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Lawrence Roberts (basketball Player)

Lawrence Roberts (basketball player)

Lawrence Roberts (born October 20 1982) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. He was a second round draft pick of the Seattle Sonics in the 2005 NBA Draft and was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He was the 55th player selected. His decision to stay for his senior season in college likely hurt his draft value. Roberts originally attended Baylor University, but transferred to Mississippi State University in 2003 following the scandal that rocked Baylor's program that year. He was a first-team All-American and the SEC player of the year in 2003-04. In the '03-'04 season he averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was first-team All-SEC and an honorable metion All-American in 2004-2005. In the '04-'05 season he averaged 16.9 points and 11.0 rebounds. Roberts is the nephew of ABC/ESPN broadcaster Robin Roberts. He also achieved the first triple-double in the history of Mississippi State against Nicholls State University with 18 points 11 rebounds and 12 assists. He is currently with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and is the backup center to Pau Gasol. He wears the number 44 which was the same number as Grizzlies president Jerry West. Roberts, Lawrence Roberts, Lawrence Roberts, Lawrence

October 20

October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining.

Events

- 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction and the War of the Austrian Succession begins.
- 1803 - United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
- 1827 - Battle of Navarino - a combined Turkish and Egyptian armada is destroyed by an allied British, French, and Russian naval force in the port of Navarino in Pylos, Greece. The most important result of this battle is the end of the Greek Liberation War and the affirmation of independence of modern Greece.
- 1883 - Peru and Chile signed the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province was ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific.
- 1910 - The hull of the RMS Olympic, sister-ship to the ill-fated RMS Titanic, is launched from the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.
- 1935 - The Long March ends
- 1944 - The Soviet army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia
- 1944 - Liquid natural gas leaks from storange tanks in Cleveland, then explodes; the explosion and resulting fire level 30 blocks and kill 130.
- 1944 - General Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he commands an Allied assult on the islands, reclaiming them from the Japanese during the Second World War.
- 1947 - The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of Hollywood, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.
- 1955 - Publication of The Return of the King, being the last part of The Lord of the Rings
- 1967 - A purported bigfoot is filmed by Patterson and Gimlin
- 1968 - Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy marries Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
- 1971 - The Nepal stock exchange collapses.
- 1973 - The Saturday Night Massacre: President Nixon fires Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Robert Bork.
- 1973 - The Sydney Opera House opens.
- 1973 - The Six Million Dollar Man premieres on ABC.
- 1977 - A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in Mississippi, killing several band members, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines.
- 1979 - The John F Kennedy library is opened in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1982 - St. Louis Cardinals defeat Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 to win their 9th World Series Championship.
- 1986 - Yitzhak Shamir begins his second office term as Israel's prime minister
- 1989 - Brisbane bound coach collides with semi-trailer north of Grafton in New South Wales, Australia. This is known as the Grafton Bus Crash
- 1991 - The Oakland Hills firestorm kills 25 and destroys 3469 homes and apartments, causing more than $2 billion in damage.
- 1995 - Filmmaker Kevin Smith releases Mallrats.
- 2004 - The Boston Red Sox win the American League pennant, defeating the New York Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, becoming the first team in major league baseball history to recover from a 3-0 postseason series deficit.
- 2004 - Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is sworn in as the President of Indonesia.

Births

- 1463 - Alessandro Achillini, Italian philosopher (d. 1512)
- 1469 - Guru Nanak Dev, first Sikh Guru (d. 1539)
- 1496 - Claude, Duke of Guise, French soldier (d. 1550)
- 1616 - Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (d. 1680)
- 1620 - Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch painter (d. 1691)
- 1632 - Sir Christopher Wren, English architect (d. 1723)
- 1656 - Nicolas de Largillière, French painter (d. 1746)
- 1660 - Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English statesman (d. 1723)
- 1677 - Stanislaus I Leszczyński, King of Poland (d. 1766)
- 1711 - Timothy Ruggles, American-born Tory politician (d. 1795)
- 1719 - Gottfried Achenwall, German statistician (d. 1772)
- 1759 - Chauncey Goodrich, U.S. Senator from Connecticut (d. 1815)
- 1808 - Karl Andree, German geographer (d. 1875)
- 1819 - The Báb, Persian founder of the Bábí Faith (d. 1850)
- 1822 - Thomas Hughes, English novelist (d. 1896)
- 1854 - Arthur Rimbaud, French poet (d. 1891)
- 1858 - John Burns, English politician (d. 1943)
- 1859 - John Dewey, American philosopher (d. 1952)
- 1874 - Charles Ives, American composer (d. 1954)
- 1882 - Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-born actor (d. 1956)
- 1889 - Margaret Dumont, American actress (d. 1965)
- 1890 - Jelly Roll Morton, American composer (d. 1941)
- 1891 - James Chadwick, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)
- 1891 - Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (d. 1978)
- 1893 - Charley Chase, American comedian (d. 1940)
- 1894 - Olive Thomas, American actress (d. 1920)
- 1897 - Crown Prince Eun of Korea (d. 1970)
- 1900 - Wayne Morse, U.S. Senator from Oregon (d. 1974)
- 1904 - Anna Neagle, English actress (d. 1986)
- 1904 - Tommy Clement Douglas, Canadian politician (d. 1986)
- 1905 - Ellery Queen, pseudonym of two American writers (d. 1982)
- 1907 - Arlene Francis, American television personality (d. 2001)
- 1913 - Grandpa Jones, American banjo player and singer (d. 1998)
- 1918 - Robert Lochner, German journalist (d. 2003)
- 1925 - Art Buchwald, American newspaper columnist
- 1928 - Joyce Brothers, American psychologist and television personality
- 1931 - Mickey Mantle, baseball player (d. 1995)
- 1932 - Rosey Brown, American football player (d. 2004)
- 1935 - Jerry Orbach, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1937 - Juan Marichal, baseball player
- 1940 - Kathy Kirby, British singer
- 1942 - Earl Hindman, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1942 - Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, German biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1944 - David Mancuso, American disc jockey
- 1946 - Elfriede Jelinek, Austrian writer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1949 - Valeri Borzov, Ukrainian athlete
- 1950 - Tom Petty, American musician
- 1955 - Aaron Pryor, American boxer
- 1956 - Danny Boyle, English film director
- 1958 - Viggo Mortensen, American actor
- 1958 - Ivo Pogorelic, Croatian pianist
- 1960 - Konstantin Aseev, Russian chess player (d. 2004)
- 1963 - Julie Payette, Canadian astronaut
- 1964 - Curt Gunz, American author
- 1965 - William Zabka, American actor
- 1966 - Allan Donald, South African cricketer
- 1966 - Stefan Raab, German entertainer
- 1969 - Juan Gonzalez, baseball player
- 1971 - Snoop Dogg, American rapper
- 1971 - Dannii Minogue, Australian-born singer
- 1976 - Tom Wisniewski, American guitarist (mxpx)
- 1978 - Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
- 1981 - Willis McGahee, American football player
- 1984 - Scott Fuller, Radio personality
- 1984 - Florent Sinama-Pongolle, French footballer
- 1988 - Risa Niigaki, Japanese singer (Morning Musume)
- 1989 - Christopher David Ray, American

