After wrapping up MU opponent previews, which you’ll be seeing over the next few weeks:

EAST DIVISION
1. UCF — predicting a repeat is hazardous business, and the Knights lost Kevin Smith to the NFL. But these guys should survive offensively and have the best secondary in the league. (New timing rules will help C-USA defenses).
2. East Carolina — All the tools to win if UCF falters. And remember, Marshall prevented these guys from winning last year.
3. Memphis — The crystal ball gets really hazy here. Marshall could take this spot.
4. Marshall — This team could go third. This team could go fifth. Anywhere from 7-5 to 4-8. Many reasons for optimism, but many questions, IMO.
5. Southern Miss — I can’t believe I’m making this pick, but the ingredients are there for a slide. This may be a good year to win in Hattiesburg.
6. UAB — They might be better and have nothing to show for it.

WEST DIVISION
1. Houston — They lost their best skill players and their coach, but that pond hasn’t dried up. May have most improved defense. And besides, I just know there won’t be repeats in both divisions.
2. Tulsa — If the new QB pans out, this team could score 60 a game. But their defense could surrender 61.
3. SMU — June Jones coaching Justin Willis? This might get interesting.
4. UTEP — Like Marshall, a program that could go in either direction.
5. Rice — Some more 56-48 losses coming right up.
6. Tulane — Without Matt Forte … yawn.

This may already be out on the boards by now, but Donnie Jones has landed a commitment from Chase Fischer, a Ripley guard who will be a sophomore this fall. Apparently, he has had a strong AAU season for a strong program, with Brett Nelson following him closely.

Got downwind of this several hours ago, but I was following the West Virginia Open at Berry Hills. Good tournament, I must say….

Marshall’s first opponent this fall picked up a reinforcement, in former Illinois running back Walter Mendenhall. He had just four carries (for 57 yards!) last year, his third with the Fighting Illini. He has earned his degree in sociology, and is working on a master’s at ISU.

Pencil in Jan. 13 or 14 for the Marshall-WVU basketball game, according to colleague Dave Hickman. He has WVU’s nonconference schedule in the a.m., and the Capital Classic date hinges on conference scheduling.

If you haven’t seen this elsewhere …

Marshall supporters have set up a fund to help defray the funeral expenses for Johnathan Goddard, the former All-American defensive end who was killed recently in a motorcycle accident in Florida.

Goddard had no insurance, and his family is incurring a $13,000 expense.

Donations can be mailed to The Johnathan Goddard Bereavement Fund c/o Chase Bank, 1000 Fifth Ave., Huntington, WV 25701. Pay Pal donations may be sent to goddardbereavementfund@suddenlink.net.

I see Texas-Arlington released its schedule and has a Dec. 13 trip to Marshall on the docket. If memory serves, the Herd travels to Ohio on Dec. 17 (my birthday is the 18th).

Nothing big, but stay tuned…

Put my eyes on the first preseason mag, Phil Steele… Marshall is rated third in C-USA East, behind East Carolina and UCF. I won’t call this mag the final authority, but Steele puts a little bit of work into it, even with the “Non-BCS” leagues. I’ll take it as a good sign.

Hope all the Charleston QB Clubbers enjoyed themselves today at Berry Hills… the weather certainly cooperated…

And if you’ve watched any high school baseball, keep an eye on Nitro first baseman Matt Frazer. This guy has a left-handed stick that’s just plain different from everybody else, even on that team. … He should look like a Conference USA hitter about this time next year, his senior season…

Enjoy the summer!

It’s May and it’s a busy (and kind of fun) time of year, and the high school championships keep on rolling here in Charleston.

A couple of things that have cropped up… Chris Royal’s stay in the Arena Football League was quite short. He was let go today by the Georgia Force.

And apparently, El Paso is going hard after the 2010 Conference USA basketball tournament. It seems everybody knows Tulsa will get that tournament, but I figure the idea is to get into a rotation for later years, and it looks like one is going to form.

The UTEP arena is a bit smaller than all the other candidates and El Paso has the obvious negative of geography. But as I’ve said in a previous column, I doubt you’ll find a place that will give this tournament a warmer welcome — even if the home squad takes a hit. We’ll see if the folks there can pony up a competitive bid.

Here to cover the Herd baseball team for the final time at Appalachian Power Park. The finishes its last home C-USA series Sunday… As you may have seen, I wrote an article for Friday morning on how the Herd is hitting C-USA pitching better, and I’ll be darned if it didn’t hammer the Southern Miss starter in a 16-10 victory. I continue to be impressed with this team.

In Monday’s column, I’ll throw out ticket sales dollar figures for football and basketball … and perhaps an update on Darius Watts, though I was stiffed in an attempt to contact him this week. We’ll see…

… would Bernard Morris fit in the Canadian Football League? Don’t laugh — his agent said that was indeed a possibility…

… is, in all likeihood, which prep school? But if he ekes out a qualifying test score, that makes the Herd’s roster a little interesting, doesn’t it?

On a down note of sorts, I have noticed the Herd is on the verge of a men’s/women’s sweep in golf … for last place. That’s a big bummer. And yes, I care about golf.

I also care about baseball, which brings me to my final note: You *have* to be a little excited about the state of the Herd program. 7-7-1 after 15 league games, with a trip to UAB on tap? Jeff Waggoner, Tim Adkins and crew are doing a nice, nice job. I heard the Herd is well within the top 100 in the latest baseball RPI…