Former Demon point guard Mike Brey is head basketball coach at Notre Dame.
Former Mike McConathy assistant coach Buzz Williams is head coach at Marquette.
Former James Smith Lady Demon assistant coach Wendy Luebbers Schuller is the head coach at regular season Big Sky champion Eastern Washington.
Former Pat Pierson player and James Smith graduate assistant coach Sandy Pugh is head coach of the Southern Lady Jags. Her team won the SWAC regular-season title.
All are playing tonight in conference tournament semifinals.
Brey's Fighting Irish beat No. 16 Pittsburgh Thursday, while Williams' Warriors toppled No. 10 Villanova, in quarterfinal upsets at the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden. They could meet in the championship game.
Plenty of reason to root for NSU friends in March Madness! Seems likely Notre Dame and Marquette are in the NCAA Tournament with at-large bids if one doesn't win the conference tournament. Pugh and Schuller will have to get it done on the court as they're in "one bid" leagues.
GOOD LUCK!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Four a Crowd?
Here's a little behind-the-scenes tidbit from the 2010 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament in Katy, Texas...Four of the eight women's teams which began play Tuesday were staying in the SAME hotel (Northwestern, TAMU-CC, Lamar and Texas-Arlington). A quick look at your bracket and you will notice that all four won their Quarterfinal round game. So...everyone is still here! However, I am happy to report there has not been any trash-talking over the waffle machine.
The Lady Demons practiced today at Katy High School. Tonight, it's a early dinner at the Rainforest Cafe', followed by a evening of meetings and film study. I am sure the team will have a early "lights out", as they zone in on Thursday's semi-final game against Lamar at 12:05.
A couple of interesting notes as I prepare for the broadcast (of course, all notes are courtesy of Associate Sports Information Director Matt Bonnette):
-NSU is just one made three-pointer away from setting a single-season school record. The current mark of 192 was set just last year.
-Trudy Armstead scored just six points in the regular season loss to TAMU-CC. She is a different player now than she was in mid-January (see Tuesday's career-high of 25 points and 13 rebounds). Somehow, I think she will have a much better game Thursday than she did two months ago.
-NSU and TAMU-CC combined for 195 points in their respective Quarterfinal round games. The Lady Demons pride themselves on defense, so I don't expect them to give up 99 points the way Sam Houston did.
In case I don't get to blog before tip-off, I invite you to join Matt and I for the broadcast on the Demon Sports Network (100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches, 92.1 in Shreveport, 92.7 KBDV in Leesville, and KTEZ 99.9 in Many, as well around the world at nsudemons.com). The pre-game show starts at 11:50. A win Thursday, and your Northwestern State Lady Demons will be just one win--40 minutes--away from their third-ever trip to the NCAA tournament!
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
The Lady Demons practiced today at Katy High School. Tonight, it's a early dinner at the Rainforest Cafe', followed by a evening of meetings and film study. I am sure the team will have a early "lights out", as they zone in on Thursday's semi-final game against Lamar at 12:05.
A couple of interesting notes as I prepare for the broadcast (of course, all notes are courtesy of Associate Sports Information Director Matt Bonnette):
-NSU is just one made three-pointer away from setting a single-season school record. The current mark of 192 was set just last year.
-Trudy Armstead scored just six points in the regular season loss to TAMU-CC. She is a different player now than she was in mid-January (see Tuesday's career-high of 25 points and 13 rebounds). Somehow, I think she will have a much better game Thursday than she did two months ago.
-NSU and TAMU-CC combined for 195 points in their respective Quarterfinal round games. The Lady Demons pride themselves on defense, so I don't expect them to give up 99 points the way Sam Houston did.
In case I don't get to blog before tip-off, I invite you to join Matt and I for the broadcast on the Demon Sports Network (100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches, 92.1 in Shreveport, 92.7 KBDV in Leesville, and KTEZ 99.9 in Many, as well around the world at nsudemons.com). The pre-game show starts at 11:50. A win Thursday, and your Northwestern State Lady Demons will be just one win--40 minutes--away from their third-ever trip to the NCAA tournament!
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Not So Fast, My Friend!
So...Those who thought NSU would be one-and-done in the 2010 State Farm Southland Conference Tournament...I direct your attention to the above headline.
Wow!
In one word, that sums up the way the Lady Demons played Tuesday afternoon at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
NSU, the tournament's seventh-seed, looked like the the Los Angeles Lakers during their "Showtime" era--passing and shooting their way to a 96-82 win over second-seeded Stephen F. Austin.
Trudy Armstead--still technically a freshman--looked like a seasoned veteran. She wanted the ball and she got the ball on her way to a season/career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds. Jessica McPhail, who hasn't had the quite the season she had hoped, shinned with a season-high 22 points. Three more Lady Demons tallied double-digits, and afterwards, everyone was wearing smiles.
Next up, dinner at Dave and Busters. Oh, next up on the court? Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, which beat Sam Houston in Tuesday's second game.
So it's time to unpack the luggage. We are going to be here at least until Thursday. And the way NSU played Tuesday, we might not be going home until after Friday's championship game.
And no one is complaining.
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
Wow!
In one word, that sums up the way the Lady Demons played Tuesday afternoon at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
NSU, the tournament's seventh-seed, looked like the the Los Angeles Lakers during their "Showtime" era--passing and shooting their way to a 96-82 win over second-seeded Stephen F. Austin.
Trudy Armstead--still technically a freshman--looked like a seasoned veteran. She wanted the ball and she got the ball on her way to a season/career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds. Jessica McPhail, who hasn't had the quite the season she had hoped, shinned with a season-high 22 points. Three more Lady Demons tallied double-digits, and afterwards, everyone was wearing smiles.
