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New Joint from the homies Mista Mista & Jon Hope.
More good news for my home city of Providence. Not only are we the hardest city to get by in, but Forbes.com has also ranked us in the Top 5 of America's Most Stressful Cities, ahead of even Detroit. Pretty sad when I saw this article that I just KNEW Providence would be pretty high up on the list.
Looks like Jay-Z's tour will be coming to Providence...I swear the last time he was here was 1998 with Red & Meth, DMX, Mya and some other people....jpg)
New Joint for all you dumb cats from the homey Jon Hope.
Rhode Island's own Ryan Westmoreland showed up in last week's Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet:
New Joint featuring Jon Hope that is a remake of the Pharcyde classic Passing Me By.
DJ Premier will be at Jerky's in Providence on October 10th...details below:
Styles P will be at Jerky's in Providence tomorrow...details below:
KRS-One will be at Jerky's in Providence on September 19th...details below:
This track will be featured on Tecknowledgy's mixtape "Modern Tecknowledgy" which also features artists such as: Donny Goines, El Prez, Convinced, Fresh Daily, Kel Spencer and many more. "Modern Tecknowledgy" is set to release late November 2009Download: Let It Out - Mista Mista
Looks like Jimmy Baron will be trying to make the NBA by playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA Summer League:
Another new joint from Mista Mista.
The PC Friars have gotten a verbal committment from Gerard Coleman, who is a big time high school basketball prospect from West Roxbury, Mass. Coleman is a 6'3, 185 pound shooting guard who is considered the 63rd best player in the high school class of 2010 and the 18th best SG overall, according to ESPN.
New joint from Prov City's own Jon Hope, plus a live performance of the joint and some words from Jon Hope himself about how the city of Providence made him who he is. Took the words right out of my mouth...keep reppin' Providence kid.
New joint from the homey Mista Mista.
Looks like URI's Jimmy Baron and PC's Weyinmi Efejuku are still hoping to hear their names called in the NBA Draft, via ProJo Sports:
Looks like the Rhode Island baseball team got snubbed and was left out of the NCAA Tournament. I just recently found out that my boy Idris is an assitant coach for the Rams as well:
And as a kid, assistant coach Idris Liasu, a native Nigerian, was always hanging around Hendricken Field when Foster played for PC. Liasu later played for CCRI and Bethany College.Despite posting a school record for wins en route to a 37-20 mark and finishing with an RPI rating of 53, the University of Rhode Island baseball team learned earlier this week that it was not among the field of 64 invited to play in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
URI coach Jim Foster says that he is "definitely disappointed" in the selection committee's decision, adding that this year's process "has set college baseball back five years by doing this."
"I think a lot of people feel the same way," he said of URI's omission from the tourney when reached by phone Wednesday. "For a team from New England to do what we did this year . . . . it hasn't really happened before, the success we had. And I think we definitely did enough to get in. We beat two ACC teams, three or four Top-25 teams. We almost beat the No. 2 team in the country -- they were No. 1 at the time. So we couldn't have done anything else. I've been getting text messages and e-mails and phone calls for two days now saying, 'It's unbelievable what you guys have done.' "
Going 19-6 against Atlantic-10 Conference opponents, which included a sweep of regular-season champion Dayton, URI earned the second seed and a first-round bye in the Atlantic-10 Championship, where the Rams advanced to the title game against No. 3 Xavier with wins over the Muskateers and Dayton – 7-6 and 9-2, respectively.
Xavier avenged its earlier setback to URI, defeating the Rams, 9-7 and 10-1, to capture the A-10 crown. Earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the process, Xavier (18-9) will face Kansas State in the Houston Regional.
The Rams' non-conference opponents this season included Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma State, N.C. State, Santa Clara, Ohio State and Miami. They were 4-4 against those teams, posting wins over N.C. State, Miami, Ohio State and splitting with Oklahoma State.
"We have three great quality starting pitchers who can beat anybody. We've got guys who are going to be drafted. We've got all the ingredients that they look for," said Foster, now in his fourth year at the Rams' helm. "We have a great story. We're building something special here."
