A Guide to the Women's JuCo Shootout

The Fourth Annual Florida Women's JuCo Shootout comes to our fair campus Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5. The event features eight teams from around the state, including four ranked in the FCCAA's top 10 (Nov. 25). Here's the schedule, followed by a few items of interest:

Friday

1 pm - Brevard (3-3) vs. FSC-Jacksonville (3-6)

3 pm - (2) Northwest Florida State (7-0) vs. Palm Beach (2-2)

5 pm - (3) Pensacola (8-1) vs. (7) Indian River State (4-1)

7 pm - Broward (0-3) vs. (6) Central Florida (8-1)

Saturday

1 pm - (3) Pensacola vs. Broward

3 pm - (7) Indian River State vs. (2) Northwest Florida State

5 pm - FSC-Jacksonville vs. Palm Beach

7 pm - Brevard vs. (6) Central Florida

MARQUEE MATCHUPS: In addition to a pair of Lady Patriot games, attendees will be treated to two games between ranked teams as No. 7 Indian River State runs a gauntlet of third-ranked Pensacola and second-ranked Northwest Florida State.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The Shootout includes all three of the FCCAA Women's Basketball Players of the Week to date this season. Pensacola guard Deana Allen won Nov. 10; Northwest Florida State wing Josette Campbell won Nov. 17 and Indian River State forward Shantale Bramble-Donaldson won Nov. 24.

HOME TEAM TALENT: The best player to not yet win a player of the week award is Central Florida sophomore Markeshia Grant. The 5-7 sophomore guard sports averages of 24 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals per game while shooting 53 percent from the field, 35 percent on 3-pointers and 78 percent from the free-throw line.

FITTING NAME: The nation's two most prolific scorers will be on display at the Shootout. Pensacola's Allen leads the NJCAA in scoring with a 25.1 average, followed by Grant's 24 points per game. Northwest Florida's Campbell, meanwhile, ranks sixth nationally at a 22.2 clip.

PANHANDLE POWER: Northwest Florida State, formerly Okaloosa-Walton College, joins top-ranked Gulf Coast as the state's only undefeated teams. CF head coach Cheryl Rice led the program to consecutive state championships in 1995 and 1996 before returning to her alma mater.

LAST CHANCE: The Shootout is the last opportunity to see the Lady Patriots in action before the new year. CF plays six consecutive road games before hosting Chipola on Saturday, Jan. 2.

ADMISSION: Admission to each day's slate of game is $10, or $3 for the Lady Patriots' game only. As always, CFCC students get in free.

Central Florida 78, Brevard 69 (WBB)

NICEVILLE - Central Florida wrapped up a 2-0 stint in Northwest Florida State's holiday tournament with a 78-69 win over Brevard. CF placed five players in double figures, led by Markeshia Grant's 23. The 8-1 Lady Patriots host the Women's JuCo Shootout on Friday and Saturday.

Central Florida 70, Middle Georgia 59 (WBB)

NICEVILLE - Central Florida women's basketball opened its two-game stint in Northwest Florida State College's holiday weekend tournament Friday afternoon with a 70-59 defeat of Middle Georgia College. Markeshia Grant scored 26 and Tyeshia Battles 14 for the FCCAA No. 6 Lady Patriots (7-1). CF faces Brevard on Saturday.

Patriot Profile: Markeshia Grant

Imagine a basketball player blessed with such innate talent that they don't need to exert much effort to stand out. Now imagine a player who grew into a very good player through pure hard work and determination. Now imagine those two players blended into one. That's Central Florida sophomore Markeshia Grant.

The first time I watched Grant play for the Lady Patriots, I knew I needed to talk to her and find out how she became the player she is. I finally did that, and I was not disappointed. Here are a few highlights of our conversation:

• 
  
  A couple of years ago, then-Ohio State center Greg Oden broke his right hand - the shooting one - and was forced to use his left hand if he wanted to play any meaningful basketball at all. H fought through to salvage a strong freshman season, and went on to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Grant saw this play out and took it not as a mere anecdote, but as a potential lesson for her own game. She wondered what would happen if she broke her shooting hand. So she began practicing as if she had lost the use of her right hand. The payoff is evident - one of the first things I noticed about her game is her ability to finish in traffic with either hand. It's an extremely rare ability for a player at this level, and the story of how it came to be makes it even more impressive.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Grant has always wanted to play for the University of Tennessee. They're not currently recruiting her, but she doesn't seem to doubt in the least that they eventually will. The great thing is that Grant has perspective on her situation. She won't be devastated if she turns out not to be the rare player that ends up a Lady Volunteer. She'll simply give her all for the team she does eventually sign with. In fact, she said that even if Tennessee does come after her, she won't be a pushover. "I'll make them recruit me just like everybody else," she said. By the way, there's a huge list of schools interested in Grant, such as UCF, Memphis, Miami, Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Stetson, Jacksonville, and Louisiana-Lafayette. She'll take visits in the spring, and said she's looking for a "family-oriented" and "caring" program that also wins a lot of games.
  