Next up, dinner at Dave and Busters. Oh, next up on the court? Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, which beat Sam Houston in Tuesday's second game.
So it's time to unpack the luggage. We are going to be here at least until Thursday. And the way NSU played Tuesday, we might not be going home until after Friday's championship game.
And no one is complaining.
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
Monday, March 08, 2010
Greetings from Katy
For the fourth straight year, the Lady Demons find themselves getting ready to play in the State Farm Southland Conference Tournament.
Making the tournament is not a given. Just ask the three teams who were eligible, but did not qualify.
But while NSU is happy to play another day, I don't think they will be satisfied unless they are playing Friday--for the tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The road will not be easy, starting with Monday's quarterfinal game against long-time rival Stephen F. Austin. SFA is the league's hottest team, having won seven straight. However, NSU has a couple of things in their favor.
The Lady Demons beat SFA earlier this season--in Nacogdoches. Even though they dropped the return game in Natchitoches, NSU knows they can beat SFA--if they play well as they did in their win.
Also, NSU comes into the tournament on the heels of last Saturday's confidence-booster, a double-digit win over Southeastern Louisiana that snapped a four-game losing streak.
On the bus ride Monday morning (well, okay, most everyone slept), at their Noon shootaround, and at lunch and dinner, the team was relaxed--and focused. They know if they play like they are capable of playing (and like they have shown at times this year), they have as good a shot as anyone of winning the tournament.
Everyone packed for a week-long trip, and when we leave the hotel Tuesday morning for the Noon tipoff, we are not bringing our luggage. We have every hope of staying in Katy a little longer.
I hope you listen to all the action Tuesday on the Demon Sports Network (100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches, 92.1 in Shreveport, and here at nsudemons.com). Matt Bonnette and I will be on the air at 11:45 with the Lady Demons pre-game show.
Fork 'Em, Lady Demons!
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
Making the tournament is not a given. Just ask the three teams who were eligible, but did not qualify.
But while NSU is happy to play another day, I don't think they will be satisfied unless they are playing Friday--for the tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The road will not be easy, starting with Monday's quarterfinal game against long-time rival Stephen F. Austin. SFA is the league's hottest team, having won seven straight. However, NSU has a couple of things in their favor.
The Lady Demons beat SFA earlier this season--in Nacogdoches. Even though they dropped the return game in Natchitoches, NSU knows they can beat SFA--if they play well as they did in their win.
Also, NSU comes into the tournament on the heels of last Saturday's confidence-booster, a double-digit win over Southeastern Louisiana that snapped a four-game losing streak.
On the bus ride Monday morning (well, okay, most everyone slept), at their Noon shootaround, and at lunch and dinner, the team was relaxed--and focused. They know if they play like they are capable of playing (and like they have shown at times this year), they have as good a shot as anyone of winning the tournament.
Everyone packed for a week-long trip, and when we leave the hotel Tuesday morning for the Noon tipoff, we are not bringing our luggage. We have every hope of staying in Katy a little longer.
I hope you listen to all the action Tuesday on the Demon Sports Network (100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches, 92.1 in Shreveport, and here at nsudemons.com). Matt Bonnette and I will be on the air at 11:45 with the Lady Demons pre-game show.
Fork 'Em, Lady Demons!
Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons
Friday, February 19, 2010
Baseball Buzz
Everyone I've talked to, from NSU in-house sports analyst and long-time employee Thomas Foster to boosters who have watched practice to some from within the program, have told me how good they think J.P. Davis' Demon baseball team is going to be this year.
Apparently, there are others a bit further removed from Natchitoches who think the same thing.
Former NSU baseball clubhouse manager Ray Meade, now living in Tennessee but still very much in-tune with what is happening on the NSU athletic scene, called to tell me about the Demons being the topic of conversation on the national Rivals.com radio morning show recently. The discussion centered around teams, outside of the preseason 25, that might make some postseason noise....and the NSU Demons were included in that category.
Also mentioned was the rich coaching history that has been a part of Demon baseball for the past two decades and how those coaches have moved on to head positions at major programs, starting with newly retired Alabama skipper Jim Wells in 1990 and continuing with Wells' former graduate assistant, Mike Bianco (Ole Miss); Dave Van Horn (Nebraska and now Arkansas); his pitching coach, Rob Childress (Texas A&M); John Cohen (Kentucky and now Mississippi State); and Wells' replacement at Alabama, Mitch Gaspard.
Southland Conference preseason polls, by the way, have picked the Demons middle-of-the-pack at best.
I like the Rivals.com prognosticators better.
Greg Burke
Athletic Director
Apparently, there are others a bit further removed from Natchitoches who think the same thing.
Former NSU baseball clubhouse manager Ray Meade, now living in Tennessee but still very much in-tune with what is happening on the NSU athletic scene, called to tell me about the Demons being the topic of conversation on the national Rivals.com radio morning show recently. The discussion centered around teams, outside of the preseason 25, that might make some postseason noise....and the NSU Demons were included in that category.
Also mentioned was the rich coaching history that has been a part of Demon baseball for the past two decades and how those coaches have moved on to head positions at major programs, starting with newly retired Alabama skipper Jim Wells in 1990 and continuing with Wells' former graduate assistant, Mike Bianco (Ole Miss); Dave Van Horn (Nebraska and now Arkansas); his pitching coach, Rob Childress (Texas A&M); John Cohen (Kentucky and now Mississippi State); and Wells' replacement at Alabama, Mitch Gaspard.
Southland Conference preseason polls, by the way, have picked the Demons middle-of-the-pack at best.
I like the Rivals.com prognosticators better.
Greg Burke
Athletic Director
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