From the tarpit - Dave Fairbank - dailypress.com

HU's Lewis sets early summer standard in 100 hurdles

Dave Fairbank — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:02:00 GMT

Yvette Lewis knew she was running fast and clearing hurdles in a blur. But when she crossed the finish line at the Mt. Sac Relays and glanced at the clock, she did a double-take.

Houston Hoops EYBL team entertaining, effective

Dave Fairbank — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:15:00 GMT

The benefits of playing among top-level talent, Justise Winslow was saying, far outweigh the drawbacks and sacrifices. The greatest gain, the Houston mega-prospect said, is the result.

W&M men's gymnastics have 2 All-Americans

Dave Fairbank — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:16:00 GMT

For the first time in its long and successful, if underfunded, history, William and Mary men’s gymnastics had two NCAA All-Americans at last weekend’s championship meet. The Tribe came within a bunny hop and a few tenths of a point of having two national champs.

Georgia's Durr, guard play highlight Boo's girls' tournament

Dave Fairbank — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:51:00 GMT

Asia Durr is only a high school sophomore, but is already a veteran of the AAU basketball circuit and the Boo Williams Nike Invitational, in particular.

Boo's girls fall in tournament, anticipate summer

Dave Fairbank — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:08:00 GMT

Boo Williams was disappointed, but not discouraged after a long day ended with his elite girls’ 16-and-under AAU basketball team eliminated from the weekend’s Nike Invitational that bears his name.

Pitching fuels current W&M baseball streak

Dave Fairbank — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:34:00 GMT

Less than halfway through his first season as William and Mary’s head baseball coach, Jamie Pinzino doesn’t look too far ahead or consider wins as much more than daily snapshots at this point.

W&M's Driscoll looks for a women's hoops coach

Dave Fairbank — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:41:00 GMT

Terry Driscoll is looking for a basketball coach, and candidates might want to familiarize themselves with Job and Saint Jude.

HU women await all-important NCAA seed

Dave Fairbank — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:09:00 GMT

After blowing through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament, the Hampton University women approach their third goal: winning an NCAA tournament game.

All-CAA: A stab at honoring league's best

Dave Fairbank — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:20:00 GMT

Today’s intallment of Ignorance on Display is my All-CAA ballot. Didn’t see several teams often enough to make informed evaluations, so I read and listened to others, perused numbers and took a stab at reasonable – when I didn’t go with my gut.

Shaver quietly reaches W&M milestone

Dave Fairbank — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:44:00 GMT

Overlooked amid the warm fuzzies about William and Mary’s three-game winning streak and late-season surge was the fact that Big Whistle Tony Shaver now has the most wins of any coach in program history.

Last chance to see Delle Donne locally

Dave Fairbank — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:18:00 GMT

Local hoops aficionados with a Sunday afternoon to kill and a few bucks in their pockets should consider a trip to William and Mary Hall.

Post-Blaine, ODU energetic, if not always efficient

Dave Fairbank — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 23:21:00 GMT

Despite the turmoil of the past week, Old Dominion appears to play a little more loosely and confidently than in its first 22 games. This is part observation, part statistical.

This blog is moving

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:27:40 GMT

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CAA Positioning Itself

Mon, 21 May 2012 23:29:14 GMT

Magnanimous gent that he is, George Mason athletic director Tom O’Connor is in favor of Old Dominion and Georgia State competing for CAA championships on their way out the door and for a change in the conference bylaws that prohibit such things. That was one of the nuggets from ESPN college hoops Bigfoot Andy Katz, who also reported that CAA commish Tom Yeager had informed Southern Conference counterpart John Iamarino that he would be trolling the neighborhood. Expansion and membership are Job One in the coming weeks, as the CAA seeks to replace VCU, Old Dominion and Georgia State. The conference is practically obligated to look both north and south, and for both football and basketball.

Recruiting Change at ODU

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:32:46 GMT

Fittingly, football coach Bobby Wilder was in attendance Thursday as Old Dominion announced its move to Conference USA, since the jump is tied to football. Equally fitting, seven assistant coaches were unable to attend because they were on the road recruiting. Never mind start-up success and ambition and dollars pledged, recruiting and talent will determine whether ODU football succeeds or fails in the Football Bowl Subdivision and C-USA. “The recruiting game just changed dramatically,” Wilder said.

CAA's Anxious Times

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:57:35 GMT

Recent events and the next couple of weeks guarantee that the Colonial Athletic Association’s spring meetings June 2-7 in Hilton Head, S.C., will be about much more than tee times and dinner reservations. Commissioner Tom Yeager’s influence and management chops will be tested as the direction of the conference, and perhaps its future, are likely to be determined in the coming weeks. Yeager, the CAA’s genial and connected leader, emerges from Tuesday’s funk as shepherd of a league in transition. George Mason is staying and VCU is leaving. Old Dominion’s decision on whether to hitch the wagon to Conference USA is expected within the next couple of weeks. Though a sizeable blow, the CAA can withstand VCU’s loss. If VCU and Old Dominion bail, CAA basketball suddenly slides into Southern Conference territory, and those big crowds at the Richmond Coliseum every March evaporate. This leads us to the intertwined pillars of membership, geography and desirability.

