Sports Poets Society

Tutti a guardare Vardy, ed ecco che la ribalta se la prende Riyad Mahrez, l'altra grande rivelazione di questo straordinario Leicester City tornato in testa alla Premier. Tutto suo il 3-0 esterno allo Swansea City, e Foxes di nuovo lassù, stavolta da soli: a +2 sull'Arsenal e a +3 sulle sorelle Mancunian. Che bella la squadra di Claudio Ranieri. Mentre pubblico e media si concentravano sul centravanti che dopo aver superato van Nistelrooy in Premier inseguiva lo storico record all-time di Dunne - in gol per 12 giornate in fila nella massima divisione inglese - i ragazzi dell'ex Tinkerman hanno impartito una magistrale lezione di calcio collettivo impreziosita dalla tripletta del 24enne franco-algerino. La prima in carriera, per il talento arrivato in Championship pressoché da sconosciuto nel gennaio 2014 per 400 mila sterline dopo quattro anni fra seconda e prima squadra del Le Havre, il club dove è cresciuto Pogba. A Gary Monk l'avvertimento dei media britann...

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS: BACKCOURT A  FRONTCOURT B-  BENCH/DEPTH C  INTANGIBLES B+ LOCATION Indianapolis, IN  CONFERENCE Big East  LAST SEASON 23-11 (.676)  CONFERENCE RECORD 12-6 (t-2nd)  STARTERS RETURNING/LOST 3/2  NICKNAME Bulldogs COLORS Blue & White  HOMECOURT Hinkle Fieldhouse (10,000)   COACH Chris Holtmann (Taylor ’94)  RECORD AT SCHOOL 23-11 (1 year) OVERALL RECORD  67-65 (4 years)  ASSISTANTS Terry Johnson (IPFW ’98) Michael Lewis (Indiana ’00) Ryan Pedon (Wooster ’00)  WINS (LAST 5 YRS.) 28-22-27-14-23  RPI (LAST 5 YRS.) 19-106-21-154-30  2014-15 FINISH: Lost in NCAA third round. COACH AND PROGRAM When he arrived in Indianapolis as a ready, willing and able assistant in 2013 after a three-year stint as head coach at Gardner-Webb, Chris Holtmann had a plan. The 43-year-old figured to spend a minimum of three years learning about life in b...

Cuonzo Martin and Donnie Tyndall On March 27, 2011, The University of Tennessee announced the hiring of Cuonzo Martin as the Volunteers' 18th head coach. Martin had spent the prior three seasons at Missouri State, where he compiled a record of 61-41. Martin was able to lead the Missouri State team from an 11–20 record and a last-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference to a 26–9 record and a first-place conference finish. Martin took over a depleted roster with low expectations. After the departure of Tobias Harris following his freshman season, the Volunteers were picked to finish near the bottom of the SEC in 2012.  With the emergence of Jordan McRae and Jeronne Maymon, and the mid-season addition of Jarnell Stokes, Martin took a team that had lost their top three — and seven of their top ten—contributors from the previous season to a second-place finish in the SEC, largely because of their tough defense and lack of turnovers. With an outside chance at the NCAA T...

Villanova star JALEN BRUNSON was molded by his exacting father, a former pro whose work was nearly undone by an indiscretion that shook their family BY LEE JENKINS, Sports Illustrated , 2015, November 30 THE WHITE BMW 750 sedan pulled out of the Wachovia Center and headed toward the Walt Whitman Bridge, leaving the lights of downtown Philadelphia behind. It was Oct. 25, 2006, and the 76ers had just beaten the New Jersey Nets in their last exhibition game. After the final horn 10-year-old Jalen Brunson retreated to the Philly locker room while his father, reserve point guard Rick Brunson, joined Sixers general manager Billy King in a back office. Later Jalen thought it strange when his dad left the arena without saying goodbye to anybody, trudging silently to the car, but the boy wasn’t concerned. The regular season started in a week, and for the first time all of the Brunsons would spend it in one city. On the drive home to Cherry Hill, N.J., Jalen talked excitedly about openi...

