Ball State

College Football: Western Michigan @ #15 Ball State Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:44:41 -0500

The undefeated Ball State Cardinals still have a bit of business to take care of in their regular season finale. Brady Hoke's team still hasn't clinched a spot in the MAC Championship Game, which would come with a victory over Western Michigan tonight in Muncie (7 PM ESPN2). The winner heads to Detroit on December 5th, while the loser would be at the mercy of the powers that be in regards to team selection for bowl games. QB Nate Davis has been explosive in leading one of the nation's best passing attacks, and the Broncos will most certainly have their hands full on defense. But Bill Cubit has an outstanding quarterback of his own in Tim Hiller, who a few weeks back lit up Illinois in Detroit to knock off the Illini. Both signal-callers will put up solid numbers, but Coach Hoke has the better team and will clinch the championship game berth.

Navy @ Northern Illinois 7 PM on ESPN Classic

While this game amounts to both an opportunity for a seventh win and a tune-up heading into their battle with rival Army next weekend for Navy, the objective for the Huskies is far more simple: a seventh win gives them a shot at a bowl berth. With NIU in a division with Ball State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan it'll be a tough proposition anyway, but with just six wins they'd essentially have no argument at all in regards to a bowl berth. Jerry Kill's team has struggled on offense, but thanks to the top defense in the MAC they still have six wins on the year. And that unit will have to be at its best to slow down the Midshipmen's high-powered rushing attack, led currently by RB Shun White and QB Ricky Dobbs. In last season's 35-24 win in Annapolis Navy ran for 360 yards. Expect more of the same in a close Midshipmen victory.

Coaching Changes

The following schools have relieved head coaches of their duties in the past few days:

Eastern Michigan (Jeff Genyk), San Diego State (Chuck Long), Utah State (Brent Guy) and Wyoming (Joe Glenn). Bill Snyder will return to Kansas State to replace the recently dismissed Ron Prince.

College Football: #17 Ball State @ Central Michigan Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:36:40 -0500

Before getting into a preview of the games on tap for Tuesday and Wednesday, there may be an important development in the BCS. Not who plays in it but which network televises the games. ESPN, according to may sources, is on the verge of acquiring the rights to the BCS from 2011-2014 with Fox unlikely to match their offer. If you're like me, you scratched your head the past few years and wondered why a network that devotes little time to college football during the regular season gets to show the season's biggest games. And you were probably celebrating when you heard the news, even though that means all BCS games other than the Rose Bowl (with a TV deal separate from the rest of the BCS) will be shown on cable. Now on to the two games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday: Northern Illinois @ Kent State 7 PM (no TV)

A college basketball marathon takes precedence over this game between teams looking to end their seasons on a positive note. NIU still needs a win to become bowl eligible, but given the strength of the teams ahead of them in the MAC West Jerry Kill's squad has quite the hill to climb to receive an invitation. Kent State is essentially playing out the string even though they beat Temple last week. The Huskies have the best defense in the MAC, and should do enough to slow down RB Eugene Jarvis and get the victory on the road.

Wednesday: #17 Ball State @ Central Michigan 7 PM on ESPN2

This is the game of the year in the Mid-American Conference, with the Cardinals chasing an undefeated season and conference title. But they're on the road in this one, which is fitting since the road to the MAC crown should go through Mount Pleasant. Butch Jones' Chippewas are the defending champions, and they've got Dan LeFevour back at quarterback after he missed time due to injury. But in Nate Davis, the Cardinals have one of the nation's most prolific passers and the odd-on favorite to unseat LeFevour as conference Player of the Year. This is the first game of a tough two-game swing to end the year for the Cardinals, who host Western Michigan on the 25th. As powerful as Ball State has been on offense this season, this is the game where they get tripped up. Central Michigan wins this one and moves one step closer to defending their MAC title.