  
  
• 
  
  I got that same kind of well-adjusted vibe when I asked her my favorite trap question: what's the first thing you look at on the box score after the game? (That's a great question for a stat-stuffer like Grant, who averaged 32 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals over two games last week.) Some players just blurt out "points," as if everything else on a stat sheet is wasted ink. Others recognize the trap I'm setting and manufacture an insincere answer, like "final score." Markeshia did neither. She thought about it, then said "points," but kind of sheepishly. Of course that's the answer - everybody likes to score, and it is pretty important. I was impressed by the fact that she was well-rounded enough to consider other alternatives, but also didn't insult me with a fabricated answer. It got even better when I asked her what else she looked at on the sheet: assists, then turnovers, because she likes to keep her assist-to-turnover ratio as high as possible. I always love it when athletes use their stats to really pick apart their game, and for a point guard, that's a great stat to use for that purpose. She's also a little self-concious about scoring so much: "If I have to, then I will," she said.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Finally, Grant is diplomatic. When I asked her the general question of how well the Lady Patriots would do this year, she talked about team chemistry, being "on the same page" and supporting each other. She also said this: "I think we'll be very successful, because of our coach." Now that's a smart player.
  
  
  

Patriot Baseball's Annual Blood Bowl a Big Success

Each year, the Central Florida baseball team stages the Blood Bowl, an intrasquad scrimmage/blood drive for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. The team did so again earlier this month.

Quoting from a letter from LifeSouth: 

One blood donation can save as many as three lives, so your participation has made a lifesaving difference to many people. During your last blood drive, 28 donors signed in and 32 pints were collected.

Central Florida 106, Pasco-Hernando 90 (MBB)

NEW PORT RICHEY - All five Central Florida starters reached double figures as the NJCAA No. 5/FCCAA No. 1 Patriots won their second consecutive game and improved to 7-1. Ricardo Ratliffe scored 30 to pace the offense, followed by Rahshon Tabb's season-high 26 points, Josh Proctor added 19, Travis Johnson 14 and Kenny Williams 10 as CF reached 100 points for the first time this season.

CF Baseball Star Hunter Smith Signs with Troy

Central Florida sophomore Hunter Smith has signed with Troy University, Patriots head coach Marty Smith said Tuesday. Smith, a lefthanded first baseman out of Crystal River High School, hit .414 with 6 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a .632 slugging percentage as a freshman. 

Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce on Smith:

"Hunter is one of the best left handed hitters in the state of Florida and we are excited that he chose Troy. He was one of the more highly recruited players we signed and his overall hitting ability projects well to the Division I level. He hits for both average and power and should provide some middle of the lineup type ability right away."

Smith is the second recent Patriot to latch on with a four-year program, joining Kent State signee Andrew Jones.

In other Patriot baseball news, Marty Smith earned a commitment from RHP Nick Arscott of St. Cloud High School. ProspectWire.com ranks Arscott 39th in Florida's class of 2010.

Ricardo Ratliffe Repeats as FCCAA Player of the Week

Central Florida power forward Ricardo Ratliffe earned his second consecutive FCCAA Player of the Week award today. The press release:

Central Florida Community College’s Ricardo Ratliffe is this week’s FCCAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Ratliffe, a native of Hampton, Va., averaged 31.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in games against St. Petersburg and Tallahassee. Against then-No. 9 St. Petersburg on November 17, Ratliffe tossed in 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting (9-of-14 from the foul line) and pulled down 19 rebounds. Four days later in a highly-anticipated matchup with FCCAA No.5/NJCAA No. 13 Tallahassee, he hit all four of his three-point attempts and was 12-of-15 overall from the floor, scoring 29 points in the Patriots’ 83-68 win. For the week, Ratliffe shot 72.7 percent (24-of-33) from the floor and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the free throw line.

CF Enjoys a Soft Landing in New National Poll

Well, that could have been worse. The Central Florida men's basketball team dropped just four spots from its previous perch atop the NJCAA Top 25, nestling snugly in at No. 5 in the freshly-released Nov. 24 national poll. After a home loss to an unranked team in St. Petersburg, the Patriots might have been in for a major fall, but the national voters were nearly as forgiving as the state voters in rewarding CF's impressive bounce-back win over then-No. 13 Tallahassee. So the Patriots remain among the nation's top five, and edge No. 6 Chipola to keep its status as the highest-ranked Florida team.

Voters weren't so kind to Tallahassee, which dropped out of the Top 25 completely in the wake of its second loss. Among Florida schools, CF and Chipola are joined only by No. 14 Northwest Florida State in the national poll. No other Florida school other than the four just mentioned earned a single vote.

Lady Patriots Stay Locked in at Sixth in FCCAA Poll

The Central Florida women's basketball team wasn't punished for its loss to Hillsborough, but it wasn't rewarded either. The Lady Patriots stood pat at No. 6 in the latest weekly coaches' poll, released today (Nov. 24) by the FCCAA. CF even got a first-place vote. That game did, however, introduce previously-unranked Hillsborough into the 10th-place spot, a distinction well-deserved after grinding out a tough win in our gym. One other item I gleaned from this poll: between CF and Santa Fe, we should be in for an entertaining battle for the Mid-Florida Conference title after the holidays.

The data:

Rank Team (1st votes) Record Pts Pvs

1. Gulf Coast (9) 6-0 117 1

2. Northwest Florida State (1) 5-0 94 3

3. Pensacola 7-1 93 2

4. Chipola (1) 4-4 71 4

5. Santa Fe 5-1 69 5

6. Central Florida (1) 6-1 59 6

7. Indian River State 4-1 56 8

8. Tallahassee 5-2 47 8

9. Daytona State 4-3 21 10

10. Hillsborough 3-1 19 --

Also receiving votes: Miami Dade 9, Florida State College at Jacksonville 3, Palm Beach 2.