Position Forward Height 6-9 Weight 245 Class Jr. Hometown Mississauga, Ontario Highschool Stephen Lewis EMU: Transferred from Binghamton University prior to the 2015-16 campaign and will have two years of eligibility but will have to sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules…Binghamton: Appeared in 20 games as a freshman, starting 16...Averaged 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 38 percent from beyond the arc...Earned the America East Rookie of the Week honor once, while also posting one double-double on the year...As a sophomore, Madray appeared in 13 games but his season was cut short due to injury...Averaged 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in those 13 contests, all while picking up 11 blocks...High School: Findlay Prep: Played one season of prep school basketball at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Nev...Helped his squad to a 32-1 record, while capturing the 2011-12 ESPN National High School Invitational Championship...Stephen...

Position Guard Height 6-2 Weight 225 Class Jr. Hometown Alpharetta, Ga. Highschool Alpharetta     EMU: Transferred from Georgia Highlands College prior to the 2015-16 campaign and will have two years of eligibility… Georgia Highlands: Averaged 17.8 points per game, while pulling down 3.3 rebounds and dishing out 2.4 assists per contest...Was efficient on the offensive end, knocking down 44.4 percent of his attempts from the floor...Appeared in 36 games for the Chargers, helping them to a 30-8 record on the season on his way to earning NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention accolades...Led Georgia Highlands to the semifinals of the 2015 NJCAA Division I Men's National Basketball Championship before falling to the eventual national champion, Northwest Florida State... Appalachian State: Appeared in 22 games, starting in six of them...

Position Guard Height 6-1 Weight 165 Class So. Hometown Corona, Calif. Highschool Corona EMU: Joined EMU as a freshman prior to the 2014-15 campaign…2014-15: Appeared in 28 games, starting 17 of them...Averaged 3.4 points per game, while pulling down 1.4 rebounds and dishing out 1.8 assists in 14.5 minutes per contest...Posted a career-best 10 points on Dec. 28 versus Concordia...Dished out a career-high seven assists versus Longwood, Nov. 23...Led the team in free throw percentage, knocking down 83.9 percent of his attempts...High School: Four-year letterwinner at Corona High School...Led Corona High School to its first 20-win season since 2005-06 as a senior...Averaged 23.2 points, 5.8 assists, 3.9 steals and 3.7 rebounds per game...Named the Big VIII Co-MVP and earned all-league honors...Garnered Southern Section Second Team honors, while being named the county's most valuable player...Was selected as the all-tournament MVP three times, in addition to three more all-tournament...

Position Guard Height 6-3 Weight 195 Class R-Sr. Hometown Detroit, Mich. Highschool Chandler Park Academy EMU: Redshirted during the 2013-14 season after transferring from Oakland County Community College...2014-15: Appeared in 13 games...Averaged 1.8 points and rebounds per game...Posted a 50 percent field goal percentage...Notched a career-best five points and six rebounds versus Concordia (Dec. 28.)...Oakland C.C.: An Eastern Collegiate Conference Academic All-Conference honoree...High School: Played for Derrick Walton at Chandler Park Academy...Was a two-time conference champion, while also being named to the All-Conference Second Team in a pair of seasons...Was a member of the cross country team for two seasons...Personal: Full Name: Jordan Gregory Harrison Martin...Son of Gregory and Jacquelyn Martin...Has two brothers and a sister...Major: Sport Management.

Position Forward Height 6-7 Weight 225 Class Jr. Hometown Dearborn Heights, Mich. Highschool Ecorse EMU: Transferred to EMU prior to the 2015-16 campaign from the University of Findlay...Findlay: 2014-15: Appeared in eight games...Averaged 5.5 points per game...Grabbed 5.1 rebounds per contest...2013-14: Appeared in 29 games...Averaged 4.6 points per contest...Grabbed 2.3 rebounds per game...Recorded 12 steals...Blocked 11 shots...Shot 52.7 percent from the floor...Scored a season-high 12 points against Marygrove, Nov. 9 and Ohio Dominican, Feb. 6...Pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against Marygrove, Nov. 9...2012-13: Redshirted during his freshman season...High School: Attended Ecorse High School...Named fourth team all-Michigan...Was a two-time MVP of the Motor City Classic...Personal: Full Name: Quaran lyn Jones...Son of Lem Jones and Carolyn Hanson and stepmother Trish Jones.

