Game #7: Denver (5-1) vs. Colorado State (4-3)

Saturday, December 5, 2009 • 7 p.m. MT

Moby Arena (8,745) • Fort Collins, Colo.

           TV: None • Radio: AM 950 • Web: www.DenverPioneers.com (Audio only)

About Denver: The Pioneers enter Saturday’s game as the winners of five straight, including a 62-55 win over Lamar on Dec. 2. Denver returns nine players, including all five starters, and 98 percent of its scoring and rebounding from last year. DU was picked second in the Sun Belt West Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll, and senior captain and guard Nate Rohnert was named to the Preseason All-SBC First Team.  

About Colorado State: The Rams are 4-3 this season, beating Mayville State and San Francisco in their two home games and winning a pair of neutral site games to open the season. CSU fell 70-63 at Northern Colorado in its last outing on Tuesday. The Rams return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last year’s team, and were picked eighth in the Mountain West Conference. Freshman Dorian Green leads CSU in scoring at 14.4 points per game, while Andy Ogide (12.9 ppg), Andre McFarland (10.7 ppg) and Travis Franklin (10.1 ppg) all are averaging double figures, as well. The Rams are first in the MWC in three-point defense (25.8 percent), and rank second in three-point field goals (37.9 percent) and field goal defense (37.1 percent).

The Match-up: Colorado State holds a 90-66 advantage in Denver’s longest running rivalry, dating back to DU’s first season in 1904. The Pioneers beat the Rams 66-55 at Magness Arena last season, snapping a three-game losing streak to CSU, but Denver is 24-55 all-time in Fort Collins and has not won there since Jan. 6, 1979.

Road Less Traveled: The Pioneers have won three-straight road games, dating back to last season. Denver beat South Dakota State 83-80 in Brookings, S.D., on Nov. 28.

Welcome Back: Junior forward Rob Lewis, last year’s team leader in rebounding, returned to the lineup for the first time this season against South Dakota State on Nov. 28 after being sidelined with a stress reaction in his right leg. Lewis has played just 24 minutes in the two games since his return, but he has a combined 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.

O Captain! My Captain!: Senior captain Nate Rohnert earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors after scoring a career-high 32 points against Wyoming on Nov. 25 and 13 points at South Dakota State on Nov. 28, both DU victories. Rohnert’s 32 points against the Cowboys were the most by a Denver player since Yemi Nicholson scored 33 against Northern Colorado on Jan. 11, 2006. Rohnert hit 18 free throws, a Magness Arena record and one shy of John Johnson’s all-time mark (19 vs. Utah State, Feb. 23, 1974) at Denver. The last Pioneer with 18 free throws made was Mark Langkamp (18 at Regis, Jan. 1, 1984). Rohnert has 35 assists, while committing just nine turnovers this season, giving him a 3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio, the best in the SBC. Through the Dec. 1 SBC Release, Preseason All- Sun Belt Conference First Team honoree also ranked among the SBC’s top 15 in points (first, 19.2 ppg), assists (second , 6.0 apg), minutes played (second, 34.6 mpg), three-point field goal percentage (third, .600), defensive rebounds (third, 5.6 rpg), rebounds (11th, 6.4 rpg) and field goal percentage (15th, .500).

Milestone Watch: Nate Rohnert is one assist from tying Derrick Fuller for seventh on DU’s all-time career list with 270 and sits 32 assists shy of sixth place. The senior captain has career totals of 959 points, 397 rebounds, 269 assists and 95 steals in 94 games at Denver.

Happy Beginnings: The Pioneers started the season 5-1, their best start since going 5-1 in 2005-06. DU’s four victories in November were the most Denver had ever won in November during the 106-year history of the program.

Hot Shots: Denver shot a blistering 67.3 percent (33-of-49) from the field at South Dakota State on Nov. 28, the fourth highest single game total in DU history and the highest since making 76.2 percent on Feb. 12, 1988.

Shooting Stars: The NCAA released its first national ranking summary on Nov. 30, and Denver ranked fifth in the nation in three-point shooting at 47.7 percent and seventh in field goal percentage (52.2), which both also are tops in the Sun Belt. Five Pioneers rank among the SBC’s top 11 in three-point field goal percentage: Chase Hallam (75.0), Nate Rohnert (60.0), Andrew Hooper (50.0), Kyle Lewis (50.0) and Brian Stafford (48.1). Hallam also ranked third in the SBC, shooting 66.7 percent from the field.

Denver Downs Lamar, 62-55

Nate Rohnert had 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and a career-high four steals in DU’s victory

DENVER- The University of Denver men’s basketball team defeated the Lamar Cardinals 62-55 tonight in Magness Arena.

 “Being 5-1 says something. We’ve played some good teams, and we did what we needed tonight,” head coach Joe Scott said. “There are things I’m not going to be happy about, but I think Rob Lewis helped us in the second half in only his second game back, and I thought Sabatino Chen gave us a big lift in the first half.”

Senior captain Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) led DU in scoring with 20 points and five rebounds. He also had 5 assists and tied his career-high with four steals. Junior forward Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added nine points, all in the second half, in just his second game after returning from an injury.

