rule #1: don't keep the mic open.

iupui head coach ron hunter.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

The men's team played fairly well during stretches last night. Indiana Wesleyan clearly was not intimidated, though. They came out ready for a fight, and IUPUI certainly got one.

I did make one, grandiose faux pas last night...the kind I hate and the kind that embarrasses me.

I left the mic open when it wasn't supposed to be.

Fortunately for me, though, I am not profane during the course of a game. You won't hear an f-bomb come booming out of the PA.

But you might hear me offer my thoughts on what's happening on the floor. Last year, during a women's game, I forgot to turn off the mic and said of an opposing team's player: "she just can't hit a shot!"

Oops.

Last night? Not as bad.

Wesleyan had the ball worked into the paint and executed a great kick-out pass to the perimeter.

"Nice!" I said.

And everybody heard it.

Again, oops.

The crowd behind me got a good laugh out of it. All I could do was turn to them and throw my hands up. I earned that one.

Let's hope I don't do that again.

jags win, 72-57.

byles drives.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

The Jags beat Indiana Wesleyan tonight, 72-57. It was a hoot, let me tell you.

Matt Burks shot the lights out, 25 points, 21 of which came off three-pointers.

got a basketball jones?

women's exhibition 03.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

I've decided to use the postgame as me time at the basketball games. The gym closes 15 minutes after the conclusion of every game. I'm now using that time to fill the air with the sound of music that'll drive 'em outta the joint.

I always close the game with the Late Show w/ David Letterman Theme, then go into the campy stuff.

So far, here have been my favorites:
* Danke Shoen, by Wayne Newton (already a staple)
* Saturday Night, by the Bay City Rollers
* Basketball Jones, by Cheech & Chong (Joe the score keeper's favorite)

I'll bust out some other gems as the season progresses, I'm sure. You'll just have to come out to a game and hear me in action.

jags win, 60-49.

women's exhibition 01.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

It may have only been exhibition, but the Jags women's team had to work to win tonight's game. It's clear that this is a rebuilding program. You've got lots of new players under the new coach trying to mesh with players from the previous coach.

The play in the first half was sluggish and timid. But in the second half, this team showed it has some athleticism and hustle.

I don't know what sort of year they're going to have, though. It's too early to tell.

One Jags fan (a player's parent, perhaps) paid me a very nice compliment after the game. He told me he liked my selection of music and the way I call a game. It's always nice to hear that. He was the one I told last week he'd like Franz Ferdinand.

What I do certainly isn't rocket science, but it's cool when people actually take notice.

Next game isn't until after Thanksgiving...men's home opener. I'm excited already. I [heart] basketball season.

2-0 in exhibition.

george hill.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

Despite a spirited first half by Marian College, the Jags won tonight by pretty close to 20 points. To be honest, I don't even remember the final score.

The Jags are athletic, but not cohesive just yet. Hopefully they get it all figured out before it counts.

Tonight was the first full-fledged game that required effort from all hands on deck. Cheerleaders, dancers, band, etc.

For whatever reason, I don't get jitters anymore. Well, except for the part where I've got to coordinate other people's music. I'm always afraid of cueing the wrong music or something. I'm just paranoid.

talk about a hero.

It's easy to get cynical about pampered athletes at both the pro and collegiate levels. That's why I'm proud to see a player for the IUPUI Jaguars men's basketball team is doing something truly selfless.

From TheIndyChannel.com:

Athlete To Interrupt Season, Donate Marrow To Stranger


Jaguars senior Maushae Byles will miss a few games to donate bone marrow.

INDIANAPOLIS -- IUPUI basketball player Maushae Byles doesn't know the woman with whom he's about to share his bone marrow, but he knows enough to be willing to skip part of his senior season for her.

Byles, a fifth-year senior and starting guard, will donate his bone marrow at the end of this month, hoping to extend the life of a stranger in Minnesota.

"If I can be the person that can save (her), then I'd like to do it," Byles told RTV6's Jake Query. Read more.

National Marrow Donor Program

tough way to start the season.

the best shot i could get.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

The Jags' women's team played its first home exhibition game of the season tonight and didn't do so well. They lost 73-64. Worse yet, senior Brooke Boggs went down early the in the first half with a pretty rough looking knee injury.

