For as long as I can remember my brother has loved sports.  When he was growing up he didn’t just play basketball in the front yard.  He also was the announcer and crowd, but I don’t know many kids who weren’t the same way.  For a while there, he wanted to be a sportscaster for ESPN until he got into coaching and seemed to find that being that close to the game of basketball was really where his heart was.  Over the last decade or so he’s been a successful coach in girls/women’s basketball, and this week that turned into something more.

As his sister, I’m probably biased, but I think he’s brilliant.  I think it’s taken way too long for other people in the game of basketball and sports in general to recognize the talent he has, but this week all those other people took a step in the right direction. 

Alwood Hired As Director Of Women’s Basketball Operations

TAMPA -University of South Florida head women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez announced this afternoon the hiring of Andy Alwood as the program’s Director of Women’s Basketball Operations. Alwood replaces veteran Florida high school coach Cayll Smith who moved to Pittsburgh to pursue other opportunities.

“I am extremely happy about my position here at USF,” said Alwood. “I am looking forward to new opportunities at the collegiate level and what it has to offer. I have known Jose and Jeff (Associate Head Coach Jeff Osterman) for a long time and think that it will be a good atmosphere to work in.”

Alwood, who is a 1999 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, has had an extremely successful career on the sidelines as a head coach in six short years. A native of Lakeland, Fla., but raised most of his life in Charlotte County, Alwood spent five years as head coach and assistant director of athletics at Charlotte High School where he led the Tarpons to a 97-46 (.648) record, including three straight 20-win seasons, three appearances in the District championship game, and two District titles.

This past season he served as head girl’s basketball coach at Gaither High School where the Cowgirls posted a 13-10 record. Alwood boast’s a career coaching record of 110-56 (.705).

No stranger to the USF women’s basketball team, since 2005 Alwood has served as the Director of the University of South Florida Girl’s Basketball Team Camp, widely considered as one of the best in the Southeast, and the Co-Director of the USF Girl’s Elite Camp.

“We are very fortunate to have Andy join our staff,” said Fernandez. “Andy in an extremely hard worker and will be a tremendous asset to our program. With him having been involved with our summer camps, he has a very good understanding of our organizational structure and the way our program runs.”

This past season, the Bulls posted a 27-10 record – the best in school history – and an 8-8 eighth place finish in the BIG EAST Conference. USF finished the year winning five consecutive games en route to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament postseason title – including three consecutive on the road. After a first round bye, the Bulls took care of Florida Gulf Coast (88-81 in overtime) on March 21 and Mississippi (74-57) on March 26, both coming at home. USF then hit the road, for 10 straight days, to defeat St. Bonaventure (80-66) on March 29, Boston College (82-65) on April 1 and Kansas (75-71) on April 4 in the title game.

The championship game with the Jayhawks was played in front of a USF, Kansas and Big 12 women’s basketball record crowd of 16,113 at historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse. It was also the eighth largest crowd to see a women’s basketball game in Division I this season. 

Wait, there’s more.

Gaither girls hoops coach hired at USF

Andy Alwood, who coached Gaither High’s girl’s basketball team last season, has been hired as director of women’s basketball operations at the University of South Florida.

Alwood, 35, was 13-10 last season at Gaither. He replaces Cayll Smith, USF’s former director of basketball operations.

Alwood also coached at Punta Gorda Charlotte for seven seasons, including five as a head coach.

“I’ve known Coach [Jose] Fernandez for quite a while,” Alwood said. “We had a lot of mutual friends and we’ve gotten along well. It seemed like a real natural fit. I’ve also known [assistant] Jeff Osterman for a while. It was a good opportunity to get into the college level.”

Alwood also has been USF’s team camp director the past four years.

And, one more: NCAA Transactions on ESPN

Needless to say, I’m one proud sister.  Love you, bro!

Since being drafted 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2009 NBA draft, Tyler Hansbrough has wasted no time acclimating himself to the professional ranks.  A couple weeks after the draft, he played in the Orlando Pro Summer League.  He and fellow Pacer Roy Hibbert helped lead their team to an undefeated tournament, and both of them made 1st team all tournament.  Tyler averaged 18.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the 5 game tournament.  In fact, he quite impressed the bunch of media types who are the only ones invited to these tournament.  I, on the other hand, was not the least bit surprised by his performance.  And, if you’re wondering, yes I did find the link on the Orlando Magic website to watch the games online and watched every single one of them.