The Pioneers (5-1) had a slow start against the Cardinals (3-5) before sophomore guard Sabatino Chen (Louisville, Colo.) sparked a 9-0 run halfway through the first half. However, Lamar led 29-26 at the break.

With 7:55 left in the game, Chen scored on a backdoor layup that tied the game at 44-44, and Denver took the lead on a Rohnert three-point play.

Junior Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) hit a three-pointer at the 5:58 mark, extending the Pioneers’ lead to five.

After the Cardinals cut the DU lead back to two, Rohnert scored on a backdoor layup, and the Pioneers sealed the victory with free throws in the final minute.

Denver went 21-of-42 (50.0 percent) in shots from the field and held Lamar to 17-of-37 (45.9 percent). The Pioneers committed just nine turnovers, while causing 17 by the Cardinals.

The Pioneers head up to Fort Collins on Saturday to take on the Colorado State Rams at 7 p.m. MT. You can listen on Denver radio AM950.

Pioneer Hot Shots Down South Dakota, 83-80

Denver shot 67.3 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point range in the victory

BROOKINGS, S.D. – The University of Denver men’s basketball team shot 67.3 percent from the field to beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 83-80 on Saturday night at Frost Arena.   

“South Dakota is a very, very good team, very well coached. What our guys did was show a lot of resolve on the road to hang in there and never let the game get away from us,” head coach Joe Scott said. “We played about as perfect of an offensive game as we could. Now we just need to make sure we get better defensively.”

Denver hit 33-of-39 shots from the field (67.3 percent), the fourth best single game performance in DU history and the best since hitting 76.2 percent on Feb. 12, 1988. The Pioneers also made 9-of-14 from three-point range (64.3 percent).

Senior captain Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) and sophomore guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scored 13 points each for the Pioneers, while freshman guard Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) and junior forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) both had 11 points.

The Jackrabbits (2-4) held a six-point lead with 9:07 remaining in the game, but the Pioneers charged back with an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead, when Chase Hallam hit a backdoor layup with 6:23 on the clock.

Sophomore guard Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) and junior guard Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) hit back-to-back layups to give the Pioneers a seven-point lead with a minute remaining in the game.

South Dakota State hit a jumper and a three-pointer in a 17-second span to cut the DU lead to two points, and a free throw cut the lead to one.

Stafford went to the line with 11 seconds remaining and hit both, and Denver held on.

Junior forward Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) returned to the lineup for the first time this season after suffering from a stress reaction in his leg, and scored eight points, pulled down three rebounds and added two assists in only seven minutes of action.

In the first half, Denver hit 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the field and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from three-point range, but the Jackrabbits took a 36-35 lead to halftime.

The Pioneers return home to face Lamar at Magness Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MT.

Game #5: University of Denver Men's Basketball Team vs  (3-1) vs. South Dakota State (2-3)

Saturday, November 28, 2009 • 6 p.m. MT

Frost Arena (6,500) • Brookings, S.D.

           TV: None • Radio: AM 950 • Web: www.DenverPioneers.com (Video & Audio)

About Denver: The Pioneers enter Saturday’s game on a three-game winning streak, including an 80-77 victory over Wyoming on Nov. 25. Denver returns nine players, including all five starters, and 98 percent of their scoring and rebounding from last season. DU was picked second in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll, and senior captain and guard Nate Rohnert was named to the Preseason All-SBC First Team. Junior forward Rob Lewis, last year’s team leader in rebounding, is week-to-week with a stress reaction in his right leg. Lewis’ status is day-to-day and is doubtful against South Dakota State. 

About South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits opened the season with a pair of convincing wins at Wyoming and against Mayville State. However, South Dakota State followed it by dropping three-straight to Purdue, Boston College and East Carolina at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, USVI. The Jackrabbits were picked fourth in the Summit League preseason poll, while Garrett Callahan was picked preseason All-Summit first team, and Anthony Cordova earned a second team nod. Callahan leads the team with 13.2 points per game, while Clint Sargent (11.2) and Cordova (10.6) also are averaging double digits in scoring. SDSU returns all five starters from a team that went 13-20 and finished seventh in the Summit League last year.

The Match-up: The Jackrabbits hold a slight 4-3 edge in the all-time series and have won all three meetings at Frost Arena. Three of the past four matchups have been won by four points or less.

Road Less Traveled: The game at South Dakota State marks the first road game in 2009-10 for DU. The Pioneers will board flights for only two of their four road trips during the nonconference season, including the trip to Brookings, S.D. The Pioneers won the final two road games of last season.

