Campus Watch

Chambers brings energy to Penn State

---Pat Chambers, pictured left, believes he can change the perception that Penn State is a bad coaching job. Why Chambers got into coaching is a good story.

---Gary Parrish hopes that no coach patterns his coaching career after former Kelvin Sampson.

---Bob Knight calls some NCAA rules idiotic.

---Jason King previews the top junior transfers in 2011-12.

---Here's a list of the 12 most-hyped recruits ever.

---The movers and shakers from pre-draft workouts.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Gift wrapped for St. John's

---Opportunity brought God's Gift Achiuwa, pictured left with his coach Alex Nwora from his home in Nigeria to ECC and that's what will take him next year to St. John's. Here's more stories about Gift from the New York Post and Daily News. Meanwhile, Washington is scrambling after losing out on Gift.

---Adam Zagoria expects Iona's Mike Glover to have a breakout year.

---Jonathan Givony, evaluates all of the early entrant decisions, while Andy Katz reacts to the new names released on the NBA draft list.

---Kevin Ware has decomitted from UCF.

---Gary Parrish believes that despite the addition of Colorado and Utah, the Pac 12 will remain the weakest power-six conference.

---John Rothstein provides a list of teams on the rise next season.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Cahill signs with UB

---Defensive end Wyatt Cahill, who gave the Bulls a verbal commitment after his official visit two weeks ago, has signed a letter of intent with the Bulls and will enroll in January. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Cahill played two seasons at Scottsdale Community College and helped the Fighting Artichokes to a 6-4 record this past season. He recorded 30 tackles, including nine tackles for loss and four sacks in eight games.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

UB lands juco defensive tackle

The UB football program received verbal commitment No. 15 today with Wyatt Cahill, a 6-foot-5, 280 defensive tackle from Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. Cahill, who made an official visit to the campus this weekend, will enroll at UB next semester and participate in spring drills.

“I really like the coaches, the city of Buffalo and the football program,’’ Cahill said today.

Cahill signed with Army after graduating from Corona Del Sol High School in Arizona in 2008. He attended the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in Monmouth, N.J. but elected not to attend Army.

“When the time came to transition to West Point I decided to go in another direction,’’ Cahill said. “Going to prep school out of high school really gave me the chance to grow up, going from Arizona all the way to New Jersey.’’

He played two seasons at Scottsdale, who finished 6-4 this season.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

UB hosts football recruits

 

It’s a big football recruiting weekend for UB, and Jeff Quinn and his staff have 15 prospects on campus. Here are four of the most prominent:

---Nick Robinson, 6-5, 285, OT, Baldwinsville – Robinson, pictured above digging into some wings, was the Syracuse Post-Standard Player of the Year after totaling 80 tackles and seven sacks, but the Bulls project him as an OT.

“I’m having a good time and everyone meshes together well,’’ Robinson said during the Bulls basketball game against Green Bay. “This is my first official visit so Buffalo is looking good.’’

Robinson said he’s also being recruited by Western Michigan, Syracuse University and Villanova. He added he’ll make a decision sometime in January.

---Wyatt Cahill, 6-5, 280, DT, Scottsdale Community College – Would be a mid-year transfer if he commits to UB, meaning he would be ready for spring practice. Committed to Army out of high school.

---Dillon Guy, 6-5, 290, OT, Montreal – According to the Canadian-based website Next Level Football, Guy is scheduled to visit Virginia in the coming weeks.

---Jim Walsh, 6-5, 251, OT, Howell, Mich. – According to Rivals.com, Walsh has received interest from Central Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Toledo among others.

Also on campus this weekend are Depew offensive lineman John Kling and Maryland linebacker Khari Brown, who previously verbally committed to UB. The Bulls will have approximately 20 prospects on campus next weekend.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Recruiting update

No official word yet from any of the Big 4 schools after the first day of the early signing period for basketball, but here’s a recap of the verbal commitments each school received:

UB: Xavier Ford of Harrison High School in Colorado Springs Colo. gave the Bulls a commitment in September. He’s a 6-8, 205-pound small forward who reportedly drew interest from Tulsa, Portland, Northern Colorado, Loyola-Marymount, Northeastern and Loyola-Illinois.

Canisius: The Griffs brought in transfer David Santiago, a 6-4 guard from American University in Bayamon, who is sitting out this year and have three seasons remaining. They reportedly have offered a scholarship to 6-4 small forward Immanuel Thomas of Xaverian High School in Brooklyn.

Niagara: Joe Mihalich traveled to Philly once again and nabbed 6-4 small forward Ameen Tanksley and 6-3 combo guard Juan’ya Green, who are brothers.

St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies are expected to sign two guards: Derrick Millinghaus, who once played at Nichols School and attends Queen City Prep in North Carolina and junior college point guard Eric Mosley from Cincinnati State. Millinghaus has already confirmed via Twitter that he has signed with the Bonnies. Mosley has been well coached by former Cincy PG Andre Tate. 

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

ECC soccer ends playoff run

The Erie Community College men's soccer team saw its season end with a 3-0 loss to Tompkins-Cortland Community College in the NJCAA Region III semfinals Saturday.

The game was played at Herkimer County Community College.

The Kats finished the season at 12-5 -- the second-most wins in a season. ECC also had 12 wins in 1990 and 1976. The program record is 19 set in 1982.

TCCC (15-4-1) took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when David Cerasani scored on a rebound. The Panthers added insurance goals in the 68th and 79th minutes.

