Big Night For Cem Dinc as Marshalltown Edges Iowa Lakes
(Bloomington, Ind.). Former Hoosier Cem Dinc, who was told to "go rock JUCO" by Indiana Coach Kelvin Sampson, is doing just that. The 6-10, 250 pound center racked up his second double-double in only his third game back playing college ball as the Marshalltown Tigers eeked out an 82-77 road win over the Iowa Lakes Lakers Wednesday night. Dinc poured in 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win. He blocked two shots as well.
Dinc, facing double teams for the second game in a row and sometimes triple teams, scored at will. Coach Bryn Brynjarrsson installed some new sets after the winter break to get the ball into the post and Dinc proved them worthwhile. "It was an important win for our team," Dinc said, "it evened our league record and gave Coach his first conference win as head coach at Marshalltown. We were really happy to get it for him." Dinc wound up 11-15 from the field and 3-4 from the line. He's now averaging 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest.
Dinc was already on some big-time college coaches' radar screens after leaving Indiana. His numbers thus far show he's more than a blip. Although Dinc declines to name a favorite among the teams offering him a scholarship next season, he's recently gotten calls from Miami (Fla.) and Boston College from the ACC and Notre Dame from the Big East. He also drawing intense interest from Iowa State Cyclone Coach Greg McDermott who is looking to add size and strength to his roster next year. "We're good buddies," says Dinc, "and, who knows, I might wind up there, but I really want to make sure wherever I go it's a good fit for the team and me."
I can think of at least one other team off the top of my head that could use a strong, athletic kid with good grades, three years of college eligibility and a willingness to #### bodies on the boards. Take a guess, I bet you do, too.
(Bloomington, Ind.) Former Indiana Hoosier Cem Dinc, playing his first college basketball game since December 31, 2005, registered a double-double in leading the Marshalltown Community College Tigers to a 74-65 overtime win over the Iowa Community College Tritons Wednesday night in Marshalltown, Iowa. Dinc, a 6’10” 250 pound center scored 16 points, yanked down 13 rebounds and blocked 5 shots in helping the Tigers improve their record to 12-5 on the season. The Tigers, playing before a packed house, outscored the Tritons 18-9 in the extra period.
Dinc was the key to Marshalltown’s victory. The Tigers started out playing their characteristic run and gun brand of basketball, but, after a long holiday break, their perimeter shooting was as cold as the chilly January air. At the end of the first half, Marshalltown had managed only 24 points, far off the pace of their 113 points per game average. In the second half, Marshalltown Coach Brynjar Brynjarsson opted to slow the pace and run more half court sets to get higher percentage shots. That decision paid dividends. Dinc, instead of trailing the break as he did in the first stanza, set up in the post and the Tigers rewarded his hard work in getting open by feeding him for several inside baskets, including two monstrous dunks that left the stanchion shaking. Dinc also also scored six of the Tigers’ 18 overtime points.
For Dinc it was a breakout performance, but one he took in stride. “It felt good to be on the court again and I’m just happy we won,” he said. “Our team is improving day by day and we’re ready for conference play. We want to give Coach Brynjarsson his first conference win Saturday.” If the Tigers are to do so, they'll have to do it on the road against the powerful Iowa Western Community College Reivers. The Reviers are 17-3 on the season and edging their way into the national rankings.
(Bloomington, Ind.) Marie Ishida, the executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation, has delayed until tomorrow her decision on whether to reinstate Richmond High School prep star and '07 Indiana recruit Eli Holman. She had indicated last week she would issue a ruling today after considering corrected information submitted by Richmond Principal Orlando Ramos on stipulations Holman was to have satisfied prior to seeking reinstatement.
Holman, who has neither practiced nor played for Richmond since being suspended four games into his junior season for pushing an official, had hoped for a favorable ruling that would allow him to play tonight. Instead, Ishida plans to travel to Richmond tomorrow to meet with Holman and Ramos at the school. The delay means the earliest Holman would be eligible to resume his high school basketball career would be Thursday, which is when Richmond plays next.
