Big Man On Campus

Mike Luby's Basketball Odyssey Ends ... For Good Reason

Remember (reportedly) 7-foot, 275-pound transfer centre Mike Luby of the Windsor Lancers and his incredible journey? The 23-year-old has apparently left the team for personal reasons. Mary Caton of the Windsor Star has the story as part of a disection of the Lancers' preseason.

"He's still trying to figure out his life," (Windsor head coach Chris) Oliver said of the big man from northern Ontario who arrived on campus with a wife and infant daughter.

I emailed Oliver for more of a comment. Here's what he had to add:

"His exact words were that he needs to focus on his family. Sadly due to his pre-season injuries and his personal situation his Windsor Basketball career never got off the ground," Oliver wrote.

Good for Luby. Seriously. He's 23 with a wife and kid. Putting family first simly can't be faulted. He clearly has his priorities in perfect order. Luby knew when his time was up, unlike some other athletes.

It's easy for folks to forget that being a post-secondary athlete, yes, even here in Canada, borders on being a full-time job — one that "pays" a max scholarship of $3,500 per year in Ontario. Given video sessions, practice, games and travel time, the hours add up quickly.

There also is, of course, school — Luby is a full-time philosophy student, according to the Star.

And, after all that studying, all that basketball, he was holding down the single toughest job of them all, being a dad. So, if that became all too much, and means an end to a long and winding basketball journey — on which he met his wife — so be it.

It's likely worth it.

In terms of basketball, the Lancers will replace one 7-footer with another. Local product Ryan Wood, whom the Lancers list as 7-foot, 265 pounds. Although, I've been told he's 6-foot-11 and Hoopstars Canada originally reported him as being 6-foot-10.

Wood returned home when he walked away from a scholarship at the University of the District of Columbia, a Division II program in the U.S. capital where he last played in 2008-2009. He played 18 games that season — eight of them starts — and averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He also blocked 15 shots.

"Ryan has been practising well and will add some depth and talent to our roster," Oliver wrote to me.

Took The Words Right Outta My Mouth

Windsor Star sports columnist Bob Duff has a column today that says precisely what I previsouly — and many others — have been thinking and saying for weeks and even years.

For about a week a good friend of mine prodded me to pen something about Matt Morencie's confrontation with Duff; a post about how it can in no way help his head coaching father Mike Morencie's cause — not now nor in the futre. I put it off because I thought "too much Morencie for this week."

And for years, I've been calling for the end of the coach's career. He's had plenty of opportunities to right the Good Ship Lancer and has not.

But today, Duff says it all. So I don't have to.

Here are some highlights:

This may come as a surprise, especially to the people who've been writing letters to tell me what a horrible person I am, but I actually like Windsor Lancers football coach Mike Morencie.

I think he's a good man, and I don't doubt that he's poured everything he has into turning around a long-dismal program.

Regardless, all of that is immaterial.

* * * * *

The younger Morencie, who stands six-foot-three and weighs 290 pounds, sought to intimidate me, first by invading my personal space, then verbally, and finally by taking and shredding my notebook, which I viewed as a threatening gesture.

This seemed to me an attempt at bullying, pure and simple.

* * * * *

All Matt Morencie succeeded in doing Saturday was to embarrass himself. He embarrassed his family. He embarrassed the university. And he embarrassed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his employers at the time ...his actions certainly aren't going to help his father's cause.

In fact, they may have sealed his fate.

I Got Game

"I Got Game" is a new feature I'll try to maintain throughout the OUA hockey and basketball seasons.

Essentially, I'll preview the game I'm calling that day for Streaming Sports Canada or Rogers TV, whichever is the case.

Friday night, it's the UOIT Ridgebacks at the Guelph Gryphons in men's OUA hockey.

Both teams are 2-4-0 to start the season, but Guelph already beat UOIT 8-1 this season.

It's early, so a win by either leapfrogs the team into the middle of the pack. It's not do or die by any stretch.

It's safe to say Guelph is underachieving out of the gate. But it's also important to remember the Gryphons lost two games at Lakehead, arguably one of the better teams in the OUA and one of the toughest places to play.

