Here is where Bonner's scholarship came from...

VAUTOUR:

Meanwhile, Alassane Kouyate, who sat out the last two seasons with knee problems, has opted to stop playing basketball.

...snip...

Kouyate, who played AAU basketball with Cleveland Cavalier star Lebron James, appeared in just 14 games during his career for the Minutemen, mostly late in contests where the outcome already was decided. The native of Mali took a medical redshirt during the 2003-04 season and sat out again last year as the knee injury persisted.

Kouyate will remain at UMass on a medical hardship scholarship that will not count against the team's NCAA-mandated limit of 13.

''I hope he stays around,'' Ford said. ''I think he'd be a great role model for a lot of these guys."

This one slipped past me the other day....

I'm running laps.

Olivier Lamoureux

From the same article:

In unrelated news, Ford said he has no immediate plans to explore a waiver that would give Olivier Lamoureux four years of eligibility. The 6-9 forward was injured last season but played 93 seconds in one game, which may cost him a full year, according to NCAA rules.

"He deserves (the waiver), but I'm not sure we can (get one)," said Ford, who added that while Lamoureux was not his recruit, he has not been ruled out of future plans.

"He does some things I like," Ford said. "He can shoot it, for a big man. We have a lot of big men, and he knows where we stand, but we'll just have to see how he fits in."

If Lamoureux, whose inclusion in the future plans of the team seem tenuous at best in the above quote, chooses to transfer, that's where Bonner's scholarship could come from.

He does sound like a big body that could play the three or the four, giving rest to some tired big men who are not used to running up and down the floor.

Click the link to his page on the UMASS site above... Is being "Rated the best big man prospect in Quebec" good? I have no context!

Coach Ford

Good Article from the Republican about the basketball diversity of the incoming class.

I tend to agree with Coach Ford regarding JC and transfer players having an axe to grind. I'm sure there is a chance of ending up with a head case, but the risk is outweighed by the potential rewards that these talented could potentially bring...

From the Neither Here Nor There department: Anyone notice the good press that Coach Ford has been getting? I know its still the honeymoon period, but did he bring a new SID with him when he came? Because either of our last two coaches would have loved this kind of fawning!

Big Time Transfer

7-Footer and brother of Toronto Raptors forward Matt Bonner, Luke Bonner will join UMASS this season and will be eligible to play next season. Coach Ford has some very complimentary things to say about Bonner and it seems that we weren't necessarily looking for a big man, but the highly recruited West Virginia Freshman (who is from New Hampshire) fell into our laps. He has three years of eligibility remaining (after he sits out the upcoming season).

I will try to find out if we have a scholarship for him and how - If not, as a resident of New England, he can enroll in the STPEC program (or something similar to take advantage of in-state rates! Lets hope it doesn't come to that...