Rah, Rah Rohnert: Senior captain Nate Rohnert scored a career-high 32 points in DU’s win over Wyoming on Nov. 25, the most by a Denver player since Yemi Nicholson scored 33 against Northern Colorado on Jan. 11, 2006. Rohnert hit 18 free throws, a Magness Arena record and one shy of John Johnson’s all-time mark (19 vs. Utah State, Feb. 23, 1974) at Denver. The last Pioneer with 18 free throws made was Mark Langkamp (18 at Regis, Jan. 1, 1984). The 6-foot-5 Rohnert also added six assists against the Cowboys, increasing his career total to 260, leaving Rohnert 10 away from moving to seventh on DU’s all-time list. Rohnert has 26 assists, while committing just five turnovers this season, giving him a 5.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Rohnert leads the Pioneers with 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game this season. The Parker, Colo., native recorded his second career double-double against Northern Iowa on Nov. 13 with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Rohnert earned Preseason All- Sun Belt Conference First Team honors after earning All-SBC First Team and All-District 24 Second Team last season. The senior captain finished 2008-09 ranked among the SBC’s top 10 in scoring (eighth, 15.3 ppg), field goal percentage (10th, .493), assists (third , 4.71 apg), steals (sixth, 1.29 spg) and minutes played (first, 37.00 mpg).

Three-Point D: Denver has prevented its last two opponents, Montana and Wyoming, from making a three-pointer. The Grizzlies and Cowboys went a combined 0-for-11 from beyond the arc. The Pioneers have not given up a three-pointer since Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Stephan Collins hit one with 12:01 remaining in the game. DU has not given up a three in the last 92:01.

Cut to the Chase: Freshman guard Chase Hallam has made 13 of his first 19 collegiate shots (78.9 percent), including 3-of-5 from three-point range. Hallam has averaged 8.3 points through his first four games with the Pioneers, and he is second on the team with 3.5 rebounds per game.

Foul Mood: Denver and Wyoming combined for 65 fouls on Nov. 25. The Cowboys set the Magness Arena record for both free throws made (41) and attempted (51), while Denver went 35-for-43 (81.4 percent) from the line.

Fresh Faces: Freshmen Blake Foeman, Chase Hallam and Kyle Chynoweth join the Pioneers this season. Foeman is a 6-foot-7 forward from Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla. Hallam is a 6-foot-5 guard from Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas, and the brother of current DU sophomore Travis Hallam. Chynoweth, a 6-foot-7 forward from Parkland, Fla., walked on the team. Also joining the roster this season is sophomore Alex Pickert, who served as a team manager last season.

Rohnert’s 32 Points Propels Denver Past Wyoming, 80-77

Nate Rohnert had a career-high 32 points, while adding eight rebounds and six assists

DENVER – Senior captain Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) scored a career high 32 points to lead the University of Denver men’s basketball team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat Wyoming 80-77 on Wednesday night at Magness Arena.

“I am really proud of our team tonight,” head coach Joe Scott said. “Our guys hung tough and made the plays that needed to be made, and Nate Rohnert played like the senior leader that he is.”

After trailing 44-34 at halftime, the Pioneers (3-1) opened the second half on a 12-5 run to tie the score at 52-52.

Trailing by three with 6:22 remaining, junior forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) hit a three-pointer from the corner, sparking a 9-0 Denver run that included a Rohnert three-pointer that put the Pioneers on top 64-61, and was capped by a Hooper dunk.

Rohnert sealed the game in the final minute with four free throws.

Hooper scored 14 points on the night, and the Pioneers hit 81.4 percent of their free throws, including an 8-for-8 performance from junior guard Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) and 7-for-8 from sophomore guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.).

In addition to the new career high in points, Rohnert set a Magness Arena record with 18 free-throws made, which was also the most since Mark Langkamp’s 18 on Jan. 18, 1984, and one shy of DU’s record.

Afam Muojeke led the Cowboys (2-2) with 20 points, and A. J. Davis had 19 points.

Next, the Pioneers hit the road for the first time this season to take on South Dakota State on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT.

 Great game this Wednesday!

University of Denver (2-1) vs. University of Wyoming (2-1)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 • 7 p.m. MT

Magness Arena, University of Denver, Denver, Colo.

TV: FSN Rocky Mountain • Radio: AM 950 • Web: www.DenverPioneers.com

About Denver: The Pioneers enter Wednesday’s game on a two-game winning streak, including a 56-49 victory over Montana on Nov. 19. Denver returns nine players, including all five starters, and 98 percent of their scoring and rebounding from last season. DU was picked second in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll, and senior captain and guard Nate Rohnert was named to the Preseason All-SBC First Team. Junior forward Rob Lewis, last year’s team leader in rebounding, is week-to-week with a stress reaction in his right leg. Lewis suited up but did not play against Montana on Nov. 19 and is questionable against Wyoming on Wednesday. 

About Wyoming: The Cowboys opened the season 2-1 with convincing wins over Peru State and Boise State, following a 16-point season opening loss to South Dakota State. Wyoming was picked sixth in the Mountain West Conference in the preseason poll. Reigning MWC Freshman of the Year Afam Muoeke leads the Pokes with 21.0 points per game, while Djibril Thiam has averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Cowboys return two starters and five letterwinners to return from a squad that went 19-14 overall and played in the College Basketball Invitational last season.

The Match-up: The Cowboys hold a 98-43 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1920. Wyoming is 39-30 against the Pioneers in Denver. However, the home team has won each of the past seven meetings with DU taking three and the Pokes winning four.

Magness Magic: After falling to Northern Iowa in the opener, the Pioneers have won two-straight at home. Since Joe Scott took over as head coach prior to the 2007-08 season, the Pioneers are 23-7 (.767) at Magness Arena.

