$10,000
Login to view embedded media

With the amount of talent El Paso has should UTEP consider finally bringing a baseball team and would the team be successful?

Yes I know this is a UTEP board. Just passing along.

Dana Altman expects a physical game on Saturday night inside Matthew Knight Arena. The Oregon Ducks will host visiting UTEP at 6 PM, and he's been preparing his team for the coming physical contest.

During the portion of practice this week the Ducks allowed media to watch, Altman repeatedly preached the importance of not shying away from contact. He hammered home UTEP is coming into Saturday night's game, hoping to speed the tempo up and play physically. He wants his Ducks to be ready for the fight that's coming.


"They are very athletic, really aggressive defensively; we are going to have to be strong with the ball," said Dana Altman.


The Miners are 6-3 on the season, and they've already secured a win over the Pac-12 program in California in November. They beat UC Santa Barbara by 13 points in November and are coming off a 28-point win over Western New Mexico.


Altman hopes Oregon's players tap into the same mindset they used last Saturday at home against Michigan, in which the Ducks out-played a taller and deeper Michigan squad. Oregon won in overtime.


"We are going to have to play well, no doubt about it," Altman said of this weekend's game against UTEP. "We gave a lot of energy in that Michigan game. Grit. The crowd was great. We're going to need that same type of effort, same type of energy to beat a really good UTEP team."


The Minors create nearly 12 steals per game this season, and six players average one steal or better. Guards Tae Hardy and Zid Powell lead the team in two steals per game. Oregon will again be shorthanded at the guard position as starting point guard Jesse Zarzuela will be unavailable due to a foot injury. Freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad will start in his place for the second straight game.


"They force over 18 turnovers a game. Ball handling, handling their pressure will be critical," said Altman.


Oregon continues to play without starting center N'Faly Dante and starting power forward Nate Bittle due to injury. Oregon freshman wing Mookie Cook has begun to do light workouts outside of practice as he recovers from his injury before the year started, but Altman said he's still not ready to play.

That means the Ducks will continue to rely on a two-person rotation at the forward spot between first-year student and five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr and senior transfer Mahamadou Diawara. Diawara's offseason addition may have gone unnoticed by most in August, but the move has proven to be a critical addition.


"He's done a great job. I don't know where we'd be without him with Nate and Dante down and Mooki not playing [yet]," said Altman.


"Mo has been our most physical player. Whatever we need, he tries to do. I couldn't be happier with him. "


Over his last four games in a more significant role, Diawara averaged 20 minutes, 6.25 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4-four shots. Altman said as he gets more settled into his new role, the confidence to perform on the court is growing.


"He knows he has to play, that helps anybody," said Altman. "He's worked hard ever since day one. I've had no hesitation to put him in at all. He's been banged up a bit, but he's playing through it. He's done a tremendous job."


The Ducks have also changed their offense without Bittle and Dante on the floor, and that's been a move Altman says has helped freshman Kwame Evans Jr. The 6-foot-10 freshman is more of a face-up stretch forward than a true center.

"He does get some matchup advantages with bigger five-men, so it should be to his advantage on the offensive end," said Altman.


In the last four games, Evans has averaged 8.25 points, shot 4-of-9 on 3-pointers, and blocked five shots. Rebounding and defense are where Altman notes he needs to improve. Evans had just two rebounds in the last two games while picking up seven total fouls.


"He has to change his physicality on the defensive end of the end and the boards, but he's working on it," said Altman. "But it's an adjustment."

The Origins of College Football Team Names

Login to view embedded media
I just don’t get WKU? They have a solid, competitive program?

https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-propo...in-direct-athlete-compensation-145051537.html

I’m curious to get your guys’ thoughts on this. It seems like this could create an even bigger gap between the haves and the have nots. But I’m also curious to know how this affects the many college athletic departments that lose money year after year.

Any announcements, or estimated timing on Walden's staff?

A great idea started years ago is now a nightmare for some. DWI deaths, public intoxication, urination near Kern homes, stabbings, fights, some belligerent owners who will not comply with guidelines, and now the 2nd shooting in 2 weeks in the Cincy District. "The Devil's Triangle" (Northeast) doesn't need the competition.

EPPD needs help with this area.

Only Liberty had as many:

The announcers during the SMU-Tulane game are all-in advocating that 2-loss SMU should get the nod because they shouldn't be "punished" for playing P5 teams. I don't think SMU should be "rewarded" for losing to them, either.

A cupcake game. I'm curious if we'll see anything new except a blowout against lesser talent.

This is a prediction thread. We have a great discussion going in the other thread around the names being tossed around. I want to know who you PREDICT Senter will hire. My prediction is Jason Eck simply because of their familiarity with each other.

During those last 11 seconds or so, Don Haskins would not have called a time out. He would have inbounded the ball and attacked the rim for an easy 2 or a hoop plus the foul.

Mexico 56 USA 0

What type of players does the NCAA sent to these games ?

Login to view embedded media

Born in El Paso attended Radford School, graduated from Austin High School. First female U.S. Supreme Court Justice. A rancher's daughter, a rancher and pioneer. Quite a life. Requiescat in pace.

UTEP will be a top 25 team next season.

****But only, If Coach Golding doesn't lose any key contributors and he adds a quality big man and some shooters.****

It's a damn good thing that I'm not an AD. I have come to the conclusion that I really suck at picking basketball coaches.

I was at work when the Tim Floyd hire was announced. I screamed out loudin delight. My coworkers came rushing to my desk to see what was wrong. I thought that a new and glorious era of UTEP Basketball, similar to what we experienced in the 80s, was eminent. I couldn't have been more wrong.

After Floyd's failure, I was on board with Terry. I loved his history as a recruiter, thought that his Fresno State teams showed improvement, and appreciated the fact that he was able to lead them to an NCAA Tournament birth. For 1.5 seasons I thought that I had been correct, despite the struggles we knew he would experience his first year, then the wheels came off in Hawaii during his sophomore campaign. He did prove that he could recruit, but his coaching left much to be desired. He would have been fired as coach if he hadn't lucked into the opportunity that Chris Beard provided him.

I had two favorites during the search for our current coach: Tang and Golding. It looks like I was miraculously right about Tang. I liked him after watching Baylor's defense when they won the title. Gonzaga's offense was one of the best I had ever seen, yet they were completely flummoxed by Baylor's suffocating defense. I wanted that defense here at UTEP. But I also liked Golding. I loved how he had built his ACU team from nothing into a conference champion, two time NCAA Tournament team, and Tournament game winner, something we haven't done since '92. I was excited when he was hired and pumped after his introductory press conference. The season is still young, so he has ample opportunity to change my mind, but from where I stand now it looks like I was wrong again, just as I was with Floyd and Terry.

Good thing that I'm not an AD. You guys would be coming after me with pitchforks and torches. If I had a clone he'd join you.