JimBob
02-15-2008, 09:01 AM
Elliott's audition is 'amazing'
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
2/15/2008
While attempting to formulate his 35-man preseason roster, Tulsa Talons coach Mitch Allner spoke with an agent who mentioned that he represents Prentiss Elliott -- the former McLain High School superstar who was dismissed from the Oklahoma State program.
Intrigued, Allner invited the 23-year-old Elliott to participate in a workout. Elliott is more than three years removed from his one and only season at OSU, but apparently there is no rust. Allner's assessment: "He made a couple of catches that were just amazing. I watched Prentiss run two routes, and that's all I needed to see. He's strong and he can absolutely fly."
Known as much for alleged criminal activity as for football talent, Elliott will be with the defending arenafootball 2 champion Talons when they begin practice on March 9. The season opens on March 29, when Amarillo visits the Convention Center.
While at OSU, Elliott was listed as being 6-foot and 175 pounds. Allner says Elliott now is closer to 6-2 and 190. Elliott recently played in a Tulsa flag football league, and he was described by one of the participants as having been "an incredible athlete. There were some good athletes out there, but no one could touch Prentiss."
The Talons will enter the season with a 22-man roster, so 13 of the preseason players won't survive the cut. The Talons likely will have as many as 15 new players, Allner said. Quarterback Justin Allgood, undefeated as the starter last season, has returned. Allner will keep four wide receivers. The challenge for Elliott, Allner said, is to learn the fine points of the arena game.
"Prentiss will be competing with guys who have arena experience, but he has the advantage of phenomenal speed and athleticism," Allner said. "Off the field, Prentiss will be held to the same standard as any other player. You come to practice on time, you work hard and you do the right thing. That is expected of all players. If they can't do that, they'll play somewhere else.
"A few fans have said they don't support our decision to bring in Prentiss. I can say this -- Prentiss has done every thing we've asked. I think he could be something special for the Talons."
Status quo: The af2 enters its ninth season of operation, and the players' pay is the same now as it was in 2000. Each player receives $200 a game, and each player on the winning team gets an extra 50 bucks.
Magic number: The Oklahoma Sooner women's team is on course, for the second consecutive year, to finish a basketball season with an average home attendance of at least 10,000.
With two remaining regular-season home dates (vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 23, vs. Texas on March 2), the 10th-ranked Sooners' attendance average is 9,900.
If OU averages at least 10,550 for those final two home games -- and that seems a certainty, considering that the Bedlam rematch already is a sellout and Texas is a rival -- it would again reach the 10,000 mark for the season.
For Wednesday's victory over Texas A&M, the Sooners attracted 12,168 -- a Lloyd Noble Center record crowd for women's basketball.
In 1996-97, Sherri Coale's first season as coach, a crowd of 12,168 or an average of 10,000 must have seemed unfathomable. The home average that season was 2,648. For a home game against Texas Tech, the attendance was 739.
Trouble for Sampson: In 2002, OU was a basketball superpower. Coale took the OU women to their Final Four while the Kelvin Sampson-coached Sooners surged to the men's Final Four.
But while Coale has become a nationally respected star in her sport, Sampson seems on the verge of being ejected from his.
Media reports indicate that Sampson, apparently in trouble with the NCAA again, likely will be dismissed at Indiana.
Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz, interviewed Thursday evening on ESPN, said, "I think it's very likely that (Sampson) will be fired before the weekend is out. (Indiana officials) have no choice. I believe a firing is on the table."
Asked about the possibility that Bob Knight could return to the Indiana program, Kravitz called it "a very, very unlikely scenario."
Empty seats in Stillwater: OSU performed well on Wednesday, beating Baylor 93-83 at Gallagher-Iba Arena, but the attendance slump continued. A total of 13,304 tickets were distributed, but the actual attendance was 8,606. If a fan isn't going to use his ticket, why not give it to someone who will?
Weak defense: Kansas State's Michael Beasley is an outstanding college basketball player, but he is not in Kevin Durant's class. Did you see Beasley's defensive laziness in Wednesday's K-State loss at Texas Tech? It was glaring. A great player gives effort at both ends of the court.
Comparing classics: ESPN is presenting "The Greatest Highlight," a series that ultimately will identify the greatest highlight in sports history.
The Wednesday segment pitted the Boise State-OU Statue of Liberty play against Michael Jordan's 1998 championship-clinching shot against the Utah Jazz. Which of the highlights will be more frequently replayed in 50 years? That's obvious. Jordan wins big.