Almost immediately following the summer league play, the organizers of the NASCAR Brickyard 400 announced that Tyler would be the grand marshal of the festivities waving the green flag to start the race.  This impressed me immediately because Peyton Manning was drafted first overall in the 1998 NFL draft and he didn’t get to wave the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway until after he’d won a Super Bowl.  Tyler simply gets drafted and they invite him to wave the flag.

In true Tyler Hansbrough fashion, he waved that flag with as much force as he does when rebounding a ball under the basket with four opposing players hanging on him.  You can watch the video below. The NASCAR race was his first to attend despite spending the last 4 years in the hot bed of NASCAR, North Carolina.

Following the race, the Pacers announced that they would be resting Tyler Hansbrough for 6-8 weeks because the stress reaction in his shin that plagued him at the beginning of last season had returned.  They are resting him in the hopes that he will be available for the full 82-game NBA season.  This stress reaction is one of those annoying injuries that seems like it would be a lot easier to rehab if the reaction was actually a fracture.  At least then he could heal the bone and rehab the leg that way.  I’m always concerned that if he rests it and then goes out there and plays like Tyler Hansbrough, the reaction will just keep returning.  But I’m assuming the NBA knows what they’re doing and I’m hopeful that this period of rest is more of a precaution and there’s not really as strong an injury as he experienced last season.  In his own words, he said that last year’s stress reaction didn’t actually go away until well into December.

I just keep reminding myself that Michael Jordan broke his foot his second season in the NBA and look how his career turned out.  Now, before you yell at me, I am in no way saying that Tyler Hansbrough is Michael Jordan or vice versa.  I’m simply stating that it’s obvious that an injury to start your career does not have to ruin said career.

All in all, Tyler’s had quite the productive summer.  The 6-8 week rest should make him immediately ready for training camp at the end of September and then preseason games.

I have long wished that magazines could deploy some kind of subscriber database that people could sign up for when said magazine has multiple covers for an issue or when they feature specific people, places, and things on the covers.  I would like subscribers to be able to opt-in to the database and be able to tell the magazine which people, places, and things they absolutely want to see or not see.  For instance, when there are regional covers for Sports Illustrated at the start of the college basketball season, subscribers who live in a region where they won’t get the cover they want should be able to submit to the database what their favorite teams are.  Then the database would match the regional cover that should be sent to that subscriber regardless of which region they actually live in.  On the flip side, they should also be able to choose which covers they absolutely do not want to see.  And perhaps the database would spit out a list and those subscribers would get a generic cover that maybe just splashes “Sports Illustrated” across the whole cover.

Case in point, when I get home tonight the following issue of Sports Illustrated (minus my photo shopping efforts) will be in my mailbox.  The cover will not make it into the house in one piece.  The remnants of said cover will make it into the recycling bin only because I know that they will be rightfully incinerated instead of spending the rest of its life in a landfill somewhere.  This cover is the absolute #1 reason why I would love a subscriber database so that I could have told Sports Illustrated to NEVER send me covers with this guy or this team on them.  I know I’m supposed to like this guy because he’s a Christian and he’s a missionary, but I’m sorry…it just comes off as fake to me especially since the ministry sitting right in front of him every day at practice (his team) still comes off as a bunch of obnoxious thugs.  Shouldn’t his good example at least have rubbed off on them? 

I “stole” this post from Beth over at Two Princesses and a Pirate. I went to college with Beth and recently reconnected with her via Facebook.  Go check out her 3 beautiful children!!

I know there are a lot of people out there who probably read my blog but never actually post a comment.  There are blog stats, folks.  I know at least a few things about your searching habits, people.  So this is a reverse questionnaire to all my readers if you’re interested in letting me know who you are.  And if you have a blog, let me know that, too so I can read what you have to say.  So, answer the questions in the comment section so I can get to know you better!  Answer all of them or just the ones you want to.  It’s up to you. 

