Before or After?

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) -- One of the questions that usually comes up before sitting down at the keyboard to bang out the old blog is this:

Produce a column before a UD game or after?

My timing this week was pretty decent, as “FTS” was last posted prior to the St. Joe’s embarrassment and this piece is being written immediately after the Flyers most important win of the campaign--thus far. Obviously, their next tilt is the biggest game of the regular season -- the roadie at SLU on Ash Wednesday. Won’t have this problem next time you hear from me, as “FTS” will be hitting the road and writing during the Richmond game. Really looking forward to both battles!

Meantime, to the links:

-- Multimedia maven David Jablonski of The DDN posted this splendid gif of Dyshawn Pierre’s reverse slam vs. UMass:

http://gifmaker.me/PlayGIFAnimation....put_2y4Q5L.gif

Jablonski tweeted that teammate Vee Sanford only gave DP a 6/10 on that dunk.

-- Speaking of blogs, UD Assistant Coach Kevin Kuwik checks in with his from College Chalk Talk entitled “Know Your Personnel”:

http://collegechalktalk.com/2014/02/...t-kevin-kuwik/

-- I could watch this You Tube video of the final minutes of the Dayton upset of then #2 rated DePaul all day and twice on Sundays and never get tired of it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

-- Nice long-form piece from Grantland on “The Amazing Pace” of the NBA DL’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, former home of Chris Johnson:

http://grantland.com/features/nba-dl...of-basketball/

-- UD signee Darrell Davis is one of five candidates for Michigan Mr. Basketball:

http://lms.usatodayhss.com/detroit/a...ate-tournament

Double D was in the house for the UMass win.

-- Two new names from Verbal Commits to add to the Archie Miller recruiting funnel:

2014 SG Aubrey (son of Johnny) Dawkins

http://verbalcommits.com/players/aubrey-dawkins

2016 PG Howard Washington from Buffalo

http://verbalcommits.com/players/howard-washington

Buffalo, eh? Gee I wonder who the lead recruiter on Washington might be?

-- Rush the Court checks in on the A-10, prior to UD’s UMass win and SLU’s two losses:

http://rushthecourt.net/2014/02/26/c...source=twitter

-- Timing is, indeed, everything. Pickin’ Splinters asked the question “Are the Flyers finding their defensive identity?” immediately before their lousiest defensive effort of the season vs. SJU:

http://www.pickinsplinters.com/?p=35854

But then they also cranked out this timely piece on EC Matthews of URI and Jordair Jett of SLU:

http://www.pickinsplinters.com/?p=35940

-- Shaka Smart and Derek Kellogg talk about the strength of the A-10:

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...e-atlantic-10/

-- Atlantic 10 Tempo Tuesday:

http://collegechalktalk.com/2014/02/...ampaign=buffer

-- Let’s get funereal!

RIP Mid-Major:

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com...y-dies-old-age

Death to the RPI:

http://www.theonlycolors.com/2014/2/...ath-to-the-rpi

-- Some funny photoshops of Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim going ballistic:

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...jected-photos/

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: swampy@udpride.com

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.