Joe on utepia

Pretty nice digs

Here's an anomaly, all right. UTEP basketball player Stefon Jackson has been living in some pretty nice digs, Camelot Townhomes at 4800 Stanton. It's one of those gated-community places. It's at the highest point of Stanton Street in the Franklin Mountain foothills.

I must have missed the episode on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

That's the address listed for Jackson upon his arrest by Sheriff's deputies April 15. He was charged with hindering an investigation amid authorities trying to locate his cousin, who was wanted on six felony warrants in Pennsylvania.

Anyway, don't college kids, even those on athletic scholarships, usually live in a regular college-kid apartment — and usually share the rent with a bunch of other guys just to make ends meet?

Camelot Townhomes is pretty nice digs for the usual college fare of beer cans, pizza cartons and "TURN DOWN THE MUSIC, I'M TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!"

Scholarship athletes can choose to live in a campus dorm, and have the athletic department pick up the bill. Or they can get the equivalent amount of cash from the athletic department and live off campus. It's common for two or more guys to live in the same place, share the rent and have spending money left over. Perfectly OK with the NCAA rulesbook.

But it's got to be your money. Better not be any booster stuff involved.

I'm thinking it will take the whole Miner basketball team to share a place in Camelot Townhomes, at the highest point of Stanton Street in the Franklin Mountain foothills.

And unless they stiff the guard at the entry gate at Christmas-present time time, they'll probably need half the track team living there, too.

This is a place where a knock on your door doesn't mean the super is hounding you for last month's rent. This is a place where a judge or a bank president knocks and asks if he can borrow your crepe pan.

Pretty nice digs, indeed.

Why not Barbee at UMass?

It's obvious why Memphis Coach John Calipari would push his guy Derek Kellogg instead of his guy Tony Barbee for the head basketball job at UMass.

Just about all good coaches help their assistants get head coaching jobs. It's a mark of honor to have your guys all over NCAA Division I.

Barbee left Calipari for UTEP. Now Calipari can use his considerable influence to promote another of his Memphis assistants for a head job.

This means Barbee stays at UTEP as long as he doesn't get too good (having a perennial NCAA Tournament program) or too bad (sent to Got the Boot Hill).

I don't think Barbee is on the short list of any schools who think they may need a new coach after next season.

Some here say they're tired of coaches coming and leaving quickly at UTEP. Barbee is going to be here a while.

Barbee & UMass job

No doubt two-year UTEP Basketball Coach Tony Barbee would take the UMass job, if offered. And not just because he played there and assistant-coached there.

The situation at UTEP is quite iffy: If Stefon Jackson does not return, it will be hard for Barbee to show improvement on this season's 19 wins. If Jackson does return, I don't think he'll be very popular with the fans. And that will reflect on attendance — gate receipts. This, of course, is in regards to Jackson having been arrested because it's alleged he was giving safe harbor to two alleged felons. "Murder" is the key word here. Most Utepia posters know the story well.

A team that doesn't challenge for the NCAA Tournament in such a so-so league as Conference USA will not make Barbee a popular man in El Paso. Already he has the reputation of not getting out into the public as much as past coaches. Fans here like to know the coach and know the players. That hasn't happened.

Originally I figured Barbee going to UMass, of the Atlantic 10, would be a move down. Of course that cana be a matter of opinion. What's yours?

Basketball-wise, there are actually 14 Atlantic 10 teams, virtually all household names:

UMass, St Bonaventure, Richmond, Charlotte, Rhode Island, Dayton, Duquense, Fordham, Geo. Washington, La Salle, Saint Louis, Xavier (won 30 games this season), Temple and Saint Joseph's.

There are 12 C-USA teams. Are they all household names?

UTEP, Memphis, UAB, Houston, So. Miss, Univ. of Central Florida, Tulsa, Marshall, Tulane, E. Carolina, SMU and Rice.

Stefon scenario

Here's a scenario not yet explored on the Stefon Jackson situation:

We know he didn't grow up in Leave It To Beaverville. His brother was shot dead. His father died of a gunshot wound. He's from the streets of Philadelphia. Obviously he's seen a lot of violence.

