So, this opening game against Houston Baptist will be a live video stream via CSTV/Pitt’s All-Access subscription. I’m hoping the quality will be a little better than the Blue-Gold football scrimmage from last spring. Game notes for the first of three games in three days as part of the Hispanic College Fund Challenge are here (PDF).
The 2007-08 Media Guide is available for viewing and downloading (except for section 1?).
As usual, the seniors — Mike Keith Benjamin, Mike Cook and Ronald Ramon — are on the cover.
Houston Baptist had been in the NAIA, and just made the leap to D-1 basketball. They were a late addition to the tournament after Army backed out of the game.
As is typical for new bottom feeders the kids on the team are being rented out as patsy opponents all across the country.
Cottrell was more than happy to accept the invitation. Houston Baptist is trying to pay the bills, the price of returning to NCAA Division I while not having a conference affiliation. The Huskies are hoping to join a conference soon, but they are playing this season as an independent.
As a result, this game at Pitt is the second of 18 consecutive road games. The Huskies do not return home to Houston for a game until Jan. 15.
“It’s going to be difficult,” Cottrell said. “There’s no way to disguise it or hide. But my players are excited about it. I’ve never seen guys embrace something like this the way they have. They’re just looking forward to getting it going.”
Cottrell started the Houston Baptist program from scratch in 1991 after the school dropped basketball for two years. The Huskies did play in NCAA Division I before that, their last season of competition being 1988-89.
I’m glad the players are excited now. Just the kind of shameless exploitation and little concern for the players grades — given the size of the school and program you know there is no academic support staff of any size to help them — though, that brutally reminds everyone that college basketball (and football) is about the money as much as anything else.
/Climbing down from soapbox
Of course any media attention this weekend at the Pete will actually be centered on a mid-level A-10 team with a new coach of some repute.
Majerus’ arrival has raised expectations at Saint Louis higher to any point since hometown hero Larry Hughes signed a decade ago. About 8,000 people attended the Billikens’ exhibition with the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Pitt plays St. Louis in the Sunday finale.
Keep the faith brother!
It’s the 3 w’s; Whiskey > Wine > Water
Keep the faith brother and go Pitt!
Defense looked good in first half.
There is a big drop off from our first to second teams. At one point we sub five guys for our starters, and we give up a 6-0 run.
Ramon still turns the ball over too much. They have him for 1 in the box score, i’m certain he turned it over 2x in a row at one point. I think Wannamaker is going to prove himself a much better option at the point sometime during this season…
McGhee didn’t even get off the bench. I’m not sure what that columnist is smoking, talking about how he “outplayed” Diggs at any point. Its been pretty clear to me since this summer Diggs is much, much better than McGhee.
They do look much more athletic than last year, and Blair is great. I just wonder what his defense is going to be like against the Padgets and Hibberts…14 boards, 4 steals and a block? Gray ever do anything like that, even against crappy competition?
Should be a fun and intersting year, hopefully our second string will be good enough to allow us to make it into the tourney again…
I hope so. I’ve never been a big fan of Ramon playing the point. Granted, they didn’t have many other options last year when Fields needed a breather, but from what I recall the offense dropped off significantly at times when Ramon would take over at PG.
Mike Benjamin=Keith Benjamin
Oh, and BTW. You don’t earn credits at Houston Baptist, you earn Spiritual Points:
“Ninety (90) Spiritual Life Program Points (SLP Points) are required for graduation from HBU.”
Not only that — but transfer credits are worth exactly 0.75 SLP. Biology credits (or anything approximating the study of evolution) are worth 0.125 SLP 😉