Deaths

- 460 - Aelia Eudocia, Byzantine Empress
- 1570 - João de Barros, Portuguese historian (b. 1496)
- 1640 - John Ball, English Puritan clergyman (b. 1585)
- 1652 - Antonio Coello, Spanish writer
- 1713 - Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician (b. 1652)
- 1740 - Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1685)
- 1865 - Champ Ferguson, Confederate guerilla
- 1900 - Naim Frashëri, Albanian poet (b. 1846)
- 1910 - David B. Hill, Governor of New York (b. 1843)
- 1920 - Max Bruch, German composer (b. 1838)
- 1936 - Anne Sullivan, American teacher (b. 1866)
- 1935 - Arthur Henderson, Scottish politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1863)
- 1964 - Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States (b. 1874)
- 1967 - Yoshida Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1878)
- 1972 - Harlow Shapley, American astronomer (b. 1885)
- 1977 - Members of the American rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd killed in a plane crash:
- Cassie Gaines (b. 1948)
- Steve Gaines (b. 1949)
- Ronnie Van Zant (b. 1948)
- 1983 - Peter Dudley, British actor
- 1984 - Carl Ferdinand Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1896)
- 1984 - Paul Dirac, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
- 1987 - Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician (b. 1903)
- 1989 - Anthony Quayle, English actor (b. 1913)
- 1990 - Joel McCrea, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1994 - Burt Lancaster, American actor (b. 1913)
- 1995 - Christopher Stone, American actor (b. 1942)
- 2002 - Barbara Berjer, American actress (b. 1920)
- 2003 - Jack Elam, American actor (b. 1918)
- 2004 - Anthony Hecht, American poet (b. 1923)
- 2004 - Chuck Hiller, baseball player (b. 1934)
- 2005 - Shirley Horn, American singer (b. 1934)
- 2005 - Endon Mahmood, First Lady of Malaysia (breast cancer) (b. 1941)
- 2005 - Eva Svankmajerova, Czech artist (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances

This day is unusually devoid of official commemorations.
- R.C. Saints: Bertilla Boscardin of Vicenza
- Also see October 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Vietnamese women's day

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/20 BBC: On This Day] ---- October 19 - October 21 - November 20 - September 20 - more historical anniversaries ko:10월 20일 ja:10月20日 simple:October 20 th:20 ตุลาคม

NBA

] The National Basketball Association, more popularly known as the NBA, is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in the fall of 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. The league's several international and individual team offices are directed out its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Regular season

Following the summer breaks, teams hold training camps in October. Training camps allow teams to evaluate players, especially rookies, to scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, to prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and to determine the 12-man active roster and, if needed, a 3-man injured list with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. In the first week of November, the NBA regular season begins. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games, which are divided evenly between home and away games. Schedules are not identical for all teams. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year, teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times, and teams in the other conference twice apiece. A team can therefore have a relatively easy or difficult schedule, depending on the division and conference it is located in. Following the recent changes to the National Hockey League's scheduling format, the NBA is now the only major league in which all the teams play each other during the regular season, and where a season ticket holder can see every team in the league come to town in any one season. In February, the NBA regular season is interrupted to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans are balloted throughout the United States, Canada and through the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, East faces West in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award, which is usually given to a player on the winning team. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the got milk? Rookie Challenge game, which pits the best rookies and the best second-year players against each other; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a competition between players to see who is the best 3-point shooter; and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, to see which player dunks the ball in the most entertaining way. Shortly after the All-Star break is the league's trade deadline. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Often, major trades are completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers. In April, the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary league-wide postseason teams. The NBA Sixth Man Award is awarded to the best contributor off the bench. The NBA Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the best rookie player. The NBA Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the most improved player. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The NBA Coach of the Year Award is awarded to either the best coach in the league or the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for that season. Additionally, The Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) NBA Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have done the best job for his franchise. The postseason teams are the All-NBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Teams. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.

Playoffs

In late April, the NBA Playoffs begin. Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. The seed of each team is determined by several factors. The top three seeds for each conference are determined by taking the winners of the three divisions of the conference and ranking them by regular season record. The remaining five seeds are determined by taking the five teams with the next-best records from among the non-division winning teams in the conference. However, the seeding system has one feature that is unusual in North American sports. Division champions do not necessarily have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Although the playoff brackets are not reseeded, home-court advantage is based strictly on regular-season record, without regard to whether a team won its division. Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in the playoffs, having a higher seed generally means you will be facing a weaker team. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 6 (six) seed has a better record than the team with the 3 (three) seed (seeded thus by virtue of a divisional championship), the 6 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed than them. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays. The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the second round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. Thus, all but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern. The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Each player and major contributor, including coaches and the general manager, on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which, while not by rule, nearly always goes to a member of the winning team. There has been only one exception to date: Jerry West won the award in 1969 (the award's first season) even though his Los Angeles Lakers did not win the championship.