1.) where are you from?
2.) how long would you say you’ve been reading my blog?
3.) what’s you favorite color?
4.) what are your hobbies?
5.) married?, single?, engaged?, dating? how long?
6.) any kids? what are there names and what ages?
7.) anything I should know about you/your family?
8.) whats your favorite song on the radio right now?
9.) what is one thing you want to purchase for YOURSELF? big or small!
10.) what were you doing before you got online?

I am looking forward to reading your answers (if anyone is actually reading this)!!!

Just for fun…here are my answers to Beth’s blog:

1.) Florida (currently, Northern Virginia)
2.) I actually just found it last week.
3.) red
4.) cooking, baking, readying, watching TV, going to movies, love watching sports, shopping, loving on my nephew
5.) single for WAY TOO LONG
6.) not, yet.
7.) I love them dearly.
8.) I listen to my iPod more, but I do love that one by Billy Currington just cause it’s funny: “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.”
9.) Sadly: a Dyson Ball vacuum. (cause that’s kind of a boring want)
10.) driving to work.

The county I grew up in is the proud home of one of the Tampa Bay Rays’ minor league farm teams.  As a result, the Tampa Bay Rays started Charlotte County Day to thank the community for their support.  Part of the festivities included kids getting to run the bases after the game.  Enter our favorite “blink and you’ll miss him cause he runs all the time” toddler, Lincoln. 

WOW! Their TV (read: jumbotron) is bigger than mine. Now, how can I get them to change it to Noggin?

When do we get to run the bases?

I have to practice and stretch out my legs.

Afterall, practice makes perfect!

Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play, today!

Alright! Now we're talkin'.

Gettin' by butt to second. Gonna try for more!

I'm stealin' home, boys! You watch me.

Whew, Grandpa! That was tough, but I did it!

I'll be back, boys, but next time you'll be payin' me!

Grandpa, can we do that, again?

Hansbrough signs with Pacers

After scoring 17 Monday, Tyler Hansbrough followed up with 23 points and four rebounds Tuesday against Oklahoma City. (Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images)

Pacers News Release | Indianapolis, July 8, 2009

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The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday they have signed their No. 1 draft pick, Tyler Hansbrough, to a multi-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Hansbrough, a 6-9, 250-pound forward from the University of North Carolina, is the all-time leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 2,872 points. He is the only player in league history to earn First Team All-America and First Team All-ACC honors four times.

As a senior in 2008-09, he was named First Team All-America by Sporting News, USBWA, NABC and AP. He is the North Carolina Tar Heels’ all-time leading rebounder with 1,219 rebounds.

Hansbrough is currently playing with the Pacers’ summer league team which is participating in the Orlando Pro Summer League through Friday. The Pacers have won their first two games and play again on Wednesday (3:00 p.m.), Thursday (7:00 p.m.) and Friday (3:00 p.m.).

You can watch all the Pacers’ summer league games live on Pacers.com and be sure to visit Pacers Summer League Central for comprehensive coverage.

I’ve never been more proud of the Atlantic Coast Conference than I am at this moment.  Spare me the states’ rights crap and what the Southern states’ reasons were for seceding from the Union.  I went to college in Alabama and saw Confederate flags everywhere displayed by teenagers who barely knew anything about the Civil War, but because they grew up in a Southern state, this was alright.  I will until the day I die believe that flag should no longer be displayed.  I don’t need a history lesson, and I don’t need someone to try to convince me of what the point of the “war of northern aggression” (UGH) was all about.  Bottom line is that the flag no longer carries the connotation the southern forefathers intended it to have.  So, in this instance, the ACC got it right, in my opinion.

ACC baseball tourney not headed to South Carolina

Associated Press

GREENSBORO — Unresolved disputes concerning the Confederate flag have led the ACC to move three future baseball tournaments out of South Carolina.

League officials said Monday that the ACC instead will hold its championship in Durham in 2011 and 2013 and in Greensboro in 2012.

The ACC previously awarded the tournament to Myrtle Beach, S.C., from 2011-13, but that decision drew criticism from the NAACP, which has boycotted South Carolina for nearly a decade for flying and then displaying the Confederate flag on state capitol grounds.

Four years ago, ACC presidents agreed that the league would consider awarding championships to South Carolina venues on a case-by-case basis if the host groups’ proposals included plans to work with the NAACP, conference officials said.