Patriots Stay Atop State Rankings Despite Upset Loss

The Central Florida men's basketball team remained the FCCAA's top-ranked team in the weekly coaches' poll released today (Nov. 24). The tally was extraordinarily close - the Patriots edged No. 2 Northwest Florida State by a single point, 156-155, and got 8 first-place votes to Northwest's 6. But voters chose to forgive the Patriots for another significant number - that pesky "1" in the loss column, courtesy of the upset loss to St. Petersburg. Two explanations for that. One, St. Pete is a good team (they're 4-2 and ranked eighth), so it's a respectable defeat. Two, CF handled well-regarded Tallahassee in its next game, encouraging voters to give it a mulligan under the only-as-good-as-your-last-game theory.

Here's the full poll:

Rank Team (1st votes) Record Pts Pvs

1. Central Florida (8) 6-1 156 1

2. Northwest Florida State (6) 7-0 155 2

3. Chipola (3) 5-0 142 3

4. Tallahassee 4-2 95 5

5. Gulf Coast 6-1 89 4

6. Broward 4-1 56 6

7. Santa Fe 5-2 43 7

8. St. Petersburg 4-2 41 9t

9. Polk State 5-2 31 8

10. Indian River State 5-2 26 --

Also receiving votes: St. Johns River 25, Daytona State 15, Miami Dade 15, Pasco-Hernando 12, Pensacola 10, State College of Florida 10, Hillsborough 8, Palm Beach 6.

Lady Patriot Alum Tiffany Hamilton Starring for Morehead State

Tiffany Hamilton, a former standout point guard here at CF, is in the early stages of a fine senior year at Morehead State University. Hamilton's averaging 9.2 points through five games, good for second on the team, and the Eagles are 3-2. She scored 16, tied for a team-high, in a 68-45 MSU win over Winston-Salem State. Hamilton, a state champion at Winter Haven before coming to Ocala, had an excellent two-year career at CF, including a dramatic buzzer-beating 3-pointer that won a crucial conference game against Santa Fe and clinched a postseason berth in her senior year of 2007-08. That team went on to reach the state title game before losing to eventual national champion Gulf Coast. (Here's a little ink I spilled on that season over at the Star-Banner). Good times.

Rick Pitino Only Looking for "Special Player"

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports today that Rick Pitino is chock full of talent for next year's squad, and will only expend another scholarship for a "special player." Given that Pitino took an in-person look at CF All-American Ricardo Ratliffe this week, it's probably safe to say that Ratliffe qualifies. The full quote:

Right now we don't have to” take another player, Pitino said. “…If we take another player, he'll be special. He'll be an impact player.”

It's fun to watch master recruiters at work. With this simple quote, Pitino appeals to his target's ego while simultaneously validating his current players and recruits. So subtle, yet so effective.

Central Florida 83, Tallahassee 68 (MBB)

The nation's No. 1 team played like it Saturday night, dominating fellow state power Tallahassee 83-68 in a wire-to-wire victory that emphatically reestablished Central Florida's national-championship bona fides.

The Patriots came out with a new three-guard starting lineup, and it paid off big. Point guards Kenny Williams and Travis Johnson shared the backcourt, pushing 6-2 Rahshon Tabb out to the traditional small-forward spot. The move was a gamble due to Tallahassee's good overall size, but the Eagles didn't exploit an apparent mismatch with Tabb guarding one of TCC's big wings. Williams' presence helped CF defend the perimeter infinitely better than it did in the narrow win over Hillsborough or the loss to St. Petersburg, and the combination of Johnson and Williams easily negated any backcourt pressure the Eagles applied. The early returns indicate that the lineup switch is a great fix for what ailed the Patriots, and head coach Tim Ryan deserves credit for making the proper adjustment. Further, the team came out playing with a defensive intensity I hadn't seen from them yet, an effort that held Tallahassee to just 27 first-half points.

What was billed as an epic frontcourt matchup devolved into a major mismatch. Tallahassee's twin All-Americans struggled, as Marvell Waithe and Bernard James combined for a mere 13 points. The Patriots got the expected production from Ricardo Ratliffe, who turned in a game-high 29 points on 12-for-15 shooting and 8 rebounds. But fellow sophomore Josh Proctor provided a huge boost with the best game of his season, a 17-point, 8-rebound effort. It was clear that CF would have the best player on the floor in Ratliffe, but to have the best two players on the floor turned the game into a blowout. Proctor's a perimeter-oriented big, and he scored primarily on mid-range jumpers, but he was also a man in the post tonight.

Game balls go out to Justin Cecil and Jeff Neal as well. Cecil scored all 9 of his points in a second-half barrage of 3-pointers that helped put the game on ice, and Neal made such an impact it was hard to believe he played just 7 minutes in place of a foul-plagued Ratliffe. Neal's defense and rebounding, along with a pair of nifty buckets on the low block, kept Tallahassee from chipping away at their deficit while Ratliffe sat.

Since we can't go back and change that disappointing loss to St. Petersburg, the performance the Patriots turned in Saturday was the best thing that could happen to this team. That loss means CF won't be No. 1 anymore when the new polls arrive Tuesday, but this win means it's safe to start dreaming big dreams again.