However the NCAA Selection Committee, headed by chairman Tim Weiser, apparently did not feel URI had done quite enough.
Weiser -- who is also deputy commissioner of the Big 12 Conference -- was asked to justify the selection of two schools from his conference, Baylor (10-16 Big 12, 29-24 overall) and Oklahoma State (9-16 Big 12, 32-22 overall), which finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in their 10-team league, over URI. He said in a media conference call earlier this week that URI's 12 losses to teams with an RPI ranking above 100 worked against the Rams. He also cited their non-conference strength of schedule, which he said was in "the triple digits."
Foster said URI's schedule is largely dictated by the conference it plays in. And although budget constraints and the players' academic commitments make it difficult for the Rams to travel out of the region for their mid-week games, they still played the toughest schedule they've ever had.
As for the losses, he said, "Everybody stubs their toe over the course of the season. It's not football. It's not basketball. It's baseball and you're all going to lose some games."
"I'm proud of the guys. I'm proud of what we accomplished. I'm just disappointed about not being able to play another weekend," said Foster, a former standout catcher at Providence College in the 1990s who went on to play 10 years in the minor leagues. "I've been in two regionals, and it's a blast. That's why you put in all the hard work."
Remember Sam Horn? Well, his son plays baseball for North Kingston High School and he is trying to follow in his father's footsteps, via ProJo's High School Game Time:The Sons of Sam Horn is a well-known, online-message board focusing on the Red Sox and named in honor of one of the more enigmatic players to play for them.
But Jamale Horn?
He's the real son of Sam Horn.
And on this afternoon he is playing left field for North Kingstown High School against Portsmouth, a big-rangy kid with his own baseball dreams.
Once upon a time, way back in 1982, Sam Horn was the number-one draft pick of the Red Sox, billed as the franchise's power hitter of the future, the California kid with the big dreams. In 1987, he was tearing up the International League as a member of the PawSox. Called up by the Red Sox in July, he went on to hit 14 home runs, one of the few bright spots in a lost season. That was back when he thought baseball always was going to be as easy as a batting-practice fastball.
He was big, he was left-handed, and when he crushed one you could see what all the fuss had been about, could close you eyes and see him seemingly doing this forever. Back before he learned that baseball can be a cruel mistress, back before the negatives began to pile up like some bad credit rating. Back before the roller-coaster ride began for Sam Horn, three years with the Orioles, in the Indians' farm system with Manny Ramirez, then with the Pirates, Rangers and Yankees.
Have bat, will travel.
So by the time he showed up in North Kingstown in 2002, his career was over, and he had an indoor baseball facility off Route 2 called Around the Horn.
Jamale Horn was 6 years old.
"I grew up in Around the Horn," he said.
Interestingly, he says he doesn't really know a lot of the specifics of his father's career, other than the fact his father wasn't around a whole lot when he was a child, Sam Horn playing overseas at the time. Nor has he ever gone on the Sons of Sam Horn Web site, even though he's heard of it.
But from the beginning, he was always Sam Horn's kid, a big thing in a small town where you are playing Little League and no one else's father ever played in the big leagues. And as he grew up playing sports, the ramifications of that became heavier. The Son of Sam Horn.
It was after his recent high school game, and he was sitting on a row of bleachers. He is 6-foot-5 and lanky, a different body than his father had when he first came into professional baseball, not as big, not as powerful, but you can see the young Sam Horn in his face. He was asked if he ever felt any pressure being Sam Horn's son.
"I feel pressure all the time," he said.
He feels pressure because his father was a major-league baseball player, and because of that he is somehow viewed differently, real or imagined.
He feels pressure because he's now got his own baseball dreams, and he's now a senior in high school and his future will soon start. Next year he will go to a Georgia junior college, the first stop on what he hopes will one day take him down the same path his father once walked.
"He's got skills baseball-wise that you can't teach," said his coach, Kevin Gormley. "He's got five-tool talent."