Assistance Please: Senior captain Nate Rohnert had six assists against Montana on Nov. 19 to move into eighth place on DU’s all-time assists list with 254. The 6-foot-5 Rohnert has 20 assists this season with only one turnover in each of DU’s three games for a 6.67 assists-to-turnover ratio, tied for sixth highest in the nation. Rohnert leads the Pioneers with 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game this season. The Parker, Colo., native recorded his second career double-double against Northern Iowa on Nov. 13 with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Rohnert earned Preseason All- Sun Belt Conference First Team honors after earning All-SBC First Team and All-District 24 Second Team last season. The senior captain finished 2008-09 ranked among the SBC’s top 10 in scoring (eighth, 15.3 ppg), field goal percentage (10th, .493), assists (third , 4.71 apg), steals (sixth, 1.29 spg) and minutes played (first, 37.00 mpg).

Cut to the Chase: Freshman guard Chase Hallam made 10 of his first 15 collegiate shots, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Hallam has averaged 8.7 points through his first three games with the Pioneers, and he is second on the team with 3.3 rebounds per game.

Shooting Stars: Denver is tied for seventh in the nation in three-point shooting at 49.1 percent, led by sophomore guard Brian Stafford, who is tied for the NCAA lead at 71.4 percent. The Pioneers also are 29th in the nation by hitting 51.2 percent from the field. Denver ranked 18th in the NCAA in field goal percentage last season (47.9 percent), 33rd in free throw percentage (73.8 percent) and 39th in three-point field goal percentage (37.7 percent). Junior forward Andrew Hooper led the Sun Belt with a 46.6 three-point field goal percentage, which would have ranked third in the nation, had Hooper reached the NCAA minimum of 2.5 three-pointers made per game.

TV Stars: Wednesday’s game against Wyoming will be broadcast live on FSN Rocky Mountain with Tom Helmer (play-by-play) and Greg Lackey (color) calling the action, while Alanna Rizzo reports from the sidelines. The Pioneers are 9-2 in games on FSN Rocky Mountain under Joe Scott.

Fresh Faces: Freshmen Blake Foeman, Chase Hallam and Kyle Chynoweth join the Pioneers this season. Foeman is a 6-foot-7 forward from Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla. Hallam is a 6-foot-5 guard from Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas, and the brother of current DU sophomore Travis Hallam. Chynoweth, a 6-foot-7 forward from Parkland, Fla., walked on the team. Also joining the roster this season is sophomore Alex Pickert, who served as a team manager last season.

Denver Downs Montana 56-49

Nate Rohnert had 20 points, while freshman Chase Hallam scored 14

DENVER – Senior guard Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) scored 20 points and freshman guard Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) added 14 points, as the University of Denver downed Montana 56-49 tonight.

The game started with the National Anthem lead by a choir from Denver Slavin Elementary school. The music has greatly improved over last year, when the brass band would play and almost no one would sing.

The game tonight was fantastic! What a great team we have!

“I thought we played extremely well the whole night,” head coach Joe Scott (on left in photo below) said. “Our offense was clicking really well in the first half, and we only had five turnovers in the game, which is terrific. Our defense was good the whole game.”

Rohnert added six assists and five rebounds, while Chase Hallam also pulled down five boards and shot 6-for-7 from the field with a pair of three-pointers.

Denver (2-1) held a 36-22 lead at halftime, but Montana (3-1) stormed back to cut the lead to four with 1:42 remaining in the game. However, the Grizzlies missed shots on three-straight possessions, and the Pioneers held onto the rebounds, including two by junior forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.), to seal the victory.

Denver held a 19-16 advantage with 11:02 remaining in the first half, when the Pioneers ripped off a 13-0 run to take a 16-point lead.

The Pioneers hit 14-of-25 shots (56.0 percent) in the first half, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while the Grizzlies went 10-for-20 (50.0 percent) but missed all four three-point attempts before the break.

Montana was led by preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection Anthony Johnson, who had 23 points, and center Brian Qvale had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Denver returns to action against Mountain West rival Wyoming at Magness Arena on Wed., Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FSN as was tonight's. This is without doubt the most exciting team in Denver right now. For tickets see http://www.DenverPioneers.com

Pioneers Down Arkansas-Pine Bluff 75-56

Stafford scores game-high 19, as Denver earns its first win of the season with a 19-point victory

DENVER – DU Wins! University of Denver sophomore guard sophomore guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) had 19 points to help the Pioneers (1-1) defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) in a 75-56 victory Sunday afternoon at Magness Arena.

Stafford was a stellar 6-for-8 from the field and 5-for-6 from three-point range for a game-high 19 points after scoring 20 in DU’s season opener on Friday. Senior Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) contributed 20 points and tied a career-high with nine assists. Junior Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) added 18 points, including 12 in the second half, and two steals.

In the game, the Pioneers shot 59.5% from the field and 52.4 percent from three-point range.

“I was happy to see us fight hard in the second half, but we still have to work on developing that killer instinct,” head coach Joe Scott said. “This was a good win, and I like where we’re at right now.”

