Eric Lacy
A Reed reunion?
The Naples (Fla.) Daily News reported Friday that Michigan will play Florida Gulf Coast in basketball, 7 p.m. Dec. 22 at Crisler Arena. The story can be found here. If you recall, Florida Gulf Coast is where guard Reed Banker transfered to. A story about Baker's initial commitment to Michigan and former coach Tommy Amaker can be found here. How someone can go from being "elated" to be at Michigan to leaving a year later is rather interesting, isn't it? Well, there's at least two sides to that story. Michigan claimed Baker was on a one-year scholarship tender that expired and wouldn't be renewed. Those close to Baker, including his high school coach, said Baker never wanted to leave UM, could have stayed, but was told it would be best for him to pursue playing opportunities elsewhere. To this day, I'm still not exactly sure what to believe. If this Florida Gulf Coast-Michigan game does happen, it should be interesting. Baker is expected to be eligible for the game. A link to a Florida Gulf Coast press release about Baker can be found here. A brief preview of this year's team can be found here. It should be noted that Baker had a great attitude at Michigan and got along very well with his teammates and coaches. I hope things work out for him. He was a fan favorite at Michigan and was nicknamed "Reed Baker The Three-Point Maker." Baker's recruitment to Michigan was rather strange. He came up to Ann Arbor to play pick up ball with some players and claims Amaker never saw him play live, but decided to give him a scholarship anyway. I'll never forget how excited he was to get the offer. In a phone interview, he told me he wanted the cell number of whomever gave Amaker such a positive review of his play. "I have to give them a call and thank them!," Baker told me. "This is a dream come true!"
Eric Lacy
Benzing not enrolling at UM
Michigan basketball recruit Robin Benzing, from Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany, will not enroll at the school due to NCAA eligibility rules, the school announced Friday. Benzing, 6-feet-10, 210 pounds, was supposed to be added to Michigan coach John Beilein's 2008 class, but now appears to have an uncertain playing future ahead of him. "We felt Robin had a very good chance of qualification, but in the end the NCAA eligibility center found him to be just short of eligibility to receive a scholarship from any Division I university," Beilein said in a statement. "While we were aware of the risk involved with this signing and we are disappointed for Robin, it does not deter our confidence in finding the right student-athletes for the future of this basketball program." Beilein also said in a press release that Benzing still has some basketball playing options in the U.S., Europe or possibly elsewhere. "Robin is a fine young man and we will continue to provide him with the NCAA information he will need if he continues to pursue options in the United States," Beilein said. "If he does not pursue these options, I assume he will begin playing at a professional level in Europe starting this fall." The Wolverines have four newcomers to the program next season: 7-foot center Ben Cronin of Syracuse, N.Y., guard Stu Douglass of Carmel, Ind., guard Zack Novak of Chesterton, Ind. and guard Laval Lucas-Perry of Grand Blanc. Lucas-Perry transferred last season from Arizona and will be eligible to play for Michigan in late December.
Eric Lacy
MSU recruit becomes "elite"
Midland native Andrew Maxwell, a Michigan State football commitment for 2009, was named Tuesday by ESPN as one of the Elite 11 quarterbacks in the country. The Elite 11 is an event that provides the nation's top signal callers high-level instruction from various experts in the game. It will be held July 21-24 in southern California. Some YouTube video of Maxwell can be found here, within a message board thread. Maxwell was notified Sunday of his Elite 11 status and said camp organziers told him they were impressed with his quick release and footwork in his high school's pro-style offense. "It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Maxwell said. "I'll get to measure myself against some of the country's best." Maxwell takes pride in being one of the only elite level throwers to ever come out of Midland. "I feel lucky," Maxwell said. "It's a testament to our state, my city, our league and shows the kind of players we are capable of putting out there. "It's not all about me, there's a ton of great players and I hope this opens some eys and shows there are a lot of players here that are pretty fierce about football." More than 1,000 high school quarterbacks are evaluated by ESPN RISE's Nike Camp and EA Sports' Elite 11 regional camps to earn this honor. Midland coach Eric Methner is happy for Maxwell becasue he's "a team first guy" that isn't afraid to give maximum effort. "I'm just tickled to death that he's being recognized for all the hard work he's put in," Methner said. "He's a workaholic, those 6:30 in the morning workouts with me, him and the other quarterbacks have really paid off." During the 2007 season, Maxwell (6-foot-3, 193 pounds) led Midland High with 2,024 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 14 games. Maxwell is ranked a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and ranked No. 11 at his position nationally by the recruiting service. Notable Elite 11 alumni include the Tennessee Titans' Vince Young, the Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart and the Oakland Raiders' JaMarcus Russell. All quarterbacks selected from the camp will compete against each other and receive teaching from counselors including college players Colt McCoy (Texas), Curtis Painter (Purdue) and Mark Sanchez (Southern California). Former Spartans player Drew Stanton, now with the Lions, is an Elite 11 alumnus along with Keith Nichol, a current MSU player from Lowell, Mich. who transferred last spring from Oklahoma. For more on Maxwell, check out this column from the Saginaw News.