But becoming a professional baseball player is a long process, takes more than just talent and potential. It takes hard work and determination, and often a little luck, too. If you can see the talent on a high school baseball field in Rhode Island, can see the potential, it's still little more than the first step in the process.
So it is with Jamale Horn.
"He's never really committed himself to baseball," Gormley said.
One theory is that he liked basketball better, and, in truth, Horn was a very good Rhode Island high school basketball player, one of North Kingstown's best. To the point that last summer, he didn't play legion ball, taking the summer off from baseball.
Another?
Baseball was just something he did, something he was good at, certainly, but nothing that defined him. One senses that has changed, that it's now time to get serious. Gormley thinks so, anyway.
Maybe it was the Cincinnati Reds coming down one day to watch him take batting practice. Maybe it was the realization that he's 6-5 and athletic, the kind of size that jumps out at you on a high school baseball field. Maybe it's simply that he wants this to be his future.
Whatever the reason, Jamale Horn is now serious.
"He's a special talent," Gormely said. "I think he's got a shot."
Like father, like son?
We'll see.
For a lot of people still remember Sam Horn, a name that lives on through the Sons of Sam Horn website.
But only Jamale is the real Son of Sam Horn.
New joint from the homies Mista Mista & Taktix. Also, Mista Mista's debut album will be released in mid-June.
Johnston, Rhode Island native, Joe Mazzulla; looks to be in hot water again at West Virginia, via ProJo Sports:Joe Mazzulla’s future with the West Virginia basketball team is very much in jeopardy because of Mazzulla’s second arrest involving alcohol-related problems.
The 20-year-old Johnson resident has been indefinitely suspended by Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins after his arrest last week on charges of domestic battery. He was involved in an incident at The Lazy Lizard bar in Morgantown in which he allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck.
It was the second arrest for the Hendricken High grad. He pleaded guilty to charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct after an incident last September at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in which he had a disagreement with security personnel.
“Joe is suspended indefinitely from all basketball related activities,” Huggins said in a statement issued through the school’s sports communications office. “We take violations of our team rules very seriously.”
Huggins will have no further comment on the situation at this time, the statement said. Bryan Messerly, the school’s contact for men’s basketball, said Monday that there is no timetable for the issue to be resolved.
Dan Mazzulla, Joe’s father, told The Providence Journal Monday night that his son very much enjoys being at West Virginia and hopes to stay.
``He has some personal issues and he’s being treated as we speak,’’ Mazzulla said. ``It’s a delicate issue.’’
He would not go into any detail other that to say the issues are medically related.
``He absolutely loves it there. He’s getting the proper treatment,’’ Mazzulla said. ``He hopes to stay.’’
Mazzulla, coming off a strong performance in the NCAA Tournament in March of 2008, began the season as the Mountaineers’ starting guard. However, he missed all but seven games because of a fractured growth plate in his left (shooting) shoulder. The problem happened in a fall during a game in December. It was hoped the problem could be solved without surgery, but when it did not go away Mazzulla had surgery in February and was in a brace for six weeks.
Mazzulla, who has been a Big East Academic All-Star and a member of the WVU athletic director’s academic honor roll, still is not fully healed. Attempts to reach him and members of his family Monday were not successful.
Assuming he would be given a red-shirt for this past season, Mazzulla still has two years of eligibility remaining.
His situation could be impacted by the personnel situation with the team. The Mountaineers recently signed the national junior college player of the year, Casey Mitchell. Mitchell is a 6-4 shooting guard from Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. His signing gives the team, which was a six seed in the NCAA Tournament this year but was beaten by Dayton in the opening round, commitments for 15 players for 2009-10. That is two above the limit, so the team will have to make moves to reduce its commitments by two.
The URI Rams just signed a high scoring guard from North Carolina in Akeem Richmond, via ProJo Sports:Here is a scouting report on Akeem Richmond, via ESPN U:The Sanford, N.C., Herald reported on its blog Wednesday that Akeem Richmond, a 6-foot-1 guard who was the player of the year in his area, has signed a national letter of intent with Rhode Island.