The Golden Lions started the game on a 7-0 run over the first 3:37 of the game, but the Pioneers went 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc to end the half with a 40-36 lead.

The Pioneers poured it on in the second half, starting with a 15-2 run, and held the Golden Lions to only 20 points after the break. 

Denver returns to action against Montana at Magness Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m.

DU Men’s Basketball Falls 71-65 to Northern Iowa

Brian Stafford scored 20 points in the season opener

DENVER – Sophomore Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scored a game-high 20 points, but the University of Denver men’s basketball team (0-1) fell 71-65 to Northern Iowa (1-0) in the season opener on Friday night at Magness Arena.

“We wanted to play a team of this caliber because that’s the level we expect ourselves to be at,” said head coach Joe Scott. “We are going to get better and better throughout this season and I’m excited to see just how good we will be.”

Stafford was 8-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from three-point range.  He also had two steals on the night.  Senior Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds and was 8-of-11 from the free throw line.  Junior Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) also contributed 13 points.

This is the second year that the Pioneers have opened the season against Northern Iowa, who won the Missouri Valley Conference championship and appeared in the NCAA Tournament last year. 

DU returns to action on Sunday as they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 1 p.m.

We got together with 3rd year University of Denver basketball coach Joe Scott this morning. DU opens it's season this Friday with a 7:30 p.m. game against Northern Iowa, then Sunday at 1 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. www.DenverPioneers.com  
(See me drinking coffee with DU red hat on to the left) After he reviewed the team and the upcoming season, I was able to talk with him.

Scott's an intense, experienced, winning coach who is a stickler for execution and detail, something he learned from his coach Pete Carril at Princeton http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5676

Each DU player is given a copy of Carril's book http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Take-Strong-Basketball-Philosophy/dp/068483510X. I just bought a copy (used for $1) on Amazon after reading this customer review:

"Every day, before he left for work, [Father] would remind my sister and me how important it is to be smart," Carril writes. "Then, as he was going out the door, he would point his finger at his head and say, 'Use El Coco'"(17). As a young player standing only 5'6, Carril took the simple message to heart -- and, around it, developed an entire doctrine of coaching that guided Princeton to 13 Ivy League titles, an NIT tournament win in 1975 (the only by an Ivy League school) and a classic upset of defending champion UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. That he did it all in one of America's elite academic institutions, without offering a single scholarship, makes his accomplishments even more remarkable.

Scott's been a winner, both as player (a 4-year letter winner and three-year starter at Princeton) and coach. Prior to turning DU basketball into a winning program (21-6 at home), he coach Princeton (No. 5 seed in 1998 NCAA tournament, highest ever for an Ivy League school), and took Air Force to it's first NCAA tournament appearance in 42 years. His young Pioneer team last year defeated 3 2008 NCAA Tournament teams. With only one senior, this years team is the 8th youngest in the country.

"We have a team that plays to win. That's different than a team that loves to win. Everyone loves to win. Play to win means every second doing the things that are required to win. That's what this team does, on and off the court," said Scott.

"Nearly every game at this level comes down to the last seconds, the last shots. At that point in the game it's not the physical that makes the difference, it's here," Scott says putting his hand over his chest. "It's heart and head. El coco. The smart beat the strong."

This promises to be a great season. Getting to the NCAA Tournament is clearly the big plan. This very well may be the big year. Get your tickets now while they are still available.

Joe Scott Radio Show!

The Denver men’s basketball radio show will be broadcast on AM 950 KRWZ each Monday at 7 p.m.

DENVER – The Joe Scott Radio Show returns for another year, beginning Nov. 9 from 7-8 p.m. MT on AM 950 KRWZ, the flagship station of Denver basketball, as well as an audio cast on Pioneer Vision at www.DenverPioneers.com.

The show will air on Monday nights beginning Nov. 9 at The Pioneer restaurant, located at 2401 South University Ave., just south of the DU campus.

Mitch Hyder, who enters his 11^th season as the Voice of Denver Basketball, will once again host each show.

The Pioneer restaurant will offer food and drinks specials and is open to the public.

The Pioneers open their season at home against Northern Iowa on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. MT and against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. MT.

* - The show will air every Monday, except Dec. 28.

Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2009-10 Denver Pioneers are currently on sale. DU continues its commitment to provide the community with affordable and exciting entertainment in the Denver metro area. Ticket packages start at $64. Individual game tickets also are on sale with prices ranging from $9-$15 for adults. DU students get into the game free with their Pioneer Card. For ticket information, visit DenverPioneers.com or call the Pioneer Basketball Ticket Hotline at (303) 871-HOOP.

Follow DU athletics on the web at www.DenverPioneers.com

Follow DU athletics on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DU_Pioneers

Become a fan of the Denver Pioneers on Facebook

The Denver Center Theatre Company is doing a excellent production of Lorraine Hansberry's  A Raisin in the Sun, the classic and moving exploration of individual expressions of the American dream on Chicago’s Southside. The title comes from these lines in the Langston Hughes poem Dream Deferred:

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

The play was inspired partly by the Hansberry's family struggle to move into the White Washington Park neighborhood in South Chicago, a fight that was finally settled in her fathers favor by the U.S. Supreme Court (Hansberry vs Lee 1940).

