I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. I've finished up the recruiting profiles on LB Ryan Flannigan and OL Trey Keenan and the Flannigan profile is scheduled for later this morning. I also finished the last two articles on the 4-2-5 defense series and you'll see the next installment tomorrow.
FOOTBALL
Meet top impact rookies around the conference | The Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, Missouri
I know that jdhud has already linked to this, but wanted to highlight it in that both DE Leon Mackey and RB Ronnie Daniels are #7 and #10 on the list respectively. Here's the tidbit on Mackey, click on the article to read about Daniels:
7. Leon Mackey, Texas Tech defensive end: Tommy Tuberville’s second recruiting class earned high grades for pulling in some instant help on defense, starting with Mackey, a well-traveled prospect who played high school in Delaware, prep school in Virginia, junior college in Mississippi and committed to Virginia Tech and South Carolina along the way. Instead, he’s a Red Raider and should provide some pass rush this fall. Tech also added Pennsylvania prep teammates Branden Jackson, a defensive end, and defensive tackle Delvon Simmons, who signed with North Carolina but was let out of his letter of intent.
As Matter notes in the Daniels portion, WR Marcus Kennard could be an option as well and I'd almost be tempted to say that Kennard should be at #10 rather than Daniels simply because Kennard is probably going to have quite a few more opportunities.
Big 12 schools are playing tough nonconference schedules this season, but will it last? | NewsOK.com
The title to this article should actually read, "Big 12 Schools are playing tough nonconference schedules this season, except for Texas Tech, but will it last." Texas Tech has, by far, the weakest non-conference schedule of the Big 12 teams.
RedRaiderSports.com - Five most explosive Red Raiders
Graham lists the most explosive Red Raiders and it's tough to argue with his list, although I think I'd add IR Austin Zouzalik. Seems like there were multiple times last year where he caught a pass and it was church. Zouzalik did lead the team in yards per catch at 13.94.
Texas Tech WR: 'Everybody deserves to see a better result' than 2010 | Dallas-Fort Worth College Sports News - Sports News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW and Photos: Texas Tech's 2011 football schedule | Texas Tech Red Raiders News - Sports News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW
The first link is a review of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine, I think. The second link is a slideshow. I hate slideshows just to generate page views, but are lacking on content. I'm thinking that the second link is severely lacking on content, but to be honest I wouldn't know as I'm just linking it without reading it.
How the Horns hooked Johnathan Gray | Big 12 | Sports News and Videos on the Dallas Cowboys, ...
Sad face, and perhaps this is naive, Gray wanted to go to UT no matter what.
YouTube - Cody Davis Texas Tech Sophomore Highlights
For no reason other than I can.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Tulsa Shock's Sheryl Swoopes is as passionate as ever - ESPN
Former Red Raider Swoopes is trying to make a come-back at the age of 40. Well-written story.
MISCELLANEOUS
Tour de France: Five Storylines - Podium Cafe
I know that the Tour has already started, and an American won Stage 3 on the 4th of July (congrats to Tyler Farrar!), but I find this to be one of the more fascinating athletic events each year.
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