Caleb Troop

*  July 31^st

-  Ohio University offered Batesville High School (IN) shooting guard Colt Ryan (6-4, 180) a long time ago.  But it sounds like the Rivals.com three-star recruit might be out of the picture for John Groce and the ‘Cats.  “It has been picking up with an ACC school calling, a Big Ten school becoming more interested, and the schools who have been involved continuing to show great effort and interest,” Ryan’s high school coach Aaron Garrett said earlier this week.  “Colt is going to take the last part of summer to collect his thoughts and see where he fits in the best. He is also a very smart kid and is taking a thorough look at academic offerings of each school involved in recruiting him. As for a decision date, I do not know when Colt and his family will make a definite choice.”

 

-  So where might Ryan end up if the high-major schools don’t offer?  “If things were to end today without any new offers…Miami of Ohio has been there from the beginning and would only be 45 minutes from home, and Evansville has worked extremely hard recruiting Colt. Princeton is also very much in the mix,” Garrett said.

-  So to summarize, my gut feeling tells me that I would be very surprised if Ryan ended up with the ‘Cats at this point.

-  John Groce is really going hard after 2009 forward Jonathan Smith (6-7).  Smith reportedly has 15 D-I offers, including one from the ‘Cats.  “He’s a great character kid,” said Smith’s Grove City High School coach Greg Waits. “He’s 6-7, long, (and) can jump out of the gym.  He runs the floor as well as anybody around….He’s got great leaping ability and tremendous upside.”

-  Waits noted that Smith wears a size 17 shoe and could grow another 1-2 inches.  Smith wants to narrow down his list to five schools over the next month or so.  Providence, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), SLU, Wright State, James Madison, Kent State and others join Ohio in the mix at this point.

-  According Waits, Smith has a great relationship with his mom, and ideally may like to stay closer to home.  Academics are also very important to Smith. “I think he wants to do communications,” Waits said, “and I know OU has a great communications school.”

-  Groce is recruiting 2010 point guard Aaron Craft (6-0, 180), but Craft says right now there has been no scholarship offer, just phone calls.  Craft plays with one of the top U16 AAU teams (All-Ohio Red) in the nation and attends Liberty Benton High School in Ohio.  Rivals.com reports Bowling Green has offered, while Miamihawktalk.com reports Miami (OH) has as well.

* July 29^th

-  The ‘Cats are looking at 2009 prospect Evan Gordon.  Don’t know who he is?  You might have heard of his brother, Eric, the 7th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft to the L.A. Clippers and former Indiana Hoosier.  The younger Gordon (6-1, 190) is a senior-to-be in Indianapolis and a legitimate D-I point guard prospect.  He plays his AAU ball for the Indiana Elite LNO team and has heard from Ohio.  “I have letters from Coach Groce, but no communication,” Gordon said Tuesday.

-  Gordon will be leaving Indiana to head to Virginia for his senior season.  “I’m not sure when I want to commit to a college, but you’re the first to know that I’m not attending North Central (High School in Indianapolis) next year. I’ll be at Hargrave Military Academy…I’m switching to Hargrave for a different look. I mean I wish I didn’t have to change because we were a favorite to win state…but it’s the number one prep school in the nation so its’ a lot of exposure.” Gordon said he’s hearing the most from Penn State, Xavier, Kent State, Indiana, Ball State, Miami (FL), Miami (OH), Butler, and Notre Dame among others.  When asked to name a favorite, Gordon said, “I like Penn State a lot.”

-  The loss of Gordon really hurts North Central and their state title hopes.  The school also features 2010 D-I prospects G Terone Johnson and PF Justin Reid.

-  Rumor has it that Kent State picked up a commitment today from a 2009 point guard.  My wild guess is either Tyreak Johnson (6-0, 185) from St. Raymond’s High School in Bronx, New York or Darwin Ellis (5-8, 155) from Abraham Lincoln H.S. in Brooklyn, New York.  Ellis’ former prep teammate, Justin Greene, will be a freshman forward for the Golden Flashes this season.