Hillsborough 69, Central Florida 63 (WBB)

The Lady Patriots fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday night with a 69-63 home loss to Hillsborough.

CF (6-1) got another monster game from Markeshia Grant (30 points on 13-for-22 shooting, 7 rebounds) and a solid inside presence from Canvis Scott (12 points, 10 rebounds), and the home team certainly had a chance to win. But the Lady Patriots couldn't mount a consistent effort, falling behind by a couple of baskets, staging a miniature rally to tie, then falling behind again. The pattern repeated itself until the final horn. CF never managed to put together the combination of defensive stops and timely shots necessary to put away a tough opponent.

As the men's team learned Tuesday, the season's first loss is always accompanied by a package of uncomfortable truths. A wise team will acknowledge and address the weaknesses revealed by the loss. I expect Cheryl Rice's team to do that. The funny thing is that it's hard to pick out a glaring area of concern for this team - it's more like the team as a whole needs a general tweaking and smoothing of rough edges. A bad pass, a missed layup, an ill-advised shot; none is epidemic, but in total they are enough to cost you 10-15 points over the course of a game and radically change the outcome. It's the same thing ESPN announcers were harping on Friday night in the Orlando Magic - Boston Celtics game. Vince Carter was great overall, but he had just enough bad touches to turn a double-digit Magic win into a one-possession game in the final minute. That's what happened to CF on Saturday. The stat sheet says that neither team shot a great percentage, neither team made 3-pointers, and neither team dominated the glass. It's just a few made plays on one side and a few missed opportunities on the other.

CF travels to Niceville for a Thanksgiving weekend tournament, then is back home for the Women's JuCo Shootout on Dec. 3 and 4.

Central Florida 91, Miami-Dade 83 (WBB)

The Lady Patriots ran their season-opening win streak to six on Friday with a hard-fought 91-83 victory over a rugged Miami-Dade team.

Markeshia Grant and Canvis Scott each had brilliant games, but the team got contributions from all over the roster. Grant had 34 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals while playing all 40 minutes, while Scott posted a monster double-double with 14 points and 14 assists. Jameshia Willis had 13, Tyeshia Battles added 11 and Olivia Nino scored 10 to give CF a quintet of double-figure scorers.

CF pulled away steadily at the tail end of the first half to build a seven-point halftime lead, but the Sharks rallied and made it a tight game until the final minutes. In the end, the Lady Patriots overcame a 51-46 Dade rebounding advantage, 4-for-11 shooting from the 3-point line and foul trouble for Scott, Nino and Willis to scratch out the win.

Grant has set the bar high with her early-season play, but she outdid herself Friday. It takes a lot of guards 30-plus shots to put up 34 points, but she got there on remarkable efficient 14-for-22 shooting while also stuffing the stat sheet across the board. And consistent, too - she went 7-for-11 from the field and scored 17 points in each half. Nice to know what to expect from your players.

The Lady Patriots host the final game of the CFCC Classic on Saturday at 6 p.m., facing Hillsborough with a chance to go 7-0 and reach Thanksgiving without a loss.

Rick Pitino Recruiting Ricardo Ratliffe to Louisville

There's a new addition to the list of Ricardo Ratliffe pursuers, and it's a big-name program with a big-name coach. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino was in the region this week, and his agenda included a visit to our fair campus to lay an early pitch on the nation's hottest JuCo prospect.

It was all very discreet, but I talked to Ricardo before Friday night's Lady Patriots game and he shared his general thoughts on the visit. Pitino was "cool" and "laid-back," he said, in contrast to his fiery courtside demeanor, and Ratliffe was generally impressed with the esteemed coach's low-key approach. It's safe to add the Cardinals to the list, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Memphis, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, among others. (That's not really his short list, just a list of schools I've heard him mention.) As I say every time I write about Ratliffe, he's still early in the decision-making process and won't sign until spring.

But here's my favorite thing about Ratliffe - I asked him if he was surprised that a program as accomplished as Louisville was showing such a strong interest, and he gave me a crazy look, which I deserved because that is kind of a subtly insulting question. He said - and I'm paraphrasing - that he's not surprised when anybody recruits him, because he thinks he can play at the highest level. Confidence is awesome.

Ricardo Ratliffe Named NJCAA, FCCAA Player of the Week

Central Florida sophomore Ricardo Ratliffe is the Player of the Week for both the NJCAA and the FCCAA. From the FCCAA press release:

Central Florida Community College’s Ricardo Ratliffe is this week’s FCCAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Ratliffe, a preseason NJCAA all-American, averaged 38.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.5 blocks in two games for the nation’s top-ranked Patriots. He opened the week with a 36-point, 11-rebound night against Hillsborough on November 10. Three days later, he was even better against the College of Coastal Georgia, scoring 40 points and pulling down 19 rebounds while hitting 17-of-23 field goal attempts. For the week, Ratliffe shot 75.0 percent (30-of-40) from the floor, 42.9 percent (3-of-7) on three-point attempts and 65.0 percent (13-of-20) from the free throw line.

Report: Clint Hart Auditions for Baltimore Ravens

Ocala resident and former Central Florida baseball star Clinton Hart tried out for the Baltimore Ravens, according to this report. The Ravens are auditioning replacements for injured safety Haruki Nakamura, and Hart, an established NFL performer recently released from the San Diego Chargers, is a logical candidate. The report indicates that the Ravens have also worked out Keith Davis, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, Herana-Daze Jones, once of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Hamza Abdullah, a seventh-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not a bad opportunity for Hart to continue his NFL career with one of the league's premier defenses.