History

A detailed year-by-year look at the history of the NBA can be found here.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of major sports arenas in the Northeast and Midwest, notably including Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, though, the quality of play in the BAA was not obviously better than those other leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title. Following the 1949 season, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the rechristened National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises that were a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers). While contracting, the league also saw in its smaller city franchises shift to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" to Milwaukee and then to St. Louis; the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati, the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit. 1950 also saw the NBA integrate, with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Finals and established themselves as its first dynasty. To liven up play, the league introduced the 24 second shot clock in 1954. In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and led the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960's, setting new records in scoring and rebounding. Russell's rivaly with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports. Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who in his second season led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title together with Oscar Robertson, and who later played on five Laker championship teams. However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees -- Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue. The ABA also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one result of which was to tie up most viable cities. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The league added the ABA's innovative Three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. Also in 1979, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and throughout the world. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five. Michael Jordan, entered the league five years later with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. During the 1990's, Jordan went on to lead the Bulls to six titles. The 1990's also saw greater globalization. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. An increasing number, though, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol of Spain, 2002 first pick in the NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, and 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP Emanuel Ginobili of Argentina, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. In 1996 the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association, and in 2002 created an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League. Today, the NBA has reached 30 franchises and continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world.

Lockout

The Collective Bargining Agreement between the two agencies expired on June 30, 2005. On June 22, 2005, a bargaining agreement was reached, preventing a lockout. The last time the NBA went though a lockout, a large portion of the 1998-99 season was cancelled, resulting in a shortened 50-game regular season schedule. The All-Star game was not played that year, but the playoffs were not affected. Fortunately for fans an agreement was reached, with the most significant change being an assignment system within the NBDL, as well as a one time salary cap amnesty clause.

Teams

Current Teams

Defunct teams

- Anderson Packers (1949–1950)
- Baltimore Bullets (1947–1955: last NBA team to fold)
- Chicago Stags (1946–1950)
- Cleveland Rebels (1946–1947)
- Denver Nuggets (1949–1950)
- Detroit Falcons (1946–1947)
- Detroit Gems (1949–1950)
- Indianapolis Jets (1948–1949)
- Indianapolis Olympians (1949–1953)
- Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946–1947)
- Providence Steamrollers (1946–1949)
- St. Louis Bombers (1946–1950)
- Sheboygan Redskins (1949–1950)
- Toronto Huskies (1946–1947)
- Washington Capitols (1946–1951)
- Waterloo Hawks (1949–1950)

Important people

Presidents and commissioners

- Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963
- Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975
- Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984
- David Stern, Commissioner since 1984

Players

- List of NBA players
- List of Current NBA Team Rosters

External links

Official Sites

- [http://www.nba.com NBA.com]
- [http://www.nbpa.com National Basketball Players Association]

Statistics

- [http://www.btgraphix.com/nba/ NBA Player Statistic Analyzer]
- [http://www.dougstats.com/ Doug's NBA Statistics]
- [http://www.82games.com/teams.htm NBA Statistics] from 82games.com
- [http://www.basketballreference.com/ Historical NBA Statistics] from BasketballReference.com
- [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/nba0405.htm Jeff Sagarin NBA ratings]
- [http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Basketball/Leagues/National_Basketball_Association__NBA_/Players/ NBA Players] on Yahoo!
- [http://www.betroyal.com/teams/NBA/ NBA Stats & Matchups] from BetRoyal
- [http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/stats/06/ Hoopsstats.com - NBA Fantasy Basketball Stats]

News/Rumors

- [http://www.centercourthoops.com NBA Basketball News and Rumors] from CenterCourt Hoops
- [http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_rumors.shtml NBA Rumors] from InsideHoops
- [http://www.nbawire.com NBA News and Rumors] from NBAwire.com
- [http://www.prosportsdaily.com/nba/nba.html NBA News] from Pro Sports Daily
- [http://www.hoopshype.com/ NBA News and Rumors] from HoopsHype

Discussion

- [http://forums.centercourthoops.com/ CenterCourt Hoops Message Boards]
- [http://www.basketballboards.net/ BasketballBoards.net]
- [http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/APBR_analysis/ Association for Professional Basketball Analysis]
- [http://www.nbaboards.net NBA Boards]

Draft information

- [http://games.espn.go.com/vgm Gatorade Virtual GM]
- [http://www2.realgm.com/src_tradechecker.php RealGM Trade Checker]
- [http://www.nbadraft.net/index.asp NBADraft.net]
- [http://www.draftexpress.com/ DraftExpress]

Miscellaneous

- [http://www.gridmarks.com/NBA.html NBA Rankings]
- [http://www.nbahoopsonline.com NBA Hoops Online] the NBA knowledge site
- [http://www.nbahistory.net NBA History.Net]
- [http://www.insidehoops.com/ InsideHoops.com] Complete NBA coverage
- [http://www.justbball.com/ JustBBall.com]
- [http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm NBA Salary Cap FAQ]
- [http://www.remembertheaba.com/ Remember the ABA]
- [http://www.hoopsvibe.com/ HoopsVibe.com] Complete NBA coverage
- [http://www.sports-facts.com/nba.htm Sports-Facts.com] NBA History, Facts, and Stats
- [http://www.probasketballrefs.com NBRA] NBA Referees Category:Basketball organizations ja:NBA th:เอ็นบีเอ

Seattle Sonics

The Seattle SuperSonics (or simply Sonics to their fans) are a National Basketball Association team based in Seattle, Washington. They are the reigning Northwest Division champions.

Home arenas

:Seattle Center Coliseum 1967–1978, 1985–1994 :Kingdome 1978–1985 :Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 :KeyArena 1996–present

Franchise history

Tacoma Dome The Sonics were Seattle's first professional sports franchise. They began play in October, 1967, but did not make a playoff appearance until 1975. They went to their first NBA Finals in 1978 (and lost), but won the NBA championship in 1979. They have been division champions in 1979, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2005. The team has been owned by Sam Schulman (1967–1983), Barry Ackerley (1983–2001), and now Howard Schultz (the chairman of Starbucks Coffee) (2001–present).

