Odds
Pregame.com Line
NBA
Today
Favorite Line (O/U) Underdog
at Lakers OFF (OFF) Indiana
at Toronto 5 1/2 (208 1/2) San Antonio
Miami 3 1/2 (207) at Brooklyn
Washington 1 1/2 (209) at Detroit
at Memphis OFF (OFF) Sacramento
a Chico Enterprise-Record, 01.19.2018
Odds
Pregame.com Line
NBA
Today
Favorite Line (O/U) Underdog
at Lakers OFF (OFF) Indiana
at Toronto 5 1/2 (208 1/2) San Antonio
Miami 3 1/2 (207) at Brooklyn
Washington 1 1/2 (209) at Detroit
at Memphis OFF (OFF) Sacramento
at Denver 9 (218) Phoenix
at Utah 4 (205) New York
College Basketball
Today
Favorite Line Underdog
at Davidson 4 St. Bonaventure
at Michigan St 15 Indiana
Buffalo 4 at W. Michigan
Yale 1 at Brown
at Wisconsin 4 Illinois
NFL
Playoffs
Favorite Line (O/U) Underdog
at New England 7 1/2 (46 1/2) Jacksonville
Minnesota 3 (38 1/2) at Philadelphia
Golf
PGA-CareerBuilder
La Quinta
Purse: $5.9 million
s-Stadium Course, Yardage: 7,113; Par: 72 (36-36)
q-La Quinta CC Course, 7,060; 72 (36-36)
n-Nicklaus Tournamen Course, 7,159; 72 (36-36)
First Round
Jon Rahm 30-32-62 -10q
Austin Cook 30-33-63 -9n
Jason Kokrak 31-32-63 -9q
Andrew Landry 34-29-63 -9q
Brandon Harkins 30-34-64 -8q
Martin Piller 34-30-64 -8n
Beau Hossler 30-34-64 -8q
Aaron Wise 31-33-64 -8q
Wesley Bryan 31-34-65 -7n
Nick Watney 32-33-65 -7s
Talor Gooch 34-31-65 -7n
Jhonattan Vegas 33-32-65 -7n
Brian Harman 32-33-65 -7q
Grayson Murray 34-31-65 -7s
Lucas Glover 33-33-66 -6q
Alex Cejka 34-32-66 -6n
Colt Knost 32-34-66 -6q
Matt Every 33-33-66 -6n
Kevin Na 32-34-66 -6q
Adam Hadwin 31-35-66 -6n
Hudson Swafford 33-33-66 -6q
Maverick McNealy 31-35-66 -6q
Richy Werenski 33-34-67 -5n
Harris English 31-36-67 -5q
Zach Johnson 32-35-67 -5q
Kevin Streelman 33-34-67 -5s
Matt Atkins 33-34-67 -5n
Sam Ryder 33-34-67 -5n
Conrad Shindler 34-33-67 -5q
Rob Oppenheim 34-33-67 -5s
Nate Lashley 32-35-67 -5s
Charles Howell III 35-32-67 -5n
Ben Silverman 34-33-67 -5q
Jonathan Byrd 34-33-67 -5q
Kevin Kisner 34-33-67 -5n
Daniel Summerhays 34-33-67 -5n
C.T. Pan 31-36-67 -5n
Bud Cauley 33-34-67 -5q
Michael Kim 35-32-67 -5q
Chez Reavie 33-34-67 -5q
Zecheng Dou 33-34-67 -5n
Stewart Cink 33-35-68 -4n
Ryan Armour 33-35-68 -4n
James Hahn 32-36-68 -4s
Joel Dahmen 35-33-68 -4n
Tyrone Van Aswegen 33-35-68 -4n
Troy Merritt 35-33-68 -4s
Jimmy Walker 34-34-68 -4q
Tom Whitney 34-34-68 -4n
Bronson Burgoon 35-33-68 -4n
John Huh 34-34-68 -4n
Nick Taylor 37-31-68 -4n
Mark Brooks 33-35-68 -4s
Hunter Mahan 34-34-68 -4s
Scott Piercy 33-35-68 -4q
Brian Gay 34-34-68 -4s
Ryan Blaum 33-35-68 -4n
Sung Kang 36-32-68 -4s
Corey Conners 33-35-68 -4n
Charles Reiter 34-34-68 -4q
Greg Chalmers 32-36-68 -4n
Sean O'Hair 32-36-68 -4s
Tyler Duncan 35-33-68 -4s
Rory Sabbatini 35-34-69 -3n
Chad Campbell 33-36-69 -3s
Ben Martin 35-34-69 -3s
Vaughn Taylor 35-34-69 -3q
Smylie Kaufman 32-37-69 -3q
Sangmoon Bae 35-34-69 -3s
Martin Flores 33-36-69 -3q
Camilo Villegas 34-35-69 -3q
Jason Dufner 33-36-69 -3q
Webb Simpson 34-35-69 -3s
Andrew Putnam 34-35-69 -3n
Jon Curran 33-36-69 -3n
Scott Stallings 35-34-69 -3q
Ryan Palmer 34-35-69 -3s
Jim Herman 37-32-69 -3n
Tom Hoge 31-38-69 -3n
Abraham Ancer 35-34-69 -3n
Roberto Diaz 33-36-69 -3q
John Daly 33-36-69 -3n
Lee Janzen 36-33-69 -3n
Matt Jones 34-35-69 -3q
Steve Wheatcroft 34-35-69 -3s
Peter Malnati 33-36-69 -3n
Russell Knox 33-36-69 -3q
Danny Lee 36-34-70 -2n
Phil Mickelson 33-37-70 -2q
Sam Saunders 33-37-70 -2q
Peter Uihlein 33-37-70 -2q
Seamus Power 36-34-70 -2s
Scott Brown 36-34-70 -2s
Mac Hughes 35-35-70 -2n
Jeff Gove 36-34-70 -2n
Keith Mitchell 32-38-70 -2q
John Peterson 32-38-70 -2s
Whee Kim 34-36-70 -2q
Patton Kizzire 34-36-70 -2s
Ben Crane 36-34-70 -2n
Cameron Tringale 31-39-70 -2q
Martin Laird 33-37-70 -2s
Trey Mullinax 36-34-70 -2s
Brian Stuard 35-35-70 -2q
Bubba Watson 36-34-70 -2q
Chris Stroud 37-33-70 -2s
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Leading
At Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Purse: $3 million
Yardage: 7,583; Par: 72
First Round
Hideto Tanihara, Japan 66
Tommy Fleetwood, England 66
Ross Fisher, England 67
Thomas Pieters, Belgium 67
Sam Brazel, Australia 67
Bernd Wiesberger, Austria 67
Fabrizio Zanotti, Paraguay 67
Carlos Pigem, Spain 68
Matthew Fitzpatrick, England 68
Paul Dunne, Ireland 68
Andrew Johnston, England 68
Richard Sterne, South Africa 68
Oliver Fisher, England 68
Richie Ramsay, Scotland 68
Stephen Gallacher, Scotland 68
Mikko Ilonen, Finland 68
Martin Kaymer, Germany 69
Rory McIlroy, Ireland 69
Paul Casey, England 70
Daniel Im, United States 70
Henrik Stenson, Sweden 70
David Lipsky, United States 71
Justin Rose, England 71
Matt Kuchar, United States 72
Dustin Johnson, United States 72
Ernie Els, South Africa 76
Jose-Maria Olazabal, Spain 78
Golf
PGA Tour Champions-Championship at Hualalai
Thursday
At Hualalai GC
Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
Purse: $1.8 million
Yardage: 7,107; Par: 72 (36-36)
First Round
Gene Sauers 32-32-64 -8
Jerry Kelly 34-30-64 -8
Rocco Mediate 32-33-65 -7
Colin Montgomerie 34-31-65 -7
Kirk Triplett 35-31-66 -6
Fred Couples 33-33-66 -6
Kevin Sutherland 34-32-66 -6
Mark Calcavecchia 34-33-67 -5
Woody Austin 32-35-67 -5
Doug Garwood 32-35-67 -5
Joe Durant 37-30-67 -5
David Toms 34-33-67 -5
Tom Pernice Jr. 34-34-68 -4
Olin Browne 34-34-68 -4
Marco Dawson 33-35-68 -4
Peter Jacobsen 33-35-68 -4
Sandy Lyle 33-35-68 -4
Tom Watson 33-35-68 -4
Brandt Jobe 33-35-68 -4
Esteban Toledo 34-35-69 -3
Jesper Parnevik 32-37-69 -3
Jay Haas 33-36-69 -3
Paul Broadhurst 35-34-69 -3
Jeff Sluman 32-37-69 -3
Duffy Waldorf 36-33-69 -3
Tom Lehman 33-36-69 -3
Tom Kite 35-34-69 -3
Bernhard Langer 34-35-69 -3
Miguel Angel Jimenez 34-36-70 -2
Scott McCarron 33-37-70 -2
Jeff Maggert 38-33-71 -1
Vijay Singh 36-35-71 -1
Michael Allen 37-35-72 E
David Frost 37-35-72 E
Paul Goydos 34-38-72 E
Mark O'Meara 36-36-72 E
Mark Wiebe 37-36-73 +1
Loren Roberts 38-35-73 +1
Stephen Ames 38-36-74 +2
Kohki Idoki 39-36-75 +3
Hale Irwin 40-35-75 +3
Craig Stadler 40-36-76 +4
Carlos Franco 38-38-76 +4
Fred Funk 39-38-77 +5
Tennis
Australian Open Results
at Melbourne Park (seedings in parentheses):
Men's Singles
Second Round
Dominic Thiem (5), Austria, def. Denis Kudla, United States, 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Adrian Mannarino (26), France, def. Jiri Vesely, Czech Republic, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3.
