VCU ALUM EARNS PGA CHAMPIONSHIP BID

VCU alumnus Paul Scaletta, 37, will play in his first PGA Championship Aug. 9-12.

Paul Scaletta has probably played more rounds of golf than he’d care to count. The same goes for the hundreds – or even thousands – of tournaments he’s participated in.

But none of them have been like this.

Scaletta, who played for the VCU Golf Team from 1996-98, recently won a spot at the 96^th PGA Championship Aug. 9-12 at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C. when he finished fifth at the PGA Professional National Championship in Seaside, Calif. on June 28. It will be Scaletta’s first time playing in one of golf’s four majors.

For the last four years, Scaletta has been a PGA Club Professional at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla., where he teaches the game to men and women of all ages. It was through the PGA Professionals South Florida Sectional Qualifier that he won a trip to the National Championship.

Scaletta was a member of a pair of Colonial Athletic Association Championship squads for VCU in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, he tied for seventh at the CAA Championship at Lane Tree in Goldsboro, N.C., one stroke ahead of teammate and future PGA golfer John Rollins.

OLYMPICS UPDATE; ONE RAM UP, ONE DOWN

Quanitra Hollingsworth, a 2009 VCU graduate, has averaged 9.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in two games – both victories – for Turkey at the Olympics.

Quanitra Hollingsworth’s Olympic experience is off to a great start, while Hayley Moorwood’s time in London has been met with heartbreak.

Hollingsworth, who is suiting up for the Turkish women’s basketball team in London, scored eight points and grabbed one rebound while battling foul trouble in a 61-57 win over the Czech Republic Monday morning.

The victory was a significant one. The Czechs were ranked No. 4 in FIBA’s World Rankings and the victory improved Turkey to 2-0 in Group A action. Turkey defeated Angola in its Olympic opener Saturday. The Turks may have punched their ticket to the quarterfinals with Monday’s win. At the last two Olympic Games, two victories was enough to earn a spot in the elimination round. Canada in 2000 was the last team with a 2-3 record in group play to fail to advance to the quarters.

So, although Hollingsworth has more fouls (9) than rebounds (5) so far, Turkey is in great shape. If she can stay out of foul trouble, the Turks can really make some noise.

Next up for Hollingsworth and Turkey is a contest the United States – the heavy gold medal favorites – Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. (EST). That game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus), as well as the NBC Olympic Basketball Channel.

Women’s Basketball: Group Standings

For Moorwood, the Olympics have not gone as well. In women’s soccer competition, Moorwood and New Zealand suffered their second 1-0 loss at these games Saturday, this time to Brazil. New Zealand battled favored Brazil for most of Saturday’s contest, only to fall on a goal scored in the 86^th minute.

New Zealand is now 0-2 and likely out of contention for a quarterfinal spot. Moorwood and New Zealand will meet Cameroon Tuesday at 12:45 (EST) in what will likely be their final match in London.

Women’s Soccer: Group Standings

ROBERTS SAHAYDAK’S DARING OLYMPIC DREAM

Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak says watching the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles inspired her own Olympic dreams.

Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak isn’t afraid to go out on a limb. By the time she was six years old, she had already proudly declared that she wanted to be an Olympian.

It was the summer of 1984 in Northern California, and just about six hours down the pike were Los Angeles and the Olympics. At her family’s home in San Ramon, Roberts Sahaydak became captivated by the athletes on her television. Something about the world’s greatest athletes competing in the world’s most prestigious competition sparked her desire.

“It just lit a little fire or something,” said Roberts Sahaydak, co-head coach of the VCU Women’s Soccer team. “From that Olympics on, that was always my go-to thing. When someone would ask, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’[It was always] ‘oh, I’m going to be an Olympian.”

Roberts Sahaydak says she was wowed by American gymnast Mary Lou Retton’s perfect 10 and the star power of track and field’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The Roberts family even traveled to the Bay Area to take in a men’s soccer game, feeding little Tiffany’s growing interest. Tiffany was a gymnast. Tiffany ran track. She also played soccer.

In grade school, when asked to draw a picture of what she would grow up to be, Roberts Sahaydak would dream of Olympic glory. One particular school project displayed an oversized gold medal, as well as three little Tiffanys, each competing in a different sport, track, gymnastics and soccer.

“I just wanted to be the best at something, and I wanted to have that gold medal,” she said.

XAVIER COACH AND FAMILY RECORD “CALL ME MAYBE” VID

Do you think when Carly Rae Jepsen released her infectiously annoying bubble gum single “Call Me Maybe”, that eventually middle-aged basketball coaches would be releasing parodies of her breakout hit with a muppet riding shotgun? I’m guessing the execs at Interscope Records didn’t plan for this.

Literally like a week ago, I was gently urged not to make fun of opposing teams this season, but come on! I agreed at the time, but come on! Must…resist..urge…aaaarrrrrrggggg!

.

In all seriousness, Chris Mack is obviously a cool dude who doesn’t take himself too seriously. I applaud the effort, even if I decry the song choice. I’m hearing Anthony Grant is planning to release his parody of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” the end of the week.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF VCU OLYMPIANS

Half a dozen VCU alumni have appeared in the Olympics over the years, including two this summer in London. Some of these student-athletes will be familiar to you, others may not, but all have been a part of history. Let’s meet them.