The photo here is Erin Guy (#24). I'm not so good at live action pics in-game. I'm working on it, but I think I should be working more at my announcing.

I kinda blew it once or twice tonight. And it was noticeable. Ugh.

I hope Brooke's okay. And I hope the team can play better as the season continues.

the exciting life of an official score keeper.

the exciting life of an official score keeper.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

This is Joe. We're heading into our fifth season of working together at IUPUI basketball games. He's the official "book" at the games. And no, I don't mean "book" as in bets.

Between Joe, myself and the guys on the shot and game clocks, we tend to keep one another honest throughout the games.

And a lot of laughs. Believe me, a lot of laughs.

jags win, 73-66.

game one.
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

The Jags won their first exhibition game tonight, 73-66 over a feisty St. Joseph's squad.

It's funny. I haven't sat here and done this PA gig for b-ball since last February and I already feel like I'm in mid-season stride.

I made a bigtime goof and forgot a couple hook-ups for my computer and the PA system. We nearly went music-free for the night. Fortunately we were able to get things online. I can't believe I forgot what I needed. Wow. I'm slipping. The AirPort wasn't functioning properly, so I'll have to tinker with my settings before the women's game.

I was honestly sweating whether or not I'd be able to continue the tradition of nicknames for band instructor David Copeland. I think I did all right.

Seriously, that alone is worth your time to listen to me choke through the announcements...at least for me.

live from the iupui gymnasium.

We're 45 minutes away from Game 1 (well, Game 0, according to official stats). Live blogging from courtside. Woo hoo!

ready or not.

Tonight's the first exhibition game of the basketball season.

Game on.

Even though I haven't posted much here, I've been keeping an eye on what's been going on in politics. In watching Bush's latest nomination to the Supreme Court, all I can say is, "Mr. President, you're coming in loud and weird."

Fresh on the heels of a storm over cronyism ("Brownie"), what does he do? Nominates somebody who seems long on loyalty and short on constitutional law.

It's sort of funny to me that the far right is pissed off at Bush now.

I'm not one to gloat, but I remember this president crowing after the last election about spending political capital. It was a bit too smug for a guy who was only 100,000 votes away from losing.

But I'm especially curious to see what happens with Karl Rove going to the grand jury again. I'm not saying it means anything, but I'm curious.

That's all I got.

on the clock.

The IUPUI Jaguars Support Staff
Originally uploaded by IndyOtto.

In the matter of a few short weeks, the basketball season will start up. That first game is always like getting shot out of a cannon. One weekend I'll be calling a soccer match, which is organized and fairly slow (by PA standards).

The weekend following? I'll be sitting at center court, listening to Greg Rakestraw in my left ear, Joe the official scorekeeper sitting to my right (keeping me honest), and watching Ron Hunter prowl the sidelines like a....a.....Jaguar? *snicker*

This photo is the crew that works majority of the games. It's a great bunch and I can't wait to fire it up all over again.

gimme the ball.

When all is said and done, I'll have worked 40 games by the end of February. That's combined between my soccer and basketball duties.

Forty games.

I'd work 40 more if I could.

it's getting fun again.

I forgot to mention that, aftter working a pair of weekend soccer double-dips, I took in my first college volleyball match the other night. IUPUI took on Ball State at home and won, 3-1.

My first real recollection of watching competitive volleyball was the 1984 Olympics. It seemed the men's and women's volleyball teams were darlings that year. Similar to tennis, women's was more exciting because of longer points and more even competition. So going to a college match this week was fun for me.

It was fun to be able to attend an IUPUI sporting event and just be a spectator. I rarely get that luxury, so it's fun to relax and just take it in. I don't think I'll ever do PA for volleyball since my commitments are to the soccer and basketball programs first, but I would like to attend another match.

I'm also hoping to attend at least one basketball road trip this season. The only other time I went on the road with the basketball team was to the Mid-Con tournament a couple years ago in Kansas City, which was lots of fun. But they put me to work for the program, so I never had the chance to cheer for the team. I honestly don't think I'd know how to act at a Jags game without a microphone and/or a laptop in front of me.

