Bradley to transfer to WKU

Mike Bradley, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound center from Chattanooga, Tenn., and the University of Connecticut has become the fourth commitment of Ray Harper’s inaugural signing class. He announced today he will transfer to WKU.
Bradley spent two seasons at UConn where he did not play. He redshirted during the 2010-11 season.
Bradley attended Tyner Academy where TA won a District Championship, Sub-State Championship and Regional Championship in 2010. He averaged 5.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior. Bradley was a 2010 McDonald’s All-America nominee.
In October, Bradley reportedly gave up his scholarship so the Huskies could sign recruit Andre Drummond.
Bradley may be able to play right away should the NCAA grant him eligibility based on Connecticut’s current postseason ban and on Bradley’s ailing grandmother who lives in Chattanooga.
Bradley was a three-star recruit coming out of high school with offers from Georgia, Drake and Virginia Commonwealth to go along with UConn.
He was a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com and a two-star recruit with a grade of 88 according to ESPN.com.

Mike Bradley

Why WKU? “Just overall, it’s just a winning program, you know? They make it to the tournament every year and I saw an opportunity there. Plus I got positive feedback from the coach from another one of my old teammates. It pointed me to that direction.”

Role on the team: “I can kind of tell what my role will be. The team has a lot of great players. They have great guards. The have great forwards and great ability all around. The only thing they’re really missing, is a true big man. They have a great big man in Teeng (Akol), but I don’t know if he’s a true big man. He’s a great player, but I don’t know if he’s a true big man. I guess they want me to be the true big man. As far as right now, I’m not like a high-maintenance guy. I don’t need a lot. I’m just gonna work hard – try hard to fit in.”

Next move: “I plan on coming there right away. Leaving here – as soon as I get an apartment there, I’m there. If they get me an apartment next Monday – I’ll be there Monday.”

WKU adds 6-9 Rostovs

Western Kentucky men’s basketball coach Ray Harper’s recruiting reach has crossed the Atlantic.
Alexsej Rostovs, a 6-foot-9-inch, 235-pound center from Latvia and the Canarias Basketball Academy, committed to Western Kentucky today, according to the CBA website. http://www.cbacademy.org/index.asp?modulo=23&id=109&idioma=en
Rostovs was part of the Latvian national team, which won a bronze medal in the 2010 European Championships, and part of the national team that finished 10th at the 2011 FIBA Championships.
“I’m really looking forward to the new challenge that awaits me at Western Kentucky University,” Rostovs told the website. “Coach Harper has been a winner at every level he has coached at, add that to the rich basketball tradition at WKU, it is all really exciting.”
Should Rostovs sign, he would join 6-5 shooting forward Eddie Alcantara of Hales Franciscan in Chicago and 6-2 point guard Brandon Harris of Otero Junior College, completing Harper’s 2012-13 signing class.

Blade to join team as preferred walk-on
Percy Blade, a 6-4, 185-pound guard from Eastern High in Louisville, will join the Western Kentucky basketball program as a preferred walk-on, the senior announced Wednesday at EHS. He also signed an academic scholarship.
“Me choosing Western was my best option for me to get playing time and prove myself as a player,” he said. “It also gives my parents a chance to see me play after high school, and that’s very important to me as well.”
Western Kentucky can’t comment on walk-ons until the potential student-athlete is enrolled in school.
Blade played with the KYA All-Stars last summer. He was invited to try out for the 2012 Kentucky All-Star boys’ basketball team. He was named the top sleeper in the state by kyprephoops.com.
Blade reportedly had interest from Tennessee Tech, IUPUI, Iona and Tennessee-Martin. He chose WKU over Northern Kentucky and Samford University, he said. Blade plans to come to WKU this summer to work out with the team before enrolling in classes this fall.
“I believe next year, my sophomore year probably, they’ll switch me over to an athletic scholarship,” Blade said. “It really depends on how the season goes and everything.”
Eastern finished 17-14 in 2011-12, losing in the Region 7 tournament to Central. He averaged 13.1 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 53 percent from the floor.

