Visit to McCarthy's Hometown...........Kenny Mayne

Monday, April 28, 2008

Several players drafted from the State of Wisconsin


















The Badger state had several players taken in this year's NFL Draft. All but 1 were from the Badgers, but all have WI ties.

The first WI player taken was Jack Ikegwuonu in the 4th Round (#131) by the Philadelphia Eagles. Ikegwuonu was a star CB for the Badgers. He had been projected as a 2nd-3rd Round pick until he suffered a serious knee injury training for the NFL Combine. Ike is a bit of a project that will most likely sit out the entire 2008 season.

The next WI player taken was Owen Schmitt, FB from West Virgina in the 5th Round (#163). Schmitt started his college career at Div III UW-River Falls before transferring to West Virgina. He's a throwback FB who has great hands and decent speed. He's a punishing blocker who will compete with Leonard Weaver for Seattle's Fullback position.

Next off the board was UW Kicker Tyler Mehlhaff by New Orleans in the 6th Round (#178). Mehlhaff has a strong leg and was very consistent at UW over his career. In his workouts he nailed a 55 yarder into the wind. He also consistently put the ball deep into the end zone on kickoffs.

Yet another Badger came off the board in the 6th Round (#181), Defensive Tackle Nick Hayden, a graduate of Arrowhead High School, going to Carolina. He will be competing for the job vacated by recently retired Kris Jenkins.

UW WR Paul Hubbard went in the 6th Round as well to Cleveland (#191). Hubbard is a tall body with decent speed. He should make a roster spot with a solid camp for the Browns.

Other players not drafted, but did sign with teams after the draft were UW P Ken DeBauche to the Packers, and UW WR Luke Swan with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Packers Already Active with Undrafted Rookie FA


The University of Wisconsin's Ken DeBauche, a native of nearby Suamico and graduate of Bay Port High School, agreed to sign with the Packers shortly after going undrafted in this past weekend's NFL draft.

"My house is about 15 minutes away from Lambeau Field, so I've been a fan ever since I can remember," said DeBauche on Sunday night. "Obviously tickets aren't easy to come by, but I've been to at least 10 (games) during my life. I was actually at both playoff games this season.

"So I definitely know about the Packers."

The 6-foot-1, 218-pound DeBauche averaged 42.5 yards from 2004-'07 for the Badgers, with only 115 of his 231 punts having been returned. DeBauche can also hold on place-kicks.

DeBauche follows former UW and Green Bay Preble product Kevin Stemke, who signed with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2001.

"Actually I know Kevin pretty well. I've known him for four years now, so we talk from time to time," DeBauche said. "He tells me what he went through at this time, and I'm sure I'll be talking to him in the next day or two. I'm sure he'll give me some insight, and some of the things that he learned when he had a chance with the Packers."

DeBauche visited the Packers' facility a few weeks ago in advance of the draft, and also worked out for representatives from the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams.

"I knew going in that it was pretty unlikely that I was going to be drafted," he said. "So I was just hoping to get a chance with a team, and it just so happens that team is the Packers and they're right down the road from me.

"We thought the Packers were a good situation so once that was out there we jumped on it."

DeBauche will provide competition for both incumbent Jon Ryan and first-year player Ryan Dougherty, who spent some time in camp last year with the Packers.

OTHER UNDRAFTED ROOKIE FA:
Also on Sunday night, the Packers were known to have agreed to terms with five other rookie free agents: running back Kregg Lumpkin of Georgia; wide receiver Taj Smith of Syracuse; tight end Mike Peterson of Southwest Missouri State; linebacker Danny Lansanah of Connecticut and long snapper J.J. Jansen of Notre Dame.

Also, UW-Whitewater running back Justin Beaver will work out for the Packers at their rookie orientation camp this coming weekend.

Story from Todd Rosiak from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Packers New Rookie QB Matt Flynn......Matt Damon???

Possible Rookie FA

Scouts are now working hard to sign some undrafted rookie free agents to try and compete for a roster spot and the list of players that were not drafted has some pretty good names on it.

That list includes: Erin Henderson (LB-Maryland), Tommy Blake (DE-TCU), Ali Highsmith (LB- LSU), Wesley Woodyard (LB- Kentucky), Devon Bess (WR- Hawaii) and Jaime Silva (S- B.C.).