My next soccer match is Sept. 16,, I think. I'm honestly excited to work again. The first night last Friday wasn't so hot, but I was in mid-season stride by Sunday. It's getting fun again.

not just your announcer, but a wordsmith to boot.

I had the privilege to write an article for my alma mater's alumni magazine about the new men's basketball coach. I've yet to see the final draft, after the internal red ink was spilled, but here's the first draft I wrote about Micah Shrewsberry, head coach of the IUSB Titans.

Titans’ First Full-time Coach Says Program Will Be “Energized. Focused. And Fun”

“I’m still getting around, getting acclimated with the community,” said Micah Shrewsberry, the new men’s basketball coach for the IUSB Titans. “Getting around campus, a lot of people are excited about basketball.”


Micah Shrewsberry, head coach, IUSB Titans.

Since taking the reins as the first full-time head coach for the basketball program, Shrewsberry is focused on reintroducing the program to the local community and campus community. The first-time head coach already knows what Titan basketball will be.

“Energized. Focused. And fun,” Shewsberry said.

Shrewsberry, a four-year basketball player and 1999 graduate of Hanover College, served as an assistant coach at his alma mater as well as Wabash College and DePaw University. His past two years were as director of basketball operations for Marshall University’s men’s basketball program. Being named head coach at IUSB fulfilled his personal goal of being a head coach before the age of 30. For Shrewsberry, setting and achieving goals is a trait he hopes to instill in his players.

“Personally, I’ve had a great role model in my father,” Shrewsberry said. “It was my father who taught me from a young age if you believe in yourself, your goals and your dreams, anything is possible. I’ve seen him achieve at different levels and now I’m following in his footsteps.”

Shrewsberry was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana and was raised in Indianapolis from the age of 12. He knows first hand the tenacity of hoops fans in the Hoosier state; something that is not lost on the IUSB campus, he said.

“Getting around campus,” he said. “A lot of people are excited about basketball.”

As head coach, Shrewsberry will draw upon his own experiences as a player and former college student to related to his current players.

“I’m only 29years old, so I can still relate to many of the things they’re going through and talking about,” Shrewsberry said. “I have an open door policy. They can by every day. I want them to stop in and talk to me.”

For Shrewsberry, that means instilling confidence and basketball smarts in his team both on and off the court. But during the game, he said, he doesn’t want his players to focus on on-court errors.

“Everybody will make a mistake here and there,” he said. “I don’t want them looking over at the bench, worrying about getting pulled out of the game. I want them to play loose and have fun.”

The role of a student-athlete is an easy one to define for Shrewsberry And he knows his first job as the head coach.

“My biggest goal is that all these seniors graduate,” he said. “They put in a lot of time at IUSB and I want to make sure they walk across that stage.”

Getting the Titans to the national championship tournament is one of Shrewsberry’s other top goals.

“Our league is respected throughout the country,” he said. “There’s no question we’re going to be in the top three of our conference each year. We’ll be pushing for a bid to the national championship tournament each year.”

Recruiting talent to come to IUSB, Shrewsberry believes, is made easier by the quality of education and facilities at the University.

“There are a lot of things I can ‘sell’ to a recruit,” he said. “That IU degree is very valuable. If I give a recruit a call, I can say ‘you’re going to get a degree that’s going to be recognized throughout the country and the world. You’re going to play in a beautiful facility, which is Top Three in the league, and you’re going to play an exciting style of basketball.”

In the meantime, Shrewsberry, his wife Molly and infant son Braeden will continue to grow as part of the Michiana and IUSB communities. While basketball is his passion, family is Shrewsberry’s first priority.

“I like being at home with my wife and son, even though the move has changed his sleeping pattern a little,” Shrewsberry joked.

Balancing home life with the rigors of being a coach, educator, mentor and friend to players each year is indeed stressful and time consuming, Shrewsberry admits. But he welcomes his role.

“It’s very rewarding,” he said.

labor day soccer.