-  If KSU did get a verbal from a PG, this would help in the D.J. Cooper sweepstakes.  Again, all is speculation right now.

-  To football news.

-  A pair of signess from the 2008 class are gone.  Running back commit Joshua Greene (5-9, 180) has left the program.  Greene was a Rivals.com two-star tailback from Springboro high school and the only RB recruit in the ’08 class.  Greene was one of the final signees, replacing  RB Jerry Kelly, who opted late for Boston College.

-  Linebacker Vince Harris (6-1, 220) will not be on the roster this fall either, the University confirmed Tuesday.

-  Also gone from the football team are a pair of second year linemen.  DL Alex Trouten (6-2, 253) and OL Chris Spegal (6-6, 294) both have transferred.  Trouten was a walk-on, but seemed to excel in spring practice.  He recorded two sacks in one of the ’Cats mid-spring scrimmages.

-  Some good news, though.  WR Bakari Bussey, one of the top recruits for the ‘Cats in 2008, has academically qualified and will be with the team this fall.

-  And finally in recruiting news, it doesn’t sound like the ‘Cats have much of a chance at getting offensive lineman Kendall Kelly (6-5, 295) from Gainesville High School in Florida.  In a Rivals.com article a month ago, he listed South Florida, Purdue, Central Florida, Florida and Arkansas as his top five schools in order.  Of those five, Kelly has an offer from Arkansas.  Ohio has offered Kelly.

-  More to come.

* July 28^th

Ohio University is recruiting, but has yet to offer, Middletown High School swing forward Bill Edwards (6-5, 240).  Edwards is classified as smart, smooth and an athlete who can play inside and outside.  The two knocks on his game are inconsistency and his lack of self-determination.  “I believe that when Billy wants to play, he is the best player in the state of Ohio,” Edwards’ All-Ohio Force AAU coach Gregg Brown said on Monday.  “He has not been offered (by Ohio) yet, but I know John (Groce) is watching him very close.”

-  Edwards picked up offers last week from Penn State and Virginia.  He already has offers from Michigan, UMASS, Miami (FL), and Miami (OH) among others.  Brown said Groce has been following Edwards for a long time now, dating back to his Ohio State coaching days.

-  If Edwards decides to sign with a MAC school, I’m hearing it would probably be Miami (OH).

-  Ohio University is also recruiting Edwards’ Middletown H.S. teammate, point guard Allen Roberts (6-1, 170).  Roberts, too, plays his AAU ball with All-Ohio Force and has offers from Kent State and Toledo.  Rivals.com reports offers from Miami (OH), Butler and BG as well.  Roberts is a fundamentally sound guard who can knock down free throws with ease but still needs to work on his perimeter game.

-  Don’t be surprised if Groce grabs a player from that All-Ohio Force program at some point down the road—a program which includes Zach Brown (Lipscomb), Matt Kavanaugh (Dayton), and borderline D-1 recruit Ryan Siggins in the 2009 class alone.  Why?  Groce and Brown have been very close friends for a long time.  Simply put, the ‘Cats coach knows the program and the people who run it very well.

-  All three of the major 2009 recruits from the Ohio Basketball Club (F Danny McElroy, F Marquis Horne and PG Orlando Williams Jr.) could be one big package deal.  The three have talked about their desire to stay together and go to the same school, according to their AAU coach.

-  Ohio University is recruiting 2010 point guard Barry Cobb from North College Hill High School in Cincinnati.

-  While only returning six plays who saw action last season is not ideal, the ‘Cats won’t be the only inexperienced team in the MAC East next season.  The Zips from Akron will see a total of eight new players between true and redshirt freshmen.

-  Let’s switch over to football recruiting news.

-  Elder High School offensive lineman John Anevski (6-4, 275) was offered by Ohio University back in March.  Four months later, the Cincinnati native is still sorting through his options.  “I’m still interested in everyone that has offered.  I haven’t narrowed anything down.  I have like close to 15 offers, and one being from Louisville, but I’m open.  I’m going to take all my official (visits) then decide.”  Two of Anevski’s teammates at Elder, WR Josh Jones and lineman Austen Bujnoch have already committed to the University of Cincinnati.