Patriot Sophomore Andrew Jones Makes Early College Choice

Patriot catcher/outfielder Andrew Jones has signed on with Kent State University, taking advantage of the fall's early signing period to go ahead and lock in his next destination.

Golden Flashes head coach Scott Stricklin had a lot of nice things to say about the versatile Jones, one of five early signees to his program this week.

"We are thrilled to have an experienced hitter like Dru join our program,” said Stricklin. “He has excelled in one of the most challenging junior college conferences in the country. He can play a lot of different positions but most importantly, he can really hit. He's a tough kid that plays the game hard and we expect him to make an immediate impact on our team."

Jones was a football star in Wadsworth, Ohio, before signing on with CF. He hit .300 as a freshman with 12 doubles, 7 home runs and a team-high 56 RBI.

St. Petersburg 85, Central Florida 76 (MBB)

The nation's No. 1 team likely lost that distinction Tuesday night at CFCC, suffering an 85-76 upset loss to St. Petersburg College.

The upset was all the more shocking in that the Patriots (5-1) had already handled the Titans (4-1) once, a convincing 98-82 season-opening win at St. Pete on Nov. 3. Some cracks in the CF armor were evident in the home opener against Hillsborough Nov. 10, when the Patriots had trouble containing explosive All-American guard Faisal Aden. Patriots head coach Tim Ryan warned later that Hillsborough had crafted a formula for knocking off the Patriots, even if they hadn't managed to finish the job themselves.

St. Pete used a similar approach Tuesday, and this time closed the deal. Speedy guards Anthony Tolliver (21 points) and Christopher Watson (20 points) combined for nearly half of the Titans' points, an onslaught the Patriot backcourt could neither suppress defensively or equal offensively. CF relied as usual on All-American big man Ricardo Ratliffe, but his 34 points and 19 rebounds weren't nearly enough, as none of his teammates contributed more than the 13 points apiece rung up by Josh Proctor and Rahshon Tabb.

The Titans' blueprint for beating CF - allow Ratliffe his numbers, limit everyone else, and attack the guards - is a solid one, obviously, and something the Patriots will need to address immediately with a daunting Tallahassee team visiting Saturday. That matchup is just as intriguing for me as it was before Tuesday's loss, as the Eagles have their own loss to Daytona State smudging their record. It's a battle of two supremely talented teams trying to fix their flaws, and could very well be a preview of a late-round state tournament game.

While nobody here was rooting for a loss, it's clear that next Tuesday will bring an end to the burden and responsibility of the nation's No. 1 ranking, which the Patriots were surprised to attain in the preseason and held on to through the season's first vote with a perfect 5-0 start. They'll inevitably plummet in the polls now, and they'll need to notch a few impressive wins - Tallahassee, for starters, plus one or both of Northwest Florida and Chipola at a three-day classic in Marianna the first week of December - to come anywhere near that stature again.

But polls are arbitrary at best and meaningless at worst. They build excitement, create expectations, and apply pressure, but their impact is felt only when it manifests itself in the psyches of the teams and players involved. Playoff teams are made in conference play, and champions are made at the state tournament, and neither of those things happen in November. If CF emerges as national champion, or even state champion, Tuesday's loss morphs from devastating to character-building, from season-ending to season-defining. It's up to the Patriots to return to the business of simply winning ball games, which in the end is the only number that really matters.

FCCAA Joins NJCAA in Declaring CF No. 1

Lost in the luster of Central Florida's national No. 1 ranking has been the curious little fact that the Patriots started this season ranked third in the FCCAA poll, which is voted on only by Florida coaches. That unusual circumstance was righted on Tuesday, as the FCCAA released its latest poll.

Rank Team Record Pts Pvs

1. Central Florida (12) 5-0 131 2

2. Northwest Florida State (1) 5-0 114 3

3. Chipola (1) 5-0 108 4

4. Gulf Coast 4-0 93 5

5. Tallahassee 3-1 83 1

6. Broward 4-0 76 7

7. Santa Fe 5-1 54 9

8. Polk State 3-2 21 --

9t. Palm Beach 4-1 19 --

9t. St. Petersburg 3-1 19 --

Now that makes sense. It took a Tallahassee loss to Daytona State to make it happen, but now it's no longer necessary to explain how a team can be ranked first in the nation and anything less than that in the state.
 
Here's the ladies poll:
 

Rank Team Record Pts Pvs

1. Gulf Coast (11) 4-0 128 1

2. Pensacola 5-1 106 4

3. Northwest Florida State (1) 4-0 105 3

4. Chipola (1) 3-2 81 2

5. Santa Fe 5-0 72 5

6. Central Florida 5-0 58 6

7. Tallahassee 3-2 52 7

8. Indian River State 2-1 51 8

9. Miami Dade 1-1 20 10

10. Daytona State 2-3 14 --

You'll note a 2-loss Chipola team ranking above our Lady Patriots and even receiving a first-place vote, evidence of Chipola's deserved and hard-earned reputation as an elite program. All our ladies can do is keep winning, which they've done magnificently thus far.