“Our baseball committee and institutional administrators awarded the championships to Myrtle Beach with the understanding that the event had the blessings of all parties within the state of South Carolina. It has become clear this was not the case,” commissioner John Swofford said.

“It’s unfortunate that this miscommunication occurred and since the original announcement, we have had productive conversations with members of the NAACP. In the end, given the conference’s commitment to diversity, equality and human rights, our institutions have determined that this change should be made.”

The NAACP has boycotted South Carolina since 2000, when the Confederate flag flew over the Statehouse, and sanctions led to a legislative compromise where the banner was taken down and placed at a Confederate soldier’s monument in front of the Capitol building. Opponents said the new location made the flag even more visible and demanded it be removed to a museum. The boycott has continued since.

Opponents of the flag say it’s a symbol of racism and hatred. Flag supporters say it honors heritage.

The NCAA has had a moratorium on awarding predetermined championships to South Carolina since 2001. Leagues are not bound by the NCAA’s guidelines regarding the Confederate flag, though the ACC and SEC have largely adhered to similar stances.

The 2010 tournament will be played in Greensboro. It originally was scheduled for Fenway Park in Boston, but the ACC brought the event closer to the center of the league to lower travel costs.

I mean it’s only been 11 days since he was drafted, so maybe it is too soon to shout from the roof tops “I TOLD YOU SO!”  Nevertheless, I’m loving reading how shocked all these people are about how good he is at everything Coach Williams, his teammates, and us fans have said about him for the last 4 years.

Pro Summer League starts today and runs through the end of the week.  Every day at 3pm.  You can watch online here.

Hansbrough makes impression | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

By Mike Wells
mike.wells@indystar.com

Contagious work ethic. Relentless. Tenacious.

It has only been a few days and he has yet to go against any of his veteran teammates in practice, but Indiana Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough has already made his presence felt.

Hansbrough, the No. 13 pick in last month’s draft, displayed the same qualities that made him an All-American at the University of North Carolina during the Pacers’ four-day rookie/free agent camp.

“I knew what we were getting when we drafted him,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “His work ethic is contagious. He just pursues the basketball and never gives up on a play. He can just put the ball in the basket because he knows how to make stuff happen.

“He plays with a great deal of passion. That’s why he’s a four-time All-American.”

Hansbrough used the camp to adjust to O’Brien’s coaching style. He said one of the biggest adjustments has been playing around the foul line, which is where the big men play in O’Brien’s pass-oriented offense.

O’Brien recently pulled aside Hansbrough and fellow rookie A.J. Price and told them it’s OK if they don’t know something because they’re “not supposed to know everything” as rookies.

“It’s been a long learning process for me,” Hansbrough said. “Getting a feel for what the Pacers like to do offensively and defensively.”

Hansbrough will get his first game action today when the Pacers start their five-day summer league in Orlando, Fla.

The Pacers found out early Hansbrough means business once he steps on the court. No laughing. No joking. No small talk. Just basketball.

“I haven’t seen him smile yet,” guard Brandon Rush said, smiling. “He’s so quiet. He cussed for the first time (Sunday), so that’s a sign of him opening up. He’s completely serious when he’s out there. He gives 100 percent every time he plays. He’s like the Energizer bunny. He’s going to be a good addition for us.”

Hansbrough’s energy will make the Pacers’ practices more competitive.

“He’s really aggressive,” center Roy Hibbert said. “He pursues the ball relentlessly. That brings the best out of us. If a rookie can come in here and do that it can help the team out as much as possible.

“We’ll see how he is when we’re 60 games into the season. As of right now, though, he’s doing real good and making his presence felt.”

Rush and Hibbert said they don’t believe the notion that Hansbrough isn’t athletic. They said their new teammate tried to dunk every time he got the ball near the basket.

“He’s definitely athletic,” Hibbert said. “The first day he was dunking everything. After like seven hours of practice his legs gave out a little bit. He goes after the boards and he’s just not letting the ball hit the ground. He can shoot, too. People will see what Tyler has to offer soon enough.”