Texas State joins the Sun Belt

The Sun Belt Conference added Texas State on Wednesday, giving the league 10 football-playing members with the addition of Georgia State last month. Florida International and North Texas are reportedly leaving the conference for Conference USA.

Comments from commissioner Karl Benson below:

Karl Benson
“The press conference that they had on campus today was tremendous. There was media from San Antonio, San Marcos and Austin. Truly a very, very successful launch as we announced Texas State. We believe that these two additions – Georgia State and Texas State – with the emerging universities with strong presidential leadership, football programs that are on the rise and expecting to pursue the FBS and to get to the FBS will be great additions to the Sun Belt Conference.”

Replacing FIU, UNT: “The addition of Georgia State and Texas State is part of a plan and a strategy that the Sun Belt has in place to bring in quality universities. Not only to allow the Sun Belt to get bigger, but to get better. We believe strongly that the additions of Georgia State and Texas, now, have made the Sun Belt a better conference for the future.”

Realignment challenges: “The addition of Georgia State and Texas State — while both were done in a strategic matter hoping that North Texas and Florida International would remain in the Sun Belt, should the speculation and what’s expected out there be true – these two universities are outstanding additions, despite, perhaps, the loss of Florida International and North Texas. As far as further challenges, with making some assumptions that if we were to lose two current member and replaced by Georgia State and Texas State, that gets us back to 10 football universities along with Arkansas-Little Rock as a non-football member.
“Our goal would be to get to 12 members to be able to divide into divisions and to be able to create some geographic efficiency with the membership in the West versus the membership in East. One of the advantages and one of the assets of the Sun Belt is that we are located in the state of Texas. I think it was important we remain in the state of Texas, Texas State certainly does that regardless of what happens with the University of North Texas. And Florida – with Florida Atlantic remaining there, we continue our Texas-Florida geography and demographics in those two important states. At some point in time, and it’ll be sooner than later, that we address our next member after, again, even though some of these have moved fast, they’ve moved with a plan in place. Right now the plan is ongoing.”

Hanging FAU: “We recognized the possibility that that would exist. We will look at future members in the Sun Belt footprint. I’m sure that there is a wide array of football-playing members, or non-football playing members that are either in Florida, or the surrounding states that may give some memberships assitance to Florida Atlantic.”

UT-Arlington: “I think, once again, what that demonstrates is just how much misinformation can be out there and has been out there. We have had conversations with UT-Arlington and we’ll continue to do so. But there is nothing imminent in terms of any decision regarding UT-Arlington.”

Moving outside footprint: “We’ll evaluate future members based on quality of the university and the overall academic characteristics along with the athletics like we have with Georgia State and Texas State. Secured two outstanding universities and I’m confident that there will be others and if they happen to fall within the Sun Belt footprint, that would be ideal, but I don’t think we’d rule out someone. The Sun Belt footprint from Texas to Florida is pretty expansive.”

FCS candidates:“I think it starts at the very top with the president, chancellor, CEO of the university. What we’ve seen with both Georgia State and Texas State is that there is strong presidential leadership and commitment. The two athletic directors at the respective universities have had a plan in place, and it isn’t something just happened to occur out of any type of sense of urgency, both Georgia State and Texas State had four or five year plans in terms of their move to FBS. Texas State has invested tremendous resources in getting their football program ready. An expanded stadium, an expanded pressbox and suite area that is fantastic. They’re enclosing the north end zone of the stadium as we speak. Texas State will have one of the top football complexes in the Sun Belt.”

Looking at ‘football’ states: “I think that’s big part of it, the states are important, and the other thing is both universities have invested in coaches that have been established. Bill Curry at Georgia State and Dennis Franchione at Texas State. Those two coaches have coached at the FBS level, have been successful at the FBS level and they now are building their respective football programs. I truly believe that Texas State or Georgia State, or both, will soon be a top-20 type football program.”