But att UTEP, Jackson didn't get into any trouble the past three years. He acted like an OK guy off the court.

So, what if some of his bad-guy Philly acquaintences (one was a relative) just showed up at his door in El Paso? And he didn't throw them out? What if he was afraid to throw them out? Both are alleged to have been involved in murders.

I'm not saying this is what happened. But it could have happened that way.

I think the best thing Stefon can do is convince the pros he's an OK guy, and he can get away from his roots by playing in Europe.

Big, big loss

This is not just a guy going down for the next full season. Ho, hum, just fill his spot with the next guy. Nope, probably can't do that.

Braxton Amy, a junior, was to be the "Brian Urlacher-type player" on UTEP's new 3-3-5 defense brought in from the University of New Mexico. Amy led the Miners in tackles last season and was to play the new position that is a cross between linebacker and safety. It's called "hybred" and that sounds good.

He was to have been all over the field pounding down any opponent who had his hands on the football.

But Amy ripped the anterior cruciate ligament in a knee in a freak injury at spring practice.

So put the next guy in?

The next guys at the positon, three of them on the roster, have combined for zero career tackles.

This is an example of life as a mid-major. Depth is always a problem. There are few injuries to starters that can be afforded.

What to do? Forge on anyway. Maybe there's a new star to be found from the list of the "whozits." It's a long shot, but if Coach Mike Price has some luck, some unknown will burst out and start smearing running backs and receivers. Don't bet on it. But there's no harm in praying for it.

Lost art? Wrong phrase

No kidding! Missed free throws doomed Memphis.

Some people call free-throw shooting a "lost art." Ever since Shaq starting clanging 'em up in the NBA, it seems charity tosses are no longer considered an integral part of the game. Big, strong-pawed guys just can't get that needed touch. It's an "oh, well" attitude, and it's wrong.

Free-throw shooting should be considered one of the most important parts of a team's stock of skills. What good is a 6-9 forward, who averages in double figures and rebounds well, if you can foul him late in the game and he's rendered a dud?

Shrugging and saying free-throw shooting is a "lost art" is like saying the kicking game in football is not as important as the offense and defense.

What about Rab?

What happens to former UTEP Basketball Coach Jason Rabedeaux now that Marquette is Limboland?

Rab has been director of team operations for Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean, who took the Indiana job.

In El Paso, Rab was forced to resign right before the 2002-03 season when family problems ballooned, and it was becoming clear it was affecting the basketball team. Recall he had gone 23-9 in 2000-01, including one win in the NIT. The next year his team finished 10-22 and things started to unravel. Billy Gillispie took over and inherited such a bad team that he won only six games. One reason Gillispie's stock rose so high so fast is that he followed that 6-24 season with a 24-8.

Anyway, Rab was a good person and comes from a good family. I hope he lands a good job.

It could be that the new Marquette coach will retain him. New coaches need someone who knows the logistics of travel, etc., and that was Rab's job with the Golden Knights.

Case in point: Nate Poss has been UTEP football logistics man under head coaches Charlie Bailey, Gary Nord and now Mike Price.

Recruiting news

It’s good for the UTEP basketball program, but I’m saying it’s not right for NCAA college basketball.
UTEP is expected to announce it has signed two highly sought 6-foot-8 power forwards from Norway, but with the stipulation that it hires their coach to a full-time position on the basketball staff.
The good news — OK this is great news — is: Jens Stoltenberg and Olav Tryggvassen of Oslo have both been given triple-star ratings by the European scouting service report, “Basketball Europa.”
Both are considered rebounders “who dominate others,” as the report says. Both are strong with “above-average” speed for their size.
Apparently the deal is this: The two play on Norway’s Olympic team that will compete this summer in Beijing, China. They previously announced they would sign with a U.S. college, but only if both received scholarships at the same school.
“Basketball Europa” reports that UTEP, along with Texas Tech, Baylor and Washington State were the original finalists, but only UTEP agreed to hire the players’ coach, Loof Lirpa.
The bad news is, this is getting away with the “amateur” in NCAA basketball. UTEP is actually having to pay in order for two young men to come to El Paso to study and compete for the Miners.