In the play, father’s $10,000 life insurance settlement inspires three generations of the inner-city Younger family to dream of very different ways to spend the money. Mama dreams of living in a better neighborhood, her daughter plans to go to medical school and her son intends to buy into a liquor store. Money creates powerful family dynamics, and the actors do a phenomenal job of capturing the emotions of the mother, who suddenly becomes the head of the family with her dream within her grasp with the arrival of the insurance check, and her children, who fight for their dreams.

Raisin in the Sun came to Broadway in 1959, during a time my mom and dad were making business trips to New York and seeing plays there. I wonder if they took this one in.


Mike Hartman's excellent performance hit closest to home for me. Mike plays the representative from the white neighborhood who comes to ask the black family not to move in, at the same time explaining that the neighborhood is very friendly and unprejudiced, of course. It reminds me of conversations with my family when I hired the first black route salesman for my father's company.

There was an excellent review in the Denver Post yesterday:
http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_13527816

Last night I saw  the very fine production of A Picasso at Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden with my friend Marsha who is back visiting from Mexico where she now lives.

For 80 minutes we watched an artist interact with an interrogator, and through their very enlightening and entertaining dialog gain insight into how adversity is converted into great art, and why opposites attract. One drawing features Picasso on a cross, and in these 80 minutes we see him pinned down and the portraits that are produced from adversity, ranging from the death of a friend to the bombing of a village and the personal insult of a spit in the face.

Set in a basement, set aside from the press of everyday life, much like the safe space of a therapists office, we in the audience become the adult watching the interplay between the adult and the child, the superego and the id, persecution, and the fight against materialism and despair. 
 
"The play was also about the effect of the Nazi regime on art. How it oppressed the art critic- but how the spirited artist resisted its influence," Marsha observed. She was not offended by the strong language in the play and she is, in my opinion, easily offended.


The Denver Post had this review of the play a couple of days ago:
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13506709?source=rss

Back in Denver for a third time by “Popular” demand, The New York Times calls Wicked “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster.” In the show’s first two engagements here since 2005, it has broken box office records and sold out in record time. Winner of 26 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, Wicked “deserves the passion it inspires” (Rocky Mountain News).

Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One — born with emerald green skin — is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today).

Tickets start at $35
Groups (20+) submit a Group Request by using the button above or call 303.446.4829
Running time: 2 hrs 30 min with a 15 min intermission
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Wicked/Overview.aspx

Go Pioneers!

After two seasons with the Mile High Sports Radio Network, the University of Denver basketball and hockey programs are returning to KRWZ AM 950 and FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN, respectively, as their exclusive radio homes for the 2009-10 season. The FAN served as the exclusive home to Pioneer athletics for eight seasons from 1999-2007.

AM 950 will serve as the flagship station for the Denver men's basketball program. All 29 regular season games and all postseason game will be broadcast on AM 950. Veteran basketball announcer Mitch Hyder calls the action for his 11^th season.

"It is important that our loyal Denver basketball fans can listen to all of our games on one radio station," DU head basketball coach Joe Scott said. "We are pleased that every home, road and postseason game will be broadcast on a great radio signal in AM 950."

FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN will serve as the flagship station for the seven-time NCAA champion DU hockey program, carrying a majority of the broadcasts with some games on AM 950. Jay Stickney returns for his 10^th season calling on the exciting on-ice, play-by-play action.

"We are excited to return to the premier sports radio station in the Denver Metro region," DU head coach George Gwozdecky said. "We have a highly-competitive schedule and we're excited to renew our partnership with our friends at the FAN."

FM Sportsradio 104.3 the FAN is Denver's Sports Station. Live local talk with some of Denver's premier talk talent, including Scott Hastings, Alfred Williams, Sandy Clough and Mike Evans. Mix that with the strength of Mike & Mike in the Morning and the Jim Rome Show and you truly have Denver's #1 sports station, FM Sportsradio 104.3, the FAN.

"It's World Class Hockey on FM for the entire front range to hear and college basketball's No. 1 program in Colorado heard everywhere on AM 950," Sr. VP/GM Bob Call of Lincoln Financial Media Co. of Colorado said.

Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2009-10 Denver Pioneers are currently on sale. DU continues its commitment to provide the community with the most affordable and exciting entertainment in the Denver metro area. Ticket packages start at $64.

Individual game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 5, with prices ranging from $9-$15 for adults. DU students get into the game free with their Pioneer Card. For ticket information, please visit DenverPioneers.com or call the Pioneer Basketball Ticket Hotline at (303) 871-HOOP.

Follow DU athletics on the web at www.DenverPioneers.com

Follow DU athletics on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DU_Pioneers

Become a fan of the Denver Pioneers on Facebook

My daughter Allie and I had front row seats Saturday for the Denver Center Theatre Company production of David Mamet's adaptation of Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance (click here for script.)

There is an excellent review in today's Denver Post (click here to see it.)