Maximilian Marterer, Germany, def. Fernando Verdasco, Spain, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3.
Tennys Sandgren, United States, def. Stan Wawrinka (9), Switzerland, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic (14), Serbia, def. Gael Monfils, France, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas (21), Spain, def. Tim Smyczek, United States, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (2).
Hyeon Chung, Republic of Korea, def. Daniil Medvedev, Russia, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1.
Alexander Zverev (4), Germany, def. Peter Gojowczyk, Germany, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Julien Benneteau, France, def. David Goffin (7), Belgium, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Fabio Fognini (25), Italy, def. Evgeny Donskoy, Russia, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
Tomas Berdych (19), Czech Republic, def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Spain, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Juan Martin Del Potro (12), Argentina, def. Karen Khachanov, Russia, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (0), 6-4.
Marton Fucsovics, Hungary, def. Sam Querrey (13), United States, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2.
Nicolas Kicker, Argentina, def. Lukas Lacko, Slovakia, 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5.
Richard Gasquet (29), France, def. Lorenzo Sonego, Italy, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, def. Jan-Lennard Struff, Germany, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Third Round
Kyle Edmund, Britain, def. Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia, 7-6 (0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Women's Singles
Second Round
Simona Halep (1), Romania, def. Eugenie Bouchard, Canada, 6-2, 6-2.
Lauren Davis, United States, def. Andrea Petkovic, Germany, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Ashleigh Barty (18), Australia, def. Camila Giorgi, Italy, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
Naomi Osaka, Japan, def. Elena Vesnina (16), Russia, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Bernarda Pera, United States, def. Johanna Konta (9), Britain, 6-4, 7-5.
Barbora Strycova (20), Czech Republic, def. Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino, Spain, 6-3, 6-4.
Lucie Safarova (29), Czech Republic, def. Sorana Cirstea, Romania, 6-2, 6-4.
Karolina Pliskova (6), Czech Republic, def. Beatriz Haddad Maia, Brazil, 6-1, 6-1.
Su-Wei Hsieh, Taiwan, def. Garbine Muguruza (3), Spain, 7-6 (1), 6-4.
Agnieszka Radwanska (26), Poland, def. Lesia Tsurenko, Ukraine, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Angelique Kerber (21), Germany, def. Donna Vekic, Croatia, 6-4, 6-1.
Maria Sharapova, Russia, def. Anastasija Sevastova (14), Latvia, 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Ana Bogdan, Romania, def. Yulia Putintseva, Kazakhstan, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Madison Keys (17), United States, def. Ekaterina Alexandrova, Russia, 6-0, 6-1.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Belarus, def. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (28), Croatia, 6-3, 6-1.
Caroline Garcia (8), France, def. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 8-6.
Third Round
Petra Martic, Croatia, def. Luksika Kumkhum, Thailand, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Elise Mertens, Belgium, def. Alize Cornet, France, 7-5, 6-4.
Denisa Allertova, Czech Republic, def. Magda Linette, Poland, 6-1, 6-4.
Elina Svitolina (4), Ukraine, def. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine, 6-2, 6-2.
Transactions
Baseball
American League
Minnesota Twins: Named Jim Kaat special assistant.
Texas Rangers: Agreed to terms with C Curt Casali, OF Jose Cardona and RHP Tayler Scott on minor league contracts.
National League
Chicago Cubs: Named Jacob Cruz minor league hitting coordinator, Brendan Sagara minor league pitching coordinator, Steve Merriman assistant pitching coordinator, Jeremy Farrell minor league infield coordinator, Chuck Baughman minor league athletic training coordinator and Jonathan Fierro minor league rehab coordinator. Named Chris Valaika assistant coach and Mike McNulty and Ed Halbur athletic trainers for Iowa (PCL), Jesus Feliciano hitting coach, Ben Carhart assistant coach, Toby Williams trainer, and Jason Morriss strength coach for Tennessee (SL), Ty Wright hitting coach, Carlos Rojas assistant coach, Logan Severson trainer and Keegan Knoll strength coach, Ricardo Medina hitting coach, Paul McAnulty assistant coach and James Edwards trainer for South Bend (MWL), Steve Lerud manager, Armando Gabino pitching coach, Osmin Melendez hitting coach, Jacob Rogers assistant coach and Sean Folan trainer for Eugene (NWL), Ike Ogata trainer and Mike Megrew strength coach for Arizona1 (ASL), Jonathan Mota manager and Claudio Almonte hitting coach for Arizona2 (ASL), and Jose Zapata coach for Dominican1 (DSL).
New York Mets: Designated RHPs Kevin McGowan and Chasen Bradford for assignment.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Agreed to terms with LHP Felipe Rivero on a four-year contract.
San Diego Padres: Agreed to terms with RHPs Jonathan Aro, Michael Mariot and Robert Stock, C Raffy Lopez and OF Shane Peterson on minor league contracts.
San Francisco Giants: Claimed INF Engelb Vielma off waivers from Pittsburgh.
Washington Nationals: Agreed to terms with Inf/Of Howie Kendrick on a two-year contract.
Basketball
National Basketball Association
NBA: Suspended Orlando G Arron Afflalo two games for fighting with Minnesota F Nemanja Bjelica during a Jan. 16 game.
Football
National Football League
Oakland Raiders: Named Derrick Ansley defensive backs coach, Edgar Bennett wide receivers coach, Tim Berbenich quality control-offense coach, Tom Cable offensive line coach, Nick Holz quality control-offense, David Lippincott linebackers coach, Jim O'neil senior defensive assistant coach, Dave Razzano director of football research coach, Jemal Singleton running backs coach, Frank Smith tight ends coach, Travis Smith quality control-defense coach, Byron Storer assistant special teams coach and Mike Trgovac defensive line coach.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Named Randy Fichtner offensive coordinator.
Hockey
National Hockey League
New Jersey Devils: Assigned D Mirco Mueller to Binghamton (AHL) on a conditioning assignment.
American Hockey League
Bridgeport Sound Tigers: Announced G Eamon McAdam was reassigned to the team from Worcester (ECHL).
Hartford Wolf Pack: Signed F Shawn O'donnell to a professional tryout agreement.
San Antonio Rampage: Recalled D Tommy Vannelli from Tulsa (ECHL).
Soccer
Major League Soccer
Mls: Announced the Professional Referee Organization named Howard Webb general manager.
Sporting Kansas City: Acquired D Emiliano Amor on a one-year loan from Velez Sarsfield (Argentina).
Fishing
Ocean Report
Reported by Landings
NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Landing: 1 boat, 22 anglers - 4 sand bass, 2 sculpin, 3 blacksmith perch, 2 trigger fish, 1 black croaker.
DANA POINT - Dana Wharf: 1 boat, 29 anglers -- 4 calico bass, 2 sculpin, 3 half-moon perch.