Players of note

Basketball Hall of Famers

- Lenny Wilkens (played and coached for Sonics; inducted as both, coached the 1979 Championship Team)

Retired numbers

- 1 Gus Williams, G, 1977–1984
- 10 Nate McMillan, G, 1986–1998; Head Coach, 2000–2005
- 19 Lenny Wilkens, G, 1968–1972; Head Coach, 1969–1972 & 1977–1985
- 32 Fred Brown, G, 1971–1984
- 43 Jack Sikma, C, 1977–1986
- Bob Blackburn, Broadcaster, 1967–1992 Bob Blackburn

Not to be forgotten

- Tom Chambers
- Dale Ellis
- Spencer Haywood
- Dennis Johnson
- Shawn Kemp
- Xavier McDaniel
- Gary Payton
- Sam Perkins
- Detlef Schrempf
- Slick Watts

Current roster

2005 NBA Draft

Seattle SuperSonics - 2005 NBA DraftTracker
- 1 round 25(25 overall) Johan Petro C France
- 2 round 18(48 overall) Mickaël Gelabale SF France
- 2 round 25(55 overall) Lawrence Roberts PF Mississippi St.

External links

- [http://www.nba.com/sonics/ Seattle SuperSonics official web site]
- [http://www.prosportsdaily.com/nba/sonics/ Pro Sports Daily]
- [http://www.sonicscentral.com/forum/index.php Sonics Central]
- [http://www.sonicstalk.com Seattle Sonics News and Blog]
- [http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=31 Sonics Bulletin Board]
- [http://www.supersonicsoul.com/ Supersonicsoul - The Sonics Blog]
- [http://www.nbawire.com/seattle_supersonics.html Seattle Sonics] Category:Seattle sports Category:NBA teams ja:シアトル・スーパーソニックス

2005 NBA Draft

See also: List of NBA Drafts, NBA Draft The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main prelude to the Draft, the 2005 NBA Draft Lottery, took place on May 24, 2005. At the draft, the 14 teams which did not make the playoffs will select the top 14 picks in reverse order of their records, except for the top three picks, which were selected in the lottery. Statistically, the team with the worst record (this year, the Atlanta Hawks, 13-69) has the best chance of landing the top pick, the team with the second worst record has the second best chance, and so on. However, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the odds to secure the first pick in the draft. As is the case every year, after the drawing of the top three picks, the remaining 27 first round draft picks were assigned to each of the other NBA teams: picks 4 through 14 are assigned to the remaining non-playoff teams (only these teams participate in the lottery for the top three picks) in reverse order of their records, and picks 15 through 30 are assigned to the remaining NBA teams, in reverse order (i.e., the team with the best record will pick 30th). Round two also consists of thirty picks. (See NBA Draft for more information.) This will be the last NBA Draft for which high school players will be eligible. The new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players union establishes a new age limit for draft eligibility. Starting with the 2006 NBA Draft, U.S. players cannot declare themselves eligible for the draft unless they turn 19 no later than December 31 of the year of the draft and are at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school classes. International players must turn 19 (or older) in the calendar year of the draft, up from 18.

Round 1

Round 2

Category:NBA Draft NBA Draft

Baylor University

Baylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated university located in Waco, Texas. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment and the oldest university in the state of Texas. The Baylor University campus is located just southeast of downtown Waco, roughly bounded by IH-35, Speight Avenue, Eighth Street, and University Parks Drive. The university is known for its programs in business, law, music, museum studies, and theology. Bachelors, master's, doctoral and professional degrees are offered through eleven degree-granting academic units.

History

The university was chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas under Republic President Anson Jones, and opened at Independence, Texas, as a coeducational institution. Its founders were Reverend William Milton Tryon, Reverend James Huckins, and Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, the University's namesake. Six years later, Baylor's second president Rufus Burleson decided to separate the men from the women, and thus the Baylor Female College branched off from the main university, while Baylor University became an all-male institution. The city of Independence began suffering a decline due to the rise of neighboring cities serviced by the Santa Fe Railroad, so beginning in 1885, Baylor University moved to Waco, Texas, and merged with Waco University, where Baylor's former second president Rufus Burleson was serving as president. That same year, the Baylor Female College moved to Belton, Texas and would later become known as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. A Baylor College Park still exists in Independence as a memory of the bygone era. Around 1887, Baylor University began readmitting women, becoming a coeducational institution once again. In 1900, three physicians founded the "University of Dallas Medical Department", in Dallas, despite the fact that a "University of Dallas" did not exist. In 1903, it was acquired by Baylor University and became known as the Baylor College of Medicine, remaining in Dallas. In 1943, Dallas civic leaders wanted to build larger facilities for the university in a new medical center, but only if the College of Medicine would surrender its denominational alliances with the General Baptist Convention. Baylor refused, and with funding from the M.D. Anderson Foundation and others, the College of Medicine moved to Houston. In 1969, the Baylor College of Medicine became independent from Baylor University. However, Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine have entered into an agreement through the Baylor2 program that provides five Baylor undergraduates with full tuition scholarships and acceptance into Baylor College of Medicine. Amidst concerns of a potential fundamentalist take-over, the university changed the terms of its charter in 1991 with the permission of the Texas legislature in order to establish a governance less directly dependent upon the Baptist General Convention of Texas, whilst retaining links with the convention.

Academics

Baptist General Convention of Texas Baylor University is divided into eleven degree-granting academic units. Two of the units are designated as colleges while eight others are designated as schools. They are:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Hankamer School of Business
- Honors College
- School of Education
- School of Engineering and Computer Science
- Graduate School
- Law School
- Louise Herrington School of Nursing
- School of Music
- School of Social Work Additionally, the George W. Truett Theological Seminary is a unit of Baylor university. While they share the Baylor name, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas are no longer affiliated with Baylor University.

Accomplishments

- Baylor University tied for 78th place out of 248 top national universities according to the rankings by U.S. News & World Report. [http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=35031]
- In 1982, Baylor won the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest under coach Dr. Donald Gaitros.
- As of 2005, the undergraduate engineering program at Baylor is ranked #21 in the nation.
- The Hankamer School of Business is 66th nationally, while Hankamer's entrepeneurship program is ranked #10.