Eric Lacy
Report: New MSU verbal
Derek Hoebing, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end and offensive lineman, committed Sunday to Michigan State, according to Spartanmag.com, an affiliate of Rivals.com. Hoebing, of Vermilion, Ohio, is considered an unranked two-star recruit and reportedly the 12th committmet for the Spartans' 2009 class - considered by Rivals as one of the 10 best nationwide. It was a big weekend of recruiting for the Spartans as they received Saturday a verbal from Detroit Country Day receiver Bennie Fowler. Fowler, at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, is considered by Rivals.com as a two-star prospect, who was also courted by Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Indiana.
Dana Wakiji
Category: Country Day receiver commits to MSU
Posted by Dana Wakiji on Sat, Jul 12, 2008 at 9:29 PMThis in from Tom Markowski
Benny Fowler, a 6-2, 190-pound receiver from Detroit Country Day, committed to Michigan State University on Saturday. Fowler received a number of scholarship offers from other Big Ten schools according to Country Day coach Dan MacLean. Fowler is the defending Division 2 champion in the long jump (22 feet, 5 ﾼ inches). Fowler is also a sprinter on the track team.
Eric Lacy
LLP playing overseas
Michigan guard Laval Lucas-Perry is currently playing overseas for Athletes in Action and appears to be holding his own against foreign competition. In the William Jones Cup, a tournament in Taiwan, Lucas-Perry had 9 points in a 67-63 loss Thursday to Jordan and 14 in a 81-67 win Friday over Qatar. I'm not sure what the competition is like over there, but it's good to see Laval get an opportunity to play this summer. Information about the tournament can be found here and here. The second link requires a translation. Try this link from Google. The Athletes in Action Web site, which includes tournament updates, can be found here. The team roster includes Damian Long (formerly of Harvard), Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia), Nick Graham (Washington State), Stephen McDowell (Chattanooga), Dane Brumagin (Missouri-Kansas City), Benjamin Woodside (North Dakota State), Brett Winkelman (North Dakota State), Marcus Kitts (William and Mary) and Jamel McLean (Xavier). What's real interesting is the AIA's selection of it's coach, Dave Bliss. Bliss, as you recall, was caught in the middle of a murder scandal involving two of his players at Baylor. Bliss was reportedly caught on tape by an assistant telling players what to say to investigators about the slaying of Patrick Dennehy. Bliss reportedly told players to say Dennehy paid his tuition by dealing drugs. Well, since that whole ordeal back in 2005, one that saw teammate Carlton Dotson plead guilty to the killing, it appears Bliss has shown plenty of remorse and is trying to move on. An interesting Washington Post story about the coach can be found here.
Off topic note: If Michigan fans need some inspiration for the hoops program during these dog days of summer, I would recommend checking out some 2007 West Virginia highlights.
Eric Lacy
Impressive Purdue project
It's going to take a while (probably several years) for Michigan to completely renovate Crisler Arena and get a basketball practice facility. Athletic department officials should seek advice from those at Purdue, who appear to have everything in order for facility improvements. If you have ever been to Mackey Arena, you know it's similar in structure and amenities to Crisler Arena. Both opened in 1967. An Indianapolis Star story about Purdue's $99.5 million Mackey Arena complex can be found here. Updated renderings of the project (in PDF format) can be found here. The project, according to the story, will include "new sports medicine and rehabilitation offices, strength and conditioning facilities, new locker rooms, new coaches rooms, practice courts and several fan-friendly concession and meeting areas." Purdue is already a program on the rise under Matt Painter, one of the best young coaches in the nation. Just think what it could be like, especially on the recruiting trail, once this project is completed. It's reportedly a 39-month, four-phase effort that already has raised $23 million of the $32 million needed from gift funding. The Star story says the remainder of the $99.5 million project will be funded by "increased concession and premium-seating revenue and income generated from the Big Ten Network and other television funds." Maybe Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson can pony up some cash. He should have some dollars left over after an 11-year NBA career, which included an unprecedented 10-year $68 million rookie deal with the Bucks.
