In case your wondering how Jim Larranaga's salary and bonus stack up among all the coaches in the NCAA tournament

USA Today did an analysis of the salaries and other compensation of all 68 teams' head coaches in this year's NCAA tournament. Jim Larranaga appears to be in about the middle of this list however the data for some private universities was not available.  Coach L is the highest paid head coach of the three CAA teams that made the big dance this year and I think it's crazy that Shaka Smart was making that much more than ODU's Blaine Taylor this season (edit: I found out later that Taylor makes more from booster club funds). From the data USA Today collected it appears some info is missing for team bonuses paid to these coaches but it sure seems like Coach L is going to be very well compensated this season.  They have his bonus at $460,000 and was probably a result of the team's regular...

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News and Notes: Thursday Edition

The Cornell coaching staff tweets as they head to Houston, the site of the Final Four and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national conference.Tim Weisberg of Slope Radio interviewed Bill Courtney this week. Listen to the podcast by clicking here.The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that incoming Cornell recruit, Shonn Miller (St. Ignatius HS) Cleveland, OH, 6-6, F, made an appearance last night in the Greater Cleveland Basketball Coaches Association All Star game, leading all scorers with 27 points. Fellow Big Red recruit, Devin Cherry (Meridian High School) Meridian, MS, 6-3, G, was named honorable mention all-state (for all regions and school classifications). His teammate, Rodney Hood, a Mississippi State signee,...

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City of Fairfax sends Coach Larranaga and George Mason basketball team a congratulatory letter

The council of the City of Fairfax sent a letter to Jim Larranaga and the George Mason men's basketball team congratulating them on a successful season.  And just think President Obama might be congratulating VCU at the White House in a few months, oh boy.[Source: GMU's Facebook Pa...

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Keith Visits Barton

Cornell alumnus, Keith Olbermann ('79) tweets about Barton Ha...

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News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Wednesday...We just heard that Cornell fans can expect to see modified uniforms for the Big Red in 2011-2012. Above, a look at some of Cornell's jerseys during the last 113 years of Cornell basketball.Here is a little bit of early discussion on the upcoming season. With Cornell finishing 6-3 down the stretch during 2010-2011, losing only to the co-league champions, Princeton and Harvard, there is no reason to dismiss Cornell as a title contender entering 2011-2012. The Big Red return the bulk of the team's nucleus from last season and bring in the program's most decorated recruiting class since 1994. But even more important, Cornell became a better team as the year progressed during 2010-2011 as the team...

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George Mason featured on the Best of College Hoops Special on CBS

If you happened to miss the 'Best of College Hoops Special' on CBS this past Sunday one of our readers uploaded the segment on George Mason. It talks about how George Mason University has grown and benefited from the 2006 Final Four run and talks about this year's team. They interview a couple players and Coach Larranaga and is definitely worth a lo...

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Luke Hancock on NBC4's Lunch with Lindsay

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Bill Courtney on Slope Radio at 5 PM

Tim Weisberg of Slope Radio interviews Coach Courtney tonight at 5 pm on Slope Radio. Tune in at SlopeRadio.c...

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News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Tuesday...Above, photos of incoming Cornell recruit, Dave LaMore (Dexter HS) Whitmore Lake, MI, 6-10, C, from March 3rd during his senior night game.On Wednesday evening, Louis Dale ('10) and his Goettingen club of Germany's premier league, the Budesliga, face Italian club, Benetton Treviso in Italy in game 2 of the quarterfinals in the European Cup.Above, Jeff Foote ('10), scored 9 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and added 1 assist and 1 steal in 24 minutes on Sunday, but his Melilla Balancesto club of Spain's 2nd Division fell 69-67 to Breogan. Below, photos of Ryan Wittman ('10) in NBA D-League action on Sunday evening for the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants. Wittman finished with 12 points in the win over the Albuquerque...

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Recruiting update: Corey Edwards' team falls OT of the New York State Federation Class AA championship

2011 George Mason recruit Corey EdwardsThought I would share a recruiting update on one of George Mason's two incoming freshman for 2011. Point guard Corey Edwards and Christ the King high  school (where Ryan Pearson attended) lost in overtime to Mount Vernon (Sherrod Wright's high school team) in the New York State Federation Class AA championship.  Christ the King had won the previous two years and used clutch free throws and big shots down the stretch to win.  That was not the case this past weekend as future Mason point guard Edwards missed three free throws in OT and was 5-for-10 overall from there for the game.  I am sure you must be thrilled to see the Patriots are continuing to bring in talent that cannot...

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News and Notes: Monday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Monday...Cornell has at least two direct connections to teams in the Final Four. Cornell senior, Mark Coury played two seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats before transferring to the Big Red, while Cornell Head Coach, Bill Courtney served a brief stint as an assistant at VCU.Ryan Wittman ('10) had another huge night for the NBA D-League's Ft. Wayne Mad Ants, chipping in 12 points (4/6 FGs), 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 assist in 26 minutes as Ft. Wayne defeated Albuquerque, 129-97 on Sunday evening.After earning an invitation to the Ohio vs. Kentucky All Star Game last week, incoming Cornell recruit, Shonn Miller (St. Ignatius HS), Cleveland, OH, 6-6, F, was also invited to the Greater Cleveland Basketball...