Richmond had visited URI last month and reportedly was the Rams' top target in the late recruiting. Richmond is a combo guard who scored 2,846 career points and averaged 29.2 points for Southern Lee High in Sanford this past season.
He also was considering Charlotte, Western Kentucky and South Florida.
With the loss of Jimmy Baron, URI lacks depth in the backcourt, with only four guards on the roster, and badly needs someone who could help right away in 2009-10. Richmond apparently will get a chance to do that.
Ashton Watkins, Senior, Classical: One of two repeat first-team selections, Watkins led Classical to a 22-3 record overall and its second Division II championship. In the playoffs he scored 26 points against West Warwick in the quarterfinals, 15 in the overtime semifinals victory against Scituate and 13 in a 20-point rout of Narragansett in the finals. He averaged 17.3 points while being double- and triple-teamed most of the season. He went over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in only 2 ½ seasons with the Purple after transferring from Hope. "He learned to make us a better team without his scoring. When teams took his scoring away, he did other things, like rebound and play defense. He came up with huge rebound after huge rebound. When he had to step up and make big plays, he did. To me, Ashton is the most dominant player in the state. He was double-teamed every time he got the ball. You can't play him straight up," coach Todd Keefe said. And Watkins shared the glory with his teammates. Junior Michael Palumbo was hot during the playoffs, scored 22 points in the finals and was the tournament MVP. "A lot of kids would have forced stuff the last couple of games. He didn't. He put the team first," Keefe said of Watkins.
Billy Baron, Senior, Hendricken: Perhaps the best player in the state this season, Baron repeats as a first-team choice partly because he was at his finest in the big games. In January he scored 42 points in a loss to Mount Pleasant, the only Rhode Island team that beat the Hawks (22-3) this season. He scored 38 in the first of two games against Cranston East, a three-point win, and 36 in the second meeting, a three-point overtime victory at the end of the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 23 in a blowout of Hope in the quarterfinals, 24 in the semifinal rout of Cranston West and 25 points in the championship game against Mount Pleasant. He averaged 23 points for the season. Baron can score from way outside and on layups after daring slashes to the basket. He is a good passer and defender. He won three state championships after playing on the junior varsity as a freshman. "He's a big-time player. He makes the jumper. He goes to the basket. He finds a way to get his shot off in traffic. He goes to the foul line and makes his free throws. He'll be sorely missed," coach Jamal Gomes says.
Billy Soriano, Sophomore, Mt. Pleasant: A dynamic player who can take over a game with his scoring (17.1 points per game), passing (6.5 assists) and defense (2.5 steals), Soriano is quick and has superb court sense. Teammates must always be on alert because of his pinpoint passing, and opponents must be prepared for his shooting. He scored 15 points against La Salle in the quarterfinals, 26 against Cranston East in the semifinals and 25 in the championship game loss to Bishop Hendricken. He led the Kilties to a 22-4 record. "As the games get more important and the stage gets bigger, he thrives on that. He enjoys getting out in front of as many people as he can get in front of," says coach Chris Coleman. "He pushes himself. He compares himself to the best in points, assists, steals, whatever. He wants to be the best. He wants to show everybody what he can do. He's the best pure point guard in the state, in my opinion. What he sees on the court, you can’t coach."
Mike Juarez, Senior, Cranston East: This quiet and respected leader averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He broke the school's career scoring record and finished with 1,557 points. He and the Bolts finished with a 20-5 record, played tough in two three-point losses to Bishop Hendricken, the second in overtime, and almost upset Mount Pleasant in the tournament semifinals, losing by three. Cool under pressure, he didn't hesitate to take the last shot in the semifinals, his 35-footer at the buzzer caroming off the side of the rim. A true leader, after collapsing to the floor in disappointment, he pulled himself together and led his teammates through the postgame handshake line. He scored 22 points in that game. "I've coached a lot of kids in 33 years, and he's one of the nicest," says coach Bill Monigan. "He has been the hardest worker and the leader of this team since he was a sophomore. He's not a loud leader but a leader by example. His fellow players respond to him because he says, 'Yes, coach,' he runs the drills the hardest, and he's never late for practice or the bus. "He has really improved his game. He was always a good shooter, but now he's a very good shooter, he drives to the basket, he's our leading rebounder, and he's a very good defensive player. All the things he improved on he did by hard work and by listening."
