Do You Know Your Panthers? Coach Jonathan Vines

It's time for another episode of "Do You Know Your Panthers?" This week its Coach Jonathan Vines in the hot seat!

The Inaugural BSC Basketball Alumni Golf Tournament

Last Friday, we had our 1st ever BSC Basketball Alumni Golf Tournament which was an incredible time with a lot of incredible guys! We would like to thank the Highlands Golf Club for allowing us to have the tournament there as well as the numerous sponsors who helped us put on this great event!

Please support those who are proud sponsors of Birmingham-Southern Basketball!


             Pinches Tacos                    Momma Goldbergs Deli


                                                     
        Mountain Chapel UMC                 Academy Sports



                    Steakout                             Tony's Hotdogs

  

            Al's Deli and Grill                       OxyMed LLC

   

"The Playing Fields Of BSC"

Recently, at our annual “Welcome Back” meeting of all student-athletes here at Birmingham Southern College, new President General Charles C. Krulak took the time to inspire us with the words of The Duke of Wellington and we would be remiss to not convey his thoughts here in this space for our extended Panther family out in the blogosphere.

Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, was a prominent English statesman and military leader who served as both Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. “The Iron Duke”, as he was known in some circles, distinguished himself as an unmatched military mind and leader of men as he led allied forces to victory over Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo (1815). (Editor’s note- a manlier nickname, I have never seen.) In reference to this victory, Wellington is quoted as saying,

“The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.”

Eton College, founded by King Henry VI in 1440, is widely considered to be one of the finest independent boys’ schools in the world with an alumni list that reads as a veritable “who’s who” of British statesmen and political leaders. The Duke attended Eton from 1781-1784 and would go on to send his sons to the prestigious institution as well.

At first glance, it would seem that any correlation between the athletic fields of a college and the grim realities of war is metaphorical at best, but the Duke was not a man to mince words or make flippant remarks. Wellington simply knew what coaches and athletes at Birmingham Southern College have known for years; the strength of character forged in sport is not something to be taken lightly, and cannot be merely confined to the lines of a field or a court. Just as the seeds of victory for Waterloo were planted at Eton, our former players are quick to trace the origin of their successes in life back to their playing days on The Hilltop.

Here in the Basketball program, we couldn’t be more proud of our recent successes on the court; coming off back-to-back championship seasons, our future couldn’t be brighter. But as coaches, we take a larger measure of pride in aiding our athletes to lay a quality foundation for the rest of their lives- a foundation forged in the fire of competition as we join arms to do battle again in the SCAC conference, a foundation of character and brotherhood that is sure to support the heavy bricks of success our athletes will lay down long after the last basket is made, the sneakers are hung up and the lights are turned off.

Go Panthers.

-Jonathan Vines

Do You Know Your Panthers? Coach Jason Parrish

A new addition to the bschoops.com will be a segment called "Do You Know Your Panthers?" This is a chance for people to get to know Panther players and coaches a little better! This week, we interviewed Coach Jason Parrish, the newest member of the BSC Coaching Staff.

BSC Cribs: New Men's Dorm Episode

This is the first installment of BSC Cribs. This is an inside look at New Men's Dorm here on campus.

BSC Cribs Episode I from Jason Parrish on Vimeo.

Birmingham Southern Listed by Sporting News as a "Possible Breakthrough" Team

Cover of Sporting News College Basketball Preview

The annual Sporting News College Basketball Preview that is out at newsstands and bookstores across the country, has listed the 2011-2012 Panthers as having a "Possible Breakthrough" season. In the magazine, it lists the premier NCAA Division III Men's Basketball teams for the upcoming season and Birmingham Southern was a part of that list!

Chris Graves Named New Birmingham Southern Head Basketball Coach

On June 3, 2011 Chris Graves succeeded Mitch Cole as Head Coach of the Panthers. Graves served as Assistant Coach for three seasons under Cole from 2008-2011. Through tenacious recruiting and innovative defensive strategy, Graves’ steady hand helped guide the Panthers to a 2010 Eastern Division crown, as well as an outright SCAC Conference Championship in 2011. BSC Athletic Director Joe Dean Jr. had this to say of Graves:

“We are very fortunate to have a person and coach of Chris Graves’ caliber right here on our staff to continue the tradition of winning basketball at Birmingham-Southern. Chris has seven years of college experience and has a remarkable record of achievement as a high school head coach as well. He has been an integral part of our program the past three seasons, two of which have resulted in conference championships. We look forward to moving forward under Chris’ leadership.”

Prior to BSC, Graves coached at both the high school and NCAA Division 1 levels. At Pell City High School (2006-2008) Graves was the architect of the greatest single-season turnaround in school history, going from four wins in the 2006-07 season to twenty-four wins during the 2007-08 campaign. He was awarded the County coach of the year following this turnaround season. In Nashville, TN, Graves averaged 25+ wins for three years at Columbia Central High School (2003-2005) where he was twice awarded  District Coach of The Year honors. In Division 1, Graves served as Assistant Coach at Tennessee State University (2001-2003) and was a graduate assistant at The University of Arkansas (1999-2001). Coach Graves is eager to connect BSC’s rich tradition to its’ bright future and welcomes the challenges that lie ahead:

“I would like to thank BSC President General Charles Krulak, Joe Dean, my family, and the entire Panther community for this great opportunity. I consider it an honor to be named the head basketball coach of this outstanding program. Birmingham Southern basketball has a rich history of championship level basketball, coupled with a history of producing some of the brightest graduates you will find. We return the core of a conference championship team this season, and I am excited about the things in store for this program. I challenge people to support our program. It represents everything that is right about college basketball.”