Facial Fridays: MJ over McHale

I thought it would only be fitting that I award the great Michael Jeffrey Jordan with our Facial Friday of the week, seeing that a plethora of players feel as if he's traded sides: from players to owners.
If you haven't heard yet, former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury is the most recent addition to this list of MJ critics. Below are some of Marbury's tweets. From the look of things, I would say he really dislikes Mr. Jordan, but maybe I'm wrong.
Do you think MJ should publicly step out and defend players?

"Micheal Fake Jordan is a sell out. #Period. He forgot which hole he came out of. I said it 'Stephon X Marbury.'"

"MJ went from MJ the black cat to a guy who forgot he was a player. Sell your team if you can't make a profit.. Your just a regular dude now!"

Embarrassing Moment of the Week: Sanchez cringes

I've played this about 20 times, and each time I laugh harder.

Success on the horizon for Explorers in second year

Just as the women’s basketball team did last year under the leadership of Head Coach Jeff Williams, these news Explorers will continue to surmount expectations.
Picked to finish at the bottom of the totem pole in the Atlantic 10 in the 2010-11 season, Williams drove La Salle to an unexpected 6-8 conference record in his first year. Not only did the Explorers A-10 record come close to improving their overall record from the 2009-10 season (7-23), the Blue and Gold also managed to finish ninth, five spots higher than they were predicted to finish.
In his first year as a head coach, Williams did fairly well for himself with a young, undersized team, looking trough the lens of how difficult the A-10 can be. Last year’s record may not exemplify it, but La Salle made significant gains in the conference and pushed many teams down to the wire.
“Last year was a learning experience, and we technically over-achieved, looking from the perspective of where we were picked to finish,” Williams said.
Though last year’s Explorers placed in the middle of their conference with the lack of experience and height, this season will be an superior test for the team and Coach Williams himself.
This season, La Salle will be without their ace, Ashley Gale. Gale not only led the team in scoring with her long range shooting, but she also was the face of their defense as she led the team in steals. Winning the 2010-11 Comeback Player of the Year and making it to the A-10 First Defensive team were minor accolades that Gale accomplished for her team. What she provided for them was heart and determination on a daily basis.
“I wish I had her one more year; [Gale] was a tremendous player, and her activity and leadership were invaluable,” Williams stated. “People seem to forget how good of a defensive player she was. She was the point of our presses and guarded the opponent’s best player.”
The Explorers may have lost their top-gun, but a majority of the supporting cast is returning in addition to the new faces acquired by La Salle.
Leading the Blue and Gold into this season will be last year’s second leading scorer, junior Alexis Scott, while sophomore point guard, Michea Bryant will take control of the backcourt. Senior Nadia Duncan will also be a key element this year with her aggressiveness on the boards.
In addition to the eight returners from last year’s squad, the Explorers embrace the talents of six new freshmen: Siobhan Beslow, Jordan Mosley, Ruvanna Campbell, Indigo Dickens, Jada Payne and Omaah Tayong.
Fitting each player into the rotation will be the biggest predicament for Williams this season. Along with the six new players, the team consists of two seniors, four juniors and two seniors.
“No one has a spot. They don’t know how much they will play which makes each practice more competitive,” said Williams. “The key is to getting them experience and allowing them to be comfortable with a lot of patience from myself. By January, they will be ready to go.”
These freshmen won’t be the only new faces to see the court; transfer junior Brittany Wilson will also see her first minutes in a La Salle uniform. While at Northeastern, Wilson led her team in scoring with 14.1 points per game and was a Third Team All-Colonial Athletic Association Conference selection while finishing the season ranked ninth in the CAA in scoring and 10th in rebounding.
On top of all the new faces playing on the hardwood for Blue and Gold, the Explorers will still have sophomore Jessi Koci filling in all the intangibles. After walking on to the team last year, there isn’t a doubt in Williams mind that he made the right choice in having Koci join the team.
“I saw her work ethic early in practice last year and her confidence has improved a lot over the offseason,” Williams said.
As the team keeps making strides to build their notoriety, Williams will face numerous nuisances in the beginning phases as a coach. Perseverance will be the key this year and for the following to come.
“My role at Pittsburgh and my mentors have made me prepared to take on this position,” Williams stated.
Williams knows what it takes to make it to the top as he spent his prior seven seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, including the last four as the Associate Head Coach. While there, he also helped guide the Panthers to postseason appearances in the past five seasons, including three straight NCAA Tournament trips with Sweet Sixteen showings in 2008 and 2009.
The Explorers are far from reaching these accomplishments, but with Williams as the spearhead, the promised land doesn’t look to be too far off.
With a daunting A-10 non-conference schedule, the Explorers will encounter many speed bumps this year. In addition to the six postseason teams in the 2011-12 non-conference schedule, La Salle will face a total of nine teams that finished with 16 or more wins last season and five with 20 or more.
La Salle may seem a little taller on the depth chart, but the inexperience on this unit will weigh a burden on them in this upcoming season as it did last.
The squad may be ‘Gale-less,’ but the team has many more options that weren’t there last year, mentioned Williams. This team is young and deep, and their hustle and tenacity will be pertinent to acquire success in Williams’ second season.
The first contest for the young and improved Explorer squad will be on Friday, Nov. 11 against Lehigh. Lehigh, which went 21-11 last season, crushed La Salle in their last outing by 18 points, but this is a new year and a different team.
As Williams said, “Lehigh has all our attention now. We have to take one game at a time.”
waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu

Start of the post-Gale era

One thousand point club, single season steal record at La Salle, Most Improved Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10, first All-A-10 Defensive team, and first team All-Big 5 are just a few of the accolades that Ashley Gale was able to achieve in her senior year on the women’s basketball team.
Unfortunately for the Explorers, No. 5 will be in different shoes this year as she takes her new role as an alumnus and more importantly, a fan. Gale will root from the stands, but she surely will be missed in the box score. Though it would be great to have Gale on the team for another year, the fact of the matter is, she won’t.
With a newly renovated unit, scoring will come from different members of the team every night. Whether it is last year’s second leading scorer, junior Alexis Scott, or freshman Jada Payne, each player on this team will have to step up. If their number is called, they will have to produce or Coach Jeff Williams will look for a replacement.
As Williams stated, “No position is filled.” Though each player pushing each other and fighting for playing time, the team will improve their skills night in and night out. As the saying goes, you play how you practice.
With that being said, the hunger and determination shown by the team will be vital in their execution this year. Last year, the Explorers had a plethora of slow starts and relied on Gale to bring them back during a time of turmoil. La Salle will not have that this year. As the games progress, the team will begin to learn about each other as much as Williams will about them.
In their 2011-12 campaign, each game must be gritty. From the time those forty minutes begin until the referees signal the conclusion of the game, La Salle can never give up a second. Each breath counts, as a majority of conference teams and opponents will underplay them because of their youth and inexperience. The best resolution for this would be to make the underestimation into a loss for their opponent.
With the number of well-established teams they play out of the A-10 in addition to some of their fellow ranked conference teams, La Salle will be fortunate to turn a few heads sideways with some possible upsets.
Simply said, the La Salle’s women’s basketball team is the master of their fate. As each player finds her formula, the team’s chemistry will build. As the team’s chemistry develops, their confidence will rise. Ultimately, there is nothing worse than a fearless young team.
waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu

Junior duo enter into the 1,000 dig club despite ninth straight loss

In hopes to break their seven-game losing skid, the women’s volleyball team wrapped up their three-game road trip against the Rhode Island Rams. Earlier in the season, the Explorers downed URI at home in a thrilling 3-2 victory. That was the past, though, and this upcoming contest was on Rhode Island’s turf.
Having difficulties procuring a win on the road has troubled the Blue and Gold all season, and this game would further exemplify the problem.
After trailing 10-4 in the opening set, La Salle couldn’t cut the deficit and eventually fell to the Rams 25-18.
The second and third matches were similar with Rhode Island scrambling to an early lead and never looking back. Now dropping their 12th straight loss away from 20th and Olney, the Explorers last  victory away dates back to September against Rider.
In the face of another conference shutout, senior Alex Kennedy manufactured a season-high nine kills, while junior Breanna Mazalewski posted nine digs.
Next up for La Salle was Xavier, who currently stood second in the Atlantic 10 standings. The Musketeers may have had a better record than the Blue and Gold, but this did not seem to worry La Salle at all.
The first set proved to be a dog fight that resulted in nine ties. The Explorers controlled the score with an 11-9 lead, but Xavier came surging back, finishing 11-1, to down La Salle in the opening round. The Musketeers would ultimately come up victorious, winning 25-17.
Xavier seemed to carry their momentum over to the second set, but the Explorers climbed back from behind to trail by one, 19-18. Sadly for the home team, the kill by fourth-year starter Kennedy would be La Salle’s last celebration. The Musketeers earned the set’s next four points on a service ace to ultimately close the second match, 25-21.
As for the third set, La Salle’s energy seemed deflated from the previous sets. Xavier came storming out with a bang to defeat La Salle with a 25-9 victory.
Despite another A-10 loss, the junior tandem of Samantha Tulskie and Mazalewski joined the 1,000 dig club. Tulskie recorded hers in the first set against Xavier, whereas Mazalewski entered the prominent club in Friday’s contest at Rhode Island.
With two games left on the season and the A-10 tournament off in the horizon, the Explorers will look to finish their 2011 season on a high note.
Dayton will travel to Tom Gola Arena to challenge Blue and Gold at home on Friday, Nov. 11.
waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu

The Loss of a King

Most known for his epic trilogy match with the great Muhammad Ali, 'Smokin' Joe Frazier passed away at age 67 after a battle with liver cancer yesterday.
Arguably, there is no other fight in history that matches blows with Frazier and Ali's duel. It was brutal, but respectable. Each fighter wanted to knock off the other opponents head for the love of the sport. This seems to be the opposite of what we see today. Ultimately, there is only one word that I could think of that exemplifies Joe's boxing career: HEART.
Above is footage from Frazier being honored by the NABJ Sports Task Force at the Sports Task Force Pioneer Awards this summer in his hometown, Philadelphia. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the awards ceremony  and actually speak with the legend after.

Facial Fridays (John Starks)

This dunk always seems to make people bump heads, so I'll address the question to my SZG followers...Did Jordan get dunked on?

Women's Volleyball 9.1.11 (Collegian Article)

Below is an article that I wrote for my school newspaper two weeks ago.

Volleyball suffers rough start to season
By Justin Walters
Collegian Editor

Following the same script for the past decade, the women’s volleyball team would open up the season at their annual La Salle Invitational at Tom Gola Arena. The first matchup for the Explorers this year would be against St. Peters. The last time both teams faced off was in 2009, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Blue and Gold.
This is a different year though and the Peacocks were looking to avenge their early 2009 exit from the La Salle Invitational. The first set against St. Peters was tight in the beginning with both teams being deadlocked at 12 apiece. Senior Alexander Kennedy erased that tie to give the Explorers a 13-12 edge, which propelled the team to cruise to a 25-14 first set victory. Senior Jacquelyn Mitrovich, freshman Jennifer Whelan and junior Kelly Scanlon all contributed in the kill column during the 13-2 run to close out the first set.
The Explorers carried this momentum to the second and third (25-14, 25-23) set to sweep St. Peters in the first round of their invitational. Senior Kourtney Clark led the assist category for the match with 29 while sophomore Rachel Finkbeiner racked up a match-high 11 kills.
Starting off with a phenomenal morning sweep against the Peacocks, La Salle would take on Canisius for the afternoon matchup. The Explorers came back from a 21-12 deficit against the Golden Griffins in the first match, but the away team would take the first set with the Explorers showing early signs of fatigue. The result would be the same for the following sets (25-18, 25- 13) ending in a sweep for the Golden Griffins. Despite the loss, Clark dominated again with a game-high 25 assists while tying with junior Brenna Mazalewski for the team led in digs with eight.
As the first day of the invitational concluded, teams would later find out that the tournament would be ending early due to the weather forecast.  With the Sunday games cancelled, the Explorers would play Providence for their last game of the tournament on Saturday morning.
In their match, both teams stayed close throughout trading points back and forth. With the score even at 23, the Explorers were the first to fall on a attack error ending in a 25-23 loss. The second set would imitate the first as the Friars stayed resilient till the end in a 25-20 win.
In efforts to come back, the Explorers answered back as they returned the favor to Providence with a 25-23 victory, but that would be their last lead. Ultimately, the Friars would triumph over the invitational hosts in a 3-1 victory.
With 27 kills, three aces and seven digs throughout the tournament, Finkbeiner shined her way to the All-Tournament team.
After the passing of Hurricane Irene, the Explorers continued their home-court stand against Townson on Tuesday evening. Despite the home-court advantage, the Explorers would add another loss to the column.
Townson came out strong from the first serve and never looked back as they sweep Blue and Gold (25-18, 25-19, 25-17).
In spite of their loss, Scanlon finished with a match-high 12 kills while Mazalewski led the dig column with 14.
Head coach Dave Stever has nothing but faith in his squad and he knows they’ll bounce back in no time.
“In addition to a lot of injuries, they are displaying great team chemistry…we’re just not producing in the win column.”
The Explorers will look to bounce back from their losing streak on Friday at 4 p.m. against Villanova at the Big 5 Invitational held the Palestra.

waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu

Saturday's Quick Hits

1.  New Orleans Saints receiver Maruqes Colston suffered a broken right collarbone in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Colston will be out for a month.

2. Down two sets, Novak Djokovic still managed to rally from behind to beat Roger Federer to reach the US Open final.


3. Kyle Busch captured his eighth Nascar Nationwide Series race of the season this past Friday. Busch's victory was his 51st in the series, the most in history.


4. The NBA is still in a lockout...sighhhh


5. Don't forget to catch the first week of NFL tomorrow....