• Texas State mens basketball players J.B. Conley and Emmanuel Bidias a Moute were involved in a fatal accident last Friday night.
• Conley (driving) and Moute (passenger) were traveling on Aquarena Springs Drive at 7:36 pm when they struck and killed a 31-year-old man.
• Conley was cited for not having a driver's license or insurance. He only has a state identification card issued by the state of Texas.
• Conley was also not driving his own car (hence not having a driver's license). He was behind the wheel of a car owned by Raul Segura of San Antonio.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Quotes from Texas State head coach Suzanne Fox
Here's what Texas State head coach Suzanne Fox had to say after her team barely pulled out a 99-94 win against Huston-Tillotson yesterday. Remember, HTU is an NAIA school...
On her overall impressions of the game — “Our kids played tight. They feel the pressure. Again, how many games have we won in the last week and a half? None. They lost that swagger and that’s the thing. Winning gives them confidence. Today we got tight and made bad choices and it snowballed on us.”
On losing a large (22-point) lead — “We got to take care of the basketball. We’re up 18 and had some reserves in and we basically didn’t do the thing we were supposed to do. We went back to the starting group and it went back to the demon that’s been haunting us — turnovers. We turned it over three or four times in a row and they scored every possession on it.”
On her team's horrible play so far this season — “It doesn’t matter who you line up against or what name is on the front of the jersey. You’re looking at a week-and-a-half span where we played Texas Tech to four points and then we go to double overtime against HTU and it comes down to players doing things they’ve been taught to do. When you look at us, we didn’t do the things we were taught to do and that’s where I’ll take the responsibility and admit that I have to do a better job at practice and coaching to get them confident. You do that in practice. We have to go in there and get to work. It comes down to accountability. It’s hard with a young team because that value of a possession and you look at kids in a practice setting that they’ve been on a team where there’s no shot clocks in high school. Have they been on teams where they’ve blown everybody out? There are so many backgrounds where they’re coming from that if they turn it over, it’s just one turnover, but our kids need to understand that every possession is important. Right now, we haven’t done that consistently.”
On her overall impressions of the game — “Our kids played tight. They feel the pressure. Again, how many games have we won in the last week and a half? None. They lost that swagger and that’s the thing. Winning gives them confidence. Today we got tight and made bad choices and it snowballed on us.”
On losing a large (22-point) lead — “We got to take care of the basketball. We’re up 18 and had some reserves in and we basically didn’t do the thing we were supposed to do. We went back to the starting group and it went back to the demon that’s been haunting us — turnovers. We turned it over three or four times in a row and they scored every possession on it.”
On her team's horrible play so far this season — “It doesn’t matter who you line up against or what name is on the front of the jersey. You’re looking at a week-and-a-half span where we played Texas Tech to four points and then we go to double overtime against HTU and it comes down to players doing things they’ve been taught to do. When you look at us, we didn’t do the things we were taught to do and that’s where I’ll take the responsibility and admit that I have to do a better job at practice and coaching to get them confident. You do that in practice. We have to go in there and get to work. It comes down to accountability. It’s hard with a young team because that value of a possession and you look at kids in a practice setting that they’ve been on a team where there’s no shot clocks in high school. Have they been on teams where they’ve blown everybody out? There are so many backgrounds where they’re coming from that if they turn it over, it’s just one turnover, but our kids need to understand that every possession is important. Right now, we haven’t done that consistently.”
Friday, November 13, 2009
Texas State men's basketball player-by-player breakdown
Emmanuel Bidias A' Moute (Forward): Davalos expects Bidias A' Moute to have a strong senior season after academic probation cut his 2008-09 season short. Bidias A' Moute played in 16 games for Texas State last season, averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Quotable — "You saw what Emmanuel is capable of. He can give us a 20/10 any night of the week."
Tony Bishop (Guard): Davalos believes Bishop is one of the most athletically gifted players on his team. Bishop was the 2008-09 NJCAA Division III Player of the Year and led Richland College to a national championship. He'll be a two-position player like former Texas State guard/forward Brandon Bush. Quotable — "We're pretty excited about what Tony can do for us."
John Bowman (Guard): Davalos believes Bowman has the ability to be one of the team's leading scorers this season. Bowman was the team's defensive specialist last season and provided several highlight-reel dunks. He's not afraid to shoot the 3-pointer (25 attempts in 2008-09) but will need to attack the basket if he's going to be effective this year. Quotable — "He's one of those guys that can have a big scoring night."