Frank Robinson, Senior, Mt. Pleasant: Returning to Mount Pleasant after two years at East Providence High School, Robinson added experience to a team that lost eight players to graduation but welcomed members of the 2008 state junior varsity championship team. A solid player who can get to the basket or sink outside shots, he led the Kilties in scoring (20.0 ppg) and averaged four rebounds and two assists per game. His floater over Mike Juarez in the last minute beat Cranston East in the semifinal. He scored 13 points in the quarterfinals, 23 in the semifinals and 18 in the finals. He had 26 points in the Jan. 13 victory over Hendricken. "His all-around play helped us all season. He was our high scorer most of the games and was consistent all year. We would not have gotten as far as we did without him," said coach Chris Coleman. 
Current Florida Gator, Allan Chaney, could be leaving Florida to transfer to Providence College, via ProJo College Hoops Blog:Providence College nearly signed Allan Chaney two years ago when he was coming out of New London, Conn. Instead he chose Florida. Now he may be heading back this way. Chaney is leaving Florida when final exams wrap up next week. He wants to transfer even though he played (and started some games) quite a bit for the Gators as a freshman. Chaney said he hasn't talked with many schools but his parents and high school coach have and Providence is the most persistent school. He said he likes the idea of playing in Keno Davis' system where forwards are allowed to score both inside and out. That is Chaney's game and why former coach Tim Welsh once compared his skill set to that of another Connecticut native, Ryan Gomes. "Providence is really interested. My dad spoke with Coach (Pat) Skerry and I'm definitely interested in talking with Keno Davis," Chaney said. Chaney added that Providence and Virginia Tech ``are my top two right now." Chaney is not back home until the second week of May and won't get a chance to meet with PC's entire staff until then. "I'll probably pick a school by the first of June," he said.Chaney is a forward who measures in at 6'8 tall and weighs 231 lbs. He averaged just 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in his Freshman year at Florida. He played mostly in the non-conference portion of Florida's schedule and had game highs of 23 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Seems like he has some potential to have an all-around game and he does have height, so he might be a nice addition to PC's squad if he does decide to transer there.
Ain't this a bitch!? You can count me among the 11.6% of unemployed. Thank God for severance pay, unemployment, and oh yeah, can't forget about that blog money! This got me seriously thinking about moving down to Atlanta where my boy is at already.Here's the rest of the list for all you other suckas and poor bastards who aren't quite as unfortunate as me:
2. Los Angeles, California
3. Riverside, California
4. Tampa, Florida
5. Buffalo, N.Y.
6. Portland, Oregon
7. Orlando, Florida
8. Detroit, Michigan
9. Miami, Florida
10. Louisville, Kentucky
11. Sacramento, California
12. Cleveland, Ohio
13. Las Vegas, Nevada
14. Charlotte, North Carolina
15. Rochester, N.Y.
16. Jacksonville, Florida
17. San Jose, California
18. San Diego, California
19. New York, N.Y
20. Memphis, Tennessee
Bonus: Get By (Remix) - Talib Kweli feat Mos Def, Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Busta Rhymes
Vincent Council & Russ Permenter already had verbal committments with PC, but now they are officially coming to PC to play next season, via ProJo Sports:The Providence College basketball team’s incoming class of recruits is now officially at seven players.More: Providence College
The PC coaching staff received letters-of-intent Wednesday from two players who had verbally committed to the Friars several months ago:. point guard Vincent Council of Brooklyn, N.Y. and the Patterson (N.C.) School and junior college forward Russ Permenter of Temple, Texas.
“We are extremely pleased to be adding Russ and Vincent to our basketball program,” coach Keno Davis said. “They are both very talented student-athletes who we anticipate will have great success at Providence College.”