Baylor 2012

In 2000, Baylor sought to expand its vision of a scholarly institution with a strong sense of Christianity. Baylor, under then President Robert Sloan Jr., created a written statement to detail the exact goals of this vision. This statement appropriately titled, Baylor 2012, the year the school hopes to achieve it. Officially, Baylor goal is to "enter the top tier of American universities while reaffirming and deepening its distinctive Christian mission." [http://www.baylor.edu/vision/pdf/vision_full.pdf] It was presented in September of 2001 and approved by the Board of Regents shortly aftwerwards. The 2012 Vision is based upon 12 key imperatives of progress with the purpose of a more fulfilling educational experience coupled with a unique Christian spirit. Among the main ideas are that faith and academia are not mutually exclusive. The twelve imperatives are: # Establish an environment where learning can flourish # Create a truly residential campus # Develop a world-class faculty # Attract and support a top-tier student body # Initiate outstanding new academic programs in selected areas # Guide all Baylor students, through academic and student life programming, to understand life as a stewardship and work as a vocation # Provide outstanding academic facilities # Construct useful and aesthetically pleasing physical spaces # Enhance involvement of the entire Baylor family # Build with integrity a winning athletic tradition in all sports # Emphasize global education # Achieve a two-billion dollar endowment However, Baylor 2012 has received strong opposition since its inception and has led to a polarization of faculty opinions. Opponents feel that this new mission will limit academic freedom and hinder intellectual growth due to a narrower Christian interpretation. Another issue brought up is the rising tuition costs needed to fuel the mission. Baylor's administration has countered that the increased tuition cost is still comparable to other private universities and that preserving and strengthening Christian values at the university is necessary.

Athletics

faculty Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears and the women's the Lady Bears. They participate in the NCAA's Division I as the only private school in the Big 12 Conference. Prior to joining the Big 12, Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996. Baylor has carried over its rivalries from the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The two main rivalries are Texas A&M and the University of Texas. Baylor won its first team NCAA title in 2004 as the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship game. Additionally, the Baylor Lady Bears won the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship in 2005. Coached by Kim Mulkey-Robertson, the Lady Bears defeated the Spartans of Michigan State University 84-62. Mulkey-Robertson became the first women's coach and only the third coach ever to win an NCAA basketball championship as both a player and a coach, joining Dean Smith and Bob Knight.

Track and Field

Baylor's most notable sports program is perhaps its track and field team, producing 466 All-Americans under the 42-year tenure of head coach Clyde Hart. The greatest standout of the track program has been its men's 4x400 relay team, which has sent teams to the NCAA finals in each of the past 27 years and produced three Olympic gold medalists: Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner, and Darold Williamson. Coaching Staff: Todd Harbour, Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach Clyde Hart, Director of Track & Field/400 Meters Danny Brabham, Assistant Head Coach Michael Ford, Assistant Coach Stacey Smith, Assistant Coach Jon Capron, Assistant Coach Michael Johnson, Consultant Jeremy Wariner, Volunteer Assistant Coach

Baseball

Baylor's baseball team is one of the most successful athletic programs at Baylor. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor has carried the best conference record at 137-83 (.623). The 2005 Bears played one of the toughest schedules in the nation and went all the way to Omaha where they finally lost to the University of Texas, whom they had beaten 3 times during conference play. The Bears' strength was their pitching, with a weekend rotation of Trey Taylor, Cory VanAllen, and Mark McCormick with closers Abe Woody and Ryan LaMotta. While their offense was poor during the regular season, during the post season the offense produced. Many players from this team have gone on to play in the major leagues. Coaching Staff:
- Steve Smith, Head Coach
- Steve Johnigan, Assistant Coach
- Mitch Thompson, Assistant Coach
- Chris Berry, Volunteer Assistant Coach

Men's Basketball

The men's basketball program was plagued by scandal in 2003. Patrick Dennehy, a player for the team, was murdered by a former player for the team, and then-coach Dave Bliss was forced to resign amidst allegations that he had made improper financial payments to players and planned to cover his actions by characterizing Dennehy as a drug dealer. The school placed itself on probation, limited itself to 7 scholarships for two years, and imposed a post-season ban for one year. Additionally, the NCAA further punished the team by initiating a non-conference ban for the 2005-2006 season and extending the probationary period during which the school would have limited recruiting privileges. The 2005 Bears were hindered by only having 7 scholarship players and recorded only one win in conference play In spite of these challenges, head coach Scott Drew was able to put together a 2005 signing class ranked No. 7 nationally by HoopScoop. The 2006 Bears include Aaron Bruce, the highest scoring freshman in the NCAA, Mamadou Diene, rated one of the top 10 centers for the 2007 NBA draft, as well as the No. 7 national recruiting class according to HoopScoop. Coaching Staff:
- Scott Drew, Head Coach
- Matthew Driscoll, Assistant Coach
- Mark Morefield, Assistant Coach
- Jerome Tang, Assistant Coach
- Stephen Brough, Director of Basketball Operations
- Paul Mills, Coordinator of Basketball Operations

Football

The Baylor football team plays at the Floyd Casey Stadium, located a few miles away from campus. The stadium was created in 1950 and currently seats more than 50,000 fans. Upon joining the Big 12 conference in 1996, Baylor has held a 9-35 record in regular season play with their best season coming in 2005. In 2004, Baylor beat their first ranked opponent since 1998, arch-rival Texas A&M in Waco by a score of 35-34 in overtime on a two-point conversion [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?confId=&gameId=243040239]. Guy Morris has been the head coach of the football program since 2003.

Traditions

Homecoming

Every year since 1909, Baylor celebrates Homecoming. Homecoming activities include Pigskin Revue, a song and dance featuring the top acts from the previous spring's All University Sing; the Freshman Mass Meeting; the oldest and longest collegiate parade in the United States.

Mascot

All University Sing As the school mascot is the bear, Baylor traditionally hosts a live mascot on campus, which is always given the name of the current president's wife and the title "Judge" in honor of Judge Baylor. Currently there are two black bears on campus named "Judge Joy" Joy Reynolds and "Judge Lady" Sue Sloan. Both bears recently moved into a brand new habitat which replaced the old "Bear Pit"; now visitors can see the bears up close and at eye level. The habitat is also much more natural, featuring pools, waterfalls, and natural shelters. The bear habitat is a favorite spot for visitors and students of all ages. [http://www.baylor.edu/bear Official Bear Mascot Page]

Diadeloso

Every spring since 1934, Baylor takes a day off from classes for [http://www.baylor.edu/diadeloso/ Diadeloso]. The Baylor University Chamber of Commerce organizes the event which consists of entertainment of all types - tug o' war contests, 3-on-3 basketball, ping pong, indoor soccer, board game tournaments, comedians, an all-University dance, multi-player console games, gospel choirs, etc. This tradition often baffles new professors, who then require quite a bit of convincing to not hold class (or worse, give an exam) on a seemingly arbitrary Thursday in April.

