i was just wondering if anyone can help me out... i think i saw one time on here when someone posted one of the articles that requires a subscription to espn.com.... i REALLY want to read an article on the men's college bball page that is entitled somethin like "Bilas: UNC, Illini pre-conference best"... being from illinois and loving the heels, it looks like an interesting read... if anyone has access, could they please copy and paste... it would be much appreciated...

or email it to me at jamminwithgrandmapearl@hotmail.com

thanks

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN Insider

The arrival of New Year's means many different things – drunk people wearing silly hats, long lines for the treadmill due to resolutions that will not be kept, meaningless bowl games, and an additional six pounds on each person that didn't have his jaw wired shut before the holidays.

It also means conference play, which is the best gift of all.

There have been some great games in the pre-conference season with some dazzling performances. However, the real passion of the college game begins now, when it is brother against brother, fighting bare-knuckle for a trophy.

To mark the passing of pre-conference play, and to honor the performances of players and coaches, here are my Pre-Conference All-America Teams:

Pre-Conference Team of the Year

Illinois. No team has played better or more together than have the Illini. This team is mature, unselfish, and plays the right way. Bruce Weber has done a fabulous job with this group. This team has shown it can win when it does not play its best, and has won in a variety of ways. As remote a chance as this may be, it would not surprise me to see Illinois rip through the Big Ten without a loss. This is a true team, and it is really fun to watch.

Runner-Up: North Carolina. Roy Williams has, by a fair margin, the most talented and powerful team in the nation. Carolina can steamroll people, and when they guard people, the Heels can be devastating. Now, with conference play starting, the Heels will have the benefit of playing in some closer games to sharpen their teeth. What a team.


Pre-Conference Mid-Major Team of the Year

Wichita State. First off, Gonzaga no longer qualifies for this award. That being said, Mark Turgeon has brought this team along nicely, and has an older group of kids that have paid the price and have the chops to win the Missouri Valley Conference. Senior guards Randy Burns, Jamar Howard and junior post man Paul Miller have carried the load, and the Shockers have beaten Providence, Tulsa, Austin Peay and Drake on the road. This is a good team.


Pre-Conference All-America Team

First team
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
This was a tough call, because the runner-up at point guard cleaned his clock at Illinois. However, Chris Paul has had a terrific season despite being the cover boy for every magazine except GQ and Maxim. Paul has played as tough a schedule as any point guard in America, and has averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, while shooting over 50 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the line. He is, in my judgment, the best point guard prospect in the nation.
Rashad McCants, North Carolina
An absolute scoring machine. McCants scores points with such ease, it doesn't look like he's even trying. Well, he is. While you can bicker about his commitment to defense, which is questionable at best, you cannot bicker about his talent level and his ability to put points on the board. McCants is averaging 20 points on 53 percent shooting and he is dropping in over 55 percent of his 3s. Factor in that he plays somewhat limited minutes because Carolina is blowing people away, and you have one incredibly efficient scorer.
Luther Head, Illinois
No player has had a better start to the season, and no player has shown as much improvement from one season to the next as Head. He is leading the Illini in scoring at 16.2 ppg, and he is averaging over 5 assists and close to 2 steals per game. He is shooting 53 percent from the field and over 90 percent from the line, and has a 3-to-1 assist/turnover ratio. It is so hard to separate Head from Deron Williams and Dee Brown, but Head has been outstanding.
Wayne Simien, Kansas
If Wayne Simien were healthy in 2003, the Phog would have the national championship banner that now hangs in the Carrier Dome. Now, with Simien's thumb keeping him on a seat next to Bill Self, Simien's great season has taken a minor detour. Simien was averaging over 17 points and 12 rebounds on 55 percent shooting, while hitting over 84 percent from the line. Facing double-teams all year, Simien has put up All-America performances.
Ike Diogu, Arizona State
Ike Diogu is the McCants of interior players. He's the most efficient scorer in the country. He is averaging over 23 points and 10 rebounds, and shoots 63 percent from the field and 88 percent from the line. He scores in the paint and if you foul him, he will kill you from the free throw line. Either way, Diogu is going to score, and because of him, Arizona State is 9-1.

Second Team: Deron Williams, Illinois; J.J. Redick, Duke; Francisco Garcia, Louisville; Joey Graham, Oklahoma State; Craig Smith, Boston College


Pre-Conference Coach of the Year

Bruce Weber, Illinois. You don't just wave a wand and get a group of players to play together like Illinois does. Weber has reached this team. He's taken a group of older kids and has gotten them to play hard together. This is such a "team" that it is hard to take one over the other for an all-star squad. To separate Head and Williams from Dee Brown, who has been truly outstanding, seems almost criminal, given the way this team relates to each other on the floor. When nobody cares who gets the credit, you get Illinois, and you get a legit shot to win it all.