Patriot Men Retain Top Spot in NJCAA Poll

The Central Florida men's basketball team retained its preseason No. 1 status in the season's first regular season poll, released Tuesday by the NJCAA.

Other Florida teams: Chipola (10); Tallahassee (13); Northwest Florida (22). Saturday night's game against Tallahassee is an absolute must-see.

Former Patriots Facing High Expectations at Valdosta

While their alma mater plays the early portion of its 2009-2010 schedule amid the hype and stress of an unprecedented national No. 1 ranking, former Central Florida stars Ricardo Lewis and Marvin Dibble have their own expectations to deal with at the four-year level.

Valdosta State, led in part by seniors Lewis (left) and Dibble (right), open their season tonight ranked fourth in the The Sporting News' poll of NCAA Division II schools and seventh by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. And their coach, Mike Helfer, has dealt with it in a rather draconian fashion.

The attention, the hype and the expectations are all new to a team that’s usually overshadowed by the school’s football program. To help his team stay humble and focused, VSU head basketball coach Mike Helfer has issued a gag order to his team. No player or coach is allowed to talk about preseason rankings.

Seems like a bit of an overreaction - they're fourth and seventh, after all, not first - but a coach knows his team better than anyone else. And it seems to be working. I've covered Lewis since his senior year at Lake Weir High School here in Ocala, and I've never seen him so readily agree to not talk.

“I respected that,” Lewis said about the gag order. “There’s nothing really to talk about. It’s the preseason.”

Nice piece of senior leadership from the PG, there. It always helps when a team's best players buy in to what the coach is selling. Lewis, by the way, has his own expectations to live up to - he's a preseason first-team All-Gulf South Conference selection along with teammate. One more item of interest: Valdosta's other all-conference choice is Tyrone Curnell, a senior power forward who once played for the now-defunct Seminole Community College program.

Central Florida 89, Coastal Georgia 74 (MBB)

Ricardo Ratliffe turned in his most dominant performance of a dominant sophomore season Saturday night as the Patriots improved to 5-0 with an 89-74 win at Coastal Georgia.

Ratliffe tied a career high with 40 points, made 17 of 23 shots and added 19 rebounds. Rahshon Tabb contributed 17 points and Josh Proctor 11 for the Patriots, the top-ranked team in the national NJCAA poll.

The Patriots return home to face St. Petersburg next. That's a 7:30 p.m. tip on Tuesday at the CFCC gymnasium. The way Ricardo's playing right now, it might be a good idea for you to try to fit that into your schedule.

Central Florida 86, St. Petersburg 71 (WBB)

The Lady Patriots improved to 5-0 on Saturday with an impressive 86-71 win over St. Petersburg, the second time of the young season they've scored a double-digit win over the Lady Titans.

Sophomore Tyeshia Battles led all scorers with 27 points, while freshman Canvis Scott posted her first collegiate double-double with a 15-point, 13-rebound effort. Markeshia Grant scored 19 and Jamesha Willis 13 to join them in double figures.

The win wrapped up the two-day CFCC Classic, the first of three women's juco tournaments to visit campus before the holiday break. The Lady Patriots host the CFCC Shootout next weekend (Nov. 21-22), then the epic 8-team extravaganza that is the Women's JuCo Shootout on Dec. 4 and 5.

Central Florida 83, X-Factor 70 (WBB)

Markeshia Grant played like the sophomore star she'll need to be for the Lady Patriots on Friday night, totalling 34 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals as Central Florida notched an 83-70 win over Tampa-based travel team X-Factor on opening night of the CFCC Classic.

Tyeshia Battles added 22 points and 3 blocks for the Lady Patriots, now 4-0 on the season. Jameshia Willis added 11 points and 3 steals.

CFCC faces St. Petersburg on Saturday at 6 p.m. to wrap up the Classic. St. Pete took an 81-60 loss to Santa Fe College in Friday's early game. Santa Fe plays X-Factor at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Ricardo Ratliffe Tops JucoJunction Player Rankings

Premier junior college basketball site JucoJunction has released its list of the top 150 prospects in the nation, and Central Florida's own Ricardo Ratliffe is No. 1. Another honor in an already-memorable Patriots men's basketball season.

An Unlikely Opponent for Lady Patriots Home Opener

Central Florida's 3-0 women's basketball team cracks the seal on its home schedule tonight as the two-day CFCC Classic gets underway.

First, an explanation. Tonight's opponent is a team called X-Factor, which is a semi-pro/travel team out of Tampa. Or, in other words, not a college team. That's unfortunate, especially for a home opener, but head coach Cheryl Rice explained to me that it was unavoidable. CF had a fourth FCCAA team attached to complete the field along with Santa Fe and St. Petersburg, but that team withdrew late enough that Rice was unable to find a replacement.

So why didn't Rice just dodge X-Factor and play the other two FCCAA teams? Because Santa Fe is a member of the Mid-Florida Conference along with Central Florida, so they can't play each other until after the holiday break. That's why the Lady Patriots opened their season at the Santa Fe Classic but didn't play Santa Fe.

I will tell you that X-Factor is a very good team, and none of the above is meant to disparage them in any way. In fact, they beat Central Florida in a preseason exhibition, for what it's worth. So you'll still see some good ball Friday night. And on Saturday, CF faces a St. Pete team out to even the score after suffering a 79-63 loss to the Lady Patriots in Gainesville last week.