-  As first reported by BobcatAttack.com, Padua Franciscan High School (OH) linebacker Dan Molls (6-1, 212) is deciding between Ohio and Central Michigan.  “I have narrowed it down to those two,” Molls said Monday.  “I plan to make a final decision in the next couple weeks. Athens is a beautiful place.”  Molls is a Rivals.com two-star recruit and reportedly runs a 4.57 40-yard dash.

-  Click Here to listen to an interesting interview with Dave Ruthenberg from MACReportOnline.com.  Ruthenberg appeared on Sports Radio 950 ESPN in Philadelphia.

-  Ohio University has hired Darrin Bates to replace the recently departed Quenjana Adams in the media relations department.  Bates graduated from BYU and comes from Texas Tech University.  He will cover women’s soccer, women’s basketball and women’s softball for the athletic department.

-  More to come.

* July 25^th

-  The university released a statement about ‘Cats forward Asown Sayles today after  Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News reported that Sayles would “probably sit out” the 2008-09 season.

“I’ve chosen to have surgery on my shoulder because it will allow me to perform at the top of my game and help the team to the best of my ability in the long run,” Sayles said. “I’ve been told that the recovery time is approximately six months, and I hope to be back in action during the conference season.”

-  Groce, who is off campus recruiting until July 31, said, “We’re going to miss Asown in the short term, but his surgery will be beneficial to both him and the team in the long run. We expect Asown to have a full and speedy recovery.”

-  Ideally, the ‘Cats could see Sayles back in action sometime in February during the stretch run of MAC play.  This leaves the ‘Cats will 11 roster players, five of which have never played a minute in a Bobcat uniform.

-  Ohio point guard recruit D.J. Cooper will make his decision between Baylor, Kent State and Ohio within the next few weeks.  He said he plans on taking a visit to Athens, but has not set a date for the visit yet.  When asked his if it is more appealing to go to a bigger school in a bigger conference like Baylor and the Big 12, the 5-9 Cooper said—fittingly—that size wasn’t a factor.  He said is merely looking for the best fit.

-  More to come.

*  July 24^th

-  As first reported on BobcatAttack.com, Ohio University has offered Hales Franciscan High School point guard D.J. Cooper (5-9, 165) from the Chicago area in the 2009 class.  “Yes they offered me,” Cooper confirmed today.  “I am interested in playing for Coach Groce.  I’m (also) interested in Kent State and Baylor University.”  Cooper is a Rivals.com and Scout.com three-star recruit, and is ranked by Scout as the 21st best PG in the ’09 class.

-  Speaking of point guards, take one possible recruit off the board for the ‘Cats.  Not to the surprise of any one, point guard Kendall Brown (5-10, 170) committed to Southern Illinois University on Wednesday according to Rivals.  The 2009 recruit had multiple Division I offers, although it is unclear if John Groce ever went after Brown.  The Indiana native plays his AAU ball for the Evansville Basketball Club, the same AAU organization that SIU coach Chris Lowry once played for.

-  Two impressive 2009 prospects hoop it up just a few hours south of Athens in the state of Kentucky and are teammates on the U17 AAU Derek Smith All Stars.  At this point neither is on Ohio’s radar, however.  Scott County High School PF Richie Phares (6-7, 200) and Elliott County High School SG Jonathan Ferguson (6-2, 175) are two of the best recruits Kentucky has to offer.  “They are both excellent players, but Ohio U. has not called me about them,” the pair’s AAU coach Robert Van Hoose said Thursday.  “Several MAC schools are recruiting Richie, and Jonathan is hearing from a lot of D-1 schools as well.  At this point, it is still early on the offers…no one has put a firm offer out there.”  “

-  If you ask Van Hoose, he’ll tell you that Phares is the consensus #2 prospect in the state behind University of Kentucky commit John Hood.  Ferguson, meanwhile, led the state in scoring his junior season, averaging 28.4 ppg.  He shot 42% from downtown, averaging nearly four made three’s per game.  According to Rivals.com, Ferguson took an unofficial visit to nearby Murray State several months ago.  New Ohio assistant Jamall Walker coached at MSU last season.