Position Forward Height 6-7 Weight 173 Class R-Fr. Hometown Novi, Mich. Highschool Novi EMU: Transferred from the University of Nevada Las Vegas after one year and will have four years of eligibility as an Eagle...High School: A four-year varsity letterwinner as a Wildcat at Novi High School in Novi, Mich...Earned the sportsmanship award in each season at Novi...Averaged nine points, 10 rebounds and a block as a senior under head coach Brian Tass...Was a member of the Academic Honor Roll at Novi in all four years...Personal: Full Name: Blake Spencer Brown...Son of John and Diane Griffin...Has one brother, Mason, and a sister, Nyla Griffin...Brown’s cousin, Tony Robertson, played basketball at West Virginia before competing in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakes and Golden State Warriors...His uncle, Thomas Lee Robertson, played basketball at Oakland University...Major: Criminal Justice.

Position: Forward Height: 6-9 Weight: 195 Class: R-Fr. Hometown: Canton, Mich. Highschool: Canton   EMU: Joined EMU prior to the 2014-15 season as a true freshman... 2014-15: Redshirted during the 2014-15 campaign... High School: Was a four-year letterwinner at Canton High School...Was the first freshman to play varsity in 20 years at Canton...During his senior season, he earned all-conference, all-area and all-state honors...Was named Canton's MVP, while earning Co-Offensive Player of the Year awards for the Chiefs...Coaches voted him as the team's hardest worker...Named all-conference and all-area during his junior campaign...Led Canton to division, conference and disctrict championships...Was named the Chiefs' Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Co-Offensive Player of the Year...Is the first NCAA Division I basketball student-athl...

Position: Guard Height: 6-4 Weight: 190 Class: R-So. Hometown: Franklin, Tenn. Highschool: Independence EMU: Joined EMU as a walk-on before the 2013-14 campaign…2014-15: Earned a scholarship after redshirting during his first season with the team...Appeared in 21 games...Averaged 2.4 points per game in 7.6 minutes per game...Was a spark off the bench in the Eagles' contest at Louisiana-Monroe during the College Basketball Invitational going 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc for a career-best 10 points...2013-14: Redshirted during the 2013-14 campaign...High School: Attended Independence High School in Thompson Station, Tenn. where he was an Eagle under Head Coach Greg Glass…Earned a pair of varsity letters…Earned the John Maher Student-Athlete of the Month while attending Independence…Named to the District 11AAA All-Tournament Team…Knocked down the second-most three-pointer's in his district...Was the student body Vice President and an Honor Roll member...

Position: Guard Height: 6-2 Weight: 170 Class: Fr. Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich. Highschool: Muskegon EMU: Joined the Eagles as a walk-on after earning an academic scholarship at EMU prior to the 2015-16 campaign...High School: Played at Muskegon High School for Keith Guy...Averaged 13 points per game for the Big Reds, while knocking down 49 percent of his field goal attempts as a senior...Helped the Big Reds with their run into the Class A state quarterfinals during a season in which Muskegon went 23-2...Earned All-OK Black Conference honors as the Big Reds won the OK Black Conference Championship...Averaged 12 points per game as a junior on his way to a state championship...Personal: Full Name: Daryl Thomas Kirkland II...Son of Daryl and Tonya Kirkland...Has one sister, Trinity...Major: Sports Management.

Position: Guard Height: 6-1 Weight: 180 Class: Jr. Hometown: Richmond, Va. Highschool: Marshall     EMU: Transferred from San Jacinto College prior to the 2015-16 campaign and will have two years of eligibility… San Jacinto College: Appeared in 34 games for San Jac, starting all of them...Averaged 20.6 points per game this season, a mark that ranked 23rd in the nation, while shooting 38 percent from the field...Posted 3.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game...Named First Team All-Region XIV, while also earning all-Region South Zone First Team and NJCAA All-American Third Team honors... High School: Played at John Marshall High School in Richmond, Va. for Ty White...Was a four-year varsity letterwinner...Led his team to four conference titles and two regional championships...Scored over 1,600 career points...A two-time all-state honoree, whi...

