TSN Looks At Xavier

The Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy blogs about Xavier. 

Grizzlies On Big Ten Network

According to Michigan State’s schedule (.pdf file), Oakland’s November 24th game against the Spartans will be televised by the Big Ten Network.  Tip-off is slated for 4:00 pm. 

Both the Golden Grizzlies encounters with Big Ten opposition will be on the new network, as the game at Michigan will also be a BTN production.

I wonder if any of the big cables providers in Michigan will be offering the Big Ten Network by then? 

An Early Look At Michigan State

Fox Sports’ Dick Weiss submits a typical September piece on Michigan State.  Spartans’ All-America guard Drew Neitzel is the (deserving) focus of the story.

OU will see plenty of MSU this season.  The Golden Grizzlies travel to East Lansing on Saturday, November 24.  Last year, the Spartans ran the Grizzlies clear out of the gym. 

Oakland also plays in the Spartan Clash on December 22 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.  MSU will take on Texas in the opener and the Grizzlies will face nationally ranked Oregon in the second game of the doubleheader.

Athlon’s Preview

I was at the grocery store this morning and stumbled upon a copy of Athlon’s college basketball preview magazine in the checkout aisle.  Thankfully, the editors arranged the conference previews in alphabetical order, so I was able to quickly find the Summit League section.  (Hey, I didn’t have time to waste, I had groceries to pay for.)

The long-running mag has Oakland finishing fourth in the conference.  Athlon’s has IUPUI first, ND State second and Oral Roberts third.

As far as their look at the Golden Grizzlies, it consists of a single paragraph.  Sure, it’s an extended paragraph, but you aren’t going to uncover much in a paragraph.  (Hence, the magazine returned to the shelf.)

Here’s the core of Athlon’s preview:  Erik Kangas (an Athlon’s first team All-Summit League choice), Johnathon Jones and Rick Billings return and are the center of the offense.  Insightful, yes?

I can’t be too upset as that was the format for all of the teams in the Summit.  Part of that is Athlon’s fault, as they opt to provide cursory data on anyone not a powerhouse.  Yes, some could argue that’s all they provide on the big schools, as well.  Point taken.

In fairness to Athlon’s, everybody does this.  I don’t expect a glowing Summit League preview from The Sporting News, Lindy’s, Street & Smith’s or any of the other traditional annuals.  People buy college hoops magazines to read about North Carolina, Duke, UCLA and Kansas, not IUPUI, ORU and Oakland.

However, with the amount of information at our disposable, literally at our fingertips, shouldn’t we be getting more than a paragraph?  It’s the 21st Century, for crying out loud.

Of course, the other part of the problem is that the Summit League/Mid-Con just hasn’t produced a program of note.  Yes, Valpo fans, your lads did pull the upset.  However, Valpo’s gone and nobody left standing has consistently pulled off NCAA Tournament wins or even the legendary upset.

Until somebody from the league can knock an elite program out of The Dance, the anonimity, and single paragraph previews, will probably remain.

As I recall, Athlon’s was $6.99.  If you want the traditional college hoops pre-season fare, I would not discourage you from plunking down the cash.  However, if you are hoping for some in-depth material on the Summit League or your Grizzlies, you might be better off saving your cash.

Perhaps, now is a good time to pose a question.  GGH readers, which is your favorite pre-season college basketball annual?

ESPN’s Summit Shoot Around

ESPN’s pre-season series entitled Shoot Around has made its way to the Summit League.  Amongst the things Jeff Shelman offers is a fond farewell to Valpo, a look at why North Dakota State is getting so much love and a quick rundown of each squad. 

While Mr. Shelman had nice things to say about Oakland’s team this year, alas, he informs us that Shawn Hopes is back for ‘07-’08.  As much as I wish that were true, Hopes played his senior season last year.  (Please somebody tell me he’s right and I’m wrong.  Please.  Anybody?) 

Nobody’s perfect, so I’ll spot him his boo-boo.  Although, hammering the mainstream media is a blogger’s job.  I do wonder, though, if his praise of the Golden Grizzlies might be more tempered in light of Hopes’ absence from the roster?  (Actually, I’m not wondering at all.  I’m sure Shelman would re-evaluate his opinion knowing OU’s lowpost force was missing.)

In spite of the error, go check out ESPN’s look at the Summit League.  Consider it Conference Overview 101. 

A New (Grizzly) Bear In The House

I’m not sure if this qualifies as basketball related, nor am I remotely sure you care, but Oakland University has unveiled a new mascot. 

Don’t panic.   OU hasn’t dropped the Golden Grizzlies nickname.  (Of course, if you are a Pioneer, you might hope the Grizzlies title went bye-bye.  That’s fodder for another day.)  No, we just have a new version of the bear. 

My initial thoughts:

* This one does look more like a real bear, so I guess it’s an upgrade.

* How much did it cost to re-design our Grizzly?

Look, I’m old school.  If they decided to spare someone from running around the O’Rena in a Grizzly suit, I’d be cool with that.  New Grizz, old Grizz, no Grizz — my enjoyment of the game wouldn’t be diminished.  Or increased, for that matter. 

Honestly, I’d rather the university spend the capital on actual athletic program improvements than mascot improvements.  However small the amount spent on bear re-engineering, could it have been better spent on a team in need of a few extra bucks?  I’m just asking.

Regardless, the new Grizzly is here to stay.  I welcome him or her with open arms.  To show my heart is in the right place, I expect to have a picture taken with the new BBOC sometime before January 1. 

CHN’s #72: Michigan

Joel Welser’s ongoing Top 144 list continues over at College Hoops Net.  The seventy-second team in Mr. Welser’s pre-season rankings in none other than the University of Michigan.

Coach Kampe and the team head to Ann Arbor on December 12 to take on Coach Beilein’s side.  The game, according to Michigan’s website, will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.  Tip-off is slated for 7:00pm. 

Third In The Summit

If you read the comments around here, you probably stumbled upon Michael Litos note that Lindy’s has Oakland finishing in third place in the Summit League this year. 

Mr. Litos, of The CAA: Life As A Mid-Major blog, said that the college basketball annual also has IUPUI as the conference winner.  Summit League and Division I newbie North Dakota State is projected to climb into second place. 

Lindy’s has traditional Summit/Mid-Con power Oral Roberts landing in fourth spot.  I, for one, will believe that when it happens.

A third place pre-season nod for the Grizzlies seems reasonable to me.  OU has enough frontcourt questions to keep them from getting more pre-season love.  Of course, I’m harboring much bigger expectations than third place. 

Thanks to Michael for sharing the heads-up on Lindy’s predictions.  Let this be a lesson to all — always read the comments.

Xavier Preview

Lindy’s has posted a preview of Xavier’s 2007-08 squad.   (Alright, it’s more of a blog post, but you get the idea.)  Not surprisingly, Xavier is going to be good again. 

The Golden Grizzlies travel south to take on the Musketeers on Wednesday, November 28.

Studying For Michigan

As I’m sure you know, Oakland travels to Ann Arbor this December to take on Michigan.  The Wolverines have issued a summer prospectus that includes a detailed look at their roster.

For those of you diligently studying all of the Golden Grizzlies opposition this year, now might be a good time to brush up on the Wolverines.