-  Much more to come in the next couple of days.

* July 23^rd

-  More basketball recruiting news regarding some in-state prospects for John Groce and the ‘Cats.

-  Ohio University has offered 2009 LaSalle High School prospect Danny McElroy.  The 6-6, 200-pound Rivals.com three-star forward committed to home-town Cincinnati in late 2006, but has since re-opened his search.  McElroy is currently in Las Vegas for an AAU Tournament with the Ohio Basketball Club. “A lot of it will be contingent on how the rest of this tournament ends up out here in Vegas,” said his AAU coach Orlando Williams on Tuesday.  “We have a big following, and a lot of coaches like Danny because he has been playing real well this summer.”

-  More on McElroy: Scout.com page, Rivals.com page, ESPN.com page

-  Ohio University has offered 2009 Princeton High School (Cincinnati) prospect Marquis Horne (6-6, 200).  Horne also is in Vegas playing with McElroy and the rest of his AAU Ohio Basketball Club teammates for a tournament that runs through July 26.  Horne has six or seven solid offers, including Tennessee Tech, St. Bonaventure, Marshall, BG, and Kent State.

-  More on Horne:  Scout.com page, Rivals.com page

-  Last but not least from the AAU Ohio Basketball Club is the coach’s son, shooting guard Orlando Williams Jr.  Like Horne, Williams (6-4, 180) is in the 2009 class from Princeton High School in Cincinnati.  Unlike Horne, however, Williams does not currently have an offer from Groce and Ohio.  Maybe not for long, though. “They’ve showed him a lot of love,” said Williams Sr.  “Groce wanted to watch him a little bit more in this tournament (in Las Vegas) but he said he’s pretty sure he’s going to offer Orlando.”  Williams is coming off an injury at the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic a few weeks ago in Cincinnati.

-  More on Williams:  Rivals.com page, Scout.com page, ESPN.com page

* July 22^nd

-  ‘Cats basketball coach John Groce appears to be targeting Sinclair C.C. forward Mark Anderson (6-8, 215).  Anderson graduated from Dunbar High School in 2006 where he was a teammate of former Ohio State standout Daquan Cook (Miami Heat).  The reclassified 2009 recruit just finished his freshman season at Sinclair, and what a season it was.  Anderson averaged 25.8 ppg and 9.3 rbg, and was named a National Junior College Athletic Conference 2nd team Division II Men’s Basketball All-American.  Anderson’s uncle is Dwight Anderson, a former standout college basketball player who played professionally with the New Jersey Nets. “From my understanding, Mark is one of (Ohio’s) top priorities,” Sinclair head coach Jeff Price said Tuesday. “(Mark) likes John a lot,” he added.  “They have that tie (with Cook and Ohio State).  I think he feels comfortable with him.”

-  Anderson is hearing most from Miami (OH), Marshall and West Virginia.  Other schools like Wright State, Cleveland State, Ball State, BG, Dayton and Xavier have shown interest as well.

-  More on Anderson:  Scout.com page, Rivals.com page, Sinclair website

-  2010 Northland High School prospect J.D. Weatherspoon has been offered a scholarship by Groce and Ohio University.  “Yes, they offered me,” confirmed the 6-6, 210-pound forward on Monday.  As illustrated by several impressive YouTube clips, Weatherspoon is a freakish athlete.  While a bit raw skill-wise, Weatherspoon has been offered by Xavier, Akron and BG, and is gaining interest from several Top 25 programs.

-  More on Weatherspoon: Scout.com page, Rivals.com page, ESPN.com page

-  Betfirms.com has Ohio finishing 6^th in the MAC East this fall.

