Insert some sort of witty comment here about roundtables, blah blah blah. Here we go.
1. B-Ball: It is probably not going to happen this year, but how long until you think OSU will be competitive and make a tourney or two?
Depends on the tourney but they may have an outside shot at the NIT this year! What a difference a year makes. They've got some work to do to make it but I think they've got an outside shot to make it happen. Coach Rob has already gotten some top level recruits in the bag. I'm predicting two years and we'll see the Beavs make the big dance.
2. Four Pac-10 schools have first-year head coaches this season. At the halfway point of the Pac-10 season, it seems as if OSU's Craig Robinson is faring the best. How long do you think he stays in Corvallis?
Corvallis is a weird town man. Unless you need a job, people just go there and get sucked in. They have all these quirky little shops and places to hang out and dang it, people actually LIKE to work at Oregon State! I know there is a lot of concern about Craig Robinson leaving but you know, he may be in it for the long haul. Bob DeCarolis has cemented Riley. Can you imagine the nation's First Coach starting to quote Joe Pa? I'm not sure if OSU is a stepping stone or not. We'll see what happens when DeCarolis has his contract expire. That gives them a few years at least.
3. (To be answered after signing day) Which one football recruit in your schools incoming class has a chance to make an impact for your team next season?
The sexy pick would be to go Dante Jackson or Cliff Harris. For me, I'm taking Bryson Littlejon, JC linebacker from Sierra. 6'2", 230, runs a 4.5 40. He comes in with good experience with 2 years to play 2. He will be playing right away in some capacity.
4. Grade your university's hoops team based on pre-season expectations... What went right? What went horribly wrong? What has been surprising?
C- - I know what you are thinking. How can we give this team anything above an F?! I'll tell you why I give them a C-. Because they are only 1-2 spots below where most people picked them to finish. They may not win any games which would dip the grade down further but right now, they are just below expectations. I think the most surprising thing is just how uncompetitive the team seems at times. We all knew it would be a rough season but the magic number for 0-18 is shrinking by the game. No one thought we wouldn't win anything! To be honest, I'm surprised the team still plays hard. They are still out there, giving a go at it and there's a good lesson in that. What went right? Just like every year, the "Fire Ernie" people came out...right on schedule. Although this year they may get their wish.
5. College baseball has gotten a lot more pub the last few years from national media outlets. The upcoming season will mark the first time in 26 years that the Pac-10 will actually have 10 teams competing in baseball. Tell us why you are happy to see Oregon fielding a baseball team for the 2009 season!
I'm not as pumped up as a lot of people are about baseball. I still haven't jumped on the baseball bandwagon. Living in Oregon, you really don't get to see much in the terms of really good baseball and I'm not much of an MLB guy. As we get closer though, it has been getting more exciting, even for me. The new stadium is nearly complete, the team is out practicing on the field and the Autzen Complex looks extremely impressive with the new park. Having the Pac-10 be full in any sport is a good thing in my opinion. It helps the State of Oregon, it helps the conference, and it even helps the Beavers and their program get more visibility with the Civil War in Portland.