Idaho, New Mexico State: “Right now I think it’s premature to talk about either Idaho or New Mexico State in terms of where they might fit. Until we know for sure what the end result is for the Sun Belt and what our membership will be comprised of on July 1, 2013, with the addition of Georgia State and Texas State, probably have not given a lot of attention or time looking West right now. We certainly understand the issues that are in front of New Mexico State and Idaho and we’ll, at some point in time, have conversation with them about what their future may be. But at this juncture, it’s way too soon to speculate.”

Conference realignment: “I think there’s still a couple moves that may be made that will keep it alive. I think all of us, for sure, are hoping that it comes to a stop as soon as possible, so that their can be some stability. But when you think about it, since 1990, there have been a couple of periods where there have been four or five year stability where there hasn’t been any membership change. If Butler were to leave the Horizon league, I think there will have been 25 out of 31 conferences that have had some type of membership change in the last five years. So this five-year period has been clearly the most volatile. I guess I would hope that because of the volatility that has existed the last five, that perhaps the next five can be a little calmer.”

FBS options: “One of my early comments about Sun Belt expansion is that we would evaluate both FBS and FCS within the Sun Belt footprint. You may be right that the number of FCS programs within the footprint may not be available. So we may have to look outside the Sun Belt footprint for other FBS programs. We have had been contacted by several FCS programs within the Sun Belt footprint. Those schools will be evaluated in a larger total assesment of where we go from here and how we round this out.
“The message that I made today here in San Marcos and have made fairly consistently is that regardless of how this plays out, the Sun Belt has had options, we’ve exercised some of those options with Georgia State and Texas State and thus far I think that we have taken advantage of some of this uncertainty. As we then we go to the final file spot, and that’s either to go to 12 overall or to get to 12 football-playing schools that would allow for the championship, we’ll continue to have options and choices both on the FBS and the FCS level.”

TV Deal: “It was just renegotiated a year ago and it goes out eight years. Now, however, assuming that there are departures from the Sun Belt, it does trigger a regotiation and we are expecting that there will be renegotiation of the existing contract and believe that we can make a strong case that as we reconfigure the Sun Belt, that we will be a more valuable property than what was assessed a year ago.”

Percy Blade to join WKU basketball

Percy Blade, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard from Eastern High in Louisville will join the Western Kentucky basketball program, as a preferred walk-on, the senior will announce today at EHS. He will also sign an academic scholarship, according to his coach.

Western Kentucky cannot comment on any walk-ons until the student-athlete is enrolled in school.

Blade (@Pblade10) played with the KYA All-Stars in the summer of 2011. He was invited to try out for the 2012 Kentucky All-Star boys’ basketball team. He was named the top sleeper in the state by kyprephoops.com.

Blade reportedly had interest from Tennessee Tech, IUPUI, Iona and Tennessee-Martin. Eastern finished 17-14 in 2011-12, losing in the Region 7 tournament to Central. He averaged 13.1 ppg, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 53 percent from the floor.

http://852fx.com/our-services/player-profile-films/basketball-percy-blade/

Percy Blade
Choosing WKU: “Well, me choosing Western was my best option for me to get playing time and prove myself as a player and definitely being able to compete with a lot of guys of my potential and a lot better. As well as giving my parents a chance to see me play after high school, that’s very important to me as well.”

Other schools: “Northern Kentucky, and then my dad had talked to Samford University in Alabama a little bit. We were really choosing between those three schools.”

Immediate plans: “Western has a five-week period of working out during the summer time, I think the first week of July. I’m going to talk to coach Harper about that, get there in July and workout with the team a little bit. Then I’ll start my classes in the fall.”

Athletic scholarship: “I believe next year, my sophomore year probably, they’ll switch me over to an athletic scholarship. It really depends on how the season goes and everything.”

Who will the SBC pluck next?

More changes are coming to the Sun Belt Conference with the announcement that Texas State will be added and the possibility of Texas-Arlington joining as well.
Mix in the departure of Florida International and North Texas and it’s likely commissioner Karl Benson isn’t done building his Belt.
I thought I’d put together a list of potential candidates for future membership with rumors swirling that Benson wants everything from a 16-team mega-conference, to simply 12 football members for the sole purpose of having a championship football game.
Listed in alphabetical order, some SBC prospects simply from my brain to yours.

