his wife. Jim Harbaugh was suspended for three games for recruiting violations during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across these eleven games of suspensions their programs collectively went 9-2 with a scoring differential of +233. The only losses came from Tressel’s 2011 Ohio State team that was missing key players due to their acceptance of improper benefits. That means that each of these teams on average was winning by more than three touchdowns during games their head coach was suspended. That was with the head coach supposedly being the catalyst of any program. Urban Meyer built up three struggling programs into top 25 teams before leaving for another school. Harbaugh turned around a Michigan team that was clawing its way to a .500 record and hadn’t beaten The Ohio State in 10 years. Yet with both of these coaching greats missing from the sidelines their teams were winning by almost 30 points.

I don’t believe that these teams should lose because a head coach is missing, but to be dominant has something to say about the severity of the suspensions. Only one of the teams they played during these stretches was ranked and over half of the teams were not from a Power-5 Conference. These suspensions were all against lackluster competition. Because of this, we often see coaches at large schools committing various NCAA violations with little to no consequences. During their suspension, coaches are still allowed to see their players during the week leading up to games. Either way these suspensions don’t actually end up being punishments.

There are a few ways to fix this problem. One, you could start suspending coaches for fewer games and apply suspensions when they play conference games. Two, a coach’s suspension could include daily practices. This would prevent the head coach from having contact with his team and would serve as an actual suspension from the team.

I don’t want to see utter chaos and a team losing their national championship hopes because a coach is suspended. I do want to see actual consequences for breaking the rules.

Kalen Lumpkins’ Guide to 1st Round of the NCAA MBB Tournament  

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Kalen is a fourth year BGSU student from Toledo, Ohio. He is a sports management major with a minor in journalism. His primary sport interests include football and tennis, but he also has an interest in a wide variety in other sports, from baseball to hockey. His dream job outside of college is to be a sportswriter for an organization like ESPN or Sports Illustrated.

March 15, 2023

BOWLING GREEN, OHIO — March is a favorite for many. It is when the weather warms up, the flowers start blooming and the snow turns into rain. 

The main reason, however, is because that is when the best competition in sport starts.

March. Madness. 

Those two words are sure to get any person excited whether they are a basketball fan or not. Looking at the brackets this year could get fans even more excited for the tourney to start. 

The first-round matchups could be the best we have ever seen. However, that means that brackets will be harder to predict.  

Well, just like last year, I am here to help. This time around, though, I will take a different approach. 

For this first round, there will be no confirming or denying of anything from me. Instead, I will simply state what I do/do not like and state facts to keep in mind when you are making your first-round picks.  

So, let us not wait any longer, shall we? 

—

Do keep in mind (All Stats are via ESPN Tournament Challenge): 

  • 9-seeds are 11-5 vs 8-seeds in the past four tourneys
  • At least one 12-seed has beaten a 5-seed in 32 of the last 37 tourneys 
  • 11-seeds are 14-10 vs 6-seeds since 2014 
  • 7-seeds have beaten 10-seeds about 60% of the time 
  • A 15-seed has made the Sweet 16 in the last two tourneys (Oral Roberts and St. Peter’s) 
  • 3-seeds have only lost once in the first round in the past five tourneys 

I like… 

12 Oral Roberts over 5 Duke 

Two tourneys ago, Oral Roberts went on a magical run by making the Sweet 16 as a 15-seed. This time around, they are going for more than a feel-good story. 

The Golden Eagles, led by Max Abmas (22 PPG), are the third highest-scoring offense in the country (84.2 PPG). They also take great care of the ball.

Duke, led by Kyle Filipowski (15 PPG, 9 RPG) could match this with the team’s strong rebounding. The Blue Devils’ problem, though, is that they can go cold from distance, which has hurt them in conference games. 

If Duke struggles to shoot, it could be a long night for the blue bloods. 

13 Kent State over 4 Indiana 

It may have been a shock to MAC fans when Kent State dominated Toledo in the conference title game. KSU is here to show how great they are. 

Kent State was able to make Houston and Gonzaga sweat earlier in the season by holding both teams to some of their lowest point totals. KSU possesses a top-30 adjusted defense efficiency rating. 