Henderson, Blake, Highsmith, & Silva are all players I would love to see wearing Green & Gold in 2008. Lets hope TT has already started wowing these players. We do know Ali Highsmith has been contacted in the past with a relative working in the Packers scouting department.

Pack Finish off 2008 NFL Draft with WR Brett Swain at #217 in 7th Round

Another interesting move by Ted Thompson taking another WR with the Packers final pick. Brett Swain, WR San Diego State is 6-1 200 lbs. He's not flashy in any one area but solid all-around. Last year the Packers hit gold when they took another WR from San Diego State in James Jones.

The second WR pick by the Packers brings up the question once again, who is out in Green Bay at WR? Koren Robinson, Ruvell Martin....their will be some tough competition in training camp. I can see Swain as a practice squad player and an injury away from the 53-man roster.

Packers Choose QB Matt Flynn from LSU with Pick #209 in 7th Round



















An interesting pick by the Packers. Having already taken a QB in Round 2 (Brian Brohm, Louisville), the Pack take LSU QB Matt Flynn. The 6-3 227 lbs Flynn was the starting QB for the BCS National Champion LSU Tigers and set a school and bowl record, throwing 4 TD's against Ohio State.

Flynn has good decision making ability and is a very mobile QB who is very accurate on the run. He can hurt you with his arm or with his feet. Flynn is a running threat behind center rushing for 4 TD's as a senior. He's known for throwing away a pass when it's not there, something Packer fans struggled with for many years with future HOF QB Brett Favre. Does a great job of locating second, third options, as well as check-downs.

Not known for having a strong arm and has a low release point, having some passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Also not a lot of experience filling in for 2007's #1 overall pick Jamarcus Russell as a junior sparingly and a full-time starter as a senior.

Packers Take Breno Giacomini With Pick #150 in Round 5


2nd Round Pick QB Brian Brohm is very familiar with yet again another OT. Breno Giacomini is a huge body at 6-7 305 lbs. Was considered the leader on the O-Line. Giacomini is an athletic Lineman who has rare quickness which allowed him to also play TE early on in his career as a Freshman and Sophomore. He's a perfect fit for a Zone-Blocking team, who prides themselves in quick athletic Lineman.

He's considered somewhat of a project and bulked up from 242 lbs as a Freshman to 300+ lbs by the time he graduated. He could still add some bulk to his frame in the NFL. The Packers can afford to be patient with this prospect. Since the weight has come late in his career, he's still working on his technique and will improve with coaching.

Giacomini is intense and a hard worker all around. That intensity got him into trouble in September when he flipped his middle fingers to the Kentucky crowd during pregame warmups. Issued a formal apology for the action.

Packers Take OT Josh Sitton With #135 in 4th Round


Josh Sitton is a 6-3 324 lbs OT from Central Florida. He played both Right Tackle and Left Guard at Central Florida due to injuries. Sitton is a player that was discovered at Central Florida's Pro Day. Most scouts were there to watch RB Kevin Smith. He was part of an Offensive Line that was 9th in the nation in rushing with 234 yards per game rushing and 41 TD's last year.

His versatility on the Offensive Line makes him yet another solid pick by Ted Thompson. Sitton can bring depth at the Tackle position and could also rotate in at Guard, a position that is essentially up for grabs in camp. Sitton is a mauler when it comes to blocking and also does a good job of finding a LB at the next level while blocking downfield.

Only knock on him that really stood out was his speed. That might be a problem for a team looking for athletic Offensive Lineman and one that uses the Zone-Blocking scheme.

Packers Trade up, Take DE Jeremy Thompson Wake Forest #102

Great pick by Ted Thompson. He's not being "flashy", but drafting solid players. Jeremy Thompson had some injury concerns with a torn ACL in 2005 from a lot of teams, but looks to have overcome them. He's solid against the run with 11 tackles for loss as a senior. Also had 6 1/2 sacks as a senior, so can rush the QB as well, but not his strength, with a so-so first step off the line. He's got a nice frame at 6-5 264 lbs, and should be able to contribute right away for the Pack.