Colleges
Men's Basketball
EAST
Hartford 86, Maine 68
Hofstra 90, Delaware 63
NJIT 91, North Florida 59
Niagara 81, Quinnipiac 73
Rider 88, St. Peter's 84
Siena 68, Marist 65
Stony Brook 77, Binghamton 66
Towson 90, Drexel 68
Vermont 67, New Hampshire 56
Wagner 73, St. Francis (Pa.) 64
SOUTH
Belmont 79, Murray St. 72
Campbell 62, Charleston Southern 47
ETSU 62, Furman 61
FAU 75, Charlotte 64
Florida Gulf Coast 88, Lipscomb 83
Gardner-Webb 61, Presbyterian 53
High Point 71, Liberty 60
Jacksonville St. 58, Morehead St. 57
James Madison 85, Elon 74, OT
Kennesaw St. 95, Stetson 81
Louisiana Tech 66, North Texas 65
Marshall 73, Middle Tennessee 63
Maryland 77, Minnesota 66
Mercer 62, VMI 56
NC A&T 71, Norfolk St. 68
NC State 72, Wake Forest 63
Northeastern 90, William & Mary 70
Old Dominion 64, FIU 54
Radford 70, Longwood 63
SC-Upstate 91, Jacksonville 85
South Alabama 60, Coastal Carolina 57
Southern Miss. 86, Rice 75
Tennessee St. 70, Austin Peay 56
Tennessee Tech 70, E. Kentucky 67
UNC-Greensboro 72, The Citadel 58
Virginia 64, Georgia Tech 48
W. Kentucky 77, UAB 69
Winthrop 85, UNC-Asheville 58
Wofford 93, Samford 89
MIDWEST
Cleveland St. 70, IUPUI 67
E. Illinois 80, UT Martin 60
Grand Canyon 86, Chicago St. 58
Ill.-Chicago 92, Youngstown St. 78
N. Kentucky 91, Milwaukee 64
Nebraska 72, Michigan 52
Nebraska-Omaha 86, Denver 80, 2OT
SE Missouri 86, SIU-Edwardsville 74
UMKC 62, CS Bakersfield 59
Utah Valley 84, Rio Grande 76
Wright St. 80, Green Bay 67
SOUTHWEST
Louisiana-Lafayette 77, Texas-Arlington 65
Texas State 55, Louisiana-Monroe 52
FAR WEST
Colorado 82, Washington St. 73
E. Washington 81, N. Arizona 76
Idaho 80, S. Utah 76
New Mexico St. 75, Seattle 62
Pacific 92, Pepperdine 78
Portland 55, San Diego 49
Portland St. 87, Idaho St. 83
Saint Mary's 74, Gonzaga 71
UC Irvine 80, Cal Poly 73
USC 75, Oregon 70
Weber St. 80, Sacramento St. 64
Women's Top 25
No. 1 UConn 78, Tulsa 78-60
No. 2 Louisville 77, Pittsburgh 51
No. 5 Notre Dame 84, No. 6 Tennessee 70
No. 10 South Carolina 95, Vanderbilt 82
No. 11 Missouri 67, Mississippi 48
No. 12 Florida State 81, Wake Forest 79 OT
No. 15 Duke 86, beat Virginia Tech 75
No. 16 Texas A&M 73, Alabama 54
No. 23 Green Bay 85, Detroit 27
Penn State 70, No. 25 Rutgers 67
Schedule
Today
Baseball: Hope International at St. Katherine, 2 p.m.
Women's basketball: Cal at UCLA, 6 p.m., Stanford at USC, 8 p.m.,
Men's volleyball: New Jersey Tech at UC Irvine, 6 p.m., Concordia at CS Northridge, 7 p.m.
AHL
Western Conference
Pacific Division
GP W L OL Pts GF GA
Tucson 35 20 12 2 43 118 103
Stockton 36 19 12 2 43 112 98
San Antonio 40 22 16 2 46 115 115
San Diego 36 20 15 1 41 118 117
Texas 41 20 15 4 46 120 135
Ontario 37 19 16 1 40 100 102
Bakersfield 37 16 14 7 39 103 106
San Jose 35 17 16 0 36 89 104
Central Division
GP W L OL Pts GF GA
Manitoba 39 26 8 3 57 147 92
Milwaukee 39 21 14 4 46 112 115
Rockford 41 21 15 2 47 130 125
Iowa 40 18 13 6 45 126 127
Chicago 41 19 15 5 45 122 120
Grand Rapids 42 19 18 1 43 130 131
Cleveland 37 12 19 3 30 84 123
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
GP W L OL Pts GF GA
WB/Scranton 37 24 10 2 51 136 105
Providence 38 22 12 3 48 116 100
Lehigh Valley 41 23 13 2 51 137 135
Charlotte 40 23 16 0 47 139 120
Bridgeport 39 18 15 4 42 113 111
Hershey 41 17 17 3 41 108 129
Springfield 42 19 21 1 40 127 133
Hartford 41 15 20 3 36 112 148
North Division
GP W L OL Pts GF GA
Toronto 39 28 11 0 56 125 81
Rochester 41 23 9 4 55 123 109
Syracuse 40 24 12 2 52 135 105
Utica 40 19 14 4 45 115 114
Laval 41 16 18 5 39 122 143
Belleville 41 17 21 0 37 104 154
Binghamton 39 11 21 5 29 96 134
Thursday's results
No games scheduled
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hokie learns from year out Daily Press, 01.20.2018
There's never been a time in Kerry Blackshear's life when he's had a shortage of sound basketball minds to consult. So, when the kid with the refined hoops pedigree had to sit out last season at Virginia Tech, he trusted his elders.
Blackshear's father graduated from Stetson as the school's career scoring leader before going on to play professionally overseas for 10 years. His mother earned her place in Stetson's athletic hall of fame for her basketball exploits. With his parents and a collection of coaches in his life he's relied on, Blackshear had faith that the decision to redshirt last season while he healed from injuries was the right one. This season, it's apparent his break from the game was time well spent.
"I've had a lot of things in my favor, and I'm definitely thankful for that, but it just gives me a little bit more confidence that I have a lot of positive influences backing me and people that know the game from their own perspectives," said Blackshear, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound redshirt sophomore forward from Orlando, Fla., who played at Evans High in Orlando while being coached by 11-year NBA veteran Chucky Atkins.
"My dad was a wing and scored. Chucky was a veteran point guard who played in (the NBA) for a long time. My mom was a big power forward who was athletic, so she understands the game from that perspective. Then, (Tech coach) Buzz (Williams) has been a really good coach on the NCAA level in some really good power conferences, so there's definitely some positive influences from different perspectives. I gain confidence from that."
That poise since returning from a March 2016 foot surgery and a stress reaction in one of his shins that first developed in September 2016, both of which led to his redshirt year, has been evident in his production.
Coming into Tech's game Saturday in Blacksburg against Florida State (13-5, 2-4 ACC), Blackshear has carved out his niche on a team full of perimeter sharpshooters. He's second on the team in scoring (13.6 points per game) while shooting 62.3 percent from the floor, and he's second in rebounding (6.6 per game).
Against FSU, Tech (13-5, 2-3) has a chance to get its most valuable win of the season thus far. Tech is 0-4 against teams rated among the top 50 in the Ratings Percentage Index.
As of early Friday evening, FSU was 46th in the RPI. UNC, which Tech plays Monday night in Cassell Coliseum, was No. 2 in the RPI.
Blackshear enables Tech to come at FSU and UNC with a versatile post presence who can score with his back to the basket or by stepping out to the perimeter (10 of 20 from 3-point range, including 6 of 11 in four games this month). But keeping him on the floor has been a challenge at times.
Though Williams believes Blackshear is one of the best defensive presences for a team that has struggled on that end of the floor (giving up 72.2 ppg, 12th in the ACC and tied for 173rd in the nation in scoring defense entering Friday night), he has often gotten in foul trouble.
He either finished with four fouls or fouled out five times in Tech's past 11 games. In Tech's 93-86 loss Dec. 16 at then-No. 8 Kentucky, he had 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, but he played just 22 minutes before fouling out. Foul trouble limited him to 13 minutes and four points Dec. 31 in Tech's 68-56 loss at Syracuse.
As effective as Blackshear has been offensively, scoring 20-plus points in four games, his dad has tried to impress upon him the importance of staying out of foul trouble.
"I say, 'You're the most important player on the team because you don't have a backup. You have to stay on the floor, so you have to stay out of foul trouble,' " said Blackshear Sr., who manages recreation centers in Orlando. "My conversations with him are a lot about trying to translate (basketball) to life."
Blackshear Sr. spent a lot of time having those kinds of deep discussions with his son last season. Blackshear Jr. was able to practice with the team for much of last season, but depression often set in on game days.
"It was very tough, because we knew he wanted to play last year and help his team," said Blackshear Sr., who spent most of his professional career playing in Spain. "Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be, but I think he grew better physically, mentally and emotionally as a young man. In order to get better, you have to go through things. I think he's a better person, better teammate, better student, better everything after that last year."