The game plan for Kent should be to contain the phenomenal Trayce Jackson-Davis (20.5 PPG, 11 RPG, 2.8 BPG). He leads a balanced Hoosiers team that is also stout on the defensive end. 

The difference in this game could be Indiana’s lack of second-chance opportunities and Kent taking advantage of them. 

Be careful with picking KSU-IU, this game screams bracket-breaker.

12 VCU over 5 St. Mary’s 

This matchup is between two teams that seem to be tourney mainstays. It is also a matchup between teams that are looking for their first tourney win in a while. 

For VCU, this is the third appearance in the Mike Rhodes’ era, and they look to give the coach his first win. The drought has been longer for St. Mary’s, who have only advanced once since 2002. 

VCU will come into this game with a defense that forced turnovers on almost 20% of A-10 opponent possessions. That is a stat that should terrify opposing teams. 

That holds especially true for the Gaels, who prefer to play at a slower pace. Aidan Mahaney (14.7 PPG, 41% from 3) has done a better job spreading the floor, but it may not be enough. 

If VCU can get a lead early, they could keep St. Mary’s at arm’s length the whole way. 

I don’t like… 

11 Mississippi State/Pittsburgh over 6 Iowa State 

Iowa State has struggled lately (5-10 in the last 15) and is a popular pick to be upset by the winner of the Miss State/Pitt match-up. It is not a good idea to forget that the Cyclones still hold a top-10 adjusted defensive efficiency, though. 

Pair that with the extremely slow pace of Pittsburgh (176 teams play faster) or the abysmal three-point shooting of Mississippi State (27.3%), and that spells trouble for these bubble teams. 

Do not be surprised if the Cyclones find their rhythm again and move to round two. 

10 USC over 7 Michigan State 

Even with a top-50 adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency rating, USC still found itself near the bubble. 

That is because the Trojans rely heavily on their starters, which has caused fatigue in key moments. 

The fatigue could come quicker than usual when they face a Michigan State team that shoots 40.11% from three, the third highest in the country. The Spartans are playing for more than a championship as well after the mass shooting that took the lives of three students. 

USC and MSU match up well, but the Spartans should be able to shoot the ball well enough to advance. 

12 Charleston over 5 San Diego State 

The Cougars have not lost a game in over a month, and the 31-3 team has shown that they are not a fluke. Boasting a top-30 tempo and a top-40 offensive rebounding rate, this team is ready to play in the Big Dance. 

The problem that could arise is Charleston’s dependency on shots beyond the arc. 47% of their shots this season have been three-pointers, and they made 33% of them. 

That would have been fine if they were not playing San Diego State. The Mountain West champs have a top-10 defense in the nation and allow under 30% from behind the arc. 

The Aztecs also have an experienced roster that has played in this tourney before and can create quality shots for their teammates. 

Of course, Charleston can adjust, but why change something that has led them to 31 wins? The Cougars are a good team, but they may have a humbling experience after playing SDSU. 

Other Tourney Notes (via NCAA.com)

  • Tennessee has the best defense in the nation, but an injury to Zakai Ziegler has affected the team’s play.
  • Memphis is hot and just beat Houston to win the American conference. 
  • Florida Atlantic has a top-40 offense and defense.
  • Kentucky can outrebound anyone.
  • Providence is 7-8 in their last 15 games.
  • Marquette has a top-5 offense, but poor 2PT defense.
  • Miami’s offense keeps them in games. 
  • Texas A&M has poor shooting, but only allows 40% FG.
  • Will Kansas Head Coach Bill Self be ready for the tourney? 
  • UConn gets 13+ offensive rebounds per game.
  • Northwestern has a top 20 defense. 
  • Boise State has a solid offense and allows just 63.7 PPG.
  • Gonzaga has the highest-scoring offense in the nation (87.5 PPG).

—

The NCAA Men’s Tournament Round of 64 is set to start on March 16 at 12:40 p.m. Happy bracket-making!