Position: Guard/Forward Height: 6-8 Weight: 185 Class: R-Jr. Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind. Highschool: Detroit Country Day Transfer from: Duke EMU: Joined Eastern after playing one season at DePaul University...2014-15: Appeared in 34 games for EMU, starting in three of them...Posted double-digit scoring affairs in four games...Led the Eagles with 11 points in their victory over Michigan (Dec. 9)...Posted a career-best 13 points in the Eagles game at Miami (Jan. 10)...Had two-or-more blocks in six games...2013-14: Sat out the 2013-14 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules...DePaul: Appeared in eight games for the Blue Demons during the 2012-13 campaign...High School: Ranked 143 Overall on Rivals...Ranked among the class of 2012's top 25 three-point shooters by ESPN.com...Averaged 11.3 points and 4.4 rebounds...Led Detroit Country Day to combined 44-10 record during junior and season seasons with two state semifinal appearances in Class B...Attended the Lebron James Skills Academy...

Position: Forward Height: 6-8 Weight: 225 Class: Sr. Hometown: Howell, Mich. Highschool: Howell EMU: Transferred from Des Moines Area Community College prior to the 2014-15 campaign…2014-15: Appeared in all 35 games, starting 13 of them...Averaged 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game...Posted a career-best 11 points against Western Michigan (Jan. 31)...Pulled down a career-high eight rebounds on three separate occasions...Recorded three blocks versus Dayton (Dec. 6), for his best block total of the season...Was instrumental in the Eagles' first round win over Miami (March 9) in the MAC Tournament, playing a career-high 35 minutes...Des Moines Area CC: Named an NJCAA Second Team All-American at the Division II level following his sophomore season…He averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game…Led DMACC to a 29-7 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC)…The Bears won the regular-season conference championship and also captured ...

Position: Guard Height: 5-9 Weight: 160 Class: Fr. Hometown: Detroit, Mich. Highschool: River Rouge   EMU: Joined EMU as a freshman prior to the 2015-16 campaign... High School: Named First Team All-State by the Detroit News , while being named to the second team by the Detroit Free Press ...As a senior, Stone averaged 21 points, six assists and four steals per contest...Ranked as the eighth-best college prospect in the state of Michigan according to ESPN.com...Earned the No. 55 ranking at point guard in the country by ESPN.com...Played at River Rouge for his father LaMonta Stone, who was an EMU men's basketball assistant coach from 2000-02... Personal: Full Name: LaMonta Anthony Stone II...Son of Lamonta and Tomica Stone...Has two brothers, Lance and Landen... Major: Undecided.

Position: Center Height: 6-10 Weight: 220 Class: Fr. Hometown: Baton Rouge, La. Highschool: Parkview Baptist EMU: Joined the Eagles as a freshman prior to the 2015-16 campaign...High School: Played under Donnie Green at Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge, La....Was voted his team's most valuable player as a junior and a senior...Was a three-time first team all-state award winner...Earned first team all-Baton Rouge Metro honors during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons....Averaged 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior, 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks as a junior and 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in his sophomore stint...Played AAU ball for the Louisiana Future and Houston Hoops for Head Coach Titus Randle...Was a key factor in Houston Hoops' run to the championship of the Fab 48 in Las Vegas, Nev. during the summer of 2013...Personal: Full Name: James Thompson IV...Son of James Thompson III and Yosiata Steptore...Has one ...

Position: Guard Height: 6-7 Weight: 160 Class: So. Hometown: Baltimore, Md. Highschool: City College High School EMU: Joined EMU as a true freshman prior to the 2014-15 campaign…2014-15: Missed the entire non-conference season due to injury, but played all 22 of the Eagles' remaining contests, starting six of them...Averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 rebounds, while knocking down 43.1 percent of his field goal attempts...Posted double-digit scoring efforts in six games, including a career-high 15 versus Toledo, March 6...Recorded nearly one block per game, including three at Ball State, March 3...Pulled down a career-high seven rebounds in three contests...High School: Led City College High School to the Maryland Class 3A State Championship after the Knights went 27-0 during his senior season…Was a four-year letterwinner...Averaged 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game this season…Posted an average of six steals and three blocked shots...Named All-Metro First Team in his ...