Spending much of his youth from the ages of 4 through 12 in Spain, Blackshear Jr. learned to speak almost-fluent Spanish while he, his mother, Lamilia, brother, Kenan, and sister, Kayla, traveled with Blackshear Sr.
An almost-innate skill set that includes passing, shooting, ballhandling and running the floor rubbed off on Blackshear Jr. from what he witnessed via the European game.
"Prior to ever meeting (Blackshear Jr.), his IQ was off the charts," Williams said. "Not just specific to his position, but specific to the game."
Blackshear Jr. wouldn't want to go through another season like he had last year, but he said his time off the court helped him develop a profound awareness of how much the game means to him.
"There was an assortment of emotions throughout the season," Blackshear Jr. said. "Sometimes I was thankful I could be in college and develop another year without losing a year of eligibility. Then, sometimes, there were a lot of thoughts where I was like, 'I could definitely be out there helping us.' It was depressing being able to practice and do everything, but not be able to play."
Being the product of a dad who globetrotted to chase his dream of playing pro basketball, Blackshear, Jr. admits he didn't grasp how different his childhood was when he was in the midst of it. Now, as his game continues to expand, there's an undeniable appreciation for his roots.
"It was just a unique experience a lot of people don't get to have in their lives," Blackshear Jr. said. "It was fun. I just got to see the world from a different perspective and got to recognize that the world is bigger than what it seems."
Wood can be reached by phone at 757-247-4642.
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DAYTONA BEACH -- A dog. An animal. Even a beast.
Those are just some of the words teammates use to describe 6-foot-6 Bethune-Cookman forward Soufiyane Diakite. Head coach Ryan Ridder, however, may have summed it up best following Monday's win over rival The Daytona Beach News-Journal, 01.19.2018
DAYTONA BEACH — A dog. An animal. Even a beast.
Those are just some of the words teammates use to describe 6-foot-6 Bethune-Cookman forward Soufiyane Diakite. Head coach Ryan Ridder, however, may have summed it up best following Monday's win over rival Stetson.
"He's an absolute warrior," Ridder said of Diakite, who's averaging over 10 points and nearly nine rebounds after a slow start to the year. "He's literally forced his way into the lineup, because all he does is rebound, play hard, dive all over the floor, and be a great teammate. He's everything you want your program to stand for. Since we've implemented him into the starting lineup, he's been phenomenal."
Like most of the B-CU roster, Diakite is a transfer. The 22-year-old, from the Bronx, New York, played his freshman year at Cowley County College, in Kansas, before transferring to Morehead State last season.
That's where he formed a friendship with former Father Lopez star, and current teammate Malik Maitland.
"We both knew some of the same people back in New York," said Maitland, who grew up in Long Island before moving to Palm Coast. "So between that and individual workouts over the summer, we started to build a friendship."
Diakite would only play in six games at Morehead State, though, as he and Maitland found themselves at the center of a controversy the following December that ended with the resignation of then head coach Sean Woods.
Both players alleged that Woods hit them — Maitland said he was backhanded in the chest during halftime of a game, while Diakite claimed he was shoved by the coach twice that same day — and Woods was suspended by the school. Two weeks later, after an internal investigation, Woods was charged with misdemeanor battery, and resigned.
Maitland and Diakite both left the team following the incident and reopened their recruitment. Then, a few weeks after Ridder was hired by Bethune-Cookman in April, Maitland announced his decision to transfer to the school, citing his already close relationship with Ridder.
It was that bond that convinced Diakite to choose B-CU as well.
"It was a package deal," Diakite laughed. "We discussed it together. Malik being from here, we talked a lot. He gave me the whole rundown about Daytona and Coach Ridder. He kept saying, 'Coach Ridder, that's my guy.' They already had that relationship, and me and Malik had a relationship, so I just took his word."
Ironically, Woods ended up in Volusia County as well, joining the Stetson men's basketball staff as an assistant coach in June. While all three parties have said the incident is behind them — Woods told The News-Journal in June he wouldn't address it — Diakite admitted it's given him a new appreciation for basketball.
“Definitely,” he said. “You can't take anything for granted. That's why when we step on the floor, we play like it's our last. Because that could've been our last (game). You never know. I feel like everything that happened, it just brought the dog out of us even more.”
That “dog” has certainly shown up in Diakite over the past month, where he's recorded four straight double-doubles, and five in six games. Last week he was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 34 rebounds in three games, and this past Monday he recorded a game-high 15 rebounds in a 74-62 win over Stetson and his former coach.
The Bronx native hasn't been this dominant all season, though.
“We have what we call an ‘honesty board,' “ Ridder said. “Once a week we rank our guys in terms of how we think they bring value to our program, basketball specific. Soufiyane has great basketball skills and talent, but he was having trouble putting it all together in a team setting. Originally, he was down, like 8, 9, 10, 11 (on the board).”
Maitland said he knew it wouldn't be long before Diakite moved his way up the board, and into the lineup.
“We were roommates on a road trip, and I can just remember telling him, ‘bro, you can average 12 (points) and 12 (rebounds) a night, you're an animal,” said Maitland, who's averaging nearly 11 points, five assists and started every game for the ‘Cats this season. “He just had to learn to come out there with the same energy, effort and passion he came out with at practice. He's been phenomenal.”
With Maitland leading the way, and Diakite just now getting his footing, the Wildcats (10-9, 4-0) have won five in a row, and have already matched their win total from a year ago.
Despite the buzz surrounding the team — ESPN's Joe Lunardi recently predicted the ‘Cats would be one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament — both players admitted the decision to play at B-CU has already been a success no matter how the season ends.
“It's been an unbelievable situation,” Diakite said. “God had a plan, that's how I look at it. Without him, none of this would have happened. The faith we have in each other is huge. The sky's the limit. We can really make something great happen here.”
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Finding a home at B-CU The Daytona Beach News-Journal, 01.19.2018
DAYTONA BEACH — A dog. An animal. Even a beast.
Those are just some of the words teammates use to describe 6-foot-6 Bethune-Cookman forward Soufiyane Diakite. Head coach Ryan Ridder, however, may have summed it up best following Monday's win over rival Stetson.
"He's an absolute warrior," Ridder said of Diakite, who's averaging over 10 points and nearly nine rebounds after a slow start to the year. "He's literally forced his way into the lineup, because all he does is rebound, play hard, dive all over the floor, and be a great teammate. He's everything you want your program to stand for. Since we've implemented him into the starting lineup, he's been phenomenal."
Like most of the B-CU roster, Diakite is a transfer. The 22-year-old, from the Bronx, New York, played his freshman year at Cowley County College, in Kansas, before transferring to Morehead State last season.
That's where he formed a friendship with former Father Lopez star, and current teammate Malik Maitland.
"We both knew some of the same people back in New York," said Maitland, who grew up in Long Island before moving to Palm Coast. "So between that and individual workouts over the summer, we started to build a friendship."
Diakite would only play in six games at Morehead State, though, as he and Maitland found themselves at the center of a controversy the following December that ended with the resignation of then head coach Sean Woods.
Both players alleged that Woods hit them — Maitland said he was backhanded in the chest during halftime of a game, while Diakite claimed he was shoved by the coach twice that same day — and Woods was suspended by the school. Two weeks later, after an internal investigation, Woods was charged with misdemeanor battery, and resigned.
Maitland and Diakite both left the team following the incident and reopened their recruitment. Then, a few weeks after Ridder was hired by Bethune-Cookman in April, Maitland announced his decision to transfer to the school, citing his already close relationship with Ridder.
It was that bond that convinced Diakite to choose B-CU as well.
"It was a package deal," Diakite laughed. "We discussed it together. Malik being from here, we talked a lot. He gave me the whole rundown about Daytona and Coach Ridder. He kept saying, 'Coach Ridder, that's my guy.' They already had that relationship, and me and Malik had a relationship, so I just took his word."
Ironically, Woods ended up in Volusia County as well, joining the Stetson men's basketball staff as an assistant coach in June. While all three parties have said the incident is behind them — Woods told The News-Journal in June he wouldn't address it — Diakite admitted it's given him a new appreciation for basketball.
“Definitely,” he said. “You can't take anything for granted. That's why when we step on the floor, we play like it's our last. Because that could've been our last (game). You never know. I feel like everything that happened, it just brought the dog out of us even more.”
That “dog” has certainly shown up in Diakite over the past month, where he's recorded four straight double-doubles, and five in six games. Last week he was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 34 rebounds in three games, and this past Monday he recorded a game-high 15 rebounds in a 74-62 win over Stetson and his former coach.
