BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — UD held their annual Basketball Media Day today and unveiled new unis; the Red and Blue game is 10 days away; CJ, PW, Luke and Josh are this year’s team captains. I do believe that it’s time for some hoops!

Here’s what I got:

— Fantastic piece by ESPN’s Jay Bilas on what really constitutes toughness:

http://mdbball.com/Documents/ToughnessbyJayBilas.pdf

This article should be in every Flyers’ locker when Archie holds UD’s first official practice.

— Jody Demling at The Louisville Courier-Journal says that UD will get a visit on October 20th from Greensburg, IN prospect Sean Sellers:

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/jodydemling/2011/10/10/a-few-morning-nuggets-17/

— UD was in the final three for NYC native Melvin Johnson, who ended up at Miami (FL):

http://www.zagsblog.com/2011/10/09/johnson-commits-to-hurricanes/

— Dana O’Neil at ESPN.com analyzes the Atlantic 10 non-con schedule:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/36200/nonconference-schedule-analysis-a-10

— Several top prospects have left Flint for prep schools, leaving GreatLakesHoops.com to wonder if the remaining players are even worth the trouble to discuss:

http://greatlakeshoops.com/2011/10/04/citybeat-is-it-ok-to-skip-2012-class/#more-4104

UD is pursuing Denzell Watts of Flint Carmen-Ainsworth HS.

— The Mid-Majority is set to launch Season #8 on November 1st and is enlisting readers to become writers in the “800 Games Project.” Anybody wanna volunteer to cover the Flyers?

http://www.midmajority.com/

— “Unofficial visits” by basketball and (especially) football recruits are not as innocuous as they sound, according to The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/sports/ncaafootball/unofficial-visits-in-ncaa-recruiting-draw-concern-not-scrutiny.html?_r=2

— I’m confused — who or what exactly is the driving force behind the BCS Conference realignments?

This guy says that it’s mega-talent agency IMG:

http://gossipsports.com/img-college-the-quiet-devil-behind-conference-realignment/

While The Boston Globe states that it is (big surprise) ESPN:

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2011/10/09/power_move_by_acc/?page=1

— Somehow, I don’t think that offering to have student/athletes major in “Sports” is the answer to the current state of affairs in college athletics:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ncaa-colleges-should-consider-offering-sports-as-an-academic-major/2011/10/05/gIQAF6ijOL_story.html

— Former head-case Will Barton got the wake-up call he needed when his coach at South Kent (CT) Prep benched him in a big game even tho his squad was trailing:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/15692054/like-barton-more-touted-recruits-could-use-reality-checks

— Here is an eyewitness account of what it’s really like to try out for the NBA D-League. Basically, get ready to run your butt off:

http://deadspin.com/5846103/starting-in-the-basement-a-day-at-open-tryouts-for-the-nbas-d+league

— We all knew that Marquette’s Buzz Williams was a master at “un-recruiting” a kid once he gets to campus, but who knew he could sing?

http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/32561452

— There is no justice in this world. Scum ball deluxe Bruce Pearl gets summarily fired from Tennessee and continues to live a life of luxury. Meanwhile, his coaching staff faces a future with huge pay cuts and the prospect of splitting up their families:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/15650956/while-pearl-lives-in-luxury-his-exassistants-go-through-upheaval

— My favorite NBA player of all time, Bill Russell, is suing the NCAA for unauthorized use of his likeness. Good for him!

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-06/ex-celtics-star-bill-russell-sues-ncaa-for-antitrust-in-licensing-dispute.html

— “Moneyball” author Michael Lewis graces Vanity Fair with another great profile of a failed economy. This time it is a little closer to home than Iceland, Ireland, Greece or Germany. It is the State of California:

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/11/michael-lewis-201111

— And speaking of failed economies, I was thoroughly ****ed at Wall Street, Federal regulators, the rating agencies and even major college business schools after watching this fascinating documentary on the trillion dollar collapse of 2008 called “Inside Job.” The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2011. You can watch “Inside Job” narrated by Matt Damon in its entirety here for free:

http://www.theotherschoolofeconomics.org/?p=2499

— The best time-lapse photography of landscapes that you will see all day:

http://vimeo.com/29950141

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]