Houston named FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

That tends to happen when you hang seventy on a ranked opponent. Thanks to their 70-30 win over then-#23 Tulsa, the Cougars were named National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Also nominated were Florida (56-6 win over South Carolina), Northwestern (21-14 win over Michigan) and Vanderbilt (31-24 win at Kentucky; bowl-eligible for the first time since 1982).

Two more coaches were fired on Monday, and one unexpectedly resigned.

The unlucky two are Greg Robinson (Syracuse) and Brent Guy (Utah State). Neither was a surprise, given their records and the coals being stirred under their seats when the season began. That's the complete opposite of Rocky Long, who decided to resign as the head coach at New Mexico after eleven seasons in Albuquerque. Long leaves UNM with a record of 65-69, but that record doesn't tell the full story of what he did at his alma mater. The Lobos were traditionally a tough out under Long, with this season's 4-8 record being the exception rather than the rule.

Ball Stats Inks Pair of Recruits

Press Release — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:54:27 -0500

MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State men's basketball head coach Billy Taylor announced the signings of Huzie Hambrite (Indianapolis, Ind./Lake Land College/Northwest) and Jauwan Scaife (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) to national letters of intent Friday during the early signing period. Hambrite and Scaife will begin their Ball State careers during the 2009-10 season.

"We are very excited to get Huzie and Jauwan into our Ball State basketball program as they address some needs in our program," Taylor said. "We are very happy we are able to attract quality student-athletes from the state of Indiana that will have an impact on our program."

Hambrite, a 6-0 point guard from Indianapolis, Ind., is entering his second season at Lake Land College (Ill.) under the guidance of head coach Cedric Brown. He led the Lakers in scoring last season as a freshman as he averaged 16 points per game, while also leading the team in assists (101) and steals (29). He opened his sophomore season Wednesday with 12 points and six assists as he led Lake Land to a 93-76 victory over Parkland College.

Hambrite played interscholastically at Indianapolis Northwest High School. He was named to the Hoosier Basketball Magazine Top 40 in the state as a senior in 2006-07. He is the son of Huzie and Denise Hambrite.

"Huzie is a fast, talented and athletic point guard that can score in a variety of ways," Taylor said. "He brings strong ball-handling skills and playmaking ability to our team. He is proven to be a very potent scorer and has a well-rounded game. He has the ability to pressure the ball and use his speed on the defensive end of the floor to generate offense."

Scaife, 6-2 guard from Muncie, plays at Muncie Central for head coach Matt Fine. He averaged 14.5 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per contest as a junior. He made 46.9 percent of his field goals, including a 46.8 percent clip from three-point land. He was selected as a North Six member of the Junior All-Stars last summer.

Scaife was tabbed as the "Top Sleeper" in the 2008-09 Indiana senior class by the Rick Bolus High Potential Report. He played AAU basketball for the Spiece Indy Heat. He is the son of Robert and Wilisha Scaife, and is the cousin of former Ball State standout Bonzi Wells.

"Jauwan is a very talented, hard-nosed guard with a tremendous shooting range," Taylor said. "He brings a very sweet shooting touch as well as an ability to make mid-range jump shots to our team. He comes from a very successful and respected program at Muncie Central. The success he has had over his high school career should translate into future success at Ball State. He also has tremendous character and leadership skills, which will be attributes in our program."

College Football: #14 Ball State @ Miami (Ohio) Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:35:49 -0500

Another week another set of midweek games from the MAC, with the first featuring an undefeated Ball State team looking to work its way into the BCS. But with games remaining against Central Michigan and Western Michigan the Cardinals will have a hard enough time winning the MAC West let alone going undefeated. But tonight brings a trip to Oxford to take on the Redhawks of Miami (OH), who find themselves in the middle of a heated battle for the MAC East. Every team in the division has at least two conference losses, which could make for a serious mismatch (on paper) when the two divisional champs meet on December 5th. The game matching two of the preseason favorites can be seen at 7 PM EST on ESPN2, and look for QB Nate Davis to lead Ball State to a routine road victory.