The Bronx native hasn't been this dominant all season, though.
“We have what we call an ‘honesty board,' “ Ridder said. “Once a week we rank our guys in terms of how we think they bring value to our program, basketball specific. Soufiyane has great basketball skills and talent, but he was having trouble putting it all together in a team setting. Originally, he was down, like 8, 9, 10, 11 (on the board).”
Maitland said he knew it wouldn't be long before Diakite moved his way up the board, and into the lineup.
“We were roommates on a road trip, and I can just remember telling him, ‘bro, you can average 12 (points) and 12 (rebounds) a night, you're an animal,” said Maitland, who's averaging nearly 11 points, five assists and started every game for the ‘Cats this season. “He just had to learn to come out there with the same energy, effort and passion he came out with at practice. He's been phenomenal.”
With Maitland leading the way, and Diakite just now getting his footing, the Wildcats (10-9, 4-0) have won five in a row, and have already matched their win total from a year ago.
Despite the buzz surrounding the team — ESPN's Joe Lunardi recently predicted the ‘Cats would be one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament — both players admitted the decision to play at B-CU has already been a success no matter how the season ends.
“It's been an unbelievable situation,” Diakite said. “God had a plan, that's how I look at it. Without him, none of this would have happened. The faith we have in each other is huge. The sky's the limit. We can really make something great happen here.”
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State House GOP candidates field questions The Ledger, 01.20.2018
Jan. 20--WINTER HAVEN -- In a tight setting at Harborside restaurant Friday, the two Republican state House candidates for District 39 courted about two dozen Republican women who want to ensure that the seat stays red in May.
There was agreement in the crowd of the Republican Women of Greater Polk when each candidate said as legislators they would support President Donald Trump's agenda.
And even more sounds of support when one of the candidates, Jennifer Spath, described herself as a "God-fearing, husband loving, concealed weapons holding, working mom."
"That's hard to come by," Spath said during her introduction.
The race to replace former Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, pits Spath, 34, of Bartow, against Josie Tomkow, 22, of Polk City, in a primary election Feb. 20.
Spath is a former prosecutor for the State Attorney's Office and current head of public affairs for a nonprofit in Orlando that develops state policy related to foster children.
Tomkow is a recent graduate of the University of Florida.
The winner will face Ricky Shirah, 63, a Democrat from Kathleen, in a general election on May 1. District 39 covers portions of Polk and Osceola counties. Combee resigned Nov. 24 for a new job as state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency.
During lunch, the candidates were each asked the same four questions. Questions ranged from what type of experience do you have that would make you an effective lawmaker to what major issues do you want to address if elected.
Tomkow said she has worked for her parents' business, Cattlemen's Livestock Market, in Lakeland for years.
"When I knew the family was struggling, we were all struggling," Tomkow said.
Tomkow's grandfather, Michael, started the cattle business where Combee worked when he was younger. Combee has endorsed Tomkow.
She said she's able to easily make connections in Tallahassee to help residents in the district.
"I know the importance of bringing grass-roots leadership up to Tallahassee," Tomkow said.
Spath said attending law school, taking the bar exam, and standing in front of a jury has built strength of character. She continues to feel gratification from her work with foster children.
"Being an attorney in front of a jury, it makes you tough," Spath said. "We need that in Tallahassee."
"We need to have the ability to say no," Spath said.
Spath said if elected she will address a lack of communication between legislators and local leaders.
"The amount of tension between state and local lawmakers is bad," Spath said.
She added that if elected she wants to focus more on early childhood education and maintain tax incentives for businesses that have come to Polk County in recent years.
Tomkow said she too wants to focus on education, highlighting a need for more vocational training for students.
Asked why she wanted to be a legislator, Spath said a "strong, passionate voice" was needed.
"I was a voice for victims in Polk County," Spath said. "I loved it and miss it."
Tomkow said she's dedicated to Polk County and wants to give back to residents in the District.
"I will not be outworked," Tomkow said.
After the question and answer, Spath told The Ledger that the elected lawmaker needs to be someone from Polk County. She said she's the only such person in the Republican race.
Tomkow acknowledged that she grew up in Dade City and attended Pasco High School. But she said she spent weekends and summers at her parents' ranch in Polk City. She moved to the ranch in 2016 and finished her last semester at UF, taking online classes from the ranch.
She described herself as being raised in Polk City, Dade City and Lakeland where her father ran his business.
Spath, a Longwood native, moved to Polk County in 2005 after graduating from college at the University of Florida. She attended law school at Stetson University then returned to Polk County. She grew up in Longwood.
John Chambliss can be reached at john.chambliss@theledger.com or 863-802-7588.
___ (c)2018 The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) Visit The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) at www.theledger.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Spanish Fort's Samsel headed to Memphis RECRUITING Mobile Press-Register, 01.19.2018
Former Spanish Fort quarterback Jack Samsel will play his college football at Memphis.
Samsel, who led the Toros to the Class 6A quarterfinals in 2017, graduated in December and is already enrolled at Memphis, Spanish Fort head coach Ben Blackmon said.
Samsel accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Tigers, according to Blackmon.
“Memphis is a good program,” Blackmon said. “Coach (Mike) Norvell does a good job. He has that team continuing to play at a high level. I think it's a good fit for Jack.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Samsel threw for 2,365 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Toros this past season.
“Jack had a great year,” Blackmon said. “There was a stretch of four or five games where he was just unbelievable. He threw five touchdown passes in three straight games. He was a great leader for us, and I think he'll continue to do well.”
Blackmon also said tight end Corson Swan was scheduled to visit North Alabama this weekend. Stetson came in for a home visit last week.
The second football National Signing Day is set for Feb. 7.
Some other Coastal Alabama recruiting notes:
› Here's a relatively new name in Mobile-area recruiting: the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas offered several top Coastal underclassmen this week including Saraland wide receiver Jay Williams and the Spanish Fort duo of Kris
Abrams-Draine and D.J. James. › Murphy wide receiver Michael Jefferson committed to Alabama State on a visit to Montgomery last weekend. Panthers' coach Muskingum Barnes said Jefferson still plans on taking visits to Jackson State and Alcorn State before National Signing Day. Also, Murphy TE Anthony Lewis
took an official visit to Troy last weekend. › St. Paul's offensive lineman Will Eiland has accepted a preferred walk-on at South Alabama. The new Jaguars' coaching staff also has offered 2019 Saints Yates Grehan and AJ Finley and 2020 players Reggie Bracy, Brady Ward
and Jordon Ingram. › McGill-Toolen NG Darius Cox received an offer from Nebraska on Wednesday.
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FGCU men play at KSU after comeback Naples Daily News, 01.20.2018
The Florida Gulf Coast University men's basketball team traveled by bus from Nashville to Kennesaw, Georgia, on Friday, but the Eagles did so while flying high.