J.B. Conley (Guard): Davalos believes Conley . Conley played is from Richardson and played against Cameron Johnson in high school. Conley played two seasons at Temple College and received offers from both Weber State and Texas State. The 6-foot-5 guard is athletic and can finish above the rim. Quotable — "Once he learns where he needs to go at what point, he's going to be a guy that's going to be tough to guard."
Dylan Hale (Guard): Davalos believes Hale (the only freshman on the team) could have a standout season. Hale received looks from Southern Methodist (SMU) and Fairfield before signing with Texas State. Quotable — "Dylan can be the best shooter in this program right now. He probably is, but we don't expect him to come in as a freshman and do what (former Bobcat) Brent Benson did. I think there are going to be days where he really can have big games."
Roshun Jackson (Guard): Davalos believes Jackson has a chance to be a threat on both ends of the floor. Jackson was in Davalos' doghouse last season and only played eight minutes per game. He did have 10 steals in limited action, so we know the defensive ability is there, but he only shot 28 percent from the field. Quotable — "Roshun really came back this fall in better shape than as a freshman. He was more ready for the first day of workouts and he'll be more ready for this season."
Cameron Johnson (Forward): Davalos believes Johnson will be the leader of the Bobcats. Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior, will be relied upon to be one of Texas State's main scorers. He proved he could score last season, but it was sporadic. Johnson is one of three third-year juniors on the Bobcats (Jonathan Sloan and Ryan White are the others) and knows what Davalos wants. Quotable — “Those guys who used to be followers are now stepping up. Cameron Johnson is a case and point. He worked his tail off this summer.”
John Rybak (Forward): Davalos has nothing but positive things to say about the 6-foot-5 senior. Rybak spent his sophomore season on the bench (due to NCAA transfer rules) but made a huge impact in 2008-09. He averaged 10 points per game and knocked down 64 3-pointers. Rybak not only got it done on the offensive, but defensive end (34 steals). Rybak should be the team's leading scorer this year as well as its heartbeat. Quotable — "He’s the epitome of a student-athlete. He works hard in the classroom, come to practice and does everything we ask of him and more."
Uriel Segura (Guard): Davalos believes Segura could make an impact in his first season. Segura is the only true point guard for the Bobcats while White is out due to injuries suffered in a September car accident. Segura is a 6-foot-3 guard from McLennan Junior College and has quickly learned Davalos' intricate system. Quotable — "He's very sound. He reminds me a little bit of Corey Jefferson. He puts himself in the right place at the right time."
Jonathan Sloan (Forward) — Davalos believes this is the year Sloan finally realizes his potential. Sloan has yet to show why he deserved a three-star billing coming out of J.J. Pearce High. He averaged 2.9 points per game in 2008-09 and was hampered by injuries. Sloan worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning and know what is expected of him. Quotable — "He’s not there yet, but he’s much improved. He’s a night-and-day player from last year. Jonathan has a chance to do anything he wants.”
A.J. Stewart (Forward) — Will not play in 2009-10 due to NCAA transfer requirements.
Ryan White (Guard) — Davalos believes White could be Texas State's leaders this season. White worked hard in the offseason, knowing he'd be the starting point guard. Unfortunately, White was involved in a car accident in September, curtailing his progress. White should be back in late December to early January. Quotable — "Ryan had a great summer and came back in better shape than he's ever been. It's tough now that he's out because it's like the football team losing Bradley George."
Tony Bishop (Guard): Davalos believes Bishop is one of the most athletically gifted players on his team. Bishop was the 2008-09 NJCAA Division III Player of the Year and led Richland College to a national championship. He'll be a two-position player like former Texas State guard/forward Brandon Bush. Quotable — "We're pretty excited about what Tony can do for us."
John Bowman (Guard): Davalos believes Bowman has the ability to be one of the team's leading scorers this season. Bowman was the team's defensive specialist last season and provided several highlight-reel dunks. He's not afraid to shoot the 3-pointer (25 attempts in 2008-09) but will need to attack the basket if he's going to be effective this year. Quotable — "He's one of those guys that can have a big scoring night."
J.B. Conley (Guard): Davalos believes Conley . Conley played is from Richardson and played against Cameron Johnson in high school. Conley played two seasons at Temple College and received offers from both Weber State and Texas State. The 6-foot-5 guard is athletic and can finish above the rim. Quotable — "Once he learns where he needs to go at what point, he's going to be a guy that's going to be tough to guard."
