What's the Fuss?

Here’s a look at this week’s FCCAA/Region 8 polls:

Men

1. Miami Dade
2. Chipola
3. Northwest Florida
4. Gulf Coast
5. Central Florida
6t. Broward
6t. Polk
8. Tallahassee
9. Hillsborough
10. Pasco-Hernando

Men’s player of the week: Earl Mills, Broward

Women

1. Gulf Coast
2. Chipola
3. Pensacola
4. Santa Fe
5. Tallahassee
6. Miami Dade
7. Seminole
8t. Central Florida
8t. Daytona
10. Northwest Florida

Women’s player of the week: Deana Allen, Pensacola

They may be the defending national champions, but the Gulf Coast Lady Commodores lost too many players to graduation or transfers to be ranked as the No. 1 team in the country heading into the 2008-09 season.

Gulf Coast is No. 5 in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s preseason Top 30, four spots ahead of No. 9 Chipola.

The turnaround of the Gulf Coast men’s program continued Thursday as sophomore guard Brad Reese was named to the first team of the men’s preseason All-Americans.

The preseason honors kept rolling in for the Lady Commodores. Sophomore guard Chimere Jordan was selected as a third-team All-American. She averaged 13.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

Chipola’s Latoya Williams was named as a first-team All-American.

In the men’s poll, Chipola was ranked second behind Indian Hills CC-Ottumwa from Iowa. The Indians finished eighth in the NJCAA national tournament last season. Panhandle Conference foe Northwest Florida State College, formerly known as Okaloosa-Walton College, is ranked 19th.

Chipola only had one player honored. Casey Mitchell was recognized as honorable mention.

Gulf Coast was crawling with college coaches today, in town to recruit most of the Commodores.

The NCAA contact period started Tuesday and GC coach Jay Powell said the coaches have been around nonstop.

When I was checking out the new logo and new floor (both of which will be unveiled before the Lady Commodores home volleyball match Sept. 23 – and let me say, they’re very nice), new LSU coach Trent Johnson was watching women’s practice. He was there to talk to Brad Reese. Well, so was everyone else.

While Johnson was in the gym, Mercer assistant Paul Johnson was in the main office and South Florida coaches were in Powell’s office.

Mayhem, I tell you.

Powell and Gregg Wolfe said Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight was at the Billy Harrison Field House Tuesday, along with new Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford, who flew in on a private plane.

Powell said Alabama, Iowa State, Arkansas, Arkansas-Little Rock, Troy and Louisiana-Monroe also stopped by to check out Reese, Derrio Green, Milos Milosovic, Jonathan Murner, Eric Buckner, Paul Cooper and Pat Davis.

Check back for more updates on the GC recruiting scene.

By Josh Weinfuss
News Herald Writer
747-5069 / jweinfuss@pcnh.com
MARIANNA

Three proposals introduced during Thursday’s men’s basketball state meeting could have an immediate impact on junior college basketball in Florida.

The state’s 21 men’s coaches listened as FCCAA men’s basketball commissioner Bob Zelinkski discussed each proposal.

The first will require student-athletes to be a graduate of a high school with an accredited and recognized academic diploma. The NJCAA, junior college basketball’s governing body, will refer to the NCAA’s list of schools not approved.
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For the second time in their young athletic careers, four Gulf Coast basketball players will finish the recruitment process on Thursday by signing a National Letter of Intent to attend their respective future schools.

While it’ll be a time for celebration of the athletic achievements, all four will also celebrate the end of a time-consuming process.

Instead of waiting until April, they will end the speculation and stress that has accompanied the life-changing decision during the early-signing period.
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