Appalachian State
If you’ve never been to Kidd-Brewer Stadium in the hills of the Appalachia for a football game during the fall, make an appointment. That’s a big reason ASU makes the list. The Mountaineers have made great strides with their football facilities, and everyone remembers the 2007 win over Michigan which allowed App State to be flooded with new season-ticket holders and throngs of new fans.
The Mountaineers have also traditionally held their own in basketball and baseball while track and field has been a long-time force in the Southern Conference.
Enrollment hovers in the 20,000 range and nearby Charlotte could provide a major market.

Belmont
Belmont? Well, the Bruins have fielded quality baseball and basketball programs for some time now, and if Benson is looking for big markets, the Bruins sit in downtown Nashville.
No football and enrollment is around 6,000. Travel and budget costs may be a concern. This is an unlikely pick, but thought I’d throw them in if the league continues to look for non-football members.

Coastal Carolina
Road trips to Myrtle Beach? I think so! The Chanticleers (it’s a Chaucer reference, look it up) have made great strides in FCS football considering their youth. While stadium and funding enhancements are a must, Coastal resides in yet another valuable market on the Atlantic coast of South Carolina. Picking CCU would also stretch the SBC from the Atlantic to the western Gulf Coast.
The baseball team has become a dominant program and Cliff Ellis’ basketball squad is a Big South title contender year-in and year-out.
Enrollment is around 8,000.

Georgia Southern
There’s no question this school in south Georgia has a rabid fan base that will fill the stands, but can Southern provide enough funding and cover its budgetary concerns over time?
Statesboro is similar to Troy, Ala., and Monroe, La., in its college town feel and Benson seems to be looking for schools in bigger markets. The Eagles have, however, begun to show a commitment to facilities improvements and fund raising.
A school of around 20,000, GSU has won six national football titles in 20 years of FCS football. The baseball program has been a steady regional contender.
(Full disclosure, I am an alum, and tried to make those paragraphs as unbiased as possible).

Jacksonville State
The Gamecocks would make three schools in the state of Alabama and JSU has been amongst the FCS programs looking for a move to the FBS.
With about 10,000 students, State is a current Ohio Valley member and could quickly form geographic rivalries with Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky and both Alabama schools.
The baseball team has made three regionals in the past eight years.

McNeese State
Another long-time FCS football power, the Cowboys haven’t made much noise in FBS-move discussions. But McNeese would provide the SBC a third program in the state of Louisiana.
A school of around 9,000 in Lake Charles, MSU would be a bit of a stretch with no prior indications the Southland Conference members want to move “up”.

Sam Houston State
The Bearkats (with a ‘K’ people) have been amongst the FCS football programs “exploring” a move to I-A.
The Huntsville, Texas, school of about 18,000 kids is already a rival of future member Texas State and Benson seems to want to keep the Lone Star State as part of the conference geography. This would give him three Texas schools in a state where supporting football is never an issue.
The baseball Kats have been to three regionals in the past five seasons and the football program has been a consistent playoff contender in the FCS.

Tennessee State
Here’s a school I think is being over-loooked. Football games in Nashville at LP Field? A potential conference tournament site for basketball? A school of over 9,000 students? That big market Benson is striving for?
Yes, there is no baseball team, but TSU has had decent fan support and has been a competitive member in the Ohio Valley for a number of years. Would give the state of Tennessee a second member and create a conference rivalry triangle with MTSU and WKU.

WKU beats Louisville 8-1

Western Kentucky beat No. 22 Louisville 8-1 at Bowling Green Ballpark. Comments from Louisville natives pitcher Ian Tompkins and catcher Ryan Messex, along with coach Matt Myers.