Thompson is considered a "Tweener" player by some teams. He could be moved the LB because of his lateral ability. This guy has a motor on him and just keeps going. He might not have the strength to bull-rush a Tackle, but can frustrate him with his constant pressure.

A solid pick for the Packers and will add some depth to the line and might be able to earn a spot in the rotation.

Packers add TE Jermichael Finley with #91 pick in 3rd Round


The Packers finally add a TE with pick #91 in the 3rd round. Jermichael Finely, TE Texas is a tall body at 6-5 240 lbs. He'll have to bulk up from 240 lbs as a TE in the NFL. Finley, a third year Sophomore, is a raw talent, but has great hands and will go up and fight for the ball. He had 31 receptions for 372 yards and 3 TD's as a Redshirt Freshman in 2006 and 45 receptions for 575 yards and 2 TD's in 2007.

Finley is an adequate blocker and good route runner. Both are areas he'll need to improve at the next level. He does go up and fight for the ball and could have the best hands of any TE in the draft. He is a little raw playing only 2 years at Texas. He'll be great in two TE packages and can even be moved into the slot in motion. With some good coaching and adding a little bulk, Jermichael Finley will be a great TE at the next level and a great fit for the Green Bay Packers.

Packers take CB Patrick Lee at #60

Packers finally take a CB with the #60 pick in Round 2. Patrick Lee, CB Auburn had a solid career in the SEC. He had 55 tackles and 4 INT's as a senior. Known for his physical bump and run style, Lee will fit in nicely into the Packers scheme.

Lee also returned kicks at Auburn, so he becomes the second player out of 3 that adds special teams value to the Green & Gold. Most expected the Packers to take a DB early. It was surprising that the Packers did take a WR instead of a DB with their first pick.

Expect the Packers to add 1 if not 2 more DB with some of their late round picks. This year's draft is deep with CB's this year.

Packers pick QB Brian Brohm at #56 in 2nd Round


Brian Brohm would have been a top 5 pick in last year's draft. Instead, he decided to return for his senior year. Louisville did not have a good year last year, but Brohm threw for 4,024 yards and 30 TD's in his final season. He's not a mobile QB and is regarded as a pure pocket passer. He's got a strong arm and is an accurate passer. He does not have a cannon, but can get the ball there. Some scouts have called Brohm a more polished QB than the #3 pick QB Matt Ryan, Boston College.

The Packers actually tried traded up to get Brohm, which TT said fell through. The Packers were fortunate that Brohm still fell to them at #56. Brohm will be Aaron Rodgers backup and push Rodgers in camp. Ted Thompson did say Aaron is still their guy, even with drafting Brian Brohm.

Brohm has also had some injury problems, tearing his ACL in his right knee, torn ligament in his right thumb that required surgery, and a torn labrum in his left shoulder that also required surgery.

"We feel he adds value to our team," Packers GM Ted Thompson said. "He'll be a good, solid guy to have behind Aaron (Rodgers). We'll get him ready to play, but in our minds Aaron's the guy and I even told Brian that. He understood it."

Packers first pick #36 overall Jordy Nelson WR Kansas State


Jordy Nelson from Kansas State is a productive WR who catches everything that's thrown to him. The 6-2 217 WR had 122 receptions in '07, which was the 2nd best in all of college football. He also bring Special Teams value to the Packers, returning 3 TD's on punt returns over his career. He runs a 4.5 40, which is not blazing, but adequate. He also was a 1st team All-American in 2007.

Nelson was considered a "sleeper" pick by many "experts". It was surprising the Packers added a WR with their first selction. It also was surprising to be Nelson with some marquee names like: James Hardy (Indiana), Desean Jackson (Cal), Malcom Kelly (Oklahoma), & Mario Manningham (Michigan) all avialble when the Packers picked.

The selection of Nelson might signal the end of one WR's career in Green Bay. Could it be Koren Robinson, Ruvell Martin?? My guess would be K-Rob, who's "real" value is as a returner. The Packers found a few bodies last year who can do the job: Will Blackmon, Tamron Williams, and now Jordy Nelson.