Dylan Hale (Guard): Davalos believes Hale (the only freshman on the team) could have a standout season. Hale received looks from Southern Methodist (SMU) and Fairfield before signing with Texas State. Quotable — "Dylan can be the best shooter in this program right now. He probably is, but we don't expect him to come in as a freshman and do what (former Bobcat) Brent Benson did. I think there are going to be days where he really can have big games."
Roshun Jackson (Guard): Davalos believes Jackson has a chance to be a threat on both ends of the floor. Jackson was in Davalos' doghouse last season and only played eight minutes per game. He did have 10 steals in limited action, so we know the defensive ability is there, but he only shot 28 percent from the field. Quotable — "Roshun really came back this fall in better shape than as a freshman. He was more ready for the first day of workouts and he'll be more ready for this season."
Cameron Johnson (Forward): Davalos believes Johnson will be the leader of the Bobcats. Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior, will be relied upon to be one of Texas State's main scorers. He proved he could score last season, but it was sporadic. Johnson is one of three third-year juniors on the Bobcats (Jonathan Sloan and Ryan White are the others) and knows what Davalos wants. Quotable — “Those guys who used to be followers are now stepping up. Cameron Johnson is a case and point. He worked his tail off this summer.”
John Rybak (Forward): Davalos has nothing but positive things to say about the 6-foot-5 senior. Rybak spent his sophomore season on the bench (due to NCAA transfer rules) but made a huge impact in 2008-09. He averaged 10 points per game and knocked down 64 3-pointers. Rybak not only got it done on the offensive, but defensive end (34 steals). Rybak should be the team's leading scorer this year as well as its heartbeat. Quotable — "He’s the epitome of a student-athlete. He works hard in the classroom, come to practice and does everything we ask of him and more."
Uriel Segura (Guard): Davalos believes Segura could make an impact in his first season. Segura is the only true point guard for the Bobcats while White is out due to injuries suffered in a September car accident. Segura is a 6-foot-3 guard from McLennan Junior College and has quickly learned Davalos' intricate system. Quotable — "He's very sound. He reminds me a little bit of Corey Jefferson. He puts himself in the right place at the right time."
Jonathan Sloan (Forward) — Davalos believes this is the year Sloan finally realizes his potential. Sloan has yet to show why he deserved a three-star billing coming out of J.J. Pearce High. He averaged 2.9 points per game in 2008-09 and was hampered by injuries. Sloan worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning and know what is expected of him. Quotable — "He’s not there yet, but he’s much improved. He’s a night-and-day player from last year. Jonathan has a chance to do anything he wants.”
A.J. Stewart (Forward) — Will not play in 2009-10 due to NCAA transfer requirements.
Ryan White (Guard) — Davalos believes White could be Texas State's leaders this season. White worked hard in the offseason, knowing he'd be the starting point guard. Unfortunately, White was involved in a car accident in September, curtailing his progress. White should be back in late December to early January. Quotable — "Ryan had a great summer and came back in better shape than he's ever been. It's tough now that he's out because it's like the football team losing Bradley George."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bobcats lose Karrington Bush for the rest of the season
Texas State received some bad news Tuesday afternoon.
The Bobcats learned they'll be without running back Karrington Bush for the rest of the season. Bush tore his ACL, LCL and MCL during Saturday's game against Nicholls State.
"It's a shame," Texas State head coach Brad Wright said. "We didn't know what to expect, but the way it happened, it didn't look good."
Bush had a huge game vs. the Colonels before his injury, rushing for 163 yards on 20 carries. It was his 13th career 100-yard rushing game.
The Bobcats are now left with Alvin Canady and Frank Reddic to carry the load at running back. Canady and Reddic were each serviceable while Bush was out earlier this season for two games due to an MCL strain.
Texas State travels to Northwestern State this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Bobcats learned they'll be without running back Karrington Bush for the rest of the season. Bush tore his ACL, LCL and MCL during Saturday's game against Nicholls State.
"It's a shame," Texas State head coach Brad Wright said. "We didn't know what to expect, but the way it happened, it didn't look good."
Bush had a huge game vs. the Colonels before his injury, rushing for 163 yards on 20 carries. It was his 13th career 100-yard rushing game.
The Bobcats are now left with Alvin Canady and Frank Reddic to carry the load at running back. Canady and Reddic were each serviceable while Bush was out earlier this season for two games due to an MCL strain.