After the play we had a great conversation sitting on one of the sidewalk cafes on the 16th street mall, it was a great evening. The play is very much worth seeing, get your tickets now, it's sure to sell out. For more information (watch the 10 minute preview) see
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/thevoyseyinheritance/about.aspx

In case you didn't notice, I've been asked to be the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Inventors Association. We have a meeting tonight (Thur, Sept 24), I hope you'll join us. See calendar for address and other details:
http://www.rminventor.org/contactus.htm

Yes, I'll still be facilitating the Denver IDEA Cafe and the Franklin Circle Denver Open meetings each Friday. More info about those meetings and optional RSVP at:

Denver IDEA Cafe, 2 p.m., Panera Bread, 13th & Grant
http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Franklin Circle Denver Open, 3:45 p.m. Panera, 13th & Grant
http://meetup.com/Franklin-Circle-Denver-Open


Last call for my book?
Darning Mighty Things-- The Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next) New Business is still available on this site (look <--- to the left) but this may change. Also, my consulting services continue to be available for now, and that is subject to change. Depends on how final negotiations go with the RMIA board. So if you want the little book and some of my time, act now!

Is the Franklin Circle the ultimate "happiness board"?
Tal Ben-Shahar in his best selling book Happier-- Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment says

"Create a personal happiness board-- a group of people who care about you and your well-being, and who will hold you accountable to the ultimate currency (happiness). Ask your board members to keep track of your commitments and ensure that you follow through on them. Meet regularly to discuss your progress, where you have made significant improvements, where you would like to put more effort, or where you would like to change course.

"Following up on our commitments and goals isn't easy. It takes time for a practice to become a habit, a ritual-- and therefore most efforts at change ultimately fail. Change of any sort-- be it starting an exercise regime, overcoming p;rocrastination, or getting to spend more time with our family-- is more likely to last when we enjoy the support of others.


"In addition to creating your own happiness board, become a member of other people's boards (you may have one small group, in which you serve on one another's boards). By doing so, you will be helping them as well as yourself: by holding others accountable to the ultimate currency and reminding them to pursue meaningful and pleasurable activities, you will be indirectly strengthening your commitment to your own happiness."


When I'm upset with someone if I stop and think about it my upset is the result of either: 1) Me projecting my faults onto that person (this is why we teach what we most need to know, like me writing this to you now); 2) Truth the person is telling me I just don't want to hear; 3) Unrealistic expectations of mine; or 4) Unresolved conflicts in the past the other person is taking out on a safe target (me), they aren't doing it to me, they are just doing it. Who are you upset with right now? Can you see one of these four reasons behind your emotion?

Miners Alley Playhouse presents

A Picasso

By Jeffery Hatcher

(Co-author of Tuesdays with Morrie)

Directed by Robert Kramer

Paris, 1941. Pablo Picasso (Chris Kendall) has been summoned from his favorite café by German occupation forces to a storage vault across the city for an interrogation. His questioner; Miss Fischer (Paige Lynn Larson), a beautiful "cultural attaché" from Berlin. Her assignment: discover which of the three Picasso paintings recently "confiscated" by the Nazis from their Jewish owners are real. The ministry of propaganda has planned an exhibit, and only the great artist himself can attest to their authenticity. What Miss Fischer finds leads to a cat-and-mouse drama about art and politics; sex and truth; and a twist at its climax.

Miners Alley Playhouse presents “A Picasso” September 25 through November 1. With performances every Friday and Saturday at 7:30.p.m. and Sunday’s at 6:00 p.m. *Sunday, Nov. 1 will be at 2 p.m.-no evening performance on this date.* On Saturday, October 3, Miners Alley holds its "Second Saturday" talk back with the cast after the performance.  Tickets are $20 ($21 online) and are available by calling 303-935-3044 or online at minersalley.com

Jeffrey Hatcher co-wrote the stage adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie with author Mitch Albom and Three Viewings, a comedy consisting of three monologues - each of which takes place in a funeral home. One of his most interesting works is a stage adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, Henry James's psychological thriller.

"Artful, remarkable and genuinely dramatic, with impressive sensitivity and wit." —NY Daily News.

"Sex, art, Nazis, and a classy twentieth-century icon, all wrapped up like a tasty cultural burrito. Expertly done." —Star-Ledger.

 "A polished production with carefully sprung surprises." —NY Times.

Miners Alley Playhouse presents

“A Picasso”

A cat-and-mouse drama about art, politics, sex and truth, with a twist at its climax.

September 25 – November 1
Fri./Sat. 7:30 p.m.; *Sun. 6 p.m. \ *Sunday, Nov. 1 will be at 2 p.m. There will be no evening show on this date.

1224 Washington Avenue (13^th and Washington 2^nd floor entrance on 13^th).
Tickets: $20 ($21 online)
Call 303-935-3044  or online at minersalley.com

The Denver Center Theatre Company opens the 2009 2010 Season with two classic dramas – one with special relevancy to the nation’s current economic crisis in David Mamet’s adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville-Barker and one celebrating the bruised but undaunted search for the American dream in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. 

