Announcements

Gathering of Former Players

I was informed by one of my fellow letterwinners that the Football Letterwinners association will be having a picnic at 3:30PM on April 25th prior to the annual Spring Game. As a result, I would like to modify the plans and invite all former football Scarlet Knights to Athlete's Glenn at 3:30PM.

Please spread the word. It would be great to see everyone again.

Informational

Please note that we are having problems with our old domain www.rutgersfootball.com. This also effects any e-mail going to Donald "Big Dog" Forbes at BigDog@Rutgersfootball.com. Everyone that needs to e-mail me, please use DForbes@Theinsiders.com.

As a result of the problems, the redirect or access to the URL is no longer working. Please inform anyone who might be having problems.
Thank you!!!

Football

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Women's Basketball

The fourth-seeded Rutgers women’s basketball team (20-7, 13-3 BIG EAST) will begin the 2003 NCAA Tournament with a first-round game against 13th-seeded Western Kentucky (22-8, 12-2 Sun Belt) Saturday, March 22. Tipoff at Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum (10,075) is at 11:18 a.m. In the other first-round game, fifth-seeded Georgia (19-9, 10-4 SEC) will play 12th-seeded Charlotte (21-8, 12-2 Conference USA). The winners of the two first-round games will meet in the second round Monday, March 24, in Athens.
No. 4 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (20-7, 13-3 BIG EAST) vs.
No. 13 Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (22-8, 12-2 Sun Belt)

If anything, Shalicia Hurns at least has her act down for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Here she was in a practice scrimmage yesterday at Rutgers. The junior forward was mugged. Hacked. Hammered. At least that's what she claimed as she howled for a foul call.
The theatrics worked. Hurns got the call and stepped to the line with her team trailing by two points and no time remaining in a practice scrimmage. The crowd --primarily team managers -- booed and waved their arms as a distraction.
Rutgers forward raising her game for NCAA tourney

Men's Basketball

Last year Kent State was the darling of the NCAA tournament, beating Oklahoma State, Alabama and Pittsburgh during a dashing run to the Elite Eight, where the Golden Flashes lost to eventual runner-up Indiana.
For that, Rutgers fans can take solace. The Scarlet Knights fell just short of the Big Dance last season, going 18-13 overall, 8-8 in the Big East before their bubble was burst by the tournament committee and then by Yale in the first round of the NIT. This year the Knights returned four of five starters and seven of their top nine players, but dissolved amid close losses and late-game collapses to finish 12-16 (4-12 Big East). And instead of chasing its first NCAA tournament bid since 1991, Rutgers chased a spot in the Big East tournament, which excludes just two of the league’s 14 teams. But for the second time in three seasons, one of those teams was Rutgers.
With improved recruiting, Rutgers could be on its way

 

Site Information

We have been bringing a lot of articles on-line over the last month. For those who are having problems accessing the archives, please click this link: Story Archive.

Please visit our Message Board. We will provide updates and information. We also like to start some interesting discussion.
Message Board

For those high school players who would like to get their tapes on-line, you can mail your tape to:

Mike and the Big Dog LLC
P.O. Box 431
Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TAPE WILL NOT BE RETURNED. Please send HIGHLIGHTS or your best game. WE WILL SELECT THE CLIPS TO BRING ON-LINE.
NOT ALL TAPES WILL BE BROUGHT ON-LINE.

Around Big East

Derrick Crudup took the first snap of Miami's spring practice Tuesday, beginning the team's search to replace Ken Dorsey.
But will Crudup take the first snap next season?
Florida transfer Brock Berlin, sophomore Marc Guillon and freshman Kyle Wright figure to push Crudup for the starting job at "Quarterback U," where Dorsey broke just about every school and Big East passing record.
Hurricanes begin search to replace record-setting Dorsey

Around the nation

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Interesting Article

The regular season and the Final Four belong to the big names at the big schools. But the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament is owned by the little names from lesser-known schools:
Smaller schools' standouts are in spotlight

Senior standouts Dahntay Jones and Dan Miller are not the only NCAA Tournament performers with local ties this season.
In fact, Miller isn’t even the only one on 22nd-ranked Notre Dame’s team.
The Irish (22-9), who are seeded fifth in the West Regional and face 12th-seeded University of Wis-consin-Milwaukee tonight at Indiana-polis, also utilize the services of junior guard Torrian Jones, a Pennsbury High product.
Another local pair could play major part

the 20th anniversary of its stunning NCAA championship, North Carolina State gets another shot at the title. The Wolfpack stepped off the bubble and into the bracket Sunday, rewarded with a spot in the East Region after reaching the championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Seeded No. 9, N.C. State opens against No. 8 California at Oklahoma City. Tucked in the same bracket is Oklahoma, the region's top seed, which will be playing about 20 minutes away from its campus in Norman.
Men's Basketball (East): Another chance for N.C. State 20 years later

Les Miles gets the question a lot, but he remembers one particular instance when it came from his quarterback.
"Well," asked Troy Aikman, "do you like college more or do you like pro more?"
At the time, Miles, who spent 17 years as a college assistant, was serving a three-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys.
Putting it in reverse

Donald "Big Dog" Forbes: dforbes@theinsiders.com
Mike and the Big Dog LLC