We at least have the alma mater thing going for us, though that hasn't been too helpful for Princeton lately.

As it happens, there was an interview with Senderoff in today's ABJ, and he was asked about why he came to Kent. He indicated that he had "lots of other job opportunities," but wanted to go where he was known.  Guess he wasn't "nuclear."

Nice knee jerk.

My point was to JSF/Bobcat Dragon who always drags these discussions on and on. It wasn't , has never been nor wil ever be directed to those folks on this board who want to discuss basketball and the finer points of the game or how OHio continues to move toward a better program. 

If you want to twist that and make it condescnding then go ahead. My whole reason for being here has always been to be par t of a greater community that loves Ohio and wants Ohio basketball to continue to grow the program. That I am trying to stand up against the disinformation so often found on this board may have been lost on some. If that saounds arrogant I am sorry but I will rarely stand around and say nothing when others are putting stuff out there that may not be true. Stating that there is a board of civilized guys with many years of experience and love for the game (i.e not casual basketball fans) is where my point of reference comes from should not be misconstured as an indictment of this board or its constituents most of whom I have met in person and have enjoyed listening to their opinions or ideas. I have never said nor acted as if I have bettter knowledge of hoops than anyone here....... but I have always responded when I have better information in response to selected posts.

As for the constituents of that other board .....Me and you and any 5 members youwant to brign y=with you from this board would pale in comparison to members of that  other board who have sat with Mr Hinkle. played with Oscar, Coached 5 star camps, officiated NCAA and Pro ball.....etc. I am humbled in their presence. If you think they gained their vast knowledge watching 15-18 year olds in one horse Indiana towns more that is also your isolated view of the world.  

I enjoy Bobcat Dragon...... alwasy have, more than you guys jumping in here accusatorially will ever know. Does not change the fact that WHen I see something up there that I have knowledge of and I don't feel is acurate I am not going to civilly discuss it and then try not to get into a pissing match over who has better information. If you think that is arrogant then I can ;t help that.

In the end I have been totally pro Ohio for 5 years now acting on behalf of this adopted team in ways you will never know or could even imagine. Not for any other reason than despite the cadre of detractors and excuses that surround this place I still love Ohio and the porgram and really really want to see it keep gettting better.

In 2008 when I was hired back here [after being hit with NCAA sanctions for violations while an assistant coach at Indiana University under coach Kelvin Sampson], there wasn't, at that time, a lot of places where I'd be comfortable. Surprisingly, I had a lot of job opportunities. But I didn't want to go somewhere where people really didn't know me well. That's why I passed up opportunities at BCS schools to come back to Kent State


Moving on.

A lot of us on this board have noticed and appreciated that fact VERY much!  I hope you continue for many years to come.  

If you take him at his word.  I do not.

Why not JSF?  Doesn't Senderoff have a track record of being honest and with great integrity?  Beside the Guru of all that is righteous in the world says so.

I don't want to take a ton away from this thread, but I do need to address this. Don't play the card that this is the first time. Whether you intend to or not, you have said multiple things on this board that screams "I'm above you." Hardly the first time you've talked down to this board with long, drawn out responses with name drops. It's not like others, and even myself, haven't had those moments as well.

And I'll stand by my previous comment about your Rivals site. They say if you can't do, teach? Well the 2011 version is if you can't do, post on message boards. I post on message boards of things I enjoy, but I don't go out and find message boards about my job to post on. If you are important in basketball right now, you aren't wasting your time posting on message boards because you are actually working at your craft instead. They played against Oscar? Really? Alright, well I played against Lebron James and I made several honors in basketball when I was a senior, so I guess I could fit into that high class, mutual admiration society message board.

Never my intention ot be above this board. Anyone who has spent time with me knows that. That you played on the same court and have accomplished something in this game we love says something. You have my respect. Like to hear about it  if you got the time someday. The lore and fabric of the game is not the Lebrons but the everyday players who made up the teams around the Coaches, Athletes, referees and others whose shoulders those Giants stand upon. .

OH YEAH?  I was an alternate on my sixth-grade traveling team!

And yet somehow that experience and activity before that sparked some kind of interest making you a fan of the game for life.

That is a point that is never overlooked as I have my first 4th /5th grade practice each year. It is more important to me to instill the love and understanding of the game than it is to actually pump out athletes because those kids who can't play but still love the game become really good fans with a working knowledge of the game.  In some small way I feel good about not having one of my former kids being the idiot on TV or in the bar watching a game.

Bornacatfan,

I've heard that ihoops.com is a good resource for instilling the love of the game you're talking about.

I'll never forget the two things that spurred my interest in hoops:  my Mom letting my turn the channel and watch the UCLA-Houston game in the Astrodome.  Seeing Elvin Hayes hit those jumpers.  Secondly, when I was in the fourth grade I was "drafted" (as an act of mercy, I'm sure) by my neighbor up the street who was the coach of a new "expansion" team in the local youth league.  Over the next three years he helped me love the game.  We were awful our first year but by our third and last year, we made it to the championship game. 

Because of those positive early memories, I've been following the game for 42 years now. 

I was really impressed by the drills and skills I found on iHoops. So many parents are at a loss when their kids take up the game. I think soccer has done a great job with various websites for instruction. Basketball is catching up but you are right iHoops is taking that to another level, They also bought or took over the basketball portion of eteamz websites I used to maintain for various Summer teams in our area on Eteamz.

In the initial practices with 4th and 5 th graders I usually have all my parents come out on the floor and teach them how to properly pass the ball finishing with thumbs down and give them dribbling games they can play with their kid. I also have them lay on their back and teach them how to develope a proper release of the ball when shooting (without scuffing mom and dad's ceiling) and challenge mom and dad to do it along with their kid. I think if you only have kids 2 hours a week and youget a parent to understand how to help develope their child  you have a lot less parents getting angry on the sidelines when the kid misses a shot or blows a pass.  Understanding proper technique and helping parents help their boys and girls ultimately leads to a pretty good set of parents and kids for the durationof the season.  IHoops has become a pretty decent resource ......but then so is Pete maravich's Homework Basketball for the more advance guys who are bored. If you got a kid who wants to really devote himself to hoops you can find the entire set of maravich instructional stuff on ebay for 10 bucks or so.

Sure.  It wasn't my only experience playing organized basketball, just my last.  I started tennis in 7th grade and never looked back.

Basketball, I think, is the second-oldest sport in my memory (volleyball being the first).  My father took me to see Kareem when I was little (though I don't remember it).  I do remember various games at The Coliseum in the late 80's/early 90's.  Apparently, we once shared an elevator with Austin Carr.  Middle school summers were spent on my driveway playing with Josh Crawford from up the street.  I've always been a fan.  It's probably in my top 5 list of things I've been a fan of the longest (with pizza, reading, Jeopardy!, and volleyball).

damn. is it over already?

The Pistol!