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VCU's run to Final Four is eerily similar to George Mason's in 2006

The VCU Rams are playing ridiculously good basketball right now. Not only are they taking down BCS teams but they are thoroughly handling them on their route to this year's Final Four.  Even if you don't like VCU you can't help but be amazed by what they are doing right now.  George Mason in 2006 certainly blazed the trail for teams like Butler and VCU and mid-major conferences are continuing to show there isn't really anything "mid" about what they can accomplish in March.  It certainly is a boost for the CAA to get another team in the Final Four five years after George Mason's historic ride but that's not the only thing VCU and George Mason's tournament runs have in common.Weak Finishes.  Both teams didn't end...

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Recruiting News

Below, some recruiting updates from around the Ivy League for the class of 2011 as well as for 2012.For a list of committed players to attend Ivy League schools, including profiles of incoming Cornell recruits, and a listing of Cornell's prospective recruiting targets, click here. For a list of general Ivy League prospective recruiting targets, click here. Please note that we update these lists daily.Class of 2011 Recruiting NewsIn an effort to fill out what has been a somewhat disappointing recruiting cycle for Penn, the Quakers took verbal commitments from a pair of European players in the late recruiting period, Keelan Cairns (Barking Abbey) Belfast, Ireland/London, England, 6-10, F and Simeon Espirit (Barking Abbey) London,...

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News and Notes: Sunday Edition

Below, some Sunday news and notes and a weekend recap...Ryan Wittman ('10) and his NBA D-League team, the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants are making their push for the franchise's first ever spot in the D-League Playoffs. The Ants host Albuquerque tonight and the game is free to view online at the NBA D-League website. From the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette previewing tonight's game, "'Witt’s played well. Give the young guy credit. I think he’s deceptive because he’s a little bigger than people think at 6-5. He helped us on the defensive board and played better defense than you think,' [said Ft. Wayne coach, Joey Meyer.] Wittman, who joined the team in early February, has been on a tear lately. The former Cornell standout scored 11 points against the...

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News and Notes: Saturday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Saturday....A bit of alumni news for this Saturday: With just three regular season games remaining on their NBA D-League schedule, Ryan Wittman ('10) and his Ft. Wayne Mad Ants host the Albuquerque Thunderbirds on Sunday. Below, Jeff Foote ('10) and his Melilla Balncesto (Spanish 2nd Division club) are "counting on you" in this short commercial. Melilla (14-16, 11th place out of 18 teams) has just four regular season games remaining, the final game on April 15. Navarra sits in 8th place and within striking distance of Melilla with a 15-15 record. Foote leads the 2nd division in blocks with 2.0 per game. Also below, some 2011 highlights of Cody Toppert ('05), playing for Fulgor Libertas Forli in Italy's 2nd...

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A Sweet 16 Weekend

Some of the merchandise sold a year ago by vendors celebrating Cornell's third consecutive Ivy League title and 2010 Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tourname...

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News and Notes: Friday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Friday...Incoming Cornell recruit, Galal Cancer (Christian Bros. Academy) Albany, NY, 6-2, G, is once again a runner-up for the Albany Times Union's Athlete of the Week. The Times Union writes, "Galal Cancer, CBA boys' basketball: The senior co-captain capped his stellar varsity career Saturday by scoring 11 points, grabbing nine rebounds and adding three assists in the Brothers' 61-56 overtime loss to Jamestown in the Class AA state semifinals at Glens Falls Civic Center. Cancer, the Big 10 and Section II Class AA Tournament Most Valuable Player, is headed to play his college basketball at Cornell."The Ft. Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League are making a late push for the playoffs and picked up a big win...

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Jim Larranaga a finalists for the Hugh Durham Award

George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga is among the sixteen finalists for the 2011 Hugh Durham Award.  The award is essentially given to the to top mid-major coach in Division I college basketball. Because you have to have won or shared your conferences' regular season title or won your conference tournament to be a finalist you won't see VCU's Shaka Smart on here; which kind of makes no sense to me.  Regardless still a nice recognition for Coach L after he guided the Patriots to their best regular season in program history.  Coach L will be doing a live chat today over on WSJ.com starting at 12 pm.[Photo Credit: JWPowell9 via Flic...

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News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Thursday...In an unusual turn of events, last night Louis Dale ('10) and his Goettingen club of Germany's premier league, the Bundesliga, recorded a 66-66 draw with Benetton Teviso of Italy in the Quarterfinals of the EuroCup. The teams will now move to Treviso to potentially decide on the winner in Treviso on March 30. Dale finished with 4 points and 2 rebounds in the tie.Below, incoming Cornell recruit, Dave Lamore (Dexter HS) Dexter, MI, 6-10, C, tweets his senior season accomplishments, including averages of 14.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. MLive.com references LaMore and his fellow Ivy League recruits from the Detroit area. Also below, City League Hoops TV, named Cornell recruit, Shonn...

