Growing up just blocks from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Howard Moore made the proper decision to ditch the Horizon League basketball scene on the Near West side and opted to picket with groups of hippie-liberals (often referred to as 'hiberals') in Madison while also suiting up for the Badgers from 1990-1995. Ironically, some 20 years later, Howard Moore will be trying to sway kids into staying under the shadow of the Hull House, and choosing to dress in the red and blue while staying at home to play for UIC.
Former UIC head man Jimmy Collins didn't exactly have UIC competing with Illinois in his time with the Flames, but he didn't have them going winless and hiring a new coach every time the Goo Goo Dolls dropped a new single in the late 90's like Chicago St. either. In Collins' tenure, he coached the Flames to Horizon League titles in 2002 and 2004 and also competed in the National tournament on three occasions. However, with conference rival Butler coming off a season in which it was the National Runner-up and produced a top 10 overall NBA draft pick and UIC's all-time tournament wins total is stalled at the same number of times Wendy Williams has ordered a salad instead of KFC (0), Howard Moore has a lot ahead of him, or, at lot on the horizon (no pun intended).
For Moore, it all starts with recruiting. Now I'm not saying that Moore will be pulling down your Evan Turner, Sherron Collins, Jacob Pullen type recruit to come play in an arena that features a royal blue curtain as a stadium wall and attracts more people for a Godsmack concert than a basketball game in the next few years. However, being a former Public League player himself, he should know that enough workable basketball talent comes out of that city to make a competitive roster. Throw in a few foreign import big men (or beers) from Latvia or Belarus and you have a nice squad. (side note: when is the last time you've heard of a European guard in D1 college hoops? They're all makeshift centers. I'm just envisioning everyone above 5'11'' doing the Mikan Drill at 7 AM in their driveway as vespas race around the block at 45 mph) Also in coming from Wisconsin, if Howard Moore gets his kids to buy into the Bo Ryan "Swing, Swing" system and get after it on D, the strategy works for itself. For example, Bo Ryan has had good years with the likes of Joe Krabbenhoft, Greg Stiemsma, and Brian Butch as his big men...just sayin
It's clear Howard Moore wants to be at UIC based on the waterworks he shed at his press-conference that resembled the pathetic T.O. "That's my Quarterback" interview that led us to never take him seriously again. In defense of Moore, he paid his dues as a longtime assistant coach and finally landed the head gig for his hometown team, go ahead and shed a few Howie. There's no place like home.
As for Pick of the Day, when I saw that the Dave Bush led Brewers were leading the Mets behind 6 innings of 3 hit baseball, it prompted me to pruposely use CAPS LOCK for the first time since about my sophomore year in high school and triggered this text exchange between me and the Pulse Man. Me: "DAVE BUSH IS PITCHING A 3 HIT SHUTOUT!?!?!" Pulse Man: Are you sure it isn't a single A game? Either way, we were burned by the hair of the dog that bit us (or however that saying goes). Tonight, trying to rid himself of this 2 game skid, the Pulse Man likes the UNDER in the Texas A&M/Oklahoma St. Thursday night special set at 66.5.
Pick of the Day: Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St.-Total Points 66.5-UNDER (-110)
Record:(22-15-0)
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