Wednesday's Games

-Temple @ Kent State 8 PM EST on ESPN360

The Owls find themselves one game out of first place in the MAC East despite having the conference's worst offense. Kent State hasn't been much better, but with four league losses the Golden Flashes still can entertain thoughts of winning the division. Unless Akron, Buffalo or Bowling Green wins the division, there's a strong chance that the East representative could be either playing for bowl eligibility or looking to win the conference even though they wouldn't be bowl eligible. As for this game, look for the Golden Flashes to win at home and further muddle the divisional race.

- Central Michigan @ Northern Illinois 8 PM EST on ESPN2

A showdown in the west that is essentially an elimination game for Jerry Kill's Huskies. Thanks to their loss to Ball State NIU would need a lot of help to win the division, but given the status of the East they could very well be playing for a bowl game in this one. Central Michigan, on the other hand, hasn't missed a beat with Brian Brunner playing quarterback for the injured Dan LeFevour. LeFevour could be back for this one, but there shouldn't be much concern if he isn't. Northern Illinois has the best defense in the MAC, but this two-game stretch (Ball State and then CMU) can kill those numbers in a hurry. NIU will be competitive, but look for the Chippewas to take care of business and set up a showdown next week with Ball State.

FWAA Awards for this week:

- Iowa was named FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week thanks to their 24-23 home win over then-#3 Penn State. Other nominees were #2 Texas Tech (56-20 win over Oklahoma State) and #8 Utah (13-10 win over TCU).

- Alabama safety Rashad Johnson was named FWAA/Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week due to his performance at LSU on Saturday. Johnson had three interceptions (one for a TD) along with four tackles and one-half sack in the Crimson Tide's 27-21 overtime win in Baton Rouge.

MAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:17:57 -0500

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Conference Rank: 13th

10 year average: 13th

MAC Conference Page

All-MAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Al Fisher	Kent State	Sr
G	Michael Bramos	Miami	Sr
G/F	David Kool	Western Mich.	Jr
F	Anthony Newell	Ball State	Sr
F	Jerome Tillman	Ohio	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Michael Bramos Al Fisher		Points: Anthony Newell (Ball) 16.9 Tyrone Kent (Toledo) 16.9 Rebounds: Anthony Newell 8.0 Assists: Michael Allen (Ohio) 4.0

MAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

41	Kent State	MAC	1	NCAA
73	Miami (OH)	MAC	2	NIT
97	Western Michigan	MAC	3
122	Central Michigan	MAC	4
129	Ohio	MAC	5
173	Akron	MAC	6
178	Toledo	MAC	7
196	Bowling Green	MAC	8
238	Eastern Michigan	MAC	9
256	Ball State	MAC	10
291	Buffalo	MAC	11
298	Northern Illinois	MAC	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAC?

Other MAC Content

Head Coach Q&A's

Charlie Coles: Miami

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: MAC

State of 08: Ohio

College Football: Miami (Ohio) @ Buffalo Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:17:59 -0500

I'm not going to even get into my opinion as to teams playing on Election Day (I sure hope the Miami (Ohio) and Buffalo players get to the polls), but there is football to be played on both Tuesday and Wednesday with all three games being MAC matchups. Could Ball State be a possible upset victim on Wednesday night? Who will take control of a muddled MAC East race after these two days? Here's a preview of the three games on the slate for Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Tuesday: Miami-Ohio (2-6, 1-3) @ Buffalo (4-4, 2-2) 7:30 PM EST on ESPN2

The Bulls are currently tied with Akron atop the MAC East standings, with the Redhawks just a game back in the standings. The division race has been every bit as wild as what's been going on in the ACC but without the same amount of national television coverage. But in QB Drew Willy the Bulls have one of the better signal-callers in the MAC. Miami will most certainly have their hands full with Buffalo, especially when you take into consideration the following two statistical rankings: Miami is tied for last in turnover margin and twelfth in total offense. Yes the Redhawks are second in the conference in total defense, but the fact that their offense struggles to put points on the board will cost them in this one. Buffalo wins and gives a little clarity to the East race.