Ian Tompkins
   Outing: “I just tried to give my team a chance by throwing strikes. Knowing that if I put it across the plate I have a lot of success and I think that’s what you saw tonight. I had a few walks, but I didn’t let that get to me as it had earlier in the year, which is big for my confidence. When I get runs it’s a lot easier to pitch. I got a little of the stress off. I had a long time to wait after a big, what was it, the fifth inning, sixth inning? But I was trying to go back out there (in the seventh) and (Stewart) Ijames was up and he’s a great hitter so I was just trying to get my slider across and I left it up a little bit and I came out of the game. Other than that, I was pretty happy about it.”

    Facing Louisville: “Well, you know, you always want to stick it to your hometown team, but no, they’re a great team and I just feel fortunate I was able to put the ball across the plate and I had a lot of confidence and I was really happy with the way it went.”

    Headed to FAU: “It gives us a lot of confidence going and playing the No. 1 team in the conference. We have to have a game like this to push us in there. I think we’re gonna have a lot of success this weekend riding this game out.”

Ryan Messex
    Getting the start: “Aw man, I’m really excited. It’s a great thing. Everybody works hard on this team and when you see your name on the lineup card you’re just happy to be in, you just try to contribute.”

    Two pickoffs and a caught stealing: “We know that they like to run, that they like to get big leads. When I get in there, that’s what I try to do, is try to shut that down.”

    Offense: “Gotta love that. It’s always good to put up eight runs, especially when you got a pitcher going out there dealing like that.”

    The Ballpark: “Yeah, it’s awesome. I was here last year watching the game and it’s just a neat thing to watch our guys go out here and play.”

Matt Myers
    4-0 at the Ballpark: “I don’t know. It’s magical for us right now. I told the guys yesterday, I said, ‘This is a place that we got a lot of pride in. We’ve played well, this community has come out and supported us so well over the last three years in these games with UK and UL’. Now with the (Sun Belt) tournament here, I told these guys, I said, ‘That feels pretty good. This is our place. We got to make sure we go down to Florida this weekend and get our rear ends back into this tournament because you guys do some special things here’.”

    FAU: “Well, FAU’s gonna take every bit of what we have to do to win a game. You could be going down there with a loss. This is momentum, we beat one of the best teams in the country and we earned it. Two years ago, three years ago we went down there, lost this game, and got swept. Maybe this will take some positive energy down there. Our guys are ready, they wanna get after FAU. They’re ready to get on that plane flight.”

    Eight runs: “Great approach tonight. Took advantage of runners in scoring position. The older guys at the top, great at-bats – Andreoli, Wilcox, Dykes and Hutch and then Huck – all the way through the lineup. Messex gets us going with an RBI double early in the game and just great approaches. Guys are buying in to what we’re trying to do. The offense has been improving, the at-bats have been improving over the past three weeks and our kids – that never-die attitude. Right now at the plate they’re gonna win every pitch. We went to a lot of deep counts tonight against some really good arms. The more pitches they throw, the more pitches you see and you’re gonna get.”

Cunningham to join Harper’s staff

Western Kentucky basketball coach Ray Harper has officially added Phil Cunningham to his staff. Cunningham was scheduled to meet with the WKU team today at 2 p.m. before meeting with the media later this afternoon. He will make a base salary of $100,000.
Cunningham left Mississippi State after Rick Stansbury retired following the 2011-12 season. Harper coached Cunningham as a player in 1987 at Kentucky Wesleyan.
During his second stint at MSU, Cunningham took on primary responsibilities in the areas of recruiting and player development with the Bulldog guards, scouting and on-floor coaching duties.
For his yearly recruiting and coaching accomplishments, Cunningham was tabbed by Rivals.com as one of the nation’s top 25 assistant coaches. He was also previously recognized by The Hoop Scoop recruiting publication as one of the top NCAA Division I men’s basketball assistant coaches.
Having earned his master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in sports administration from MSU while he was serving as a graduate assistant coach during his prior stop at State, Cunningham returned to the Starkville campus in 2000 after spending the previous three seasons on Charles “Lefty” Driesell’s coaching staff at Georgia State University.
Prior to rejoining Driesell at Georgia State in 1997, Cunningham spent the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons as an assistant coach at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.
Cunningham’s 14-year stint as an NCAA Division I assistant coach was preceded by a three-year stay as head basketball coach at Sue Bennett College in London. Taking over a former junior college program making the jump to four-year competition in the NAIA, he paced SBC to 48 victories during his three seasons at the helm, including postseason tournament appearances during each of the school’s first two years of postseason eligibility status.
A native of Campbellsville and the son of the late Lou Cunningham – long-time coach at Campbellsville College (now Campbellsville University) – Cunningham spent the 1990-91 campaign as an assistant coach on his father’s staff, helping lead the Tigers to the District 32 championship and an appearance in the NAIA Tournament. Cunningham earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Campbellsville. Also a native Kentuckian, Stansbury graduated from the school in 1982. Cunningham played his first two years of college basketball at NCAA Division II powerhouse Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he was a member of the 1986-87 national championship team.
Citing a desire to play for his highly-respected father, Cunningham subsequently transferred to Campbellsville College, where he finished his career ranked among the school’s all-time leaders in career assists.
During his prep athletic career at Taylor County High School in Campbellsville, Cunningham was an all-state honorable mention backcourt performer in addition to excelling on the diamond as a standout shortstop.