Runners-Up. Mark Turgeon, Wichita State; Karl Hobbs, George Washington; Steve Alford, Iowa; Stan Heath, Arkansas; Mark Few, Gonzaga.


Pre-Conference All-Tough Team

This team is for the toughest players, mentally and physically, in the nation thus far. This may be a harder team to make than the All-America team, and command more respect among coaches.

All-Tough Team
Player Skinny
Aaron Miles, Kansas Pressures the ball, never gets screened and always wins. The Joe Montana of college basketball.
Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh He would throw his grandmomma to the floor to get a loose ball, but he'd pick her back up ... after he scored.
Travis Diener, Marquette Nobody works harder than Diener, and nobody gives more of himself. A great teammate, and he will find a place in the NBA. He's a winner.
P.J. Tucker, Texas I don't care where you play him, or how big he is, I want this guy on my team. Period.
Curtis Withers, Charlotte A terrific offensive rebounder, Withers plays hard, and doesn't need the ball to play.
Chuck Hayes, Kentucky I watched him play in Indianapolis this summer, and while people talked about his shortcomings, his team won every game. This kid is a winner.
Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont Good hands, good feet, good demeanor. Coppenrath will play in the NBA.


Pre-Conference All-Underappreciated Team

Guys who can REALLY play, but are never put out front, because of flashy teammates or because they just play and don't beat their chests or let us know about every bump and bruise.

All-Underappreciated Team
Player Skinny
Daniel Ewing, Duke Hits big shots, plays any position you want and lets his game do his talking.
Jeff Horner, Iowa He can handle, pass and shoot it deep, and he will rebound. Horner always wins his matchup.
Alando Tucker, Wisconsin Athletic and tough, Tucker can bully you for scores and rebounds, now that he's healthy.
Danny Granger, New Mexico A transfer from Bradley, Granger scores in the post or facing up and can shoot it. Solid.
Caleb Green, Oral Roberts At 6-7 and 240, Green is a load and is a double-double machine. Ask Georgetown (26 and 10).
Andrew Bogut, Utah Utah's offense runs through him and he has great hands and instincts. Big-time player.


Pre-Conference All-Defensive Team

All-Defensive Team
Player Skinny
Aaron Miles, Kansas Keys the Kansas defense with his ball pressure, and reassumes pressure well.
Chris Paul, Wake Forest Great hands and feet, and great anticipation skills.
Francsco Garcia, Louisville Long and athletic, he can get steals, deflections and blocked shots.
Eddie Basden, Charlotte Really strong and athletic, he can keep it from you, or bully you and take it away.
Shelden Williams, Duke People make mistakes, so pencils have erasers. Duke has Williams.


Pre-Conference All-Deep Shooters Team

Long-range Threats
Player Skinny
J.J. Redick, Duke Deep range, sets his feet quickly, squares up, and surprises you when he misses.
Brendan Plavich, Charlotte His buzzer-beater against Indiana was not lucky. The farther the better for Plavich.
Rashad McCants, North Carolina Shoots effortlessly from anywhere. Best offensive player in America.
Salim Stoudamire, Arizona Lefty streak-shooter who pulls up in transition. When he's hot, he'll bury you.
Keydren Clark, St. Peter's Small guard, big scorer. He's as consistent a scorer as there is in college basketball.
T.J. Thompson, George Washington Very opportunistic and takes good shots.
Steve Novak, Marquette Long and really accurate. Used well in pick-and-pop situations.
Jeff Horner, Iowa Prototype Midwestern guard&tough, smart and can shoot the heck out of it. Love this kid.
Gerry McNamara, Syracuse The best at nailing the big shot when it is needed most.
Earnest Shelton, Alabama Underrated. A deadeye from deep.
Chris Lofton, Tennessee Relatively unknown coming out of high school, but has a really nice stroke.
Dee Brown, Illinois Brown has really tightened up his shooting stroke. Terrific player.
Chris Hill, Michigan State Smooth and polished, it would be nice if he could just play off the ball. Great demeanor.