Talks of Change Immediate in Wake of Zion Injury

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By Drew Gallagher

February 23, 2019

Drew Gallagher is a first-year undergraduate student at Bowling Green State University. He is planning to major in Sport Management with a minor in General Business. Drew is a proud native of Aurora, Illinois and is interested in many sports, but focuses primarily on baseball and football at the professional and collegiate levels.

On Wednesday, February 20th, the greatest rivalry in college basketball resumed and there was a lot of promotion put into the game. Less than a half-minute into it though, all that excitement was changed to dread for most Duke and NBA fans. As you probably already know, Duke star Zion Williamson suffered a knee injury that could have very well ended his season and maybe even his seemingly locked position as the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. Being that Williamson is arguably the most hyped basketball prospect since LeBron James, you can imagine the thoughts going through everyone from basketball fans to NBA executives’ heads after it happened. Luckily for Zion, the injury is now “being labeled as a mild knee sprain” (Walton, 2019, para 3).

If you’re like me – constantly watching sports talk shows and reading sports articles – you noticed a common theme the day after the injury. Analysts seemed to flip-flop between the implications of the injury for Duke and a potential rule change by the NBA. This would include the eligible age to declare for the NBA draft changing back to 18. This would eliminate the “one-and-done” rule given that prospects could declare directly out of high school. The rationale of most analysts was mainly about a player possibly losing out on money if they sustain a career ending/hurting injury in college when it could have been avoided by being in the NBA already.

This talk was of course to be expected after a player of Zion’s ability had a possible career ending injury. It felt like the national media was just waiting for something like this to happen so that they could criticize the NBA for making players go to school for just one year. I find it interesting that they would wait like that because if it was truly as urgent as they all claimed it to be on Thursday, then it would’ve been just as urgent before the injury ever occurred. And yet, talk about a possible rule change only happened occasionally before. Granted, one may argue that since Williamson is as good as he is, the injury finally woke these people up and cemented the idea in their minds.

The media’s continual coverage helped lead the NBA to propose lowering the eligible draft age only a day later. This would be the first step towards changing the rule back to what it once was in the early 2000s. According to Goldberg, “the timing is reportedly coincidental” coming the day after the injury (Goldberg, para 3). I do find it very hard to believe that the injury just happened to occur the day before they planned to report this. The NBA would need to most likely wait to change this rule for good until the new CBA is agreed upon sometime within the next five years.

I do find it very interesting that this sort of talk has been reserved to the basketball ranks and has yet to make it into college football yet. This is surprising when you think about the risk of injury being much more prevalent in the sport of football than basketball. I did hear the occasional discussion about it when Nick Bosa decided to sit out for the rest of his season at Ohio State after an injury, but this talk was nothing compared to the media storm caused by Williamson’s injury.

It was apparent to any sports fan this week that Williamson’s injury caused a huge stir within the sporting community. We will see if the national media keeps arguing for the case of a rule change in the coming months leading up to the draft. My guess is that this talk will not cool down much until then.

 

References

Goldberg, R. (2019, February 21). NBA proposes lowering eligible draft age to 18 after Zion Williamson knee injury. Bleacher Report. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2821830-nba-proposes-lowering-eligible-draft-age-to-18-after-zion-williamson-knee-injury

Walton, M. (2019, February 21). Zion Williamson injury updated to Grade 1 right knee sprain. NBC Sports Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/zion-williamson-injury-updated-grade-1-right-knee-sprain

Maryland Football Coach DJ Durkin Fired Day After Reinstatement

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Drew Gallagher is a first-year undergraduate student at Bowling Green State University. He is planning to major in Sport Management with a minor in General Business. Drew is a proud native of Aurora, Illinois and is interested in many sports, but focuses primarily on baseball and football at the professional and collegiate levels.

DJ Durkin, the head football coach at the University of Maryland, was fired from his job Wednesday after being reinstated just a day before by the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents (Dotson & Almasy, 2018).

For those who may not be aware of the incident for which Durkin was being investigated , it was his involvement in the June death of former Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair. McNair was a redshirt freshman who collapsed at the team’s first organized workout of the summer on May 29th, 2018. This was due to apparent heat exhaustion. He went to the hospital and was reported as being in “critical but stable condition” (Connors, 2018). McNair died two weeks later on June 13th and an investigation into his death was started almost immediately.