Texas State travels to Northwestern State this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Garelick working through growing pains
Justin Garelick lined up with Texas State down 51-50 in overtime against Southeastern Louisiana.
The Bobcat freshman kicker needed to split the uprights to send the game into a second overtime. He took his steps and took a few deep breaths.
Snap. Hold. Kick.
Clang.
Garelick's attempt bounced off the left upright and Texas State lost to the Lions for the first time in 13 games. He collapsed to the ground, hands on top of his head and waited.
The freshman kicker didn't know how his teammates would respond. Moreover, Garelick had no idea how his coaches, specifically Brad Wright would handle his fourth missed extra-point attempt this season.
"I expected the worst, just because I've never been through a situation like this," Garelick said. "But it felt a lot better after the game knowing the coaches still supported me and every single player came up to talk to me."
Garelick replayed the kick in his mind Saturday night and then all day Sunday. By the time he got to Monday's film study, it began to leave his memory and after a few kicks Tuesday, it was gone.
Kickers are supposed to have short memories. They get so many chances in a season to showcase their talents, but when something goes horribly wrong it gets magnified.
"I always try to forget the past and focus on the future," Garelick said. "If you have a bad streak, you forget about it and move on to the next one. You just try and focus each time when you need to get ready for a game."
Garelick's been the starting kicker ever since Ryan Batchelor strained his hip flexor in fall camp. Wright tabbed Garelick as former Texas State kicker Andrew Ireland's heir apparent once he recruited him out of Pflugerville High.
Garelick still has a lot to learn as a collegiate kicker.
He can't use a tee on field goals or extra-point attempts, which forces him to try to get more power behind his steps. Garelick has buried a 44-yard field goal this season, yet has missed four extra points.
"I need to make sure I hit the ball pure every time," Garelick said. "Sometimes I don't, but I'm working on getting more consistent."
While kicking in larger stadiums might be unnerving for the freshman kicker, Garelick feels at ease when he's on the field. It doesn't matter if he's lined up for a 44-yard field goal or a game-tying extra point.
"I definitely feel like I'm handling the pressure better than I thought I would," Garelick said. "Once I get the feel down and settle in a bit, I should be fine."
The Bobcat freshman kicker needed to split the uprights to send the game into a second overtime. He took his steps and took a few deep breaths.
Snap. Hold. Kick.
Clang.
Garelick's attempt bounced off the left upright and Texas State lost to the Lions for the first time in 13 games. He collapsed to the ground, hands on top of his head and waited.
The freshman kicker didn't know how his teammates would respond. Moreover, Garelick had no idea how his coaches, specifically Brad Wright would handle his fourth missed extra-point attempt this season.
"I expected the worst, just because I've never been through a situation like this," Garelick said. "But it felt a lot better after the game knowing the coaches still supported me and every single player came up to talk to me."
Garelick replayed the kick in his mind Saturday night and then all day Sunday. By the time he got to Monday's film study, it began to leave his memory and after a few kicks Tuesday, it was gone.
Kickers are supposed to have short memories. They get so many chances in a season to showcase their talents, but when something goes horribly wrong it gets magnified.
"I always try to forget the past and focus on the future," Garelick said. "If you have a bad streak, you forget about it and move on to the next one. You just try and focus each time when you need to get ready for a game."
Garelick's been the starting kicker ever since Ryan Batchelor strained his hip flexor in fall camp. Wright tabbed Garelick as former Texas State kicker Andrew Ireland's heir apparent once he recruited him out of Pflugerville High.
Garelick still has a lot to learn as a collegiate kicker.
He can't use a tee on field goals or extra-point attempts, which forces him to try to get more power behind his steps. Garelick has buried a 44-yard field goal this season, yet has missed four extra points.
"I need to make sure I hit the ball pure every time," Garelick said. "Sometimes I don't, but I'm working on getting more consistent."
While kicking in larger stadiums might be unnerving for the freshman kicker, Garelick feels at ease when he's on the field. It doesn't matter if he's lined up for a 44-yard field goal or a game-tying extra point.
"I definitely feel like I'm handling the pressure better than I thought I would," Garelick said. "Once I get the feel down and settle in a bit, I should be fine."
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Who truly deserves the blame for the Southeastern Louisiana loss?
Everything went right for Texas State through 51 minutes of last Saturday's game against Southeastern Louisiana.