-  I’m a big fan of the NBC show “America’s Got Talent.”  Last week on the show, the “Zooperstars” were featured on the program as they tried out and, not surprisingly, advanced on to the next round in Las Vegas.  The Zooperstars performed at The Convo during halftime of the men’s basketball game against Western Michigan this past season.  Check ‘em out online at Zooperstars.com.  Click Here to Watch Their Performance on AGT.

* July 20^th

-  I meant to get the following notes up a few days ago, but I’ve been a bit busy working this weekend.  By the way, my St. Louis Cardinals are now a season-high 14 games over .500.  Much of the following news bits are out of the basketball program and may be old to some thanks to the informative article by Jason Arkley in today’s Athens Messenger, but I’ll go ahead and rehash some of it anyways.

-  New Ohio hoops coach John Groce is fresh off his first recruiting trip as a head coach.  Groce visited six cities over a span of 10 days, and I had a chance to catch up with him on Friday.

-  Groce said that he will not rank his assistants.  All will be treated on the same level, with no one receiving the associate head coach role.

-  Groce said bringing in a young staff was by design. “That was the goal,” Groce said.  “I wanted a high energy, high motor staff.”

-  The new ‘Cats leader admitted discussions with former assistants John Rhodes, Kevin Kuwik and Bakari Alexander. “I sat down and spoke with all three of them.  All three are great guys, very professional, and have a love for Ohio University.  It just came down to the fact that I wanted to have my own staff.  It didn’t have anything to do with their competency or anything like that,” Groce said.  “At the end of the day, I felt like that was the best direction for me to go personally and the best direction for the program.”

-  With the departure of Mike Harris from the program, Groce and company now have 12 players on the roster.  Groce has not made a decision about possible changes to that roster.  “I don’t know at this point in time whether I’m going to use (the open scholarship) now or (next season),” Groce said.  “I think that is going to kind of evolve as we start to recruit that class.  As we start to maybe get a guy or two, some things will change and head us in a direction that, quite honestly, right now I’m not exactly able to pinpoint.  Right now, we have to get to know our own team better.”

-  Groce did say that if he chose to save the open scholarship for the 2009 recruiting class, that’s OK by him. “I’m fine with having 12 on our roster.  That doesn’t mean I’m going to rule out adding anybody, (though).”

-  While Groce cannot comment on recruiting, he did outline a plan for the three or possibly four recruits he will sign in his first class with the ‘Cats in 2009.  “We have one point guard in our program next season after Mike Allen graduates.  I do feel like we need a point guard,” adding, “We are trying to work on finding a forward as well—if not one, possibly two.”

-  As for the current non-conference schedule, there are no changes as of right now, but one could be on the horizon.  Tim O’Shea is set to come to The Convo on November 15 as Bryant University pays a visit.  Groce did say there was a possibility of that game not happening.  “As of right now, we are playing that game until we can secure a contract for another game.  If that would occur, there is a chance we would not play that game.  But that is still in limbo at this time.”

-  To football news now.  The ‘Cats should probably expect a solid crowd for the 2 pm home opener against Central Michigan on Sept. 13 at Peden Stadium.  But after that, who knows.  The VMI and Bowling Green home games on Sept. 27 and Nov. 8, respectively, could go head to head with Ohio State contests, possibly diminishing student attendance inside Peden.  To make matters worse, most students will have filed out of Athens for winter break by the start of the Akron game on November 22^nd.

-  I’m somewhat surprised at the lack of enthusiasm from ‘Cats fans regarding the contract extension of Frank Solich.  It’s as if Athens can’t accept the fact that a coach actually loves the area and truly wants to be here (Seven years of Tim O’Shea can do that to a person, I guess).  Ohio A.D. Jim Schaus paid a lot of money for Solich’s extension when related to the rest of the conference, but Solich is being paid in the bottom third of all Football Championship Series coaches.

