Back to campus!

Well, it is getting to be that time again. Yesterday, freshmen started their orientation activities at Illinois Wesleyan. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are starting to get to town and class starts Monday. Where the heck did the summer go?!?! For that matter, were did the last 19 years go?? Was it really August of 1989 that I showed up to campus for orientation?? Oh well...I digress.

I touched based with Coach Rose today and he is in great spirits and excited about the 2008-09 season. I think that sentiment is shared by all IWU fans. A few miscellaneous notes I gathered...

• All 8 freshmen who committed to IWU during the spring recruiting process are on campus and officially IWU students. Welcome to Ryan Connolly, Eliud Gonzalez, John Koschnitzky, Eric McCullough, Steve Rudnicki, Sean Seibring, Dexter Walker, and Jordan Zimmer! A terrific recruiting class that has a chance to be part of special things at Illinois Wesleyan.
• This summer, the Chicago-area guys played in the well-respected Joy of the Game League in Deerfield. That IWU roster included Brett Chamernik, Sean Dwyer, Eliud Gonzalez, Michael Kempf, John Koschnitzky, Duncan Lawson, Edmond O'Callaghan, Steve Rudnicki, Mike Salkeld, Doug Sexauer, and Dan Schouten.
• The Central Illinois guys got together once a week to play at the Shirk Center.
• Ron Rose spoke at length about how Doug Sexauer has, "Changed his body." My guy Chamernik introduced the formerly skinny Lockport native to the weight room and the results are impressive it sounds like.
• Duncan Lawson also worked hard on his physical conditioning in the off-season.
• Ed O'Callaghan is now fully recovered from an early summer case of mono.
• Chris Stamas, a freshman last year, has transferred to UC-Santa Clara to pursue a specialized field of computer studies.
• Senior Andrew Gilmore had an internship in Chicago and lived with former Titan Adam Dauksas. Gilly has been working out and shooting as he tries to come back from his well-documented knee trouble. "Cautiously optimistic" is the term Coach Rose used. I wish Andrew the best and hope he can get himself healthy.
• Josh Sutton is playing again after foot surgery after his freshman season.
• Freshman Jordan Zimmer has grown an inch and gained 10-15 pounds. And I thought Zimmer was taller than his listed 6-4 when I met him as a recruit last year...at 6-5 or so now, the Delavan native really does have great height for a Division III G/F.
• Sean Johnson and Sean Dwyer had a contest that began right after the season last year - last to get his haircut wins. I saw both young men in mid-June and even at that point I thought I was looking at two cast members from a bad '70s TV show...say, Starsky & Hutch. Now two months later - and still no haircuts - I can't imagine how they must look. Hey, at least we won't have to worry about either having any type of girl trouble here in the early going!
• Everyone you talk to says that Matt Schick had an awfully good summer playing basketball. Don't forget about the Railsplitter, Titan fans.
• Practice starts October 15.

On a personal note, as many of you know, I moved to Columbia, Missouri right after the season last year. My fiance, Rosemary Travis, works here for State Farm and I was able to work out an arrangement to do my Corporate State Farm job from our office here. It has really worked out great for us as we prepare for our wedding. We hope to be back in B-N at some point, but will most likely be here through the 2008-09 basketball season. I will do my best to keep things up-to-date here and on IWUhoops.com, even if I may not be as much in the loop!

Speaking of the wedding, it is October 11 in Palm Coast, Florida...where Ro's parents live. No cold feet yet on my end...I cannot speak for my bride though.

It is an exciting time to be a Titan fan...these kids can play.