Northeastern athletics announced via e-mail yesterday that the basketball program received a gift of $100,000 from NU alumnus Hank Datelle.
Below is an excerpt of the e-mail:
BOSTON, Mass. – - Northeastern University Athletics Director Peter Roby today announced a $100,000 gift to the men’s basketball program from Hank Datelle of Atlanta, GA.
The gift will be utilized to support and enhance student-athlete recruiting. “This extremely generous gift from Hank Datelle will enhance our basketball program and will serve as the foundation of our goal towards sustained excellence in basketball,” said Peter Roby. All of us at Northeastern are grateful for Hank’s loyal commitment to the university.
Read more…
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… but we can give you some much-needed Off The Wires action! On the eve of Northeastern’s game against Towson, let’s present some links (something we’ve been neglecting to do):
>>> First, Bob Ryan surveys the local college hoops scene and says you should get out to Matthews Arena to see a game. [Boston Globe]
>>> Darren Costa posts an interview with Brad Thiessen. [Life Being Husky]
>>> Former Rutgers basketball player Christine Huber has transferred to Northeastern. [Newark Star Ledger]
>>> Nancy Marrapese-Burrell says it all in her headline for this game story – last night’s win against Providence will definitely sit well with the team. [Boston Globe]
>>> Mike Litos picks Northeastern as 8-point favorites over Towson. [CAA Hoops]
>>> Finally, the pollercoaster might not be making much news to Huskies fans, but think about this: NU is now 27th in the latest hockey RPI and is one win away from a .500 overall record this season. [USCHO]
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We have a backlog of stuff to do here at WRBB, so let’s give you today’s/this weekend’s stories:
>>> We have recaps of Friday’s NU/BU game from Katy Fitzpatrick and Scott Weighart [USCHO.com], as well as the Globe’s Nancy Marrapese-Burrell [Boston Globe].
>>> Marty Dobrow covered Saturday’s football game for the local press [Boston Globe], while the folks in Western Mass had a different take on the game [Springfield Republican].
>>> Several Huskies were named to the women’s soccer all-CAA team, while Ed Matz was named coach of the year [CAA Sports].
>>> Brendan Hall looks at Northeastern’s 5-1 blowout loss to BC on Saturday [Boston Globe]
>>> Chris Rawlings is the Hockey East rookie of the week [Hockey East Online]
>>> Matt Holt updates us on Eugene Spates’ European basketball escapades. [Huskies on the Move]
>>> Kyle Whelliston’s Essay Season 2009 is complete, each is a fantastic read – it really puts our passion for sports in perspective. [The Mid Majority]
Look out for the ‘ol Pollercoaster tomorrow, plus our basketball preview show later in the week!
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Bobby Kelly (Photo: GoNU.com)
>>> Northeastern will print new T-shirts, this after an embarrassing grammar gaffe on the ones distributed last Friday. [Huntington News]
>>> Mike Litos provides his thoughts on CAA basketball media day, held on Tuesday. [CAA Hoops]
>>> NU’s Huskies Insider blog catches up with Basketball alum Bobby Kelley. [The Huskies Insider]
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>>> Brad Thiessen made eight saves and was credited with the win, making his debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in the NHL pre-season opener. Joe Vitale was also in the game. The Pens rallied to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime. [Penguins via Huskies Insider] Listen to the third period and overtime here: http://penguins.nhl.com/club/podcastbrowser.htm
>>> Men’s basketball will open the 2009 season at Siena on November 17th. It’s part of ESPN’s 24-hour College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon to start the year. [ESPN Media Zone]
>>> Andy Katz, on the NU/Siena matchup: “The Huskies should be in the thick of the race for the Colonial title and the Saints are the new NCAA darling after consecutive first-round tournament wins over Vanderbilt and Ohio State.” [ESPN.com]
>>> Northeastern women’s soccer was voted the #1 team in the Mid-Atlantic region by the NSCAA. In addition, they are receiving votes in the national poll. They will face the BU Terriers this Friday at Parsons Field, with live coverage on GoNU.tv [NSCAA]
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>>> In the world of scheduling Northeastern football, flexibility is the name of the game. Michigan and Connecticut have finalized their agreement to play a home-and-home series during the 2010 and 2013 seasons. Their 2010 game will be on September 4th in Ann Arbor, which conflicts with the Northeastern/UConn game scheduled for September 2nd. As a result, NU will play UConn later in the season on October 9th. [Hartford Courant]
>>> A former member of Northeastern’s mens crew team, Will Miller has been named to the U.S. team competing in the World Rowing Championships. [Patriot Ledger]
>>> Ryan Gibbons may make up to $400,000 as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys this season, according to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. [Via Diehard Dogs on Twitter]
We also see that ESPN released their schedule for College Gameday (the basketball version). Sadly, Northeastern isn’t on the list. However, if it’s any consolation, there will be an ESPN-sponsored Bracketbuster game at Matthews Arena later this year.
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>>> Former Husky Ryan Gibbons has a “legitimate chance” to play for the Dallas Cowboys this coming season, that from reporter/blogger Tim MacMahon out of Dallas. Gibbons, who graduated after the 2005 season, has been on the Cowboys’ practice squad. [Dallas Morning News via Diehard Dogs]
>>> After hearing that news, we are reminded of this article, which contains a brief section about Cord Parks, who is battling for an opening as a backup with the St. Louis Rams. [St Louis Post-Dispatch]
>>> This morning, we saw a note that Chaisson Allen has a new website. The site, Chase Me Online, does not appear to be completely finished yet. There is a functional photo gallery, but other features will probably be added as the season draws closer.
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Photo: GoNU.com
WRBB Sports is confirming that Eugene Spates will be playing basketball next season. Spates will play for a team in Luxembourg. Spates is currently back in the Boston area to train with the team before he takes the trip east. Stay tuned to wrbbsports.com for more information soon. Spates has confirmed via his twitter account, @Genespates
WRBB Sports Basketball Alumni
>>> Mike Litos chimes in with his early analysis of Northeastern’s ”experience paradox.” Essentially, NU has a good deal of experienced starters, and a heavily inexperienced bench. He also looks at team “themes” from around the CAA. [The CAA: Life as a Mid Major]
>>> Eugene Spates, who graduated earlier this year, will play basketball in Luxembourg this fall. We are working on the story, and we will continue to update.
>>> The Boston Globe reports that tickets for the upcoming college hockey Winter Classic games will be reasonably priced. Ticket prices will be capped at $99 for the doubleheader, which features Northeastern’s women’s hockey team in the opening game against UNH. However, if you want to see the game in the toasty warmth of one of the luxury boxes, you will have to shell out more than $99. Hey, you can’t have it all. [Boston Globe]
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