Wednesday's Games

Northern Illinois @ #17 Ball State 8 PM EST on ESPN2

The race in the MAC West is wide-open in regards to the top four in the division, but thankfully for the conference those four teams are with either zero or one league loss. An NIU win in Muncie would throw the race for a loop and eliminate any small, correction miniscule, chance that the Cardinals would have to crash the BCS party. QB Nate Davis is arguably the best quarterback in the conference, but he'll have his hands full with the league's top-ranked defense. And if Brady Hoke isn't the unanimous choice for MAC Coach of the Year then don't be surprised if one of those votes went to Northern Illinois' Jerry Kill, who has the Huskies one win away from bowl eligibilty in his first year in DeKalb. But they don't get that sixth win here, for the Cardinals have too much offensive firepower to drop this one at home.

Toledo (2-6, 1-3) @ Akron (4-4, 2-2) 8 PM EST on ESPNU

It's been a tough year for the Rockets, who announced today that head coach Tom Amstutz would step down at season's end and take on a fundraising role within the athletic department. The problems for Toledo have been on offense, with the conference's eleventh-ranked attack struggling to establish a consistent passing game and failing to hold onto the football (11th in turnover margin). The Zips, on the other hand, find themselves tied with Buffalo atop the MAC East due to a ranking of third in the MAC in turnover margin and fifth in total offense. But the Rockets do have a shot at putting some points on the board due to Akron being one of the poorer defenses in the MAC (12th in total defense). So even though the Rockets would like to win one for their soon-to-be departed head coach, look for the Zips to pull out a close one.

- Phil Fulmer steps down at Tennessee.

Unless you've been away from a computer, radio or television all day then you know that Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer will be stepping down come season's end. The main culprits in this: the eleventh-ranked offense in the SEC and recent struggles to beat rivals Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Add to this a decline in the quality of recent recruiting classes and you have all the makings for a departure. Fulmer is currently 150-51 at Tennessee and won a national title back in 1998. The Volunteers (3-6, 1-5) need to win out to reach bowl eligibility this season and host equally struggling Wyoming on Saturday.

-Texas Tech named FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

Thanks to their exciting 39-33 home win over then-#1 Texas the Red Raiders were named National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Other nominees were Florida (49-10 win over Georgia) and Northwestern (24-17 win over Minnesota clinched with an interception return for a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining).

State of '08: Indiana

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:33:31 -0400

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Indiana. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

INDIANA

INDIANA - Considering all the turmoil this program has gone through, Indiana's still topped ND in the RPI for 9 of the last 10 seasons. While Indiana will surely struggle this year, and probably next as well, you still have to figure in time the Hoosiers will regain their place on top of the state's basketball pyramid.

NOTRE DAME - From 1991 to 2000, ND missed the NCAA Tournament every season. But in Mike Brey's eight seasons, the Irish have reached the holy land 5 times. This year, expectations are as high as ever, and a Top 10 ranking is not out of the question.

BUTLER - Who has been the top team in Indiana over the last two seasons? Butler, according to the computer rankings. Brad Stevens picked up where Todd Lickliter left off and led the Bulldogs to an amazing 30-4 overall record. In the last 12 years, Butler has made 7 NCAA Tournaments and 3 NITs. In fact, they've had more Tourney wins recently than ND. But I give the Irish the edge for more consistent success, being in a better conference, and because they'll probably outperform Butler in the next two seasons.

PURDUE - Despite getting tons of hype last season, Purdue probably wasn't as good as many think. They mostly beat up on weak Big Ten teams and poor non-conference opponents. But the program is obviously going in the right direction, and a more legit Top 20 finish is likely this season. Still, the Boilers haven't topped ND in the RPI since the turn of the century, and haven't surpassed Indiana since 2003.