But it's not so much the losses themselves that raise eyebrows, it's the scores by which the Gryphons lost. Guelph, a team many see as improved and as a possible contender this season, lost 5-1 and then 8-2.

Last season, Lakehead needed overtime to win its two playoff games against the Gryphons, which didn't have as much offensive talent and not nearly as much experience in goal.

It should be noted the Gryphons were without Thomas Kiriakou, the team's leading scorer, who was away for the team for personal reasons.

Still, reading into this tweet made by defenceman Tim Priamo on Monday, and this one by Kiriakou on Tuesday, it's easy to see head coach Shawn Camp wasn't impressed with the weekend in Thunder Bay.

"We have to simplify our game and get away from being too cute," Guelph head coach wrote me in an email. "By that, we mean that we need to make the easy, early play rather than look for a homerun pass for a breakaway or thread the needle on a low percentage play rather than keep it clean and simple. 

"We are skilled and we try sometimes to be too fine and that results in turnovers and outnumbered rushes.  That has hurt us lately."

Guelph needs to be better on special teams too, the coach said.

Former Soo Greyhound and Guelph Storm goalie Cody St. Jacques is has started all six games this season. Don't be surprised if former Sudbury Wolves netminder Andrew Loverock gets the start tonight.

UOIT, meanwhile, has lost two of three games after beating the now-6th-ranked Western Mustangs. Go figure.

The Ridgebacks are coming off that loss to Guelph and split games with Windsor, which may end up garnering some top-10 votes before the semester is through.

Goaltending has been a problem for the Ridgebacks. Jason Guy, the team's No. 1, is sporting a 5.21 goals against average and .836 save percentage, both 27th among 33 goalies who have played this season.

Part of Guy's problems may be the defence in front of him. He was a solid reserve for the OHL's Guelph Storm, Kingston Frontenacs and London Knights, the latter for whom he posted consecutive save percentages of .900 or better in his last two seasons.

The Ridgebacks have five defenceman with Major Junior experience but only alternate captain Chris Purves and Steve Spade played significant minutes in the OHL.

Montoya Playing Blame Game, Not Football

It's almost hard to believe former Laurier Golden Hawks defensive lineman Dave Montoya is 27 years old. Because he certainly doesn't act his age.

According to Montoya, a full-time high school teacher, it's everyone's fault but his own that he's no longer playing for the Golden Hawks this OUA football season. He blames the school, the CIS, anyone but himself.

“It's very simple. I think the CIS is negligent and Laurier is negligent,” Montoya told Christine Rivet of the Waterloo Region Record.

But not Montoya. Heaven no.

Laurier's administration should have been up to speed, too, Montoya said, instead of advising him he was cleared to play. — The Waterloo Region Record.

Could Montoya not have called CIS himself? Does he not have access to the Internet? He's 27, not 17. He doesn't need his hand held.

In his defence, Montoya told the Burlington Post he is "very diligent about these things.I was checking the CIS website every day to make sure, without a doubt, that I was eligible.”

Despite having been in high school when Al Gore's invention really took off and became part of the edcuational system, Montoya must not have known where to look, because the information he needed to read was right there on the CIS website in PDF form.

To refresh everyone's memory, including Montoya's, because it apparently needs it, again, CIS in June voted on, approved and immediately implemented a new rule that stipulates a CIS football player must play his five year's of eligibility within seven years of high school graduation.

Players who were in the midst of their careers were grandfathered in, meaning they could finish their eligibility according to the rules in place when they entered the CIS. 

But that exemption doesn’t apply if the player is re-entering the CIS and didn’t hold an "Eligibility Certificate" in 2009-10.

Montoya wasn't on a CIS football roster in 2009 or 2008.

But Montoya still insists the rule was somehow "retroactively" ammended.

So we're clear, dictionary.com defines retroactive as:

1. Applying or referring to the past

2. Effective or operative from a date or for a period in the past

Again, this rule was went into effect immediately, when Montoya wasn't a student. He wasn't a player in 2009 or 2008 so it didn't affect him "retroactively" in the least.