Packers finish Day 1 in 2008 NFL Draft with Solid Picks

We'll breakdown the Packers 3 picks in just a minute. Packers GM did not surprise anyone by trading the 30th pick in Round 1 to the Jets for a 2nd & 4th Round pick. Jets selected one of my favorite picks and one I thought the Packers should have taken, in Purdue TE Dustin Keller. The Packers basically moved down 6 spots and picked up a 4th Round selection so overall a good move.

With the 36th pick in the 2nd Round, Green Bay selected "sleeper" WR Jordy Nelson from Kansas State. Packers then selected QB Brian Brohm from Louisville with the 56th pick from the Corey Williams trade with Cleveland. The Packers finished out the day selecting CB Patrick Lee from Auburn.

A solid day for the Packers. Expect more trades today as the NFL draft continues Rounds 3-7 at 9am. The Packers have 6 picks remaining, with 3 in the 4th Round. Expect Green Bay to pick up a RB, OL, and another DB with their remaining picks. We'll breakdown each of the Packers 3 picks shortly.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Favre on Letterman 4/24/08

NFL Draft this weekend


The 2008 NFL Draft is upon us. History shows that Packers GM Ted Thompson most certainly will trade some of his pics, maybe even players to gain more choices.

Currently the Packers sit at #30 in the 1st Round. Packers also have picks #56 and #60 in the 2nd round, an extra pick coming via the Corey Williams trade to Cleveland. Having 3 picks in the first 60 gives the Packers some ammo to actually move up for once. The only likely scenario is if the Packer are extremely high on someone and cannot live without him. Nobody in this draft stands out as a player the Packers just can't live without.

At #30 teams might be interested in the Packers pick, similar to Cleveland last year, trading a 1st rounder to Dallas to get QB Brady Quinn. Ted Thompson will listen to trades for teams interested in his pick. A likely scenario would be a team interested in QB Brian Brohm or QB Chad Henne who will not go very far in round 2 before they are chosen.

So the question remains, who will the Packers pick at #30. Most mock drafts have the Pack taking CB Antoine Cason from Arizona. Last year all the "experts" had the Pack taking Marshawn Lynch RB Cal, but he was taken a few picks earlier by Buffalo. Other mocks are showing TE Dustin Keller from Purdue as a popular choice.

The fact of the matter is nobody knows what Ted Thompson is thinking, and he sure proved that last year taking DT Justin Harell with his 1st round pick. The 2008 NFL draft begins Saturday at 2:00 on ESPN. Good Luck to TT and the Green & Gold!!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Bucks Hire Scott Skiles as New Head Coach

Newly hired GM John Hammond wasted no time in hiring a new head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. Moving quickly after firing Larry Krystkowiak, the Bucks announced the hiring late yesterday.

Skiles played 10 seasons with five teams in the NBA and has been a head coach previously with the Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. Next season will be his ninth as a head coach in the league and he has a career coaching record of a 281-251. His teams have made the playoffs five times.

The Bucks were looking for someone with head coaching experience, someone that has won, has had playoff experience as a head coach, and whose teams compete and play hard every single night. Skiles was their man, signing him to a 4-year, $18 million dollar contract.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Packers 2008 Schedule Released

Packers 2008 schedule was released and have the Green & Gold playing in 4 Primetime games. The Pack kick-off the 2008 season with a Monday Night game vs. Vikings. It's yet to be determined if they'll retire Favre's jersey that game or not. I would advise against it, as new starting QB, Aaron Rodgers, will have enough to worry about in his 1st start on Monday Night Football.

Other notable games are Oct 19th against the Indianapolis Colts at home, a Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept 21st at Lambeau, and a Monday Night game late in the season against the rival Bears on Dec. 22nd at Chicago. Here's the complete schedule:

2008 Green Bay Packers Schedule/Opponents
DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME
Mon. Sept. 8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 6 p.m.
Sun. Sept. 14 at DETROIT LIONS noon
Sun. Sept. 21 DALLAS COWBOYS 7:15 p.m.
Sun. Sept. 28 at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS noon
Sun. Oct. 5 ATLANTA FALCONS noon
Sun. Oct. 12 at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 3:15 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 19 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 3:15 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 26 BYE WEEK
Sun. Nov. 2 at TENNESSEE TITANS noon
Sun. Nov. 9 at MINNESOTA VIKINGS noon
Sun. Nov. 16 CHICAGO BEARS noon*
Mon. Nov. 24 at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 30 CAROLINA PANTHERS noon*
Sun. Dec. 7 HOUSTON TEXANS noon*
Sun. Dec. 14 at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS noon*
Mon. Dec. 22 at CHICAGO BEARS 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 28 DETROIT LIONS noon*