SAEED BASWEIDAN – YEMEN (1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta)
Saeed Basweidan was just 19 when he ran the 800-meters for Yemen at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He was clocked at 1:49.35 and finished sixth in his heat. He did not advance to the finals.

A native of Mokala, Yemen, Basweidan transferred to VCU in 1997 from Florida Community College after winning three National Junior College Championships in the 800. He enjoyed a solid, if not spectacular middle distance career at VCU from 1997-99, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1998, as well as the NCAA Indoor Championships in 1999. He was also a member of VCU’s NCAA-qualifying distance medley relay team in 1998. He still holds school records in the indoor 800 (1:49.33) and as a member of the distance medley and 4×800-meter relays.

VCU BLAZING NEW TRAILS ON RECRUITING FRONT

Jordan Burgess is one of two top-100 rated recruits in VCU’s 2012 recruiting class.

RICHMOND, Va. – VCU’s late signing of top-100 guard Melvin Johnson was the Rams’ first since joining the Atlantic 10 on July 1. The evidence suggests it won’t be the last big splash for Shaka Smart and his staff.

The Rams will welcome a pair of four-star recruits this year in Johnson and swingman Jordan Burgess, as well as highly-regarded forwards Justin Tuoyo and Mo-Alie Cox to complete a recruiting class that has earned much praise.

It’s been a long time since VCU landed a four-star or top-100 recruit that wasn’t a transfer. Now the Rams will have two joining the program in the same year. But it’s not just significant locally. VCU is turning heads nationally.

“This is the first year I can remember where a [non-power six conference] program not named Gonzaga has had two top 100 players,” said Dave Telep, recruiting guru and ESPN senior national basketball analyst.

VCU has undoubtedly benefited in recruiting circles from its Final Four appearance in 2011, as well as its move from the CAA to the A10, but the biggest factor in the amount of talent the Rams are able to put out on the floor stalks the sidelines of the Verizon Wireless Arena.

“I think the personality and real charisma and star power Shaka Smart has really keeps [VCU] alive in a lot of instances,” Telep said.

MORE MCLAUGHLIN

Shaka Smart discusses new VCU Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin:

McLaughlin talks about his experience with the Villa 7 Coaches Consortium:

MEETING MCLAUGHLIN

Ed McLaughlin was introduced as VCU’s sixth athletic director Tuesday. “…I think VCU is a place where we can win a national championship.”

RICHMOND, Va. – Niagara’s Ed McLaughlin was introduced as the sixth athletic director in VCU Athletics history Tuesday. He succeeds Norwood Teague, who had held the post since 2006, but recently took the same job at the University of Minnesota.

We’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know Ed in the coming weeks, but here are some highlights from his press conference and our breakout sessions today:

Ed McLaughlin isn’t afraid to dream big or make bold statements, laying out his vision for the athletics department Tuesday.

You have the ability here to take a success story and make it something incredibly special. There are a lot of people in this business, a lot of ADs that take jobs, but not a lot of them can say when they wake up, ‘We can win a national championship here.’ It’s inspiring, and I think VCU is a place where we can win a national championship.

Obviously the level of success that some of our programs have had demonstrates that. That’s what excites me the most, the chance to do something incredibly special.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH VCU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ED MCLAUGHLIN

RAMS LAND MELVIN JOHNSON

Melvin Johnson averaged 20.8 points and hit 82 three pointers last year for St. Benedict’s Prep.

Shaka Smart and his staff pulled off a late recruiting coup with the signing of four-star guard Melvin Johnson. Johnson is a legitimate top-100 recruit and is eligible right away. Although he’s missed several weeks of summer practice, he should have an opportunity to win minutes right away.

The scouting report on the 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard is that he can flat out score the basketball and is a good spot-up shooter with terrific range. He fills a need right away for VCU, which needed another shooter and scorer after losing Bradford Burgess. At worst, he’ll provide competition in one of the deepest stable of VCU guards in a while.

This is also another strong signal that VCU and Shaka Smart are making headway in their recruiting battles. Other than Jamie Skeen (who was a transfer), I don’t remember the last four-star VCU recruit (partially because I’ve only been here since 2005 and partially because I don’t follow recruiting as closely as some others). Now, the Rams will welcome two, Jordan Burgess and Johnson, in the same recruiting class. Final Four, Shaka Smart, Atlantic 10, whatever, it’s working. It doesn’t guarantee success, but it doesn’t hurt.

Here’s Johnson carving up defenses earlier this year at the Hoop Group Elite camp. No word on if Johnson will wear No. 682 as a Ram.

.

If that isn’t enough, this should tell you a lot about what kind of player Johnson is. In January, his coach at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J., Mark Taylor, had this to say about the Bronx, N.Y. native:

“Jay Williams is the best overall guard I ever coached, but Melvin is the best shooting guard. As soon as one foot steps over halfcourt, he has that killer instinct to score the basketball. He has the range and the quickness to score from anywhere on the court. He can spot up or take it off the dribble and he’s very unselfish,  too. He’s also a tremendous kid with a great work ethic.”

Here’s more from that interview: High School Performer of the Week (The Star-Ledger).