My Labor Day Weekend

Two men's soccer matches + two women's soccer matches = $$$$ :-p

Seriously, it was fun to get back into the swing of things. Too bad the men lost on Sunday afternoon. From my vantage point, it looked like they were back on their heels early and it cost them.

I'll be taking in a volleyball....meet? Match? Game? What do they call it? Anyway, I'll be taking it on Tuesday.

I don't have soccer again for a few days. I'm already in mid-season stride with that. Soccer is pretty easy, from a PA standpoint.

time to go to work.

After a fast six month hiatus, it's time to get back in the press box tomorrow night for a soccer doubleheader.

The women play at 6 p.m. with the men following at 8 p.m.

Honestly, I'm excited to get back at it.

Given the price of gas these days, this is gas money!

Congrats to the women's team at my alma mater, IU South Bend.



From today's South Bend Tribune:

IUSB wins CCAC with Titanic finish

By MATT KOPSEA

SOUTH BEND -- Liz Moulis got her revenge Saturday afternoon.

The 5-foot-5 senior guard provided a huge lift off the bench with 16 points and six rebounds, helping Indiana University South Bend claim the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament crown with a 70-65 triumph over No. 25 (NAIA Div.-I) St. Xavier (Ill.) at the Student Activities Center.

Moulis' two free throws with 3.1 seconds left sealed the Titans' (23-10) fifth bid to the NAIA Division I national tournament and first since the 2000-01 campaign. Read more.

Within the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the NAIA, IUSB's women's team is something of a powerhouse. This is their fifth championship in about eight or nine years.

a long, cold summer.

Wow. The season is over. I can't believe it's already March. Six months goes pretty fast, I guess.

Our men's team had its final game on Monday night in what could be a harbinger of the future in the Mid-Con tournament. Oral Roberts may have won this game, but we may see them again. That could be a stellar game. IUPUI doesn't have the inside game it had last season, but it is a quick, quick team with deadly outside shooting. I hope they bring their A game to Tulsa.

For me, the last game of the season is always bittersweet. I always feel like I'm just getting into the swing of things with announcing just as we shut it down. it's always a privilege and an honor to work the table. We keep bugging the SIDs for our own page in the media guide. Alas, they have held steadfast in their denial of our hopes and dreams.

Senior Night is always an anomoly because we have TONS of announcements to rip through. Overall, it went pretty well. Unlike a couple seasons ago, I've learned to relax and not grip up if the timeline needs to change on the fly. I'm getting better at being an instrument of the game. Still, I need to always remember to focus. You'd think, after nine years of doing this, that I'd not get freaked out by the sound of my own voice over the P.A. You'd be wrong.

My favorite thing this season was, without a doubt, the pep band announcement. We have several boilerplate announcements that I have all but committed to memory; such is the case with the pep band announcement, which goes a little something like this (feel free to read aloud to achieve the full effect):

The IUPUI Intercollegiate Athletics Department would like to thank the IUPUI Music Department for their sponsorship of The Bend Band. The Pep Band is comprised of IUPUI students under the direction of David Copeland.

Twice a game I read that. This year -- I don't recall which game -- I switched it up a bit and said, "...under the expertise of David Copeland." Later on, expertise gave way to expert tutelage. I don't even know how or why it started, but it became a thing where I'd alwys key on Dave's name. I think it all started when I called him "Diamond Dave" Copeland. Throughout the season he was, among others:

* misunderstood genius, David Copeland
* billionaire playboy, David Copeland
* under the ironfisted regime of David Copeland
* ...of David "don't call me Doc Severinson" Copeland
* evil genius, David Copeland
* under the P. Diddy-esque direction of David Copeland
* David "Chocolate Thunder" Copeland (makes me laugh to this day)
* The next American Idol, David Copeland
* J. Lo's new husband David Copeland

The list goes on and on and I honestly don't remember them all. Half the time I made it up on the fly. But now, I've started a thing so I've got to start keeping a list for next season.

My favorite part of that is it got the band into it and some of the folks in the crowd. I'm not one to over-do it on yucking it up, but I do think you can be funny if you're clever and well-timed with it.

The David Copeland segment was my favorite all season long.

I already miss this season. It's a long, cold summer to basketball season. How long to November?