VALPARAISO - From 1996 to 2004, Valpo made the Big Dance an amazing 7 out of 8 tries. The last four seasons have been a bit more pedestrian as the program has made the move to the bigger Horizon League. But the Crusaders still knocked off 5 Top 100 teams last year, and should once again make the postseason in 2009 (NIT or CBI).

6. IUPUI - Ron Hunter continues to do a great job in Indianapolis. Since 2003, the same year IUPUI shocked many by making the Big Dance, the Jaguars have consistently finished in the upper half of the Summit League. Without George Hill, their might be a bit of slippage in 08-09, but I still expect an RPI better than 175 or so.

7. INDIANA STATE - In 2000 & 2001, Indiana State was one of the country's darling mid-majors, making the tourney in back to back to seasons, and upsetting 4-seed Oklahoma in 01. But the program has run into some lean seasons, and there hasn't been a .500 or better finish since then. But beginning in 2003, the Sycamores' RPI has improved every year (from 260 to 128), a trend which could very well continue in 2009.

8. EVANSVILLE - The Purple Aces are in the bit of a slump, and Marty Simmons has a lot of work picking up the pieces left by Steve Merfeld. Evansville hasn't reached the .500 mark in MVC play since 2001, and almost certainly won't accomplish that feat in 2009. At least they managed to beat Ball State on the road early last year.

9. BALL STATE - In the 80's and 90's, and really up until 2004 or so, Ball State was a consistently solid program that was always competitive in the MAC. But somewhere along the way, the bottom has fallen off, and the Cardinals haven't even won 10 games in the last four campaigns. Another sub-200 RPI should be expected in 08-09.

10. IPFW - Relatively new to D1 (2004), IPFW has shown signs of improvement every year. Officially joining the Summit League was a big step last year, and finishing 9-9 in conference play was a pleasant surprise.

Last: Georgia - Next: Indiana

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list)

Daily Dribble: Gaudio, Taylor, and the Celtics

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:54:18 -0400

Give credit to Wake Forest for making the right decision in naming Dino Gaudio the successor to Skip Prosser. Perhaps the lack of time prevented them from even considering a "bigger name" coach, but regardless of why the decision was made, it was the right one. Gaudio's 68-124 career head coaching record doesn't look good.. but only a magician could have been able to win at Army or Loyola in the 90's. I've long felt that with limited exceptions, success as a head coach is more about recruiting then x's & o's. Its hard to say with most recruits how much of a pull the head coach had on the player as opposed to any of the assistants. Gaudio is regarded as having been a major cog in Wake's recent recruiting success, particularly with the monster 2008 class. In Al-Faroug Amin, Ty Walker, and Tony Woods you're talking about 3 beasts. This year's pull of James Johnon, Jeff Teague, and Gary Clark was nice.. guys in the top 50-120ish range. But the 2008 trio is at the level that only Duke or Kansas can usually match. People will talk about how Gaudio was Prosser's long-time right-hand man and how he will make the smoothest transition. Those things are nice, but the cold hard fact of the matter is that Gaudio makes sense because he gives the program the best chance of keeping the 2008 recruits happy. Happy, big time recruits equal wins. The other coaching move of the day was Billy Taylor's hiring at Ball State. I'm not going to get into the circumstances by which Ronny Thompson left the program, allegations of racism and other wrongdoing. The facts are too murky to really know.. but I do know the hiring of Taylor is a steal. Its been a foregone conclusion for at least two years now that Taylor would leave Lehigh in due time. His name came up in connection with many openings the past couple years. And why wouldn't it? In just a handful of seasons at Lehigh, he took the program to unprecedented success. They were 5-23 the year before he arrived, and then they made the Big Dance in 2004. Last year was Taylor's most disappointing season as the Mountain Hawks only beat 10 D1 teams.. so he possibly got out just in the nick of time. But considering Ball State's recent troubles and the cloud under which the program currently sits, its hard to imagine finding a more capable coach than Taylor. Finally, moving on to the NBA for a second. I missed out writing on the Kevin Garnett trade. But let me say this, the Celtics are overrated. The two most important positions in the NBA are point guard and center, and its been this way pretty much for the league's history. The only player to transcend that reality is Michael Jordan, which is why he is far and away the best player in the league's history.. and why Lebron's early success has been so striking. Kevin Garnett is not such a talent, Allen has about a year left in the tank.. and both he and Pierce are coming off sub 60-game seasons. Those three guys along with Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo add up to a solid, but not finals-worthy team. In two years when this team hasn't won anything.. and the franchise has no young talent.. things will seem an awful lot like they did last year in Celtic-land. The fact that there were reports of Reggie Miller making a comeback with Boston (seriously, is today April Fools?) is not a good sign..

