Tag: Florida International

Marshall fans go nuts as squirrel runs 40 yards to paydirt

A squirrel had the fans roaring at the FIU-Marshall game.

You never know where you will find your next highlight on a college football Saturday.

This one comes to us from the FIU-Marshall game and it had the Thundering Herd fans roaring.

No points wound up on the scoreboard but it was a tremendous example of broken-field running … and announcing.

Watch as the squirrel starts at the 40 and starts, stops, dekes and fakes while the crowd gets louder with every yard gained.

Finally, he makes his way into the end zone to the delight of the announcer and Marshall faithful.

Everything to know about NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many draft-eligible prospects not invited to the NBA combine have had trouble getting all of their information to team-decision makers in advance of the 2020 NBA Draft. To combat this, the NBA G League is offering a greater opportunity to be evaluated by team decision-makers.

This information included below was shared with USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire on the condition of anonymity because the person who shared the details was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

While the G League Elite Camp was canceled this year, a “select number” of participants were given the chance to share virtual evaluations through both shooting drills and an NBA pro day.

Prospects who agreed to participate will use HomeCourt, a mobile basketball training application, to record on-court workouts. The results will be shared with NBA team staffers through the app.

Players were encouraged to have two staffers with them in the gym to assist with the process. The coaches and trainers were required to wear a face mask and gloves during the workout.

NBA Evaluation: 8 Shooting Drills (based on previous editions of the Draft Combine)

  • Warm-Up/free-throws (50 shots)
  • Spot-Up shooting (50 shots)
  • Shooting off dribble/pull-up jumpers (30 shots)
  • Mid-Range/off the catch (20 shots)
  • 3-point drill /3-pointers off the catch (20 shots)
  • Side-mid-side/3-point jumpers on the move (2 minutes)
  • 3-point endurance/catch-and-shoot at game speed (5 minutes)
  • Cool down/free-throws (50 shots)

Each shooting drill can be completed a max of three times. Only the best score is uploaded into the NBA Player Evaluation platform for all NBA teams to access the data and video.

This is how the results look, as obtained by Babcock Hoops’ Derek Murray:

NBA Pro Day: 45-Minute Open Workout

  • This workout allows the draft prospect to share the unique
    aspects of his game through a 45-minute open workout.
  • Players are prohibited from partaking in live competition against any other draft-eligible and/or other players, including: informal scrimmages, pick-up games (e.g., 2-on-2), defensive drills (e.g., pick-and-roll coverage, post defense, etc.), offensive drills (e.g., Pick-and-Roll / Pop situations)
  • Pro Day must be a half-court workout.
  • Pro Day is an open workout for up to 45 minutes. If a player does NOT use the full 45 minutes, that is OK.
  • Must be completed on the same date as shooting drills. The player is allowed a 10-minute break in between.

KNOWN INVITATIONS

USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire was able to obtain a list of prospects invited to participate in this process. Note that others may have been included as well, though these were the names we can confirm at this time. 

Tres Tinkle, Oregon State

Malik Fitts, Saint Mary’s

Trevelin Queen, New Mexico State

Freddie Gillespie, Baylor

Jordan Ford, Saint Mary’s

Rayshaun Hammonds, Georgia

Jon Teske, Michigan

Emmitt Williams, LSU

Anthony Lamb, Vermont

Austin Wiley, Auburn

Isiaha Mike, SMU

Nate Darling, Delaware

Kamar Baldwin, Butler

Caleb Homesley, Liberty

Anthony Cowan, Maryland

Dwayne Sutton, Louisville

Steven Enoch, Louisville

Osasumwen Osaghae, Florida International

Kylor Kelley, Oregon State

John Mooney, Notre Dame

Xavier Sneed, Kansas State

EJ Montgomery, Kentucky

Quinton Rose, Temple

Jordan Bowden, Tennessee

Jake Toolson, BYU

Samir Doughty, Auburn

Terry Armstrong, South East Melbourne

Eli Pemberton, Hofstra

Kouat Noi, Cairns

Sacar Anim, Marquette

Jeff Dowtin, Rhode Island

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Former Florida Gators receiver Aubrey Hill dies at 48

Aubrey Hill, a former receiver and assistant coach for Florida and several other schools, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer.

Aubrey Hill, a former receiver and assistant coach for the Florida Gators, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer. His passing was announced by Florida International University, where he has been the wide receivers coach since 2017.

Panthers head coach Butch Davis gave this statement on the death of Hill.

“It was a shock to learn of Aubrey’s passing tonight after his long battle with cancer,” Head Coach Butch Davis said. “Aubrey was loved and adored by so many who saw him not only as a coach, but as an amazing husband and father. We mourn his loss, but we will also hold on to the great memories he left behind and how honored we all were to be a part of his life. We pray for his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

According to an article from The Athletic, Hill began an aggressive treatment plan for an unspecified form of cancer this spring after FIU’s spring practices were canceled as a result of COVID-19.