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From the Sweet 16 to the obscurity of pro basketball in Israel

From the Sweet 16 to the obscurity of pro basketball in IsraelBy Jon JaquesCNNSI.com/SportsIllustrated.comIt's wild to think that just a year ago my Cornell teammates and I were on center stage of March Madness; that's what happens when you are the first Ivy League team to advance to the Sweet 16 since 1979. Thanks to Cornell's historic success last March and my upbringing as a Jewish-American, an opportunity to play basketball professionally in Israel essentially fell into my lap. I had no illusions of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land coming close to matching the excitement of my senior season at Cornell. Still, I wasn't at all prepared for how far removed the cramped, cookie-cutter gyms of Israel are from a stage like the Carrier Dome,...

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NBC4's Lindsay Czarniak talks about the flu that kept Luke Hancock out of the Ohio State game

It really was a shame that we weren't fully manned against the Ohio State Buckeyes last Sunday. You can't help but wonder if Hancock being in the lineup could have changed things for the Patriots. Even though Mason still probably would have lost that game, you hate to sit around and ponder what could have been.  NBC4 had a short segment on Luke Hancock's flu yesterd...

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News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Wednesday...We are still planning on providing our readers a sneak peak at the Big Red's 2011-2012 schedule within the next few weeks. We are hearing that Cornell has just one game left to finalize before the schedule is officially complete. Other program offseason news reports are also planned. Fans can also expect to see on The Cornell Basketball Blog in the next few weeks and months, SlopeTV's fantastic season highlights and other feature videos currently in production.On Tuesday night in NBA D-League action, Ryan Wittman ('10) finished with 9 points on 3/5 shooting from the floor while also collecting 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 17 minutes as his Ft. Wayne Mad Ants fell to the Erie Bay Hawks, 113-104. The...

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Conan O'Brien mentions George Mason in his "NCAA Mascots That Should Never Dunk" segment

Conan O'Brien poked fun at college mascots last night on his show. He had a segment called NCAA Mascots That Should Never Dunk.  The 2nd mascot mentioned was the George Mason university Closed Caske...

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How To Increase Your Jump

Here are some animated exercise which you can do regularly to increase your Vertical Jump,Stamina, Strength and much more... Split Squat Jumps 1. Stand with feet hip width apart. Take left leg and step back approximately 2 feet standing on the ball of back foot. 2. Feet should be positioned at a staggered stance with head and back erect and straight in a neutral position.    3. Lower body by bending at right hip and knee until thigh is parallel to floor then immediately explode vertically. 4. Switch feet in the air so that the back foot lands forward and vice versa. Prior to takeoff extend the ankles to their maximum range (full plantar flexion) ensure proper mechanics.Basketb...

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Recruiting News

Below, some recruiting updates from around the Ivy League for the class of 2011 as well as for 2012.For a list of committed players to attend Ivy League schools, including profiles of incoming Cornell recruits, and a listing of Cornell's prospective recruiting targets, click here. For a list of general Ivy League prospective recruiting targets, click here. Please note that we update these lists daily.Class of 2011 Recruiting NewsA few Ivies are scrambling to fill out their recruiting classes with the remaining uncommitted prospects.Columbia took a commitment today from Samer Ozier (Novi HS) Novi, MI, 6-8, F.Attempting to fill out its recruiting class, Penn is in pursuit of a pair of European players in the late recruiting...

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Charlie Sheen's Bracket had George Mason over Ohio State

Yes Charlie Sheen found time between his drugs, porn stars, and web shows to fill out a bracket for this year's NCAA Tournament.  He submitted his celebrity bracket to the Dan Patrick Show and like most of ours it's already busted. You might find it interesting though that he had George Mason beating Ohio State and Old Dominion in the Elite Eight.  Nevermind that he had Akron as his national champs I'm still going to say that Sheen cursed George Mason before Sunday's ga...

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Huge collection of Kobe Bryant wallpapers

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA)Basketb...

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News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Tuesday...Incoming Cornell recruit, Galal Cancer (Christian Brothers Academy) Albany, NY, 6-2, G, was named a runner-up for the Albany Times Union's Athlete of the Week. The newspaper writes, "Galal Cancer, CBA boys' basketball: The senior co-captain capped his stellar varsity career Saturday by scoring 11 points, grabbing nine rebounds and adding three assists in the Brothers' 61-56 overtime loss to Jamestown in the Class AA state semifinals at Glens Falls Civic Center. Cancer, the Big 10 and Section II Class AA Tournament Most Valuable Player, is headed to play his college basketball at Cornell." Fellow incoming Cornell recruits, Shonn Miller (St. Ignatius HS) Cleveland, OH, 6-6, F, and Ned Tomic (North...

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George Mason set to play in Preseason NIT

This is not news to most readers of this blog but since there has been quite an influx of new readers I thought I'd share this again.  The Washington Post's Steven Goff confirmed the rumors from earlier that George Mason is tentatively set to play in the Preseason NIT this November. He says the details are not finalized but that they could end up playing in "four-team group at Virginia Tech."Definitely something to look forward to as the Patriots return a large part of their veteran core that led them to their most successful regular season in program history. If you remember earlier this season VCU participated in the NIT Season Tip-Off and made it to the semifinals at Madison Garden.&nb...

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