After overcoming a terrible travel odyssey and an 18-point deficit with less than 13 minutes to go during a crucial 88-83 win at Lipscomb on Thursday night, FGCU (13-8, 4-0) faces what could be a trap game at Kennesaw State (5-14, 1-3) on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles had several flights to Atlanta delayed and didn't get dinner in their hotel rooms until 2 a.m. Thursday, then had to take a bus to Nashville for the Lipscomb game. They didn't have time for a shoot-around.But now the defending champions are perched alone atop the ASUN standings at 4-0. They're a game ahead of Jacksonville (3-1), which lost, 91-85, at USC Upstate on Thursday night, and two games up on 2-2 New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stetson and North Florida, which was stunned, 91-54, at NJIT on Thursday night.Heading into at Lipscomb, FGCU had crushed Stetson, NJIT and USC Upstate by an average of 23 points at home.The Eagles trailed 48-40 at Thursday night's half and by those 18 points as the midway mark of the second half neared. At that point, FGCU coach Joe Dooley switched to a 2-3 zone and the Eagles began getting stops and flying the floor. The stunning run reached 32-4 as the heavy ASUN favorite Eagles built an 81-70 lead, then held off Lipscomb, which was picked second in the coaches and media polls and likely already is on the outside of the race at 1-3.Following the biggest comeback in FGCU history, the Eagles danced in the locker room, senior guard and leading scorer Brandon Goodwin said."It was a great place for us to be in and we were excited," Goodwin. "Lipscomb's a great team. They're real dangerous. But our guys responded to adversity and listened to Coach. We didn't hang our heads when we were down 18. We just fought back and put it together. A lot of fun and very tiring."Once we got our rhythm going, we were fine. When we switched to the 2-3, we weren't expecting to stop them like we did, but I think that made them uncomfortable and that allowed us to play team basketball on the other end."FGCU coach Joe Dooley isn't exactly a huge fan of playing zone, but he needed to make a change."They had gotten into a rhythm and we really needed to slow it down a little bit," Dooley said. "Part of playing zone is you hope they miss some shots, which they did. But we did a good job of contesting. That really helped."During the about-face, FGCU had just three turnovers compared to a whopping 14 in the first half, many of which were of the "live ball" variety that the Bisons converted into 16 points."Coach definitely harped on that and emphasized that when he came in the locker room (at halftime)," Goodwin said. "And from that point on, it was just about making good mental decisions about when to drive and when not to drive. I think our guys did a great job of being poised and not rushing."Goodwin, the Preaseason ASUN Player of the Year, poured in 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, halting the "We want Brandon" chants Lipscomb fans had been tossing at him."They were definitely fueling a fire inside me," Goodwin said.The Eagles were able to chill a good bit before having breakfast in Nashville at 10 Friday morning prior to busing to Kennesaw, which is just outside of Atlanta. Goodwin said he got 11 hours of sleep, for instance. So they should be good to go.That's a good thing because despite Kennesaw State's record, the Owls can be tricky under former Boston College coach Al Skinner, who is in his third season. They're coming off a 95-81 home win against Stetson on Thursday night, and last season FGCU escaped Georgia with just a 78-75 win.The Eagles -- who left sophomore forward RaySean Scott and freshman guard Darnell Rogers in Fort Myers due to concussion-like symptoms -- also had a heck of a hard time pushing the pace in a 74-62 ASUN tournament home semifinal win against Kennesaw State last season."That's a good team," said Goodwin, who averages 17.4 points. "I've been playing their players for a while now, so I know that those guys can get going. We have to stay focused and play every team the same in the conference. Anybody can beat you in this league, so you have to come out with the same intensity and focus."Playing aggressive defense for long stretches will be vital."They're very deliberate," Dooley said. "They're going to run their offense, and it's designed to move it from side to side, so you have be disciplined and play the entire shot clock because they're going to be long possessions."Kennesaw State no longer has Kendrick Ray, the first-team All-ASUN guard who averaged 21.2 points last season, but it does have a dynamic duo of oversized (for the ASUN, anyway) guards. Sophomore James Scott (6-5) leads the Owls with a 16.8-point average and has made 40.8 of his 3-point attempts. The 6-6 Nick Masterson is a senior who averages 13.7 points and has made 51.7 percent of his trey tries. The combined for 60 points and to make 11 of 19 3-pointers in Thursday's win against the Hatters."Masterson has always been good since he's been there," Goodwin said. "Scott has kind of taken over the torch as best player on that team. That's definitely two guys we'll emphasize stopping."FGCU (13-8, 4-0) at Kennesaw State (5-14, 1-3)When: 4:30 p.m., SaturdayWhere: KSU Convocation Center, Kennesaw, GeorgiaOnline: ESPN3Series: FGCU leads 16-63-Point Shots1) Push the pace. Kennesaw State wants to play very deliberately and the Eagles always want to fly the floor. In its two regular-season wins against the Owls last season, FGCU was able to speed KSU up. But in an ASUN tournament home quarterfinal matchup, the Eagles struggled to get going as they led just 34-31 at the half before finally pulling away for a slow-paced 74-62 home win. This is the absolute key here.2) Cut down on those turnovers. FGCU has struggled here most of the season, but it's gotten better of late. Still, as FGCU fell to a 48-40 halftime deficit at Lipscomb on Thursday night, the Eagles had a whopping 14 miscues. They played much more like it in all phases of the second half, but most especially in this area as they had just three turnovers the rest of the way in their 88-83 win that included a comeback from 18 points down with less than 13 minutes left.3) Don't let Scott/Masterson put up 60. By ASUN standards, these are fairly tall guards as sophomore James Scott stands 6-5 and senior Nick Masterson is 6-6. Scott averages a team-high 16.8 points which is third in the ASUN, and has made 3-pointers at a 40.8 percent clip. Masterson averages 13.7 points and has hit 3-pointers at a crazy 51.7 rate. They combined for 60 points and 11 of 19 3-point makes during the 95-81 home win against Stetson on Thursday night. If FGCU can cut those numbers in half or better, the Eagles likely will fly back to Fort Myers with a win and 5-0 ASUN start.- Dana Caldwell
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Smokies add four new faces to coaching staff The Newport Plain Talk, 01.19.2018
SEVIERVILLE —On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs announced their minor league coaching staff assignments for the 2018 season. The Smokies will be welcoming back two returning coaches including manager, Mark Johnson and pitching coach, Terry Clark. The Smokies have four coaches who will be making their debut with the Smokies in 2018. Jesus Feliciano will assume the role of hitting Coach, Ben Carhart will take over as a coach, Toby Williams joins the Smokies as the trainer, and Jason Morriss take over as the strength coach for the team.
Johnson will be entering his third season as manager of the Smokies in 2018, and his eighth season in the Cubs organization. Johnson's teams have reached the postseason in four of his first seven minor league managerial seasons, including a Midwest League title with Single-A Kane County in 2014 and a Mills Cup Championship with Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2015.
Johnson spent eight seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. In 332 career games, Johnson tallied a .218 batting average with 16 home runs and 83 runs batted in. The catcher retired following the 2010 campaign after spending two seasons in the Cubs organization with Triple-A Iowa. Johnson was drafted by the White Sox in the first round (26th overall) of the 1994 Draft out of Warner Robbins High School in Georgia.
2018 will also mark the third season at the Smokies for Pitching Coach Terry Clark. Prior to joining the Cubs' organization in 2016, he had spent the previous two seasons as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Seattle Mariners. Prior to his time with the Mariners, Clark spent 13 seasons as a minor league pitching coach with the Jackson Generals (2013), Round Rock Express (2011-12), Oklahoma City RedHawks (2009-10), Frisco RoughRiders (2005-08), Buffalo Bisons (2003-04), Akron Aeros (2001-02) and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (2000).
Clark spent parts of six seasons in the Majors as a right-handed pitcher with the California Angels, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers. In 91 career appearances (27 starts), the California native posted a 10-23 record with a 5.54 earned run average and 109 strikeouts. Clark was drafted by the Cardinals in the 23rd round of the 1979 Draft out of Mount San Antonio College in California.
"We are happy to have Mark Johnson and Terry Clark returning to the Smokies for the 2018 season," Stated President and COO Chris Allen. "These coaches have strong determination and experience to lead the Smokies in the right direction. We are also excited to welcome the new coaches to the Smokies, as we will look forward to giving them a warm welcome to Tennessee."
Jesus Feliciano will make his debut for the Smokies as a hitting coach after managing Single-A Eugene the past two seasons. He earned Northwest League Manager of the Year honors in 2016 and is entering his fifth season in the organization.
Feliciano enjoyed a 16-year professional baseball career. Feliciano reached the majors in 2010 with the Mets and played for the Dodgers (1998-2003), Rays (2003-2004, 2012), Nationals (2005-2006), Mets (2007-2011) and the Independent Mexican League (2013) throughout his career. Feliciano batted .231 in 54 Major League games with the Mets in 2010, and also appeared in the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2013. Feliciano was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 36th round of the 1997 draft out of Academia Discipulos de Cristo High School in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Ben Carhart also joins the staff after beginning his coaching career as a rehab coach with Mesa last season. He had a five-year playing career in the Cubs minor league system. Carhart played for the Smokies in 2016, and posted a career .270 batting average during his minor league career. Carhart was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 35th round of the 2012 Draft out of Stetson University.
Toby Williams enters his fifth year as a trainer in the Cubs organization and first with Double-A Tennessee. Williams previously spent the past two years as Myrtle Beach's trainer, and performed the same duties for Rookie League Mesa in 2015 and Single-A Boise in 2014. Williams was honored as the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society Trainer of the Year for the Carolina League in 2016 and the Arizona League in 2015.
Jason Morriss takes over the role as strength coach in 2018 for the club. Morriss spent the last three seasons with Myrtle Beach and is in his sixth season with the Cubs. Prior to Myrtle Beach, he served as the strength coach for Single-A Daytona 2013-2014. Morriss earned his Bachelor's in exercise science and his masters of education in coaching and sports at Angelo State.
The Smokies will commence their 2018 home campaign against the Jackson Generals on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.