Decisions Loom for Conference Realignment

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:39:35 GMT

Rumors and whispers of local college conference membership shuffles could see the light of day beginning Wednesday, when George Mason’s Board of Visitors holds its final scheduled meeting of the school year. Mason and VCU are considering a jump to the Atlantic 10 Conference from the Colonial Athletic Association, as Old Dominion ponders an invitation from Conference USA. VCU’s Board of Visitors is scheduled to meet Friday, while the executive committee of ODU’s Board of Visitors meets Monday. VCU and George Mason seek upgrades for their men’s basketball programs from a CAA that some within the respective camps view as excessively football-centric in recent years. ODU sees C-USA as a potential home for its upwardly mobile football program, as well as most of its other athletic teams. VCU and Mason honchos have been noodling a move for months, while ODU’s decision was accelerated by realignment elsewhere that created openings and a frenzy of movement one step below the marquee league level.

No U-Turn for Richardson

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:06:11 GMT

James Johnson is the only former Virginia Tech assistant coach to do a 180 and return to Blacksburg. Contacted Tuesday morning, new Old Dominion assistant coach John Richardson laughed when the question was asked and replied, “No, sir. I’m very excited to be at Old Dominion and get started again at a place I’m very familiar with. It’s almost like I never left.” Richardson resigned at Tech after two years, just prior to Seth Greenberg’s termination last week. He spent the previous five seasons at ODU — the last two as assistant and the first three as director of basketball operations.

Grimes' Wild Half-Hour

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:36:49 GMT

The way Jonathan Grimes described it, his Saturday evening turned into the job hunt equivalent of a fire drill: quiet, edgy anticipation; brief, intense activity; step back to exhale and to digest what just occurred. Grimes, William and Mary’s record-setting running back, went undrafted over the weekend, but agreed to terms on a free agent deal with the Houston Texans on Saturday evening after a flurry of phone calls, conversations and decisions. “It was interesting,” Grimes said with a chuckle Sunday evening from his New Jersey home. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”

William and Mary Patient Amid CAA Turbulence

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:39:42 GMT

Terry Driscoll is more interested than most in speculation and reports of possible realignment involving the Colonial Athletic Association, but William and Mary’s athletic director said that he and the school are likely to wait for a resolution before acting on their future. “Very honestly, I’m not part of the discussions of what’s been going on,” Driscoll said. “I’m as curious as anyone, because what has transpired has transpired very, very quickly.” Sources said last week that VCU and George Mason are considering a move to the Atlantic 10 Conference, which would cripple the CAA’s basketball profile and could prompt moves by fellow league members such as Old Dominion and James Madison. “It’s a little bit difficult to say, here’s what we’re going to do, when we really don’t know if there is going to be a move,” Driscoll said. “Because if there is no move, it makes great internet conversation. “If there is a move, then who moves, what are the actual impacts on us, what does the future of the CAA look like?” he added. “I’m more about looking at what the realities are and how do we move forward? We’re not going to change. We’re going to be who we are.”

Boo's Girls Tournament's Unlikely Champs

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:21:44 GMT

Tom Insell has brought better players and better teams to Boo Williams’ annual Nike Invitational girls hoops tournament. However, he left Sunday with something he’d never had: a championship trophy from the elite, 16-and-under division. Insell’s Knoxville-based Tennessee Flight Silver squad held off the Philly Belles, Maryland edition 78-65 in the title game Sunday afternoon, a couple of hours after erasing a 17-point deficit to defeat a talented Georgia Metros team in the semifinals. “I’ve been coming here 25 years, been in the finals eight times and never won it,” a happy and hoarse Insell said afterward. “This is a real big deal. “Our goal every year is to win the Nike nationals,” he added. “But this is the second-largest tournament in the country behind the Nike nationals. We want to do well here.”

Tribe Hoops Loss

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:55:19 GMT

William and Mary hoops takes a hit with the departure of lead assistant Ben Wilkins, head coach Tony Shaver’s right hand for the past several years. Wilkins leaves after six seasons to become lead assistant at Mount St. Mary’s with new coach Jamion Christian, late of VCU. Christian also did a prior stint as an assistant at William and Mary, where the two men became friends. “Ben’s an awesome guy,” Shaver said Wednesday from the road, where he was recruiting. “He’s been great for our program. I appreciate his loyalty and I wish him well.”

