Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Sept. 16, 2009, edition 1 / Page 20
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PAGE 20 11 WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 16. 2009 SPORTS the pendulum Men’s basketball team releases looks forward to season opener schedule, this fall k U Junior TJ Douglas dribbles down court against Maryland player Grelvls Vasquez in the 2008 season. Conor O'Neill Reporter Last week, the athletic department released the 2009-2010 men’s basketball schedule, which includes games against two Atlantic Coast Conference members. Inback-to-backDecembermatchups, the Phoenix will travel to Winston- Salem to play Wake Forest on Dec. 13 and then head to Raleigh for a date with N.C. State on Dec. 17. First-year head coach Matt Matheny said this schedule will give his team the opportunity to get better every day without losing sight of having fun simultaneously. To begin the season, the Phoenix will play three games in four days, going up against Lipscomb University on Nov. 14, UNC Charlotte on Nov. 16 and a preseason National Invitational Tournament opponent to be determined the following day. “It gives us an opportunity to participate in ... a tournament setting at the beginning of the year, which hopefully will be like the Southern Conference tournament at the end of the year,” Matheny said. A third ACC opponent could be added if the Phoenix knocks off Charlotte. Elon would then play the winner of a Duke-Coastal Carolina matchup. These games, part of the NIT tournament, will be played at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. Students and community members will not see much of the Phoenix in the first two months of the season, as just three of Elon’s first 16 games are in Alumni Gym. But once SoCon play begins, the Phoenix will host nine contests throughout January and February. The Phoenix will play two conference games on the road in early December. On Dec. 3, the Phoenix will travel to Alabama to play Samford University FIVE GAMES TO WATCH FOR THE PHOENIX Dec. 3 at Samford Dec. 5 at Chattanooga Dec. 13 at Wake Forest Dec. 17 at N.C. State Feb. 27 vs. Davidson March 5 - March 8: Southern Conference for the first conference game, then go to Tennessee on Dec. 5 for a matchup with last year’s SoCon tournament champion Chattanooga. “In playing Southern Conference opponents in December, you can directly gauge yourself with conference opponents,” Matheny said. “But it’s going to be a marathon. With the goal to get better every day, you’re constantly assessing where you are, and hopefully by the end of February you’re a completely different team from Nov. 14.” One major difference in the SoCon this season is the absence of Davidson sharpshooter Stephen Curry, who has moved on to the NBA playing for the Golden State Warriors. The loss of a first team All-American could open up opportunities for other teams to claim the top spot in the conference. “College of Charleston has really good guards coming back, and they had success last year,” Matheny said. “Davidson will be one of the top teams. And Chattanooga in any given year can be one of the top teams.” At the end of the season, the Phoenix will play four games over a period of eight days, no easy task for a team which at that point will have already played 29 games. “It’s a fine line because you don’t want to wear your players’ legs out in September or October,” Matheny said. “But at the same time you have to spend a lot of time with conditioning because in February we’re not going to be able to do very much (conditioning) at all.” ON Now that Derek Jeter has passed Lou Gehrig to be the New York Yankees all-time leading hits leader, what will be his place in Yankee history? KEVIN Derek Jeter is perhaps the most consistent player of his generation, and his breaking Lou Gehrig’s Yankee hits record is certainly a huge accomplishment. That being said, I have trouble believing the history books will remember him the same way they remember Gehrig and other Yankee greats. He’s got the career stats, but Jeter was never the most dominant player in the league at his position. His quiet and subtle demeanor won’t help his cause either. I think in the end, he will end up being overshadowed by flashier players such as Alex Rodriguez. CHRISTIAN Jeter is certainly one of the all-time Yankee greats. Let’s tie realistic here - when Jeter broke the record, he left all-time Yankee legends behind him. He now stands above Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Don Mattingly and Yogi Berra. While it’s true that Jeter wasn’t ever the most dominant player at his position, he won a championship in just his second year in the league and captained the ONE ON ONE Is Jeter among the Yankees’ greats? Kevin Clang and Christian Binder Sports Commentators Yankees to three more. At the end of his career, Jeter’s No. 2 will go up with the rest of the greats. KEVIN What Jeter is missing is a signature moment. Ruth has his called home run, Gehrig has his famous speech. The biggest moment Jeter has is probably the "home run” he hit in the 1996 ALCS, where he was helped out by a young Yankee fan. As tar as Yankee moments go, it doesn’t really measure up. Jeter certainly has accomplished a lot in his career, but no one older than 21 today will list him in the same company as Berra, Mantle and other Yankee greats, CHRISTIAN Jeter has had several defining moments in his career. Who can forget "the flip” during the 2001 American League Division Series when Jeter got the ball to Jorge Posada from the first base foul line to get Jeremy Giambi out at home? Or how about when Jeter dove into the stands against the Red Sox in July 2004 to make an out in the 12th inning of a 3-3 game? Jeter may not get it done at the plate all the time, but his defense speaks for itself. He is known as one of the most clutch players at his position in baseball history. Even at age 35, Jeter is still one of the top defensive shortstops in the league. ELON SPORTS THIS WEEK Wednesday Men’s soccer vs. Clemson - 7 p.m. Friday Volleyball vs. Norfolk - 7 p.m. (Elon Invitational) Men's and women’s tennis (Elon Fall Invitational) - all day Women’s golf @ Great Smokies Intercollegiate - all day Saturday Cross country - Winthrop Invitational Volleyball vs. Georgia State - 12:30 p.m. (Bon Invitational) Men’s soccer at East Tennessee State - 3 p.m. Football vs. Wake Forest - 6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Navy - 7 p.m. (Elon Invitational) Men and women's tennis (Elon Fall Invitational) - all day Women’s golf @ Great Smokies Intercollegiate - all day Sunday Men's Soccer vs. Marshall @ Greensboro, N.C. - 12 p.m. Women's soccer vs. N.C. State - 5 p.m. Men’s tennis (Virginia Classic) - all day Women s golf @ Great Smokies Intercollegiate SPORTS IN BRIEF ATHLETIC RESULTS September 9-14 FOOTBALL SEPT. 12 ELON 41 PRESBYTERIAN 7 MEN'S SOCCER SEPT 11 ELONO LONGWOOD 0 SEPT 13 MARSHALL 0 ELONO WOMEN’S SOCCER SEPT 9 ELON 1 COASTAL CAROLINA 0 SEPT 13 ELONO N.C. STATE 2 VOLLEYBALL SEPT 9 ELON 3 HIGH POINT 0 Men's soccer records first victory EIoii men’s soccer team had its first victory with a 2-0 iiinin^Rr Marshall University. The Phoenix is 1-2-1 on the season, gam^ ^ Kinney each scored a goal in the I^nua^Zmy V Clas" ^ ***" Check out www.elon.edu/pendulum after the game for full coverage.
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Sept. 16, 2009, edition 1
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