In the Trojan spotlight: Josh Williams

March 04, 2009

By Drew Champlin

Senior Josh Williams, the ultimate definition of a team player, is one of the more entertaining people I’ve covered in my years here. I know it’s been a long time because I remember talking to him on the phone the day he signed with Troy in the spring of 2005, and now he’s a senior.

Wednesday chatter

By Drew Champlin

I’ve got a couple of basketball stories. First, you know Don Maestri was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year, and other Trojans were honored. Here’s what I wrote about it. He also alluded to where the new arena would be built, but didn’t have specifics. Those of you that had “somewhere on the golf course” in your betting pools, go ahead and collect.

I wrote a feature on Troy’s Alyce Shearing, who has played very well for the Trojans down the stretch. Postseason starts on the hardwood as Troy’s women host UL-Lafayette in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament at 7 p.m. She’s been battling the flu, but should be good to go. It shouldn’t matter, as ULL was a cold 0-18 in Sun Belt play this year and won three games total.

Finally, the Trojans got a big baseball win over Alabama Tuesday night. Very cold, but great crowd. I really like this team. I think it’s the deepest team Troy has ever had and that especially rings true on the pitching staff. Travis Burge, Jeff Green, Jordan Mathers, Chris Sorce and Josh Storm were all very good Tuesday night and the last four guys didn’t allow a hit in the final 5.2 innings.

Troy moved its game time up to 5 p.m. today against Samford. Robby Loew will be your starting pitcher. I might go watch the first part of it, but unless it’s a game that last an hour and 45 thanks to a 1-0 pitchers’ duel, I won’t write much on it. Women’s hoops in the SBC Tournament takes precedent tonight.

Here’s some video, starting with head coach Bobby Pierce and ending with right fielder Michael Precise. Precise was a hitting star, driving in four runs and narrowly missing a grand slam. Ryan Ditthardt hit his fourth home run in eight games. Troy is 6-2.

Three Trojans on Lombardi Award Watch list

March 03, 2009

By Drew Champlin

That’s three from Troy, Alabama and one from USC (the Men of Troy). Article HERE.

The three from Troy are Boris Lee, Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield.

Also wanted to let you guys know that Troy is holding some Pro Days this Thursday (March 5) and next Thursday (March 12). I hope to be at one of those - probably the one on March 12.

Trojan players honored

By Drew Champlin

The Sun Belt honored its all-conference basketball players. Don Maestri was named Coach of the Year and Richard Delk Newcomer of the Year. Brandon Hazzard was a first-team selection, Delk on the second team and Michael Vogler a third-teamer.

FIRST TEAM
Shane Edwards, UALR                 Senior/Forward

Nate Rohnert, Denver                 Junior/Guard-Forward

Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee   Junior/Forward

Brandon Hazzard, Troy                 Junior/Guard

Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU         Senior/Guard

SECOND TEAM
Paul Graham III, Florida Atlantic         Senior/Guard

Domonic Tilford, South Alabama       Senior/Guard

Brandon Davis, South Alabama       Senior/Forward

Richard Delk, Troy                     Junior/Guard

AJ Slaughter, WKU                     Junior/Guard

THIRD TEAM
Freddy Asprilla, FIU                   Freshman/Center

Kyndall Dykes, New Orleans           Senior/Forward

Eric Tramiel, North Texas               Junior/Forward

DeAndre Coleman, South Alabama     Senior/Forward

Michael Vogler, Troy                   Junior/Guard

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Orlando Mendez-Valdez, WKU

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Freddy Asprilla, FIU

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Richard Delk, Troy

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – John Fowler, UALR

COACH OF THE YEAR – Don Maestri, Troy

On the women’s side, Troy’s Kylie Morrissy was a first-team selection

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee, R-Jr., F)

Defensive Player of the Year

Chelsia Lymon (Middle Tennessee, R-Jr., F)

Newcomer of the Year

Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee, R-Jr., F)

Freshman of the Year

Kaetlyn Murdoch (Denver, Fr., F.)

Coach of the Year

Rick Insell, Middle Tennessee

First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Chastity Reed (UALR, So., F)

Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee, R-Jr., F)

Amber Jackson (North Texas, Sr., F)

Kylie Morrissy (Troy, Sr., G/F)

Arnika Brown (WKU, So., F)

Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Anshel Cooper (UALR, Jr., G)

Monika Bosilj (FIU, Jr., G)

Jada Frazier (New Orleans, Sr., G)

Shakira Nettles (South Alabama, Jr., G)

Jessica Starling (South Alabama, Sr., G)

Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Lottie Moore (ULM, Sr., G)

Alexis Green (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., F)

Brandi Brown (Middle Tennessee, Jr., F)

Chelsia Lymon (Middle Tennessee, Jr., G)

Kenzie Rich (WKU, Jr., G)

Pre-spring look: Defensive line

March 02, 2009

By Drew Champlin

WHAT’S GONE: Troy took some hits here, losing its top three defensive tackles in the rotation. Dion Gales and Steve McClendon were starters for much of the 2008 season and Maurice Coleman started a game and saw significant time. All three have graduated. Also gone is Kenny Mainor, who saw his career end with a torn ACL at Ohio State, Troy’s third game last year. Mainor had poised himself for a big year, but unfortunately things don’t always turn out the way you want them to.

WHAT’S HERE: Two of the top defensive ends in the country return in seniors Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield. Lang’s a sure-fire first-day NFL Draft pick in 2010 and it’s possible Sheffield could hear his name called as well. Both were first-team All-Sun Belt picks and both saw nearly every snap after Mainor’s season ended. Behind them are senior Jeremy Hawkins, junior John Mark Patrick and sophomore Brandon Boudreaux, all of whom saw spot duty last year. Watch out for sophomore R.J. Roberts, who was academically ineligible last season but should be ready for spring practice. If he gets his grades back up, a scholarship will likely be waiting for him this fall, as is some playing time. Mario Addison redshirted last year and comes into the spring with a world of potential.

Troy is thin in experience up front at the tackles spot, but not in talent. Senior Kevin Dixon, who sat out last year as a transfer from Nebraska, is primed to start in his last season. Senior Rashad Roussell played as a reserve last year and it’s up to him to hold off some JUCO transfers to keep a starting spot. Those JUCO transfers - Emmanuel Dudley and Riley Flowers - will get big-time looks this spring. The line also returns a few redshirt freshmen in Tim Lamb, Chigozie Nwankwo, James Searcy and Tony Davis.

OUTLOOK: Coaches say you can never have too many defensive lineman and with this group, it’s definitely true. Defensive linemen are hit on every single play. This has a chance to be a very special group this fall, but some battles will be won this spring. Searcy nearly played last year as a true freshman and he’s got the upper hand on the redshirts. Dixon and Addison are older players who have yet to taste big-time college football action at a high and consistent level, but coaches are very high on both. Lang and Sheffield don’t have much to prove, but the other ends do.

It’s very hard not to get excited about this group for the fall, but I’ll break a rule of not mentioning fall recruits and say that ends Jonathan Massaquoi and Antonio Harper and tackle Eugene Kinlaw are slated to join this group in August.