And the rule wasn't "effective or operative from a date in the past." In fact, in went into effect after it was voted on. There's nothing retroactive about that either.

The question has to be asked: Why has no one covering the team asked Montoya to explain the difficulty in this? Or asked athletic director Peter Baxter just what in the world was so difficult to understand about the new rule, because every other CIS football team eventually understood it in time for kickoff.

St. Mary's had similar situations involving three players. But the school researched the rule and, yes, appealed as was its right. But it did so before ignorantly or arrogantly suiting them up to play.

Laurier was the only school of what it alleges is 10 to have had a problem understanding the rule to forfeit a game for using an elderly ineligible player.

“Forget all the other stuff — wins, losses. The kid who got hurt from this was Montoya," Laurier head coach Gary Jeffries said.

Kid? Seriously? Montoya is now the OUA equivalent of the college student still showing up high school parties.

Kids play CIS football. Not men. Not anymore.

End of story. We hope.

Matt Morecnie Banished ... To The 'Peg

Well, it looks like the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have come down on practice roster offensive lineman Matt Morencie.

The CFL club allowed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers pluk the former Windsor Lancers tackle and guard and J.P. Metras winner off waivers Wednesday.

Morencie was involved in a strange post-game confrontation with Windsor Star reporter Bob Duff on Saturday at a Alumni Field at the University of Windsor.

Morencie first verbally abused Duff and then took the reporter's notebook, tore pages from it and tossed it the air.

Most assume the tirade was done in an effort to protect Morencie's father, Lancers head coach Mike Morencie, whom Duff had  criticized in print and is in his last season of a four-year contract.

Drew Edwards, who covers the TiCats for the Hamilton Spectator, has posted on his Scratching Post Blog some comments from TiCats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille.

“It's important to represent our organization positively at every opportunity that we can. I just reiterated the point to him,” Bellefeuille said. “I think he took it to heart, he understands the situation and I'm sure if he had to do it again it probably wouldn't have happened the way it did.”

Some pondered what just how the TiCats should handle Matt's unprofessionalism.

Sending him to the 'Peg just before winter. That's punishment enough.

Although, Hamilton brass stressed to Edwards the incident and roster move are not related.

Like Father, Like Son ... Sort Of

The Windsor Star has gone public with a detailed account of former Windsor Lancers lineman and current Hamilton Tiger-Cat Matt Morencie allegedly verbally assaulting Star columnist Bob Duff before taking the journalist's notebook from his hand, ripping pages from it and throwing it all in the air.

A-Channel sports reporter and all-around good guy Bob Bellacicco has a first-hand account of the confrontation:

"I thought he was just coming over to say hello," Bellacicco said.

"He mixed some expletives in, but asked Duff, 'What are you doing here? No one wants to talk to you.'

"He took the notebook and that's when I looked around to see who was watching this with all the people around. When I turned back, all the pages were flying around and the notebook was on the ground.

"Duff was clearly a little shaken up. He just said to me, 'Well, that wasn't very smart.'

"I was really surprised because it's totally out of character for Matt."

It's not the first time a Morencie has had public run-in with the Windsor media.

It was alleged in October 2009 Lancers head coach Mike Morencie said to a sideline reporter working for Cogeco Cable "critics can kiss my ass." The Bobby Knight-ism came a day after Duff blogged a list of candidates to potentially replace the coaching Morencie, despite a year remaining on the coach's four-year contract.

There is little doubt tensions are high in Lancerland right about now. Mike's latest edition of the Lancers was blown out — again — Saturday; he has endured a week's worth of bad press; his contract is effecitively up; and there was the rampant rumor he would file a grievance to keep his job.

Matt's a proud son first and (likely a tad embarrassed) alumnus second. He was just doing what any son would likely do, protecting his father once again. The last time the youngest Morencie was this outspoken his words were directed at athletic director Gord Grace.

But the beautiful thing about media — especially in this internet age — is this: You can always write or email a letter to the editor; start blog or Facebook group; or Tweet your frustrations.

What you cannot do is verbally assault the messenger — and that's all Duff and others have been this season.