Eric Lacy
MSU and 1-AA teams
DETROIT - Some Michigan State fans probably laughed when they heard the news Michigan scheduled 1-AA Appalachian State last season. Well, supporters of the Wolverines might chuckle now because it appears the Spartans will be scheduling 1-AA teams for future football seasons. "I think that's going to have to happen," coach Mark Dantonio said. "There's finances involved in (scheduling), people charging X amount to play at a place. "I think it's going to happen at some point, (but) I'm not really sure when." Dantonio, in town Wednesday to throw the first pitch at the Tigers game, wouldn't confirm or deny reports a home game will be played Sept. 5, 2009 against 1-AA Montana State. But an e-mail sent late last month by MSU's athletic department to season ticket holders does list the game as one of 12 for the 2009 campaign. "The nature of having a 12th game now puts people in a situation where they have to schedule 1-AA teams," Dantonio said. "There's just not enough (Division 1-A) teams to go around." Teams across the country now have to at least consider scheduling 1-AA teams including Penn State, who opens its 2008 season with Coastal Carolina. "When I was at South Carolina (in the late 70s as a player), Coastal Carolina was a baseball team," Dantonio said. Michigan State and Montana State officials say a contract hasn't been signed to play the game. Western Michigan confirmed last week it is in discussions with MSU about a 2009 game at Ford Field. The e-mail sent to MSU season ticket holders says the game will be played Nov. 7, 2009. In other news, Dantonio said his team is in good academic standing and hasn't had any off the field incidents this offseason. "There's a couple of guys that have to get things done (academically) in August," Dantonio said. "But I would say 99 percent of the people are set right now."
Eric Lacy
Catching up with Klatt
Got in touch Wednesday afternoon with new MSU football recruit Nate Klatt, considered one of the top centers for the 2009 class (see previous blog). The Ohio native sounded amped to be part of Mark Dantonio's program and said there is another highly touted offensive player from Ohio considering MSU. Klatt politely declined to identify the player, but said this prospect is looking hard at MSU and believes the program is taking the right steps toward consistent success. "He's got his eye on them, he thinks it's a program on the rise," Klatt said. "There's that feeling right now with a lot of kids (in Ohio), since there's already so many good kids coming into the program." Klatt's main recruiter was Spartans defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. Both Narduzzi and Dantonio have shared their excitement about the Rivals.com top 10 ranked 2009 class with Klatt, which appears to fire up the lineman up for the future. "I think (MSU) is becoming a team that people won't want to mess with in the Big Ten," Klatt said. Klatt has a 3.86 GPA and could start taking classes in East Lansing in January, which would allow him to participate in spring practice. But Klatt said there are some details that still need to be worked out. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear about more MSU commitments very soon.
Eric Lacy
MSU recruiting on fire
Nate Klatt, an offensive lineman from Canal Fulton (Ohio) Northwest, made it known Wednesday morning on Sirius Satellite Radio that he's a Spartan. Klatt, of the 2009 class, is ranked by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit and the No.4 center in the nation. Klatt made his announcement on Rivals Radio, a great channel that can be heard for free here. Klatt is listed by Rivals at 6-foot-4, 286 pounds and reportedly chose MSU over Kansas, Northwestern, Indiana, Bowling Green and Akron. Rivals says Klatt has a 4.0 GPA. This appears to be quite a get for Mark Dantonio, who already has a '09 recruiting class ranked by Rivals as a top 10 class. I got a feeling that Dantonio and his staff could build on this ranking even further. According to Rivals, MSU's '09 class has 10 commitments, seven of those that are four-star recruits. The other four stars are running backs Edwin Baker (Oak Park) and Larry Caper (Battle Creek), quarterback Andrew Maxwell (Midland), linebacker Chris Norman (Detroit), receiver Donald Spencer (Ypsilanti) and offensive lineman Blake Treadwell (East Lansing) - son of MSU offensive coordinator Don Treadwell. See a trend here? More on Klatt can be found here. Dantonio is expected to get a chance to relax today as he's scheduled to be at the Tigers-Indians game at Comerica Park, where he's expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
