Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Hey it's Shawn...

I'm tempted to start this off with a Ned Ryerson joke... you know Ned Ryerson? Got the shingles real bad senior year... almost didn't graduate?  Nevermind.

Two years ago, Drake won on memorable buzzer-beater at Bradley.  Tuesday night, the Braves returned the favor.  The Bulldogs not only lost the game, they lost a tooth.  Josh Young caught an elbow in the paint, which left Young one tooth shy of a full set.  Both Erin Kiernan and Lynn Melling had the same reaction... gasp!  Erin and Lynn have often remarked how much they love Young's infectious smile.  I don't know much about dentistry, but I hope Josh's smile makes a full recovery.

It was great to catch up with members of Drake's 2008 NCAA Tournament team during the alumni game over the weekend.  Not surprisingly, a number of players from that magical team are already making meaningful contributions to society.  Klayton Korver tells us he's living in Salt Lake City with his brother Kyle, who plays for the Utah Jazz.  Together, they run a non-profit organization.  Two things the Korver's have always been good at... playing basketball and helping others.

In High School hoops, the marquee matchup of the regular season took place at Des Moines East.  The Scarlets (17-0) and Ankeny Hawks (17-0) played before a raucous crowd.  East pulled away late for the win.  I have a feeling there will be a rematch... next month at Wells Fargo Arena.

Chris Hassel and I had a blast filling in on "Murph and Andy" Tuesday.  My favorite part was an interview with Colin Cloherty, a rookie tight end for the Indianapolis Colts. Colin played at Brown, which is why Peyton Manning calls him "Ivy." By the way, Colin is my first cousin. Guess which team I'll be rooting for on Sunday?

Wednesday will be one of the busiest days of the year in our sports office.  It's college football signing day, and there's a full slate of college basketball.  In the afternoon, I'll be in Ames to find out what Paul Rhoads thinks of his new pledges. Then tomorrow night, I'll be in Cedar Falls as the Panthers host Wichita St. at the McLeod Center.  With a win, UNI will pretty much lock up its second-straight regular season MVC title.

Talk to you soon.

Shawn