Given the lack of Lancers success, Matt should have ripped apart a playbook, not a notebook. That would have helped his father, who needs it given his contract officially expires June 30.

If Matt thought he was helping Mike's cause, he wasn't. The columnist lodged a complaint with athletic director Gord Grace, the man who for all intents and purposes has the final say on Mike Morencie's future as head coach. As if Mike Morencie's coaching record isn't baggage enough.

Windsor's associate athletic director Mike Havey is investigating the incident. The OUA is "monitoring" the invesitgation.

The only disciplinary option Windsor may have is to ban the younger Morencie from Lancers home games.

And if that's the case, neither Morencie will likely be seen on the sidelines next season.

Morencie Era Not Quite Over In Windsor

The Mike Morencie era in Windsor is all but over. But it almost lasted yet another year.

Multiple sources close to Lancers football said the head coach was to ask - some sources had said he had already asked - the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA), which represents the ancillary staff member, to grieve the terms of his current four-year contract, which is set to officially expire June 30, 2011.

Morencie admitted Tuesday on the record that he "discussed" with union officials the possibility of the union filing a grievance on his behalf but he found "it just wouldn't be prudent."

"I had my kick at the can ... the bottom line is we didn't win," said Morencie, who just wrapped his 13th season with a 2-6 win.

Morencie is 34-68-1 with one winning season and one playoff win in his career.

Still, Morencie did say he "had a case" to grieve but reiterated he will not. Morencie said he never filed a grievance, has no intention of doing so and that the option was only briefly discussed.

If the union had filed a grievance on Morencie's behalf, the union would have argued Morencie is entitled to a five-year, not four-year, contract.

Morencie first signed as head coach in late 1997 when he replaced John Mussleman shortly after the season ended. It was nearly a five-year deal that expired June 30, 2002.

Joanne MacLean, who was Windsor athletic director in 2002, signed Morencie to another five-year deal despite the fact Morencie went 7-32-1 during his first four years as head coach. Not long after MacLean inked Morencie, she left Windsor and left Morencie and his albatross of a contract for Gord Grace to deal with.

Morencie, with the help of All-Canadian running back and Hec Crighton winner Daryl Stephenson, went 6-2 in 2006. It was Windsor's best season under Morencie.

After the rare successful season, Grace had no choice but to sign Morencie to an extension. And he did, to a four-year deal that expires June 30, 2011. The thought, sources say, was to keep Morencie on a short leash but one long enough to extend trhoughout a 2007 recruit's four-year OUA career.

The Lancers went 9-23 during the contract. The Lancers beat York or Toronto for eight of those victories and lost to fellow bottom feeder Waterloo four consecutive years. Windsor went 2-6 this season. And missed they playoffs.

According to article 12:24 of the collective agreement between the WUFA and the Board of Governors of the University of Windsor:

Initial appointment to ancillary academic staff (AAS) positions shall be probationary for a period of six (6) months, at which time, on the recommendation of the AAS Committee, the appointment will be terminated forthwith or confirmed. In the case of appointments to athletic coaching positions, appointees will be subject to renewal annually by the Board of Governors on the recommendation of the President, in accordance with clause 13:24 for a period of three (3) years, after which reappointments will be renewable for periods of two (2) to five (5) years (the length of the appointment to be determined by the President after consultations with the AAS Committee). When the AAS Committee recommends non-renewal of the appointment of an athletic coach, the incumbent will receive one (1) month's notice of termination for each year of service, or payment in lieu of such notice, up to a maximum of twelve (12) months for twelve (12) years of service and longer.

Article 13:24 reads:

Before deciding upon the confirmation or renewal of appointment or promotion for ancillary academic staff members, the President shall consider recommendations made by the AAS Committee of the relevant AAU with respect to each candidate.

The union would have had to argue Morencie was entitled to a five-year deal. However, article 12:24 clearly reads he — or anyone in a similar ancillary position — was entitled to a contract "for periods of two (2) to five (5) years" and not definitively or arbitrarly five years.

The union could argue "past practice" was to grant the head football coach five-year contracts. After all, Morencie received consecutive five-year deals before Grace offered him the four-year deal, which Morencie signed at the time and presumably did not grieve in 2007.