-  In recruiting news, Fremont Ross High School product Brad Woleslagel has no offers yet, but is hearing a lot from schools like Ohio, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan and Akron.  In a recent Rivals.com article, the 6-1, 205-pound linebacker said, “Bowling Green and Ohio are my top two favorites,” adding, “They’re close to home, I like their campus and they fit my major, what I want to go into.”  Woleslagel told Rivals that he plans to graduate from high school next winter so he can get an early start in college.

-  Finishing in women’s basketball, it’s probably not a coincidence that Semeka Randall picked up a verbal commitment from PG Ashley Fowler.  New assistant coach Karen Hewitt last served as the associate head coach at Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati where Fowler currently plays her prep basketball.  The high school has won three straight state championships.

-  More to come.

* July 18th

Solich Extension Details

-  Frank Solich’s new contract extension through the 2013 season will pay him a total of $400,000 annually.  The ‘Cats coach will receive a base salary of $330,000 in the new deal, with additional compensation for appearances worth $70,000.  Solich could earn more with additional performance incentives.

-  Ohio A.D. Jim Schaus did say that there were provisions in Solich’s contract to protect both the university and the coach.

-  This makes Solich the second highest paid coach in the Mid-American Conference.  Temple football coach Al Golden is believed to be the highest paid football coach in the MAC with an annually salary reportedly near $575,000.

-  More to come, including some basketball news from John Groce later today.  Stay tuned.

* July 16^th

Harris Gone, Ford In, Other Notes

-  Ohio University shooting guard Mike Harris has left the men’s basketball program and the school.  Officials confirmed Harris’ departure late Wednesday afternoon in a statement released to the media.

“Mike Harris is no longer a member of the men’s basketball program at Ohio University,” said new men’s basketball coach John Groce. “While I have no further comment, I wish Mike and his family nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”

Harris, who redshirted last season after transferring from Iona, could not be reached for comment.  He would have been a junior for the ‘Cats this year.  It is unclear at this time whether the guard’s departure is related to academics or a desire to transfer.

-  A source with knowledge of the situation tells TroopSports.com that Dustin Ford will be named the third assistant coach on Groce’s staff.  Ford did not return calls seeking comment.  Media relations representatives at both Ohio University and Western Carolina would not comment on the matter.

Ford has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Western Carolina under former ‘Cats coach Larry Hunter.  In April, Ford was promoted as the associate head coach.  The Catamounts were 34-58 overall in Ford’s three seasons with the school.

Prior to WCU, Ford was the head coach at Jackson High School, located just 45 minutes from Athens.  Ford spent four years with the Ironmen, helping the program to unchartered success.

Ford graduated from Ohio University in 2001 and was a four-year starter with the ‘Cats under Hunter.  The ‘Cats were 62-55 overall in Ford’s four seasons.  On Ohio’s All-Time list, the former guard currently ranks 5th in 3-pointers made and 7th in assists.

Ford is the brother of new Kent State coach Geno Ford, and is the son of Gene Ford.  Gene spent 25 years at Cambridge High School in Ohio, and is now the head coach at Division III Muskingum College.

-  Ohio University Media Relations Director Jason Corriher confirmed an announcement is scheduled for Thursday to name the new softball coach at Ohio University.

-  In case you missed it:  Warren Swain has now officially accepted a job as the play-by-play broadcaster with the University of South Dakota athletics.

* July 14th

-  Congratulations to 1987 Ohio University graduate Rick Green, who was recently named the top editor at The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, California.

-  A couple of Ohio recruits are taking visits to Athens in the next few months.  Shaker Heights High School (OH) WR Perez Ashford (5-10, 170) says that Ohio is one of the schools on his radar.  “I am interested, but right now I’m trying to sort out my options,” Ashford said.  “I do plan on taking a visit down there to see what the campus is like and everything else.”  Ashford is a three-star Rivals.com recruit who has offers from Ohio, Iowa, BG, EMU, Syracuse, Akron and Ball State with interest from Kansas, Ohio State and Louisville as well.