Controversy and Criticisms

As Baptist university whose constituency ranges from conservative to liberal, Baylor has seen its share of infighting and controversy, most recently evidenced in the university's decision in 2005 to transition Robert Sloan from president to chancellor.[http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=22239] During his decade of leadership, Sloan sought to rejuvenate the university's conservative Christian identity while at the same time becoming a tier 1 research university. [http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=6629] Despite support from conservative factions, Sloan's policies invited criticism of some alumni, faculty, and students who feared that the policies were fiscally irresponsible or would damage academic acredibility. Conservatives have criticised Baylor as a BINO (Baptist In Name Only) university. Tom DeLay, who had been expelled from Baylor for drinking, was reported as responding to a parent: :‘Don’t send your kids to Baylor. And don’t send your kids to [Texas] A&M,’ DeLay answered, to vigorous applause. ‘There are still some Christian schools out there—good, solid schools. Now, they may be little, they may not be as prestigious as Stanford, but your kids will get a good, solid, godly education.’[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A18077-2002Apr19¬Found=true] Baylor also came under fire from both sides of the evolution debate for the hiring of intelligent design advocate William Dembski and the subsequent decision not to renew his contract.[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2/4397news10-28-2000.asp] Conservatives are also concerned at the number of graduates who espouse liberal views, such as Ann Richards. Conversely, moderate to liberal Baylor students and alumni have objected to the lack of courtesy that certain students have afforded to Ann Richards when she has spoken on campus, as well as by the idea that Baylor should only attract and produce conservative graduates. Baylor has been criticized for its policies toward homosexual students. Its student handbook explicitly prohibits homosexuality and partner benefits are not offered to employees. In the second half of 2003, Matthew Bass, a seminary student, announced to his friends he was gay. Word of this revelation soon reached the dean of the seminary and on December 17, Bass received a letter with news that his scholarship had been revoked. Dean Paul Powell has cited three major reasons for his scholarship termination. The primary reason was based on the text of the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians. Secondly, Powell says his duty is to train students for ministry in Baptist churches, and being a homosexual directly contradicts the Baptist lifestyle. Lastly, Baylor scholarship money is often donated from conservative organizations, which Baylor must meet certain standards for where to spend that money. As a result, Bass stated he was not able to attend Baylor University because of lack of money for tuition. On September 12, 2005, Baylor graduate Tim Smith was removed from the Hankamer School of Business advisory board because homosexuality is incompatible with the university and its affiliated denomination, the Baptist General Convention of Texas. [http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1955832.html]

Notable alumni

In politics

- Former Governors of Texas
- Pat Morris Neff (later president of the University - see photo of Pat Neff Hall above right)
- Price Daniel
- Mark White
- Ann Richards
- Former U.S. Senators
- Thomas Terry (Tom) Connally
- Leon Jaworski (Baylor Law School) - special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal and one of the first partners of the major international lawfirm Fulbright & Jaworski

In sports

- Gary Baxter - NFL cornerback
- Carrol Dawson - General Manager, Houston Rockets of the NBA
- Malcolm Frank - Canadian Football League defensive back
- Hayden Fry - NCAA Division I-A college football coach from 1962 to 1998
- Jason Jennings - pitcher, Colorado Rockies (MLB)
- Michael Johnson - Winner of four Olympic gold medals, and nine-time world champion
- Ted Lyons - pitcher, Chicago White Sox, 1923-1946, member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
- Drayton McLane - Owner of Houston Astros in MLB, major food distribution entrepreneur
- Mike Singletary - "Samurai" former NFL linebacker & current assistant head coach of the San Francisco 49ers
- Jeremy Wariner - Winner of gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece for the individual 400 meter and the 4x400 meter
- Kip Wells - pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)
- David Wesley - shooting guard for Houston Rockets in the NBA
- Darold Williamson - Winner of a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece in the 4x400 meter

In the arts

- Robert Fulghum - best-selling author, philosopher
- Steven Stucky - Pulitzer Prize winner for music
- Thomas Harris - best-selling author of Silence of the Lambs
- [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0721817/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9a2V2aW4gcmV5bm9sZHN8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=4;fm=1 Kevin Reynolds] - director of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Waterworld, and The Count of Monte Cristo; son of Herbert Reynolds, who served as the chancellor emeritus of Baylor.
- [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0359387/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9Sm9obiBMZWUgSGFuY29ja3xodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=1;ft=13 John Lee Hancock] - director of The Alamo; producer of My Dog Skip
- Michael Brandt - co-writer of Universal Studios' 2 Fast 2 Furious
- Derek Haas - co-writer of Universal Studio's 2 Fast 2 Furious
- Orian Williams - associate producer of Oscar nominated film Shadow of the Vampire
- Jim Hillin - visual effects artist for such films as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Spider-Man 2, and Dinosaur
- Trey Wingo - co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter

In business

- Mark Hurd - CEO of Hewlett-Packard Corp.
- Jim L. Turner - CEO of Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group
- Marjorie M. Scardino - CEO of Pearson, a major international media group; former CEO of the Economist Group; also a non-executive director of Nokia Corporation

Chief Executives

During its more than 160 years of educational service, Baylor University has had 14 presidents, whose leadership has shaped the growth of the institution.
- 1846 - 1851: Henry Lee Graves, President
- 1851 - 1861: Rufus C. Burleson, President
- 1861 - 1863: George Washington Baines, President
- 1864 - 1885: William Carey Crane, President
- 1885 - 1886: Reddin Andrews, President
- 1886 - 1897: Rufus C. Burleson, President
- 1899 - 1902: Oscar Henry Cooper, President
- 1902 - 1931: Samuel Palmer Brooks, President
- 1932 - 1947: Pat Morris Neff, President
- 1948 - 1961: William R. White, President
- 1961 - 1981: Abner Vernon McCall, President
- 1981 - 1995: Herbert H. Reynolds, President
- 1995 - 2005: Robert B. Sloan, Jr., President
- 2005 - 2006: William D. Underwood, Interim President
- 2006 - present: John M. Lilley, President