A past practice grievance is sometimes difficult to win. The union will need to be able to prove the practice continued in a single form over a lengthy period of time. It would help Morencie's cause if Windsor brass has always offered five-year contracts to all coaches. And it would further support Morencie if he is the only current coach not signed to a five-year term.

However, Morencie and the union could have been hamstrung by the fact the contract presumably wasn't contested at the time of signing in 2007.

Morencie on Tuesday sounded resigned to the fact his time at Windsor is over.

"But I'm not running up to anyone's office to resign," Morencie said.

As per his contract, he's entitled to at least payment until June 30, 2011.

"We eat our own in this business," Morencie continued. "We worked our ass off here and didn't get it done in terms of wins and losses. And they keep score in this business.

"How many times do coaches get to walk off the field a winner for the last time and ride off into the sunset? Not many."

EDITOR'S NOTE: A PDF version of the collective agreement can be found here

D.J. Bennett Spoils The Ballot

Will someone, anyone, please prohibit The Score's sideline reporter D.J. Bennett from casting ballots in the weekly CIS Top 10 poll?

What can only be described as blatant OUA bias shines through again in Week 7 as the former Western Mustang, whose brother plays for Laurier, has four OUA teams in the Top 10, including all-but-one-dimensional Western Mustangs at No. 2 and Ottawa, which was embarrassed by Toronto, at No. 4.

Bennett also has McMaster 7 and, inexplicably, Guelph at 10.

Track records of voters who gravitate in and around the Centre of the Universe is noticed elesewhere, too.

Ontario-centric voters will put the 'Stangs in the 2-spot. — Yahoo!'s Neate Sager, who is also based in Ontario and posted his Top 10 ballot at The CIS Blog.

Bennett and by association The Score have vested interests in the weekly CIS rankings because the nationwide network only broadcasts OUA football. And, the OUA and The Score have always been described as "partners" in this broadcast agreement. What's good for one is good for the other. So it can be argued more OUA teams in the Top 10 could mean a better billing each week; a better sell job, if you will, outside Ontario. And Bennett has a direct impact on a Top 10 poll.

UPDATE: It's clearly just a coincidence, but The Score has decided to broadcast the Guelph at Ottawa game Saturday because as former Guelph Gryphons quarterback and The Score blogger Justin Dunk tweeted the game has "playoff positioning on the line." True, but so too does the Laurier at Windsor game. But neither of them are Top 10 teams, now are they?

Bennett had previously voted for the Guelph Gryphons, twice, because "they work hard" but the Gryphons are back because of their win over hapless Windsor.

Bennett, however, leaves the Laurier Golden Hawks out of the Top 10 despite the fact the Hawks and Gryphons have played viritually the identical schedule to date. Guelph beat Windsor on Saturday and Laurier lost to Ottawa a couple weeks back. Other than that, they both beat York, Toronto and Queen's. Laurier outscored those oppents 149-43 while Guelph outscored the same trio 62-30 and needed a last-second field goal to beat Toronto. Both lost to McMaster and Western. Laurier lost to Mac by two. And Laurier beat Guelph — wait for it — 36-2.

If Bennett is putting any sort of stock into Guelph's "comeback" — and use that term loosely — against Mac and "win" — again, use that term loosely — over Windsor, he shouldn't.

Mac played reserves late in game they led 40-15 after three quarters and one former Gryphon told me "come on, it's Windsor" after Saturday's win.

And having his alma mater Western ranked ahead of Regina and ranking Saskatchewan 6th is insulting to the Huskies and Canada West, what can arguably be called the country's best conference this year. There's no denying the OUA's talent pool is a shallow one this year and that affects every team in the conference (i.e. a win over Queen's isn't a win over the Vanier Cup champions)

Here is Bennett's Top 10 for Week No. 7:

1. Laval

2. Western

3. Regina

4. Ottawa

5. Montreal

6. Saskatchewan

7. McMaster

8. Calgary

9. Bishop's

10. Guelph

It will be argued by many the weekly Top 10 is for discussion only. And it is. But let's try and make it a serious one, shall we? Because right now, it's kinda like listening to this  or even this. Thank goodness people outside Ontario are smarter than that.