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NS IN-DEPTH: Concordia Lutheran's Carissa Garcia The News-Sentinel, 01.19.2018
Jan. 19--Carissa Garcia has emerged as one of the most unstoppable guards in the area, increasing her role each year she has been in a Concordia Lutheran uniform. This year, as a junior, Garcia is averaging 20.3 points per game and is second on the team in rebounds (4.7) and leads the team in scoring, assists (2.7) and steals (2.3) per contest.
A hallmark of Garcia's 2017-2018 season has been her three point shooting. She currently sits at 50 percent shooting from behind the arch, hitting 53 of her 107 three pointers this year. When she gets to the basket, fouling her isn't much of an option either. Garcia has hit 80-of-98 free throws on the year.
WHO: Carissa Garcia
SCHOOL: Concordia Lutheran
CLASS: Junior
HOMETOWN: Fort Wayne, IN
HEIGHT: 5'7?
POSITION: Guard
THE BUZZ ON CARISSA
--THE PLAYER -- Carissa on Carissa: "On the court, I pride myself on being a hard worker and strong leader. I believe that since God has blessed me with basketball skills, it is my job to give my best effort each and everyday. I love being able to make others smile and feel good about themselves. God has blessed me with an amazing family that always supports me."
--THE COACH -- Concordia Lutheran's Dave Miller on Carissa: "Carissa Garcia is the most complete junior I have coached in my 28 years. She is extremely competitive, has tremendous stamina, is right now 50% on 50 of 100 3's attempted, and is one of the most skilled ball handlers in the state of Indiana in girl's basketball. She has a passion for the game, and works tirelessly both in and out of season to improve her skills. Carissa is a team captain and is a positive vocal leader as well as by example. She is an excellent student and quality young Christian woman."
--THE OPPOSING COACH -- Homestead's Rod Parker on Carissa: "Carissa is a versatile and explosive player whose ball handling skills, shooting ability, and basketball I.Q. one of the elite players in the area. Her ability to attack the basket, effectively knock down mid-range jump shots, and consistently score from the arc allow her to take control of a game. Carissa is a great on court leader who demands the best from herself and her teammates."
--THE TRAINER -- Justin Jordan on Carissa: "I started training her a year and a half ago. She's always been super talented and gym rat. She's a sponge [when I'm] showing her different ways to score and footwork techniques. One of the most gifted girls I've ever worked with. Sky is the limit for Carissa."
THE RECRUTING TRAIL
College choice: Northern Kentucky
What are you looking for in a college?: I chose Northern Kentucky for several reasons. First, the coaches and players at NKU are some of the best people you will ever meet and genuinely care about making me to be the best version of myself. Secondly, I am excited to be apart of the vision that Coach Whitaker has for the program. Finally, NKU is in a great area and fits all my academic needs.
Recruited by: Illinois State, Princeton, Wright State, Akron, Marquette, Butler, Belmont, Cleveland State, Yale, Harvard, Northern Illinois, Columbia, Santa Clara, and Stetson
When you knew you'd have a chance to play college basketball: Around 6th and 7th grade -- I have always had a love and passion for basketball, but around this age I started to work out with basketball trainers and develop my game.
ALL ABOUT CARISSA
Nickname: CG or Garcia
I can't be beat at (sport, video game, board game, etc): sprints when we are conditioning or HORSE
Biggest fear: spiders
Pet peeve: When people quit on a play or don't give their best effort
Best vacation spot: Turks and Caicos
IN THE GYM
Favorite opponent: Bishop Dwenger
Favorite gym to play: Concordia
High school playing goal: Win a state title and be selected as an Indiana Junior/Senior All-Star
College playing goal: Win the Horizon League and be Freshmen of the Year in the Horizon League
Occupation, if not basketball: Sports Psychology or Human Resources
Favorite Coach Miller saying?: "That's a down and back"
Biggest sports thrill I've participated in: Beating Dwenger in the Sectional Championship my freshmen year because nobody thought we would win that game.
Biggest sports thrill I've witnessed: The 2010 men's NCAA tournament when Butler almost beat Duke but Gordon Hayward's shot was just slightly off.
Favorite pro team: Celtics
Favorite current pro athlete: Kelsey Plum
Sports hero: Michael Jordan
First trophy was for: Top Player at Concordia's basketball camp in 6th grade
If you could play 1-on-1 with anyone: Kelsey Plum
THE FAVORITES
Favorite band/musician: The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Migos, and Big Sean
Favorite meal: Steak
Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip cookies
Sit down restaurant or fast food: Sit down: Olive Garden
Favorite Ice Cream: The Cocoa Blizzard from Dairy Queen
Favorite candy: Peanut Butter M&M's
Favorite movie: The Notebook
Actor/Actress: Gabrielle Union and Shemar Moore
Books: "The Sports Gene" by David Epstein
Class in school: Psychology
Teacher at Concordia: Mrs. Koehler and Mr. Reinking
TV Show: Criminal Minds
Cartoon as a kid: Spongebob Squarepants
Color: Blue
THE FAMILY
Favorite thing to do with mom: Travel with her to AAU tournaments
Favorite thing to do with dad: Watch football or play catch
Number of siblings: 1
Favorite thing to do with siblings: Play with our dogs
Best advice my parents have ever given me: No matter how hard something is or how much adversity you face, you can never quit.
Future family is big or small: big
HISTORY
If you could go back in time to witness one event: Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals when Jordan hit the go-ahead jumper to win the game.
If you could meet anyone: Pat Summitt
THE IN-DEPTH ARCHIVE
___ (c)2018 The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Visit The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) at www.news-sentinel.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Music Orlando Sentinel, 01.19.2018
Listings are subject to change. Please call the venue in advance. To upload your event, go to orlandosentinel.com/
submitevent.
Today
DIAL DRIVE: 8 p.m. Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, $6-$8 (21 or older), 407-748-8256, willspub.org.
GUITARIST JUDICAEL PERROY: 7:30 p.m. Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, free, 386-822-8950, stetson.edu.
THE HATE BOMBS: 8 p.m. The Veranda at Thornton Park, 111 N. Summerlin Ave., Orlando, free, 914-497-3986, verandaevents.com.
JONNY LANG: 8 p.m. House of Blues, 1490 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, $25-$28, 407-934-2583, houseofblues.com.
MIRANDA LAMBERT: 7 p.m. Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., Orlando, $39-$217, 800-745-3000, amwaycenter.com.
THE ORLANDO HOUSE MUSIC PARTY VOL. 3: 9 p.m. Henao Contemporary Center, 5106 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, free, henaocenter.com.
YAES: 8 p.m. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave., Winter Park, $15, 407-636-9951, bluebambooartcenter.com.
Saturday
CARLOS DANIEL: 8 p.m. House of Blues, 1490 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, $11-$13, 407-934-2583, houseofblues.com.
DOROTHY: 7:30 p.m. The Social, 54 North Orange Ave, Orlando, $17.50-$67.50 (12 or older), 407-246-1419, thesocial.org.
JOANNE STEPHENSON AND ROBIN JENSEN: 4 p.m. UCF Rehearsal Hall, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, free, 407-823-1500.
MARY LAMBERT: 7:30 p.m. Back Booth, 37 W. Pine Street, Orlando, $15, 407-999-2570, backbooth.com.
RIMMA PLAYS MENDELSSOHN: 8 p.m. Bob Carr Theater, 401 W. Livingston St., Orlando, $17.50-$65, 407-770-0071, drphillipscenter.org.
SCHAFFER THE DARKLORD: 8 p.m. The Geek Easy, 114 S. Semoran Blvd Ste #6, Winter Park, $12-$15, 407-332-9636.
SPORTIELLO, PARROT, AND METZ: 8 p.m. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave., Winter Park, $20, 407-636-9951, bluebambooartcenter.com.
ORLANDO CONCERT BAND: 7 p.m. St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 2021 W. State Road 426, Oviedo, free, 407-365-3408, sllcs.org.
TRIBUTE TO SHA NA NA: 7 p.m. Community Building Auditorium, 520 N. Baker St., Mount Dora, $19.50-$23.50, 407-962-0263.
Sunday
DR. JIM MARRIOTT HYMN FESTIVAL: 5 p.m. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1515 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, free, 407-277-3945, poporlando.com.
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS: 4 p.m. Henao Center, 5601 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, $8, facebook.com.
SOUTHERN FRIED SUNDAY 12TH ANNIVERSARY: 4 p.m. Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, $10-$12 (18 or older), 407-748-8256, willspub.org.
