New Technology: The Philliebot!

Students at the University of Pennsylvania have designed what they call "The Philliebot." It's a one armed and three legged robot that designers created in a month.  The robot will be throwing out the first pitch tomorrow before the Phillies vs. Brewers game.  This robot will be part of Science Day that is taking place at Citizen's Bank Park.  The robot's pitch does not exceed 40mph due to the MLB not wanting it to reach Major League pitching speeds.  The robot was given a practice run and is ready to throw the annual first pitch of the night.  The robot is able to throw the ball due to carbon dioxide creating pressure to power the pitch.  The arm of the robot moves in the same motion that a human would.  Needless to say, those who are present during the game have something to look forward to.  The Philliebot is a prime example of how technology is constantly advancing.

UNC's Barnes Decides to Stay

UNC's freshman soon to be sophomore, Harrison Barnes, did not know if he would be returning to play for the NCAA.  He was debating whether or not to pursue the NBA and not finish college.  ESPN release that he finally decided that it would be right for him to stay in college. UNC's head coach Roy Williams is excited to have his freshman star back on the team.  Barnes plans on diligently working on his skills during the off season because he wants to achieve the goal of bringing home the NCAA National Title.  Harrison Barnes said in a quote "I'm honored and blessed for the chance to play in the NBA. And because of my family, teachers, passion, and work, I have the ultimate dream of one day playing and experiencing a fulfilling career in the NBA."  I think that Barnes made a great decision in deciding to stay with UNC.  He is only 18 years old and still has a lot of maturing to do as a basketball player and also a person.  Do you think he should have went into the NBA?

Shelvin Mack wants to get a feel of the NBA draft

The Butler Bulldog's junior Shelvin Mack annonunced that he would try out the NBA draft to see where he would stand.  He does not have an agent helping him with the process because he said if it does not work out in the NBA then he wants to go back to Butler and continue playing with them.  The reason why he is still eligible to play in the NCAA is because he made the smart decision of not hiring an agent. All players have to officially declare their intentions of being in the draft on April 24.  They have the option of withdrawing by May 8th at the latest.  Critics have critiqued his percentages in being that his shooting has decreased slightly despite the fact that they still believe he will be a second round draft pick.  I think that Mack should stay for his senior year and finish the rest of his education considering it is only one more year.  Do you think that Mack should complete his senior year with Butler ?  Or do you think he should take his chances with the NBA?

WNBA Draft: Maya Moore to Minnesota

The Minnesota Lynx have chosen UCONN's Maya Moore as their Number 1 draft pick.  The Lynx are hoping that Moore can turn their basketball program around.  Minnesota did not have a good season and only compiled 13 wins while letting 21 games get away.  Moore is a four time All-American and averaged 19 points in her collegiate career. She led UCONN to win 90 games in a row along with two national championships. Moore is the second straight first draft pick that came from UCONN.  She followed Tina Charles who was drafted to the Connecticut Sun last season. Below is a link that shows a video of Moore being drafted.

http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=6330896

UCONN Men's Basketball wins National Championship

If anyone watched the National Championship on Monday between Butler and UCONN, we could all agree that it was not a very exciting game.  The Huskies beat the Bulldogs 53-41 which gave them their 3rd national championship in school history.  Butler's shooting percentage was a cold 18% for the game, which is the worst in a national championship game yet only making 12 of 64 shots!  That is unbelievable!  Butler only scored 41 points which is also the lowest amount of points scored in National Championship history since 1959.  Jim Calhoun, UCONN's head coach, is the oldest coach in NCAA history to win a national championship.  He currently is 68 years old and will continue to coach the Huskies next year, despite being suspended for the first three games next season due to recruting violations.  Did any of you watch the game? What did you think?

Notre Dame makes a rumble in Final Four vs. UCONN

Notre Dame upset No. 1 UCONN in the national semi-final on Sunday, April 3, 2011 72-63.  Skylar Diggins showed her true colors during the game and even though UCONN had their superstar Maya Moore, Notre Dame pulled through for the win.  Moore's dreams of acheiving another national championship was shattered Sunday but cannot hang her head.  She has been an all-star all season long and has carried her team to an impressive 36-2 season.  Sylar Diggins and Maya Moore were without a doubt the stars of the game.  Diggins finished with 28 points while Moore finished with 36.  During the regular season Notre Dame went 0-3 against UCONN but gave them only their second loss in three years.  The Fighting Irish definitely stunned those who were watching the game by knocking of the No. 1 seed who had only previously lost ONE time is 3 seasons.  Congratulations to Notre Dame!