Death & Joy

#1 posting 7.7.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

BIG TEN TOUR
There will be a contingent of Big 10 players headed to Denmark and Norway July 18-28. Megan Skouby from Iowa will be among the players. Lori Bjork of Illinois, and formerly of Johnston, IA will also be part of the squad. Here is the brief listing in the Des Moines Register. Leslie Knight (Hopkins HS) will represent Minnesota. Danielle Ward (Milwaukee King) will represent Wisconsin. A more complete story with full roster can be found at the Penn State press release.

NCAA TOURNEY MN BOUND
Minnesota will host first & second round games in the NCAA tournament in 2009 & 2010. They already have been named a 2007 site. Here is more on the tournament from the Duluth News Tribune.

D1 or D2?
Grand Valley State is the latest school to be rumored to move up a division. Don't hold your breath. GVSU seems to be happy at D2. Read why in the Grand Rapids MI Press.
Here is another tale. This one is about Oakland MI and their growing pains as they stepped up a level. Again the GR MI Press explains.

COACHING NEWS
Mike Flentje has been named the new coach at Silver Lake. He had been a coach at Manitowoc for six years until 2003. Recently he had been an assistant at Manitowoc Roncalli. More details at the Manitowoc Herald Times.

COACHING OPENINGS

AAU ROSTERS

GREAT LAKES SHOOTOUT
Today is the second day of the GLS in Menomonie WI. Here is a schedule list. The finals are on Sunday and I plan to get there on Sunday.

CALENDAR

VERBALS

TRANSFERS

DEATH, & JOY
A friend of mine died the other day at the age of 37. His name was Jesse Smith, a dance teacher & owner of the Arthur Murray Dance studio in Minneapolis.
Why bring this up in a basketball blog?
#1. He had great command of the dances. Technically superb.
#2. When he danced all eyes were glued to his performance.
#3. He had a joy of dance and joy of life.
#4. He made his partners look good, very good.
#5. he made everyday count and lived it with gusto.

He was a four time American dance champion. Had great personal skills and made everyone feel better being around. He had great patience instructing and had a winning smile.

Now the relationship with basketball would be to take dance out of the sentences above and put in basketball.

I haven't seen too many players play with the joy that Smith did with dance, or Kirby Puckett did with baseball. Too many players look like they are punching a time clock. Even when things are going well I sometimes don't get the feeling that players have that joyous spirit. It is even rarer when things are going down the drain and adversity is knocking at the door.

Don't count the days, make the days count.

Next up: Two more Quarterfinals with Nebraska Daubert Pinnacle vs SD Riders; and ND Prairie Shooters vs MN Metro Stars Black.