Here's the full schedule:

Friday

6 p.m. - Santa Fe vs. St. Petersburg

8 p.m. - X-Factor vs. Central Florida

Saturday

4 p.m. - X-Factor vs. Santa Fe

6 p.m. - St. Petersburg vs. Central Florida

Central Florida 82, Georgia Perimeter 75 (WBB)

The Lady Patriots improved to 3-0 Wednesday, handling Georgia Perimeter 82-75 at Atlanta. Jamesha Willis led all scorers with 19 points and added 4 assists and 3 steals, while sophomore forward Olivia Nino posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Central Florida finally plays for the home crowd on Friday at 8 p.m., facing travel team Tampa X-Factor to cap off day one of the CFCC Classic. The Lady Patriots get an FCCAA opponent the following night, tipping off against St. Petersburg at 6 p.m. Saturday night in the finale of the four-game Classic.

Patriots 77, Hillsborough 73 (MBB)

The nation's No. 1 team gave its home crowd a scare in its home opener Tuesday night at CFCC, surviving a tough test from Hillsborough en route to a 77-73 victory.

Ricardo Ratliffe led the way as he often does, totalling game highs of 36 points (on 13-17 shooting) and 11 rebounds. He was unstoppable inside and stepped out for three 3-pointers, all of which seemed to come at the most opportune of times. CF made it extremely nerve-wracking in improving to 4-0, but the Hawks are good and wins are wins. CF turned it on when absolutely necessary, and that's what good teams do. It'd be more convenient for us on the sidelines if they'd turn it on a little sooner, but in the end there's a final score, and you either have more points or less.

"They did what they had to do," said head coach Tim Ryan. "At the end we had to get stops, and that's what we did."

A few other players of note: Travis Johnson scored 11 points and did an admirable job defensively against second-team All-American Faisal Aden. The Hawks star got 34 points, but needed 31 shots to do it and made only 3 of 10 from 3-point range. Johnson forced a couple of final-minute misses from Aden that would have changed the game.

Josh Proctor was limited to 6 points in 22 minutes due to foul trouble, but made 2 late steals and turned one into a breakaway dunk that represented the highlight of the evening. Fellow big man Jeff Neal also had some good moments, totalling 6 rebounds in just 9 minutes and converting a pair of crucial putbacks off the offensive glass.

CF got a good look at what teams will throw at it Tuesday. Lots of backcourt pressure, lots of sagging in on Ricardo and forcing guards to hit shots. Good to know that CF can win games under those conditions, because they'll play under them again.

Patriot Men Move Up to No. 2 in State Poll; Women Rise Three Spots

The Central Florida men's basketball team inched a spot closer to the top spot in the latest FCCAA state rankings, released Tuesday. Still No. 1 in the nation and less than that in the state, somehow, but it's progress. Here's the poll:

Team, (First-place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. Tallahassee (9), 2-0, 132, 1

2. Central Florida (4), 3-0, 115, 3

3. Northwest Florida State (1), 3-0, 104, 4

4. Chipola, 1-0, 92, 5

5. Gulf Coast, 2-0, 74, 6

6. Miami Dade, 0-1, 65, 2

7. Broward, 3-0, 61, 9

8. Indian River State, 2-1, 35, --

9. Santa Fe, 3-1, 22, 8

10. Hillsborough, 1-1, 20, 7
 
The Lady Patriots, meanwhile, move up from ninth to sixth on the strength of a pair of wins at the Santa Fe Classic. Here's the top 10:
 
1. Gulf Coast (10), 2-0, 143, 1


2. Chipola (2), 1-1, 114, 2

3. Northwest Florida State (2), 2-0, 110, 3

4. Pensacola, 3-0, 108, 4

5. Santa Fe, 3-0, 85, 7

6. Central Florida, 2-0, 68, 9

7. Tallahassee, 1-2, 49, 5

8. Indian River State, 0-1, 46, 6

9. Brevard, 2-0, 23, --

10. Miami Dade, 1-1, 21, 10

Former Lady Patriot Breanna Fort Set to Star for Clayton State

Former Central Florida women's basketball star Breanna Fort will play a major role for Division II power Clayton State this year, as evidenced by her performance in an exhibition Sunday against Division I Georgia. Fort, a 5-11 forward out of Hawthorne, scored 11 points to hold her own against the tough SEC front line. Expect big things from her as the Lakers get into their D-II schedule. If you're interested, Fort and the Lakers will be in Central Florida later this month to participate in the Rollins Thanksgiving Classic, held Nov. 27-28 at the beautiful Rollins College campus in Winter Park.

Lady Patriots 82, Palm Beach 79, OT (WBB)

Central Florida scored a dramatic victory Saturday night in Gainesville as it knocked off Palm Beach 82-79 in overtime in the second and final day of the Santa Fe Classic.

Markeshia Grant provided the heavy lifting and the late heroics, scoring a team-high 18 points and sending the game to an extra frame with a late basket. Down by two with 5.4 seconds remaining, Lady Patriots coach Cheryl Rice designed an impromptu inbounds play for her sophomore star. Grant got free and dropped in a layup with just over 3 seconds on the clock to force the overtime, where CF closed the deal to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

The Lady Patriots are off to Atlanta to take on Georgia Perimeter on Wednesday, then they're back home for the season-opening CFCC Classic on Friday and Saturday.