Baxter Thrown Under The Bus

Memo to reporters, SIDs and media relations folks: Always choose your words wisely.

Some interesting and incriminating wording are in the official Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks media release announcing the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada upheld the CIS ineligibility ruling on 27-year-old defensive end Dave Montoya.

You have to read the entire press release to find it, but here are the highlights:

Midway through the release athletic director Peter Baxter says, "We hope that lessons have been learned when it comes to implementing retroactive rule applications and that the process of implementation will be improved by the CIS by better educating department staff, coaches and athletes well in advance of the rule."

But read further down, where, by the department's own admission, it knew the rule was in place as voted on in June.

The "5-in-7" rule forces football student-athletes to use their five years of eligibility within seven years from the date of graduation from high school (eight in Quebec). It was implemented at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) annual general meeting in June of 2010 and applied immediately to anyone not on the 2009-10 eligibility certificate, with no "grandfather" period.

Sorry Mr. Baxter, not a leg to stand on, especially after reading the following passage from the rule itself (again, Page 13, if you're interested):

This rule applies to students entering CIS for the first time in 2010-11 and beyond, or who are re-entering CIS after having not been listed on a team’s 2009-10 Eligibility Certificate.

Montoya did not play in 2009. He enrolled in class in January 2010 but promptly withdrew.He last played OUA/CIS football in 2006.

It would seem after reading the rules and the school's own media release everyone at Laurier, except Montoya, Baxter and perhaps head coach Gary Jeffries, who has never been pressed on his knowledge of the extent of Montoya's eleigibility, clearly understood the rule.

Exceptions can be made and upheld on compassionate grounds for those who served in the military, were on a religious mission or injured (see: SMU Huskies receiver Kevin Walsh, who intended to play in 2009 but was injured and can now play in 2010). But none of that applies in Montoya's case.

For few would find compassion for a 27-year-old, full-time teacher from Milton who is enrolled in two online courses and a night business course.

And with that, the dream is finally — and thankfully — over.

 EDITOR'S NOTE: Props to Alanna Wallce who stuck with the story late Friday while "the city's official paper of Record, err, record" went to bed.

Happy Thanksgiving. Here Are Three OUA Turkeys

 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving — sort of — here are the OUA football season's Top 3 Turkeys, from worst to first:

1) Mike Morencie, University of Windsor head coach (and a side dish goes to Windsor's athletic director Gord Grace): Few would disagree that Morencie is a dead coach walking — although some, unbelievably have. In the last year of his contract it's more than likely it won't be renewed. The Lancers are 33-75-1 during Morencie's tenure. And athletic director Gord Grace's refusal to remove Morencie from his post last year or even the year before can only have hurt recruiting the past two season, further bottoming the Lancers out.

2) Guelph Gryphons offence (and a side dish goes to head coach Stu Lang): Even with the league's best running back Nick FitzGibbon and arguably best receiver (and kick returner) Jedd Gardner, the Gryphons have struggled to move the ball. Oh, sure, Guelph's total offence is ahead of Windsor, Toronto and York, respectively. But that doesn't count, does it? Guelph has the worst passing offence in the league — its quarterbacks tossed one, yes one, TD pass up until the midway point of the season. And even it should have been ruled incomplete. Guelph replaced Kyle Walters with CEO, err, rookie head coach Stu Lang for a meager buck in the off-season. And now, the team will be hard pressed to make the playoffs. What's that old saying? You get what you pay for?

3) Laurier Golden Hawks defensive end Dave Montoya, athletic director Peter Baxter and head coach Gary Jeffries, (a full course meal): It's tough to say who the bigger turkey is among them all. Montoya, a 27-year-old full-time teacher who wants to play football among boys; Jeffries, for allowing him to do so at that age and without fully examining — or even, apparently, questioning — Montoya's eligibility; Baxter for actually picking up the fight and appealing the decision to deem Montoya ineligible. The comedy of errors and combination of selfishness and arrogance may cost the Golden Hawks a win over Toronto and a spot in the post-season.