-  Offensive lineman Skyler Allen (6-4, 265) from Fork Union Military Academy (VA) said he also is planning on checking out Ohio.  “I think me and my parents are going to take a visit sometime in that first week of August,” said Allen, who has an offer from the Bobcats as well as Alcorn State and Gardner-Webb, according to Rivals.com.

-  A nice comment from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King in his most recent column regarding his recent trip to Athens, Ohio for his commencement speech.  “June 14, Athens, Ohio: I do not fret for our future. After 28 hours on campus for graduation, I drove away thinking how serious and dedicated so many of these kids are, more than I remembered my class being. Not just brown-nosing nerdy serious. The summer editor of the student paper I used to work for, The Post, is going to law school in the fall. When I met with a bunch of the Posties, there was no talk of drunken nights waking up in some strange dorm. Internships, ethics, cultivating sources. That was the talk. I was also surprised there wasn’t a lot of job fear. These kids think they’ll find their way, maybe not in traditional media but in some form of info-gathering.”

-  More to come.

* July 11th

-  Point Guard Carl Jones from Garfield Heights, Ohio, should be on Groce’s recruiting list for the 2009 class.  The Rivals.com three-star recruit is just 5-11, 155 pounds, but has a ton of offers ranging from MAC schools to Top 25 programs.

-  ‘Cats basketball fans should watch the name Ryan Siggins over the next several months.  Siggins just had a monster tournament at the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic in Cincinnati last weekend playing for the All-Ohio Force AAU squad.  At 6-5, 210 pounds, Siggins hails from Archbishop Alter High School in Dayton, Ohio.  “I have been contacted by OU, but just basic stuff and have not been offered,” said Siggins. “I would have a lot of interest in going to Ohio, and have been down to Athens a few times to visit my brother (Casey) and like it a lot. Hopefully I get an offer from them.”

-  Both John Rhodes and Kevin Kuwik are in Chicago this week watching recruits and trying to get recruited themselves—to new schools.  Rhodes would not comment on his or Kuwik’s current status.

* July 9^th

Walker Joins Groce’s Staff

Jamall Walker has joined the Ohio University men’s basketball program as an assistant coach under new head coach John Groce.  Walker becomes the second assistant to be hired by Groce.

“I’m already on the road (recruiting for Ohio),” confirmed Walker Wednesday morning.  Walker took in AAU Tournaments in Cincinnati the last few days and is in Chicago today to watch more basketball.

Walker comes from Murray State, where he spent one season as an assistant under head coach Billy Kennedy.  The Racers were 18-13 overall last season in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Prior to Murray State, Walker spent the 2006-2007 season at his alma mater, St. Louis University.  Walker was an assistant under Brad Soderberg with the Billikens, who went 20-13 that season.  Soderberg’s son, Kramer, will be a freshman on the Miami (Ohio) basketball team this winter.  Jason Grunkmeyer, who was an assistant with Walker while at SLU, is now an assistant with the Redhawks.

From 2004 to 2006 Walker found himself in the Mid-American Conference as an assistant with Ball State.  Walker also had a stint as an assistant at Redlands Community College from 2002-2004.

Walker was a standout basketball player at South High School in Wichita, Kansas.  After playing two seasons in Junior College, he played at SLU from 1996-1999.  Click Here to read Walker’s bio.

Groce could not be reached for comment.  An announcement from Ohio University officials is expected sometime in the near future.

* July 3^rd

Holtmann Joins Groce’s Staff

Chris Holtmann has joined the Ohio University men’s basketball program as an assistant under ‘Cats new head coach John Groce, multiple sources confirmed this weekend.  Holtmann has served as an assistant at Gardner-Webb for the last five seasons, including the last four as the associate head coach under Rick Scruggs.  The Running Bulldogs finished 16-16 in the Atlantic Sun Conference this past season, which included an upset over Kentucky and a trip to the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament semifinals.