SYMPHONY STORYTIME: THE JAZZ FLY: 11 a.m and 12:30 p.m. The Plaza Live, 425 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, $10, 407-770-0071, orlandoatplay.com.
TSA SHOWCASE: 7:30 p.m. BackBooth, 37 W. Pine St., Orlando, $15, 407-999-2570, backbooth.com.
Monday
CECE TENEAL & SOUL KAMOTION: 7:30 p.m. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, $15, 844-513-2014, drphillipscenter.org.
ENTER SHIKARI: 7 p.m. The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, $25, 407-246-1419, thesocial.org.
GARY LAZER EYES: 8 p.m. Olde 64, 64 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, $5 (18 or older), 407-246-1419, olde64.com.
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: 7 p.m. Lake Mary High School, 665 Longwood Lake Mary Road, Lake Mary, $25-$33, 321-441-9135, brownpapertickets.com.
Tuesday
G.W. SOUTHER: 8 p.m. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave, Winter Park, $10, 407-636-9951, bluebambooartcenter.com.
JACKSON BROWNE: 7:30 p.m. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, $49, Tickets starting at $49, 844-513-2014, drphillipscenter.org.
Wednesday
ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N.: 8 p.m. Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, $8-$10, $8 advance, $10 at the door (21 or older), 407-748-8256, willspub.org.
CHRIS O'LEARY BAND: 8 p.m. Friendly Confines, 4757 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, $15, $15 at the door goes to the entertainment, 407-340-2318, zshowz.com.
JEFF RUPERT QUARTET: 8 p.m. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave, Winter Park, $15, 407-636-9951, bluebambooartcenter.com.
THE KILLERS (SOLD OUT): 8 p.m. Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., Orlando, $70.25-$93.25, 407-351-5483, hardrock.com.
Thursday
DROWNING POOL: 8 p.m. House of Blues, 1490 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, $15-$16, 407-934-2583, houseofblues.com.
MASON JENNINGS: 7 p.m. The Social, 54 North Orange Ave, Orlando, $17-$20 (18 or older), 407-246-1419, thesocial.org.
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: 8 p.m. The Beacham, 46 N Orange Ave., Orlando, $22-$35, 407-246-1419, thebeacham.com.
YOUTH BANDS OF ORLANDO CONCERT: 2 p.m. Visual Arts Building: Auditorium, 12400 Aquarius Agora Drive, Orlando, free, 407-823-1500, events.ucf.edu.
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Things To Do Orlando Sentinel, 01.19.2018
Listings are subject to change. Please call in advance.
Today
St. Luke's Concert Series: The Orlando Concert Band will present the music of John Williams in celebration of his 85th birthday. 7 p.m. today (open dress rehearsal); 7 p.m. Saturday (concert), St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 2021 W. State Road 426, Oviedo, free, information: 407-365-3408.
Lake Apopka Birding Festival: The three-day event will allow participants to learn from well-known, knowledgeable birding guides. There will be keynote speakers, birding and photography field trips on the St. Johns River Water Management District's 20,000-acre Lake Apopka North Shore. Based out of the McDonald Canal area in the northwest (Lake County) part of the North Shore, trips will allow driving entry beyond closed gates to search for common and rare bird species, with lunches (included) back at the McDonald Canal Pavilion. Twenty-one photo and birding field trips will be offered. Advance registration required. Prices vary per field trip. Today-Sunday, 407-637-2525.
Family Bingo Night: Presented by the Oviedo Recreation and Parks. Prizes will be awarded to winners of each game. 6:30 p.m., Riverside Park Complex, 1600 Lockwood Blvd., Oviedo, $4 per card, per person with a five-card maximum, 407-971-5591.
Porcelain art show: The Florida World Organization of China Painters' annual show will feature original hand-painted porcelain and artists' demonstrations. Original porcelain art and supplies will be available for purchase. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today; from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Southwest Orlando Rosen Jewish Community Center, 11184 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, $5, 863-840-1233.
Driving Miss Daisy: Award-winning play about a lady and her chauffeur. 7 p.m. today-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, $15, 407-876-4991.
The Fox On The Fairway: Ken Ludwig's country club farce. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays (through Feb. 11), Sonnentag Theatre, 1100 N. Unser St., Mount Dora, $10-$22, 352-383-4616.
The Glass Menagerie: Tennessee Williams' classic family drama. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays (through Feb. 4), Moonlight Players Theater, 735 W. Minneola Ave., Clermont, $10-$20, 352-319-1116.
Lost In Yonkers: Neil Simon's Pultizer Prize-winning drama about a family in 1940s Brooklyn. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays (through Feb. 4), Melon Patch Theatre, 311 N. 13th St., Leesburg, $9-$18, 352-787-3013.
Saturday
"Pedals, Pipes and Pizza" organ program: The event includes a presentation on the pipe organ, a musical demonstration of the instrument, and a chance for students to play the organ. The program is open to students of all ages. Parents and music teachers are welcome to accompany children. Sponsored by the Central Florida Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Registration is required. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, free, 321-277-6194.
Historic Home Tour: A narrated, riding tour of historic St. Cloud sponsored by the Woman's Club of St. Cloud Heritage Museum. Learn about Civil War Union veterans who came by wagon, horse, mule, and train to live in St. Cloud, what materials they used to build their homes and what is unique about the homes. A few tour homes will have open houses. Tours are scheduled for 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, call 407-414-2682.
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BAND DIRECTOR PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS ALMA MATER Tampa Bay Times, 01.19.2018
For Joe Harrin, being band director at Hernando High School allows him to give back to the program that gave him so much.
Harrin graduated from Hernando High in 1996, got his music education degree at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and returned to his alma mater to teach in 2005.
Today, he leads an award-winning band program there, as well as at Parrott Middle School.
"Mr. Harrin is passionate about his students and makes personal sacrifices to help his students with music education through his program," said Principal Leechele Booker. "I consider the band program to be the heartbeat of Hernando High."
Harrin estimates that more than 750 students have played in the Hernando High School Band during his tenure. Some have gone on to be band directors at other schools.
"My band director at Stetson, Dr. Bobby Adams, taught us that we needed to be a person who matters," Harrin said. "I try to instill that philosophy in all the students who come through our band program because it was so instrumental to me."
Harrin's focus is on developing kids through discipline, responsibility, commitment and the work ethic required to play an instrument while marching in formation or as an orchestra member.
"I like to watch an awkward freshman student develop over their high school experience into a good person," Harrin said, "finding their identity as an individual, as well in a group. This is a safe place for the kids to grow."
In December, Hernando High School hosted the Florida Bandmaster Association Marching Band Assessment, and the HHS Royale Regiment received straight superior ratings.
This month, Harrin accompanied Emily Svenson to the Florida Music Educators Conference in Tampa, where she played clarinet in the ninth- and 10th-grade All-State Concert Band.
"Everyone is welcome in our program, regardless of their musical background," Harrin said.
"We have students who have never played an instrument alongside those who have lots of experience and are considering music as a career. The stronger students mentor the new ones, and together we succeed."
Harrin will graduate from the University of Florida with a master's degree in music education this spring.
When asked why he participated in Hernando High's band program, senior William Kellar replied, "It's fun. We're a family."
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Nabors Recertified for Cyber Security by SANS Institute US Official News, 01.19.2018
Tallahassee: The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, The State of Florida has issued the following news release:
The technology firm of The Client Server, Inc, announced that Support and Project Manager, Charisse (Rosier) Nabors has been recertified by the SANS Institute as a GIAC/GSEC Security Essentials Professional, an accreditation she initially received in 2005. SANS certification evaluates IT Security Professionals special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of Active Defense, Cryptography, Defensible Network Architecture, Cloud Security, Vulnerability testing, and Forensics. Only 11% percent of world's information security professionals are women achieving SANS certification. Nabors holds a Computer Science degree from Stetson University. The Client Server, Inc. is a privately owned, and a leading network, security, cloud and IT solutions provider established in Bonita Springs, FL in 1996. Recognized for its technical support and exceptional service to businesses of all sizes and industries throughout Southwest Florida and beyond. The Client Server also specializes in technology for Continued Care Communities, Real Estate and the Hospitality Industry. The Client Server's offerings include IT & Low Voltage Consulting, VoIP Phone Systems, Secure & Archived Business Email, Surveillance Cameras, Data Back Up, Recovery & Storage, Cloud & Hosted Computing, Network Administration and Auditing, Infrastructure Design and Wiring, Mobile Office Technologies (www.theclientserver.net) In case of any query regarding this article or other content please contact: editorial@plusmediasolutions.com
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