More Painter Transfer Nuggets

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:04:55 GMT

DeShawn Painter’s immediate eligibility at Old Dominion hinges on several conditions that would allow the NCAA to grant a legislative relief waiver, according to ODU’s assistant director for compliance. Painter, a Norfolk native who played his first three years at North Carolina State, is transferring to be closer to his ailing great-grandmother and to lend support to his entire family. Division I basketball and football players generally must sit out a year before becoming eligible at their new school. M.L. Morgan, the Monarchs’ assistant compliance honcho, wrote that from observing similar waiver requests, the conditions that must be met for immediate eligibility are: -- The school from which the athlete transfers must support the waiver request. According to an N.C. State athletic department official, coach Mark Gottfried was on the road and unavailable to address the topic. At first glance, there’s no reason for State to deny the request. -- The ill person must be an immediate family member or someone who plays a significant role in the athlete’s life. Painter said that his great-grandmother helped raise both him and his mother. -- There needs to be some evidence that the ill person’s condition has worsened. Painter said that his great-grandmother’s health has declined recently, though she’s doing reasonably well at the moment. -- The transfer cannot be for basketball reasons, since without the illness, the player would have remained at the original school. Painter said it was a difficult decision to leave State, because he loves the school, his teammates and the direction of the program under Gottfried. But he said that his family is more important to him, particularly at this time. -- It would be beneficial if Painter can graduate in the 2012-13 academic year and not have to return for 2013-14. Painter is majoring in social work and said that he is “close” to graduating. The NCAA periodically grants waivers, for example to basketball players Lamont “Momo” Jones last summer and to Paul Carter in 2010. Jones, a New York City native, transferred from Arizona to Iona to be near his ailing grandmother. Carter transferred from Minnesota to Illinois-Chicago to be nearer to a sister with bone cancer. Notably, former Saint Joseph’s basketball player Todd O’Brien hoped to transfer and play immediately last season at Alabama Birmingham, where he was working on a graduate degree. But coach Phil Martelli denied the waiver request in a situation that became public and messy. Painter, 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, averaged 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season as the Wolfpack advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. He started seven games, but mostly was the sixth man and first frontcourt reserve, averaging 20 minutes per game. If Painter were to be granted immediate eligibility, it would be a helpful addition for an ODU team that lost four seniors and that brings in a five-member freshman class next season.

McDowell's N'Awlins Trip

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:33:35 GMT

Quinn McDowell didn’t get to the Final Four the way he wanted – with his William and Mary teammates preparing for the national semifinals. It was, however, a nice consolation prize. McDowell was in New Orleans during Final Four weekend as part of a promotion by Lowe’s that recognizes players for achievements on and off the court. “You dream of going to the Final Four as a player,” McDowell said. “It’s a goal for every college basketball player, to go to the Final Four. Even though I didn’t make it as a player, I made it as a player – just in a different context.”

W&M Football's Familiar Face

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:51:18 GMT

William and Mary football’s coaching staff received an injection of experience and familiarity with the addition of former defensive coordinator Tom Clark. Clark, 53, will coach the defensive backs and replaces D.K. McDonald, who took an assistant’s job at Toledo. Clark was defensive coordinator at W&M from 2001-03. Clark spent the past six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Liberty under Danny Rocco. He had an opportunity to accompany Rocco when he got the head coaching job at Richmond, but instead pursued the W&M opening. “This is home for me, in certain ways,” said Clark, who kept the house that he and his family had in Williamsburg after he departed following the 2003 season. “We really enjoyed it here and envisioned getting back here someday. “I’m very grateful to Coach (Jimmye) Laycock. The opportunity to come back was very generous on his part.” Clark’s defenses at William and Mary were known for attacking and being aggressive. During his three years as coordinator, the Tribe tied for the Atlantic 10 Conference title in 2001 and went to the playoffs. William and Mary went 6-5 (5-4 in the A-10) and 5-5, 4-4, in his final two years. Clark has known Tribe defensive coordinator Scott Boone for 13 years, going back to when both competed as head coaches in Division III — Clark at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and Boone at Randolph-Macon. Clark did two stints as head coach at Catholic, from 1994-2000 and 2004-05 after he left W&M. He has spent the past week learning the Tribe’s personnel and defensive scheme. After serving as a coordinator and D-III head coach, he has no problem accepting a role as a position coach. “I have a very small ego,” he said. “I’m excited to work for Scott, and I’m very excited to be a defensive backs coach.” “It’s great to have him here,” Boone said. “I’m a guy who’s young, as far as being a coordinator, since last year was my first year. To have somebody with 10 years of coordinating experience on the staff, things that I haven’t seen, he has. If something comes up in a game where I might not have the depth of knowledge, he does.” Boone envisions himself on the sideline during games, with Clark in the coaches’ booth providing feedback and analysis. “If you don’t have a big ego, then you can do whatever you’re asked to do,” Boone said. “Whatever success we have, a big part of it will be because of Tom. He knows that, I know that, Coach (Laycock) knows that. If we’re better on defense, it’s because we did a better job coaching. It’s the same players. We’ve got to do a better job coaching. Having that experience, and a guy who’s seen it all through 20-plus years of coaching defense, that can’t be a negative.”