NCAA Basketball: The New Recruiting Era

In the past, recruiting trips were designed to make a player feel like a rock star. Top college prospects were often hooked up with new gear, the hottest technology, and sometimes even cars. Those days are far gone, unless you want the NCAA investigating your program and implementing sanctions.

In the last few years, the power house basketball programs have picked up on a new recruiting tool. Instead of investing thousands of dollars into their recruits personally, they are investing millions into their basketball facilities.

John Calipari, the head coach at the University of Kentucky, posted a video on his website, coachcal.com, giving the viewers a grand tour of the schools newest investment, the Wildcat Coal Lodge.

The dorm, which took $7 million to renovate, will be the new home to the 2012 basketball team. It is conveniently located directly across from the training facility, and Coach Calipari’s office. To stay in compliance with the NCAA rules, half of the dorm will be filled with extremely lucky non-student athletes.

Calipari proudly showcased the lodge, as he should, because they really did think of everything. The players have a personal chef and 24-hour access to drinks and snacks. The lounge area is filled with plush recliner chairs, flat screen TVs, and a pool table.

Kentucky’s eight National Championship trophies are proudly on display, and former Wildcat stars cover the walls. Each player is set up in their own dorm room, which has special raised sinks and desks designed to fit a 7-footer comfortably. With all the flash also comes the security. John Calipari has full access to every room and security cameras monitor the building at all times.

The Wildcat Coal Lodge is impressive to say the least, but other power house programs have pumped up their facilities for recruiting purposes as well. In 2009, Syracuse University opened up the $19 million Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. The University of Arizona will spend $2.9 million updating their facilities at McKale Center and Richard Jefferson Gymnasium. A portion of that capital was used in 2011 to renovate their locker room. UCLA spent $136 million on Pauley Pavilion renovations, which is scheduled to reopen by the first November home game.

These programs are spending a lot of money, but it is paying off. According to CBSSports.com Kentucky, Arizona, and UCLA took the top 3 spots for the 2012 recruiting class, with Syracuse finishing in the 14^th slot.

Perhaps the NCAA has the right idea. The focus should not be on making the students feel like rock stars, but instead, on insuring that all of their needs are met. According to Coach John Calipari, the focus is on how you “house, train, prepare young people”.  With a number one recruiting class, you cannot argue with that.

Under Armour Reveals Customized Youth Football Uniform

With every new football season comes a new line of flashy sportswear. Many schools are ditching the traditional look and going for sleek, modern uniforms on game day.

Now, usually when we talk about these state of the art uniforms, we are referring to a college or professional team.

However, Under Armour president, Kevin Plank, just took it to a whole new level. A youth football level.

That is right, Plank, just revealed the first customized youth football uniform this past Friday night in Maryland.

The CEO believes the principles he learned during his years playing football contributed to his successes within his multi-billion dollar company.

In the 4th grade, a young Plank suited up for the Maplewood football team, where he began to to learn the importance of teamwork and commitment. In his continued efforts to give back, Plank delivers in a big way.

 

The elite uniforms are not as flashy as the ones Under Armour revealed this month for the University of Maryland. Nor will the youth players have as many options as the Terps.  

(Photo Credit: WNST.net)

However, they are the FIRST customized youth uniforms, and that is enough for the Maplewood youth football team to be excited about!

Below you will see the new youth Under Armour uniforms Maplewood will wear on game day:

 

Championship Sunday Predictions

This year we were lucky enough to witness some of the most exciting games in NFL playoff history.

The San Francisco 49ers not only won their first playoff game in 9 years, but they did it by knocking off Drew Brees and his record breaking offense. Tom Brady and the Patriots finally quieted Tebowmania with a 45-10 rout at home over the Broncos. This playoff victory marks New England’s first since 2007.

The Ravens beat the Texans in a not so pretty 20-13 victory, but we all learned it’s “the Ravens way” and a ‘W’ is a ‘W’. Lastly, we watched the Packers championship season crumble before our eyes as the “G-men”, led by Eli Manning, relentlessly capitalized on Green Bay’s mistakes.

With so much excitement in one playoff weekend, we are anxiously left waiting for Championship Sunday.

This Sunday the Cinderella team will see if there is still time left on the clock, as the San Francisco 49ers welcome the New York Giants to Candlestick Park. Winner of Sunday’s match up clenches the NFC title and heads to the Super Bowl.

My prediction is the 49ers and their old-fashioned, hard-hitting, athletic defense will take the NFC title. They have the home field advantage and I really like the leadership we see from Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Last week, Alex Smith played one his best NFL games throwing for close to 300 yards with no interceptions. He not only threw for 3 touchdowns, but he rushed one in himself. In Summary, the 49ers offense proved they can deliver under pressure. If he can play like the elite quarterback he saw last week, the 49ers will have every opportunity to beat the Giants.

This is not to say Eli Manning and the “G-men” will go down without a fight. The Giants have one of the best sets of receivers in the NFL, which will not make the defenses job easy. New York is playing solid all around, displaying extreme confidence and focus. Manning, who has already earned one super bowl title, is sure to come out firing and put the 49ers secondary to the test.  I imagine the Niners putting on another show, and this game will most likely come down to the final minutes. I also must admit I would love to see the 49ers complete this story book year!