Holtmann could not be reached for comment this holiday weekend, but a source close to him confirmed the hire.  “It is true that he’s joining John Groce’s coaching staff at Ohio University,” the source said.  “(Chris) has been with John since Wednesday in both Columbus and in Athens. Right now he’s in Indianapolis and will be joining John (Monday) in Cincinnati.”

Groce and Holtmann share several ties to Taylor University.  Groce was an assistant coach under Paul Patterson at Taylor University during Holtmann’s junior and senior seasons with the program (1993-1994).  Groce and Holtmann both earned degrees from Taylor in 1994.  Holtmann had two stints as an assistant at Taylor University covering four years.

He joined Gardner-Webb in 2003, and has been pivotal in their recruiting success over the last several years.  GWU’s 2003-2004 recruiting class was ranked 88th in the nation, and their 2006-2007 class ranked 49th in the nation.  Holtmann was responsible for recruiting 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year Thomas Sanders, who averaged a double-double last season.  Holtmann has strong ties to recruiting in the Midwest, most notably in the state of Indiana.  Holtmann recruited 2008 A-Sun Freshman of the Year Nate Blank from Terre Haute, Indiana.

Holtmann is married to his wife, Lori, and is a native of Nicholasville, Kentucky.  Click Here to read Holtmann’s bio.

* July 2nd (4:55 pm CDT)

-  It was announced today that ‘Cats sophomore guard Jackie Hiebert has transferred to the University of South Dakota.  Hiebert appeared in 29 of 33 games last season for the women’s basketball program at Ohio.  She averaged 2.3 ppg and 2.2 rbg for the ‘Cats.

-  First year head coach Semeka Randall issued a statement on Hiebert’s departure today.  “Ohio women’s basketball wishes Jackie nothing but the best in her move to South Dakota,” said Randall. “She’ll be happy moving a little closer to home and should be a fine addition to the Coyote program.”

-  Hiebert, who is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, will transfer to the USD campus located in Vermillion, South Dakota, roughly four hours southwest over her home.  The Coyotes, who were D-II last season, will enter their first year as a D-I program this upcoming year.  As a result, Hiebert will have to sit out this season.  She still has three years of eligibility remaining.

-  Click here to read the full release

* July 2nd (11:00 am CDT)

-  A source with knowledge of negotiations says the Ohio Bobcats football program is close to signing a deal to play at North Texas in 2009.  North Texas was 2-10 last season in the Sun Belt Conference.  Ohio will play at North Texas and Tennessee in 2009, with home games against Connecticut and a to be determined D-IAA (Football Bowl Subdivision) opponent at home.  This will guarentee the Bobcats six home games for the 2009 season.

-  The Mean Green last played a Mid-American Conference school in 2006 when North Texas played at Akron and lost 33-13.

*  July 1st (11:50 am CDT)

-  The ‘Cats have signed 6-2, 180-pound wide receiver Steven Goulet from Georgia Military Junior College.  Goulet signed with Vanderbilt out of high school in 2006 and redshirted his freshman year with the Commodores.  He played at GMC in 2007 and has already enrolled in summer classes and is working out with team.  The wide out is expected to compete for playing time this fall, and will have three years of eligibility remaining.  Click here to view Goulet’s Rivals.com page.

-  Goulet’s scholarship opened when sophomore offensive lineman Jacob Black became medically disqualified.  Specifics about Black’s disqualification are unclear at this time.

-  Ohio University Assistant Director of Media Relations Quenjana Adams has resigned.  Adams was responsible for covering women’s basketball, soccer and softball.

-  Ohio University will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 1 pm where A.D. Jim Schaus will launch his version of the five-year strategic plan.  While the in-depth plan will not come out for another 6-8 months, Schaus will introduce the “Bobcat Renaissance” plan to the local media, discuss the plan’s goals, the recent restructuring of the athletic department, scheduling news, improvements to facilities and the Bobcat Club, and more.  It was recently reported that the athletic department faces a $1.8 million deficit for the 2009 fiscal year, which began today.

Filed under: 2008 Bobcat Blog, July '08 Blog Notes |