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Should we be worried about Brewers closer Gagne














Last night the Brewers were holding on to a 2-1 lead in top of the 9th. Enter Brewers closer and $10 million dollar man Eric Gagne. Gagne blew his first save opportunity against the Cubs in the opening series and sent shockwaves to the hearts of Brewers fans everywhere. "Pull him!!! Take his job away, find a new closer", were all the voices of Brewer fans after 1 game.

Tuesday nights game added a little more ammo to that argument. Gagne need 1 out to get his 2 save in 3 tries, but shook off catcher Jason Kendall sign for a change-up and threw a fastball right down the middle to the Red's Corey Patterson. Patterson took the 2-2 pitch with 2 outs out of the yard for the game tying HR, making it 2-2 in the 9th.

The Brewers would battle back in the 10th and Second-baseman Rickie Weeks delivered the game winning hit bringing home JJ Hardy for the Brewers win. Gagne could breathe a sigh of relief......for now.

Gagne coming into this season had just 10 blown saves in his career. With Milwaukee he's already blown 2 in 3 games. The pressure is on for Gagne in a big way, but it's a long season and many more games to come. Gagne will blow some more games, but I believe it's too early to send him packing. We can only hope he can saves more than blows.

So is he.......or isn't he???........(going to say retired)


While reiterating that he's "happy" with his decision to retire, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre said in a recent interview that he might heed the call, should the team need him if starter Aaron Rodgers is injured......which given Rodgers history might not be too far off.

"It would be hard to pass up, I guess," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun-Herald in an interview posted on its web site Tuesday. "Yeah, I can probably be up there doing that and playing, but again, I don't know. It's only speculating. I think the world of that team. I had a lot of fun, not only this year, but over my career. Those guys I played with this past year, a lot of young guys, a lot of fun. . . .

"It was a fun year. That was fun, throwing the ball around like we did. There's no reason to think that won't happen again. Aaron (Rodgers) has fallen into a great situation. And if that opportunity presented itself and they did call, it would be tempting. And I very well could be enticed to do it."

Favre's comments came during an interview with reporter and longtime friend Al Jones, who is writing a book about Favre that will be published by the newspaper. Favre did not speak about whether he would come back with another team.

Any possible comeback by Favre would likely be dependant on the amount of time he would have to get ready.

"It would be hard to go up there at 38," Favre said. "It was hard to stay in shape. I say that, I worked out and I worked out hard. Week in and week out, I was just drained. Finally, for the first time, I felt, not that 38 is old, but I looked around at practice and these guys are bouncing around. And I practiced every day and all the time people would ask me, 'God, how do you do it?' Inside I'm saying, 'I have no idea.' It's a struggle.

"But to think that if they called me in October and told me, 'Hey, we need you this week.' That would be hard. I'm sure mentally, I would be refreshed. I'd be away from it for a long time. But mentally vs. physically, the last thing I'd want to do is go up and it's 'Oh this is great,' and all that stuff, and me be excited, and then just flop. You just can't show up and play."

As to his failure to file his retirement papers with the league, Favre said there is no ulterior motive.

"To be honest with you, never having retired before, I didn't know you had to do that," Favre said. "The Packers had to call. At some point, you have to do it so you don't count toward the salary cap."

Favre also now realizes he could un-retire at any time.

"You can change your mind the next day," he said.

But, for now, Favre is content.

"I guess the best response would be, right now, no (I'm not coming back)," he said. "I'm happy with my decision. Just taking it one day at a time."

You think he's getting bored already??? Football is all Favre knows since he was a young boy. It's a big adjustment into "regular life", that we're all accustom to. And sounds like Favre's not enjoying it quite as much as he thought he would.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Bucks Yi, shut down for the season

While I have not wrote once about the pitiful Milwaukee Bucks this year, this story peaked my interest........kind of.