Hill played college football at Florida under coach Steve Spurrier from 1991-94, where he was a part of UF’s first three official SEC titles in 1991, 1993 and 1994. He finished his collegiate career with 86 receptions and 18 touchdowns, and he was a team captain his senior year.

After a year off, Hill began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as a graduate assistant from 1996-98. His first season as an assistant in 1996, the Gators captured their first national championship.

He then landed a gig as the receivers coach at Duke, a post he held from 1999-03. After spending one year at Elon in the same role in 2004, he was taken on by Pittsburgh to coach receivers. He stayed there until 2008, before accepting the receiving coach position at Miami.

With the Hurricanes, he was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2010. Though UM coach Randy Shannon was fired after the 2010 season, new coach Al Golden decided to retain Hill’s position on staff with the same responsibilities. However, shortly after Golden took the job, Hill accepted the receiving coach position under Will Muschamp at his alma mater.

Hill was a coach for the Gators during Muschamp’s first year in 2011, but just days before the 2012 season began, it was alleged that he was one of the Miami assistant coaches involved in a recruiting scandal that occurred from 2002-10. In response, he resigned from his position at UF. The following year, the NCAA served him a two-year show-cause penalty, essentially barring him from coaching in college football during that stretch.

In response, Hill moved down to the high school ranks, accepting a position at head coach of his alma mater Carol City High School in Miami. He led the Chiefs to a state championship as a coach in 2016.

Following the conclusion of his show-cause penalty, Hill was hired by former Miami coach Butch Davis at FIU in 2017, where he coached up until his death.

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Florida International assistant coach Aubrey Hill dies at 48

Florida International assistant coach Aubrey Hill has died at 48

Aubrey Hill, an assistant coach at FIU, died Sunday after a lengthy bout with cancer. He was 48.

Hill played college ball at Florida under Steve Spurrier and went on to become a graduate assistant at UF under Spurrier and was the Gators’ wide receivers coach in 2011.

Hill was in his fourth season as wide receivers coach at FIU on coach Butch Davis’ staff.

The head coach released a statement:

Saints to meet with small-school quarterback prospect before 2020 draft

The New Orleans Saints are one of a few teams set to meet with Florida International’s James Morgan, a rising prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft

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All three quarterbacks who played for the New Orleans Saints last year are on track to test free agency, but it’s a safe bet that two of them will return. Team executives have made a contract extension with Drew Brees an offseason priority, while Taysom Hill can be retained on a restricted free agent tender. But that still leaves the door open for another passer to join them, especially if the plan is for Hill to remain heavily involved on special teams and in the receiver rotation.

One name to keep an eye on might be James Morgan, a draft prospect out of Florida International. Morgan has been on the rise after he turned in a solid week of practices at the East-West Shrine Bowl, which he followed up with by interviewing well at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reported that the Saints are one of three teams planning to touch base with Morgan in the weeks ahead, along with the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.

However, Wilson did not include the Saints in the list of teams most interested in Morgan’s NFL potential. That may be due to their lack of familiarity with Morgan as his actual prospects of success, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein characterizing him as a “tough guy with a big arm” who lacks some nuance to his game, struggling to throw with consistent accuracy. Morgan figures to be picked on the third day of the draft in rounds four through seven, if at all.

But who is he? Morgan grew up near the Green Bay Packers, and was a self-professed Brett Favre fan. He played 42 games in four years as a starter (initially at Bowling Green before transferring to Florida International as a junior), peaking in 2018 with a 65.3 completion percentage with 26 touchdowns thrown against 7 interceptions.

The Saints have kept developmental passers like Morgan around before. J.T. Barrett bounced on and off of the practice squad maybe a hundred times before the Pittsburgh Steelers gave him an opportunity, a role which Tulane legend Ryan Griffin once played. While they whiffed on picking Garrett Grayson as a third-round pick, he’s also worth mentioning in the rundown of past Saints backups. We shouldn’t be shocked if Morgan joins them.

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Bears met with FIU QB James Morgan at East-West Shrine practice

The Bears were one of a handful of teams to meet with Florida International QB James Morgan at the East-West Shrine practice on Wednesday.

While the Bears have expressed their commitment to Mitchell Trubisky as their starting quarterback in 2020, they’re doing their due diligence when it comes to upgrading their quarterbacks room this offseason.

The Bears were one of a handful of teams to meet with Florida International quarterback James Morgan at the East-West Shrine practice on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun.

The Bears are likely to test free agency to find a veteran quarterback to pair with Trubisky, as well as the NFL Draft, where they could add a Day 3 prospect like Morgan.

Morgan was a two-year starter at Bowling Green before he transferred to FIU to play for Butch Davis. His senior season didn’t live up to expectations — as he passed for 2,560 yards for a 58 completion percentage with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.

But he put up some impressive numbers in 2018. Morgan passed for 2,727 yards with a 65 completion percentage with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 26-to-7.

Morgan has quite the arm along with good size and mobility that make him an intriguing prospect at the pro level.

And here’s the kicker: Morgan hails from Green Bay, which would make quite an interesting homecoming should the Bears court him.

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