Other Honorees

Pre-Conference All-Hands Team: P.J. Tucker, Texas; Nick Fazekas, Nevada; Sean May, North Carolina; Ryan Gomes, Providence; Chris Paul, Wake Forest

Pre-Conference All-Offensive Rebounding Team: Hassan Adams, Arizona; Shelden Williams, Duke; Ike Diogu, Arizona State; P.J. Tucker, Texas; Taj Gray, Oklahoma; Dwayne Jones, Saint Joseph's; Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati; Hakim Warrick, Syracuse; Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech; Chuck Hayes, Kentucky

Pre-Conference All-Potential Team: Rajon Rondo, Kentucky; Rudy Gay, UConn; Chris Taft, Pittsburgh; Adam Morrison, Gonzaga; Marvin Williams, North Carolina

Pre-Conference All-Improved Team: Rodney Carney, Memphis; Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas; Luther Head, Illinois; Brad Buckman, Texas; Shagari Alleyne, Kentucky

Pre-Conference All-Athletic Team: Rodney Carney, Memphis; Joey Graham, Oklahoma State; Nate Robinson, Washington; Guillermo Diaz, Miami; Shannon Brown, Michigan State

Jay Bilas, a college basketball analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.

thank you so much AS

can you please post this article?
http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruitin ... id=1905096

By Tom Lemming
Special to ESPN Insider
With just about one month left in recruiting, the nation's teams are getting down to the serious stage of recruiting. In addition to some of the usual suspects making late runs at top classes, surprising Nebraska and Iowa have jumped into the top 5. Remember, the rankings are projections and based not only on current commitments, but also based on probable signings.

Here's how I see things as of Jan. 4:

