Random Reds Rumblings

[CincyRedsFan30]

I figured I'd revive this thread with UC basketball news for those who don't already know:


UC lands recruit
BY BILL KOCH | BKOCH@ENQUIRER.COM

The University of Cincinnati basketball program received an oral commitment today from the top scorer in Florida.

Alvin Mitchell, a 6-foot-4 guard from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Ft. Lauderdale, said he chose UC over Virginia Tech, St. John’s and Pittsburgh.

He visited UC the weekend of Jan. 20 and watched the Bearcats beat West Virginia in overtime, one of their two Big East wins this past season.


“The people were awesome,” Mitchell said, “and the environment was great.”

Mitchell averaged around 34.5 points per game this season, leading his team to the regional finals, where it lost on Saturday.

He’s expected to provide a boost to a UC offense that struggled to put the ball in the basket this season.

“I’m just a scorer,” Mitchell said. “I play hard on offense and on defense.”

Mitchell is the fifth player to commit to UC for next season. He joins 6-foot-8 forward Kenny Belton from Salem, Va.; 6-foot-5 forward Rashad Bishop from Newark, N.J., and 6-foot-3 shooting guard Larry Davis from Houston, all of whom signed letters-of-intent last November.

Mitchell and 6-foot-7 Jason Henry from West Memphis, Ark., are expected to sign on April 11, the first day of the spring signing period.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Former McDonald's All-American Mike Williams can be added to that list and apparently totally outclassed everyone on this past year's team in practice.

Sounds like UC has a chance of signing one more player for next year too (Anthony McClain, who is very highly rated). Adam from Poland will be added as well.

Most if not all the recruits for next year are now in the rivals/scout recruiting services top 150 (players overall), which is usually a good thing.

And for the '08 class, the team appears hot on the trail with one of hte top recruits, Yancy Gates and has already signed Wilks, who is rated in the top 75 of the class already.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Another college hoops update...Anthony McClain:


Does Maryland have any chance at getting Anthony McClain? He's one of the top centers available and is from the state of Maryland, also.
— Steve from College Park
-----
I don't think Maryland has a chance with Anthony McClain. The scuttlebutt right now is that McClain is a heavy Cincinnati lean. He may be a silent commitment for the Bearcats. Rivals.com Senior Writer Justin Young is presently en route to the NACA tournament in Dayton, Tenn., and hopes to get some information on McClain's situation.

When I last spoke with Trevor Brown (McClain's coach), Cincinnati, Connecticut, Tennessee and Florida were the schools in contention.

-rivals.com

[CincyRedsFan30]

Some quotes from scout.com on Alvin Mitchell/Anthony McClain/UC recruiting situation:


“He’s a guy who can go out and get you a bucket,” said recruiting analyst Dave Telep, of Scout.com. “He can play off the dribble and he can shoot it. He’s got an explosive, athletic body.”

“They’ve got a bunch of guys who can score it a little bit,” Telep said. “The strength of their class is that they’re bringing in perimeter firepower.”

“If you look at Cincinnati and you know you’re going into a year where one of the main areas you need is guys who can put the ball in the basket,” Telep said, “they have a core group of guys who are capable of doing that.”

“Anthony McClain is one of the three best available players in the country,” Telep said. “That would be a significant addition.”

[CincyRedsFan30]

Fire Tubby Smith!!!!

[missionhockey21]

Harang is on Rome, I have to rewind a bit, but I'll post a summary.

[missionhockey21]

Rome pimped his stats and asked how it wasn't possible for him not to get a Cy Young vote for his season. Harang said it doesn't bother him too much, not being that known. He talked about how big Opening Day is big in Cincy (Rome confirmed this) and how he wanted to obviously do better than last year. Rome asked about 3-5 in the rotation and Harang mentioned the good younger guys we have like Belisle and Livingston (then later Milton and Lohse.) When asked about if the new contract will change him, is it lingering in the back of his mind and he answered no to that and he just essentially will go about his business being happy with what Cincy gave him and being here. He was asked about that free agent market and just said how strong it was for pitchers, notably mentioning two of the most overpaid and non-deserving contracts: Meche and Lilly. He feels that the Reds can count on Griffey if healthy. He was asked about former high school teammate Ricky Williams and said he was a good guy, to himself (and that he had some pop, but would usually hit it on the ground to leg it out.) Harang said that spring is more about getting your mechanics in order and throwing strikes, not the result of your statline (in response to being asked about his 6.some ERA.)

And that's about it.

[missionhockey21]

Oh I forgot to mention that Josh Hamilton was a on show on TLC tonight (Trademark something.) I taped it so I'll let you all know how much he is involved, but the show is about this realtor who is purchasing the home of Shoeless Joe Jackson to restore as it's in shambles and based on the one minute or so I watched of the opening, he mentioned something about giving a former top talent a second chance (or something along those lines.) The realtor is a South Carolina guy so that might explain the connection possibly. From the Enquirer article I read a few days ago, this was taped last year though.

[redsrbetter]

Awesome, thanks for the summary on Harang. The dude is flat out humble and I have really started to appreciate everything he does for baseball.

Yeah, let us know what the Hamilton thing was.

[missionhockey21]

In the show (which I think is a regular on TLC, but obviously Hamilton is just on this one) the man who owns the reality company has been friends with Josh Hamilton for awhile and wanted to give him a second chance. So he thought it was suiting that Hamilton works as the manager for the construction they were doing on the house given the fact that Shoeless Joe deserved a second chance. The realtor dreamed of making Josh his star player for the independent team he was in the process of purchasing around Boston I believe. But part of the episode was tracking Hamilton from early in 2006 (when the Joe Jackson home project began) to around June or July when he was finally re-instated. It provided me with no new insights into Hamilton but it did show him with his grandmother (at an awards ceremony honoring his high school accomplishments) and several scenes with his family. He seems like a very genuine and down to earth person who seems like he has truly made a change for the longhaul. Very grateful of the opportunity he had to comeback to baseball and whether it was doing some one man demolition on the house or on a baseball, he seemed to be quite the hard worker. He's just a guy that is difficult to dislike given where he was and where he is now.

Oh.... and I might to score nosebleeds for tomorrow's game from a buddy who can't go with catching the flu. I'll have to overpay for them, but it's worth it as you know. So if I am not around for the game tomorrow, that's probably why.

[redsrbetter]

Sweet man, Hamilton is truly the story of th season for the Reds and a good story outside of baseball as well. The more I hear about his hard work and accomplishments the more I appreciate him. Thanks for the summary mish.

And hopefully you can make the game. Have fun if you do bro!

[redsrbetter]

Hey guys, check out mission's new article. Its a great read on how much excitement can be made of Opening Day for any team.

http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/...tml#post268776

Make sure you all register with DIGG, del.ic.ous, and YardBarker and submit this article to those. It will get good quality writing out to those who do not know about us. So please, read the article, drop a comment in on what you think about it, then submit it to those sites. You want to help us recruit? This is how you do so.

[redsrbetter]

New browntown article:

http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/...tml#post269321

Go hit it up fellas!

[redsrbetter]

New article from Porter!

http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/...bout-time.html

Make sure you guys are checking these out. And once again, register to DIGG, delicious, and YardBarker (upper right hand corner of each article) and submit these great pieces of work.

It will only help us and you in the long run if you do so. And it only takes a minute or two.

[browntown653]

New browntown article:

http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/...tml#post269321

Go hit it up fellas!

Thanks for the good word buddy.