Durkin was later found to be present during the incident and was eventually placed on leave along with two medical staffers. The report later found that Maryland’s training staff failed to properly recognize McNair’s signs of heat exhaustion (Connors, 2018). The USM Board then began to conduct their own investigation. Much later on Tuesday, October 29th, after multiple meetings about the investigation, the Board announced that Durkin would be able to keep his job. The day after the reinstatement, he was fired from his position.

This timeline of events is very strange regardless of how anybody may feel about the incident itself. Those close to the incident such as McNair’s family member or teammates were surprised that Durkin was even reinstated in the first place. This was because of the very negative-leaning findings of how he and the training staff had handled McNair’s condition. Durkin’s firing coming the day after his reinstatement makes the situation even stranger.

The fact that this happened raises many different questions on the part of sports fans. Had the University planned to fire Durkin no matter what the Board of Regents decided? Did they only decide to do this during the short period of time between his reinstatement and firing? One could argue that the huge backlash from the media and it’s followers could have had a lot to do with the firing. It appeared that most people were opposed to the Board’s decision and this opposition may have forced the University to make a decision for the sake of their public relations.

The fact remains that at the end of the day, a young man is dead. Whether this was due to the carelessness of his coaches or because of some sort of freak accident is still up in the air. While this may never be known for certain, some may say that Durkin’s firing needed to happen for the sake of justice.

References

Connors, R. (2018, October 31). A timeline of Maryland football, from DJ Durkin’s hiring until now. SB Nation. Retrieved from https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2018/10/30/17921896/maryland-football-dj-durkin-jordan-mcnair-wallace-loh

Dotson, K., & Almasy, S. (2018, November 1). Maryland football coach DJ Durkin fired a day after being reinstated. CNN.com. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/31/us/maryland-football-coach-durkin-fired/index.html

“DAD. WALK IT BACK.”

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By Dr. Nancy E. Spencer, Associate Professor, BGSU Sport Management Program

During a press conference at the NCAA Final Four, UConn Coach Geno Auriemma was asked about the declining number of women coaches.[1] He responded by saying, “not as many women want to coach” (Jones, 2017, para. 3). Research confirms that his response is a common refrain. In a study by Acosta and Carpenter (1994), men and women athletic administrators were asked to provide reasons for the decline of women in coaching and administration of intercollegiate athletics. The responses revealed pronounced gender differences. Women perceived that there were systemic issues (e.g., a successful ‘old-boys’ network; lack of support for women; and unconscious discrimination), while men pointed to problems with individual women (i.e., failure of women to apply; lack of qualified women coaches and administrators; and time constraints due to family responsibilities) (Acosta & Carpenter, 1994). In a more recent NCAA study by Rachel Stark, the following reasons were given: increasing demands of coaching; constraints on working mothers; homophobia; lack of mentors and/or networking opportunities; and gender bias (Longman, 2017).

Two Final Four women coaches also gave their thoughts about why there are fewer women coaches. Stanford Coach Tara Van Derveer said that “women aren’t recycled in the way that men are” (Jenkins, 2017, para. 12). A unique example occurred with former Vanderbilt Coach, Melanie Balcomb, who was fired in 2016. Three months after not being hired elsewhere, South Carolina’s NCAA winning Coach Dawn Staley, hired Balcomb to serve as an “analytics consultant” (Jenkins, 2017, para. 15).

When Geno’s comments were discussed on “Around-the-Horn,” Prof. Kevin Blackistone confirmed research findings. Blackistone pointed out that before Title IX was enacted in 1972, more than 90% of coaches and administrators of women’s teams were women, while the average percentage of all women collegiate coaches is now around 43%. (see: Acosta & Carpenter, 2014). According to Nicole LaVoi, Co-Director of the Tucker Center, her biggest concern is that young women are missing “the opportunity to have a female coaching role model” (Longman, 2017, para. 25).