Then, in the blink of an eye and nine minutes of stone-cold silence, the Bobcats collapsed.
Texas State relinquished a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter and eventually lost in overtime to the Lions. The Bobcats' offense, which had been moving the ball efficiently, stalled and their defense struggled to stop the simplest plays.
“It's like everything that could have gone wrong – did go wrong,” Texas State senior offensive lineman Alex Luna said. “We went from being comfortably in the lead to barely holding on. It snowballed on us.”
Why couldn't SLU's onslaught be stopped?
It wasn't like the Lions were doing anything special against the Bobcats. SLU just kept with its game plan of running the ball between the tackles and wearing down the Texas State defense.
Once the Bobcats grew tired, Lion quarterback Brian Babin (who had all day in the pocket) picked apart the secondary. SLU's wide receivers made some great catches, but a bigger and more-experienced defensive backfield could defend those receivers better.
“You keep on believing that your team is going to make a play,” Texas State defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said. “We were 0-for-8 or 0-for-9 on critical plays that they made. That's a big credit to Southeastern Louisiana, but a discredit to us.”
So where does the blame ultimately fall for the loss?
It was in a lack of leadership on the field by the Bobcats' captains and senior class.
Texas State has four captains (Bradley George, Alex Luna, Marcus Clark and Travis Houston) and out of those, only one (Clark) made a vocal plea to the team to stop the madness. Clark got into his teammates' faces on the Lions' last two drives, urging them to make a play.
George, on the other hand, sulked on the sideline between offensive series. Luna didn't command respect on the offensive line and Houston sat on his hands.
“You can try and try to get everybody going,” Houston said, “but when the world seems like it's falling apart around you, it's hard to keep a smile up and stay motivated.”
If the Bobcats ever start to fall apart again, Houston said the captains and team learned from last Saturday's collapse.
“It's all on us as the captains,” Houston said. “People look toward us to lead the team and we didn't. It won't happen again.”
Then, in the blink of an eye and nine minutes of stone-cold silence, the Bobcats collapsed.
Texas State relinquished a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter and eventually lost in overtime to the Lions. The Bobcats' offense, which had been moving the ball efficiently, stalled and their defense struggled to stop the simplest plays.
“It's like everything that could have gone wrong – did go wrong,” Texas State senior offensive lineman Alex Luna said. “We went from being comfortably in the lead to barely holding on. It snowballed on us.”
Why couldn't SLU's onslaught be stopped?
It wasn't like the Lions were doing anything special against the Bobcats. SLU just kept with its game plan of running the ball between the tackles and wearing down the Texas State defense.
Once the Bobcats grew tired, Lion quarterback Brian Babin (who had all day in the pocket) picked apart the secondary. SLU's wide receivers made some great catches, but a bigger and more-experienced defensive backfield could defend those receivers better.
“You keep on believing that your team is going to make a play,” Texas State defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said. “We were 0-for-8 or 0-for-9 on critical plays that they made. That's a big credit to Southeastern Louisiana, but a discredit to us.”
So where does the blame ultimately fall for the loss?
It was in a lack of leadership on the field by the Bobcats' captains and senior class.
Texas State has four captains (Bradley George, Alex Luna, Marcus Clark and Travis Houston) and out of those, only one (Clark) made a vocal plea to the team to stop the madness. Clark got into his teammates' faces on the Lions' last two drives, urging them to make a play.
George, on the other hand, sulked on the sideline between offensive series. Luna didn't command respect on the offensive line and Houston sat on his hands.
“You can try and try to get everybody going,” Houston said, “but when the world seems like it's falling apart around you, it's hard to keep a smile up and stay motivated.”
If the Bobcats ever start to fall apart again, Houston said the captains and team learned from last Saturday's collapse.
“It's all on us as the captains,” Houston said. “People look toward us to lead the team and we didn't. It won't happen again.”
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Notes from yesterday's media luncheon with Brad Wright
• A few people have asked me why Texas State runs the punt formation it does. I asked Wright yesterday and he said it's the best way for the Bobcats to get to ball off in under 1.2 seconds. Wright also said it's easier to run the three or four fakes the team does out of this formation.
• When asked about Justin Garelick's job as kicker, he said "No one's job is safe." Expect there to be some movement soon, either with the aforementioned walk-on kicker from the Rio Grande Valley or Ryan Batchelor. Garelick has missed four extra-point attempts this season.
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