The Voysey Inheritance

by Harley Granville-Barker

Adapted by David Mamet

Directed by Bruce K. Sevy

September 18 – October 24, 2009    (Opening Thursday, September 24)    The Space Theatre

           

Greed, guilt and high-level financial corruption are subjects frequently discussed and viewed by today’s media-savvy Americans.  In David Mamet’s acclaimed recent adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance, Edward Voysey discovers that the business and wealth he will inherit upon his father’s death were accumulated through a Ponzi-like scheme.   Edward’s ethical battle becomes whether to perpetuate his father’s scheme and provide some restitution to the victims or to blow the whistle and bring the blue-chip business crashing down.  What makes this play so highly entertaining to contemporary audiences is that Harley Granville-Barker wrote the original script for The Voysey Inheritance not in 2009 but in 1905 – years before these pyramid schemes were tagged with the Ponzi moniker and a century before the shocking Bernie Madoff scandal became breaking news on CNN.

A Raisin in the Sun

by Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Israel Hicks

October 1 – 31, 2009    (Opening Thursday, October 8)    The Stage Theatre

“There is simply no reason why dreams should dry up like raisins or prunes or anything else in America,” wrote Lorraine Hansberry becoming the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway with her breakthrough drama A Raisin in the Sun.  Israel Hicks (director of DCTC ten-play August Wilson cycle) returns to the Denver Center to direct this classic and moving exploration of individual expressions of the American dream on Chicago’s Southside.

Father’s $10,000 life insurance settlement inspires three generations of the inner-city Younger family to dream of very different ways to spend the money.  Mama dreams of living in a better neighborhood, her daughter plans to go to medical school and her son intends to buy into a liquor store. 

Tickets and Subscriptions

New and renewing subscribers may reserve their subscriptions now by calling 303.893.6030.  TTY (303) 893-9582. 

Single tickets for all performances this season start at $18 (some restrictions may apply) and are on sale now.  The Denver Center Box Office located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex is open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Saturday.  To purchase tickets by phone call (303) 893-4100 – for those outside the Denver calling area, 1 (800) 641-1222, TTY (303) 893-9582.  Buy and print tickets on-line by visiting www.denvercenter.org. 

Student $10 rush ticket are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability.

Groups of 10+ contact 303.446.4829 or groupsales@dcpa.org

No children under six will be admitted to any theatre.

Performance Schedule

Stage, Space and Ricketson Theatres

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday performances at 6:30pm

Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7:30pm

Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30pm

Perspective on the Play

Complimentary pre-show discussion.

           

            The Voysey Inheritance,    Friday, September 18 at 6:00pm, The Jones Theatre

Buie Seawell, Professor of Business Ethics and Legal Studies for the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.

           

            A Raisin in the Sun,            Friday, October 2 at 6:00pm, The Jones Theatre

                                                        Terry Nelson from the Blair-Caldwell African American 

                                                       Research Library and Dr. Marilynn Lewis.

Enchanted April (click for script) now running at Miners Alley is very well directed dramatic comedy with very fine performances by a strong cast.

A story told and retold in the play is of a walking stick taking root and becoming an acacia tree. It is thought that the burning bush Moses saw was an acacia. When Moses saw God in the burning bush, he took off his sandles.

Enchanted April is a wonderful story of repeated burning bush experiences. Lottie Wilton opens and closes the play telling us that there is much more to the world than meets they eye, we can all see the wonders and miricles, but we have to take the time to look.

As Elizabeth Browning put it, “Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”

Mr. Wilding (a name worthy of Charles Dickens) is the owner of the Italian Villa that is the setting of the second half of the play in which the characters get in touch with their wild side, are "translated" and come to see the burning bush in each other where only stick figures existed.

Miners Alley is a gold nugget in Golden, Colorado. Just a short drive, don't miss this wonderful production. Maybe you'll be translated!

Mary and I will be attending Miners Alley Playhouse production of “Enchanted April” this Saturday, can you join us?

Gloria Shanstrom who does the publicity for Miners Alley tells me the play is based on the 1922 best-selling novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim, a romantic comedy that begins in the gloomy days of post-WWI London.

An Academy Award-nominated film based on the novel was released in 1992. This Tony Award-nominated stage play by Matthew Barber, adapted from the same novel, was presented on Broadway in 2003.

If you can't make it this week, you'll have other chances, it runs thru September 13
Fri./Sat. 7:30 p.m.; *Sun. 6 p.m. \ *Sunday, Sept 13 will be at 2 p.m. There will be no evening show on this date.

1224 Washington Avenue (13th and Washington 2nd floor entrance on 13th)
Tickets: $20 Call 303-935-3044 or online at http://www.minersalley.com

"Change is in the air" at the lively, polished Evergreen Players production of Smell of the Kill at Center/Stage.

Lisa DeCaro as Nicky, Theresa Reid as Debra, and Michele Wright as Molly all give spectacular performances.

This is a dark comedy, laughs underscoring the strong message: Selfishness and dishonesty kills relationships.

This is a wonderful theatre, a great way to take a short drive into the mountains and spend a stimulating summer evening. Don't miss it!

For more information and tickets see http://www.evergreenplayers.org

I'll be at the opening of Evergreen Players www.EvergreenPlayers.org production of The Smell of the Kill tonight. (See my announcement of the play posted June 25, below.)