Tom Lemming's Top 25 Classes for 2005
Team Comment
1. Nebraska The Cornhuskers now lead the way, and it could be awfully tough for anyone to catch them. All-American DL Ola Dagunduro of Compton Community College is their latest big catch. They would also like to get commitments from DB Reggie Smith, DE Barry Turner and WR Nyan Boateng.
Key commits: QB Harrison Beck, LB Phillip Dillard, OL Craig Roark
2. Michigan The Wolverines have almost reached their scholarship limit and could drop a few spots by signing day. OL Marquis Slocum and DL James McKinney are their top remaining targets.
Key commits: RB Kevin Grady, WR Mario Manningham, RB Mister Simpson, DB/WR Antonio Bass, DB Brandon Harrison, OL David Moosman
3. Tennessee Phil Fulmer has the Volunteers poised to have one of their best classes in years. RB Toney Baker, WR Patrick Turner and OL Michael Oher top their wish list.
Key commits: DL Wes Brown, RB LaMarcus Coker, QB Jonathan Crompton
4. Georgia The Bulldogs have done an outstanding job landing out-of-state talent and would love to get their hands on in-state prospects OL Chris Scott, DL Kyle Moore and WR Carlos Thomas.
Key commits: QB Joe Cox, WR Mohamed Massaquoi, DB C.J. Byrd, DL Kade Weston
5. Iowa The Hawkeyes are easily the biggest surprise this recruiting season. Iowa already has several commits from blue-chip athletes and are closing in on OL Dan Doering, OL Dace Richardson, TE Anthony Moeaki, DL Ryan Bain
Key commits: DL Tyler Blum, QB Jake Christensen, DL Alex Kanellis, WR Trey Stross, RB Kalvin Bailey
6. USC The Trojans are poised to strike fast and hard. Losing their top recruiter Ed Ogeron to Ole Miss will hurt, but not significantly. RB Jason Gwaltney, LB Luther Brown, WR Patrick Turner, RB Jonathon Stewart are all considering USC.
Key commit: QB Matt Sanchez, DE Averell Spicer
7. Texas A&M The Aggies have done a great job evaluating talent and are still in on several top Southwest prospects.
Key commits: OL Robbie Frost, OL Lee Grimes, OL/DL Vincent Williams, RB Jorvorskie Lane
8. Oklahoma No surprise here. The Sooners have become a national recruiting force, and already have several top commitments from around the country.
Key commits: DB Keenan Clayton, WR Eric Huggins, WR Malcolm Kelly
9. Miami The Hurricanes may have lost Martellus Bennett, but have gained Dajleon Farr and are close on several South Florida stars.
Key commits: TE Dajleon Farr, QB Derek Shaw, OL Reggie Youngblood, LB Demitri Stewart
10. Texas The Longhorns are close on TE Martellus Bennett and DL Roy Miller and are in hot pursuit of RB R.J. Jackson, DL Demarcus Granger and WR Fred Rouse.
Key commits: RB Jamaal Charles, LB Chris Collins, QB Ryan Perrilloux, RB/DE Henry Melton,
11. Virginia Tech The Hokies landed the state's top two prospects, Elan Lewis and Victor Harris, and are still in hot pursuit of several other Atlantic Coast standouts.
Key commits: OL Antonio North, LB Deveon Simmons, TE Ed Wang, RB Elan Lewis, DB Victor Harris
12. Ohio State It's a down year for talent in the Buckeye State, so coach Jim Tressel and his staff took the top local players and have set their sights on several big national names.
Key commits: OL Alex Boone, DB Jamario O'Neal, QB Rob Schoenhoft
13. Virginia The Cavaliers are just about finished with very few scholarships left to give. They have dropped from No. 1, but this class still will go down as one of their best ever.
Key commits: DL Antonio Appleby, OL Eugene Monroe, RB Rashawn Jackson
14. Auburn The Tigers, taking advantage of their undefeated season, are doing a great job in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. they are still in on DL Jerrell Powe and RB Antone Smith.
Key commits: LB Tray Blackmon, WR Montez Billings, LB Alonzo Horton
15. Penn State This may be the Nittany Lions' fastest class ever. Walker Ashley, Melvin Alaeze, Jon Hannah are still possible commitments.
Key commits: WR Derrick Williams, DB Knowledge Timmons, DB Justin King
16. Purdue This could be the Boilermakers' best class in years. They completely dominated in Indiana and have done a good job around the rest of the Midwest.
Key commits: QB Joey Elliot, DL Michael Neal, WR Greg Orton, DL J.B. Paxson
17. Clemson The Tigers have a long and impressive list of commitments, led by WR Rendrick Taylor, LB Josh Miller and OL Jamarcus Grant.
Key commits: OL Jamarcus Grant, WR Rendrick Taylor, LB Josh Miller
18. Arizona Mike Stoops and his staff have done an excellent job recruiting inTexas and have commitments from four of the top eight players in Arizona.
Key commits: TE Jermichael Finley, DB Corey Hall, QB William Tuitama
19. Florida Urban Meyer has already started to work his magic and has several national recruits interested in visiting Gainesville during the month of January.
Key commits: DB Avery Atkins, DL Vladimir Richard, LB Kalvin Baker, QB Josh Portis
20. Alabama The Crimson Tide's class has no superstars, but does have an awful lot of potential blue-chip athletes, the biggest being former LSU commitment Chris Keys.
Key commits: DB Chris Keys, TE Charles Hoke, QB Jimmy Barnes, OL Evan Cardwell
21. Florida State The Seminoles are limited in the numbers department at the moment, but don't let that fool you. FSU is very close on several of the nation's top stars and has a great shot of finishing in the top 10.
Key commit: RB Matt Dunham, DL Justin Mincey, DB Michael Ray Garvin
22. California The Bears have become the No. 2 team in California, trailing only the Trojans. Cal is doing a great job throughout the West Coast.
Key commits: WR Lavelle Hawkins, LB Tony Felder, DB Syd'Quan Thompson
23. LSU No one knows if the Tigers will move up or down the recruiting poll. Nick Saban was an outstanding recruiter and had the Tigers poised for a top 10 finish. Now, several other top LSU recruits have started to look elsewhere. New coach Les Miles will have to regroup quickly .
Key commits: RB Antonio Robinson. OL Ciron Black, DB Chris Hawkins
24. Maryland The Terps got off to a great start, but have slowed up a bit lately. This class is loaded outstanding athletes and a couple of sleepers like DB Chris Rogers, DB Anthony Wiseman and RB Morgan Green.
Key commits: LB Dave Philistin, WR Darius Heyward-Bey
25. Notre Dame It is astounding to me that the Irish would ever be considered a sleeper in a top 10 recruiting poll, but that's exactly what they are at this moment. New coach Charlie Weis has hit the ground running, personally calling close to 200 prospects. The Irish are now in on several of the nation's top players and could wind up in the top 20 when it is all said and done.
Key commits: QB Evan Sharpley, TE Joey Hiben, LB Scott Smith

Can you please find me a copy of Eddie Izzard's "Dressed to Kill" on DVD?

thanks so much AS!

I have it on CD, want a copy? I wasn't aware it was out on DVD...

I had it on VHS (had to order it from England) and then I went to the hospital for surgery and when I came home it was just gone.

I love Izzard. I saw the "sexie" tour in '03.

I saw it too! All he really did was rant about the President. That, and I was in the last row of the theater and it must have been 120 degrees in there.

Did I leave the oven on? No, I'm a fucking squirrel.

That's too bad - he didn't rant on too much about the President in Boston, at least the night we went, and we had really great seats. Sorry about your time.

You killed 100,000 people? Well done.

Sorry, she started it,
Anyone else need some insider articles

i'm just kidding around

thanks for posting the article!

I just recently bought insider and it was worth it... it's awesome

anyone have a copy of the 95 pearl jam movie?

yes

HEY! why did I get in trouble for doing the same thing a couple weeks ago?

cause you are no Jack kennedy