[[11/28]] On Thursday, Adam Stetson suffered a collapsed lung during practice and was hospitalized. He underwent minor surgery and will be out 2-3 weeks. Stetson is expected to make a full recovery. Marek Ondera continues play with a bad back, appearing less than comfortable. As a result, Pat Douglass is considering reactivating one of the redshirts with Matt Okoro being the odds on favorite. Since redshirt players do not travel with the team, the coach will talk to them when he returns home. Okoro is a good candidate since without Stetson and Ondera, we will have a definite problem at the 4 position. Also, with both players graduating, this give Okoro a chance to gain some experience that will be helpful next year.
[[10/5]] Chris Foster of the LA Times reported today that Greg Ethington will play only one season for UCI before going on a two-year Mormon mission. Ethington said that he would likely return to Irvine, but did not rule out transferring. Ethington signed a scholarship agreement with Irvine late this summer. The Times goes on saying that Ethington might be lured back by baseball which returns to Irvine in 2001. Ethington, if he returns, will return for the 2002/03 season. Also, the Times reports that 7-foot center Adam Parada, 6-7 forward Matt Okoro, and 6-3 walk-on guard Aras Baskouskas, will redshirt this season.
Spin: It is always surprising to learn that one of your players is going on a Mormon mission, and you never know if they will return, but when/if they do, they are that much more mature. The Times report does not make it clear if Ethington intends to play basketball even if he were to return to UCI as other reports seem to indicate that baseball is his best sport.
[[9/10]] Chris Foster reported on Saturday, September 4 in the LA Times that Greg Ethington, a 6-8, 240 pound center from Chandler, Arizona said he will play basketball at UCI this season. He had originally signed with Pepperdine in last year's fall signing period but is leaving, probably because the coach is no longer there. Pepperdine has released him from his letter of intent which means he can play this year at any non-WCC school. Thus, Ethington will be eligible to play for UCI this season as a freshman.
Also, according to West Coast Hoops in an article written on June 5, 1999, "Ethington is a strong insider with a nice array of post moves. He's not a great athlete, but uses his size and aggressiveness to rebound and score inside. Also a big time pitcher, he'll play both basketball and baseball at Pepperdine." In an earlier, July 28, 1998 article, Mike Miller reports in West Coast Hoops that Greg Ethington is "still another slender player probably better suited to the 4, although at least he's 6-9 and can block shots. Must put on 25 pounds and become a lot tougher whatever position he plays in college, but could be a 5 if he does." Ethington is also included in a report on the 40 best centers on the west coast, a list in which Adam Parada was listed in the top five. SoCal Hoops reported on April 10, 1999 that "this Pepperdine signee is a tough load down low. He has nice inside skills, a nice touch, and he's strong enough to contribute right away. He's also going to play for the Pepperdine baseball team as a pitcher. A big kid with the skills and toughness to play early for Pepperdine." Now UCI should have a reasonable amount of depth at the post position, even with Adam Parada and Matt Okoro redshirting. I do not expect any changes to these plans.
[[9/13]] I have confirmed with my sources that Greg Ethington will play for UCI and has been added to the player roster as #3. He is listed as a center. A formal announcement will be made after school starts when Ethington will have enrolled in classes (about two weeks from now). The consensus feel I get is that Greg is a good player, was expected to contribute right away at Pepperdine, and will give us some depth down low. Some have wondered whether Adam Parada will play and Greg Ethington will redshirt, but Parada is still only 17 years old and 220 pounds at 6-11. He needs a year to mature. Greg Ethington, 230 pounds on a 6-8 frame looks like a better pick to play. Also notice that Gottschalk checked in at 255 pounds...I guess he hit the weight room big time in the off-season...hopefully that is muscle, not fat.
[[8/25]] I heard some interesting tidbits from my normal sources in the Athletic department. J.R. Christ (pronounced with a short I, as in miss) is proving to be "pleasant surprise" and should be able to contribute right away down low. They were already planning on redshirting Matt Okoro even before the emergence of Christ, but now they also plan on redshirting Adam Parada. This is all pretty much what I was predicting. They are also expecting Sean Jackson to make an impact.
[[8/15]] The old stuff talking about the 1998/99 season has been moved in its entirety to the UCI Basketball -- 1998/1999 Old News page where it belongs. I am now in the process of updating this site and preparing for the 1999/00 basketball season.