Milwaukee Bucks rookie forward Yi Jianlian will miss the final eight games of the regular season with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

The Bucks made the announcement Friday night before their game against the Indiana Pacers.

Coach Larry Krystkowiak was optimistic that the 20-year-old Yi would be ready to play for China in this summer's Olympics. However, he'll need two to three weeks of rest and rehabilitation before resuming basketball activities.

Well as long as he's good to go for the Chinese Olympic team I'm happy. He really did not do much for the Bucks this year, but then again nobody really did either.

Yi averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 66 games, has missed eight games since Feb. 5 with various injuries, including five from March 7-15 with a sprained right wrist.

Our only hope is for the lottery once again, a high pick, and perhaps a new coach!!!

Brewers Crush Giants in Home Opener 13-4





















45,212 fans turned up to watch the Milwaukee Brewers for the home opener at Miller Park, the third-largest crowd in the ballpark's eight-year history. In the first game of the year against Chicago, Tony Gywnn Jr. shined. The next game Jason Kendall & Jeff Suppan stole the spotlight. Friday's game was Bill Hall's turn.

Hall was moved this season to 3rd base from center field, taking over for Ryan Braun. Braun's bat was amazing last year earning him NL Rookie of the Year honors, but his glove wasn't as reliable. Hall had a down year last year, but looked to change all that this year. Today's game he did not disappoint going 3-for-5 with 2 HR's and 6 RBIs.

The Brewer bats were hot all around crushing the Giants 13-4 with 16 hits. Rickie Weeks extended his streak of games with a run scored at 17. That ties a MLB record. Weeks went 2-for-4 with 1 walk and 3 runs scored. Prince Fielder went 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs.

The win went to Carlos Villanueva who pitched 5 innings, gave up 8 hits, 2 runs, and had 6 strikeouts tying a career high, for a 3.38 ERA. One other note Ryan Braun did not get into the hit parade, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Probably the only negative in an otherwise great game by the Brew Crew.

Brewers take on the Giants Saturday with the Giants sending Kevin Correia and the Brewers, Manny Para. Para is a promising young pitcher who has been given the opportunity in the starting rotation.

Here we go Brewers.....Here we go!!!!!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Crean Leaving Marquette for Indiana


















Every year it seemed Tom Crean's name would come up as a potential coach for the ______ job. Crean had 1 eye on Marquette and one eye on Michigan State, Kentucky, Indiana, and many other schools. Crean would talk about his love for Milwaukee and his desire to stay hear leaving his legacy at the Bradley Center and continuing to improve the Marquette basketball program year in and year out. That all changed on Tuesday night, when it was reported Crean had accepted the position as the next head coach at Indiana.

Crean was introduced at a news conference Wednesday. He replaces Kelvin Sampson, who resigned before last season ended amid NCAA allegations of recruiting violations.

Crean held up a T-shirt that read "Crean & Crimson," a play on the team's colors of cream and crimson. He will try to restore the reputation of a team that changed coaches three times since Bob Knight's firing in 2000.

Crean's contract is for eight years, with an average salary of more than $2 million.

Crean leaves behind a program that has produced such stars as Dwayne Wade, Travis Denier, Steve Novak, all are currently in the NBA. If I need to go into depth on what a star Wade has become, I'll tell you later about a guy named Favre and what he had done for the Green Bay Packers. He also was making $1.65 million a year, which put in as one of the top paid coaches in the NCAA at Marquette.

Marquette has their big three still intact, Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, and Wesley Matthews, ready to make yet another deep run next year in the NCAA tournament. However, they've already lost out on Nick Williams a high school player who had already committed to Marquette, and Wednesday had asked to be let out of his letter of intent.

Indiana on the other hand has to deal with NCAA sanctions, lost scholarships as punishment from former coach Sampson, and the loss of all starting 5 players from this year. Eric Gordon, IU star freshman will most likely declare early for the NBA. DJ White, IU's other star will be graduating and Interim coach Dan Dakich announced earlier Tuesday that he'd kicked Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis off the team, though Crean could conceivably bring the two starting guards back. He's got a lot of work ahead of him restoring IU image, and basically starting over from scratch.