The daily dish on Division III basketball
The (Staunton, Va.) News Leader reports that two transfers have landed in the Bridgewater (Va.) Eagles men’s basketball program.
Josh Fox will come to Bridgewater from Division I Radford University. He was selected to the Big South’s All-Freshman team this past season.
The Eagles will also pick up a transfer from ODAC rival Virginia Wesleyan as Ryan Glover will change college addresses.
From the “All Things Bridgewater” Department, please see the D3football.com’s Daily Dose.
Some transactions have come across our desk, and we figured we’d better share them:
Colin Tabb, a D3hoops.com All-American, was named assistant coach at Brandeis. The 2002 fourth-teamer had been an assistant at Rhode Island College in 2003-04 and played professionally in Ireland this past season.
Russell Vanlandingham, a McMurry alumnus, was hired as a full-time assistant coach to Ron Holmes at his alma mater. Holmes was given additional duties as athletic development officer. McMurry women’s coach Sam Nichols was appointed to the board of directors of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, representing male coaches of women’s basketball.
“With the continual expansion and popularity of women’s basketball, it’s a very challenging and significant position,” said Nichols, who will enter his 11th season on the Lady Indians bench in 2005-06. “I’m committed to fostering harmony and communication between male and female coaches of women’s basketball at all levels. I’m humbled by (WBCA president Doug) Bruno and the Board by putting their trust in me with this position. It’s an honor for myself, the University and the American Southwest Conference.”
Ohio Wesleyan coach Nan Carney-DeBord was elected to the board as a Division III at-large member, joining Salem State’s Tim Shea and Southwestern’s Pam Ruder.
Marymount assistant Shannon Howley was hired as head women’s coach at Arcadia.
Clark men’s coach Mo Cassara promoted one of his assistants, Tyrone Hicks, to associate head coach, and hired another, Adam Polletta. Both are alumni.
UW-Platteville promoted assistant coach Adrian Todd to associate head coach.
Hood hired Keith Adams, head coach at Springbrook HS in Silver Spring, Md., as an assistant men’s coach.
Huntingdon assistant Jason Wright resigned to take the head coaching job at Providence Academy in Atlanta.
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported in Wednesday’s editions that King’s women’s coach Bryan Whitten is a finalist for an assistant coach position at Division I Virginia Commonwealth.
Whitten is 220-103 in his career at King’s. There are two positions open and a hiring for one of them could be announced as early as Thursday. Unnamed sources told the newspaper Whitten would be hired.
A couple months ago we noted that it had been a bad couple years for NBA alumni coaching in D-III, but that Armon Gilliam was still coaching at Penn State-Altoona.
Tuesday was the first day of the major league baseball draft, and seven Division III baseball players were selected:
Eastern Connecticut left-handed pitcher Ryan DiPietro was a sixth-round pick of the Royals (No. 172 overall). MLB’s scouting bureau report says he has a similar frame to former big-leaguer John Tudor.
UW-Whitewater right-handed pitcher Gregory Reinhard was a sixth-round pick of the Devil Rays (No. 178 overall). He is described as having a Jason Marquis build with a Mark Mulder approach.
Calvin right-handed pitcher James Deters was a seventh-round pick of the Indians (No. 214 overall).
Millsaps shortstop Garner Wetzel was a 10th-round pick of the Rockies (No. 297 overall).
Illinois Wesleyan left-handed pitcher Cory Lapinski was an 11th-round selection of the Astros (No. 344 overall).
Southern Maine right-handed pitcher Thomas Fairchild was a 12th-round selection of the Astros (No. 374 overall).
Alvernia catcher Anthony Recker was an 18th-round selection of the A’s (No. 551 overall). Moneyball readers will be glad to know he had a .544 on-base percentage and led the team with 29 walks in 200 plate appearances, striking out 23 times.
Feel free to post updates from the draft’s second day here. We’ll try to check in as well. With 50 rounds to the draft, there will certainly be more names.