The other much anticipated match-up takes us to New England, where the Patriots take on the Ravens at home. New England is coming off a big win over the Broncos, where Tom Brady threw for 363 yards and 6 touchdowns. After watching the Patriots dismantle the Broncos, I am confident that they will be making their 5th Super Bowl appearance in 11 years.

Now I know you can argue New England has not faced many challenges this season. But with the Super Bowl dangling right before their eyes, I believe Tom Brady will do whatever it takes to get the win. To be honest, it is really hard for me to bet against Tom Brady. The other obvious, is how many offensive weapons Tom Brady has at his disposal. With Wes Walker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez to name a few, New England is running a high-powered offense, one powerful enough to beat the physical Ravens defense.

The Ravens were able to lean on their solid defense last week, but with their offense putting up poor numbers, I do not see them having what it takes to beat the dynamic New England team. Baltimore capitalized on the Texans turnovers to earn a 'W' in Ravens fashion. However, Tom Brady does not turn over the ball much, so the offense will have to do a better job than going three-and-out 8 times like they did last week if they want to win this weekend. The Ravens offense needs to take advantage of the Patriots weakest link, their defense, and keep Tom Brady off the field as much as possible.

Do I think the Ravens D is ready for the challenge? Absolutely. This game can go either way, but since I can only pick one, I stand by the Patriots. Expect this confident, disciplined Patriots team to come out in Championship form, looking to knock down one more obstacle before they reach the Super Bowl.

So there you have it sports fans, I predict a Patriots vs. 49ers Super Bowl. Please feel free to comment below, tweet me (NFR_Lisa), or write on my facebook fan page wall with your super bowl prediction!

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About Me

I thought I would mix things up and post an "About Me" that was written by another individual. I was interviewed by Page Spicer for my Nike Field Reporter program and below you can read the final blog. Check out Page's well-written, witty, blog at http://twentysixandthensome.com/  .  

Lisa Lane

By Page Spicer for NikeFieldReporter.com

When a young woman says that her favorite part of the game is the “first hit,” you know this woman is isn’t your normal Jane Doe. Instead, she’s a football-loving, college graduate and Nike Field Reporter who is making herself mentally fit as she prepares for a career in sports reporting. This young woman is Lisa Lane and is she is setting out to “amaze the world.”

Lisa, a San Diego native, recently made waves at the University of Arizona where she worked for the campus group ZonaZoo – the premiere student section with over 10,000 members (more specifically, you can see her in action as she co-hosts the pre-gram show Cat Nation). While she presents with grace and in-depth sports know-how, it’s her passion for family, friends and a healthy lifestyle that provide a sense of comforting motivation that all women can look up to. I was lucky enough to interview Lisa and learn more about how she is making herself into the woman she wants to become.

One of the first lines that Lisa mentioned was about the four F’s. “Family is everything to me. I couldn’t live without the four F's: faith, family, friends and football.” However, after talking to her more, I think Lisa could add one more “F” to the list: FITNESS! Just name a sport, any sport, and she’s played it. Softball, track, badminton and the likes all helped keep Lisa in top shape. Her favorites? Anything that makes her drip sweat and is pushing her to the limits, or in her words, “It’s all about feeling that burn!” It’s also that burn that drives her competitive edge and pushes her to achieve greatness.

Along with her passion for fitness comes the pursuit of healthy and balanced eating, “To me, I look at food as a way to fuel my body. I am going non-stop all day long and I always need to be on my “A” game.” This non-stop lifestyle beckons for balance and a strong support group. When asked what was one tip she would give the world on staying happy and healthy, Lisa responded boldly, “Pay close attention to who surrounds you. We are highly influenced by those in our inner circle and I am fortunate enough to have a very close group of friends and an even closer family. Your health depends on your happiness, and your happiness depends on the way you are living your life. Both of these therefore stem from my family and friends.”

With all of Lisa’s great progress in school, fitness and health, Lisa also faces the same hurdles a majority of today’s women do as well: ourselves. “I will be the first to admit that sometimes I am my biggest obstacle. Sometimes I doubt myself and…I can go through phases where I think I am not tough enough, haven’t researched my sports enough, haven’t worked out enough, haven’t pushed myself enough. That lack of confidence or belief is crippling. However, someone has always been there to snap me out of those moments…and I always come out stronger, more eager and driven than ever.”

Her roots as San Diego State’s football water girl must have made an impact as well because ever since then she’s been coming back to the field for more. In an effort to pursue her sports reporting dream, Lisa applied to become a Nike Field Reporter and earned a coveted spot on the roster. In the role, Lisa was given the “opportunity to reach out to other women, share my story and work with them to lead a better life.” Her favorite parts of the gig? “Nike is a perfect place to inspire and be inspired…I love the thought of women coming together for a common goal.” She’s now three seasons into her NFR role and celebrates each motivated moment.

Lisa is already making great strides and proving that with a serious dose of hard work, your passions can become a reality. In the mean time, I’d strongly suggest you remember her name, Lisa Lane, because in five years you’ll surely see her reporting sports news on a major network and you’ll be able to say, “I remember when…”    

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