Phil Cunningham
    Homecoming? “It is being from Campbellsville, Kentucky, about an hour-and-fifteen minutes away, it certainly is.”

    Getting the position: “Well first of all, we’ve known each other for a long time. He was an assistant coach when I was playing at Kentucky Wesleyan. I’ve kept up with him all through the years, from Kentucky Wesleyan to Oklahoma City to when he became an assistant here at Western Kentucky. We were always two coaching friends who talked off-and-on throughout the season and see each other recruiting and talk all the time. It just sort of all came about toward the end of the season, closer toward the Final Four.”

    Role: “We haven’t talked a whole lot about specific duties, but just like anywhere else I’ve been as an assistant coach, one of your No. 1 objectives is recruiting and working with the team. We haven’t talked about specifics with that yet, but the first thing for an assistant coach is always recruiting.”

    The team: “I don’t know a whole lot about them, just keeping up with them down the stretch, particularly when coach Harper was named the full-time coach I took a little more interest in them and watched some of the games in the Sun Belt tournament and just kept up with them in that sense. A lot of conversations with coach Harper about the team. Looks like a really good nucleus coming back and just got to meet the guys there awhile ago. It seemed like some high-character guys that handle themselves real well in some simple introductions. It looks like a good nucleus coming back.”

    Back in Kentucky: “For me, it’s just an opportunity to be where there’s a lot of tradition from a basketball standpoint. I’ve been in the South at Mississippi State for the past 12 years and we had things going basketball there, but it’s still the SEC and if it’s not Kentucky and, maybe, Vanderbilt, it’s all about football first. That’s just the way it is down there. Here I know basketball has always been a sports with tremendous tradition and just a fan base that really cares. That’s what I’m excited about. Looking forward to getting back to an area where basketball is at the forefront of that fan base – with their knowledge and their interest and desires for success.”

    Getting the job: “It was just something we’ve talked about and he and I have known each other for so long and I’ve known, again, just from watching his career from afar, I’ve known how successful he’s been. He studies college basketball so he knows how successful we’ve been at Mississippi State and he knows what I’ve been doing. It wasn’t a real deep situation, it was probably uncommon for a type of search like that. It was all good because we’ve known each other for so long.”

    Working with Harper: “I think it’s going to be fun. I’ve always from afar wondered, ‘Why is he so good?’ I think I know why, because the best coach I’ve ever been around is Wayne Chapman. I tell people sometimes, the two best coaches that nobody really from a national college basketball perspective – the two best coaches that people don’t really know about – are Ray Harper and Wayne Chapman. Wayne Chapman sort of cut his career short and didn’t purse it any farther than Kentucky Wesleyan. But I just know from playing for Chapman what it was like everyday in practice. It was all business and just the competitive nature of everything we did and I’m sure coach Harper, I’ve talked to him about that, I think he’s really taking so much of what he does from his days with coach Chapman. I’m interested to see why he’s been so good because he’s had the Midas touch where ever he’s been.”