Council and Permenter join Kadeem Batts (Powder Springs, Ga.), Johnnie Lacy (Milwaukee, Wis.), Duke Mondy (Grand Rapids, Mich.), James Still (Detroit, Mich.) and Kyle Wright (Hartford, Conn.) as newcomers for the Friars.
Council, a 6-foot-2 guard, helped Patterson to the No. 1 ranking among prep school boys teams for most of the season. Patterson finished with a 34-3 mark with Council averaging 10.2 points and 10.1 assists per game. Council shot 53 percent from 3-point territory. Before Patterson, Council played for Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) in 2008 and helped his school to a city title.
Permenter is a 6-9, 230-pound forward who’ll be needed to play right away for the Friars. He currently is at Temple College in Texas where he averaged 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game and earned North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference First Team accolades. Permenter led the league in blocks and ranked third in scoring and rebounding. Permenter transferred to Temple after spending his freshman season at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he battled injuries. During his years at Temple High, Permenter averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds and 6.6 blocks during his senior season and was named District 13-5A MVP and First Team All-District in 2007. He was ranked 27th among Texas high school seniors in 2007, according to TexasHoops.com.
Weyinmi Efejuku, Geoff McDermott, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron finished up strong on Day 3 & 4 of the Portsmouth Invitational:
Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron were all in action on Day 2 of the Portsmouth Invitational:
New joint from two of Prov City's finest off of Jon Hope's Somekind of Wonderful EP, which you can download below too.
Geoff McDermott, Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron have all been invited to play in this year's Portsmouth Invitational tournament, which is the only postseason event for college seniors prior to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp and is the only postseason event to include actual game competition.
The PC Friars will be adding 7 new players for next season. From what I have heard, Council and Lacy are the best of the bunch. Story via ProJo Sports:Here is a quick breakdown of how the seven recruits fared this season:
•Kyle Wright, 6-foot-6, Monroe (N.Y.) College. An explosive junior college shooter, this Hartford native may fit Davis’ offensive system better than anyone. He averaged 17.8 points, nearly five rebounds and sank 41 percent of the 94 threes he made for a team that finished one game shy of qualifying for the national JUCO tournament. With a 30-3 record, Monroe dominated teams throughout the East.
•Russ Permenter, 6-9, Temple (Texas) College. This versatile big man is expected to sign with the Friars next month. He is a skilled forward who can stretch his game out to 15 feet or so and averaged 17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in one of the top JUCO leagues in the country. Temple’s season ended with a loss to Midland College, this year’s national runners-up.
•Johnnie Lacy, 5-10, Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep. Lacy was the highest-ranked piece of PC’s early signing class. He turned down offers from Tennessee and Minnesota. Lacy is very small (160 pounds) but extremely fast and a good passer. He’s capable of playing with Sharaud Curry in a small, fast backcourt. The PC staff will monitor Lacy’s grades until June’s graduation.
•Kadeem Batts, 6-7, McEachern (Ga.) High. Batts anchored the front line on one of the top-five prep teams in Georgia. His team finished 24-4 but was upset in the first round of the state playoffs, despite 14 points and 14 rebounds by the senior forward. Batts’ aggressive nature will be a welcome addition for the Friars.
•James Still, 6-9, Detroit (Mich.) Community School. This slender big man excites Davis because he can run the floor and block shots. Still played on a very bad team that was routinely whacked by some of Detroit’s better teams, but the word ‘upside’ should be permanently attached to his name.
•Duke Mondy, 6-2, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Central Catholic. Combo guard whose team finished 17-5. Mondy had several big scoring games, like in a 35-point outburst in a season-ending loss. Considering PC’s returning stable of guards, Mondy may be a candidate to red-shirt.
•Vincent Council, 6-1, Patterson (N.C.) School. Pure point guard with better size than Lacy or Curry who may end up as the steal of the class. Performed well all season for a loaded prep team that finished 34-3 and included at least 10 Division One prospects. He’s expected to sign with Providence next month.