Billy Taylor to be Named Ball State Head Coach

Press Release — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:31:44 -0400

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Billy Taylor, who completed his fifth season as head coach at Lehigh University, has been named the 18th head men’s basketball coach in Ball State University history, according to BSU athletics director Tom Collins.

“It was clear that Billy Taylor wanted to be the head coach at Ball State University,” Collins said. “Billy has head coaching experience, Midwest roots and played at Notre Dame. He learned from the best in John MacLeod and Fran McCaffrey and was highly successful in a great league. Perhaps even more important, he cares about the student-athletes and is a proven winner.”

Taylor, a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, will be formally introduced as the Cardinals’ head coach at an 11 a.m. press conference Wednesday in the Alumni Lounge at Worthen Arena in Muncie.

Ball State Signs Three Recruits

Press Release — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:00:00 -0400

MUNCIE, Ind. -- C.J. Clark (Cypress, Texas/Cypress Springs H.S.), Laron Frazier (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan H.S.) and Deontay Twyman (Sandy Spring, Md./Sherwood H.S.) have each signed a national letter of intent to attend Ball State University and compete for the men’s basketball team, according to head coach Ronny Thompson.

“We are excited to add these three young men to our program,” Thompson says. “They each have the ability to contribute immediately and impact our program.”

Clark, a 6-foot-7 forward, joins the Ball State program after spending last season at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. He earned Honorable Mention on the All Region XIV at Panola after averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game. Clark shot 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and 78 percent from the free throw line. After playing at Cypress Spring High School in Houston, Clark signed with Colorado State and played in 12 games as a freshman for the Rams. “C.J. is a versatile player,” Thompson says. “He can legitimately play three different positions. His athleticism and length are assets, as is his ability to knock down shots.”

Frazier, a 6-0 point guard, helped Highland Community College to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in 2007. As the starting point guard, Frazier averaged 14 points and six assists per game en route to being named the Arrowhead Conference Player of the Year. He was also named the Region IV Most Valuable Player and a Second Team NJCAA Division I All-America.

“Laron was a second-team All-American,” Thompson says. “I think having the accolades he has says something about the type of competitor he is. As a point guard, Laron has the ability to shoot and knock down shots. He also has a great ability to create shots for his teammates.”

Twyman, a 6-0 guard, was the first athlete in 17 years to be named All-Met in both basketball and football by The Washington Post. Twyman led Sherwood to the 4A Championship after averaging 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals per game as a senior. His team posted the most wins in school history with a 23-4 record and he finished his prep career with over 1,200 points in his career.

In addition to basketball, Twyman led Sherwood to consecutive Maryland 4A State Finals in football as a quarterback. He registered over 7,000 yards with 80 touchdown passes.

“Deontay is an explosive scoring guard,” Thompson says. “To be an All-Met selection in basketball and football shows Deontay knows how to compete. He can create and hit shots. I am excited to add Deontay to our program.”

The trio of signees join Kevin Ford (Portland, Ore./ Jefferson H.S.), Rob Giles (Detroit, Mich./Crockett H.S.), Robert Martina (Pompano Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach H.S.), Melvin Goins (Humble, Texas/Christian Life Center Academy) and Malik Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Lutheran Christian Academy), who have already committed to the BSU program for 2007-08.