Other notable trivia

- Baylor is home to the Armstrong Browning Library, which houses the world's largest and finest collection of items and manuscripts related to the Victorian era poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
- The Armstrong Browning Library is also believed to be the home of the largest collection of secular stained glass windows in the world.
- Country music singer Willie Nelson attended Baylor for one year.
- Home of the oldest and longest collegiate parade (started in 1909) - sponsored by the Baylor University Chamber of Commerce.
- Campus events are chronicled in Baylor's student periodical, [http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat The Lariat].
- There are 22 fraternities and 18 sororities. Baylor has the highest rate of male participation in the state with 20-25% of males participating in fraternities.
- In 1960, the "Bear Claw" hand signal was introduced as well as the "Sic 'Em Bears" yell. Both are commonly showcased by fans in Baylor events, especially football.

References

- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/BB/kbb5.html Detailed history of Baylor University]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/BB/kbb7.html History of Baylor College of Medicine]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/II/hli3.html History of Independence, Texas]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/UU/kbu5.html History of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor]

External links

- [http://www.baylor.edu/ Baylor University official homepage]
- [http://www.baylorbears.com/ Baylor Athletics offical website]
- [http://www.baylor.edu/vision/ Baylor 2012 Vision page]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/BB/kbb5.html "Baylor University" in the Handbook of Texas Online]
- [http://www.browninglibrary.org/ Armstrong Browning Library homepage] also [http://www3.baylor.edu/abl/index.htm here]
- [http://www.baylor.edu/baylor_chamber/ The Baylor University Chamber of Commerce]
- [http://www.baylorpress.com/ Baylor University Press]
- [http://www.baylorfans.com/ Unofficial Baylor Athletics Discussion Board]
- [http://www.christmasatbaylor.com/ Christmas at Baylor with School of Music] Category:Universities and colleges in Texas Category:Baylor University Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi in the town of Starkville and is situated 125 miles northeast of Jackson and 23 miles west of Columbus. It is the largest public university in the state.

History

The University began as The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (or Mississippi A&M), one of the national Land-Grant Colleges established after Congress passed the Morrill Act in 1862. It was created by the Mississippi Legislature on February 28, 1878, to fulfill the mission of offering training in "agriculture, horticulture and the mechanical arts . . . without excluding other scientific and classical studies, including military tactics." The university received its first students in the fall of 1880 in the presidency of General Stephen D. Lee. In 1887 Congress passed the Hatch Act, which provided for the establishment of the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1888. The university has since had its mission expanded and redefined by the Legislature. By 1932, when the Legislature renamed the university as Mississippi State College, it consisted of:
- the Agricultural Experiment Station (1887)
- the College of Engineering (1902)
- the College of Agriculture (1903)
- the School of Industrial Pedagogy (1909)
- the School of General Science (1911)
- the College of Business and Industry (1915)
- the Mississippi Agricultural Extension Service (1915)
- and the Division of Continuing Education, (1919). Further, in 1926 the university had received its first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. By 1958, when the Legislature again renamed the university as Mississippi State University, the Graduate School had been organized (1936), doctoral degree programs had begun (1951), the School of Forest Resources had been established (1954), and the College of Arts and Sciences had replaced the General Science School (1956). The School of Architecture admitted its first students in 1973, the College of Veterinary Medicine admitted its first class in 1977, and the School of Accountancy was established in 1979, rounding out the present structure. See Also List of Presidents of Mississippi State University

The school

Mississippi State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees. Today, the university has the following colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture Art and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Industry, Education, Engineering, Forest Resources, and Veterinary Medicine. As of Fall 2004, the current total enrollment of Mississippi State is 15,934. The university contains 160 buildings, and the grounds of the university comprise about 4,200 acres (17 km²), including farms, pastures, and woodlands of the Experiment Station. Mississippi State University also operates an off-campus, degree-granting center in Meridian where both undergraduate and graduate programs are offered. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, the College of Engineering offers the Master of Science degree to students in Vicksburg.

Athletics

The university's athletic teams participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference (West Division) under the mascot Bulldog, and its colors are maroon and white. Mississippi State competes in the NCAA in football, basketball (men's and women's), baseball, softball, tennis, golf, soccer, volleyball, track and field, and cross country running. Head football coach Sylvester Croom is the first African-American named to such a position in the history of the SEC. Coach Croom stated "I want to make sure everybody understands, I am the first African-American coach in the SEC, but there isn't but one color that matters here - and that color is Maroon."

Notable alumni

- Marsha Blackburn Tennessee Congressman
- Fred Carl Founder and CEO of Viking Range
- Will Clark, Former 1st Baseman for S.F. Giants and St. Louis Cardinals
- Jerry Clower Comedian
- Johnie Cooks, Former NFL Star
- Hugh Critz, Notable 2nd Basemen for Cincinnati Reds (1920s) and the New York Giants (1930s)
- Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks Center
- Dave Ferriss, Former Major League Baseball Player
- James L. Flanagan (1948), technical pioneer in speech transmission and acoustics
- Alex Grammas, Major League infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Reds and manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers
- John Grisham, Author
- Mario Haggan –National Football League linebacker
- Toxey Haas Founder and CEO, Mossy Oak Outdoors
- Bill Hawks USDA Undersecretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs
- Bailey Howell, Former NBA Star
- Rhonda Keenum Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service
- Gregory Keyes, Author
- G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Former U.S. Representative and author of the Montgomery G.I. Bill
- Eric Moulds –National Football League wide receiver
- Rafael Palmeiro Major League Baseball Player
- Ronnie Parker Founder of Pizza Inn
- Hartley Peavey Founder of Peavey Electronics
- Buck Showalter, Manager, Texas Rangers
- John C. Stennis Former U.S. Senator and "Father of the Modern Navy"
- Bobby Thigpen Former Major League Relief Pitcher
- Amy Tuck Mississippi Lt. Governor
- Bill Waller Jr. MS Supreme Court Justice
- David Dilardi Major League Baseball Player

External links

- [http://www.msstate.edu/ Mississippi State University (official web site)]
- [http://www.mstateathletics.com/ Official MSU athletics site] Category:Land-grant universities Category:Sea-grant universities Mississippi Category:Southeastern Conference Category:Universities and colleges in Mississippi

Baylor University basketball scandal

The Baylor University basketball scandal was a 2003 incident where Baylor University was found to be guilty of violating many NCAA regulations.