(Bloomington, Ind.). The relatively warm weather we’ve experienced this winter here in south-central Indiana has me hoping for an early spring. The Indiana Hoosiers have helped keep the cold away this week with a fiery brand of basketball that brings warmth to Hoosier Nation. Coach Kelvin Sampson’s radio show was informative and funny as usual, but most enjoyable for me was watching this team’s transformation as it gets closer to what Sampson wants to see come March.
It’s exciting to think how hot the Hoosiers will be when the flowers begin blooming and the birds start chirping. Every single, impassioned, sweat-filled change that gets them there ratchets the temperature up a degree. Watching Indiana out-hustle, outfight and out-compete Michigan State between the baselines Sunday revealed the ferocity and single-mindedness these Hoosiers have towards winning. The “thumping” they gave the Boilermakers last night was overdue (it had been a few months) and well deserved given Matt Painter’s chiding comments last summer over Sampson’s recruitment of Eric Gordon, Jr., and his post-game remarks last night.
Did you know Matt had actually calmed down by the time he faced the media after the Hoosiers left his team in tatters on Branch McCracken court? I don’t know if he followed Sampson in line for the post-game interviews, but, without any scrapes, bruises or floor burns to worry about in the Boilermakers' locker room, he had ample time to dry his eyes and have his nappy changed. From the sound of things, when he left the pressroom, it needed to be done again.
Matt, speaking from the heart of Indiana basketball fans for just a second, the Hoosiers are going to show your Boilermakers something special at Mackey Arena on Valentine’s Day. Now, don’t misinterpret that. We don’t like you or the yapping you do while standing in Bruce Almighty’s shadow, and we damn sure don’t like your team. We just love kicking your butts. We love it so much we can hardly wait to do it again so all the fans (yours and ours) that didn’t see the game last night can share in the experience.
For everyone else, here’s an interesting way to look at the Big Ten up to this point in the still early stages of conference play. Wisconsin and Ohio State are the top choices among experts and laymen alike for picking the champion. I don’t share that view and you should also start questioning the notion (if you haven't already) because, among the rest of the Big Ten and, more specifically, the first several teams that get mentioned (i.e., Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State and the Boilermakers). Indiana is the only one that hasn’t been demolished in a Big Ten game and the Hoosiers, by administering butt-whippings to two of the three other frontrunners in the “Everybody Else” category and playing Ohio State, who shellacked the third, to the wire on the road, have made a case for being mentioned in the same breath with the Badgers and Buckeyes as favorites.
Right now, the Boilermakers have better than two months to get their act together up there in West-Lafayette. Part of me wants to see them do so because beating them when they’re playing well makes for more of an exciting game than the floor-mopping that took place last night.
But who am I kidding, right? When it comes right down to it, I really don’t care. I’ll be just as happy watching Indiana humiliate the Boilermakers yet again if Matt can’t get his players to add more to the rivalry than what they brought last night. I expect the Boilermakers to play better at Mackey, though, if only because they might have time to run home to look for the toughness, scrappiness and tenacity they forgot to bring to Bloomington. Either way, the Hoosier will win.
Writing is like painting or music. It's an art. If you've got a knack for it, it demands you devotion. Ignore it and it will haunt you. Most writers are poor and hungry. Not me--I'm not the guy on the corner with the sign that states "Will Write for Food." Why? I get paid to write. You see, I'm a legal ####. Pay me to take your point of view and, lying or not, I'll make it the gospel. I hate it, but not for that reason. I hate it because its b-o-o-o-ring. It stifles creativity. Reading and writing briefs, decisions, statutes and regulations got me to where I couldn't create gas after a chili supper. I've gotten beyond that to some extent and now I'd much rather be paid to write what I want. I've yet to find someone who can afford me, though. I hate that most of all.