Patriots 84, Aiken Tech 64 (MBB)

National No. 1 Central Florida improved to 3-0 with an impressive win to wrap up its two-game South Carolina excursion. Ricardo Ratliffe led the team in scoring for the third time in as many games with 28 points, while fellow sophomore Justin Cecil continued his strong play with 21 points off the bench. Guard Kenny Williams broke into double digits with 11. The defense was particularly impressive, as the Patriots held the home team to 22 first-half points and coasted to the victory. Next up is the home opener, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. against Hillsborough.

Lady Patriots 79, St. Petersburg 63 (WBB)

Central Florida women's basketball opened its season with a tidy neutral-site victory, beating St. Petersburg 79-63 at the Santa Fe Classic in Gainesville. Sophomore guard Markeshia Grant scored 21 points and added 5 rebounds to pace the Lady Patriots. CF (1-0) plays Palm Beach to wrap up the two-day tournament Saturday.

Patriots 91, USC-Salkehatchie 67 (MBB)

Ricardo Ratliffe and Justin Cecil scored 18 points apiece as the Central Florida Patriots opened their two-game swing through South Carolina with a 91-67 win over USC-Salkehatchie. Rahshon Tabb scored 12 and Josh Proctor added 10, the second time in as many games that four Patriots have scored in double figures. Central Florida (2-0) faces tournament host Aiken Tech on Saturday before coming back home.

Patriots 98, St. Petersburg 82 (MBB)

The nation's No. 1 team did nothing to call that honor into question in its season opener Tuesday night, picking up a quality double-digit win on the road with a 98-82 defeat of St. Petersburg.

The Patriots (1-0) were paced by a predictably brilliant night from All-American Ricardo Ratliffe, who scored 29 points. CF will need consistent performances like that from Ratliffe if it is to make good on its stratospheric preseason expectations.

But the team will also need help from a lot of other sources, which brings us to the even more encouraging news of the night.

Justin Cecil, a sophomore transfer from the University of North Florida, scored 25 points off the bench, including four 3-pointers. That outside stroke, coupled with the 6-8 forward's solid all-around skills, will keep defenses from sagging into the paint and smothering Ratliffe. The combination is going to be a puzzle for opponents all season - leave Cecil and he burns you from deep; cover him and Ratliffe goes wild inside.

And the onslaught doesn't stop there. The backcourt, returning intact from last year, turned in an outstanding game as Travis Johnson and Rahshon Tabb combined for 29 points.

"It's hard to single out guys," said head coach Tim Ryan. "It was a total team effort."

That effort paid dividends on the defensive end, as well, a facet of the game Ryan said he was particularly proud of. The Patriots gave up just 34 points after halftime to pull away from the Titans, and a chunk of those second-half points came in a barrage of late St. Pete 3-pointers well after the game was in hand.

CF continues its season-opening road trip a little further from home this weekend, participating in a tournament in Aiken, S.C., Friday and Saturday. After that it's the long-awaited home opener, Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. against Hillsborough. Admission is free for that game.

Twins Fans Express Displeasure with Buscher Move

Brian Buscher has at least a few vocal supporters in Minnesota. Check out this lament from the Twins blog Oh, It's Those Girls:

Those Girls would like to take a moment to officially declare our displeasure with the whole Brian Buscher situation. As many of you know, our favorite motto is "Um, We Like Brian Buscher, Actually." So, hearing the news today that the Twins have outrighted Brian to Rochester. Which means that he will become a minor league free agent shortly after the World Series ends.

It's kind of an understatement to say that we are unhappy with this development. And I am stubbornly disinterested in hearing any arguments about this being even a remotely good thing. The heart wants what it wants...It's a dark day.

CF Patriots 98, St. Petersburg 82

The nation's No. 1 team did nothing to call that ranking into question in its season opener Tuesday night, beating St. Petersburg by double digits on the road. Details to follow in the morning.

CF Grad Brian Buscher Sent to Minors

UPDATE #2: No deal. Iwamura will be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

UPDATE: Speculation that the move is a precursor not to the Rule 5 Draft but to a major trade that would send Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura to Minnesota.

Minnesota Twins infielder Brian Buscher, a former Central Florida All-American, has been sent down from the big club to Triple A Rochester. Seems like an odd thing to happen just after the team's season has ended, but it makes sense in the esoteric world of Major League Baseball. As the linked article explains, the move gets Buscher off the Twins' 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, giving Minnesota the flexibility to make a pick or two if so inclined.

For Buscher, the move represents potential freedom from the Twins, as he now has the right to file for minor-league free agency. Given the glut of infielders crowding the team's depth chart, it might make sense for Buscher to try his luck elsewhere.

Star-Banner Men's Basketball Season Preview

The Star-Banner published Richard Burton's season preview of the Patriots men's basketball team today. Got to love this quote from head coach Tim Ryan:

"This team has the chance to be as good as any team that I've had here," Ryan said. "We have lots of guys with D-I talent and they are really pushing each other and working hard."

Star-Banner Women's Basketball Season Preview

The Star-Banner has published its season preview of the Lady Patriots women's basketball team, authored by the esteemed Richard Burton.

CF Grad Building Hawkeye Basketball Program

If you need a Division I college basketball team to root for as the 2009-10 season nears, maybe try the Iowa Hawkeyes. Why? They've got a Patriot alumnus on the bench in third-year head coach Todd Lickliter. Here's a quick report from Iowa City to get you up to speed.