The Disappearance of Patrick Dennehy

Patrick Dennehy was a junior forward who transferred to Baylor University from the University of New Mexico following his sophomore season in 2001-2002. After redshirting the 2002-2003 season (to comply with the NCAA's Division I transfer policy), he was preparing to play for the Baylor Bears in the upcoming 2003-2004 season. Carlton Dotson, a junior power forward on the Baylor basketball team who played two seasons at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas before transferring to Baylor University in the summer of 2002, was Dennehy's friend and teammate. In the summer of 2003, Dennehy and Dotson indicated that they were concerned about their safety. They had purchased two pistols and a rifle and practiced firing them at a farm north of Waco. On June 14, Dennehy told friend Daniel Okopnyi that he was worried about threats made to Dotson by two fellow teammates. Dennehy also indicated that he and Dotson would be at a party the following day that neither appeared at. Over the next few days, there were indications that something had gone wrong: Dennehy's mother and stepfather, Valorie and Brian Brabazon, were concerned that they had received no calls on Father's Day, Dennehy's roommate, Chris Turk, returned from an out-of-town trip to find that Dennehy's dogs have not been fed in days. On June 19, the Brabazons filed a report with the Waco Police Department that Dennehy was missing. On June 25, Dennehy's Chevrolet Tahoe SUV was found in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Virginia Beach, Virginia with its license plates removed. An affidavit filed on June 23, which was unsealed on June 30, seeking a search warrant for Dennehy's computer says that an informant in Delaware told police that Dotson, who by now was at home in Hurlock, Maryland, told a cousin that he had shot and killed Dennehy during an argument while firing guns in the Waco area. On July 21, Dotson was charged with the murder of Patrick Dennehy and taken into custody in Maryland. The search for Dennehy continued for several weeks until July 25, when a badly-decomposed body was found in a gravel pit near Waco and was taken to Dallas for an autopsy. The following day, medical examiners identified the body as being Patrick Dennehy. On July 30, his death was ruled a homicide after a preliminary autopsy report showed that Dennehy died of gunshot wounds to the head. Dennehy was buried in San Jose, California on August 7. On October 28, 2004, Dotson was declared incompetent to stand trial by District Judge George Allen and was sent to a state mental hospital to be reevaluated in four months' time. Three psychiatrists, including one appointed by the court, said that Dotson appeared to be suffering from hallucinations and psychosis, but that he could be regain competency to stand trial in the future. However, in February 2005, Dotson was returned to jail after psychologists deemed him competent to stand trial but that he must continue taking his anti-psychotic medication. The psychologist also said that Dotson's accounts of hallucinations and hearing voices were "suspect." On June 8, 2005, five days before his trial for murder was to begin, Carlton Dotson unexpectedly pleaded guilty to killing Patrick Dennehy. On June 15, Dotson was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after he has served about half of his sentence.

Potential NCAA Violations

In early August 2003, allegations arose concerning Dennehy's ability to remain with the Baylor basketball team during the 2002-2003 academic year without an athletic scholarship. Allegations of impropriety within the athletic department surfaced and Baylor University President Robert Sloan appointed an investigative panel to determine if there were any potential NCAA violations at the school. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram later discovered that during this time, Head Coach Dave Bliss told players to lie to investigators by indicating that Patrick Dennehy had paid for his US$7,000 tuition by dealing drugs. These conversations were taped on microcassette by assistant coach Abar Rouse from July 30 to August 1. On the tapes, Coach Bliss is heard instructing players to fabricate the story of Dennehy being a drug dealer to the University's investigative committee and also said that talking to the McLennan County Sheriff's Department would give him the opportunity to "practice" his story. However, despite the potential allegations of obstruction of justice and witness tampering, no charges were filed against Coach Bliss.

Drug Use

On August 1, allegations arose from Carlton Dotson's estranged wife, Melissa Kethley, and by Sonya Hart, the mother of another athlete, Paul Hart. They reported that abuse of marijuana and alcohol was rampant in the Baylor basketball program and was subsequently ignored by the athletic department and coaching staff. Kethley revealed that five or six basketball players would meet at their apartment and smoke marijuana, sometimes before practice. She also witnessed Dotson fake a drug test using urine provided by a drug-free teammate. Sonya Hart revealed that she had raised concerns about the drug use with associate athletic director Paul Bradshaw, but that no one ever got back in contact with her. President Sloan's investigation also agreed that the staff not only knew about the substance abuse but also failed to follow procedures for reporting drug test failures, with the purpose of allowing players to remain on the team.

Recruiting Violations

On August 5, two members of the 2002-2003 Baylor basketball team told The Dallas Morning News that members of the coaching staff were present during a pickup game involving star recruit Harvey Thomas during his official visit to Baylor, a clear violation of NCAA recruiting regulations. One of the two players said that head coach Dave Bliss and assistant coach Rodney Belcher were both present during the game. The NCAA rules state that staff observation of a recruit's athletic activities, directly or indirectly, during their official visit to their university is illegal.

Coach Dave Bliss

It was also revealed that Baylor basketball coach, Dave Bliss, had apparently broken several NCAA regulations during his tenure at Baylor and in a previous basketball coaching position at Southern Methodist University in 1988. On August 2, an NCAA memo obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram detailed major rules violations, including booster payments of US$2,000 to $5,000 to center Jon Koncak during his junior and senior years. Both Bliss and SMU received no NCAA penalties for the infractions because the university received the "death penalty" for violations in their football program in February 1987 and the decision was made not to further punish the SMU athletic department. Shortly after the investigation, Bliss left SMU to take a position at the University of New Mexico in 1988, before joining the Baylor program in 1999. For his part, Bliss denied all allegations saying, "We have followed the rules, however difficult they may be, for 30 years." However, under heavy pressure from all sides, Coach Bliss along with University athletic directory Tom Stanton, who accepted responsibility despite having no direct