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August 31, 2005

Jim Snyder
Panther-lair.com

LOUISVILLE

Louisville gains third transfer

Patrick Carter, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound athlete from St. Petersburg, Fla., will transfer to the University of Louisville. Rated a three-star athlete coming out of high school, Carter originally chose to attend Georgia Tech. As a senior, he was listed as the No. 12-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation and the No. 54 player in the Sunshine State.

With three senior receivers on the roster, Coach Bobby Petrino was expected to recruit players who could add depth to that position in this class. Already with high-quality transfers Corey Thompson (Duke) and Chris Vaughn (Notre Dame) and a commitment from three-star pass catcher Troy Pascley, he seems well on his way to getting what he wants.

Big man Derrick Caracter commits to Pitino and Louisville


One of the most celebrated basketball recruits in New York City, Derrick Caracter will join Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2006. Caracter, ranked among the nation's top 25 recruits and one of the best power forwards in the prep ranks, announced his college decision last Thursday afternoon in a press conference at St. Patrick's High School in New Jersey.

Caracter joins Pitino's 2006 recruiting class that already includes Wisconsin shooting guard Jerry Smith and New York City's top point guard, Edgar Sosa.

CINCINNATI

Kennedy named interim basketball coach

This week, Cincinnati named Andy Kennedy the interim coach of the Bearcats. Kennedy, 37, had been an assistant at Cincinnati for four years under Bob Huggins before becoming the head coach following Huggins' resignation. Kennedy was the main recruiter under Huggins during his tenure. Also, athletic director Bob Goin has decided to retire effective Jan. 1, 2006 instead of June 1, 2006 to help speed up the hiring of a new athletic director and a permanent replacement for Huggins.

PITTSBURGH

Pitt scores another huge recruiting weekend

On Saturday, Pitt received a commitment from four-star athlete Aaron Smith from Gateway High School just prior to his team's game with Cleveland Benedictine. Smith quarterbacks Gateway and last weekend rallied his team from a 21-point deficit for a 37-31 win over the defending Ohio state champions. He will be a wide receiver at Pitt. The Panthers then landed four-star running back Kevin Collier. He is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in New York state by Rivals.com. Head coach Dave Wannstedt also got a commitment from three-star defensive back Ricky Gary from Pahokee, Fla. Pitt now has 17 verbal commitments.

CONNECTICUT

Football and Hoops Notes

UConn opens its 2005 football season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Rentschler Field against Mid-American Conference opponent Buffalo. The Huskies defeated Buffalo, 29-0, last season and have won seven of the past eight meetings between the teams.

Redshirt junior Matt Bonislawski is expected to start at quarterback, Cornell Brockington or Terry Caulley in the backfield and the starting wide receivers are Jason Williams and Brandon McLean.

The UConn basketball team is hosting a number of top recruits in September, with visits already lined up for Quincy Pondexter (Sept. 3), Jerome Dyson and Deon Thompson (Sept. 17), and Alex Stepheson (Sept. 24).

Visits from Spencer Hawes, Stanley Robinson, Lazar Hayward and Raymar Morgan might also be forthcoming.

RUTGERS

New-look Rutgers secondary

The Scarlet Knights head into their opener against Illinois with a secondary that looks a bit different than what was projected at the start of summer practice. With Ron Girault (hamstring) and Jason Nugent (neck) nursing injuries, a freshman duo from New Rochelle, N.Y., Courtney Greene and Glenn Lee, could be the starters on Saturday. Greene and Lee aren't the only New Rochelle freshmen making an immediate impact at Rutgers. Tailback Ray Rice[db] is also penciled in as a starter against Illinois.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Game-day quarterback decision for Bulls

The decision on the starting quarterback for the USF opener at Penn State on Saturday will likely be a game-day decision. USF head coach Jim Leavitt was quoted in the Tampa Tribune as saying, "I'm not trying to surprise anyone, I'm just not sure." The battle is between incumbent [db]Pat Julmiste and Auburn transfer Courtney Denson. Julmiste was inconsistent in 2004, completing only 47.8 percent of his passes and throwing more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (7). Denson is a mobile quarterback who has worked with the first and second teams most of the spring and fall, but he remains an unknown.

SYRACUSE

Syracuse 'two-deep' features a single true freshman

Syracuse released its post-training camp depth chart on Monday, and only one true freshman made the first or second team. He's also the one player the previous coaching staff deemed unworthy of being recruited. Bruce Williams of Christian Brothers Academy has earned a No. 2 spot at wide receiver position behind junior starter Landel Bembo. Williams, who is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, not only beat out second-year receivers J.J. Bedle and Quinton Brown, he also made the depth chart ahead of former CBA teammate Lavar Lobdell, one of the most recruited receivers in the country last winter.

WEST VIRGINIA

Rodriguez would have preferred "warm up" game

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday that he would have rather had a different opponent than Big East rival Syracuse for his team's opening game. Rodriguez is preparing to take one of his most inexperienced Mountaineer teams ever to Syracuse for a nationally-televised game.

"Yes, I would have liked to have an easier game to start the season," Rodriguez said. "If there could be one rule change to make in Division I football it would be to have a scrimmage game or an exhibition against somebody else before the start of the season.''

The game is the only one in college football pitting two conference foes against each other on the opening weekend.

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