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
2/15/2008
While attempting to formulate his 35-man preseason roster, Tulsa Talons coach Mitch Allner spoke with an agent who mentioned that he represents Prentiss Elliott -- the former McLain High School superstar who was dismissed from the Oklahoma State program.
Intrigued, Allner invited the 23-year-old Elliott to participate in a workout. Elliott is more than three years removed from his one and only season at OSU, but apparently there is no rust. Allner's assessment: "He made a couple of catches that were just amazing. I watched Prentiss run two routes, and that's all I needed to see. He's strong and he can absolutely fly."
Known as much for alleged criminal activity as for football talent, Elliott will be with the defending arenafootball 2 champion Talons when they begin practice on March 9. The season opens on March 29, when Amarillo visits the Convention Center.
While at OSU, Elliott was listed as being 6-foot and 175 pounds. Allner says Elliott now is closer to 6-2 and 190. Elliott recently played in a Tulsa flag football league, and he was described by one of the participants as having been "an incredible athlete. There were some good athletes out there, but no one could touch Prentiss."
The Talons will enter the season with a 22-man roster, so 13 of the preseason players won't survive the cut. The Talons likely will have as many as 15 new players, Allner said. Quarterback Justin Allgood, undefeated as the starter last season, has returned. Allner will keep four wide receivers. The challenge for Elliott, Allner said, is to learn the fine points of the arena game.
"Prentiss will be competing with guys who have arena experience, but he has the advantage of phenomenal speed and athleticism," Allner said. "Off the field, Prentiss will be held to the same standard as any other player. You come to practice on time, you work hard and you do the right thing. That is expected of all players. If they can't do that, they'll play somewhere else.
"A few fans have said they don't support our decision to bring in Prentiss. I can say this -- Prentiss has done every thing we've asked. I think he could be something special for the Talons."
Status quo: The af2 enters its ninth season of operation, and the players' pay is the same now as it was in 2000. Each player receives $200 a game, and each player on the winning team gets an extra 50 bucks.
Magic number: The Oklahoma Sooner women's team is on course, for the second consecutive year, to finish a basketball season with an average home attendance of at least 10,000.
With two remaining regular-season home dates (vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 23, vs. Texas on March 2), the 10th-ranked Sooners' attendance average is 9,900.
If OU averages at least 10,550 for those final two home games -- and that seems a certainty, considering that the Bedlam rematch already is a sellout and Texas is a rival -- it would again reach the 10,000 mark for the season.
For Wednesday's victory over Texas A&M, the Sooners attracted 12,168 -- a Lloyd Noble Center record crowd for women's basketball.
In 1996-97, Sherri Coale's first season as coach, a crowd of 12,168 or an average of 10,000 must have seemed unfathomable. The home average that season was 2,648. For a home game against Texas Tech, the attendance was 739.
Trouble for Sampson: In 2002, OU was a basketball superpower. Coale took the OU women to their Final Four while the Kelvin Sampson-coached Sooners surged to the men's Final Four.
But while Coale has become a nationally respected star in her sport, Sampson seems on the verge of being ejected from his.
Media reports indicate that Sampson, apparently in trouble with the NCAA again, likely will be dismissed at Indiana.
Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz, interviewed Thursday evening on ESPN, said, "I think it's very likely that (Sampson) will be fired before the weekend is out. (Indiana officials) have no choice. I believe a firing is on the table."
Asked about the possibility that Bob Knight could return to the Indiana program, Kravitz called it "a very, very unlikely scenario."
Empty seats in Stillwater: OSU performed well on Wednesday, beating Baylor 93-83 at Gallagher-Iba Arena, but the attendance slump continued. A total of 13,304 tickets were distributed, but the actual attendance was 8,606. If a fan isn't going to use his ticket, why not give it to someone who will?
Weak defense: Kansas State's Michael Beasley is an outstanding college basketball player, but he is not in Kevin Durant's class. Did you see Beasley's defensive laziness in Wednesday's K-State loss at Texas Tech? It was glaring. A great player gives effort at both ends of the court.
Comparing classics: ESPN is presenting "The Greatest Highlight," a series that ultimately will identify the greatest highlight in sports history.
The Wednesday segment pitted the Boise State-OU Statue of Liberty play against Michael Jordan's 1998 championship-clinching shot against the Utah Jazz. Which of the highlights will be more frequently replayed in 50 years? That's obvious. Jordan wins big.