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Eleven years ago, a league commissioner stepped to the podium at Madison Square Garden in New York City and changed my sports life forever.  Thursday night, another league commissioner stepped to the podium at Madison Square Garden in New York City and changed my sports life forever, again.  Oddly enough both changes have landed me in the same place.  Eleven years ago, it was Paul Tagliabue when he announced that the Indianapolis Colts had selected Peyton Williams Manning with the 1st pick in the 1998 NFL draft.  Thursday night, it was David Stern when he announced that the Indiana Pacers had selected Andrew Tyler Hansbrough with the 13th pick in the 2009 NBA draft.  The NFL draft has since moved to Radio City Music Hall, but Madison Square Garden seems to be the place where people change my life.  Either that or the state of Indiana, and specifically the city of Indianapolis, is targeting its census growth towards me via professional league drafts.

Many years ago, I was a big NBA fan…a Chicago Bulls fan like nearly everyone else in the free world.  But it wasn’t just Michael Jordan.  Oh no…I had a Scottie Pippen jersey, and I knew every single player’s name.  I watched the parade rallies after every single one of their championships.  But sadly after the team was broken into pieces, it wasn’t the same and I cast the NBA to the side.  I stuck around in May and June every year to see the playoffs and who won the championship, and I paid attention to where former Tar Heels were playing, but other than that, I was just a casual observer.  Thursday night, I knocked on the door and asked if I could return to the party right around the time Tyler Hansbrough took the finals steps of his college career, which you see in the above picture.

For four years, all I ever heard was that Tyler would be a mid to late 20s pick.  That he’d be a player a team would find valuable in practice but not really helpful in a game situation.  That his game wouldn’t translate to the NBA.  That all remains to be seen even though (God help me) I share the opinion of Jay Bilas who has been one of Tyler’s biggest cheerleaders against the naysayers.  Until then, that player who can’t possibly be successful in the NBA was a lottery pick at lucky number 13.

Leading up to Thursday night, I had read a few reports during the pre-draft combine and the individual workouts with various teams.  It was comical to me as I read comments from league scouts, coaches, and executives who were just beside themselves with shock over his combine measurements and his agility tests and his workouts.  He was so much more than they thought he was.  Like Coach Williams, I keep shaking my head and laughing.  Most mock drafts had put him in the 12-20 range.  Some even had him going into the second round, which really made me laugh.  But by the time the actual draft rolled around, it had narrowed down to a lot of buzz about the Utah Jazz, two workouts with the New Jersey Nets, a long forgotten interest by the Chicago Bulls, and a solid workout with the Indiana Pacers.  In the end, I just wanted him to go to a team that would appreciate him, would help him become an even better player than he already is, and would be the best fit for him.  I think he has found just that in the Pacers.

His new teammates, his new coach, and his new front office staff (which includes former Tar Heel National Champion Sam Perkins) seem to think the world of him despite some very hateful comments by so called Pacer fans.  Larry Bird (president of the Pacers) especially appears to think he’s going to surprise a lot of people and prove a lot a people wrong even though Larry doesn’t really think he has anything to prove.  You see Larry Bird experienced some of the same criticism when he was drafted, and well, his career wasn’t too shabby.

Really no matter what you might think about Tyler’s game, he has worked his entire life to get to this point, and he deserves this moment and the benefit of his doubters.  Four years ago a scrappy teenager enrolled at North Carolina.  He didn’t look like much and the critics didn’t think much would ever come of him.  Four years later, that same scrappy teenager has become a muscular power forward bruiser with an incredible control over his body and is the leading free throw shooter in NCAA history, the leading scorer in ACC history, leading rebounder in the 100 year history of Carolina Basketball, a former consensus National Player of the Year, and a National Champion.  And now, he’s a lottery winner.  Watch his Introductory Press Conference.

=====

Other Tar Heels drafted on Thursday night:

Tywon Lawson was drafted #18 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but was traded to the Denver Nuggets where he will back up and learn from one of the best point guards in the league, Chauncey Billups and be coached by former Tar Heel George Karl.

Wayne Ellington was drafted #28 by the Minnesota Timberwolves where he will apparently wear #19.  The Timberwolves have a crush on National Champion winning Tar Heel shooting guards as they chose Rashad McCants in the 2005 NBA draft.

Danny Green was drafted #46 by the Cleveland Cavaliers where he will join what is sure to be the most entertaining team next season as they had finalized a trade to get Shaquille O’Neal the morning of draft day.  Former Tar Heel Jawad Williams from the 2005 National Championship team also plays for the Cavs.