--- Amy Moritz

ECC vs. Dean football live blog

Kickoff is moments away at Jim Ball Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. as Erie Community College hosts Dean in a Northeast Football Conference matchup.

ECC is 2-4 overall, 2-2 in the NEC and coming off a a 39-32 home win against Lackawanna last week.

Dean is 4-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference and holds a 5-4 edge in the series between the two teams. Dean has won the last three meetings.

Check back for updates throughout the game.

First quarter

12:33 An interception by Larry Whitner put ECC on Dean's 26-yard line. On the second play from scrimmage, Zedric Jospeh stayed on his feet through the line and scrambled 26 yards for a touchdown. Kats lead, 7-0.

57 seconds: Dean took advantage of an interception and a 4th-and-13 conversion to get on the board before the end of the quarter on an 8-yard run by Rico Brazil, but a missed PAT keeps the Kats in the lead, 7-6.

Second quarter

11:01 Two big third-down conversions helped ECC sustain a drive, capped by a 1-yard run by QB Tyheen Taylor. Taylor hit Gavin Gaiser for a 26-yard pick up on a 3rd-and-6 while Joseph had a 14-yard run on a 3rd-and-7. The 11-play, 70-yard drive took 4:50 and the PAT puts the Kats up, 14-6.

7:39 Big defensive stop for ECC. After the Kats gave up a big pass play made more significant with a late hit call added to the end of it, Dean was marching down the field. ECC buckled down just outside the red zone and Dean was going to attempt a 40-yard field goal on 4th-and-10 but an illegal substitution call on ECC made it 4th-and-5 and Dean went for the first down. ECC stopped the run short, kept points off the board, and took over on downs at its own 17 yard line.

5:49 Short-lived momentum. Kats QB Taylor fumbles and Dean takes over on the ECC 32-yard line.

3:51 Dean turns the fumble into points as Blaine Moriarty hits a 32-yard field goal. The ECC lead is now 14-9.

2.5 seconds: Dean intercepts ECC on the 11-yard line. ECC had three shots at the end zone from the 11, but two ruled incomplete passes to the sideline and the interception end the opportunity.

Halftime: ECC leads, 14-9

Joseph has 115 yards on 18 carries in the first half as ECC holds a a slight edge in total offense -- 189 yards to 122. Malcolm RIcks is leading the Kats' defense with eight tackles, including two for loss, and one sack. 

Third quarter

4:27 More punts in this quarter than in the entire first half. Mike Lawandus missed a 45-yard field goal for the Kats. Dean takes over on downs at its own 27-yard-line. ECC still leads, 14-9.

1:58 Another missed field goal for Lewandus, this time 41-yards. Dean takes over at its own 24 yard line. Dangerous time for ECC as Dean keeps hanging around.

End of the quarter and Dean is driving. The Kats defense is playing well, but the offense needs to give them a bit more cushion.

Fourth quarter

10:53 ECC is driving and Joseph is leading the charge. He has 158 yards on 27 carries.

5:29 Dean takes the lead, 17-14. A 37-yard pass play from Jawad Yatim to RIco Brazil erased a 3rd-and-9 and put Dean in the red zone. Three players later Brazil had a 6-yard TD run. The two-point conversion was good.

3:37 Time is running out on the Kats. The went four-and-out, suffering a sack on 4th-and-3. Dean takes over on downs at the ECC 27 yard line and the Kats have no timeouts left.

1:33 ECC takes over on downs at its own 15. The Kats need some magic to pull this one out.

Final: Dean 17, ECC 14 

The Kats drove down to the Dean 30 yard, attempted to try a 47-yard field goal with seven seconds left, but were flagged for an illegal substitution. A completed pass got the Kats to the 2-yard line but time expired before another play could run.

Joseph finished with 31 carries for 168 yards.

See more details in Sunday's edition of The Buffalo News.

--- Amy Moritz

Time for hoops!

---Nothing says autumn like falling leaves and the start of the college basketball season, which officially tips off with practice today. With the return of four starters, expectations are elevated for coach Tom Parrotta at Canisius while the rest of the Big 4 lost plenty of talent from a year ago. The loss of Frank Turner is huge, but the Griffs hope to help fill his shoes with 7-foot-3 Marial Dhal, pictured above. He's the guy on the left the guy on the right lives at my house.

---Elsewhere, Kyle Singler and Duke are in pursuit of back-to-back championships.

---Thursday would have been John Wooden's 100th birthday.

---A potential NBA lockout could affect this year's draft class.

---Here's a Q&A on my good friend Tracy Dildy, the new head coach at Chicago State.

---Andy Katz interviews Memphis coach Josh Pastner as he gets ready for his second season at Memphis.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Check out our college football preview section

The Buffalo News' college football preview section is included in today's newspaper, and if you live in the area I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy. There are some great graphics and layouts of the stories, and only seeing them on the web doesn't do the section justice. Here are the stories available on the web:

---Jeff Quinn, pictured above, goes all in at UB.

---Quinn has a difficult task of following "The Man."

---Davonte Shannon set to join exclusive club.

---Alabama's talent pool is deep enough to repeat.

---Five things to look for in college football this season.

---Temple has all the goods for a Golden season in the MAC.

---ECC's Larry Whitner is on the fast track.

---Jerry Boyes wants Buffalo State to stop thinking and start playing.

---Curtis Underwood's time has finally come.

---Walk-ons earn scholarships at UB.

---Adam Rosner helps Syracuse get in line. 

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)