While many coaches, journalists and broadcasters have responded to Coach Auriemma’s statements, perhaps the best response was the one his daughter wrote on Twitter: “DAD, WALK IT BACK.” She added: “I’m pretty sure what dad was trying to say, in a limited, male perspective, is that a lot of avenues are open to women now that weren’t” (Jenkins, 2017, para. 8). Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with Coach Auriemma or his daughter, the door has been opened to an important dialogue that journalists and broadcasters have made more visible.

[1] According to NCAA statistics, the percentage of women coaches of Division I women’s basketball teams has declined from 63% in 2007-2008 to 56% in 2015-2016

Reflections on Laremy Tunsil’s Historic Draft Slide

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by Brendan Ripley-Barasch

The 2016 NFL Draft was held this past Thursday night in Chicago and there were some surprises to say the least. A couple of things that may have shocked some fans included linebacker Myles Jack falling out of the first-round, CB Eli Apple being drafted at No. 10 by the New York Giants, and the mind-boggling amount of former Ohio State Buckeyes taken in the first-round. But one thing that took everyone by surprise was how far offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil fell.

                                                                                    Image via http://www.clarionledger.com

A dramatic series of events led to Tunsil falling all the way to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13. This player, who was once seen as the number one overall prospect in the draft, saw his downfall begin moments before the draft. Exactly thirteen minutes before the start of the draft, a video was posted to Laremy’s verified Twitter account that showed the former Ole Miss Rebel smoking what is assumed to be weed from a gas-mask bong. After a couple of minutes the video was taken down and the account was then deactivated. The video may have only been up for a few minutes but the damage was done and once again the power of social media was demonstrated.

Even after Tunsil had been selected by the Dolphins the mayhem continued. After the pick, an image was uploaded to Laremy’s Instagram account that showed text messages supposedly between Ole Miss Assistant Athletic Director John Miller and Tunsil. The conversation consisted of Tunsil seeking money from Miller to pay his mother’s rent and electric bills. Last season at Ole Miss, Laremy served a seven-game suspension stemming from similar accusations where he was found guilty of accepting improper benefits.

When it was all over, Laremy was still drafted in the top twenty but his fall cost him millions of dollars. In an article from ESPN titled Video kept Ravens from drafting Laremy Tunsil with No. 6 overall pick, writer Jamison Hensley discusses how the video impacted the Baltimore Ravens evaluation of Tunsil. The author writes, “The Baltimore Ravens would have taken Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil with the No. 6 overall pick were it not for the gas mask video that surfaced.” Even though he only talks about one team, it is probably fair to say the twelve other teams that passed on the prospect were thinking similarly. In the same article, Hensley writes something that ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, “According to Schefter, Tunsil lost $7 million by falling seven spots in the draft.” Not only did this social media blunder tarnish the player’s image, but it also caused him to lose a lot of money.

It was very hard to watch this young man’s life just unravel right in front of us on one of the biggest stages in professional sports. But this is just the latest case of athletes suffering at the hands of social media. Recently it has been reported that the Dolphins believe Tunsil’s former financial adviser is who hacked into these accounts and posted the image and video. During the draft, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden gave his opinion on the issue, “We live in a glass house these days. … There’s a lot of money and people’s futures at stake. I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt Tunsil. Hopefully it’s a learning experience for him. He’s gotta clean this up if he wants to play in this league.” With this statement, Gruden echoes mine and surely many others opinions.

Following the draft, Laremy Tunsil admitted to the media that he had in fact taken money from an Ole Miss coach and that the screenshots were real. It is unclear whether the NCAA had already been aware of these actions since they had already suspended the player last season for the same reason. Now that Tunsil had admitted such a thing to an audience of millions, the NCAA will surely continue their investigation with the university.

This event is one of the most publicized examples of an athlete being punished for things that had been posted to their social media accounts. Obviously it is unfortunate for Tunsil to fall all the way to No. 13, but he is saying all the right things starting with accepting full responsibility for his actions. The player has a bright future ahead of him in the NFL but this will follow him for many years to come. It cannot be emphasized enough how big of a role social media plays in forming a person’s image and it is crucial for athletes as well as regular people to realize how to properly use these platforms. It is my hope that other athletes learn from this and don’t make the same mistake Tunsil did.